Humility in the Life of a Believer

Humility in the Life of a Believer

Philippians 2:1-11

Jesus lived His earthly days with a humble spirit, and He taught that we should demonstrate humility as well. In God’s eyes, those who become like little children are honored (Matt. 18:4); the one who wants to be first must take last place (Mark 9:35); and servanthood is a mark of prominence (Matt. 23:11). With His teachings, our Savior turned the world’s definition of greatness upside down. In heaven, meekness is an attribute of honor.

Humility doesn’t automatically come to individuals who have few material belongings or to those who give their possessions away. The rich can be unassuming people, just as the poor can be proud. Success does not have to lead to pride, nor does defeat automatically mean humbleness. What determines humility is attitude. Jesus promises that those who humble themselves will be exalted by their heavenly Father. However, He warns that those who put themselves first will find that God opposes them (James 4:6).

As we recognize that we can do nothing of value apart from the Lord, we will have started on the road to meekness. When we lay down all our plans and instead accept God’s, we will be leaving our pride behind. If we are misunderstood or treated unfairly but stay where we are until the Lord tells us to speak or move, then we will have begun to live the humble life that pleases our Savior.

Jesus offers to be our Master Teacher so we might learn the godly lessons of humility. Will you let Him serve you in this way?

Unstaggering Trustfulness

"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7).

Suspense is dreadful. When we have no news from home, we are apt to grow anxious, and we cannot be persuaded that "no news is good news." Faith is the cure for this condition of sadness; the LORD by His Spirit settles the mind in holy serenity, and all fear is gone as to the future as well as the present.

The fixedness of heart spoken of by the psalmist is to be diligently sought after. It is not believing this or that promise of the LORD, but the general condition of unstaggering trustfulness in our God, the confidence which we have in Him that He will neither do us ill Himself nor suffer anyone else to harm us. This constant confidence meets the unknown as well as the known of life. Let the morrow be what it may, our God is the God of tomorrow. Whatever events may have happened, which to us are unknown, our Jehovah is God of the unknown as well as of the known. We are determined to trust the LORD, come what may. If the very worst should happen, our God is still the greatest and best. Therefore will we not fear though the postman's knock should startle us or a telegram wake us at midnight. The LORD liveth, and what can His children fears.

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A Life of Peace

  A Life of Peace

Isaiah 26:2-4

Your home offers protection from the elements. So when a storm rolls in, you seek shelter within the safety of those four walls. The same principle applies to life’s storms. If we’ve built a solid house on a foundation of faith, then we’ve got a haven to run to when dark clouds gather and anxiety threatens to overwhelm us.

Let’s suppose a problem is worrying you, and your stomach is in knots. Friends and family try to be understanding, but they’re growing weary of you taking your heartache out on them. You are so focused on the issue that it feels as if your shoulders are bearing a heavy weight. Now listen to the liberating alternative God offers: “Cast your burden upon [Me] and [I] will sustain you” (Ps. 55:22). He doesn’t erase the ills that invade this life. Instead, He shields us from the weight of worry by taking situations into His own hands.

However, the call to a free and peaceful life goes unheeded unless a person has confidence in the Lord. Trust is built through relationship—praying during daily trials and triumphs, seeking biblical guidance for decisions, and testing God’s Word to see that it is true and practical. That’s how a house of faith is constructed brick by brick on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

A believer who trusts in the Lord receives the peace that Isaiah 26:3promises. But unshakeable peace isn’t instantaneous; it is cultivated through a consistent relationship with God. A lifestyle of dependence upon Him is the key to weathering storms with supernatural calm.

Unshakeable Peace

Unshakeable Peace

Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety is the enemy of a peaceful life. People go to great lengths to get rid of stress: travel ads promise vacations will sweep you away from it; gyms offer to help you “sweat it out”; and popular magazines suggest ways to lessen it by adjusting schedules or habits. The problem is that no one can adequately shift circumstances to achieve total freedom from heartache, burdens, or trouble.

However, we can have unshakeable peace during anxious times. Jesus said to seek peace in Him because He has overcome this world (John 16:33). The key is to shift our focus from the scary problem onto God, who lovingly provides whatever we need from His limitless resources and power (Ps. 50:10; Rom. 8:11).

