Faith Station Daily Devotional - Nick Davis
- Nick Davis
- May 1, 2010
- Series: Faith Station Daily Devotional
Faith Station Devotional : April 2010
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SOVEREIGN HELP
“So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”” (Heb 13:6 NIV)
1 APRIL – Gracious Helper
Genesis 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Even though Adam and Eve had just violated the command of God not to eat fruit from just one of the trees in the Garden of Eden, He still clothed them with compassionate hands. Even though their sin ejected them from fellowship with Him, He still remained faithful to His creation. He provided for them. A few years later, He put a mark on Cain’s head, so no-one would murder Him.
God watches over all His creation. He sends His rain on the evil and the good. His grace is over all the earth.
And in such protective grace, He gave you over to believing on Jesus, the Son of Righteousness. He has not covered you with skins of animals, but with the robes of His firstborn son!
If God provided for sinful Adam and Eve; if He saved you while you were still a sinner and rebel, can you not have confidence now that He will provide for you in every situation?
Prayer: Father God, open my eyes wider to see Your grace and goodness to the undeserving. I deserved your punishment, but instead you punished Jesus and made me your child. Thank You, Father, for your undeserved and unending goodness to me, a descendant of Adam but now a child of God forever, clothed in the robes of righteousness!
2 APRIL – Deliverance from Death
Genesis 6:12-14 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.”
God always provides a way out of disaster. He showed Noah how to build a boat to be saved from the coming flood. And He sent His Son Jesus to make a way for you to be rescued from the coming wrath! Noah’s ark was perfectly made to save Noah and his family from the floodwaters. And the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s perfect way to save you completely.
As with Noah, God does not just rescue you from your sins and the fate of the world, but He always delivers you into a new world – the Kingdom of Heaven! He does not just release you from the spirit of death – He fills you with the Holy Spirit!
Praise God for His glorious gift – the gift of His Son, who died for the sins of the world. Jesus Christ is our Ark; our Saviour; our Deliverer. In Him we are perfectly safe, perfectly protected, perfectly delivered.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You that you have said that I am in Christ, as Noah was in the ark. That is my position for life, until I am delivered by Christ into Heaven! Help me to marvel at this truth and be overwhelmed by it every day. Amen.
3 APRIL – The Way Out
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
It is so good to know that God is perfect, but He is not a perfectionist. He understands our weakness. He became a man, born of a virgin, and lived here on earth among other sinful people. He was tempted in every way Himself- but He did not sin. He felt every pressure. He knew fear – to the point of his sweat becoming blood. But He stood his ground.
Now He is in Heaven but the same Spirit Who filled Him is here to fill you. Being tempted is not a sin, but it is a war. One who has won the war over evil now lives in you. And the same power is at work in you. Make room for Him in your heart, in the midst of war! Look to Him, and you will find a way out from under every temptation. Trials and temptations strengthen us as we overcome them by the spirit of grace. And also know this – the devil does not have free reign in your life. There is One who supervises everything – and “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear”!
Prayer: Father thank you that you are in perfect control. There is nothing beyond your power and authority. Thank you that my whole life is known to you – even those things the world will never see. My enemy’s plans and snares are in plain view to you. And I thank you that you allow me to pass through the fire, but even in the flames you are with me and I am not burned. I thank you that these fires only serve to strengthen my faith and purify my character. Thank you, Father, for the way out under every temptation.
4 APRIL – Help through Prayer
2 Corinthians 1:9-11 “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
Do you know that God has given us the most powerful human weapon in the world, which is prayer?! We are not praying to a dumb idol or statue on our mantelpiece. We are praying to the God who made us; the God who saved us; the God Who rules over all. He rules over all men, but He rules in His saints. And this Rulership is based on intimacy – He desires to abide with us. Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is making our requests known to God, and then making room for Him to answer them, in words and in action.
What is more amazing is that He has given us the privilege and birthright to pray for each other too. God is an ever present help in trouble, and we can bring relief to others in trouble as we pray for them. “Pray continually” (1 Thess 5:17).
