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Daily Devotion

5/29/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Leah DiPascal

"Shouldn't This Be Easier?"


"When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say."
Revelation 3:7b (CEV)


I have a confession to make. There have been times in my past when I felt like God was getting in the way of my plans.

More often than not, I would admire my friends and notice how they seemed to be on the fast track toward success in life. I, too, had goals I wanted to accomplish, dreams to pursue and a calling I longed to fulfill. Why did it seem like they were making great progress and I wasn’t?

Determined to make things happen, the achiever in me insisted on bulldozing forward with big expectations and lofty dreams. If I just work harder and stay focused, everything will go according to my plan.

I longed for God to stamp “yes” stickers on all my prayer requests and open every door of opportunity that I thought would be the perfect fit for me. But that didn’t happen.

Instead, I faced many challenges and obstacles. It seemed as if I’d take one step forward and three steps backward … like I was encountering more roadblocks than open doors.

My self-made highway toward all those dreams started to look more like a dirt road littered with potholes of discouragement and puddles of frustration. So, I prayed harder, sought God more and asked why He wasn’t taking all of my great ideas into consideration.

I wanted to be optimistic and full of faith, but the more I pondered and asked questions, the more I second-guessed my calling. Self-doubt filled my mind:

If God has gifted and called me to this, shouldn’t it be easier?

If I’m trying to do God’s will, why does it seem like He’s denying all my prayer requests? Surely, He knows this is important to me!

Look at this great opportunity. It’s exactly what I’ve been asking for! Why do I keep getting overlooked?

Not all of the answers came right away, but I refused to give up. I kept reading my Bible and asking God the tough questions. I continued to trust Him and follow His lead even when things didn’t make sense.

Then one morning as I was reading my Bible and journaling, I came across today’s key verse from Revelation 3:7: "When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say."

Then this thought came to me: A closed door is not God’s objection toward me; it’s His sovereign protection over me.

Suddenly that changed everything. I looked at the closed doors in my life from a new perspective.

God loves me too much and knows me too well to give me everything I ask for. His protection for me will always override my earthy wants and desires. Even when I have the best intentions in mind, His plan is always better.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 84:11-12, "The LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly … blessed is the one who trusts in you!" (ESV)

To "walk uprightly" means to have a faith that is genuine — to continuously seek after God’s will and obey Him in every area of our lives.

If you’re walking uprightly and God closes a door that you think is a great opportunity, I hope you will remember this devotion and hold onto this truth: God is not setting you up for disappointment or failure. He’s setting you up for something better.

The gifts God has given you and the calling He’s placed on your life are irrevocable. Whatever door God opens on your behalf cannot be closed by anyone. God’s plans for you will succeed and His promises stand firm forever.

Meanwhile, let’s not only thank God for the doors He’s opening, but also for the doors He’s closing. Doors that could potentially lead us to harm, should we get our own way. Let’s be sure to remember: God is not getting in our way — He is the only way to complete victory!

Dear Lord, thank You for the gifts and calling You’ve placed on my life. Help me to trust You when things don᾿t go according to my plans and desires. Let me see the potential of a closed door as a divine detour that will lead me closer to You as I wait for something better. I’m so grateful Your promises stand forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (ESV)

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Daily Devotion

5/27/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Susie Davis

"Where's God When I'm Afraid?"


"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises."
Psalm 22:1-3 (NIV)


I lay flat on the floor, pounding my fists in desperation.

Lost in grief so deep, I didn’t even think about the fact I might wake my babies, ages 4 and 9 months, napping in the rooms right next door. I wanted to snap myself out of it and return to folding laundry and picking up scattered toys. Instead, I lay pressed to the floor, drowning in a sea of horrible memories.

I flashed back to a boy, a gun and my teacher dying on the classroom floor. Mental images of the horror of what had happened a decade ago invaded my life as a young wife and mother, instantly engulfing me in post-traumatic stress.

Although I loved God, I’d stopped trusting Him long before this moment. The fear landscape of my life seemed preferable to trusting a God who could allow such a terrible thing to happen. Yet all the years I spent trying to pack down the fears of what I had witnessed as a child came flooding to the surface. With it came the exhaustion I felt from working hard to make my world, and my children’s world, safe.

