Watching the Clouds (and other devotionals)

Watching the Clouds

And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were looking steadfastly into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. - Acts 1:9-11 

The apostles had the awesome privilege of watching the Lord ascend into heaven. They gazed up to the heavens as He departed on the clouds! No wonder they all stood in awe and amazement. I am sure they dealt with thoughts such as “Where are you going? Are you coming back? Can I go too? When will we see you again?” And even, “I can’t believe I am seeing this.” But the angels had an answer to all these questions. They said, “….come back….” As a result, the apostles fully and completely believed that the Lord would be coming back in their life time. Time was short, the message needed to get out. They lived every day for the Lord. Think about it...would you live differently if you thought the Lord was coming back today?

I asked the Lord to impress upon me the immanence of His return. I want every day to count for Jesus. I want to be looking for Him, listening to Him and ready for Him. Often, when I look into the clouds, I pray to see Him. To live every day as if today was the day of His return has changed my priorities, my desires and my focus.

Pray for eternal eyes. Pray for an excitement for His return. Pray to live as if He is coming back today. And ask the Lord to remind you of His promise to return every time you gaze into the clouds.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

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Growing Up—Part 2

Yesterday we began a list of ten areas in which Scripture says we should be growing.  In today's devotional, I want to complete that list for you.

1.      1 Thessalonians 3:12 and 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 teach us that we should grow in our love for others.  I would hate to think that I have plumbed the depths of love for my wife, for my children, for my friends, or for God.

2.      Ephesians 2:21 speaks to us of growing in unity.  You and I ought to grow better and better at getting along with other believers, especially those in our church.

3.      Luke 2:52 speaks of growing in wisdom.  God is so anxious to provide you and me with His wisdom, but it is something we need to seek.  Are you growing in wisdom? 

4.      Luke 2:52 also speaks of growing in favor.  Are you obnoxious and hard to get along with?  Do you find it difficult to get along with others?  I challenge you, if that is true, to consider the model of Jesus for our lives.  He grew in favor with both God and men. 

5.      2 Peter 3:18 says that we can grow in grace.  I don't know about you, but I am deeply grateful for God's grace in my life. And for those who extend me grace when I blow it.  Is grace a hallmark of your life?

According to Scripture, these ten areas—the five from yesterday and the five today—are vital areas in which you and I are to grow.  I challenge you to read each Scripture and take each area before the Lord and ask Him to reveal where you need to grow.

You will be amazed at the change for good that will come about in your life!

~Bayless Conley~

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Make God Your Refuge

by Max Lucado 

Refuge is a favorite word of David’s. You will count as many as forty-plus appearances in some Bible versions. But never did David use the word more poignantly than in Psalm 57. The introduction to the passage explains its background: “A song of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.” Lost in shadows and thought, he has nowhere to turn. Go home, he endangers his family; to the tabernacle, he imperils the priests. Saul will kill him. Here he sits. All alone. But then he remembers he’s not. And from the recesses of the cave a sweet voice floats:

“Be merciful to me, O God!
For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I make my refuge.” (Psalm 57:1)

Make God your refuge. Let Him be the foundation on which you stand!

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Psalm 73:22

So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.

Remember this is the confession of the man after God's own heart; and in telling us his inner life, he writes, "So foolish was I, and ignorant." The word "foolish," here, means more than it signifies in ordinary language. David, in a former verse of the Psalm, writes, "I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked," which shows that the folly he intended had sin in it. He puts himself down as being thus "foolish," and adds a word which is to give intensity to it; "so foolish was I." How foolish he could not tell. It was a sinful folly, a folly which was not to be excused by frailty, but to be condemned because of its perverseness and wilful ignorance, for he had been envious of the present prosperity of the ungodly, forgetful of the dreadful end awaiting all such. And are we better than David that we should call ourselves wise! Do we profess that we have attained perfection, or to have been so chastened that the rod has taken all our wilfulness out of us? Ah, this were pride indeed! If David was foolish, how foolish should we be in our own esteem if we could but see ourselves! Look back, believer: think of your doubting God when He has been so faithful to you-think of your foolish outcry of "Not so, my Father," when He crossed His hands in affliction to give you the larger blessing; think of the many times when you have read His providences in the dark, misinterpreted His dispensations, and groaned out, "All these things are against me," when they are all working together for your good! Think how often you have chosen sin because of its pleasure, when indeed, that pleasure was a root of bitterness to you! Surely if we know our own heart we must plead guilty to the indictment of a sinful folly; and conscious of this "foolishness," we must make David's consequent resolve our own-"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel."

~Charles Spurgeon~

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My Life-Changing Revelation 

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Like most people, I have spent a good amount of time trying to understand my life experiences. If I am honest, many things haven’t made sense. Unexplained paths. Dashed expectations. Disappointments. Shattered dreams. There have been times in life, probably like you, when I have looked back over my shoulder and thought, God what in the world was that all about? But a couple of years ago, I had a life-changing revelation that I have been trying to understand my experiences the wrong way. Instead of analyzing them through a lens of good or bad, right or wrong, perfect or imperfect, God’s will or my will, maybe I need to look at them through the lens of holiness.

I have to admit, my brain has always turned off when I have heard this word. Why? Because even though I have heard the word “holiness” a million times, I haven’t ever really been able to grasp what it means. I have a feeling I won’t ever come close to understanding its meaning until I get to heaven. It’s like trying to tell a woman who has been blind from birth what a breathtaking sunset looks like. Even though I intellectually know holiness is good and beautiful, I just don’t get it because it’s so “other.” It’s so God. But I do know that holy is what God wants me to be.

“Be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

The definition of holiness–in a nutshell–means being set apart to purity, to be like God. And the result of holiness, of God transforming us to make us more like Him, is outrageous joy, amazing peace, overflowing love—and all the other things that are embodied in our Perfect Creator. So what does holiness have to do with trying to understand life’s painful, meaningless, or seemingly pointless experiences?

When I understand that God’s goal is to make me holy, not to always make me happy or grant all my desires, then every imperfect situation, every struggle, every disappointment, every heartache, every experience I can’t understand, and even my sin become means for Him to accomplish His goal to make me holy. Everything (and I mean everything!) has divine purpose. For those who belong to Christ, no experience in life—good or bad—is ever wasted! God uses everything. Nasty neighbor? An opportunity for holiness. Unfaithful mate? An opportunity for holiness. Broken dreams? An opportunity for holiness. Unemployment? An opportunity for holiness. Financial struggles? An opportunity for holiness. Lost loved ones? An opportunity for holiness. Since we don’t exactly understand how God transforms us to make us more holy through life’s struggles, we have to cooperate with Him and do what He asks of us. And, we have to take Him at His Word.

Isn’t this what Romans 8:28 promises? It’s His guarantee that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to His purpose.” He is always at work to transform us into His likeness–and that means greater joy!

Prayer: Lord, it’s so awesome that you desire to make me holy and you won’t waste a thing in my life to accomplish that purpose. Thank you so much that you are always at work to make me more like you.

~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~