All I Have

What are you willing to give? How much are you willing to put into it? Are you willing to give it all? Or will you hold back? Do you ask yourself these questions every day? Do you ask them about everything you do?

We have heard people say, and probably said ourselves, “You get out of it what you put into it.” We often say this when it comes to sports or jobs. But it applies to everything we do. The more we pour ourselves into something, the more we get out of it.

Have you ever wondered where this saying came from? We might look back and consider what the apostle Paul told the church in Corinth in today’s passage. It is often used to convince people to contribute more financially to the church. True, the context is contributing to aid others. However, I don’t believe that is the only application nor that Paul intended it so.

Have you ever been around someone with a passion for a particular activity? Perhaps it is someone who loves music and wants to be a professional. They practice for hours and hours each day. I know of one particular guitar player who had recorded multiple albums with his band and continued to practice at least eight hours per day. Perhaps that is why he was regarded as one of the top ten guitarists within his genre.

The principle applies to each one of us. It applies to the work we do for God. Do we wonder why our churches are shrinking? We need look no further than ourselves. If we are only putting an hour or two into it each week, we are not going to be very good at it. Please don’t misunderstand, it is not all about being in the building. Working for God includes spending time with Him on our own, telling others about Jesus, watching educational videos, taking classes, listening to music lifted up to Him, and much more. It means giving all we are and all we have to Him. Is this not fair? After all, He both created us and gave Himself up for us.

I pray we all give all we are to God. I pray we give all we have in everything we do for Him. I pray each one of us will commit to God fully, wholeheartedly, with a passion. Put your full energy into serving God. Give your whole being to Him. Give all you have to Him. Know that God gave Himself for you.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Working It Out

What are you working on? Are you working on making yourself a better person? Are you pursuing continual improvement? For what purpose? Are you working out your salvation with fear and trembling?

Nearly all of us are working on one thing or another. Many of us are working on multiple things at once. We continue educating ourselves, whether through school or professional classes, or reading professional books or articles.

How are we working out our salvation? I’m sure a response many will give is, “I don’t need to work out my salvation, Jesus took care of that on the cross.” True, He guaranteed our salvation in His death, burial, and resurrection from one perspective. By that I mean, He guaranteed we would be saved and will spend eternity with Him. Yet, there is another part of salvation we are to work on.

As we look at today’s passage, the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Philippi. A key point to remember is He is writing to those who are followers of Christ. In fact, he commends them for their obedience. He also tells them to continue to work out their salvation. What can he mean?

In today’s vernacular we might say we are to continue to mature in our belief, knowledge of God, attitude, and behavior. When he states we are to do so in fear and trembling, he is talking about being in awe of God and so much so that we shake in pure joy that we serve such an awesome God. Paul goes on to say the purpose is to fulfill God’s purpose.

In other words, Paul is telling the Christians in Philippi, and us, to continue to mature in our faith. We are to do so with the purpose of fulfilling God’s plan for us, both individually and corporately. By maturing in our faith and knowledge of God, we are both empowered and guided to carry out His plan.

I pray we all continue to work out our salvation. I pray we are in awe of God and overjoyed in His awesomeness. I pray each one of us will commit to continue to mature in our faith. Seek to know more about God. Strive to grow into full maturity in faith. Listen for God’s guidance. Work to fulfill His plan.

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Eternal Truth

Do you believe in the resurrection? Do you believe in eternal life? Or do you believe this life is all there is? How does your belief affect how you go about life? How does it affect the daily decisions you make?

We all believe in one or the other. We either believe there is eternal life, or we believe this life is all there is. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, it affects our decisions and how we go about this life.

The unfortunate reality I have witnessed is far too many of those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ say they believe in eternal life, but their life doesn’t reflect it. The head (or mouth) says one thing, but the heart hasn’t fully accepted it. It hasn’t made a difference in our life. We haven’t internalized the truth of eternal life and allowed it to change our lives.

Now, I must admit, it has taken me studying God’s Word to gain a better understanding and for it to take root in me. Still, I have my moments of selfishness and chastise myself when I catch myself acting that way. I tell myself to stop and I pray to God to continue changing me to eliminate those moments of selfishness in the future.

The apostles certainly believed. It turned them into passionate missionaries. They had a firm grasp on what it meant to gain eternal life with God. They had seen the risen Christ in physical form. They took on the mission Jesus gave them to go make disciples. They understood His desire to save every person in the world.

When we understand there is only one great choice for us to make in this life, our perspective will change. It doesn’t mean we cannot have fun; it does mean we take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about Jesus. We look for them, recognize them, and step into them. The good news is this, we don’t have to go it alone. We’ll speak more on that later this week.

I pray we all internalize the truth of eternal life. I pray we believe Jesus was raised from the dead and we will be too. I pray each one of us will look for opportunities to share the gospel. Believe in the resurrection. Internalize the truth of eternal life. Allow the truth to change your life. Look for opportunities to share with others. Know God is always with you.

Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

The Good Shepherd

Are you looking for a protector? Are you in need of someone who will look out for your best interest? Do you long to have someone in your life whom you can trust? Have you been searching for this someone for a long time?

Having someone in our lives who has our best interest at heart is wonderful. Knowing we can trust someone to guide us and protect us gives us confidence, we feel secure. There is someone who will provide what we need.

As we see in today’s passage, Jesus is our good shepherd. What does that mean? We don’t often talk about shepherds and likely don’t fully understand what a shepherd did a couple thousand years ago. A shepherd was a provider and protector. He would guide the flock to food and water. He ensured the food was of good quality and steer the flock away from poisonous plants. The same is true of water. He knew where there were streams or wells that provided good water.

The shepherd also protected the flock from danger. He would fight off attackers. Remember, David, when he went to face Goliath, stated he had fought off lions and bears. The shepherd also knew the lay of the land and protected the sheep by steering them away from cliffs and pits.

As we see in our passage today, there were both good and bad shepherds. Jesus says He is the good shepherd. He will both provide for us and protect us. He will guide us to safe pasture and sweet brooks. He will protect us from those who would attack us. He will give us strength, courage, knowledge, wisdom, and most of all contentment. Jesus is our good shepherd.

I pray we all turn to Jesus as our good shepherd. I pray we listen for His guidance and follow Him. I pray each one of us trusts Jesus to provide for and protect us. Put your trust in Jesus. Know that He is your good shepherd. Jesus has laid down His life for you. 

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Be Merciful

Is there someone in your life you want reach in a very special way? Would you like to bring a family member or close friend to Jesus? Are you unsure how you can go about it? Do you need some advice?

Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior know the importance of doing so. We long for family and friends to do the same. It is especially important for us if we have experienced God bringing us from a very bad place into a wonderful place.

Some of us have been in some really bad places. Perhaps you were addicted to drugs or alcohol. Perhaps you have battled with emotional distress or depression. Perhaps you felt like a complete failure due to being continually put down by others. You know the negative experiences you have been lifted from.

Once we are pulled out of those bad places and experience the goodness of God, we want everyone to experience it. We no longer understand why anyone would want to stay in that bad place. We know the dramatic difference between living one way versus the other. We have a passion for bringing others into a better place. Unfortunately, we sometimes struggle with how to convince them to do so.

Our first step is to show mercy, just as God has shown mercy to us. We must be gracious toward them and show patience. As they make statements against what we are telling them, we cannot refute their statements in anger or hate. Patience, mercy, and perseverance are required. We will need to be creative, thinking of different ways to explain our belief. We must never give up.

I pray we all commit to bringing our family and friends to Jesus. I pray we show mercy to those who doubt. I pray each one of us will never give up attempting to expand the kingdom of God. Be merciful. Be gracious. Persevere. Never give up. Be creative. Tell your story.

Jude 22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Do you hear a calling? Do you have a feeling like you are being pulled toward something? Are you looking for a reward? Are you seeking the source of the calling? Do you know who is calling you?

We are all being called, even if we are ignoring the call. We may not realize the source of the call. The world does all it can to drown out both the source and the call. Yet the call continues and will continue until the end of time.

Satan uses every opportunity available to distract us so we cannot hear the call. And even if we do hear the call, he throws out a shiny distraction to pull us away from answering it. He uses big things such as jobs, vehicles, houses, worries, and concerns. He also uses small everyday things to distract us for a few minutes at a time. It is a moment-by-moment battle.

Some may look at the last few words of today’s passage and think God is selecting who He calls. That is not the implication at all. God’s desire is that everyone be saved (John 3:17). The implication is God calls and those who answer will receive His gift.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is not a simple gift. He is not even like getting a very special gift we desire for Christmas. All of the gifts we receive in this world will disappear. The Holy Spirit will be with us throughout our lives, guiding us through the ups and downs. He will teach us the ways of God. He will help us understand God’s Word. He is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Yet we have one more choice. The choice to listen to and adhere to His guidance or not. It doesn’t do us much good to receive a gift we won’t use. Nor do we experience the abundant life Jesus promised if we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit.

I pray we all choose to receive the gift God is offering. I pray we choose to listen to Him. I pray each one of us will choose the abundant life promised and tell others about it. Hear the call. Know God is calling you. Accept His gift. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Live the abundant life.

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

True Worship

What are your thoughts about God? How do you view Him? Do you put Him in a limited human body? Is your knowledge of Him only intellectual knowledge? Have you experienced Him in a heartfelt or spiritual way?

Billions of people in this world know of God. They may even know more about God intellectually than many who worship Him. Yet they don’t worship Him in spirit and truth. That is not how God is to be worshiped.

We often have mental pictures of God in our head. When we think of the Father, we may think of Father Time, Gandalf, or some other old man with white hair and a white beard. Likely, we also think of Him in a white robe. Our mental picture of Jesus is likely based on a painting we have seen at one time or another. He is Caucasian with brown hair and beard. He may be wearing a white robe and may have a red or blue sash. Unfortunately, these pictures are not necessarily true pictures.