The endless hours I expended trying to manage, control and protect my little family finally fractured my body, soul and spirit. I was a broken woman, falling apart.

And then in the middle of my meltdown, a verse, really nothing more than a quiet whisper, came rushing in.

"Yet You are holy …"

For those of us who struggle with fear, there may be no more important word in the Bible than the word yet.

Yet tells us the story hasn’t fully been told.

Yet tells us a page is about to be turned.

Yet tells us God has a different perspective.

In our key verse, we see how David felt like God was distant and unfeeling, like He was not listening. And David, like you and me, struggled greatly with fear. But despite all this, David followed his feelings with a powerful yet. And it’s a big one. "Yet you … are Holy."

Here’s the thing: God never uses fear as a tactic to make us holy. His ways are higher than stooping to that level. If that’s true, there’s no need to panic. No worrying that God has lost control of things. No anxiety over things unknown. Just the calm, confident confession that God is still holy.

And in that holiness, God manages the details of the whole universe … including you, me and the people we love.

God isn’t just the God of the calm and peaceful. He isn’t just God in the happy and safe. He’s God in the chaos. He’s God in the courtroom, the emergency room, the waiting room and the viewing room.

He is always holy. Even now.

Trouble may abound but God is holy still. His sovereignty takes the pressure off of us to control our sometimes scary circumstances and hold tightly to the things we think will bring us comfort. Because God shows up, we can live our lives unafraid.

When the pressure overwhelms, when we’re broken on the floor or feel like we just can’t handle what the world may hand us … may we find God holy after all.

God, I am frightened of far too many things. Things that overwhelm me and cause me to believe You’re really not in control. And You know how I often try to become the savior of my little world, hyper-managing my children and the people I love, because I’m terrified You won’t show up. Regardless of how dark my circumstances feel or how terrifying my personal problems, You are holy. Thank You for being holy — and for being in total control. Let me rest in the peace of that knowledge. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Luke 12:31-32, "Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself." (MSG)

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Daily Devotion

5/26/2015

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Telling the Truth Ministries
Jill Briscoe

“Satisfaction”


“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.”
Isaiah 53:11

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus found satisfaction after His sufferings. For some of us it will be the same. Death, which has been described as the last step of faith, will see us through the door to daylight’s delight. Satisfaction, as the world understands it, may never come to some of us in this life. But one day after it is over, we will be met with the Savior’s “Well done,” and we will be satisfied.

What is satisfaction? Hollywood insists that it includes “beauty” and must be pursued by all means and to all ends. We are asked to believe that to be truly satisfied with ourselves we must be truly beautiful. Yet in Isaiah 53, we read about Jesus: “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him” (Isaiah 53:2). Apparently, in God’s value system, appearance is not all that important! It’s what people do because of who they are that matters in the highest place, not how they dress it up or paint it on. Jesus, contrary to popular opinion in His day, was a divine success and gained satisfaction from knowing that “the LORD’s plan will prosper in his hands” (Isaiah 53:10).

The one who concentrates on pleasing Him before death discovers that after the crushing and the cross there will be the crown! So be it.

For further study: Isaiah 53:1-12

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Daily Devotion

5/21/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Lysa TerKeurst

"Stop Reading Your Bible"


"Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart." Psalm 119:34 (NLT)

I have a request today: Stop reading your Bible.

Does that shock you? Relieve you? Make you angry at worst? Curious at best?

Read on and see what I mean by this request.

There have been many days in my Christian journey when God was reduced to something on my to-do list. Somewhere along the way, I picked up an unwritten checklist of sorts explaining what "good Christians" are supposed to do:

Pray.

Read your Bible.

Go to church.

Don’t cuss.

Be nice.

Being the rule-following girl I am, I subscribed to the good things on that list and waited with great expectations to receive the zap of contentment and happiness good Christian girls are supposed to exude.

But then I felt something was wrong with me. I still felt restless. I still reacted in anger. I still felt a bit hollow.

I was going through all the motions but didn’t feel connected to Jesus. Others around me seemed very connected. They would talk of being "moved by the Spirit." They would hear from God Himself. They would clap their hands and shout "Amen" in the middle of a sermon that sounded like Greek to me.

I often felt like a weightless soul grasping at the air, hoping to somehow snag this Jesus that was just out of reach. Have you ever been there?

