Tag Archives: Devotional

Is Your Loyalty Divided?

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you … But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty … should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:5-8, NLT* (emphasis mine)

Reading these verses in other translations, I always thought “do not waver” meant “don’t doubt” and it always left me a bit uncertain. Despite our best efforts, doubt can flicker in our prayers.

God knows that. Remember the father with the demon-possessed son? “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NLT*)

The KJV uses “wavering” but the NIV actually says “you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave…” Both call the person “double minded.”

But this translation makes the real issue clear. Are we asking God for wisdom, leading, direction, but still holding onto worldly wisdom as a backup? No wonder it doesn’t work. If our loyalty is divided between God and the world, we’re sunk. (Click to tweet.)

That’s not to say God doesn’t want us to use our common sense, any more than He doesn’t want us to avail ourselves of doctors or other resources. But He does want us to look first to Him, to His power and His ways, and to go “all in” with what He says even if it’s counter-intuitive from a natural human perspective.

Remember His instruction for the Israelites to march around the walls of Jericho? God’s way works, because He works.

The context in today’s verses is wisdom, but I think the loyalty—which worldview we espouse and obey, where we look for our strength and encouragement—underpins everything we do.

In this light, I can understand “double-minded” to be like the man serving two masters. Of course it won’t succeed. We need to trust. And to commit.

Holy and all-powerful God, help us to fully embrace You as our source of all help and resources. Grow our faith so we can trust and obey You—fully and completely.

∞

This week’s song is a hymn I love: “Be Thou My Vision.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Source of Strength

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May [the God of peace] equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
Hebrews 13:21, NLT*

The Christian life is about learning what it means to walk by faith, to let the Holy Spirit’s power in us be our source of strength.

This has become my quest in the past few weeks. I’ve realized part of the reason there’s been an invisible cloud over my head is that I’ve felt overwhelmed by the “stuff” of life. I’ve been trying to handle it on my own again.

The more I commit each day to God’s leading, including what goes or doesn’t go on the agenda, the more I pray “Lord, You direct me, strengthen and keep me focused,” the better it is.

I’ve been praying daily for protection from fearful and negative thoughts, and reminding myself in Whom I put my confidence.

Check out the credentials ascribed to God in the verse before our focus verse:

Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— Hebrews 13:20, NLT*

This God, we can trust.

I don’t need to be anxious or to overcompensate. If there’s potential for something to go wrong, either God will help me do it right, or He’ll work within the fallout. If someone else is angry with me about it, God will still be with me.

And I don’t need to think ahead and try to hold everything together. My times are in His hands.

I’ve seen a few changes to my default reactions—all good! And my spirit, lined up with His Spirit, has more peace.

God of peace, You are so good to us. You rescue us when we can’t help ourselves, You prepare good works for us to do and give us people to love… and You provide the power to do it because on our own we can’t do much of value. Forgive us for the times we try life in our own strength, and help us learn to rely on Yours. Because of Jesus, Amen.

∞

Here’s one of my favourite Cliff Richard songs, a worship song I remember singing many years ago to help me focus: “Be in My Heart.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rla4-zsJYI8

Knowing Who We Are

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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2, NLT* (emphasis mine)

“When you know who you are in Christ, there is less room for the spirit of rejection to take root.”

I heard this recently, and it got me thinking. Some people are self-aware. They have a healthy view of who they are, and are secure in their own identities.

Others, myself included, are self-conscious. We have too sharp a view of our failings or weaknesses, and a clouded understanding of our good points.

Reject a self-aware person and they’ll know it’s really your problem. Reject a self-conscious person and they’ll take it personally. And agree with you.

Better than either of these is to be God-conscious. The Bible tells us who we are in God’s eyes: loved but condemned without Him, loved and accepted with Him. If God accepts us, knowing and redeeming the very worst of who we are, why is it often so hard to accept ourselves?

God says we are: loved, saved, accepted, adopted, delightful, clean, equipped. And more. Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

God who formed and redeemed us, when we feel or think or fear we are less than You say we are, help us take control of those thoughts. Help us reject them with the sword of the Spirit: Your Word. And help us raise the shield of faith by choosing to believe Your Word.

∞

The David Crowder*Band‘s song, “Shadows,” reminds us to keep our confidence firmly in God.

This Weapon Changes Hearts

When Our Role is to Pray and Wait

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When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father…’
Luke 15:17-18a NLT*

Last week we talked about how if there’s something our loved ones need to learn or change in their thinking, we can trust God to make it plain to them. We were looking at how God works in the lives of believers (including our own lives!)