We must remember that Jesus was Jewish, which means He would have had olive skin and black hair. He wouldn’t have had flowing locks, but curly hair. However, that is not how He looked then nor looks now.

God is spirit and He wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth. Worshiping Him in truth means to worship Him with our heart. Not just a portion of our heart, but our whole heart. We are to worship Him with our entire being. The place and the form don’t matter. By form, I mean the man-made liturgical traditions we have instituted over the centuries. God simply wants our entire heart and the worship we give Him from it will be a pleasing aroma to Him.

I pray we all worship God in spirit and truth. I pray we worship Him with our whole heart. I pray each one of us seeks, praises, and worships God with our entire being. Remove your false pictures of God. See Him for who He is. Worship in spirit and truth. Worship with your whole heart.

John 4:21, 23-24 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem…. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

The Right Path

Do you know what path you are walking? Do you know what door you are looking to walk through? Are you going along with the crowd, following the path that leads to destruction? Or are you following the path that leads to eternal joy?

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all follow someone. Rather than simply following along blindly, we need to look around to see who we are following. The path we are on may not be the right path.

Some may look around and see the professional path they are taking. They may wonder if it is the right profession for them. It is good to discern the best profession for you. Yet, it is less important to follow the correct professional path than it is to follow the correct path that leads to eternal life. This may sound a bit harsh or inconsiderate, but our lives are but moments in time.

Each of us has a limited amount of time to get on the path that leads to eternal life. We do not know either when our own life may come to an end or when Jesus will return to claim His own. We do know that when either of those occur, our time to choose has run out. This is not a doomsday message, but a message to encourage each of us to make the right choice as soon as today.

I pray we all make the choice to follow Jesus. I pray we choose to encourage others to make the same choice. I pray each one of us walks the path that leads to eternal joy. Choose Jesus. Choose the right path. Choose to tell others. Time is limited.

Luke 13:23-25 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’”

Leave Your Prison

Will you listen to truth? Or will you seek to hear what pleases you? Are you willing to open yourself to truth? Or are you chasing after myths and legends? Have you spent time pondering questions such as these?

We continually hear accusations of false truths being spoken by opponents. It doesn’t seem to matter which side of the argument we listen to, both sides accuse the other. If we were to be completely honest with ourselves, we would recognize both sides speaking falsities or half-truths.

Our world has been overtaken by the desire to bend it to our will. We see it all around us. We pick and choose who and what we listen to. On one hand, there is nothing inherently wrong with our ability to choose. On the other hand, when we choose to listen to misinformation, we slowly go down a path that can lead to our destruction.

Here are some hard questions to wrestle with. Do you only watch a news channel because they report what you want to hear? Do you only listen to one side of the argument because you agree with it, at least on the surface? Do you immediately get upset, frustrated, or angry when you hear opposing viewpoints?

There are many who twist God’s Word to match their desires. They will take one small verse out of context to use in an argument or make a point. How do we avoid doing that and being part of the problem? We must read both several verses before and after the specific verse. We need to look at the bigger picture that is being painted. We need to be in a continual learning mode, seeking to hear God’s truth rather than twisting His Word to match our beliefs.

It is only when we truly seek and find the truth that we are set free as Jesus stated in John 8:32. The truth that sets us free is Jesus’ teaching. Some of it is hard for us to hear. We don’t like it. But when we know and follow it, we are set free. Those who continue to seek to hear what makes them feel good remain prisoners of the world.

I pray we all seek God’s truth. I pray we desire to be set free of this worldly prison. I pray each one of us will spend time reading God’s Word in its entirety. Seek the truth. Leave falsehoods behind. Be set free. Read God’s Word. See the entire picture.

2 Timothy 4:3-5 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Be Saved

Do you want to be saved? Are you wondering how to be saved? Would you like to help a friend or family member be saved? Will you tell them how they can be saved? Will your friends and family listen to you?

Most of you reading this devotional have already been saved. You know what it means to be saved. But you also have friends or family you would like to be saved. You can give them the message and the way to be saved.

We, who have been saved, know it is not difficult. Yet we also know it is not easy. The reason it is not easy is we don’t want to submit to someone else. We don’t want to give up our way of doing things. We want to continue our lives the way we always have. Some of us even believe we don’t need to be saved. Our bravado is our downfall.

We all know someone who is unwilling to be saved. They refuse to listen to us telling them about Jesus. At the same time, we are not to stop trying to get through to them. We are to attempt to find new approaches. There will be something, sooner or later, that will break through to them.

Why is it important to get through to them? The alternative is eternal destruction and pain. Though we will speak more on the repercussions for not accepting Jesus later this week, suffice it to say we want our friends and family with us for eternity.

I pray we all continue to attempt to get through to our family and friends. I pray we continue to tell them about Jesus. I pray each one of us will spend time thinking of ways to convince others to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Believe in Jesus. Tell others about Jesus. Use multiple approaches. Help others to be saved.

Acts 16:29-31 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”