David Wilkerson Devotions

Some dedicated believers refuse to settle in spiritually dead churches, so they wander and feel terribly isolated. However, God will provide a community for them. 

While the other disciples were content with head knowledge, Mary longed for the Lord and saw things nobody else could see because her heart was given to Jesus.

In the last days evil ministers will infiltrate the church in an effort to put the bride to sleep. They will attempt to take away our heart of love for Christ, and we must resist.

When we see sin in our fellow believers, we are to take up God’s mercy and go to that hurting one. We are to help him with the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.

In a famous passage in John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of his disciples. He told them “If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15, NKJV).

Some devout Christians have taken this verse literally. They have made it their custom to have “foot washing” services. This is commendable, yet if it remains only a ritual, the true meaning of foot washing has been lost.

Listen to this prophesy from Isaiah.
“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you”

God had given Moses and Israel ironclad promises of deliverance, so Moses went to the people with the good news. He performed signs for them, and scripture says they believed. “Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:29-31, NKJV).

Afflictions teach us to bend our knees, to cry out to the Lord in all our problems and troubles.

“I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75, NKJV). David is saying, “Lord, I know why you afflicted me. You saw that when all was going well, I went astray, becoming careless, so you allowed trouble to come upon me. You knew it would drive me to my knees and bring me back to brokenness. My affliction was evidence of your faithfulness to me!”

No matter what kind of trouble you are in, you simply cannot extricate yourself from it in your own power. God is the only one who can redeem us from our hardships. 

The Lord allows trials to come our way to test us, but that is not his primary purpose. Rather, our afflictions are to teach us to walk rightly before him.