Prayer: Father, so often I do not pray when I ought to. So often I look to men or my own strengths for help. But You are the God of all help and mercy and compassion; you know me inside out; and you have both the power and the willingness to help. Teach me to pray, and also even to pray for others. I know you hear my prayers, and I know that you respond to them also.
5 APRIL – Lifting up our Eyes
Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Many things can help us be successful in life. Because we have been given such profound bodies and abilities, we learn from an early age to do well within our mental and physical boundaries. We have eyes to see, ears to hear and noses to smell. We can hold, catch, calculate, learn and build. You only have to look at a city skyline to see how profound the human being is - made in the image of God!
But these verses capture one of the bass notes of the whole Bible – would you be willing to make the Lord your Refuge, and not the created world? We are called to live well in this world, but to not be of it. That does not mean you become weird and withdrawn, but that you cultivate a secret relationship with God. That means you look to Him as your first port of call. David was a very powerful king, with a powerful army too. But he had a godly heart – he knew where his help came from: the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!
Prayer: Father, I want to know You as my Father and first love. Like David, I want to be able to lift my eyes up from things of the earth, to the things unseen. I want this to be real for me, because of the reality of my salvation. You have not saved me from death to leave me alone, but to walk with me and show me the life that is truly life. Amen
6 APRIL – God is Sleepless
Psalm 121:3-4 “He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
God NEVER sleeps! Not for a second. He never turns His back on you. There is nothing He does not see. Think about this. It is hard to, because we get so distracted ourselves. We think about a friend or sister for a few minutes, or when we are with them, but then we get focused on our lives and problems. God has no problems and no distractions. He has infinite power, strength and wisdom. This is the God who is now your Father too! And this God has said, “I will not sleep, and I will not let your foot slip”. He is interested even in our little footsteps, not just the “big things” of life! He sees everything, and not just as a spectator – this word says “he watches over you”! He is the God on Guard. He is the One who gazes into us. He is our ever wakeful King.
Prayer: Father, thank you that you watch over me. Thank you that you know all, see all and understand all. Thank you that there is not even a tiny moment where you are unaware or off duty. Even when I am asleep, you never sleep. Even when I am inches from death, you preserve my life. Even when your enemy lays a deadly trap for me, you deliver me from every snare. Amen
7 APRIL – Our Perfect Protector
Psalm 121:5-6 “The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.”
God is our High Tower. No-one can touch us or prize us from His grip. Yes, bad things can happen to the saints of God, but when they do happen, they are not arrows the devil has fired when God is off guard. Even these bad things will turn out for the good – they are tools of God’s permission, designed to shape and form the image of Christ in us.
So God wants you to be bold and confident in your status as His child. The book of Hebrews speaks of this confidence best with this cry, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”! (Heb 13:6). Be confident, oh saint of God. The sun’s fire will not scorch you; the night’s darkness holds no terror for those in Christ.
Prayer: Father, I have been too timid. I know you are awesome in power. I know you hold the keys of hell and death. I know you never are scared. And I know that you have placed me in Jesus your Son. So now, grant me the boldness of a lion. When this is tested by threats and dangers and pressures, thank you that my faith in you will not fail. And even when I do stumble, you are my helper. Even as Peter sank in the waves because of his fear, you helped him up again. Lord, I would rather step out of the boat in faith, than cower in the boat in unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen.
8 APRIL – Where Fears are Released
Psalm 121:7-8 “The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Fear hinders us all at times. Yet Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows”. We become fearful when we lose sight of God’s love and passion to protect us. Do you not want to protect your wife or children or younger sister? Well, God wants to do that perfectly and continually. He does not just want to protect you – He is able to protect you from the worst things the world worries about. He can provide food for you in a drought. He can deliver you from an army that attacks you. He can save you from floods and fires. He has done it before, and “the Lord changeth not”!
Here is the most wonderful thought of all – He can even save you from death. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, then not even death can harm you. You might worry at times about how you are going to die, but on the other side of that brief moment all of paradise is waiting to receive you! ““Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
Prayer: Father, I worry too much. I want to see more of you. I want to live in today and worry less about tomorrow. I know you are in perfect control of all my tomorrows. You watch over my whole life – my comings and my goings both now and forevermore. Amen.
