Body

Devotions

Safe In Every Situation

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught” (Proverbs 3:25-26).

Many people today are asking questions that have no definite answer. Will there be a depression soon? Are we facing a great economic storm that many ministers and economists have been warning of?

No one on earth truly knows the answers. Economists give terribly conflicting forecasts, and so-called prophets send out all sorts of confusing and dire warnings. I believe that all true prophecy must offer hope and comfort to God’s people who live by faith. 

Several years ago, hundreds of worried Christians wrote to me about a prophecy that said most of Florida would be inundated by a tidal wave. Many slipped out of Florida on so-called vacations on the predicted date — just in case the prophecy was accurate. Florida is still with us.

No one knows where, how, or when God will send judgment. The times and seasons are all in his hands. Do you live in an earthquake zone, maybe near a fault line? Or in a sprawling suburb that seems less secure as days go by? No food stored up? No gold bars or coins to hedge against inflation? Nothing to fall back on if the economy collapses? Nothing to live on if you lose your job?

Don’t panic! You have all you need if you believe in our Lord’s promise of protection. The more I read the words of Jesus, the more I believe he is asking for our childlike trust in him — to keep us safe in every situation. 

That I Might Know God

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

God gave Moses a frightening directive: “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ And I will send My Angel before you . . . for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 33:1-3).

The people of God had spun completely out of control because of lust and idolatry (see Exodus 32:25). Gold had become their god and all they wanted to do was dance, play and follow their lustful appetites. Only the sons of Levi stood up for the holiness of God.

The Lord had removed himself from them “lest he slay them” but still he said to them, “I will give you what I promised.” So they could claim all their rights and his protection — but not his presence.

We are seeing the same thing today. Multitudes of God’s people are moving on in their quest for promised rights while lacking the holy, convicting presence of Christ.

I think nothing could be worse than hearing this from the Lord: “Go on up to a land flowing with milk and honey but I won’t go with you” (see Exodus 33:3).

Moses wanted something greater than a land flowing with milk and honey. He wanted to know and experience the Lord’s presence! “That I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight” (Exodus 33:13). No wonder this precious servant of God convicted his generation! No wonder there was so much glory on his face. He wanted only to know the Lord, to abide in his presence.

Today I encourage you to follow the example of Moses. And may we all say with Paul, whose heart cried out, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). 

Christ Is Coming!

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

The prophet Daniel foresaw a last-days company that possessed wisdom and discernment in the things of God — a purified, tested remnant that would understand his Word. “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

Isaiah deplored the spiritual blindness of backslidden Israel and said, “They err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Isaiah 28:7). What little discernment they once possessed had been destroyed by their lusts, but Isaiah went on to prophesy of a day in which “the deaf shall hear the words . . . the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. . . . They will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob [Christ], and fear the God of Israel. They also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:18, 23-24).

I believe the last-days revival so many preach about is a revival of cleansing. If the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, then it is certain that the great outpouring upon mankind will involve powerful waves of conviction. A careless, indulgent Church will be shaken and forced to face her sins.

While multitudes of Christians chase after signs and miracles, seeking out teachers of success and prosperity, God has been calling out a “wilderness people” who are consumed with hunger for more of Christ. Disillusioned with hypocrisy, these saints delve into the Word of God and discover His ultimate purposes. They set themselves to hear and understand by the Holy Spirit that the end of all things is at hand.

Christ is coming! Lay aside every besetting sin and set your affection on things above! Do not be partakers in the dreams of men but prepare to meet your Savior. 

This Wonderful Gift of Grace

Gary Wilkerson

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV).

Our life in Christ begins in grace, it continues in grace, and it will end in grace. Once we grasp this, our lives will be marked by freedom instead of bondage; by joy instead of weariness; by delight instead of dread. Spending time in God’s presence will seem like a joyous gift because we will come to understand that we are no longer servants but friends of Jesus.

Understanding and taking hold of this wonderful gift of grace does not negate our responsibility to discipline ourselves in our walk with him, however. Grace does not relieve us of our obligation to continually seek his face.

Here is my advice to you: Do not neglect to pray, but do so with the oil of God’s grace. Read your Bible with grace or you will come away feeling condemned and fearful rather than enlightened and energized. Why? Because it is God’s work of grace that shows us our inability while at the same time empowering us to acknowledge his ability. And be mindful not to give up on your accountability group, those fellow Christians who love you, encourage you and challenge you all at the same time.

Grace rains down on us from the Lord’s throne and grace is what will draw the world to our lives and our testimonies. When people see God’s grace on us, they will recognize that our hearts have been won by that grace and not by our works.

Open your heart to God’s grace today so that your life will reflect his goodness to all those around you.

When God Is Silent

Carter Conlon

As we look at his journey, we see King David certainly started out strong. The Holy Spirit came upon him, causing him to defeat a lion and a bear, and eventually a Philistine giant. It seemed as if there was no end to what God was going to do through his life, until a moment of silence came. Suddenly God was not speaking the way he used to, and David began to lose confidence. He lost confidence in God’s former words to him, which led him to attempt to guide his life by his own wisdom and resolve his problems in his own strength (see 1 Samuel 27:1-3).

When David finally came to the end of himself, recognizing that following his own reasoning only brought him as well as others into incredible sorrow, he returned to the source of his strength (see 1 Samuel 30:1-3, 6). David encouraged himself in the Lord, recalling how faithful God had always been to him. And in that moment of remembrance, he turned back to prayer. The voice of God became clear again, and the Lord eventually brought him into the victory that had always been his.

This serves as a reminder that in the midst of God’s silence, you must resist the temptation to try to make happen what God told you he is going to do in your life. Instead, encourage yourself in the Lord as David did. Remember how faithful God has been. Think about the words that he first spoke to you, the victories you experienced that never would have happened apart from the Holy Spirit’s work inside of you. Sit down and say, “God, you have spoken a word to me. I understand that there is an appointed time for it to be fulfilled. The answer is coming, and even though it may seem for a season that your promises have been overpowered by circumstances, you are the God who cannot lie!”

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001.