03/01 | Forgotten of Man; Remembered of God
Genesis 40:23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis 41:41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
The chief cupbearer had a dream and Joseph was given the interpretation by God. He asked the cupbearer when he was restored to Pharaoh’s service if he would speak to the Pharaoh about Joseph. He wanted him to tell Pharaoh that he had been kidnapped from Palestine, and he was in prison for no reason.
The cupbearer got caught up in life after his release from prison and forgot about Joseph. It is a sad thing when people forget those who have been kind to them. It is doubly more difficult when they know we are in trouble, and they could now help the one who helped them. The forgotten needs to be careful bitterness doesn’t set in.
There are two pieces of counsel the Bible gives to help keep us from bitterness. The first is to give expecting nothing in return. (Luke 6:35) The problem with that is, no matter how hard we try to live that out, the natural human tendency is to expect something in return, even if it is just a thank you. This is one of those cases where we have to willfully subordinate our natural tendencies to the Word of God. What the Bible tells us to do must take priority over human tendencies. This is called taking up your cross, and in another place it is called dying daily. Jesus, help us.
The second piece of counsel is this one:
Matthew 6:3 “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
Matthew 6:4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
You give in secret, God will reward you openly. Joseph was forgotten by man, but remembered by God and promoted to the highest position under Pharaoh that was possible. God keeps good records—try to remember that the next time someone forgets to say “thank you.”
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to remember to be thankful to those who have blessed me, and help me to be free from bitterness towards those whom I have helped and who have forgotten that help.
03/02 | A Sacred Treasure
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
An angel had appeared to some shepherds and told them the savior had been born, so they went and sought Him out. Finding Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, they related what the angel had said, and it was said that all the people who heard that story wondered at it. Yet by implication they seemed to not fully grasp what was going on.
In contrast we read: “But Mary treasured up all these things…” The Greek word translated “treasured” is suntereo and it means to preserve a thing from perishing or being lost, to keep in mind a thing lest it be forgotten. When you treasure something, you lock it up so it can’t be stolen from you. Remember the parable of the sower? When God sows something, the devil comes to steal it. How many testimonies of God’s goodness have been stolen from us because of poor memory and our failure to treasure them? This is the very reason many people keep a journal, because they are aware of the failings of human memory. Such a book would be a great blessing of encouragement in a time of need.
The second thing Mary did was she pondered them in her heart. The Greek word for ponder is sumballo and it means “to bring together in one’s mind; to confer with one’s self.” She reminded herself of them, she rolled them over and over in her mind and thought on the significance of them. I can’t prove it, but I think each time she did her heart glowed with the glory of the Lord. I get that same sense from Psalm 45:1 My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Mary treasured and pondered on thoughts that brought a great understanding of God’s love toward her and towards people in general. The things you think on will affect your enjoyment or lack thereof in life. Today would be a good day to warm your heart with things that you have treasured away. It will get your day moving in the right direction.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to treasure things You have said and done in my life. May I never lose sight of them, and may they bring me comfort and faith in the hour of need.
03/03 | Love…
1 Corinthians 13:5 Love…keeps no record of wrongs.
Love keeps no record of wrong. That isn’t what it says, it says love keeps no record of wrongs. It is not an easy thing to un-remember something, especially if it is painful. And most especially if it is a wrong that has been repeated. Hurts are easily carved into our soul, and it takes real effort to keep those wounds from becoming infected. Most of us can deal with being done wrong once or twice but what about 10 times? 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. A multitude!
A record of wrongs is kept, not because they were bad to us, but because our level of love is low. Because when you love someone, you keep quiet about their faults. Love keeps it covered up, hidden, sealed away from others. Not only that but you also won’t entertain anyone else speaking evil of them.
Love bites its tongue, because from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. When you spill out venom about others, you are really telling on yourself. You are saying that you are a person who is full of poison, and will happily pour it on others, while trying to explain how the ones who hurt you are evil.
Who is igniting your words: James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me not to bring up the wrongs others have done, even as I don’t want You to bring up the wrongs I have done.
03/04 | Approved
Titus 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Many understand this verse to be saying, don’t study to impress or get the favor of man, but study to get the favor of God. I take it a different way. We don’t study to gain approval, but a person who studies the word is showing by that very act God’s approval on their life. A desire to study is proof of His blessing and favor. The problem for many believers is they don’t know how to study. I like this statement about Martin Luther, one of the Reformation’s leaders: When Martin Luther was asked how he studied the Bible, he replied, “Just like I pick fruit. I shake the biggest limbs to get the ripest fruit, then move to the branches, then the stems, then I look under the leaves.”
He who studies the Bible will find that the Bible studies them as well. While you are asking questions of the text, you will find it is asking questions of you. While you search it, it will search you.