9 APRIL – He Saves us from Ourselves
Jonah 1:15-2:1 “Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.”
Even when we are running from God’s will because of fear, He presides over our lives. He helps us back to His purpose for us! He will have His way, because we are weak and He is mighty. We did not want to get saved before God opened our eyes to Jesus. We would not have sought God unless He had put the desire to seek Him in our hearts.
So too, in walking as a Christian, we can make mistakes and even run away from God. Or try to. Psalm 139 says it this way, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (verses 7-12).
Jonah thought he could run away from God. So God sent a storm. That storm was not from the devil. Have you ever thought that the difficulties in your life are all from the devil? Maybe it is God getting you back to Him! Even though the sailors threw Jonah overboard to save themselves, God sent a big fish – and Jonah made his peace with his Father inside its belly!
Prayer: Lord, you are good but you are not safe. In your unsafe dealings with me, I see now that everything works to the good of those who love you. I do love you, but I have not always been obedient. Thank You that You always bring me back to You. Thank You that the storms and waves have not drowned me, but You have always used them to rescue me from my own stubbornness. Amen.
10 APRIL – Troubles are God’s Helpers too
Hebrews 12:10-12 “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.”
God picked his fight with Jesus on the Cross. The Bible says that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). So now, you have believed on Jesus for salvation and bad things still happen to you. What is this? This is not God punishing you, because He has already punished Jesus for the sins of the whole world. This is the Father’s discipline – the way He helps us become like His Son Jesus!
So “do not despise the Lord’s discipline”. Many people spend their whole lives trying to avoid trouble and pain. Just take aim at Jesus! Ask God for deliverance in times of trouble, and He will deliver you into everything He has planned for you. This is not about ease and therapy – this is about the joy of being trained and tutored by God the Holy Spirit Himself.
Prayer: Father, today I strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees. At times I have lost sight of your love and amazing involvement in my life, and I have confused hardships with your rejection. Forgive me for that – I now see it is the opposite. You are giving me your undivided attention and training me in righteousness. I receive it, and I will be trained by You. Amen.
11 APRIL – Jesus Prays for Us!
Romans 8:34 “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
What an amazing thought! This Christ who died in our place has now been given the name above all names and the throne above all thrones – and now He lives at the Father’s right hand to intercede for you! Never forget that Jesus is not praying to a reluctant Father – this is the Father who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” - hallelujah! May the Holy Spirit fill your heart with such joy and relief this morning that you are prayed for incessantly – by the Redeemer and Creator God!
When you feel alone, it is only a feeling. Your whole life is covered not only by the Blood of Jesus, but by His prayers too! The Father hears his Son’s prayers…and responds!
Prayer: God I thank you for the peace that floods my heart when I realize that Jesus is praying for me night and day, and you hear and receive His every word. Thank you that it is this intercession that is bringing me daily into your perfect will. I too join in with Jesus’ prayers, and thank you for Your power, provision and guidance given to me, because you are the God who answers our prayers. Amen.
12 APRIL – Complete Arrangements
2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
God has made perfect arrangements for you to live well as a Christian, through every season of your life! Living well is not firstly about how much money you have or what kind of job you have. Your future is not in the hands of the economy, the jobs market or the favor of men. Your future is perfectly in God’s hands!
Remember that He called you – you did not choose Him. And His salvation plan for you drips with purpose. The Bible says that “God determined the times set for all men and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26). He has set you up for success! He wants you to be close to Him, to get to know Him and to share in His ministry in the world! He has given you Jesus, the living Word, the Holy Spirit, all of His unbreakable promises and the church to grow up in!
Prayer: Father, thank you for your divine power that is more powerful than all the schemes of men. Thank you that you called me, and you have given me everything I need to fulfill your calling to become like Jesus. Thank you that because of this, I am increasingly participating in your very nature, and escaping the corruptions of the world. Amen.
