Gospel.com Blog

If you’re like most people, whenever your income increases you start dreaming about the possibilities that that new cash opens up to you. Oftentimes—and I’m very guilt of this—those possibilities are of the “fun toys” variety. Giving it away barely crosses my mind, but as Joe Stowell argues in this devotional from Strength for the Journey, giving should be our first thought.

His main point is that if we don’t practice giving when financial times are tough, we’ll find it to be much harder to give when we’re prosperous:

Often our seasons of financial prosperity draw our attention to bigger homes, bigger cars, bigger mutual funds, and bigger TVs, rather than to bigger opportunities for advancing the cause of Christ. The lure of more is highly seductive. Giving to Gods work is not a habit that starts when were experiencing material success. Its a habit best cultivated and nurtured in seasons of depending on God through lean times.

Paul points that fact out [in 2 Corinthians: 8] when, speaking of the Macedonian churchs generosity, he writes, Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2). Which all goes to prove that an attitude of joyful generosity starts now, right where you are, with whatever you have. What a joy it is to be addicted to proving that God and His work is worthy of the very best that we have—regardless of how much that might be!

And, speaking of being rich, viewed from a global perspective even the poorest of us have much more than most people do in this world. For reasons best known to God, Christians in our corner of the world have staggering resources by comparison. Which gives us an unusual opportunity to use our wealth to abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).

Do you practice disciplined giving? What are some ways you could start practicing generosity?

I’ve often thought of the Christian life as a continual process of opening oneself up to God. We start our Christian journey by saying yes to Jesus—and then the difficult work of actually giving over every part of our being to God begins. A.W. Tozer questions whether or not any of us fully understands the extent to which the Spirit wants to take over our lives. Have we truly counted the costs of letting God be the Lord of our Lives?

Before a man can be filled with the Spirit he must be sure he wants to be. And let this be taken seriously. Many Christians want to be filled, but their desire is a vague romantic kind of thing hardly worthy to be called desire. They have almost no knowledge of what it will cost them to realize it.

Let us imagine that we are talking to an inquirer, some eager young Christian, let us say, who has sought us out to learn about the Spirit-filled life. As gently as possible, considering the pointed nature of the questions, we would probe his soul somewhat as follows: “Are you sure you want to be filled with a Spirit who, though He is like Jesus in His gentleness and love, will nevertheless demand to be Lord of your life? Are you willing to let your personality be taken over by another, even if that other be the Spirit of God Himself?

What areas in your life are you holding back from God? Is it out of fear, pride, or something else?

Our life circumstances can change in an instant. A car crash, a fire, a diagnosis: it doesn’t take much to make us feel like we’ve gone from a life of blessing to a life filled with trials. Our Daily Bread reminds us that despite our circumstances, God deserves our gratitude:

Actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1995. Prior to this tragedy, he had played the part of a paraplegic in a movie. In preparation, Reeve visited a rehabilitation facility. He recalled: Every time I left that rehab center, I said, Thank God thats not me. After his accident, Reeve regretted that statement: I was so setting myself apart from those people who were suffering without realizing that in a second that could be me. And sadly, for him, it was.

We too may look at the troubles of others and think that it could never happen to us. Especially if our life journey has led to a measure of success, financial security, and family harmony. In a moment of vanity and self-sufficiency, King David admitted to falling into the trap of feeling invulnerable: Now in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved (Ps. 30:6). But David quickly caught himself and redirected his heart away from self-sufficiency. He remembered that he had known adversity in the past and God had delivered him: You have turned for me my mourning into dancing (v.11).

Are you going through a time of trial or a time of blessing? How have you expressed gratitude and trust to God despite your cirucmstances?

Joseph’s life was filled with evil actions that he had no control over. His brother’s—jealous of their father’s favor—faked his death and sold him into slavery. Later, he would be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of rape and thrown into prison. Joseph had much to be angry about, but he didn’t give into bitterness. Instead, he let God turn his horrible circumstances into something great.

