Devotions

I would say I’m a pretty adventurous guy, but there are people who take it to a whole different level. These are the kind of folks who go swimming with sharks. No doubt you’ve all seen pictures of the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Some of those bulls have massive horns, but that doesn’t seem to keep people from running around in the streets with them. There was a guy who climbed that famous Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro and took a selfie on top of it. That statue is over 100 feet high on top of a mountain.

Now I love Jesus, but I don't know that risking my neck to get a selfie with his statue will really have much effect on the world.

Some people don’t have an effect on the world because they never take any risks, but other adventurous people risk it all and still have very little impact on the world or lives around them. So what’s the answer to how we make a difference in the world? It clearly isn’t tied to being a daredevil or not.

The Apostle Paul, before he met Jesus, was that kind of powerhouse personality who never seemed to hesitate. What really changed about him after God got ahold of him? He wrote, “…a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ESV).

Your boldness and adventurousness is only useful to God when you recognize your weakness and brokenness in his presence then rely totally on him for direction and power. It’s the only way that you’re going to be able to risk it all in a way that impacts the world for the Kingdom of God.

_{John Bailey is the COO of World Challenge Inc. and the Founding Pastor of The Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. John has been serving the Lord in pastoral ministry for 35 years, ministering the gospel in over 50 nations, particularly as a pastor and evangelist in Cork, Ireland.} 

How many of you have heard of Huldah in the Bible? She gave exhortation and hope to the Israelites during a very dark stretch of history. Evil foreign kings had invaded, and evil kings from their own people had ruled over the land. Some truly grotesque forms of idolatry were rampant in society; children were sacrificed to demonic ‘gods’; necromancy was practiced.

The previous two kings in Huldah’s lifetime had been incredibly immoral. One was said to have shed so much innocent blood that it “filled Jerusalem from one end to another” (see 2 Kings 21:16), and the other was such a nightmare that he only made it two years before he was assassinated by his own servants (see 2 Kings 21:19-23).

In the middle of all this, Huldah openly stood for the true God.

The law of God was found in the temple after having been lost of years, possibly generations. As soon as the new king realized what they’d unearthed, he immediately knew who to send for: Huldah.  

“Those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess…and she said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “…Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods… But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him…[because]…you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord” (2 Chronicles 34:22-27, ESV).

This woman unflinchingly proclaimed the truth, rebuked those who had reveled in sin, but offered a second chance to the genuinely repentant. Her words gave the young king who had inherited this broken, sin-riddled kingdom both the hope and motivation to enact reform and revival in their nation.

When we are willing to boldly stand for God’s Word, even for years without seeing positive change, God will use this for his glory and the benefit of others. 

Lydia was one of the first converts in Macedonia. One of the early churches was hosted by a successful businesswoman! When Paul and others were first evangelizing in this city, scripture tells us, “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us” (Acts 16:14-15, ESV).

As a businesswoman, Lydia could have easily filled the church with business associates. Instead, she clearly made room for everyone in this church because we’re told later that the Macedonian church was one of the least wealthy churches. It’s also described as one of the most generous.

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord” (2 Corinthians 8:1-3).

Presumably, Lydia was still a major part of this church, and its virtues speak to the environment that she must have played an instrumental part in orchestrating. As we examine her conversion story and the church she was a leader in, we should ask ourselves, “In what ways am I building spaces where everyone feels welcomed, regardless of background or socio-economic status? How am I actively finding ways for people from diverse backgrounds to all grow in Christ?”

A secure community that cares for its members and shepherds them toward maturity will also help generosity grow. May we become the kind of leaders who foster this kind of passionate and generous spirit in other believers!

When we read the beginning of Luke in the Bible, it can be easy to skim over the parts with John the Baptist’s parents. However, his mother, Elizabeth, is a really remarkable person. First off, when we’re introduced to Elizabeth and her husband, the Bible says, “They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years” (Luke 1:6-7, ESV).

Elizabeth had almost certainly dealt with a lot of judgment from the community over the fact she had no children. When God miraculously gave her a child, she admitted how hard this had been, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people” (Luke 1:25).

This trial that had lasted years of her life hadn’t made her bitter, though. She’s openly described as righteous and blameless. I’m sure she struggled some days with deep disappointment or grief. Being righteous doesn’t mean we never feel sorrow or anger. It simply means always holding on to God’s love and faithful plans, even when they’re a mystery to us.

What’s more, even in the middle of her life abruptly being redirected into motherhood, Elizabeth took time to encourage a much younger woman. Much ink has been spilled on Mary’s vulnerable position as an unmarried, pregnant teenager. Rather than grill Mary with questions or judge this young woman, Elizabeth pointed her to the goodness of God. “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). God promises beautiful things to his people, and he comes through on his word!

Elizabeth’s words must have lifted Mary’s spirits and filled her with resolve. May each one of us be the relative or friend that others turn to for encouragement or spiritual guidance. May we lift others up by reminding them of how God sees them and their trials. May we bless them with prayer and God’s Word.