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DAY 13 SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
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"I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST;
IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME;
AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH
I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD,
WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME."
(Galatians 2:20)
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RAISE UP THE STANDARD!
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1b, 2)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 12:37-46
Good Morning, beloved of the Most High God! How great the Father's love is towards you! "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1, NIV). I love that the word "lavished" is used in the NIV. To lavish, as defined, means to give or bestow an abundance; to shower; characterized by or produced with extravagance or profusion - as in a lavish buffet. God's love for us is a "lavish buffet" - a feast of epic proportions! Our gracious and benevolent Heavenly Father spared nothing when He offered His Son up as the main course. For the unbelieving, blind and foolish world, that may be a tough pill to swallow; but for us, who are being saved, it is the power of God (reference 1 Corinthians 1:18). And we are only at the rehearsal dinner! Can we even begin to grasp what awaits us at the Great Wedding Supper of the Lamb when we will feast at His table and in His Presence for all eternity? Why would we ever want to dine on the carnal crumbs of the world's table? Why would we waste our time eating artificial scraps that will never satisfy? Beloved, we have been invited to dine at the table of the King of Kings, and the portion He has placed on our plate today the world does not have eyes to see, let alone the palate to digest. May way hold of what He has so thoughtfully prepared for us today in His Word; realizing that our devotional reading is just the starting point of where He wants to take us today. Let us enjoy every morsel knowing it went through His hand before it ever got to our plate. He is our eternal cupbearer. Let us take a moment and say our table grace before He continues to lavish us with His Amazing Grace today!
Jesus Christ, our glorious light, came into the world so that "the blind will see and those who see will become blind" (John 9:39b). It is a gift of God's grace that we have been given eyes to see; and as we mature in our walk with Him, and the path before us is further illuminated through the study of His Word, the lens of our spiritual eyes are open to see even more than the handiwork of God in all creation - we will see the profound way in which God works. When that spiritual light bulb turns on in our soul we begin to see that God's ways are not our ways. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). God purposed that the cross of humiliation would bring glory; in suffering we would receive salvation, in heartache we would experience healing, in weakness we would find strength, in poverty the greatest riches, and in death we would experience life.
The people saw with their own eyes the miracles that Jesus' performed in their presence (reference John 12:37). God's glory was radiating before them like a great neon sign flashing the message that God was with them, but they refused to believe. God in His Sovereignty knew that they would purpose in their hearts to reject His Son, but He also had planned a higher purpose for their unbelief. "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them" (John 12:40). God, in His supreme justice, chose to harden the hearts of the Jewish people, much like He had hardened the heart of Pharaoh during the Exodus, so that His purposes would be fulfilled for the whole world. God's purpose in choosing Israel out of all the peoples of the earth was that through them His glory would be revealed to the world. "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6b).
There are many things the Lord has done and continues to do that we cannot truly understand or grasp; however, He has opened our spiritual eyes so we would know that everything He does is ultimately for our good and His glory. Jesus Christ endured the most extreme rejection, humiliation, and suffering known to man. He suffered, not only the rejection of men, but also the rejection of the Father, so we would never have to face that terrible separation - unless, of course, we choose to. His suffering brought our salvation; and Israel's rejection of Christ opened the door for the rest of the world to have the opportunity to receive Christ. "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:25-26a). How humbled we should be that there are those who wait in darkness while we waste the Light we have been given. Are we beginning to comprehend the price of the treasure we have been given? There is so much more at stake and there is no more time to waste - the kingdom clock is ticking. Our eyes have been opened to see where we fit in to God's great kingdom plan. The light we have been given is meant to be shared. How ashamed we should be of the time we waste when so many are still in darkness. Let us pray that the Lord would give us the pleasure of leading many to Christ, and then go out in confidence and lead them to the light. Today and everyday, may we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and daily approach the throne of Grace on their behalf until the Lord "establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:7). They are waiting on us; what exactly are we waiting for? It's time to wake up and finish the work we have been called to do (reference Matthew 28:18-20). May we be found faithful stewards of the light we have been given and to the work of Him who called us to Himself while it is still day. "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch" (v. 1). Heavenly Father, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay Him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36) Thank You for the portion You have placed on my plate, You knew exactly what I needed to satisfy and sustain me today. Instill in me a deep hunger for more of You and protect me from the temptation to fill up on the artificial substitutes of the world before I even come to You. Fill my heart and mind with more of You
as I sit at Your table and dine with You. Take pleasure with how I clean my plate and delight in how I continually come back for more. Be glorified with my life. I desire to be just like You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read Matthew 13:10-23
When Jesus' taught the people of His day He often spoke in parables "because of the spiritual dullness of the people" who did not have ears to hear or eyes to see. The Lord exhorts us to desire deeper understanding of His Word. He wants us to be diligent students who will do the necessary work to dig up the rich treasure that He has waiting for us. He has opened our spiritual eyes to see the greatness of His work, but that does not mean we do not have a responsibility to do some of the work ourselves. We have been given the greatest professor and teacher in the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth if we are willing to spend the time listening and learning.