We can learn a lot from how Joseph reacted to each new challenge in his life. At every step of the way he had to make a decision whether to give into the temptation to despair, or to move forward. This devotional from Day by Day points out that holding onto bitterness often ends up hurting us and making us miss out on the good that God has for us:

For many of us, we would sooner withdraw than to seek to find greater purpose in our place. We victimize ourselves and consider ourselves deserving of the bitterness we harbor, all the while ignoring how the bitterness is only hurting us and making matters worse. We turn our entire situation inward and grow more angry with each passing day, and then we convince ourselves that no one could possibly understand, and that no one is worthy of identifying with the pain we have felt. Granted, the pain was real and the hurt very personal. But, the bottom line is that we have a choice as to what that pain and hurt becomes. It can either be evil that remains evil—or it can be turned around by God to bring something that is good.

There is so much in this world meant for evil, and there is so much we will suffer as a result of that evil. But there is a God who is far greater, and there is a potential for good to be brought out from all things. We do not have to allow the evil to hurt us to the point of permanently stealing our joy. We do not have to allow the evil to imprison us in an eternal withdrawal and disillusionment. There is a victory that can come out of the worse circumstances, and a joy that can radiate from a wounded heart. All because God can take what some mean for evil, and use it to accomplish greater things.

Are you holding onto bitterness? What would it take for you to let go of it and trust God?

Like Adam and Eve after their fall, we strive to hide our nakedness from each other. We dress ourselves up and put on a happy face, and when people ask us how we are, we cheerfully answer “fine!”

When God looks at us, however, He sees right through our facade… straight into our sinful hearts. Before God, we are wretched condemned criminals. Thankfully, as Joe Stowell reminds us in this devotional, God has extended an amazing grace to us:

If we were to look at ourselves the way God sees us even when we have it all together, we would see something totally different. He sees through all of our efforts to be lookin good. His vision probes far deeper than the all-too-cool clothes we wear, our makeup, our rippling abs and our great tan. He strips away the layers of self-delusion and penetrates deep into our hearts where each of us is a desperately lost sinner. And, no matter how good you think you are, its not until we know that we are like condemned criminals before Him that we can begin to understand how amazing His grace really is. When you can honestly say that His grace saved a wretch like you, you can begin to stand in amazement at the greatness of His grace. In fact, His grace is only a sweet sound when you know how deep it had to go to clean you up!

What is Gods amazing grace? Its the outstretched love of Jesus whose agonizing death and victorious resurrection saves us from who we really arenot from who we think we are. Romans 5:8 says: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He died the worst kind of death imaginable, because it needed to cover the wretchedness of our desperately lost souls. We werent lookin good when He died for us. If we were as cool as we think we are, He could have stayed in heaven. But like hopeless beggars trapped in the sludge of sin, we needed Him. And so He came and died in our place. Now thats what I call amazing!

Do you feel like a wretch before God? How does knowing that God doesn’t care about your outward appearance change how you live?

Have you ever felt utterly overwhelmed? How did you cope?

Anabel Gillham writes at Lifetime Guarantee about how Jesus dealt with the stress of His earthly life. In his final hours, Jesus found a quiet place by himself on Mount Olivet where he could pour out his heart to God:

We can learn something else from our beloved Savior: He went away by Himself and spent the night on the mount called Olivet, isolated from the suffocating, human barricade that imprisoned Him, clutching at His robe, calling—screaming—sobbing— Help me! Please help me. Was He burdened with the multitudes who came only to see a lame man walk or a blind man seefleeting, fragile miracles of physical healing that would last only for a brief span of time when eternity was on His mind? Yes. He longed to be by Himself in a quiet place with no interruptions sharing His thoughts with His Father and drawing strength for what was to come.

When life’s stresses overcome you, do you have a place where you go to cry out to God?

God deserves our fear. After all, He is the Prime Mover of the Universe. In Him alone is the power to control all of Creation. However, as we read in this devotional from Our Daily Bread, God’s desire isn’t for us to just cower in fear before Him, but to praise Him:

The prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of this God. In a vision that mingled the wonders of a Messianic kingdom with the promise of a new heaven and earth, he describes One who makes the skies His throne and the earth His footstool (Isa. 66:1).

Yet Isaiah saw something even more overwhelming. He saw a great God who wants His people to be glad and rejoice forever in what I create (65:18). In response, lets bow before Him in humble adoration (66:2).

