In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
TO PONDER
On Tuesday, in my reflection on the Bible verse for the day from Matthew (chapter 6, verse 10), I outlined the struggles my wife and I had having a family, and in the end, we truly left it to God's will.
God has a purpose (plan) for every one of us. God indeed knew the plans he had for my wife and I. In fact, God knew the plans he had (and still has) for you and me well and truly before our conception in our mother's womb. It is beyond my human comprehension and I wrestle with the thought that God knew the plans He had for our daughter, (those already lived out during her 17 years so far) and knows all that is still to come for her. This is truly a testament to what an awesome God we have.
How can we be sure of this? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16).
That is, God's plan to send His son to earth through a virgin named Mary, to save all believers is evidence that God knew His plans for Mary and His son Jesus well in advance. And just like God’s love for Jesus and Mary, we know God loves us equally and hence we can take real assurance that God knew of His plans for you and me even before we were conceived. How mind boggling yet comforting for us when we reflect on this. What wonderful assurance this gives us to confidently walk forward with Christ.
Why do you worry about God's plans for you and why are you unable to submit yourself fully to God and let His will be done in your life?
PRAYER: God of Wisdom and awe, I am sorry when I struggle to submit my life to you fully so Your will can be done and Your Plans for me lived out. Continue to walk by my side and provide me daily with the assurance that You know exactly what is to come and that this is Your will for me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good
TO PONDER
Fire, when left unattended, can be devastatingly destructive. It burns human and animal flesh with excruciating pain and destroys any vegetation and property in its path.
Being a Christian does not make us invincible or wrap us in a cocoon that insulates us from earthly suffering and pain. However, as Christian's we can be certain that our Lord walks with us every step of our earthly journey. And like the beautifully written piece 'footprints' (look it up if you don't know it – [Footprints in the sand]) as the writer looked back on life's most lowest moments to notice only one set of footprints along the sand, we too can be assured that during the most difficult periods of our own lives, that this is when Jesus carries us.
All that is required from us, is to fully commit our lives to God and strive to live a Christ-like life. Jesus bore the punishment for our sinfulness through His suffering on the cross. We will not be spared challenges and suffering as a result. However, what we can be assured of as Christian's is that our suffering will be different. Unbelievers (the weeds and useless vegetation) will be totally consumed by the bush-fire, destroyed and die. As Christian's our suffering will shape us, and even strengthen us with re-growth just like that seen with the fresh growth of green shoots springing from the blackened bush-fire burned trees to start a new life and regenerate the forest to its former glory.
Recall a period (low point) in your life where you questioned the suffering but ultimately came to realise how it had shaped or grown your faith. Why can it be so accept that God has His plans for you all sorted, and he walks with you, and at times even carries you?
PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven. Sorry that I have difficulty accepting your will and the plans that you have for me here on earth as your disciple. Continue to assure me that I can confidently hand everything over to you and focus entirely on living a Christ-like life as you walk with me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
TO PONDER
"Your will be done". Have you ever prayed that sincerely? My wife and I took eight years to have a family. It was a tough time for us and especially for my wife as our trials took us down the real roller-coaster ride of the IVF process where her hormones were teased, one of her eggs (fertilised by me) then implanted, and then there was the wait. A couple of weeks each time, where we (well she) lived like we were 'walking on egg shells', not wanting to do anything that may risk the chance of conception and each time the wait culminated with the pregnancy blood test to confirm whether we were on our way to becoming parents. We certainly spent time talking together and we prayed for a baby if it was God's will. This said, it didn't stop us seriously questioning why our Lord wouldn't answer our prayer. After all we were good sound Christians and what better home environment to be bringing a new baby into.
God answered our prayer with a beautiful little girl (who today is a beautiful 17 year old) but on reflection it probably wasn't until we had seriously stopped worrying about it, questioning it, and simply just placing it all in God's hands, that we really learned His will for us.
Even Jesus prayed this same prayer in his utmost hour of need. "……yet, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22: 42) on the Mount of Olives as he contemplated the imminency of His arrest, His treatment by the Roman soldiers and His cruel and painful death for us on the cross. Jesus prayed to His Father to let His will be done and the result is the promise we have today of eternal life with Him in Heaven. God's will was indeed done.
Do you have concerns sincerely praying and asking for God's will to be done in your life? Why?
PRAYER:Our Lord and Father. Teach me to humbly and sincerely pray for Your will to be done here on earth just like it will be in Heaven, for I need to have no fears or concerns whatsoever bringing this prayer to you daily. Your actions have proven this to me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight
TO PONDER
It is human nature to put one's trust in something or someone. As descendants of Adam, we know too well the ramifications of placing our trust in ourselves or being misled by the evil-one.
