Good Morning Abiding, Trusting, Obedient, Followers of Jesus! Amen! Trust and obey for there's no other way. That's how the hymn goes. How about for your life choices? We had a great week of ministry so far. How has God been speaking to you--leading you? How have you been responding? Be still and know! Seek, listen, receive and follow are commands we know and want to obey but sometimes the chaos of life, the drudgery of the day and maybe even lack of faith or fear drown out God's whispers to you or zap your motivation to go love. Or maybe, we just loose focus and motivation to follow as we seem to be stumbling against some closed door or wandering down some rabbit trail and give up.
Stop! Release the junk and distractions and even fear and confusion to God. Exhale and give Him whatever has you sidetracked from His best. Refocus. Sing some praises. Allow Him to renew your thinking and encourage you and even put a bounce back into your step. He does have some great things for you for such a time as this! Rejoice! He is whispering His loving directions and encouragement to you. Can you hear it and feel it in your bones? Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and He will add to you all you need to complete all the big and small things He has for you as you move toward your call to become more like Jesus today. Remember, we define discipleship as the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you. How's that look for today and what will you do about it? His command is "Fear not!" and "Follow me!" Amen!
God awoke me very early this morning to speak to my soul and spirit and to direct my steps for today, which includes helping me write this blog as a love letter and reminder to you and me and our gathered fellowship of His truths, calls and commission. He opened up some extra devotionals (below and ordered as He has led--engage with them and God!) and informed my prayers, thinking, writing, and plans for today to go live and love more like Jesus and to invite some people to join me on the quest to know God more and become more of the person He created me/us to be. He has custom made plans for all who will come, with open hands, surrendered their hearts, being still, listening, receiving and stepping out in faith today and every day! Is that you? Who are your partners or someone God wants you to invite along on the great adventure of life in Christ?
Spend some time with God today--all day! Receive, watch, listen and join Him along the way! He really does have some cool things to discover and to encourage you today! Yes, rejoice, seek and follow well! I've already prayed for you and for today to be a special encounter with our Lord, Savior, Guide and Encourager and for you to discover who He has for you to invite in and join with. He really loves you and you do matter. And remember, His plans usually are just little things along the way like smiling and saying hi to someone or holding a door or offering some encouragement or prayer. And sometimes it's something bigger. But usually it's just those little steps of faith and obedience that add up for you and your journey to Christlikeness. So, love God and others, follow Him today and enjoy this life He created you to live. Amen! Fear not for He is with you always and always working all things together for good! PTL! and Amen! Smile! God really loves you and is with you right now!
Sarah Young
I to We
Max Lucado
Chuck Swindoll
Joyce Meyer
UR: Fully Equipped
David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. - 1 Samuel 17:39 (NIV)
I am a teacher and a sports coach, and my wife had our first child a few days before the start of the school year. Taking care of a newborn — who seemed to be nocturnal — while also trying to teach and coach left me beyond overwhelmed. As a new father, I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome. It’s hard to be a good father, husband, teacher, and coach. It’s been exhausting.
At the end of every sports practice, we do a prayer spotlight. One day my players spotlighted me, thanking me and assuring me that my work wasn’t going unnoticed. My students reminded me of my purpose and why I do what I do.
Today’s scripture reading reminds me that God is our strength and that we can trust that God has equipped us for the purpose God has called us to. Each of us has been given unique attributes, strengths, and gifts from God. Psalm 139:14 reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” God has given us what we need, and we can trust God to see us through.
Today's Prayer
Dear God, help us to trust you and to use the unique gifts and talents that you have equipped us with to glorify you. Amen.
TWFYT
ODB
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Nuñez tumbled down the mountain and into a valley where everyone was blind. A disease had robbed the original settlers of sight, and subsequent generations—all born blind—had adapted to life without being able to see. Nuñez tried to explain what it was like to possess eyesight, but they weren’t interested. Eventually, he found a passage through the mountain peaks that had prevented him from leaving the valley. He was free! But from his vantage point he now saw that a rockslide was about to crush the blind dwellers below. He tried to warn them, but they ignored him.
This tale by H. G. Wells, “The Country of the Blind,” would likely resonate with the prophet Samuel. Toward the end of his life, his “sons did not follow his ways” in loving and serving God (1 Samuel 8:3). Their spiritual blindness was mirrored by “the elders of Israel” (v. 4), who told Samuel to “give us a king” (v. 6). They’d all turned their eyes from God and faith in Him. God told Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me” (v. 7).