Serenity can’t be manufactured—it’s a gift from our heavenly Father. His Spirit produces a sense of calm in believers who seek the Lord’s protection against anxiety (Gal. 5:22). The Greek word translated asguard in today’s passage literally means “to garrison about.” God wraps hearts and minds in peace, effectively safeguarding both against all-consuming worry or fear. Notice that He doesn’t make problems go away—we may still be under pressure or prone to weep, but we are cushioned against anxiety and encircled by peace as well.

Today’s verses tell us to pray rather than give in to anxiety. These words are Paul’s orders for doing battle against the stresses and troubles of this world. Prayer keeps your mind and heart garrisoned with peace. Keep trusting in God so that your defenses are strong and anxiety cannot slip in.

Prayer-Based Planning

Prayer-Based Planning

Luke 14:28-30

In today’s passage, Jesus’ example of building a tower shows the importance of planning and using resources wisely. Otherwise, money may run out too soon.

Any financial plan should be covered with prayer. First, ask God for the wisdom to understand His teachings about money and how they apply to your situation. Next, pray for clarity about all details—including both the amount that is earned and what is spent.

One final step is to seek the Lord’s guidance in determining whether spending habits are in line with His priorities. In evaluating this, it is helpful to divide expenses into categories, including:

1. Giving to the local church, missionaries, and other organizations
2. Basic needs—food, clothes, and housing
3. Insurance, retirement plan, savings
4. Debt, such as excessive mortgages, loans, and credit cards
5. Personal spending on entertainment and extras—cell phones, Internet, cable TV, eating out, vacations, etc.

Some of us will discover that our finances are not in sync with scriptural principles, and that may be discouraging. If this is true of you, turn to the Lord, confess what has happened, and pray for the strength to handle your God-given resources His way.

Financial discipline is a learned skill. It requires a commitment to live according to Scripture, persistent effort to change bad habits, concentration to develop new ones, and faith that we can learn to live according to God’s priorities. We are blessed when we practice prayer-based planning.

Why Listening Is Critical

Why Listening Is Critical

Nehemiah 8:9-12

Sometimes we take certain blessings for granted. Stop and think what it would be like if we couldn’t attend the church of our choice or read a Bible in our language. 

During the 70-year Babylonian captivity, the temple and its sacrificial system weren’t available to the Israelites. And those born in that land didn’t understand the language of Scripture. So when the opportunity arose to hear God’s Word in Jerusalem, they were ready to listen.

Ezra read to them about the Lord’s promises to Abraham and his descendants, the covenants God made with the nation of Israel, and His requirements of faith and obedience. As the people listened with repentant hearts, they felt conviction and wept over their sins. But they also experienced joy because they were once again following the Lord’s commands. The people trusted not only the words of Scripture but also the men who explained its meaning.

The Bible is our source of truth about God’s righteous character, mankind’s sinful nature, and the plan of salvation. In its pages, we discover that man has a sin problem but no way to solve it on his own. We also learn that God’s just nature requires a penalty for transgression. Scripture goes on to reveal how divine justice was carried out against Jesus for our sin—that He died in our place, and through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. What an amazing provision from the God of love.

Good listening is essential, because faith comes from hearing God’s message (Rom. 10:17), and spiritual growth also depends on heeding what He tells us. 

Christ is Greater than Our Greatest Need

  I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A Faith-Filled Outlook

A Faith-Filled Outlook

Genesis 39:21-40:8

If anyone had reason to be discouraged, Joseph did. His mother died when he was a boy. His brothers hated him, sold him into slavery, and convinced his father that he was dead. Joseph worked hard in Potiphar’s household but ended up in prison because of false allegations. Yet he was not an angry person.

The Hebrew slave maintained his faith- filled outlook because he consistently relied upon God, who was always with him. Even in prison, Joseph was given responsibility over others (vv. 21-22). Like that righteous young man, we might also be “held captive”—by unemployment, ill health, or a difficult relationship. In those hard places, we can nevertheless experience our Father’s presence and thrive: His Holy Spirit will produce godly fruit in us when we depend upon Him (Gal. 5:22-23).