Today’s verse reminds me this principle also applies for those who don’t yet know Jesus. That’s a huge comfort as we pray for people who are outside of relationship with God. And it makes perfect sense. After all, it’s God who initiates the contact, who softens hearts and gives faith.

When the young man in the parable left home, his father’s only option was to pray. Jesus didn’t say he did, but I think it’s implied by how he was watching and waiting for his son’s return.

We don’t know how long he waited, either.

The father knew the trouble his son could get into, and he presumably prayed for physical and spiritual protection. I’m guessing he also prayed for God to change the young man’s heart and bring him home.

He may well have prayed in terms of love, light and freedom. [Please follow the link to read Ginny Jaques’ insightful article on praying for unsaved loved ones.]

God our Father, thank You for revealing Your love to us, shining Your light of truth on our lives, and giving us freedom to choose You. Help us as we pray for those we love who don’t yet trust You. Help us pray in love, power and confidence, and help us wait for Your perfect timing as You draw them to know You. You love them even more than we do, and in this we will rest.

∞

Amy Grant‘s song, “I’ll Be Waiting,” captures some of the longing heart for a wayward loved one.

Let God Make it Plain

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Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
Philippians 3:15, NLT*

Perhaps only the Apostle Paul would have the confidence in the soundness of his teaching to be able to say this. Specifically, he’s been talking about counting everything else as worthless compared to gaining Christ, how he hasn’t “arrived” yet but how we all need to press on to grow closer to Jesus. [Read Philippians 3]

It’s the general application of this verse that interests me today, though. There is a spiritually mature view, and those who haven’t reached that level of growth won’t necessarily agree with it.

There are plenty of areas where there’s no “right” answer and Christians can safely hold their own opinions. Some of these areas are a bit dicey and we’re well advised to consider our words and actions so we don’t cause a more vulnerable believer to fall into sin. [Read 1 Corinthians 8:9-12]

There are doctrinal differences among the denominations that God will somehow work out in the end. And there are core truths of the faith which are non-negotiable for those who want to follow Jesus in spirit and in truth.

Paul used his position of authority to call out sin and call for church discipline. But when it came to teaching, he gave the truth and stopped at that. He prayed for believers to grow in understanding [Read Colossians 1:9-14], but he didn’t bully or badger or fret to get people’s agreement.

God has been so patient in bringing me to understand elements of His truth and to learn to live them. I’m sure it’s the same with you. And we still have much to learn—about God and about life in general.

Just as we’re on the journey, so are our brothers and sisters in Christ. So are our family and friends. Paul’s example here is freeing. We can pray, speak when appropriate, and remember that God is even more invested in revealing His truth to each heart.

God who is Truth, in whom is no shadow of lie or deceit, thank You for drawing us to know You and Your ways. Because You know each person so intimately, You know the best way and timing to make Your truth plain to us. Make us receptive so we can learn quickly, and grant us patience with one another in the process. Help us trust You to be about Your work. Nudge us when You have a word or deed for us to contribute, and nudge us even more when we’re to keep our hands and voices out of the way.

∞

Our song this week is an older one from Carolyn Arends: I Can Hear You. Praise God that His voice does break through all the noise in our lives.

When Jesus Prays for Us

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“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
Luke 22:31-32, NLT*

This is Jesus talking. He who has the power to stop storms, banish demons and raise the dead. Yet all He does here is pray for the fallout. Couldn’t He have rejected Satan’s request? Placed a special protection around the disciples?

Of course He could.

The fact that He didn’t shows that, as with Job, the trial would be permitted because it would ultimately accomplish God’s purposes in the lives of His dearly loved people.

So He let it happen.

It can happen to us too.

Sometimes, as with Peter’s denial, it’s our failure. Sometimes, like with Job, it’s out of our control: circumstances and others’ actions. Either way, if we surrender it to God He can use it to shape and grow us into the image of His Son. (See Painfully Conformed, at Other Food: daily devos)

And Jesus intercedes for us. Just as He did for Peter.

Father God, I affirm Your sovereignty. Nothing can touch me outside of Your will. Your plans for me are good. I rely on the intercession of Your Son, and I ask for grace to cooperate with Your Holy Spirit who lives in me, so that whatever the day holds, I can offer it to You in worship and conduct myself in a manner worthy of Your Name.

∞

In hard times or in good times, instead of handling life alone we can take Third Day‘s invitation to “Cry Out to Jesus.”

