Things That Matter (and other devotionals)

Things That Matter

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11

It seems that time is passing so fast; birthdays come faster and even the holiday season comes sooner every year.  But in reality, time is set at a fixed and constant rate and does not change. So I am not getting older faster than I used to, and holidays do not come sooner than they used to, but rather, time is passing at a constant speed. Why does time seem to be passing too fast?

The author of the book of Ecclesiastes had come to the point in his life in which he understood just how little time we really have. In the first chapter, the author identifies himself as David's son, the king of Jerusalem. He also calls himself the Preacher and he spends twelve chapters preaching on the meaning of life—the meaningless of life. His main point centers on how much time we spend on things that are "vanity." The word vanity means emptiness, unsatisfactory, and vapor. Too often, the things we chase after in life are done in vain, and end in emptiness. How many of us look back on things we chased in life and see the worthlessness of the time wasted and the end result? How many of us would love the chance to go back and do certain things over again? Let us go forward with a new mind, set on the things that matter.

Today, take time to stop, slow down and find the real meaning in your life. Our Savior was born to give the only gift that matters. A gift that is not bought, earned or labored for; it is totally free.  Jesus has given the gift of everlasting life to all who believe in Him. In this gift, however, there is so much more than just what awaits us in eternity. Our gift starts today. Jesus promised that He would not leave us alone. He has given us His Holy Spirit who lives within us; and because of Him, we have love, joy and peace. Take the time to worship and praise Him for all that He has given you.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

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The Power of Fasting? by Charles Stanley

There is a lot of misunderstanding today about fasting. Some people think it is related to dieting and the body. Others think its purpose is to impress God with the intensity of their desire. Others hope their self-denial will speed up the Lord’s answer. None of these are true. Fasting is a spiritual work in which we temporarily eliminate distractions so that we can give our undivided attention to our heavenly Father. It is a time of spiritual preparation through exclusion of earthly interruptions. As we abstain, other things begin to lose their sense of importance; in their place is a heightened awareness of God's presence and His priorities for our lives. Our agenda is replaced by His as we connect with Him in deeper intimacy and receive all that He has to tell us. It can be one of the most powerful experiences of the Christian life. Fasting can be carried out in several ways: going without food, eliminating activities, or forgoing sleep in order to seek Him. You can also set aside the intimate sexual relationship between husband and wife for a period of time. The intent is always to be in the Lord's presence without disturbances so that His voice can be heard. Have you avoided fasting because it appears too hard or too confusing? Think instead of the joy you will experience from a deeper communion with your loving God, and step out in faith. Giving your unhampered attention to the Lord for a period of time is one of the wisest things you can do. _____________________________ More About the Divine Exchange BIBLE MEDITATION: “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: The church is not an organization with Jesus Christ as its president. The church is an organism with Jesus Christ as its head. We are in Him and He is in us. The victory He won on the cross was for us. When Jesus went to the cross, He wasn’t fighting the battle for Himself. He didn’t need to overcome Satan. He fought it on your behalf. He made the transaction, the divine exchange: Jesus became the Son of man that you might become a son of God. He took your sins that you might take His innocence. He became guilty that you might become acquitted. He was filled with despair that you might be filled with joy. He took your shame that you might take His glory. He suffered the pains of hell, that you might know the joys of heaven. ACTION POINT: “What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.” ~Adrian Rogers~ __________________________ Do not begin to be anxious (Phil. 4:6, PBV). Not a few Christians live in a state of unbroken anxiety, and others fret and fume terribly. To be perfectly at peace amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. What is the use of worrying? It never made anybody strong; never helped anybody to do God's will; never made a way of escape for anyone out of perplexity. Worry spoils lives which would otherwise be useful and beautiful. Restlessness, anxiety, and care are absolutely forbidden by our Lord, who said: "Take no thought," that is, no anxious thought, "saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?" He does not mean that we are not to take forethought and that our life is to be without plan or method; but that we are not to worry about these things. People know you live in the realm of anxious care by the lines on your face, the tones of your voice, the minor key in your life, and the lack of joy in your spirit. Scale the heights of a life abandoned to God, then you will look down on the clouds beneath your feet. --Rev. Darlow Sargeant It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mistrusting. Can we gain anything by it? Do we not unfit ourselves for action, and unhinge our minds for wise decision? We are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith. Oh, for grace to be quiet! Oh, to be still and know that Jehovah is God! The Holy One of Israel must defend and deliver His own. We may be sure that every word of His will stand, though the mountains should depart. He deserves to be confided in. Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus. Peace thy inmost soul shall fill Lying still! ~L. B. Cowman~ ________________________ Gaining the Victory We live in a society of addictions, of bondage to so many things.  Maybe you are in bondage to cigarettes, or alcohol, or pornography, or anger, or any number of other things. Whatever the condition that has you in bondage today, God's hand and God's arm can lift you up and untangle you and set you free.  In Psalm 98:1 we are told, His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. We find repeatedly throughout the Old Testament how, through God's mighty hand and His outstretched arm, He redeemed His people out of slavery and out of bondage. Now here is the question.  Does it just sort of randomly happen?  Do we have to wait and see if we are one of the lucky ones God will choose to extend His mighty arm to help?  Or, is there anything that we can do to cooperate with God to see His arm extended in our behalf? The answer is yes, we can, and we must cooperate with God. In Isaiah 51:5 God tells us, "My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will trust." The way we cooperate with God is to trust in His arm; not in our own arm, but in His.  If you want to see God's mighty arm move on your behalf, then trust Him alone!  Do not trust your intelligence, your ingenuity, your education, your status in life, your wealth, or any other thing. ~Bayless Conley~