Whatever his circumstances were, Joseph refused to focus on himself. When two royal servants were jailed, he had compassion for them and gave them aid. In times of both blessing and crisis, we are to help others in any way we can (2 Cor. 1:3-4). And notice, too, how Joseph didn’t shrink back from speaking boldly about God to these men and to Pharaoh. He told the Egyptian leader that the answer he sought regarding his dreams would come from the Lord (Gen. 41:16).

Whether enslaved, imprisoned, or serving as Pharaoh’s second-in-command, Joseph flourished. He endured much hardship but saw that the Lord had used it for good (Gen. 50:19-20). Because the Holy Spirit’s presence is within us, we—like Joseph—can have a faith-filled perspective that glorifies God.

God Wants His Children to Listen

God Wants His Children to Listen

Nehemiah 8:1-8

The principles in Scripture teach us the way to live holy lives. But in order to receive God’s instructions, we must learn how to hear Him speak through His Word.

In the days of Nehemiah, the Israelites who helped to rebuild Jerusalem were good listeners. After working together to restore the city wall, they asked Ezra the scribe to read to them from the scrolls containing God’s laws.

The reading lasted for hours, during which time the people stood and listened intently as the scribe read. They were focused on comprehending what had been recorded in the law of Moses.

The scrolls were written in Hebrew. But most of the Israelites standing in the square had spent their lives in Babylonian captivity, and Aramaic was the language they spoke. Yet they had come together, intent on learning about God’s character and determined to follow His plan. For this reason, the Levites translated “to give the sense so that [the people] understood the reading” (v. 8).

As Ezra praised the Lord, the peoples’ hearts were stirred, and they worshipped. Thanksgiving and humility prepared them to receive from God. They bowed in gratitude for the privilege of hearing the Scriptures.

We need to understand what pleases the Lord so we can obey His plan. That means we must be good listeners who develop greater humility, attentiveness, gratitude, and zeal for Him. As we learn, we should be prepared not only to share the Word with others but also to explain it so they, too, can know God and obey.

Better Farther On

There is a limit to affliction. God sends it, and God removes it. Do you sigh and say, "When will the end be?" Remember that our griefs will surely and finally end when this poor earthly life is over, Let us quietly wait and patiently endure the will of the LORD till He cometh.

Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the rod when His design in using it is fully served. When He has whipped away our folly, there will be no more strokes. Or, if the affliction is sent for testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it will end when the LORD has made us bear witness to His praise. We would not wish the affliction to depart till God has gotten out of us all the honor which we can possibly yield Him.

There may today be "a great calm." Who knows how soon those raging billows will give place to a sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves? After long tribulation the Rail is hung up, and the wheat rests in the garner. We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful. It is not hard for the LORD to turn night into day. He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies. Let us be of good cheer. It is better on before. Let us sing hallelujah by anticipation.



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Prayer and Faith Will Make Us One

  The principal cause of my leanness and unfruitfulness is owing to an 
unaccountable backwardness to pray. I can write or read or converse or 
hear with a ready heart; but prayer is more spiritual and inward than 
any of these, and the more spiritual any duty is the more my carnal 
heart is apt to start from it. Prayer and patience and faith are never 
disappointed. I have long since learned that if ever I was to be a 
minister, faith and prayer must make me one. When I can find my heart in 
frame and liberty for prayer, everything else is comparatively easy.

Richard Newton

No Good Acts Can Replace Obedience

Prayer is never an acceptable substitute for obedience. The sovereign Lord accepts no offering from His creatures that is not accompanied by 
obedience.

A. W. Tozer

"The LORD now invites you to consider your ways and confess your sins. If He had been man, He would long ago have cut you off. If He were now to act after the manner of men, it would be a word and a blow and then there would be an end of you: but it is not so, for "as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are his ways above your ways."