Have you ever sat in a church service watching everyone else eagerly flip open their Bibles to the exact right passage, while you were left sweating because you didn’t have a clue how to find what they were reading?

Have you ever walked out of church watching everyone else smile and shake hands and seem so gentle while you mentally beat yourself up for throwing the orange juice carton across the kitchen that very morning?

Suddenly this nagging sense creeps in that you don’t belong — that you’ll never get it — that you don’t have what it takes to be a Christian. That’s where I was. I lived there for a long time until someone challenged me to stop simply reading my Bible because it was a thing on my Christian checklist. Instead, they challenged me to experience God. To know God.

In other words, I needed to look at the words in the Bible as a love letter. God’s love letter to a broken-down girl. A love letter not meant to simply be read … but a love letter meant to be lived.

I won’t lie. It took a while. It took many days of sitting down with my Bible while praying gut-honest prayers. I told God I wasn’t connecting. I told Him I wanted to understand, just like the psalmist in our key verse, Psalm 119:34.

I asked Him to help me. I begged Him to help me. Finally, one verse came alive to me. I literally felt moved when I read it. I think I read it 100 times that day. I memorized it and thought about it all day long. All week long. Maybe all month long.

I was overjoyed. I had a verse. A verse where Jesus spoke tenderly and clearly and specifically to me. It was Jeremiah 29:11, "‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’" (NIV)

Slowly, I added more verses. Day by day. Chapter by chapter. And eventually my Bible became my greatest treasure, my love letter.

Now, every day I open up God’s Word with great expectation and intentionally look for my verse for that day. Usually one verse among the many I read during my devotion time grabs my heart and I know it’s meant just for the day ahead. And then I attempt to live that verse out in some way, that very day.

When I make the connection between what happens in my life that day and why I need that verse, I experience God. I see Him being active in my life and I become even more deeply aware of His constant presence.

I’m sure some Bible scholars would probably take issue with my simplistic approach. But it sure has helped me throw fewer orange juice cartons across the kitchen.

And having less thrown cartons sure seems like a step in the right direction to me.

So, back to my original statement. Stop reading your Bible. In other words, stop simply reading it because you have to cross it off the Christian checklist.

Read it with great expectations of connecting more deeply and living more authentically with God.

Dear Lord, thank You for showing me the Christian life can be so much more than a checklist. I want to not only read Your Word, but live it out each day. Please give me the wisdom to understand and the courage to become more like You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 119:130, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." (NIV)


Proverbs 30:5, "Every word of God is flawless …" (NIV)

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Daily Devotion

5/18/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Wendy Pope

"The Cure for Morning Madness"


"When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests."
Deuteronomy 17:18 (NLT)


It was one of those mornings when God’s work in my heart and life was not very evident to those I love. Somehow, our morning routine had been knocked off schedule.

My response? To fuss at everyone.

My mood plummeted from bad to worse. After searching frantically for missing shoes, throwing book bags and lunches in the car, feverishly buckling children in car seats and slamming every door I could get my hands on, I zoomed off down the road.

Once settled and on our way, my anger turned to remorse. How had I lost so much patience, love and trust so quickly? As conviction filled my spirit, prayer filled my lips. I’d missed a few days of my usual morning time reading Scripture, and it showed in my actions. My soul craved the Word of God to renew, refine and redirect me.

For thousands of years, people have needed God’s Word to help guide them. In today’s key verse, we read some of the directives given to the kings of Israel. God knew any leader for His people would need His instructions. That’s why the Lord told them, "When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests" (Deuteronomy 17:18). It goes on to say: "He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives" (Deuteronomy 17:19a, NLT).

Surely if the kings of Israel needed to keep a copy of God’s Word near them to read daily, we do too! God’s Word teaches, rebukes, corrects, trains in righteousness and equips (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So on mornings when we’re in the midst of frenzied fussing, it helps tame our tempers and settle our souls.

That morning, through tears, I glanced over to the passenger side seat for my Bible that I always kept there. I’d hoped to read it in the school parking lot once my kids were dropped off. Much to my dismay, I’d forgotten to grab it during the morning madness. My soul deflated fully. I needed God’s Word.

I decided to make it a point to never again to be without a copy of the Bible nearby. Just as it was necessary for the kings to have a copy of the Book of Instruction beside them, it’s necessary for you and me to have the Bible near to guard and guide us throughout the day.