Reading a devotional or a portion of scripture, while good, is not the same thing as studying. What does the passage mean in context? What do some of the words mean in the original language? The number of tools freely available to us for Bible study in this day and age is off the charts. To not avail ourselves of them is a spiritual crime. The times demand we step up our game, and doing so will bring personal benefit and proof of the approval of heaven.
Prayer Point: Lord, teach us to dig deeper in Your Word than we ever have before. Teach us how to study.
03/05 | Even in Sardis
Revelation 3:1 “To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.
Revelation 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 3:4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
Revelation 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
Revelation 3:6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
1. Is your environment wrong? Titus 1:12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Well if it is, then go there. Work there. Stay there.
2. Even in the worst of conditions, there are redeeming factors. Just look at Noah, Lot, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. Don’t stop at v.12, read what the very next verse goes on to say:
Titus 1:12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith,
03/06 | Four Things, Part 1: Wonderful Things
Proverbs 30:18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand:
Proverbs 30:19 The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid.
Proverbs is called the wisdom book, and in this passage the writer admits he has insufficient wisdom to understand several things. That is wisdom, humility, and wonder, all fused together to form a beautiful symphony of majestic awe. We don’t have to understand a thing to be filled with wonder about it. When it comes to God, there are many things about Him we do not understand, and yet the barest of glimpses into Him provokes profound wonder, which overflows into worship.
In Psalm 139:1-5 David remarks about how God knows him and his situation, even if he were to make his bed in hell. He then adds, You are before me, and behind me, and You have laid Your hand on me. As he reflects on the wonder and comfort of these thoughts, he says:
Psalm 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
The Message version translates this verse and captures the awe David intended:
Psalm 139:6 This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in!
While David could not fully understand God completely surrounding him, he could nonetheless still be filled with overwhelming wonder. If you really know God, then you know that also about Him.
One more point we must make about wonder and knowledge, and that is found in Psalm 119:
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law.
There are a number of Christians who disregard and make little out of the Old Testament, particularly that part which is called “The Law” (Leviticus and Deuteronomy). We would all be wise to pray this prayer along with the Psalmist, lest we miss wonder-filled moments with God in His word.
Prayer Point: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law.
03/07 | Four Things, Part 2: The Snake-Eagle
Proverbs 30:18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand:
Proverbs 30:19 The way of an eagle in the sky…
I recently came across a short paragraph, on the Audobon website, about the Snake-Eagle. The title caught my attention because I was looking at it from a spiritual point of view. “Snake-Eagles Are A Serpent’s Worst Nightmare.” As you are probably aware, Satan is called the serpent in scripture. I like the idea that the serpent can have a predator that is called its worst nightmare. May we be such people!
So what is it about the Snake-Eagle that makes it so dangerous to serpents? When a soaring snake-eagle spots a snake he wants to make a meal out of, it swoops down suddenly, grabbing it with its sharp and strong talons. The Eagle does not fight the snake on the ground, that is, the snake’s turf—that is where he would have home-field advantage. Instead, he picks the snake up and soars into the sky, bringing the snake to the eagle’s turf.
Without the ground under him, the snake cannot maneuver very easily. The snake is much more vulnerable in the air and is quickly dispatched by the eagle, while still in flight! The eagle kills the snake in the air, while in its element.
The spiritual lesson is this: Take the fight into the spiritual realm by praying and fasting. When you are in the spiritual realm, you have the upper hand, and his ability to use the earth and earthly desires against you is severely diminished. Don’t fight the enemy where he has the upper hand, fight him where you do! In Hebrews 4 we read:
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The snake always tries to fight us on the basis of what we deserve or don’t deserve. Grace, on the other hand, tells us that even though we may not deserve God’s help, it is available because Jesus purchased unmerited favor for us at Calvary.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to soar into the realms of grace, and to fight the enemy in prayer on Your turf, thus ensuring my victory.
03/08 | God’s Eye View
Daniel 12:9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.
Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
God has said in v.9 that there are some prophetic things that were written by Daniel that were sealed up, meaning the understanding of them will be hidden, until the end time.
Assuming v.10 is speaking of the end time, it presents a very interesting picture of God’s perspective on things. The Bible describes that time as one of great persecution, of horrific plagues, and (super)natural disasters. Famine, earthquakes, and a very angry devil coming to attack because he knows his time is short. In short it will be a very, very difficult time. Matthew 24:21 describes it as a time of tribulation, greater than any other in human history—let that thought sink in.