... if you turn from sin to Jesus, God will turn from wrath. Because God is God, and not man, there is still forgiveness for you, even though you may be steeped up to your throat in iniquity. You have a God to deal with and not a hard man, or even a merely just man. No human being could have patience with you. You would have wearied out an angel, as you have wearied your sorrowing Father; but God is longsuffering. Come and try Him at once. Confess, believe, and turn from your evil way, and you shall be saved. "


C.H. SPURGEON















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Knowledge and Responsibility - Greg Laurie Daily Devotions

Greg Laurie Daily Devotions



There is a movement afoot in our country to redefine marriage and family. Media and modern culture are pushing for same-sex marriage. The normalization of homosexuality is also gaining momentum, illustrated by television programs such as Modern Family and The New Normal.



With the emphasis on gay marriage and homosexuality in general, you would think a huge percentage of today’s population must be gay. Some advocates say it is as high as 25 percent. Many accept the premise that it is at least 10 percent. But an extensive survey, the largest of its kind, was recently completed by the Gallup polling agency. The survey, which interviewed 120,000 Americans, revealed that 3.4 percent of the U.S. population is gay. That includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. Even though it represents a small percentage of the population, it has become a major topic, and it has come right to the doorstep of the church.



People like to portray Christians as gay bashers. But that is not the case at all. We don’t see this as a worse sin, necessarily, than any other sin. I don’t see the Bible distinguishing the sin of homosexuality as the greatest of all sins. In fact the Bible does talk about greater and lesser sins, but it would appear that the worst sin would be to sin against the light.



Let me illustrate. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, a hardened, pagan, Roman man, “The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). What would be a greater sin than sending Jesus to be executed after he had been scourged, as Pilate had done? A greater sin was committed by the high priest Caiaphas, who should have known better. He is the one who sent Jesus to Pilate. That was the greater sin.



Knowledge brings responsibility. And if the Bible says something is a sin, then it is a sin.

Love Beyond Compare

Love Beyond Compare

1 John 4:16-21

God’s love is an everlasting gift. We can do nothing either to deserve it or to cut it off. The Father’s love simply is; no amount of good or bad work causes it to change. What’s more, we must realize that when we try to pay someone back for a gift freely given, we frustrate the giver and reveal our own lack of self-worth.

As long as we feel we must deserve the Father’s love, we cannot fully experience it. Believers can be so busy trying to do something lovable that they fail to think about being still and simply allowing God’s nature to settle their mind and heart. And what is His nature? God is not simply loving; the Scriptures tell us that He is love (1 John 4:16).

In addition, God’s love is sacrificial—the kind that puts aside one’s own desires in order to meet the needs of the beloved. In our case, the need is salvation. We are sinners, incapable on our own of relating to a holy God. Divine justice required payment for our sin debt. And yet, to express His love while staying true to His justice, God determined that a substitute would pay the penalty in our place. And so He sent His Son to die on the cross; there, Jesus was allowed to endure the agony of separation from His Father. As a result, everyone who trusts in the Savior’s sacrifice never has to experience His pain.

God has loved you since before you were born—so much so that 2,000 years ago, He sent His Son Jesus to die in your place. Stop trying to earn the gift that is already yours. Instead, follow this command: “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

When We Are Abused

  When We Are Abused

Luke 6:26-28

Knowing basic suggestions for handling abuse is wise. The problem is so widespread that even if you are not personally affected, someone closer than you realize probably is. Had I received this counsel early enough, perhaps I could have responded better to my stepfather’s abuse.

Seek God’s guidance. There is no standard answer for how to handle abusive situations, because they are all different. They range from irritating classroom bullying to life-threatening domestic violence, and are motivated by different reasons and emotions. Solutions also vary; severe conditions may warrant leaving the situation. Don’t simply do what others say they would do. Instead, ask, “Lord, what would You have me do?” Always check with God’s Word. He will never encourage doing anything that violates Scripture.

Pray for the abuser. As difficult as it seems, we are called to pray, even for our enemies. Ask that God’s love will make a difference in your oppressor’s life—that he or she will see the evil of the abuse and be set free from such harmful behavior. Pray that the Lord gives you understanding about the abuser’s motivation, which can be helpful as you deal with the situation.

This advice isn’t easy to follow; praying for the abuser goes against both our human nature and the popular message of our culture. However, there are former victims of abuse who testify that the Lord didn’t “waste” their suffering—and that some positive outcomes resulted from their experience (Rom. 8:28).

