(devotional written by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor from Christianity.com)
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7, NIV
In college, I took a course in which I was instructed to bring a blindfold to class one day.
Sounded a little suspect a first, but I soon found out that it was just a harmless exercise in trust. We were paired up and had to take turns walking around campus while wearing the blindfold. The partner who could see would audibly guide the blindfolded individual.
When we reconvened in the classroom, we were to discuss what we were feeling and thinking while blindfolded. Were we fearful? Did we have faith in our partners? Did we trust in and follow their instructions?
I can’t remember if I had a good guide or not. But I do remember not liking be blinded to what I could see. I didn’t like being out of control. It was disconcerting, and I was thankful when the exercise was over.
As believers, this illustrates how our lives are to be lived. We all are wearing “invisible blindfolds,” if you will. We are never promised that we will see everything we want to see in this life. Nor are we guaranteed to understand our circumstances or why we must face times of hardship and struggle on earth.
Instead, we are told to follow the voice of the Lord. To focus on the eternal, not on the temporal. To trust in what we cannot see.
Several examples in the Bible encourage us in this kind of “by faith” living. …
Gideon … who defeated the Midianite army with a force of only 300 men. They carried no weapons-just clay jars and lanterns into a battle with the Midianites, who numbered 135,000! A surprise attack in the dark of night only confused the Midianites, and they turned their swords on each other. Only God could have orchestrated this unbelievable victory (Judges 6-8).
Esther … who risked her life to save her people from death. As the wife of King Xerxes, Queen Esther could do something to stop Haman, the evil prime minister who was plotting to kill all the Jews in the empire. She could have chosen to play it safe and not speak up. But she obeyed the Lord and bravely approached the king with her request to save the Jews (Esther 1-10).
Jonah … who lived in the belly of a fish and didn’t know if he would make it out alive. When God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn the people of their sin, he first disobeyed and got on a ship heading the opposite direction. God then brought a storm and caused Jonah to be thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. Jonah prayed and repented, and the fish spit him out. Jonah then went to Nineveh and preached, and God did not destroy the city (Jonah 1-4).
Today, you may feel like you’re facing insurmountable opposition-the size of a 135,000-member army! Or perhaps your circumstances make you feel like you’re stuck in the hopelessly dark belly of a big fish.
But God knows what opportunities lie ahead for you, so be encouraged! And may you and I continue learning to live each day by faith and not by sight.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Looking back on your life, think of the times when God asked you to do something that seemed “strange” to you. How did you respond at the time? Can you see now that his plan was the best way? Thank him today that, through your life, he has indeed done marvelous works!
Further Reading
1 Corinthians 13:12, NIV
2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV
July 23 2010 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
(devotional from OurPrayer.org)
At times, we all make mistakes. In remembering our personal past, we are reminded of embarrassing and depressing situations. Wasn’t Moses trapped by his past? For 40 years, wanted for murder, he hid in the desert (Exodus 2:11-3:6). Charmed by the beautiful Bathsheba, King David committed adultery and homicide (2 Samuel 11:1-17). This lay heavily on his heart until he found forgiveness (Psalm 51). The Apostle Paul storms onto the pages of the New Testament hauling Christians off to jail (Acts 8:3). The Bible’s saints made mistakes and committed sins that could have destroyed their usefulness. Yet they triumphed over their past. So can you.
How? Say with the Apostle Paul, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Whenever you do something wrong, confess it, as David did, and experience God’s forgiveness.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
—Psalm 51:1-2
After confessing to God, make amends as best you can. And believe the Bible’s clear teaching that God’s providential hand is in everything that happens. He can weave even our wounds and mistakes into the pattern of his ongoing purpose. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him…” (Romans 8:28).
July 19 2010 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made.
2 Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again.
3 They have no speech or words; they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their message goes out through all the world; their words go everywhere on earth. The sky is like a home for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his bedroom. It rejoices like an athlete eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the sky and follows its path to the other end. Nothing hides from its heat.
From the birds that sing, in the tallest trees
To the human life, of you and me
From the desert sands, to the place we stand
He is God of all, He is Everything
Waohhh
I’m giving my life to the only one who makes the moon reflect the sun
Every starry night, that was His design
I’m giving my life to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, ’cause He’s everything
’cause He’s everything
From the autumn leaves, that will ride the breeze
to the faith it takes, to pray and sing
from the painted sky, to my plank filled eye
He is God of all, He is everything
Waohhh
I’m giving my life to the only One who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every starry night, that was His design
I’m giving my life to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, ’cause He is everything.
Ohhhhhhh (everything)
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe
ohhh
Hallelujah (Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe
I’m giving my life to the only one who makes the moon reflect the sun
On that starry night, He changed my life.
I’m giving it all to the only son who gave me hope when I had none.
So let the praises ring,
Ohhhh let the praises ring
I’m giving my life to the only one who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every starry night, that was His design.
I’m giving my life to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the angels sing, that He is heavenly
So let the praises ring
‘Cause He’s everything
June 14 2010 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
32 The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.
16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
28 I am sad and tired. Make me strong again as you have promised.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.
17 Command those who are rich with things of this world not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not in their uncertain riches. God richly gives us everything to enjoy.18 Tell the rich people to do good, to be rich in doing good deeds, to be generous and ready to share.19 By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.
May 29 2010 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who respect him. He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west.
This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him, to all who truly pray to him.
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
January 09 2010 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me, and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment, You know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me, and place Your hand of blessing on my head. This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! I can never be lost to Your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! (Psalm 139:1-7 – The Living Bible)
Sometimes we don’t let people get to know us completely because we are afraid they will discover something about us they won’t like. But God already knows everything about us and still accepts and loves us.
God cares about us so much that He numbers the hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He is with us through every situation, in every trial — protecting, loving, guiding. He knows us completely.
God is omnipresent — He is present everywhere. Because this is so, you can never be lost to His Spirit. This is good news to those who know and love God because no matter what we do or where we go, we can never be far from God’s comforting presence.
How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn towards me. And when I waken in the morning, You are still thinking of me! (Psalm 139:17-18 – The Living Bible)
When someone you love is thinking about you all the time, it comforts you. God is concerned to keep us from failing and to catch us if we fall. If He thinks about us this much, shouldn’t we find time to think about Him each day?
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24 – The Living Bible)
David asked God to search for sin and point it out, even to the level of testing his thoughts. This is exploratory surgery for sin. How are we to recognize sin unless God points it out? Then when God shows us, we can repent and be forgiven.
Make this verse your prayer. If you ask the Lord to search your thoughts and to reveal sin in your life, you will be on “the path of everlasting life.”
(from The Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)
July 09 2009 | Bible and Blog and Christianity and Church and Devotions/Devotionals and Faith and Family and God and Grace and Hope and Inspirational and Jesus and Life and Love and Mercy and Opinion and People and Personal and Philosophy and Quotes and Religion and Spiritual and Theology and Thoughts and Uncategorized | No Comments »
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