It is very interesting that God’s perspective is not how hard this will be on the people of God, but how beneficial this will be to them. They will be:
Purged – Meaning to remove impurities, to cleanse (morally and spiritually)
Purified – Meaning to cleanse, to polish, to make shiny
Refined – Meaning to smelt like silver to get a purer product
In a time where everything that can be tested will be tested, true saints shall shine brighter than they have ever before. The greater the darkness around us, the greater the light God will produce in us. We who are alive in that period will speak about the troubles the way Joseph did a long time ago:
Genesis 50:20 “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Prayer Point: Father, whatever troubles may be before us, that You will turn them for good, especially the good of seeing others saved. Help us as the world continues on a downward spiral, to move a greater amount in the other direction.
03/09 | When I See the Blood
A couple of quick points on the Passover.
1. The blood was on the outside.
Invisible to man. They knew it was applied, then they trusted it would be efficacious. It had nothing to do with feelings.
2. The blood made deeds irrelevant.
Murderers, liars, etc., were still protected. We tell people stop smoking, drinking, lying, stealing, and God will pass over you; God said, “When I see the blood….”
That there were still unsavory people in the protected homes is evident from their behavior in the wilderness.
3. Because the blood made deeds irrelevant, it was also then absolutely essential.
Individuals could say, “I am a good guy, this blood stuff is no big deal,”
“God is a good God, He won’t kill the little babies.”
“When I see the blood…”
4. God has good vision.
Though it was midnight.
Though the blood had soaked into the wood, making it almost invisible.
There is evidence of salvation, evidence of condemnation, but: the conclusive proof rests with God and the individual alone.
03/10 | Bird Food
1 Kings 17:3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
1 Kings 17:4 “And it shall be that you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”
Some promised blessings and provisions are predicated on an obedience. God would provide for Elijah, but only if he was in the location God told him to go to. Going to that location required faith in the absurd – the ravens will feed you there! Will a bird really bring you food?! They will if God tells them to. In v.6 we read that the ravens provided him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening.
Going to that location required humility. God didn’t send him to a king’s palace, or the home of rich man, but to a wilderness location, and a solitary one at that. Further, he would have to eat food that came out of a bird’s mouth. Would you do that? People are great when the provision is bountiful, but what about when it can be described as meager? How would you fare?
Also, the raven was considered an unclean bird in the Jewish faith and law, so Elijah would have to wrestle with the source of his provision. In general, the Bible says we will lend and not borrow, so many Christians have struggled that life forced them to ask unsaved people for help, thinking it should be the other way around (I have resolved that issue for the few times in my life I faced it, by thinking, “They are blessing me by helping, but in turn God will bless them for helping.”). God saved Israel through Egypt when a severe famine struck during the life of Jacob. I can imagine they felt abandoned by God as they drove their loved ones in carts down to Egypt, and away from the promised land. Yet it was there that God met their needs, and I believe Egypt has a special place in the heart of God for helping His people, and that He has blessed that nation over and over again because of it.
Lastly, the fact that the ravens brought meat and bread, twice a day, in a time of famine, means they were really good thieves. I have chuckled over that passage as I thought about where they got that food, in a time of famine. My conclusion is that they had to have stolen it from the king’s table. King Ahab, who was searching the nation over, trying to find and kill Elijah because of the drought and famine Elijah’s prayers had brought. God gets the last laugh.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to never grumble about Your provision, but to always be thankful, whether it be little or much.
03/11 | More Than You Think
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
God is commissioning Moses to go speak on His behalf to the children of Israel, and Moses complains that they won’t listen to him. What he was to tell them was God’s wonderful plan for them and that God would set them free. Additionally, when they would leave Egypt, they would go out wealthy because the Egyptians would give them silver, and gold, and fine clothing (Ex 3:21-22).
Moses felt that was a lot to swallow for a people who had been slaves for centuries, and when he had no army, and no natural means to bring about what he was told to promise them.
So God asks, what do you have? Or more exactly, what is in your hand? Moses responds a rod, and God miraculously turns the rod into a snake, and then back into a rod. Moses didn’t have an army, but he had much more with him than he thought he had because God was on his side. He had a miracle sign that could help people believe.
Today’s devotional thought is this: Like Moses, we have been tasked with telling the world things that are very difficult for them to believe. How in the world can we convince them? The solution is found by answering this simple question: “What is in your hand?” While we don’t have a rod, we have something far greater: the word of God. It is not our job to convince them, it is our job to share the word and then God will energize it, and see to it that it cuts into the hearts of unbelievers with life-changing power, for those who will receive it.
On top of that, God promised signs will follow those who believe. We need to be praying that, where appropriate, God would do miraculous signs to help people caught in the slavery and the slave mindset of hell.
What is in your hand? Much more than you think!
Prayer Point: God, help me to share Your word in simple faith, and may You stretch forth Your hands doing signs and wonders to help people believe Your word.
03/12 | When I See the Blood…
Exodus 12:13 ‘And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The Jews on the night prior to leaving Egypt were told the death angel would pass through the land that night and if they put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their house they would be safe and suffer no harm.