Running the Race of Life

Running the Race of Life

Hebrews 12:1-3

The Christian life is often described as a race-—one designed by God. In it, we are called to fulfill His purposes for us. That is, we are to be conformed to Christ’s likeness and bring God glory.

To run the race, we need to know the route. The Bible serves as our map, compass, and guidebook. It is an infallible manual for godly living, which is needed in our culture of contradictory voices, all claiming to be the truth.

To complete the race, we need inspiration and correction.Scripture provides both through the true accounts of biblical personalities. Some of us are like King Saul, who answered God’s call and began the race in strong fashion (1 Sam. 10:9-11); correction is likely if we lose our focus on God’s agenda and become immersed in worldly ways. Others of us are like the apostle Paul, who lived an ungodly life for years before salvation. His life inspires us to persevere and to embrace the Lord’s plan with growing passion.

During a race, we will encounter obstacles against which we must persevere. Some of these hindrances might include: criticism from believers and/or unbelievers; opposition to our stand for Jesus; and periods of loneliness and uncertainty when the way isn’t clear. The Holy Spirit strengthens us as we study God’s unchanging character and timeless promises.

Are you running the race well? How are you responding to pressures along the way? Remember that Christ, who is our very life, always runs with us. And be encouraged through the Scriptures.

Our Time

Our Time

Ephesians 5:15-17

The way you use your time reveals your values, priorities, and beliefs about what is true and worthwhile. As a good steward of this fleeting gift, you can make the most of your time by . . .

• Receiving Christ as your personal Savior. Any portion of life spent outside of God’s will is wasted time. The only way you will ever reach your true potential and experience genuine peace and prosperity is by personally knowing the One who created you.

• Praying. The greatest time saver is prayer. As you seek God’s mind con-cerning your schedule or decisions, prayer acts like a compass in your life. With respect to time and energy, no one has ever been more efficient than Jesus Christ. He consistently recognized that the most valuable way He could use His time was to find a solitary place and commune with the Father.

• Discovering God’s plan for your life and walking daily in His will. A believer who knowingly disobeys the Lord will be miserable and ineffective. There is no way to maximize your effectiveness if you are struggling against God or have become so hardened to His voice that you no longer hear Him.

• Writing a mission statement for your life. As the Creator, God knows the plans He has for you. So ask about His desires, and then take the time to summarize how you intend to use the remainder of your earthly days. If you stick to the plan God has helped you set, you will find that your time will be invested rather than simply “spent.”

Transforming How We Think

Transforming How We Think

Colossians 3:1-2

...we saw that Romans 12 urged us not to think like the world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. That may sound like a daunting task, but it is possible through Christ (Phil. 4:13). Here are some pointers for transforming the way you think:

• Acknowledge you have the capacity to think rightly (1 Cor. 2:16). If you’ve trusted Christ as your Savior, God’s Spirit lives inside you. Because He is holy and pure, His presence enables you to think holy, pure thoughts. And within you is the very same power that raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:19-20).

• Seek spiritual things (Col. 3:1-2). When a muscle is worked, it grows stronger. Similarly, reading the Scriptures provides sustenance to your mind, but if you then exercise it through study and meditation, your thinking will become more Christlike.

• Sift thoughts through the Word and will of God (2 Cor. 10:5). Too often, even Christians act impetuously without regard for God’s instruction or purposes. Avidly reading and obeying His Word and trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance will help you avoid much heartache.

• Choose to refuse certain thoughts (Ps. 101:2-3). Harmful thoughts are among those things referred to as Satan’s “flaming arrows” (Eph. 6:16). We may not be responsible for such thoughts popping into our heads, but we are accountable for our response to them. If you find yourself pausing on or entertaining unhealthy ideas, ask God to redirect your thinking. Then thank Him because Jesus Christ purchased your forgiveness at Calvary.

Our Thoughts

Our Thoughts

Romans 12:1-2

The mind is the control tower of life. Your thoughts greatly influence not only your successes, failures, and choices but also your relationship with the Lord and others. Godliness comes from thinking the way God does.

Yet there are several problems that can negatively impact your thought life. One of the most persistent is the influence of your past. When you were saved, God gave you a new spirit and a new life. However, in letting you start over, He did not blot the past from your mind. The Father wants you to be able to draw from your good and bad experiences when ministering to others. He also wants you to appreciate His grace and knows it is important for you to remember what He rescued you from.