It can hurt when those we care for reject God in spiritual blindness. But there’s hope even for those whom “the god of this age has blinded” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Love them. Pray for them. The one who “made his light shine in our hearts” (v. 6) can do the same for them.
By Tom Felten
REFLECT & PRAY
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How does it encourage you to know that God sees those who can’t see Him? Why is there always hope for even the spiritually blind?
Loving God, please help me to pray for those who are blind to Your love and to trust You with them.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
God set the Israelites apart to be His chosen people. They were to obey His laws and not follow the practices and customs of the surrounding nations (Leviticus 18:1-5; 20:26). Four hundred years later, His people demanded a king to rule over them “such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5; see v. 20). Samuel—who faithfully served as Israel’s judge, military leader, priest, and prophet for thirty-five years—was now old, and his sons were unfit to succeed him (v. 5). Faced with external threats, the Israelites wanted a human king to lead them to war. In so doing, they rejected God as their king (v. 7; 12:12). They asked Samuel to intercede for them, and he assured them of his prayers. He exhorted them to remain faithful to God—to obey His laws and to serve Him wholeheartedly because they were God’s covenant people (12:14-15, 20-24).
K.T. Sim |
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Connections Blog:
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March 27 - Launch Out into the Deep
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When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)
This command was given to Simon Peter. It took place by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was pressed by the crowd, so to create a situation in which they could all see and hear Him, He got into Simon’s boat, asking him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and talked to the people from the boat.
When he was through speaking, he said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon hesitated for a moment before he obeyed this command. Maybe he thought he knew more about fishing than did this strange man. Fishing was his business. “Master,” he answered, “we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (v. 5).
Maybe the teaching Simon had just heard made him feel he should do what Jesus commanded. So they pushed out into the deep, and when they let down their nets, they had such a huge catch of fish that the nets began to break. They beckoned to their partners in another boat to come and help them. Verse 10 in this same account says that James and John were their partners, and came over to help. They filled both boats until they were about to sink. Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the size of the catch they had taken. The account says they forsook all and followed Jesus. They had let Jesus use their boat, and He rewarded them. But this was more than a thank you for the use of the boat; it also contributed to their life support so they could now give their lives to Jesus. When Simon Peter saw this, he was so convinced that this man Jesus was extraordinary that he fell down before Him and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” (v. 8)!
While this command was given to a specific person in a certain situation and is not to all people for all times, it has been quoted many times to illustrate a truth that is often the theme of missionary conferences. There is much to be learned from the story of this command. First, Jesus is interested in our temporal needs. He is willing to give practical help. Second, it will be rewarding for us to do what Jesus suggests even if we have tried before and failed—even if it seems unreasonable to try one more time.
There were other instances when Jesus showed an uncanny knowledge of fish. Remember when He sent Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish so they could pay their taxes? (See Matthew 17:26–27.) After His resurrection, Jesus again stood by this same sea and told His disciples to let their nets down on the right side of the boat, and when they did they received a huge catch (John
21:4–7). Although Jesus became a man, He was obviously still God and was all knowing. He would have been a great friend to take on a fishing trip!
Billy Graham had an experience like Peter’s experience. He was coming to Los Angeles to conduct an evangelistic crusade in 1950. He had been through many evangelistic meetings before with varying degrees of success. As he and his friend and associate Grady Wilson were driving through the desert, Billy asked Grady to drive to the side of the road. There, for some period of time, Billy prayed. Jesus seemed to be saying to him, “Launch out into the deep.” He could have argued that he had tried before and nothing special had happened. But in obedience, they went to Los Angeles, hired a big tent, and erected it in a major downtown district. The meeting went many weeks longer than planned, and God gave Billy such a large catch that the nets almost broke.
William Carey, the pioneer of the modern missionary movement, said, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” Many leaders of great missionary advances have followed that advice.
The promise of this command is a large reward. The warning is that if we fail to obey Jesus, maybe because of past failures, we will miss the great reward.
Lord Jesus, help me to stay alert for Your voice so I can obey when You tell me to launch out. I pray I will not miss the blessing You have for me by failing to obey. Give me the courage to launch into deep water when You are the One calling me there. Thank You for taking care of all my needs as I walk in obedience to Your Word.
--Adapted from Encountering Jesus: Praying the Commands of Christ into Your Life by Norval Hadley. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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