Devotions

“[The Lord] brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19).

What wonderful, reassuring words. The Father delights in us! In David’s case, he had just been through a terrible time of testing. Saul had put a bounty on his head and David was running for his life. But God came roaring in to rescue him and David could say, “The reason God delivered me from all my enemies is because I am precious to him. My God delights in me!”

These thoughts are echoed throughout the Word: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11). And again, “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people” (149:4).

I can try to convince you of God’s delight in you by telling you, “You are precious to the Lord!” You may think, “Well, that’s a lovely thought. How sweet.” But this truth is more than a lovely thought. It is the very key to your deliverance from every battle that rages in your soul, the secret to entering into the rest God has promised you. And until you lay hold of it and it becomes a foundational truth in your heart, you will not be able to withstand what is ahead in this wicked time.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

Right now, you may be passing through deep waters and you fear you may be destroyed. But understand from his Word that God does not always calm the waters or keep the floods from coming. And he doesn’t always put out the fires. But he does promise that he will walk with you through it all. 

The apostle Paul had a definite purpose, a vision, a mission — God’s mission.  His single-mindedness kept him always going forward. He knew that he would face many hardships, but he taught that you can endure a lot of suffering when your heart is set on a purpose. If you heart is set on comfort, you can endure no suffering at all.

After Paul had been in ministry for many years, he decided, “It’s not over. I’ve more to do. There’s something burning in my heart, a passion in my soul to proclaim the gospel. I want to go to Rome.” He wanted to go into the very epicenter of his world with the good news. Even to Caesar himself.

“And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy … the winds were against us” (Acts 27:1 and 4).

Paul opted to sail in spite of possible hardships, which started right away. The sailors encountered violent weather, and Paul warned the other men in the ship that they should stop their journey because disaster and loss awaited them. But he was overruled by the others in the ship and disaster did occur (see Acts 17:10-20). Even though they faced tempests and had to lighten the ship’s load, Paul knew he had clearly heard the voice of God and knew that God would provide a way for him to fulfill his goal. Paul could have thought things over and backed away — but he would not quit!

You may have experienced something similar in your own life. You know you heard from God about doing something for him and you begin the journey. But as soon as you get really serious about lifting up the name of Jesus and winning souls, the winds begin to resist you in a dramatic way. Satan hates when we win souls! You may have to go to war against many powers of darkness, but you are going to win your fight and see Jesus glorified.    

Martin Luther, the sixteenth-century priest who initiated the Protestant Reformation, was initially afraid of God because he believed that the Lord was a holy but angry judge — which is what the legalism of his day taught him to believe. No matter how hard Martin tried to please this holy God, he failed, felt condemned by God, and experienced the guilt of his sin.

Some of us have the same battles — we are up against a god who is some sort of harsh, austere king that delights in punishing us. But that is not who God is. He is a loving Father, full of mercy and patience. Without a proper understanding of who he is, a life of intimate fellowship is impossible.

I love spending time with my grandson Levi. I enjoy just having him on my lap and being with him. He doesn’t have to do anything; I don’t need him to perform or sing to give me great joy. Similarly, the Lord is that kind of Father who delights in his family. He wants us to come into his presence because he loves us and desires to spend time with his children.

In Romans 8, Paul says, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (8:15-16). What an important passage! Paul tells us that the Spirit will bear witness to our spirit — our innermost being — that we are God’s children and he is our Father.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can experientially know that God loves us. We don’t have to be afraid. He is not merely the omnipotent creator and ruler of the universe. He is also Abba, Father, the most loving dad anyone could have as a parent.

Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.

Beloved, it is important that you realize others are watching your life and being influenced by your behavior. So, I ask, how are you behaving? Are your children being established in Christ as they observe your walk? Are less mature Christians being inspired to know him better because of your testimony? Are sinners being drawn to Jesus because of your loving responses? When you encounter challenges in your daily walk, are you quick to yield to the Holy Spirit? Or do you complain and blame and eventually become cold toward your heavenly Father?

All your trials are designed to throw you into the arms of Jesus, producing in you the sweet aroma of trust and faith in your Lord. We have a tendency to forget all the good things God has done for us, so it is good to remind ourselves of past victories and divine intervention. Or we may think that the latest challenge is just too severe, and we say, “Oh, God, this time it’s too much for me to endure.” And God replies, “Simply look back and remember me.” This is what David did before he went out and defeated the giant Philistine.

“Moreover David said, ‘The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine’” (1 Samuel 17:37).

At another time David said, “[The Lord] also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness” (Psalm 18:19-20).

 If you ever feel like you are being chastened by God, rest assured it is because he delights in you and he has a plan at work. “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Looking back over my life, I am amazed as I recall the sorrows, deep waters, and flaming fires I have endured. Even the memory of some of these experiences is painful. Yet, I can say with assurance, “God’s Word is true. He brought me out of every trial and I praise him!”

I am certain that many of you reading this can describe many troubles in your past and you have a story to tell. What would your story sound like? If you love Jesus with all your heart, your testimony likely would be, “God has always brought me through. I never went completely under and those things are behind me now. I’m still here and I’m still praising the Lord!”

God is not satisfied with merely a heartfelt “thank you” from us, however. He says, “Wait just a moment, my child. I didn’t bring you through all your challenges just to make you a grateful overcomer. No, I have made a big investment in you and I won’t let you waste your experiences. Your best work is ahead of you!”

When Paul was an older man with years of experience, he spoke to his friends from his heart: “The most wonderful thing for me right now would be to go home and be with my Lord. That is my true desire. But I’m a veteran and I know I am needed here. This generation needs to see a sufferer who survives and rejoices in any affliction. Others are going to face all that I have faced and they need to know that God will bring them through. I not only have survived but I have done so with true hope. I rejoice in the Lord for all he has done for me” (see Philippians 1:21-26).

Do not let your sufferings be in vain. Be determined to learn more about God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of them.