Another problem is unsuitable input. Though we may think we are immune to the effect of harmful influences, what we allow into our minds does greatly impact our thinking. Unrighteous input creates an acceptance of and desire for worldly things. It can also lead to internal conflict: our godly thoughts are at odds with our ungodly appetites, which creates feelings of tension and guilt. As we begin to edit God from various parts of our lives, we allow Satan to gain a toehold.

That’s why God tells us, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Phil. 4:8). He knows that properly programming our mind can protect us from the Devil’s traps.

Blessed Are Those Who Comfort 2

Blessed Are Those Who Comfort

Recognize when others are in need.

If we’re going to be effective in expressing empathy, we must first recognize the emotional and spiritual condition of those we’re trying to help. As we walk in the Spirit, living in submission to His authority and being in tune with His still, small voice, He’ll give us the spiritual discernment to view people and their situations from God’s perspective. The Holy Spirit will also touch our emotions, giving us compassion for the hurting and love for the unlovable.

Part of seeing people as God views them is recognizing their potential. When Christ looked at a person, He saw not only the one standing before Him but also the one he or she could potentially become. For example, when Jesus met Peter, the fisherman, He saw a leader of His church. He recognized that Saul, the persecutor, would one day become the evangelistic missionary. That’s why we should never label anyone as a hopeless case. At times, just knowing that someone sees their potential can lift people out of despair and motivate them to become mighty forces in the kingdom of God.

Reach out to help.

In order to build up and encourage others, we need to reach out to them personally. Too often, we try to connect distantly or conveniently through text messages, emails, or even phone calls. But nothing can replace the effectiveness of face-to-face personal interaction. Only then can we see body language and facial expressions that reveal what’s truly going on in the heart. When Jesus reached out to meet people’s needs, He connected on three levels: mentally, by assessing their condition; emotionally, by showing compassion; and physically, by alleviating their suffering.

Be ready to give.

Next, we must be prepared to meet the needs of those who are going through difficulties. However, this requires great spiritual discernment because the most obvious need may not be the most important one. It seems as if the compassionate response would be to alleviate their pain or help them get out of a bad situation. But sometimes God has a purpose to work out in their lives through the trial.

When Jesus was in the country of the Gerasenes, He met a demon-possessed man whose appearance and behavior might have seemed like the major problem (Luke 8:26-35): he was naked, covered in wounds, and screaming wildly. If Jesus had told His disciples to attend to the man’s immediate needs by quickly clothing him, asking him to sit down quietly to eat a meal and talk about what’s bothering him, there would have been chaos. What’s worse, the man would have stayed in his desperate condition. But Jesus met him at the point of his deepest need—spiritual deliverance. After He cast out the demons, everything else fell into place. Like Christ, we have to remember that our good intentions to make people feel better may actually get in the way. But we can’t go wrong when we help them with their spiritual needs.

Make use of difficulties.

We’ve all experienced situations when our needs have been so overwhelming that the only thing we could do was ask for help. But that’s not where God wants us to stay. Once we’ve moved through suffering and received His comfort, He wants us to become comforters to others, thereby completing the cycle of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. After helping a person walk through a dark valley, the next step is to challenge him to use that suffering to help someone else. That’s what Jesus did after delivering the demon-possessed man. He told him, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

Investing in others’ lives is not always easy, and on occasion it can be quite costly. It requires time and emotional energy, but Christ has given us a promise in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you.” This verse isn’t speaking just about money. The Lord will multiply whatever you give in service to Him. If you sacrifice your time to help someone, He’ll give you adequate time for whatever else He knows you need to do. If ministering to someone leaves you emotionally exhausted, He promises renewal. Giving ourselves away to others is not a life of deprivation but one of spiritual growth, joy, and fulfillment.

Blessed Are Those Who Comfort 1

Blessed Are Those Who Comfort

We may think that the bigger a church is, the more it pleases God. But the truth is, He’s far more interested in people than buildings. Creation testifies to this fact. The Lord didn’t create the earth simply to be admired for its beauty, but to be the ideal habitat for the crowning glory of His creation—humankind.

