Your Daily Crossroad
30
Nov '18
The “No Secret” Secret
30
Nov '18
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (Romans 7:15)
A coworker confessed to me that he didn’t think he was “Jesus material.” I listened as he described what he called his “comfortable, narcissistic” life, and how it didn’t satisfy him. “But here’s my problem, I’ve been trying to be good, even caring, but it isn’t working. It seems that the very things I want to do, I can’t do, and the things I want to stop doing, I just keep doing.”
“What’s your secret?” he asked me in complete sincerity. “My secret,” I answered, “is that there is no secret. I’m as powerless to live up to God’s standards as you are, which is why we need Jesus.”
I pulled out a Bible and showed him “his” quote as the apostle Paul expressed it in Romans 7:15. Paul’s words of frustration often resonate with both pre-Christians and Christians who find themselves trying to be good enough to deserve God but falling short. Maybe it resonates with you. If so, Paul’s declaration that Christ is the author of our salvation and its resulting changes (7:25–8:2) should thrill you. Jesus has already done the work to free us from the very things that have us so puzzled with ourselves!
The barrier between us and God, the barrier of sin, has been removed without any work on our part. Salvation—and the changes made by the Holy Spirit in the process of our growth—is what God desires for all. He knocks on the door of our souls. Answer His knock today. It’s no secret that He’s the answer!
When I read this devotion I scrolled past it and chose a different devotion but God, He nudged my heart to go back. I don’t know who may need this today but I have to believe someone somewhere does and I pray it touches you in a miraculous way. Weather your the one in need of answers or your disciplining someone, don’t give up. He won’t stop knocking on the door of your soul, He won’t give up on you, He’s the answer. Without Jesus, salvation and spiritual growth are both gifts beyond our reach. It is no secret what God can do.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Luke 6:37
29
Nov '18
When God Says No
29
Nov '18
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isaiah 25:1)
When I was conscripted into the military at age eighteen, as all young Singaporean men are, I prayed desperately for an easy posting. A clerk or driver, perhaps. Not being particularly strong, I hoped to be spared the rigors of combat training. But one evening as I read my Bible, one verse leaped off the page: “My grace is sufficient for thee . . .” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
My heart dropped—but it shouldn’t have. God had answered my prayers. Even if I received a difficult assignment, He would provide for me.
So I ended up as an armored infantryman, doing things I didn’t always enjoy. Looking back now, I’m grateful God didn’t give me what I wanted. The training and experience toughened me physically and mentally and gave me confidence to enter adulthood.
In Isaiah 25:1–5, after prophesying Israel’s punishment and subsequent deliverance from her enemies, the prophet praises God for His plans. All these “wonderful things,” Isaiah notes, had been “planned long ago” (v. 1), yet they included some arduous times.
It can be hard to hear God saying no, and even harder to understand when we’re praying for something good—like someone’s deliverance from a crisis. That’s when we need to hold on to the truth of God’s good plans. We may not understand why, but we can keep trusting in His love, goodness, and faithfulness.
Lord, give me the faith to keep trusting You even when You say no. Amen.
This devotion blessed me because even in times when God says no and places you in situation that’s not so comfortable, He knows what’s best for you and I. Just as the man said in today’s devotion, he was grateful God didn’t give him what he wanted because the experience made him tougher, gave him confidence and prepared him for adulthood. Trust God even when he says no. He has a plan and a purpose for all things. It’s up to us to be obedient, walk in His ways and trust Him. I’m confident you will look back and go wow, I’m so grateful God said no. When God says no, He has a plan. Keep trusting Him!
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Romans 10:10
28
Nov '18
Hope Is Our Strategy
28
Nov '18
Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)
My favorite football team has lost eight consecutive games as I write this. With each loss, it’s harder to hope this season can be redeemed for them. The coach has made changes weekly, but they haven’t resulted in wins. Talking with my coworkers, I’ve joked that merely wanting a different outcome can’t guarantee it. “Hope is not a strategy,” I’ve quipped.
That’s true in football. But in our spiritual lives, it’s just the opposite. Not only is cultivating hope in God a strategy, but clinging to Him in faith and trust is the only strategy. This world often disappoints us, but hope can anchor us in God’s truth and power during the turbulent times.
Micah understood this reality. He was heartbroken by how Israel had turned away from God. “Woe is me! . . . The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men” (7:1–2). But then he refocused on his true hope: “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” (v. 7).
What does it take to maintain hope in harsh times? Micah shows us: Watching. Waiting. Praying. Remembering. God hears our cries even when our circumstances are overwhelming. In these moments, clinging to and acting in response to our hope in God is our strategy, the only strategy that will help us weather life’s storms.
Father, You’ve promised to be an anchor for our hearts when circumstances look discouraging. Help us call out to You in faith and hope, believing that You hear our hearts’ cries. Amen.
After reading this devotion I pray you walk away with hope in times of discouragement. He is your source of hope. What does it take to maintain hope in harsh times? Watching. Waiting. Praying. Remembering.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 37:4
27
Nov '18
God’s Hidden Hand
27
Nov '18
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalms 139:16)
Do you sometimes wonder where God is leading you? Psalm 139:16 acknowledges God’s sovereign hand in our lives: “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” We don’t know how God will use the circumstances of our life, but we can rest in the knowledge that God knows everything about us and is directing our footsteps. Though His sovereign hand may seem hidden, He’s never absent.
Dear Lord, help me to trust You even when I don’t understand. Amen.
Although shorter than usual I felt this devotion was powerful and uplifting. If you find yourself in a valley today, asking God why and not understanding, as today’s devotions says, rest in what you do know, that God knows everything about you and He is directing your footsteps. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). What steps can you take to discern God’s leading or to act on His call for your life? Be encouraged today.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Jeremiah 33:3