Here are some thoughts arising out of that action:
1. The blood was placed on the outside of their home. Once inside it would not have been visible to them. They could not “feel” it was still there, they had to trust it was. Assurance of salvation is not something you can always feel. Their salvation from the death angel had nothing to do with feelings.
2. The blood made deeds irrelevant. Murderers, liars, etc., were protected. We tell people stop smoking, drinking, lying, stealing and God will pass over. God said, “When I see the blood….” That there were wicked people in the protected homes is evident from their behavior in the wilderness.
3. Because the blood made deeds irrelevant it then was absolutely essential. You would not be safe if you didn’t apply the blood. You couldn’t say, “I’m not that bad of a person, God won’t let me die.” It wasn’t about goodness or badness, but about doing what God said had to be done to be safe.
4. God has good vision. Though it was midnight, though the blood soaked into the wood making it almost invisible to man, it was well seen by God.
5. The people who trusted what God said about the blood on the door, probably slept like babies that night. Those who didn’t had the most restless night of their lives. Even so, those who trust what God says about forgiveness, rest in His promises. Those who don’t, fidget and worry about their salvation. It’s better to trust God than to lose sleep needlessly.
Prayer Point: Lord, I thank You that salvation is not based on what I feel, but on what You said in Your word. Help me to always trust Your promises and to not suffer the agony of doubt.
03/13 | The Word of His Grace
Acts 20:32 “And so now, I entrust you into God’s hands and the message of his grace, which is all that you need to become strong. All of God’s blessings are imparted through the message of his grace, which he provides as the spiritual inheritance given to all of his holy ones. (Passion Translation)
Ephesus seems to be the city that was most near and dear to the Apostle Paul. Realizing this was probably the last time he would see them, he gathered the elders together and shared his concern that after he left, wolves would come in and try to damage and destroy the church for their own benefit. For him it was like sending a child away to college, only in this case he was the one leaving, and was greatly concerned for their wellbeing.
He alleviated his fears by doing 3 things. First, he commended them to God. He turned them over to God. He committed them to God’s safe keeping, knowing that God was better at keeping them than he was. If there is someone you are worried about today, commend them to God, and then trust Him with their safekeeping.
He also commended them to the word of His grace. First, he entrusted them to God personally, now he is entrusting them to the message of His grace. God’s word, and particularly the part that pertains to His loving favor was, Paul believed, a harbor of safety for the church at Ephesus. He was trusting that God would help them not on the basis of good behavior, but on the basis of God’s unmerited love.
The message of grace, Paul says, is able to build them up. The law, on the other hand, tears people down; it says, “You are not worthy, God will not help.” Grace, on the other hand, says, “God will help you, not because you are worthy, but because He loves you, in spite of you.”
Paul also takes it a step further and says the word of His grace can give us an inheritance. Not only will grace keep us, but it is also the basis for a heavenly reward. Grace will help us to live in such a way that it will bring reward in heaven. Commend people to God, His message of grace, and know that grace will bring them reward. We need to apply those truths to ourselves, and learn how to pray and encourage others that way also.
Prayer Point: Lord, I thank You that Your grace will not only see me through but bring me to a place of reward in heaven.
03/14 | The Word of God Grew
Acts 19:18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
Acts 19:19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Acts 19:20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.
The text says the word of God grew mightily, but how so? Legs, arms? New versions, books, chapters, commentaries? How and in what sense did it grow?
It grew in the hearts of men and women. In context, the word was impacting people in such a way, they were changing their lifestyles. Jesus differentiated between people who merely heard the word, and people who lived out the word (hearers and doers).
In the parable of the Sower, one group of people is described as those for whom the seed (word of God) fell on shallow, rocky ground within their hearts. Jesus went on to explain that this group immediately receives the word with joy, but because they have no depth, when they are persecuted they abandon following the word.
We can look at no depth of soil in another way: the word was not able to penetrate deeply into the soil of their heart. Contrast them with the people in Acts 19 where the word of God grew MIGHTILY and PREVAILED. It penetrated deeper and deeper, and it overcame sins that were entrenched in the believers’ hearts.
As believers, the word should always be penetrating deeper, and prevailing over our sinful tendencies. Let us be challenged this day that the word of God grow mightily in our lives.
Prayer Point: Lord, let Your word take off in my life, may it sweep away all sin and complacency in its path, and may it be prevailing mightily.
03/15 | Cause Me to Come, Cause Me to Drink, Cause Me to Live
Genesis 25:11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
If you go to Genesis 25 and read the chapter, this verse seems to be just a footnote on the life and journeys of Abraham’s son Isaac. Breaking the text down reveals a much greater message about God’s blessing. It says God blessed Isaac and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi. I don’t think that is talking about two separate ideas, I think the blessing on Isaac was to cause him to dwell by the well named Lahairoi (Lahairoi means “well of the living one seeing me”).