When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He also focused on people. Wherever He went, He ministered to those with physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. So doesn’t it make sense that people should be our priority as well? As believers, we are called to build each other up (1 Thess. 5:11) and bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). Yet many Christians have developed a “sponge” attitude. They go to church and attend Bible studies, soaking up spiritual truths, yet they never squeeze anything out onto others. God’s Word should change us, and in turn, affect others as we minister to them.

If we’re not careful, we can go through life with blinders on, forgetting that people around us are suffering. Some Christians are quick to claim, “Well, I don’t have the spiritual gift of mercy, so this doesn’t apply to me.” But believers aren’t exempt from the responsibility of spiritual practices, and all of God’s children should be growing in these areas.

If we’re going to learn to be empathetic, we must see others’ situations from their perspective and feel their emotions. Hurting people recognize whether our attempts to comfort are genuine care that flows from an understanding heart, or merely shallow words. We recognize how Jesus could minister with true compassion. After all, He is God. But how in the world are ordinary people supposed to reach out the way He did?

Acknowledge the value of suffering.

One of the Lord’s most surprising and effective ways of developing empathy in us is through suffering. The Bible says God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

Although no one enjoys going through difficulty or pain, who better to empathize with a hurting person than someone who has walked through a dark valley and come out on the other side? Because we’ve shared a similar painful experience, we can assure others that the Lord is sufficient in every situation. All of us who desire to be used by God must submit to brokenness and recognize that ease, comfort, and pleasure aren’t His only plans for our life. He saved us to minister to others, and becoming more empathetic is an integral part of that calling.

Power, Not Fear

The only fear that God encourages in a Christian’s life is the fear of God (2 Cor. 5:10–11;_Heb. 10:31). Fear of people does not come from God. The problem is that many Christians fear people more than they fear God. Their fear hinders them from pleasing God because they waste their efforts appeasing other people. Timothy was a young man, timid by nature, and_probably not strong physically (1 Tim. 5:23). He knew of Paul’s frequent trials and persecutions. He knew that he, too, might suffer those same persecutions. Paul reminded his young colleague that fear of others does not come_from God.

Fear causes us to stop and question what God has clearly told us to do. Perhaps we were confident in our obedience until persecution came; now we doubt whether we heard God correctly. Most fear is fear of the unknown. We do not know what lies ahead of us, so we become apprehensive. Our imaginations can magnify problems until they seem insurmountable. We need a sound mind to see things in proper perspective. That is why God gave us His Holy Spirit, to enable us to see things as God sees them.

Fear is no excuse to disobey God. There is no reason to live in fear when you have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Fear will enslave you, but Christ has come to set you free. Ask God to free you from any fear you are experiencing and to open your eyes. As He reveals the reality of your situation, He will enable you to continue in obedience.


EXPERIENCING GOD DAY-BY-DAY
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When Things Seem Impossible

  When Things Seem Impossible

John 6:1-14

Even Christ’s disciples struggled with doubt and fear in times of trouble or uncertainty. Though they walked closely with the Savior, they were still prone to casting their focus in the wrong direction.

Just before He was about to perform the miracle of feeding the 5,000, Jesus tested Philip by asking him where to buy bread for the crowd. The disciple’s response revealed that he was thinking of solving the dilemma through man’s ideas and worldly means. At the same time, Andrew was busy surveying the multitude to determine how he would approach the situation. Upon finding a young boy with five loaves and two fish, he demonstrated his own limited mindset by asking, “What are these for so many people?” (John 6:9).

As was true for all of His miracles, Jesus performed this amazing feat of compassion and provision to prove who He was and always would be. And the same Christ who fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish will act on our behalf when situations seem impossible.

In difficult times, when it seems all hope is lost, try not to assess your circumstances from a worldly perspective. Don’t ask, “What am I going to do?” Rather, in a spirit of faith, simply say, “Lord, what are You going to do?” Remember, He tells us to cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7).

Avoid attempting to engineer your circumstances. The virtues of patience, faith, and waiting upon the Lord will help you to know God’s grace and to experience His love and miraculous touch in your life.