Astoundingly, despite holding all the power in the world, God chooses to delight and please us with all that He does.

Do you find it easy to praise God for the good things He’s given us? What in Creation draws you to praise Him?

Have you heard of the “turtle on a fencepost” saying? It goes like this: if you’re walking along a fence and spot a turtle sitting atop a fencepost, you know it didn’t get there by itself.”

The phrase has been used as a joke aimed at politicians. But twice in the last few weeks I’ve seen it repurposed as a religious parable, once in Mary Russell’s novel The Sparrow and now in Chuck Colson’s Day by Day daily devotional. Given a spiritual slant, the “turtle on a fencepost” didn’t get into its predicament by accident; somebody put it there—and likewise, when we find ourselves in unexpected, fortuitous, or strange life circumstances, we should understand that we’re there not of our own design, but because God has placed us there for a purpose:

The Bible is chock-full of turtles: one person after another who knew that his or her position of power, authority, or promotion was given by Another.

Joseph was a turtle. How often, in his Egyptian chariot or his opulent surroundings, he must have sat back, closed his eyes, and reflected on his humble beginnings. His jealous brothers. The pit. Slavery. Prison. Now this! What an incredible fence post! How faithful of God . . . how gracious!

….The next time we are tempted to think we’re self-appointed fence-post sitters, I recommend the prophet’s counsel: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug” (Isa. 51:1).

Being put on a “fence post” is a wonderful opportunity and a reassuring sign that God has a plan for us. But we should view any such situation from a perspective of humble gratitude—after all, we’re not the ones who put ourselves there.

Are you sitting on a fence post right now, faced with a sudden turn of good fortune or an unexpected opportunity? Take time to consider why God might have placed you there, and how you can use this opportunity to serve God before you are once again placed back on the ground.

Would you characterize your life as “bold”? In this Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon, we’re challenged to be bold in all that we do:

Dear friend, are you already saved? Then keep not back from union with the Lord’s people. Neglect not the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. You may be of a timid disposition, but you must strive against it, lest it lead you into disobedience. There is a sweet promise made to those who confess Christby no means miss it, lest you come under the condemnation of those who deny Him. If you have talents keep not back from using them. Hoard not your wealth, waste not your time; let not your abilities rust or your influence be unused. Jesus kept not back, imitate Him by being foremost in self-denials and self-sacrifices. Keep not back from close communion with God, from boldly appropriating covenant blessings, from advancing in the divine life, from prying into the precious mysteries of the love of Christ. Neither, beloved friend, be guilty of keeping others back by your coldness, harshness, or suspicions. For Jesus’ sake go forward yourself, and encourage others to do the like. Hell and the leaguered bands of superstition and infidelity are forward to the fight. O soldiers of the cross, keep not back.

Spurgeon’s reminder to actively seek Christian fellowship, use our talents, and share our blessings is a good one. Are there areas in your life where you’ve been holding back? What would it take for you to be bold in your service of God?

Have you ever felt called to a particular job, project, or pursuit… only to be told that you’re not qualified?

It’s always possible, of course, that we’ve overestimated our abilities, or that we’ve become so focused on our goal that we’re blinded to our unsuitability for it. However, it’s also possible that you are called to that task… and that you shouldn’t let human opposition and rejection block you from putting your God-given talents and interests to work. Blaine Smith of Nehemiah Ministries explains how to recognize when others have misjudged you:

We face a delicate challenge when it comes to discovering our gifts, and the directions God wants us to take with our life. On the one hand, we need others help in gaining a clear understanding, and we need it desperately. We have blind spots as we look at our life, and others often see our possibilities better than we do. Their counsel and encouragement is critical–in resolving our major life choices and in finding the courage to take steps of faith; Scripture couldnt be clearer about this.

Yet others, like ourselves, are fallible. While they can provide invaluable insight into our potential and Gods will, they can also misjudge us, sometimes seriously…. well-intentioned people who desire the best for us can also label us unfairly. Were less likely to recognize it occurring in this case, and the label is more likely to stick.

Blaine lists out four Biblical steps you can take to evaluate whether or not you’ve been judged unfairly. If you’ve ever been in this situation, share your experience in the comments below!