Devotions

If we live by faith, we will not fear for the future of God’s church. “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). This pledge from Jesus has emboldened the faith of generations and it is meant to sustain us now in this generation.

Timothy is warned, “In latter times some will depart from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1). In perilous times such as ours, our leaders will arise “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Under the influence of these false leaders, many believers will grow cold or lukewarm and still others will lose their faith altogether and fall away from Christ.

Yet, according to Joel, God is going to pour out His Spirit at the same time: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29).

The Psalmist writes, “You send forth Your Spirit … and You renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104:30). God’s Spirit has never been depleted; he can pour out as he pleases. In the midst of calamitous times, there will be a great harvest. The unsaved are going to turn to believers and cry, “God is clearly with you. Tell me, how can I know this peace?” Our God knows the name and address of every proud and lost person and he is reaching out in merciful love to each one.

I encourage you, as a believer, to let God speak forth his promises so that others will see your testimony and be drawn to him. Trust in God’s faithful Word: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

The apostle Paul wrote, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). The phrase “children of God” is often used to describe believers but the words may be used too flippantly, with little understanding of the power and depth of their true meaning.

To be a child of God means simply to be God’s dependent; that is, “one who is unable to exist or function without help.” The child of God knows he cannot control his own life without the Lord’s daily help. 

Many sinners are self-sufficient people who see themselves as high achievers — can-do people. They preach that whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve — that with the right mental attitude, a person can do anything. 

The church has been flooded with self-help books of all kinds, many about winning your own victory over self, doubt, fear and loneliness. Many in the church believe if you have the right formula, you can figure out everything for yourself and solve your own problems. This attitude says, “God, you gave me a good mind so I’ll just think this through and work it out.”

Jesus once found his disciples arguing among themselves about which one was going to be the greatest in God’s kingdom and he gave them a lesson. “Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:2-3).

Jesus was saying, “Forget about who will be greatest. You must rethink your relationship to me and learn how to walk in this life.” This child represented a life of total dependency, because children cannot adequately take care of themselves.

Have you learned to be wholly dependent on the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Come to him as a little child and he will revolutionize your thinking!

In the midst of a time of volatility and upheaval, how are God’s people to respond? If you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need never fear. Those who are in Christ are forever sheltered by the blood that Jesus shed for them and this truth is the cornerstone of our faith. It will determine everything we think and all we do regardless of what is going on around us.

Paul assured the believers in Rome, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9).

What are God’s people to do when the world is barraged with bad news? When markets rise and fall and the world becomes paralyzed with fear? God gives his children a hiding place: “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past” (Isaiah 26:20).

When you are distressed — overwhelmed, laid low by affliction, concerned about the future — God says there is a place of comfort where we find composure for our souls. This secret hiding place is a chamber in your mind which Isaiah describes this way: “[The Lord] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

When the Lord tells us, “Shut the door,” he is showing us the need to shut out the many troubling voices in our heads. We are to close the door to all thoughts about tomorrow and about world events. The Lord who has faithfully brought us this far will not fail us in the days ahead.

God be praised! He is our hiding place in times of crisis and his faithful promises are our shield of protection. Cling to them!

Holy and anointed — these two important elements of Jesus’ life are meant to be part of our lives too.  We are called to be holy and anointed but some Christians may be intimidated by this. “I live a moral life and I do my best to be godly — but holy? And anointed? How can that happen, considering all my failures?”

Straight from Peter’s pen comes this instruction: “It is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16). The only way this could ever be accomplished is if Jesus gave us his own holiness and anointing. And that is exactly what he did through his perfect sacrifice for us!

For thirty-three years, Christ lived on earth, perfectly reflecting spotless motives, speech, and actions. If he had been guilty of just one sin, he could not have paid for all our sins. But through his perfect life on earth, his payment for the sins of the whole world is thorough and endless.

Christ’s work for us — his crucifixion, death, and resurrection — did more than cleanse us of sin. He also imparted to us his righteousness. Think about what an amazing thing this is: While all our sin is on him, all his righteousness is on us. One of the sins we must be cleansed of is the deep belief that our behavior makes us righteous. We can never earn our way to a higher level of righteousness; we are made righteous by him alone.

Paul testifies, “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9, NLT).

Perhaps you feel holy on days when you are doing well; you’re worshipful and conscious of God in every way. But do not mistake that for a state of holiness because you can never be holier than Jesus’ blood makes you, even on your worst day. By his power, you are his worthy witness not just in good times but in bad times. His sacrifice frees you from sin and makes you righteous.

A couple months ago, I began reading a book by a Franciscan monk who was reflecting on the mystery of God’s nature as pointed out in the first chapter of John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 ESV).

Though many parts of nature may reflect an aspect of the trinity—shamrocks, the three states of water, and triangles—nothing is a complete or accurate illustration.

The closest example is probably the atom with its three parts: neutron, proton and electron. These three parts of the atom are meant to work together. Of course, modern science allows us to separate them, but they naturally want to be together.

They are three distinct parts that make a single entity, much like our God.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons exist within one God. We do not worship three different gods, and our Lord is not a lonely, isolated deity. This surely has to be the strangest monotheistic religion in the world, one that embraces the contradiction of three-in-one.

Our God lives in continual relationship within himself and—most incredibly—with us.

I know God is around me and for me. He promises to go before me, to protect and guide me, comfort me, pray with groans beyond understanding for me and to speak to me. He’s there for each one of us. He’s with you, protecting you, rejoicing with you.

There’s a worship song that expresses this so beautifully:

“There’s a table that you’ve prepared for me in the presence of my enemies. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you. This is how I fight my battles.”

I used to feel a little odd about that expression in Psalm 23:5. Eating alone would be so awkward, especially in front of people who don’t like me!

Then I realized that I’m not alone at that table.

I’m sitting with my family, my community and with you. We’re together as God’s children at his table, surrounded by him: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29 ESV).

This is Kelly’s heart for believers everywhere, shared most recently with pastors and their wives in Kenya at the conference where her husband, Gary Wilkerson, and Nicky Cruz also spoke.