13 APRIL – Forget-Me-Not!
Isaiah 49:15-16 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”
Who has never felt forgotten? People do not seem interested in you, the phone is silent and you feel unnecessary in the world. For some, it would seem like even their own parents have become distant and forgetful. But God is not like that! He would say to you today that even if the whole world has forgotten you, you are still on centre stage with Him. Even if everything has become dark, darkness is light to Him. Even if the world is silent, He is still speaking with you.
Do not believe the devil’s lie that, if family and friends have forgotten you, so has God. God is not a man. God is not limited in any way by human weakness or forgetfulness. God is never malicious or sulky. He has set His seal of ownership upon you in Jesus and He is the God who jealously watches over all He owns. More than on object of ownership, you are now the object of His unwavering affection too!
Prayer: Father, I receive your love. Forgive me for feeling that you have been ignoring me; that you have sometimes turned your back on me. I know now that I am always before you. I so often forget about you, especially when I sin, but you never sin and never forget me. I praise you for this! Amen.
14 APRIL – God will Vindicate Us
Psalm 118:7 “The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.”
Right now, your enemies might be looking on triumph on you. The hoards of hell were cackling when Jesus was dying on the cross; when he was lying cold in the burial tomb. But God had his way, and raised Jesus from the dead – he made a public spectacle of those cackling demons through the Cross! So make no mistake - God will vindicate you too.
He cannot vindicate you when you are jumping to your own defence. When we try to defend ourselves, we always end up attacking or slandering others. We always have to twist the truth slightly in our favor, and this twists the truth to someone else’s shame.
So, if your enemy is hungry, feed him! This is hard, but not impossible, because the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is raising up meekness in you!
Sometimes you need to speak out - there is no law here. But God seeks meekness in your heart. He wants you to trust him for complete vindication. Maybe it will only come on the Day of Judgment – will you be prepared to wait that long, to bring Him glory and the opportunity of exalting you? Don’t exalt yourself at anyone else’s expense!
Prayer: Father, I make room for you in my heart. You are with me, and you are my helper! Even though I do not see your deliverance right now, I choose to believe it is coming, and it will be beautiful in its time. In Jesus’ name, amen.
15 APRIL – God Helps us to Forget
Isaiah 54:4 “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.”
Memories can be a blessing or a curse. There are some things we all would want to forget - the shameful things. So often the enemy tries to remind us of those things, to pull us down and make us afraid of that shame coming back to shame us now.
But God has chosen to forget your sins and shame. And in Jesus, he teaches us by grace to forget these same sins and shame. Grace means undeserved favor. Do not think for a moment that God was ashamed to save you, or that He saved you in ignorance of your worst sins. He knows all, sees all and is over all. He even knows your future sins, and yet He declares over you, “Mine”!
Prayer: Father, teach me to forget the shame of my youth. Some memories are so stubborn, but your grace lifts out even the most stubborn stains in my mind and memory banks. I thank you for this in faith and in Jesus’ name. Amen.
16 APRIL – A High View of our Helper
Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
When you meditate on God’s awesome help, may you also be overwhelmed by God’s awe-fulness too. Some preach grace in a way that makes God our heavenly chum. We must not think that God being our Helper is anything less than stunning condescension of the Magnificent God, before whom angels hold their breath and wicked men’s hearts melt in their chests.
The fear of the Lord is not the atrocious trembling of sinners who fear punishment or having their idols destroyed. This is nothing other than breath-taking respect, because we too have “seen the Lord”. To see Him is to hold Him in awe. But to have awe for God does not mean we cannot boldly approach the throne of grace! As the law made sin more sinful, so grace makes awe more awe-ful!
Prayer: Father, you have done so much for me. You have saved me without my goodness and you have provided for me without my payment. In this free grace, teach me Fear. Not the fears that paralyze pagans, but the Fear of the Lord. Show me your glory, that I may live overwhelmed by your glory and goodness. In reverence, I boldly approach your throne of grace. In confidence, I bow in this robe you have placed on me. Amen.
17 APRIL – Ask without Doubting
James 1:5-6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
Why do we doubt God so often? It makes us so unstable! Is it because we do not understand the profound mystery of the cross – that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us? When we preserve our own self-righteousness, we undermine the confidence that is ours by grace alone – knowing that Christ died for me while steeped in sin, how much more confidence can I have in His desire to help me, now that I am a son of God?