Spurgeon points out that this was a well where Hagar once found deliverance. She was dying of thirst in the desert and God miraculously showed her this well. He further points out that Hagar represents those types of people who seek God in trouble but forsake Him in prosperity. Isaac, on the other hand, lived by this well. He planted his feet there. Noting this fact, Spurgeon says: “The usual tenor of a man’s life, the dwelling of his soul, is the true test of his state.” Hagar visited God’s well, Isaac chose to live there.
Going back to our text today, we could say Isaac chose to live there because God blessed him. The blessing of God causes a man or woman to seek him more. Years ago, there was a chorus that was popular, the lyrics were simple but held a powerful truth:
Cause me to come to Thy river, oh Lord
Cause me to drink from Thy river, oh Lord
Cause me to live by Thy river, oh Lord
Cause me to come, cause me to drink, cause me to live
The truth of salvation is that we didn’t seek God, but He sought us. He caused us to come to the river of His Spirit, by the wooings and proddings of the Holy Spirit. By His grace He causes us to come, He causes us to drink, and He causes us to live. These are all signs of His blessing, and should ever be our prayer. Left to our own, we would not drink as oft as we should.
Prayer Point: Cause me to come, cause me to drink, cause me to live by Thy river, O Lord.
03/16 | Talitha Kum: A Microwave Prayer
Mark 5:41 And taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”).
Mark 5:42 And immediately the girl rose and began to walk; for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.
A young girl had died, then Jesus spoke two words and life returned to her body. Today’s devotional is directed especially towards women, but it has application for all. I sense that God is speaking to those who have been in a type of spiritual slumber, God is saying to them, to arise and awake out of sleep. The good news is that God’s word comes with the power to see it performed.
This word also has application for those who have daughters or children that are spiritually asleep. These are two simple words that can be turned into a microwave prayer to release God’s grace to awaken them. When you don’t know what to pray for them or how to pray for them, say “talitha kum,” and it shall be your prayer for God to stir them from their slumber. May it be that you also will be completely astounded as you see your children arise and start walking in the Spirit.
Prayer Point: Talitha kum, Lord, awaken me where I need it, and talitha kum awaken this day, I pray, in Jesus’ name.
03/17 | Wisdom and Understanding
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
These verses in Paul’s second letter to the people of Corinth can speak to us when we are disgusted with different facets of this life. It could be a family, work, or personal issue, but we must always keep in our sight “the prize” of a glorious eternal life with the Father in heaven. The reality of the here and now can block the reality that we should see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears. Our reactions and character are to attract others to Him.
I like what Charles Spurgeon had to say about this subject: How despicable our troubles and trials will seem when we look back upon them! Looking at them here in the prospect, they seem immense; but when we get to heaven, they will seem to us just nothing at all.
When reading passages of scripture, we need wisdom to know that they are truth, but we also need to ask God for understanding. Wisdom and understanding go hand in hand.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
To continue to move forward in our relationship with God we must understand His Word and His direction as He speaks to us. Reading the Word gives us wisdom, but we must further push on to get the understanding (revelation). This understanding may be unique, as God uses your understanding of His direction to attract others to Him. We are all individuals, each with a unique calling. Don’t focus your life on trying to be like someone else, be the someone God has called you to be.
Prayer Point: Father, as I seek You and study Your Word, I gain wisdom; I ask You today that You provide me with a unique understanding of what You are saying, so that I may attract others to You and also keep my eyes focused on the “things which are not seen, which are eternal.”
(Today’s devotional was provided by Marty Beaver)
03/18 | Fresh Oil
Psalm 92:10 …I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Make that your faith declaration this day.
The KJV says, “I shall be…” Other translations say, “I have been.” Both were true in David’s life. He was anointed king 3 times, once by the prophet Samuel, once by the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, and once by all of Israel. I prefer the KJV version, as it is a prophetic declaration of the goodness of God remaining on his life. In Psalm 23:5 David speaks of his head being anointed with oil in the presence of his enemies. God has done it, and He will do it again; this is the heritage of all His children.
Fresh oil may be understood as many things: new outpourings of the Holy Spirit, new joy, new growth, new release of the gifts of the Spirit. Fresh oil is like a kiss from God, and it is never His intention to do it once and then be done with it.
His mercies are new every morning, His steadfast love never ceases, His kindness is renewed over and over again. He revitalizes His children as spring rains do the earth. He gives us our daily bread which includes fresh oil for each day, and often fresh oil for many moments in each day that call for it.
Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more, fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
Prayer Point: Thank You, Lord, this day I shall be anointed with fresh oil. The oil of joy for my journey, and the oil of strength for the challenges this day will bring.
03/19 | Jailbreak!
