DAY 1- April 20, 2009
TITLE: “THE WILL OF GOD”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the
church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:”
II Corinthians 1:1
The Apostle Paul was doing what he was doing because it was God’s will. He
was not an apostle by his own choice. Are you doing what you are doing these
days because you believe it is God’s will for your life? In church history, it has been recorded that
a lady once asked John Wesley, the founder of the
His point was that he was living in what he believed to be God’s will in his
life for that moment and that he would continue to do so, even if he knew it
was his last day. When we live in the center of God’s will, moment by moment,
and day by day, we can trust Him with the outcome. Our privilege and responsibility
is to live in obedience to God’s will. Paul
wrote to the Church at
Walter Knight, told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
God has not called us to push through to get our own way, but to simply seek to know His will and then do it. The Psalmist said, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10
“Not my will, but Thine:
not my will, but Thine;
Not my will, but Thy
will, be done, Lord, in me.
May Thy Spirit divine
fill this being of mine.
Not my will, but Thy will, be done, Lord, in me.” Hugh Benner
DAY 2 – April 21, 2009
TITLE: “THE COMFORT OF GOD”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” II Corinthians 1:3
Yesterday I participated in the funeral for my aunt in
As I reflect on my aunt, and the service, I was reminded again of the comfort of the Lord. God comforted us with His peace and very own presence. God gave us hope through His precious promises. God truly is the God of all comfort in all situations and at all times.
God is the source of encouragement and consolation to believers under all circumstances. God’s proper work is to comfort. He turns desolation into consolation for individuals. God comforts us even in the most difficult of circumstances. The Psalmist said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4. Whether we like to admit it or not, divine comfort and human suffering go hand in hand. Suffering comes to every life, but it is never greater than the comfort God gives His people. God never promises we won’t have pressure, difficulties, pain, and sorrow, but He does promise to never leave us alone. He promises to comfort us in all of our afflictions. His comfort is seen and experienced regardless of how severe the suffering. Comfort means far more than soothing sympathy. Christian comfort is the comfort, which brings courage and enables a person to cope with all that life can do to him. The comfort of God establishes, restores, stills one’s fears, speaks peace, reassures, and refreshes the soul. The word carries the double meaning of encouragement and consolation. God is not silent in our pain and struggle.
The term for comfort used in II Corinthians 1:3, carries the sense of standing beside a person to encourage him when he is undergoing severe testing. The present tense of the verb shows that this God of ours comforts us constantly and unfailingly. God’s comfort is not spasmodic or intermittent, like so much of the comfort we receive from others.
The comfort of others falls short. The Psalmist said, “Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.” Psalm 69:20. This is in such contrast to the comfort of God, which never fails.
The God of all comfort is available today and ready to embrace you with His comfort.
DAY 3 – April 22, 2009
TITLE: “PRESSURE”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “We do not want you to be uniformed,
brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of
Some years ago now the Hope College Women's Basketball Team had made it to the national playoffs. The final game saw Hope 20 points behind with 10 minutes left to play. The team remained calm and began to narrow the gap. Then with just 5 seconds remaining, a 3 point basket tied the game. The pressure was on. The final score was decided by Dina Disney. With no time left on the clock, she sank two free throws to win the game. When television and press interviewers asked her how she stayed calm under so much pressure, Dina said she recited to herself, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
How do you deal with the moments in your life when the pressure is really on? Paul faced times of tremendous pressure. In his letter to the Corinthians, he stated that they were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure. He was able to deal with the pressure because he found strength in the Lord. As you face the pressures of your day, you can have the assurance that there is a strength greater than your own that is available to you today.
Jay Kesler suggests that there are two ways of handling pressure. One is illustrated by a bathysphere, the miniature submarine used to explore the ocean in places so deep that the water pressure would crush a conventional submarine like an aluminum can. Bathyspheres compensate with steel plates several inches thick, which keeps the water out, but also makes them heavy and hard to maneuver.
While in these depths they are surrounded by fish that cope with extreme pressure in an entirely different way. They don't build thick skins; they remain supple and free. They compensate for the outside pressure through equal and opposite pressure inside themselves.
Through Christ within, we can handle the pressure without. Whatever the pressures you may be facing today, they are not greater than the Christ within who can strengthen and grant you peace in the midst of the pressure.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, You know the pressures of my day. I surrender them all to You. Help me to remember that the Christ within me is greater than the pressures I will face today. Amen
DAY 4 – April 23, 2009
TITLE: “GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “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.” II Corinthians 1:9
How big is your God? The early church leader Augustine, was once accosted by a heathen who showed him his idol and said, "Here is my god; where is thine?" Augustine replied, "I cannot show you my God; not because there is no God to show, but because you have no eyes to see Him."
Where does your picture of God come from? Our understanding of God in great part is based on our experience of God or the experiences of others. We can learn a lot about God from looking at the experiences of the people of God as recorded in scripture. The word of God keeps our picture of God clear and in focus. Scripture says, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:11-13
How big is your God? Paul served a God who raised the dead. This description paints a picture of God on a canvas so big that we cannot begin to grasp the greatness of God. We serve a God who is stronger and greater than death itself. A God like this is strong enough to help you with everything you face today.
“Bigger than all my problems, Bigger than all my fears
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see
Bigger than all my questions, Bigger than anything
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see
Bigger than all the shadows that fall across my back
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see
Bigger than all the confusion, Bigger than anything
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see
Bigger than all the giants, fear and unbelief
God is bigger than any mountain I can or cannot see
Bigger than all my hangups, Bigger than anything
God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see.” Gorden Jensen
DAY 5 – April 24, 2009
TITLE: “HELPING OTHERS WITH YOUR PRAYERS”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “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.” II Corinthians 1:11
I just received a note this morning from my friend and
author, Dr. Peter Lundell. He wrote, “I had my publisher send you a copy of Prayer Power:
30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God. You were the first guy to show
any real interest in the book and its subject. Thank you for your interest in
what I had to say—from the beginning. And thank you for your commitment to
prayer.” Peter was kind enough to allow me to make copies of his original
manuscript for our Church Board to read a couple of years ago before it went to
print. It is a book that centers on the power of prayer and making prayer a
lifestyle.
There
is no question as you read scripture that prayer is powerful. John 15:7 reminds
us that, “If you remain in me and my
words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, ad it will be given you.” James
is known for his compelling illustration of the power of prayer with his
comments on Elijah. He points out, “…the
prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Paul
understood the significance and power of prayer. He was aware of how much he
needed the prayers of others. In the introduction of Dr. Lundells' book I
referred to, he points out the benefit of praying for others. He wrote, “Praying
people usually find that the rewards surpass their expectations.” Mother Teresa
said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift
of Himself.” Prayer not only helps the person we pray for, but it helps us and
enlarges our own hearts.
Paul knew the importance and significance of praying for others. Prayer for others is a sign of an unselfish heart. There is no room for selfishness in the prayer life of Christians. One author said, “The biggest single non-biblical aspect of American praying today is lack of intercession or praying for others. If we are not careful our prayers can become selfish.” Prayer is a method of reaching out beyond our own selves and our own needs and touching others. The best thing we can offer others is our prayers. Paul wrote, “…With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18b
Less talking to people and more talking to God for people in prayer will make a difference. James wrote, “… pray for each other so that you may be healed…” James 5:16. Samuel understood the importance of his prayers to others. I Samuel 12:23, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you...” We need the prayers of others and we need to pray for others. Praying for those in your home group, ministry group, and others around you matters. Author and Theologian Dietrich Bonheoffer wrote, “A Christians fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses.” Will you commit to pray for others?