Do you ask without doubting? Are you asking for the right things? Ask him for wisdom – this is what the scripture says. Many are asking for promotion, but scripture says be faithful in little, and much will be given to you. Don’t waste your time asking for provisions, because God is your Father. Ask for wisdom to know him and to know the right thing to do. And do it “without doubting” his goodness, His willingness or His power!
Prayer: Father I ask you for wisdom in my trials. I want to test you at your Word. I know you are good, and you are the delivering God. Forgive me for all the times I have asked you for wisdom, but then sought it somewhere else. With you is the fountain of life; in your light, I see light. Amen.
18 APRIL – Christ is our Confidence
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
To get into a venue, you need a ticket or a gate pass. To get to speak with God, Christ is your gate pass! When you try to approach God’s throne filled with a sense of yourself, you will not have confidence. The reason Israel did not want to seek God – they asked Moses to speak with Him on their behalf – was that they were self-aware. In this place, we know we are not good enough to come into God’s presence. But in this new covenant, God has not covered over our sins with the blood of animals - He has delivered us from sin by the blood of Jesus. In Jesus, God has declared us to be sons, but still we come before God’s throne in Jesus. We pray to God in Jesus’ Name. We have Jesus’ righteousness imputed to us, that we may boldly approach God’s throne of magnificent grace!
Prayer: Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You that You have hidden my life in Christ. Thank You that this is a permanent position, now and forevermore! May this thought fill me with joy today, and cause me to always approach the throne of grace with boldness and gratitude, as well as a sure expectation that you hear my prayers. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
19 APRIL – God will Guard your Good Works
2 Timothy 1:12 “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”
For you to live well under God’s sovereignty, you must know this truth – he will reward the righteous. Even if your good works are called “evil” by the world; even though much of your labor is never witnessed by another human, God sees it all and will reward it all.
No man can steal your legacy. Maybe you have experienced men’s forgetfulness – they no longer remember your efforts and contributions. Well, God will reward you. It might just be better than men forget you and your good works! “Then Jesus said this to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”” (Luke 14:12-14).
Now, there’s a thought!
Prayer: Father, I entrust my whole life to you. I know that not all I have done will be rewarded. In fact, I thank you that my bad works will be destroyed by fire, not to haunt me for all eternity. But I also thank you that my labors in faith will be rewarded by you. Help me to live for your applause and your reward, not the acclaim of men. I need your powerful help in this. Amen.
20 APRIL – Under Extreme Pressure
Exodus 18:4 “and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.””
Have you had a “Near Death Experience”? Well, if you are reading this you must have been delivered from death! Do not think for a moment that you are still living purely by fluke or coincidence. If there is a bullet out there somewhere with your name on it (as the saying goes), then that bullet is fully subjected to God’s sovereign control. God is the bullet bender!
The God of Eliezer is the God you serve too! In Christ, you will live the full span of days God has allotted to you. Abide in Christ! Make Him your helper; your shield and fortress!
Scripture says, “God does not delight in the strength of a horse or the legs of a man, but his delight is in those who fear him, who put their trust in his unfailing love” (Ps 147:10). Trust Him for your deliverance, even under extreme pressure! The Lord fears nothing or no-one. He laughs at His enemies. “He speaks, and the earth melts”.
Prayer: Father, at times my heart seems like it is going to melt because of pressure. Thank You that you have delivered many saints from impossible situations in the past. Deliver me too! In Jesus’ Name, amen.
21 APRIL – God’s Help is a Testimony to Nations
Ruth 1:6 “When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.”
We overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. This “testimony” is never in our own power or prowess, but in the arm of the Lord. It is not too short to save! As it was in the days of Naomi, He lives today, reigning in power. He hears the prayer of faith and He moves to save and deliver.
When God moves to help His people, everyone is encouraged. Revival in Europe and America brought favor and prosperity, and so the Western World was born. And all this because saints prayed to God for help!