Isaiah 51:14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. (NIV)
This is a wonderful promise for those who are in prison. The verse actually contains 3 promises: 1. The cowering prisoner will soon be set free (literal Hebrew means those who are stooped over). 2. They will not die in prison. 3. They will not lack bread while they are still in prison.
So, what we have is doubly promised freedom (set free and will not die in “THEIR” dungeon), and provision of bread while still suffering. I don’t believe the text is speaking of literal prisoners, but of people in other types of prisons, that is intimated by the use of the word “their,” as in one unique to them. There are prisons of depression, addiction, grieving, finances, etc.
Today, be reminded that Jesus was anointed to set the captive free. That was one of His primary missions. One of my commentaries points out that the phrase “die in their dungeon” is better understood as one who is doomed to the pit. In other words, someone who thinks there is no way out, nor will there ever be a way out. To that person, God says, “That is not your future, I will provide a way out.”
Nor will they lack bread. Being in a prison doesn’t mean you have to starve spiritually; in fact, you can thrive. Paul wrote letters during his imprisonment and oh how we thank God he did! Perhaps you could use this season to encourage others. God will give you your daily bread, you can count on it. No prison of hell can keep you from the manna of heaven.
Last thought, this verse is a good promise for those with prodigal family members: they will not die in the dungeon!
Prayer Point: Lord, I thank You this day for the bread of heaven no matter my circumstances. I declare and pray that lost loved ones are not doomed to the dungeon, nor will they die there!
03/20 | Labor to Enter the Rest
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest…
We could say that verse another way: “Work hard to enter God’s rest.”
Resting from our work(s) is a concept in both the physical and spiritual realms of which the Bible speaks often, from beginning (Gen 2:2) to end (Rev 14:13). Jesus found Himself at odds with Jewish leaders over the meaning of the Sabbath rest and what God created it for. Even His closest followers struggled with the idea of resting from work, or even what the Sabbath rest is intended for.
When Jesus came to the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) He came upon two Jewish sisters who might be a picture of two groups in the Church – one that knew how to rest and one that didn’t. Martha protested to Jesus to make Mary help her with the work of preparing a meal for Him and his disciples. Instead, He corrects her. (Mary, of course, was homed into the voice of Jesus while sitting at His feet.)
“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:41-42 NKJV)
I think we as modern-day Christians—much like the 1st century Jewish Christians addressed by the writer of Hebrews—struggle with the idea of grace. The example above illustrates how some labor to please Jesus, and others recognize the greater importance of worshipping Him for Who He is and what He has done. Even once we are saved, it is easy to forget how our daily Christian lives should be lived. Hebrews 4:11 in the Amplified Bible implores us: “Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].”
Paradoxically, we complete the work(s) God has called us to do by day-by-day and moment-by-moment learning to rest in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. He not only took on our sin but conquered death, rose from the grave, and sent His Spirit to indwell and live through us. Let us daily learn to die to our flesh that Christ might live in and through us by His grace!
Prayer Point: Lord, thank You for the sacrifice You made for me on the Cross. Because You were crucified for me, may I too learn to rest in Your finished work. Oh, Lord, crucify that part of my flesh that is still trying to earn your favor, that I might live and walk in the Spirit every moment of every day of my life! May others see Jesus in me, and not me in my flesh. Amen.
Devotional by Brother Tim Iversen
03/21 | Growing in Favor
Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
This statement follows the scene in Luke 2 where at 12 years of age Jesus went to the temple and was astounding the doctors of Jewish law with His knowledge and understanding. So then Luke 2:52 is about His growth as a human, because the Divine part of Him could not increase in wisdom, stature, or favor with God.
A way to understand this verse would be to put it in different words. Here is my attempt: As Jesus grew in age, His wisdom kept increasing. As His wisdom increased, God poured out His favor on Him in greater measure. That increased favor on His life brought increased favor with His fellow man, also.
So here is the lesson for today: We can grow in the favor of God! Using Jesus as our example, as we grow in spiritual wisdom, we will grow in God’s favor. Or said another way, God is able to pour out His favor more abundantly on those who walk in Divine wisdom.
John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, Abraham was the friend of God, Moses was the man God spoke to face to face. Who can you be? Grow in wisdom, grow in the amount you live it out, and you can grow in God’s favor, which will overflow to the favor of man also.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to grow in wisdom, and to walk it out in my daily life. I want Your favor, help me to show it by the way I live.
03/22 | Forgetful and Fruitful
Genesis 41:50 Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
Genesis 41:51 And Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
Genesis 41:52 And he named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Joseph had suffered horribly at the hands of his brothers. Thrown into a pit, they almost murdered him, if not for the intervention of his brother Judah, who suggested they sell him as a slave.