I’ve also learned it really isn’t enough to have my Bible nearby. I need to get into it, study it and really connect it with my life.

At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we know the difference God’s Word makes. And we want to help you dig in deeper with our free First 5 mobile app, launching this summer. With God’s vision and your help, Proverbs 31 Ministries is striving to eradicate Biblical poverty. And we want to start by developing this First 5 app to:

  • Bring life and truth to the First 5 minutes of every day.
  • Provide a healthier alternative to hopping on social media with the first moments of our day.
  • Give us the opportunity to share hope with the people in our lives who struggle with putting God’s Word first.

We are praying that people whose hearts are burdened like ours will join us as we bring the Word of God to women across the globe. We need your help. Join us today.


Dear Lord, I ask You today to give me a hunger for Your Word and an urgency to apply its truths to my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (ESV)

Psalm 119:16, "I delight in Your decrees, I will not neglect Your word." (NIV)

Deuteronomy 17:19-20a, "He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way." (NLT)

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Daily Devotion

5/15/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Tracie Miles

"The One Thing We Can All Have In Common"


“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (NIV)

As I read her email, my heart felt heavy. She had endured so much pain in her life, none of which she deserved or caused.

Then I read another email. And this person’s story was completely different, yet the pain and heartache of her life seemed unfair, too, and more than one person should have to endure. Then another email. Then another.

Countless emails sat in my inbox — each one saturated with intense emotion and vulnerable honesty. All sharing a different experience and a different level of hurt, shame or regret.

One had been physically abused. One was betrayed. One battled addiction. One divorced. One had been sexually abused. One struggled with fear and anxiety. One had chosen abortion. One had been unfaithful. One had a serious disability.

The list was long, and every one of these women had something in her past that once made her feel insignificant, void of value and unlovable to God. Yet, despite their different experiences, all these women had one amazing thing in common, which stood out loud and clear.

You see, each one had allowed God to transform her pain into purpose, and as a result, their lives now shine as a living testament to the power of a Holy God. Each one had watched God turn something difficult into something that would glorify Him.

Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (NIV). This verse reminds us that no matter what has happened in our lives, or what we have or have not done, God loves and values us unconditionally.

Later in that same chapter, in today’s key verse, we read God not only loves us, but has a plan and a purpose for our lives — not despite our past, but because of it.

Paul experienced pain and suffering through various forms of persecution: imprisonment, beatings and rejection. He spoke from the wisdom of his own experiences and exemplified the transforming power of God’s ability to turn any mess into a message.

Paul encouraged believers to embrace God’s promise that He can use all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, not only for God’s good, but also our own.

Regardless of how difficult our pasts are, as children of God we have a commonality in Christ Jesus our Savior: God will use for good what the devil intended for evil. When we allow God to use our pain for a purpose that glorifies Him and ministers to others, we enjoy the blessing of spiritual healing and transformation like never before.

No matter how different our prior experiences, we can still have one precious thing in common. We can each choose to live as proof of the power of Jesus to change a life. All things truly can be used for the good of those called by Him.

Lord, I’ve always felt I couldn’t be fully loved or forgiven because of my past and that maybe You had no purpose for me. Help me embrace the promise of Romans 8:28 — of Your love and plans for my life. Help me discover the amazing purpose You’ve ordained just for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” (NLT)

Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (NIV)

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Daily Devotion

5/14/2015

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Telling the Truth Ministries
Jill Briscoe

"Fresh Fruit"

"The time is coming when my people will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with her fruit!"
Isaiah 27:6

After fencing his vineyard, Yahweh did everything necessary to ensure good fruit, including planting the fertile soil with "choice vines" (Isaiah 5:2). But God's chosen ones became a wild vine, because Israel did not obey (Isaiah 5:5-6). But God also promised that He would preserve the few who believed. From the remnant of faithful people would come the choicest of vines--Jesus Christ. The Savior used this vineyard metaphor in the Gospels, saying, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener" (John 15:1).