While I am not necessarily proud to state this, my wife has often accused me of needing to feel I have control. I am not sure whether this is an old-fashioned trait I have perhaps inherited from my Dad and our German ancestors or not. But as the male head of our household I, for whatever reason, do feel a responsibility to provide, care for, and protect our family unit.
With this confession made, I am certainly guilty then, of reflexively wanting to solve all or any problem or obstacle that I or our family encounter. Looking to rely on my own self-trust and self-sufficiency rather than placing my total trust in the Lord and placing all my trials and tribulations at the foot of the cross where He has done all for us.
Our verse today is not just talking about life's trials and tribulations though. The message is clear. 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart……" (verse 5). As sinful humans, we may well question that it is impossible to trust in God perfectly, however we can certainly strive to have a heart and life that does not consciously reject or defy God with unbelief.
We are not to rely on anyone or anything other than the Lord. During Jesus' earthly ministry, we never saw Him partially heal a paraplegic, so they relied upon a crutch to hobble away. Jesus' words were 'get up and walk' and powerfully, these words were lived out.
Indeed, if we have the same faith and belief, this will be the exact same result for our lives too. No reliance upon anyone else, no crutch, just total trust in the Lord in all we do, and He will not only walk with us but bless us and continue to watch over us as he leads us along our life's journey to our Heavenly Home.
Are there reasons or obstacles in your life that you can identify that inhibit you from totally trusting in God and His plans for you? Why?
PRAYER: Heavenly doctor, help me to totally trust in you so like the paraplegic you healed, I need no life crutch to rely on but can confidently walk forward knowing that you walk with me on every step of my earthly journey. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted
TO PONDER
When we reflect on our lives, there are multiple instances in any week or month where we find ourselves simply having to trust another party and believe the information or advice we are given. This occurs generally because we are either comfortable from the outset or gain comfort that the individual knows more about the topic in question than we do.
I don't know about you, but I am not very mechanically minded. I take my car to our mechanic for a service or a problem, and I am left with no choice really but to accept what he tells me is wrong, what he needs to do to fix the problem, and the cost.
My G.P has referred me to a handful of medical specialists over the years to enable me to receive optimum advice with regard to investigations, diagnosis and treatment. These referrals have varied in nature from musculo-skeletal problems to oncology investigations looking for a form of blood cancer, which thankfully, turned out to be benign in nature. Irrespective, these specialists knew far more about their area of expertise than me and my G.P, so essentially, I was left to accept their advice and guidance. Interestingly, as I reflect on these times of uncertainty in my life, I did include myself and the specialists in my prayers.
I am sure there are plenty more examples of trust (or doubt) that you can think of applicable to yourself.
As Christians, we have a gracious God who we know loves us dearly and died for us to provide us with the promise of eternal life with Him. Do we merely forget this then, when we either doubt (as some of the disciples did) or question God's Will or plans in our lives?
When have you doubted or questioned what God is doing in your life? Why?
PRAYER: Lord of All. Help me to grow in my faith so that I can accept your will and plans for my life as your disciple. Continually provide me with comfort in the fact that you are forever walking with me and will never leave my side. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
TO PONDER
I live with my wife in a retirement village. The facilities and resources here are fantastic for caring for people as they age (from their 60s to their 90s). We have staff and resources to help us keep our bodies fit and healthy; we have facilities and programs to keep our minds active and we have a chaplain to support us spiritually and emotionally. One downside of living in this environment, however, is that we are very aware of the impact of the ageing process on people, with regular funerals for those who have died. So the subject often comes up on how people would like to die – with a consensus that dying in our sleep is the preferred way to depart this life.
The subject also comes up about how we wouldn’t like to die, and I guess we are all aware of friends and family who have suffered to some extent in their last days and hours. So I have been pondering this question (or maybe the Holy Spirit has been stirring me). If we trust in God’s love and commitment to us, He will be with us in our dying as much as in our living. I’m not saying that it won’t be hard, but God has promised to be with us always and accompany us in this journey, even to a greater extent than His love and support in our other journeys.