But here in Genesis 41 Joseph shares two truths of how powerfully God can restore a soul. He has made me to forget all my trouble. That is amazing grace, how God can so bless a life that has suffered, that the person can get to the point where they say, “God has made me forget my trouble.” Joseph didn’t actually forget it, we know from his encounter with his brothers, the best understanding of his meaning is that the memory no longer hurts or tears at his soul. God can do that for you also.
He also said God had made him to forget his father’s household (his family). Again, we know from the biblical story that he didn’t forget them at all. In fact, when he meets his brothers he asks very concerningly about his father and brother Benjamin. So, I take it to mean he was able to put them and the hurt they caused out of his mind.
Finally, he says God has made me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. God will do the same for you. All things work together for good, for fruitfulness, for saving lost people, and for bringing glory to God. You can trust Him today with your mess, and those who may have brought you harm. Today in closing, instead of a prayer point for you to pray, I want to pray for you.
“Lord, help all who read this post to get to the place where they can put past hurts out of their mind, and to see fruitfulness coming out of those circumstances. In Jesus’ Name!”
03/23 | Give Us Ears to Hear
Mark 5:1-5 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the graveyard, crying, and cutting himself with stones. No man could bind him or tame him. No one had the ability to restrain his hurt or cure his woes. No one. Then Jesus came and, in a moment, everything changed.
From this text we learn our absolute dependence on Jesus to bring change to those who are oppressed of the devil. May God help us to hear the cry of those in the tombs and bring the delivering power of the Lord Jesus. Here is a little play on Romans 10:14-16: How shall they be freed, unless one be sent, and how will one be sent unless he hears their cry?
Their situation is a dangerous one; too many have already died cutting themselves, and from other means of self-hurt. Hearing their cry is the first step in getting them help.
Prayer Point: God, open my ears to hear the hurting, and help us to go to the world’s graveyards with Your redeeming power.
03/24 | Growing in Favor
Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
This statement follows the scene in Luke 2 where at 12 years of age Jesus went to the temple and was astounding the doctors of Jewish law with His knowledge and understanding. So then Luke 2:52 is about His growth as a human, because the Divine part of Him could not increase in wisdom, stature, or favor with God.
A way to understand this verse would be to put it in different words. Here is my attempt: As Jesus grew in age, His wisdom kept increasing. As His wisdom increased, God poured out His favor on Him in greater measure. That increased favor on His life brought increased favor with His fellow man, also.
So here is the lesson for today: We can grow in the favor of God! Using Jesus as our example, as we grow in spiritual wisdom, we will grow in God’s favor. Or said another way, God is able to pour out His favor more abundantly on those who walk in Divine wisdom.
John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, Abraham was the friend of God, Moses was the man God spoke to face to face. Who can you be? Grow in wisdom, grow in the amount you live it out, and you can grow in God’s favor, which will overflow to the favor of man also.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to grow in wisdom, and to walk it out in my daily life. I want Your favor, help me to show it by the way I live.
03/25 | Kryptonite
James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
Kryptonite was the only substance that could hurt/kill superman. Like him, we all have deadly enemies. Superman wisely did his best to stay away from it, but he always had enemies that were trying to bring him into contact with it.
James says you can only be tempted by the things you have lust in your heart for. Some have a problem with alcohol, others have never taken a drink nor are they ever likely to. Yet, that same person who would never drink may be a shopaholic. We each have our own unique kryptonite, because of that we should never put down others whose kryptonite is different than yours. You are just as vulnerable only in a different area. All flesh is as grass.
The more a person yields to their temptation to kryptonite, the more power and influence it has over them. The bottom of that barrel is addiction. The more a person has victory over their kryptonite the less powerful its voice is in their life.
For those struggling with kryptonite—pray in the name of Jesus about it, and don’t ever surrender. Matthew 1:21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”
For those walking in victory, don’t ever let your guard down because your kryptonite could rear its ugly head at any time. 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Prayer Point: Lord, I pray for those under the influence and control of spiritual kryptonite—break the power of sin in their lives. I pray also for myself; deliver me from temptation, and the weakness of my own flesh.
03/26 | Thank God for the Vineyard Keeper!
Luke 13:6 And He began telling this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.
Luke 13:7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’
Luke 13:8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
Luke 13:9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
Simple story: A tree that should have been bearing fruit wasn’t. The owner gets ticked off and wants it chopped down. The vineyard keeper intercedes and says, “Give me time to work with it, and then if it doesn’t produce fruit, cut it down.”
Jesus is the vineyard keeper in this story, and He keeps a lot of unfruitful vines from being cut down, by promising to work with them. If you think through this parable, the vineyard keeper had already, since the day it was planted, been working with this fruit tree, to no avail. Yet, He is not ready to throw in the towel. Thank God for the perseverance of Jesus with trees that don’t produce fruit.
Perhaps today, we could take a lesson from our master about being patient with others. Yes, there is a day the vinedressers’ patience will run out, but let it not be this day. Who knows what fruit may yet come.
