You Are Precious To God

You Are Precious To God

YOU ARE PRECIOUS

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I heard the story of an older gentleman who was known for his godly life. One day someone asked him, “What do you do when you get tempted?”

He answered, “Well, I just look up to Heaven and say, ‘Lord, your property is in danger.’”

We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “You are not your own.” It could be translated, “You are not your own property. You were bought with a price.” God has reassured us of this by putting His seal on us as a king might seal his property. We are told in 2 Corinthians 1:21–22, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

As believers, we belong to God. We are His children. We are His sheep. We are His property. We are also His children. Romans 8:15 tells us, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” “Abba” was an affectionate cry of a Hebrew child. If you go to Israel today, you can still hear little children crying out to their dads, “Abba!” It is affectionate, endearing, and close.

My children, and now my grandchildren, have always had access to me. They don’t have to make an appointment to meet with me. They just walk up and talk to me. If I’m in a crowded room and my grandchildren come walking in and yell out, “Papa!” the conversation I’m having will be over. That is the kind of relationship we have and the access they have. In the same way, we have that kind of access to God.

Prayer: Father, thank You that I’m in Christ, thank You for giving me access by the blood of Jesus, into your presence.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

 

You Are Precious To God

Let Us Mature In The Lord

Let Us Mature In The Lord

MOVE ON TO MATURITY

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Hebrews 6:1

As a father and a grandfather, I know from personal experience that babies are a lot of work. For instance, it takes work to teach a baby how to eat. Of course there is baby food, and then comes solid food, which has to be cut into baby-sized bites. And sometimes a baby doesn’t want to eat, so you have to think of creative ways to get the baby to take the food. Children need to learn how to eat their food, cut up their food, and ultimately prepare their food. It’s called growing up.

A lot of people, however, have never grown up spiritually. They made an initial commitment to Christ but have never really understood what it means to be a totally committed follower of Jesus. In short, they are still spiritual babies.

The Christian life is more than simply saying a prayer of commitment to Christ. It is following Jesus not only as your Savior, but also as your Lord. If your only source of spiritual intake is hearing other people preach sermons, then you will be in a relatively weakened state spiritually. There is a place for teaching and preaching, but you have to learn how to cut your own food, so to speak. You have to learn how to feed yourself spiritually.

Hebrews 6:1 tells us, “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.”

In short, we need to grow up as believers and not be spiritual babies forever. We need to grow up to be men and women of God.

Prayer: Lord, by Your grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, I resolve to grow daily in my walk with You.

Scriptural Reading: Hebrews 6:1-3

Let Us Mature In The Lord

An Amazing Faith

An Amazing Faith

AN AMAZING FAITH

The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Joshua 2:11

This profession of faith comes from the lips of one of the most unlikely characters in the Bible — a prostitute, a heathen, and a citizen of an enemy nation to God’s people. But it is exactly the unexpectedness of her faith which makes her such a source of biblical comfort and admonition.

On the one hand, Rahab shows us there is no valid excuse for unbelief in the one true God. Rahab’s faith in the one true God was the reason she did not perish with the unbelieving heathen who surrounded her in Jericho, Hebrews reminds us. Also, James uses Rahab as an example of one whose genuine faith is shown by concrete acts of obedience and sacrifice.

When Rahab heard the report of all that God had done for His people—delivering them out of Egypt, drying up the Jordan, conquering powerful kings—she trusted that this was the one true God in heaven and in earth. If Rahab could come out of such a conflicting and hostile society, to such a potent and unyielding faith, then it proves no circumstantial or cultural barrier is strong enough to overcome genuine faith in the one true God.

There is also great comfort in the story of Rahab, particularly for those who are saved out of sinful lifestyles. Here was a promiscuous woman, with dubious connections, and a dark and pagan past who was used of the Lord to deliver His people and eventually even usher in the Christ.

What a powerful witness Rahab is of God’s ability to forgive, to cleanse, and even to use those who come to Him by faith. May your faith lead you to courageous and sacrificial obedience today, in the knowledge of Christ’s cleansing and healing power for your past.

Prayer: Lord, let my faith produce works that will bring glory to Your name.

Scriptural Reading: Joshua 2:1-12

An Amazing Faith

Our God Is Faithful

Our God Is Faithful

WHAT A FAITHFUL GOD!

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken. Psalm 37:25

Here is David’s testimony: although I have seen many adventures as a youth, and faced many struggles throughout my life, I have never yet seen God neglect one of His children or forsake the godly when they are in need.