Do you realize you have been grafted into the choicest vine? Jesus is the Vine, and you are a cherished branch. His Father is your Father and mine--the Gardener. The fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will grow within us as we let Christ fill us. When we abide in the Vine, God develops His character in us by pruning, tending, feeding, watering, and nurturing us so that we, in turn, may care for others. It is not always pleasant to be pruned, but it is necessary. Sometimes God prunes our life by cutting "deadwood" out of us--the deadwood of wrong relationships, an evil habit, or even sheer laziness. Once He is finished with His pruning, the buds and blossoms can flourish and bear fruit. Fruit hangs on the outside of the tree--displaying the tree's nature, enhancing the tree's beauty, and refreshing those who partake of it. When we are inwardly submissive, we are outwardly obedient--and a hungry world is glad!

For further study: Isaiah 27:2-13

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Daily Devotion

5/13/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Suzie Eller

"When You Stop Being a Debt Collector"


"You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’"
Matthew 5:38 (NLT)


Years ago, if you were to ask me if I was an "eye-for-an-eye" kind of girl, I’d say no. But in reality, I was. And, I hadn’t allowed God to heal my heart because I was waiting.

I was waiting for an apology for wrongs done.

I was waiting for someone to change before I took the plunge myself.

I was waiting for an acknowledgement that I didn’t deserve what happened.

My first year of college, I was fully on my own. A small scholarship paid for tuition. I worked two jobs — one in the evenings during the week and another on the weekends, to pay room and board. I was frustrated that it seemed so much easier for everyone else. Some students didn’t have to worry about how much textbooks cost. Their parents put gas in their cars and a few extra dollars in their bank accounts.

It seemed so unfair, while I dragged myself to classes on Mondays, exhausted from working two night shifts and constantly worried whether there’d be enough left in my wallet to pay the next round of bills.

I let resentment pile up.

It was stacked on top of the other resentments I had tucked away in my heart from childhood.

I carried that growing pile of resentment with me when I left college and married. I didn’t want to feel that way, so I often pushed it down. I prayed. I tried to do things differently with my own children.

But when things got hard, I’d look back and point to my past.

If only they’d done something different.

If only things had been easier.

It was my eye-for-an-eye barter system.

Though I sensed God leading me to let go of this debt, I couldn’t quite release it. When, and if, the wrongdoing was paid for in full, then I’d be OK to move on. But that left me holding tightly to anger, pain and insecurity — and going nowhere in the healing process.

In today’s verse, Jesus contested this view of payback. In Matthew 5:38, He said: "You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’"

I had heard that too.

I’d heard when someone hurts you, forgiving her without any change on her part was a weakness.

I’d heard that when you didn’t get what you thought you deserved, you should dig in your heels until you did.

Yet Jesus’ words empowered believers, like me, to think differently. An eye-for-an-eye might just leave the offender and the offended both without an eye. And God has something for us to see beyond the hurt.

In Romans 12:19a, Paul says, "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God …" (NLT).

My anger back then was far from righteous. It was deeply ingrained and surprisingly hidden, but it surfaced in my thoughts. It conflicted with my ability to trust.

It even affected those who were innocent of wrongdoing, because my eye-for-an-eye mentality was hypersensitive to potential wrongdoing. It left little room for grace, even for those who loved me well.

In order to mend my heart, I had to exchange payback for paid-in-full.

Giving up my eye-for-an-eye mindset felt unnatural at first. But then, all the debts that kept this God-girl trapped began to fall away, and that left room for God to take up residence in the wounds of my past.

I stopped waiting for an apology.

I stopped waiting for others to change.

I stopped waiting for an acknowledgement of wrongdoing.

I stopped recounting the wrongs.

And I started living. Finally God released me from the debt collection business so I could just be me.

Lord, I willingly walk away from a life dedicated to collecting the debts of others. You paid in full the price to mend my heart, and I receive that healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Romans 12:21, "Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good." (NLT)

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Daily Devotion

5/12/2015

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Telling the Truth Ministries
Jill Briscoe

"Light at the End of the Tunnel"


"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light--a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow."
Isaiah 9:2

Are you in need of a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel? Isaiah promises that even in darkness, even in death itself, there is good ground for hope. The power of God is able to restore life to His people even when they appear already dead!

What is that great light? It is the Savior, Jesus Christ. This prediction was fulfilled by Christ's coming (Matthew 4:16). The light of Christ brought the promise of deliverance for Israel. A new day had come!