God has opened our eyes to the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven. We have become privy to the wisdom of God and He will only give us more if we are willing to learn from Him. "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" (Matthew 13:11-12). The mind that God has given us is meant to functions at its' fullest capacity in response to our relationship with God. Because of the light of Christ that illuminates our ability to see His truth we no longer have the mind of the world, "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16b).
When we allow our minds to be filled with the carnal pleasures and pursuits of the world our spiritual hunger begins to wane. Sin dulls our desire for the things of God. Sin keeps us from coming to His table because we are artificially being satisfied elsewhere. We rob ourselves of the spiritual blessings of God when we waste our time feasting on anything else but Jesus Christ, and we risk our hearts becoming hardened towards Him. The last thing we want is for God to leave us alone because we have chosen to leave Him alone. "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts..." (Romans 1:21, 24a). Thankfully, however, when we live in a right relationship with God and experience the daily communion with Him that He desires to have with us we will find the opposite effect - our human desire - for food, sexual pleasure and security - will be dulled; and our spiritual hunger will be satisfied. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). There is no substitute for God! Have we not tasted and seen how good our God is (reference Psalm 34:8)? "...blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it" (Matthew 13:16-17).
How blessed we are to see, and hear, and taste, and know the mind and heart and purposes of God as we do. May we spend the time we have at His table to inquire just a little further, so we will glean all He has for us each and every day, and at each and every meal. May we take the time to empty ourselves of the things of this world so that we come to His table hungry, and ready to be filled. Let us pray that our hearts would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and softened to receive the seed of His Word, and learn to cultivate the silence in which God can be heard, so we will grow into a fruitful tree that produces the necessary fruit that will feed a hungry and malnourished world.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in His sight.
In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons
through Christ Jesus, in accordance with His pleasure and will -
to the praise of His glorious grace,
which He has freely given us in the One He loves.
In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
And He made known to us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times have reached their fulfillment -
to bring all things in heaven and on earth together
under one head, even Christ."
(Ephesians 1:3-10)
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RESTORE PRAISE!
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)
Evening Devotion: Focused on His Praise - Read Psalm 145
Great is our God and greatly to be praised.! Those beautiful words leap off the pages of Psalm 145 and out of the heart of David. Our heavenly Father has indeed blessed us "in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesian 1:3). Our plate and our cup overflows with His goodness and love (reference Psalm 23:5, 6). Tonight, may we take time to consider all the ways our Father has lavished us with His love this year. May we see beyond our circumstances which may be filled with trial and tribulation and look with spiritual eyes upon the many ways God has shown Himself faithful and true. Let us sing Him a song of praise for His faithful and protective love, He has carried us through in the past and He will not disappoint us now. May we take time this evening to thank Him for giving us the wisdom to know that the trial we may be facing was sifted through His loving and compassionate hand to be used for His greater glory revealed in our life and in the lives of so many others. Let us end our day in praise for the grace we have received having feasted from the infinite banqueting table of the King of Kings!
"I will extol You, my God, O King;
and I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
and I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
and His greatness is unsearchable.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
and His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
and Your saints shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
and talk of Your power,
to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD upholds all who fall,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desire
of every living thing."
(Psalm 145:1- 3, 8-16)
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