Prayer: Father, may my prayers and testimonies of your help encourage others - even those who do not know You. May the work you are doing on behalf of others also encourage me. Even if I have not seen someone saved or healed this week, thank you that somewhere on earth you are saving and healing! Amen.
22 APRIL – Hold the Fruit of God’s Help Lightly
Genesis 22:2 “Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.””
Too often the barren couple are blessed with a child, only for the child to become their god. Too often the jobless man cries out to God and is delivered into employment, only for his job to become his idol.
Be grateful to God for every answered prayer, but remain a worshiper. Lean on God in times of trouble, but do not stop leaning on Him in open country. Cry out to God in your storm-tossed boat, but do not fall silent on solid ground.
God would have you look to him in every season of life. He would have you make him your provider in times of plenty or want. He would be your deliverer in war or peace. He is our God and we are His people.
When something is an “Isaac” to you – too precious to even describe – may that pearl’s shine still not outshine the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Father, help me to keep myself from idols. I can see sin when it is clearly wicked, but help me to guard my heart from the sin of ungratefulness. Help me especially to live as a worshipper in the light of those things that I love. You do not want me poverty-minded, but may I always have a poverty and hunger in my spirit for You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
23 APRIL – Walk by Faith, not by Sight
Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
Do you walk by faith? If you are a Christian, God has opened the eyes of your heart to “see” Him. That is not a physical manifestation that can be observed with the natural eyes, but an inner illumination and revelation by the Spirit. This is what the Bible means by “seeing” or “hearing” God – it is by faith and by the power of the Spirit.
If you are someone who still leans on your owns strengths and skills, you will have a hard time walking by faith. In fact, you may not even see the need to. But no man or woman who walks by their natural senses can be “sure of what they hope for and certain of what they do not see”. So they are all subject to the bondage of fear and the chains of uncertainty.
Not so the man or woman of faith! She fellowships with the God who sits above the timeline! She knows the Unseen God and His unseen reality. “Unseen” does not mean “Unreal”. All of that which is seen came from the Unseen Reality. The Spiritual birthed the Physical worlds.
The man who lives by faith is the victor in this world, and all the more because he lives for the world to come.
Prayer: Father, I feel like Elisha’s servant – unable to see the unseen. Please open up my spiritual eyes. Where they have grown dim and closed shut because of busyness and distractions and the deceitful things of the world, forgive me. I want to know you. I want to see the heaven, that city with foundations. And I want to live without fear in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
24 APRIL – Do not Hinder what God is Helping
John 17:20-21 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Jesus died to break down the dividing wall of hostility – between men and God and between people too. Whenever you are hostile to others, you are hindering what God is busy doing. He is building his church up in unity, into the fullness of His Son. When you break others down, or gossip and slander others, you are resisting the very will of God – and He will resist you.
Give yourself to unity with God and men. As far as it is possible with you, live at peace with all men. Rather turn the other cheek and be wronged, than try to undo what God is busy doing. Walk with God, no matter the cost!
Prayer: Father, I do not want to undo what you are doing, or break down those you are building up. I pray particularly for my own tongue today, that it would be an instrument of righteousness and truth, not a sword of destruction. May my mouth be a spring of fresh water, to build others up. Show me the power available to me, even to bless those who curse me and to speak kindly to those who slander me. In Jesus Name, amen.
25 APRIL – When Life is Unfair
Psalm 10:14 “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Have you been a victim of crime? Or a victim of gossip? God sees it! God considers it and take it in hand. He does not consider these things lightly. God watches closely as wicked men plot evil on their beds.
But as for you, commit yourself to the God who sees all and is over all! Even though you might have no human advocate, He will advocate on your behalf. He will not leave things for too long – maybe just a little longer - then He will rouse Himself and act on your behalf.
Prayer: Father, I know what it is like to be a victim. It hurts. Everything inside of me wants to fight and lash out and prove my innocence. But Father I pray for those who have victimized me. Have mercy on them. Punish the devil by saving them from their sins. You do not want me just to wait for you to vindicate me – you want me to love my enemies, just like you loved me when you said on the Cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. Amen.
26 APRIL - God Provides Ministers too
Judges 3:9 “But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.”