Putting our Faith in Jesus

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We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
Romans 3:22, NLT*

I like the NLT’s use of “made right with God”. The NIV equivalent is “righteousness,” which we can sometimes misconstrue. They really both mean the same, but this way it’s easier to see the focus on relationship with God rather than focusing on ourselves.

What caught me about this verse, though, is “placing our faith in Jesus Christ”.

This is more than intellectual belief, more than a casual agreement.

It’s an active trust, the same as we would sit in a chair or step onto a bridge. We place our faith in Jesus Christ. This suggests a few things to me:

following His way instead of living for ourselves
walking with Him each day and in each situation
relying on His leading, equipping, presence and protection
trusting Him to work things out as He chooses
trusting the goodness of His character
living to bring glory to God the Father

Holy and majestic God, there is none like You. Thank You for making a way for us to be right with You through faith in Jesus. Thank You for His death and resurrection, the most costly gift we’ve ever been offered. Thank You for the faith to believe. Help us to embrace this faith actively and fully and to let faith in Jesus change the way we live each moment, to Your glory.

∞

This week’s song is Chris Tomlin‘s “Jesus Messiah“.

[Linked with Wednesday’s Word]

God’s Good News

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For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.
Romans 1:16-17a, NLT* (emphasis mine)

Nobody wants to be a pushy, in-your-face salesperson. Well, except pushy, in-your-face salespeople, I suppose…

But I think that’s partly why it’s hard for Christians to share our faith. We forget that it’s not our job to “close the deal” on a person’s salvation. It’s God’s job to soften the other’s heart and open them to hear the truth about Jesus, and it’s God’s job to give the faith and courage to accept that truth.

He may want us to be part of presenting some of that truth, though. If people have questions, we need to be able to give an answer about our hope and faith. (1 Peter 3:15)

Think for a minute about this good news:

It tells what God has done for all people, all over the world. We didn’t even know He’d done it until after the fact.
We need to believe it and obey Jesus. (verse 5)
It’s the power of God at work. Wow!
It saves everyone who believes it.
It tells how God makes us right with Himself.
It’s only by faith. (verse 17)

Doesn’t that put a bit more light in your spirit, just thinking about it? Doesn’t it sound like something worth sharing?

Holy and Majestic God, this Holy Week we thank You again for the gift of Your Son Jesus, who came to show us who You are and to make us right with You. None of us could earn Your approval, but You did this for us, in all our messes, to rescue and redeem us. Remind us of the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Remind us of our hope. And help us to share the good news with those who need to hear it, in ways that will reach their hearts.

∞

Here’s Phil Driscoll with “Jesus Paid it All.” This is such a powerful song, and the trumpet is amazing. I don’t think the video is too graphic, but if you’re concerned, listen with your eyes closed…

Believing the Lord

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And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Genesis 15:6, NLT*

Abram believed God. Sometimes it’s that simple.

By now in Abram’s journey with God, he’s seen God protect and provide for his household in amazing ways. He’s had conversations with God and recognizes God’s voice.

Here, he’s been lamenting to God that all the riches he’s acquired are hollow… he has no son to inherit them, and they’ll pass to a servant. I’m sure the man is a well-trusted servant, but still, Abram longs for a son.

He’s honest with God about his pain.

God (who’s just been accused of not providing Abram a son) says that not only will Abram have a son, he’ll have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky.

Abram knows the facts. He’s old. His wife Sarai is old. If they haven’t conceived by now, it’s not happening.

Abram knows God. What God says, God does.

And Abram knows God’s voice.

Abram believes. And that’s all God wants here: believing faith.

As the story progresses, we see that Abram isn’t perfect. He falls into Sarai’s plans to “help” God by producing an heir through her maid. But his belief never wavers. God will provide.

Holy, Creator God, Your ways are beyond our knowing. Sometimes they don’t make sense to us. But You ask us to trust You. And You’ve already proven Your trustworthiness, power and love. You speak to us in many ways through the Bible and through the Holy Spirit. Teach us to recognize Your voice, and help us to believe what You say. Your Word says so much about how You see us, what You promise us, and who You want us to be. Help us to trust and obey.

∞

This song from the band Fee reminds us of truths to hold onto: “Everything Falls.”

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense

Tag Archives: Devotional

Is Your Loyalty Divided?

Our Source of Strength

Knowing Who We Are

This Weapon Changes Hearts

When Our Role is to Pray and Wait

Let God Make it Plain

When Jesus Prays for Us

Putting our Faith in Jesus

God’s Good News

Believing the Lord