David was a man of action, a prominent ruler, and a longtime servant of God. This was not a man who lacked experience, or had hid in a corner, or had recently joined the ranks of godly men. And his declaration is that—in all his years of service, in the great variety of his circumstances—he has never, even once, seen the godly forsaken or left uncared for!

But there seems to be even more behind David’s statement than mere observation. He admits that he is now old. He has seen many other saints grow old, and even die, throughout his lifetime. And now that he is facing old age himself, he looks back on his past observations in order to draw present comfort.

“If God has never forsaken any of His servants in the past, then He will not forsake me now,” David seems to be saying. Just as I have seen Samuel, and my father, and many others grow old—and God remained faithful to them to the end—God will be with me to the end, as well.

Dear believer, God was faithful to David; and He will be faithful to you. He has never yet failed to make good on a single one of His promises; He will be with you through the challenges of youth, and in the losses and pains of old age.

Prayer: Great is the faithfulness, oh Lord.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 37:25-40

 

Our God Is Faithful

The Purpose Of Your Life

The Purpose Of Your Life

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. Genesis 5:27

Has history taught us any lesson more clearly or convincingly than that death is inevitable? Even for Methuselah there would finally be a 970th year that he would not see: despite his unique longevity, his remarkable story would still reach its eventual conclusion. The only two people in the entire history of mankind that have evaded death—Enoch and Elijah—are perhaps most well known for the very fact that they so unexpectedly escaped death’s inescapable clutches.

We frantically attempt to entertain away, or dye away, or exercise away death’s calling card: age. Yet, in the back of each of our minds, there is an ever-present awareness that our days are finite; it shows in the choices that we make regarding retirement, life insurance, and even mortgages (there’s a reason why you’ve never heard of a hundred-year mortgage!).

The recognition of our own frailty is apparently one of the lessons that God would have us draw from our experience in this world: “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am” (Psalm 39:4). This awareness should lead us to a serious contemplation of the meaning and purpose for our life.

What is the meaning of life? A question often asked, but rarely with any real desire to be confronted with the answer. John reveals to us, in the heart-cry of the heavenly throng, why we are here: “. . .thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). We are here to worship our Creator, to serve Him and to do His good pleasure each day of our lives. Are you fulfilling that purpose?

Prayer: Lord, may my days here on earth be for Your good pleasure.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 5:25-27

The Purpose Of Your Life

Great Is Thy Faith

Great Is Thy Faith

GREAT FAITH

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Matthew 8:8

This centurion knew authority when he saw it. He himself commanded one hundred men, and he had witnessed countless examples of power and authority within the ranks of the Roman army. And he knew Jesus had it.

As a result, the centurion did not come pleading his worth (although the Jews made the mistake of pleading on his merit to Jesus). He knew that there was no claim he could make upon Jesus’ power; if Jesus healed, it would be because He wished to heal, not because the centurion deserved the favor.

Further, the centurion had such confidence in Jesus’ authority that he knew Jesus could do what had not even been seen or done yet, apparently. Jesus had so far only healed in person, but the centurion knew that anyone who could heal personally could also heal from a distance if he so desired. “Speak the word only” was all that Jesus had to do and he knew his servant would be healed.

Jesus’ reply to the centurion is just as remarkable as the centurion’s statement. Jesus exclaimed, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (v.10). This is quite a compliment, coming from anyone. But for Jesus Himself to marvel at the centurion’s faith tells us it is certainly something to emulate ourselves.

When you come to God in prayer, do you see yourself as deserving His favor or do you realize that you are not even worthy to come before Him in the first place? No matter what displays of power or answered prayer you have seen in the past, do you have faith that He is able to do even more than you have witnessed?

Prayer: Lord increase my faith.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 8:5-13

Great Is Thy Faith

The Power Of Affirmation

The Power Of Affirmation

THE POWER OF AFFIRMATIONS

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I have spoke,”[a] we also believe and therefore speak. 2 Corinthians 4:13

There is tremendous power in spiritual affirmation. I recommend that you read these Spiritual affirmations aloud. These affirmations define your relationship with God.

I recognize that there is only one true and living God (Exodus 20:2,3), who exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is worthy of all honour, praise and worship as the Creator, Sustainer, Beginning and End of all things (Revelation 4:11; 5:9,10; Isaiah 43:1,7,21).

I recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1,14). I believe that He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8), that He disarmed the rulers and authorities, having triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15).

I believe that God has proven His love for me, because when I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8). I believe that He delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

I believe that I am now a child of God (1 John 3:1-3). I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, that it is a gift and not the result of any works on my part (Ephesians 2:8).

I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). I put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), for the weapons of my warfare are not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). I put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), and I resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.

Prayer: Thank God for all He has done for you and your family this month.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

The Power Of Affirmation