Prayer Point: Thank You, Lord, for being patient with me, and may I in turn show that same patience to others. Amen.
03/27 | 4 Things, Part 1: The Ant
Proverbs 30:24 Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise:
Proverbs 30:25 The ants are not a strong folk, But they prepare their food in the summer;
Proverbs 30:25 ants—frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter; (MSG)
Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
Get supplies before the storm comes. Gather now, for it will be much harder later. It is not a season for idleness, but for busyness! Though the text in Proverbs is probably talking about food stores or finances, can we not also apply it to spiritual supplies? Is there a time of spiritual winter coming (persecution/testing)? Are there more plagues coming? The answer is obvious. So right now, we have a lull between storms, so it is a good time to pack spiritual stores away.
How do we do that? Sow what you want to reap. If you want finances, sow giving:
Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
If you want mercy, sow mercy. If you want strength, sow help into others. In this way you will be living out Matthew 6:20:
Matthew 6:20 “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unploughed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to take advantage of the season we are in, and to sow. Help me to work now so I can have the benefits later.
03/28 | 4 Things, Part 2: The Badger (Marmot)
Proverbs 30:26 The badgers are not mighty folk, Yet they make their houses in the rocks;
Proverbs 30:26 marmots—vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes; (MSG)
Last year in California I got to witness these creatures firsthand in Sequoia National Forest. They look like big, fat squirrels, and would make a delicious meal for any mountain lion or other large carnivore. Knowing their vulnerability as the text says, they smartly make their homes in crevices of large rock formations. If you are not a strong animal, your safest bet is to have a strong place of refuge.
This day, if you find yourself overwhelmed, make your home in the cleft of the rock, go to the throne room in prayer, and there you will find rest and protection.
Prayer Point: Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
03/29 | I Must
Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks;
Proverbs 30:27 locusts—leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment; (MSG)
The women’s ministry in NY has a motto: “Doing far more together than we could ever do alone.” At many weddings this portion of the book of Ecclesiastes is often quoted:
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
Ecclesiastes 4:10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion…
If two are better than one, what happens when we increase the size of the team?
Leviticus 26:8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight…
Locusts have power not in their size, but in their numbers and their unity. On the day of Pentecost, they were all in one accord, they were all in agreement, they were all focused in the same direction, and the power of God fell in a spectacular way.
When we have disunity, we are diminished. A house divided against itself cannot stand; it has lost strength. Who are you divided from this day? While we can’t work everything out, we have this piece of advice from the Apostle Paul:
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Prayer Point: “Help me to do my part to live at peace with ______. Lord, bring the unity that brings power to accomplish Your purposes in the earth.”
03/30 | 4 More Things, Part 4: The Lizard
Proverbs 30:28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
Proverbs 30:28 lizards—easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards. (MSG)
Proverbs 4:24 says there are 4 things on the earth that are small but are exceedingly wise. The lizard (gecko) is the last one we are covering. The text says they can be easily caught, and yet they are able to get into the most unusual of places. One would think the Kings’ palace is regularly cleaned and varmints removed, and yet the gecko with its persistence wins the battle time and time again.
From this, we can learn that people who are most closed to the gospel, through small openings, can be impacted. Though hell itself posts its most vigilant guards, little prayers can find openings in the most vaulted doors.
Let us not talk about how hardened someone is to the gospel, or how lost they are, or how bound in sin they are—let us talk about how the gospel can still get through!
Prayer Point: “Lord, let Your word penetrate into the heart and home of _________. Reach in places, break through strongholds, and take root in their lives. In Jesus’ name, amen!”
03/31 | The Devil Gets His Due
Isaiah 27:1 In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.
Scripturally, the dragon and serpent are euphemisms for the devil, and the sea is one for the mass of ungodly humanity. So, the text is talking about the coming punishment of the devil. It is a future event that is already declared as done. There is no ambiguity about it, there is no negating it, there is no avoiding it. In a sense, it is as if it already happened, and we are reading tomorrow’s headlines today.
There is coming a day when these troubles will end, and the instigator of much of it will be removed and be punished. The text tells us that Leviathan will be punished with God’s “fierce and great and mighty sword.” This will not be a battle of equals, but one of overwhelming defeat for the devil. With shock and awe, God will loose unrivalled power against the prince of darkness, and he will be no more than a footnote of history.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
When Satan is removed from heaven it is cause for rejoicing. So shall it also be on the earth. These passages of the removal and defeat of Satan are there to give us hope until that day comes. As persecution arises around the world, be reminded God will take care of the devil:
Luke 18:7 now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily…
Prayer Point: “Lord, we pray for the persecuted Church around the world. Bring them justice, loose Your great and mighty sword!”