Maybe you’ve lived through times where the Word is not preached. Maybe you are living through them now. There are many orphan churches and saints without preachers. You can ask God to send His deliverer gifts! Asking God to send revival is asking God for the Word to bring life across a city. That is asking God to send His preachers! He is preparing them in many obscure places.
Are you feeling starved of the Word? Is your own study just not enough? Why not pray to God, that He release ministers to your life, your church and your city?
Prayer: Father, please release your Word so powerfully in my city, by releasing more preachers who love and study your Word, and who know you personally. In Jesus’ name, amen.
27 APRIL – Older Saints are part of God’s Helping Plan
Genesis 45:7 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
Thank God for older saints who have been faithful to their calling! Don’t despise them, even as God teaches you his truths. John writes to “children, young men and fathers”. It is through faith and patience we inherit the promises, so there are some victories that only come over time.
Rejoice in the fact that there are some older saints who know better, even in the times where you feel challenged. Don’t be unaccountable to your elders, because they hold your life and future dear.
Sometimes, we go round the mountain again and again, because we are not willing to learn from the lives and journeys of those who have gone ahead of us.
Prayer: thank You Father that you have not left us as orphans. You have given us the Holy Spirit and You have also given us a spiritual family. Thank You that as you are dealing with me, so you have also dealt with others before me. Teach me true submission: I do not want to be any man’ slave, but I do need the wisdom of older saints. Help me in this please. In Jesus’ name, amen.
28 APRIL – God Has Agents Of Provision Everywhere
Philippians 4:16 “for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need”
God’s storehouses are full and, even though there is no currency in heaven, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills too. He commanded ravens to feed Elijah and he multiplied the little boy’s loaves and fish to feed the multitude.
What you need is more faith, not a more generous employer or another degree. Put your trust in him and do good. Be generous yourself, if you have received God’s kindness. You will reap what you sow.
Mostly we go through financial hardship to learn the lesson Paul learned – to be content whether in plenty or in want. We also go through poverty to be set free from the lust for money. God will do strong things to get us free from our more stubborn idols. Go with God, and make room for him to be your provider!
Prayer: Father, you are my provider. Thank you that you always provide enough, and sometimes more than enough. Keep my heart from the sin of greed. And keep me from begging from men or panicking when I think of the future. Your storehouses are full! Amen.
29 APRIL – Don’t become your own Agent of Help
Genesis 40:14 “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.”
Never try to manipulate people into helping you. Leave that to God. He can disturb pagan kings with a dream. He can write on a wall and petrify wicked rulers. He can send a dream to Peter so that he would preach the gospel to us, “gentile sinners”.
When you try to deliver yourself, your troubles multiply. Paul prayed three times for God to remove his “thorn in the flesh”, but he never tried to remove it himself. Joseph tried to deliver himself from prison, but in the end it was only God who did it.
When we try to deliver ourselves or remove our own thorns, we bring trouble and division. Arguments happen when we try to deal with the “thorns” of our spouse!
Prayer: Father, forgive me for every time I have tried to pull out my own thorns. Teach me the way of faith. Even if I end up in a prison cell, teach me a deeper trust in you, my delivering God. Amen
30 APRIL – Don’t be Suffocated by Self-Preservation
Luke 17:33 “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
Most people waste their lives and energies on trying to preserve themselves. We are all going to die eventually! We can take nothing with us too. Jesus said to us that we should “only worry for today”. He will take care of our tomorrows. We don’t have to waste time planning and plotting and strategizing. We don’t have to waste all our thoughts on how to avoid trouble and “be safe”. He is our Trouble-Shooter and Cleft in the rock.
Why do we lose our lives if we try to save them? Because we never get to rest with Jesus. We can be saved, but never know the Rest of the Lord. We end up as commoners in the Kingdom when we worry about common things.
“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
Prayer: Father, you did not save me to leave me earthly minded. I do not want to waste my life, or even another day worrying about what could be, or how to protect myself. You are my protector, and you are Awesome in Power! Fill me with your Spirit afresh, so I may set my heart and mind on things above, not on earthly things. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