The Savior is a great light in the darkness to us as well. Maybe you live in the darkness of divorce or in the shadow of death. Some of you may be watching a loved one slowly disintegrate before your eyes. Perhaps you have given up seeing any light in a dark family or church situation. Others, in seemingly perfect circumstances, live in the deepest darkness of all--depression that nothing seems to penetrate! Listen to the Good News! There's light at the end of the tunnel--look up and see Jesus standing there! Hear what He says: "I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the Light that leads to life" (John 8:12).

The Word of God penetrates the darkness of our soul. It's as if God penetrates the darkness with His inescapable light. Ask God to penetrate your tunnel of darkness with His glorious Light.

For further study: Isaiah 9:1-7

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Daily Devotion

5/11/2015

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
Leslie Ludy

"Embracing the Inconvenient"


"Whatever you did for one of the least of these … you did for me."
Matthew 25:40b (NIV)


I will never forget the day my son Hudson learned what an orphan was. A close family friend had just returned from Haiti where she visited an orphanage and had taken heartbreaking photos of destitute children in desperate need of loving homes.

As a wide-eyed 3-year-old, Hudson stared at the pictures and asked, "Who dose kids? Why dey sad?"

I explained that the children in the photos were orphans, children without a mommy or daddy. As Hudson pondered this, his heart was gripped with compassion. He suggested we go to Haiti and bring home 20 orphans to live with us.

I smiled at his childish enthusiasm and then informed him I didn’t think we’d have room in our house for 20 more children. A few days later, Hudson led me upstairs to see several "orphan beds" he’d created. Each bed consisted of a blanket, a pillow and one of his favorite stuffed animals.

There were two orphan beds in Mommy and Daddy’s room, two in his sister’s room, and five in Hudson’s bedroom. (He’d taken the greatest burden of caring for these orphans upon himself!)

"See?" he exclaimed. "We do have room!"

I was speechless.

God was using my 3-year-old to remind me of His simple solution for the orphaned, the destitute and the starving: sacrificially sharing what we have with those in need.

That day, God challenged my heart with some poignant questions: Was I willing to serve the weak, even if it required personal sacrifice? If Hudson was willing to share his mommy, daddy, bedroom and favorite stuffed animals with children in need — then what was I willing to share?

Those questions changed the course of my life. While we didn’t bring home 20 orphans, God has led us to adopt four children in need of a loving home. The journey has not been easy, but through it we have seen God’s amazing faithfulness.

In our noisy, busy world, it’s easy to become consumed with self-focused pursuits and remain indifferent toward the needs of the lost and dying around us. I have been guilty of this attitude many times.

Whenever I’m struggling with a self-focused mindset, I’m reminded of a sobering story I once heard about the Jewish Holocaust.

In the story, a German church sat next to the railroad tracks where cars of Jews rattled by the church, on their way to the concentration camps. The prisoners would scream as loudly as they could, begging the churchgoers to help. But the Christians didn’t want to get involved. Instead, as the cars rolled past, they sang their hymns loudly to drown out the cries of the suffering.

Astounding, isn’t it?

Still today, there are cries of anguish resounding all over the world — from the starving child to the persecuted Christian. Yet how often do we drown them out with entertainment, busyness, materialism or selfish ambitions? God asks each of us to turn down the noise in our lives and learn to love and give the way He does, embracing the inconvenient and holding nothing back.

Naturally, this will look different for each of us.

Some of us might be called to minister to the homeless, others to adopt, others to fight for the unborn, others to help orphans, others to encourage the persecuted — and countless other possibilities.

Cultivating a sacrificial lifestyle often starts with one simple step, such as ministering to someone in our community. I encourage you to let God stretch you beyond what is comfortable and easy. He will open your eyes to the ways in which He desires you to become His hands and feet to those in need.

Throughout history, the Christians who’ve made the most impact for God’s kingdom rarely lived comfortable or convenient lives. Their mighty acts for God required enormous personal sacrifice and a willingness to venture far beyond the realm of the easy and convenient. If today’s Christians are too busy, who will take up the torch of Gospel-centered rescue work in this generation?

Lord, help me learn to look past myself and see the needs of others. Teach me to love others the way You love them, sacrificially. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

John 20:21, "So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’" (NKJV)

James 2:26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (NKJV)

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