I’ve mentioned in my earlier devotions how God often works through us to impact the lives of others, and I am very open to God also using His journey with me in my dying to bring a needed message to someone else.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sometimes we need a greater trust in your love for us that you won’t take us anywhere that you don’t travel along with us on the journey. We know you have been with us in wonderful ways in the past. Please help us to remember all these times so that we have confidence in your presence with us as you take us on new journeys, even our final journey on this earth. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier. LifeWay Epping
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
TO PONDER
I am quite familiar with this verse from my regular reading of the bible, hearing it read in church and reading devotional materials. But I am not sure I fully understand what it means. I guess I feel it means something like living to God’s rules. Anyway, not being sure, I did some research, and I have come up with a practical understanding. To be righteous, we will have an attitude to other people, and to God, the same as the attitude that Jesus demonstrated by His life while here on earth. But it is an attitude that is active, caring practically about the needs of others, and listening to where God is calling us to go and doing what God is calling us to do. In the next chapter of Matthew (Matthew 6:33), Jesus promises that if we are focused on living our God’s love and care for others (His righteousness), He will look after our own personal needs for us.
When we are physically hungry or thirsty, our attention will tend to focus on obtaining food or drink to satisfy our hunger or thirst. When we are emotionally of spiritually empty, similarly we will seek activities which will fill that emptiness. From my own experience, these tend to often be just time wasters, activities that bring some instant satisfaction or distraction, but no lasting relief. Playing solitaire is just one example – I’m so absorbed in my own little world, that I forget my emptiness – for a while.
What Jesus is trying to get through to us is that He has things for us to do that not only fill the emptiness, but bring on-going joy and fulfilment into our lives. Sometimes, God just wants us to go and see what He is doing in other people’s lives – to just be a spectator. The experience will change us, and even if we just share with other what we have seen God doing, we will be living God’s righteousness. Think about the shepherds at the first Christmas. After witnessing what God had done, they just couldn’t stop telling everyone they met what they had just witnessed. Not very hard, even for us introverts. They just had to obey one command from God: Go!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, so often we can become paralysed by our insecurities and feelings of emptiness or failure. Help us to remember that your answer is often for us to get up and go where you are calling us to go, so that you can give us experiences that refocus us on living in the relationship we have with you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
TO PONDER
Today’s bible verses were directed at Christian slaves. However, slaves back in Roman times were in many ways not too different from employees today. In return for their work, they received accommodation, clothes and food. They may not have received as much free time as we generally have today, but I know some employees who may as well be slaves due to the amount of time they commit to their employers.
Paul’s directive relates to the motive for producing high quality work. Generally, a slave was motivated by a threat of punishment of some sort if they failed to meet the master’s requirements. So a slave would quickly learn what the minimum requirements were to escape the punishment. This was definitely the case if the master was harsh and cruel.
If a slave had a kind master, they might put in an extra effort to ingratiate themselves to the master to gain some future benefit (like being still cared for when they get old or sick).
Paul’s directive provides a different motive for the quality of our work. In spite of our lowly position here on this earth, we are now children of the Heavenly King, provided with a certificate guaranteeing the resources and treasures that are now ours. And we have the Holy Spirit by our side, guiding us and giving us hints on how to improve on the quality without having to work any harder. And because we are now producing a quality result, we get great joy out of what we are doing.
I know from experience that it is very easy to forget God’s purpose for us, especially when we are loaded down with the pressures of daily living. But we can pray at the beginning of each day that God would keep reminding us of his presence with us. Some people put little reminder dots where they will regularly see them. Other set reminders on their smart devices.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I want to live a life that honours you. Thank you for the ways you remind me of your presence with me all the time, and help me to listen to the guidance you provide me during each day. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
TO PONDER
In our verses for today, the writer to the Hebrews mentions two sources of encouragement for our life’s journey. The first one we may refer to as the heroes or champions of living the Christian life. As we read through the list in Chapter 11 of Hebrews, we find a list of very ordinary people who made some very serious mistakes in life (including murder for a number of them). Yet they allowed themselves to be used by God for God to achieve his saving purposes through them. Many of them struggled at first to believe God could or would want to use them. God has included their stories in the bible as an encouragement to us, not to try to be like them and emulate their successes, but to learn to trust God when he calls us to go, so that He can work through us to achieve His purposes of bringing His love, healing and support to others.
The second source of encouragement is in keeping our focus on Jesus who has adopted us to be his brothers and sisters. Jesus, during His time here on earth, experienced the full gamut of life’s experiences, so when He asks us to follow Him, He is not asking us to do anything He has not already experienced. Notice that Jesus didn’t just grin and bear it in carrying out His Father’s tasks for Him, including the suffering and death he went through. But He experienced joy in what he was achieving, rescuing us so that we could live with Him.
Jesus’s vision for us is a full life, an overflowing life (see Luke 6:38), even as we face challenges along the way because Jesus is travelling with us.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that we are not in this business of life on our own. Thank you for carrying out your promise to always be with us on our life’s journey. Thankyou for also continuing to remind us of all the resources you have made available to us to use on our journey. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping