Daily Devotions

Monday, September 20

Trouble is an ever-present reality in this fallen world, and there is no way to totally escape its grip. As believers in Jesus Christ, we usually turn to the Lord, praying that He will change the situation and release us from its clutches. That’s what Paul did when he suffered from what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” On three different occasions, he asked for it to be removed; however, the Lord’s final answer was that the thorn would remain. 

The sufferings that the Lord allows in our life are given to us for His good purpose. The apostle’s thorn was designed to provide him with precisely what he needed: humility. The Lord likewise has care and concern for us, and His intention is for our benefit. When He says no to our requests for relief, He says yes to something even greater: His all-sufficient grace. 

Perhaps you are in a season of adversity right now. Do you trust the Lord with your thorns, or are you trying to pull them out? Whenever God allows suffering to remain, He gives grace to endure it. Cooperate with Him and exult in His loving wisdom and sufficiency. 

Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 12:7.

“A good conscience is a good pillow” Proverb

Friday, September 17.

God gave us the gift of a conscience to act as a moral compass, but if we ignore it, we may suffer shipwreck. When writing to Timothy, Paul charged the young man to keep the truths of the faith and a good conscience. Ignoring either piece of advice could have put young Timothy in danger. 

The conscience is an inner monitor that judges our actions as right or wrong. It our conscience fails us, it is in need of redemption. Depending on how it’s been programmed, our moral compass even has the potential to nudge us in the wrong direction. 

Paul himself is an illustration of this. His formal education as a Pharisee had taught him that Christians were a threat to God and the Jewish faith. His conscience had been programmed to see killing them as service to the Lord. So he passionately hunted believers down without a twinge of guilt. Only after Christ met him on the way to Damascus was his inner sense of right and wrong transformed and his life’s course altered. 

We need the truths of faith to shape our conscience so we can trust it to lead us in the right direction. Take a moment to ask the Lord if anything is clouding your internal signals, and trust in His promise to make your path straight.

Memory verse: 1 Timothy 1:12.

Conscience is the detective that watches our steps and decry every conscious transgressions” 

Friday, September 17

Jesus told us that we would have hardships, and He was right, wasn’t He? As unpleasant as trials are, there’s still reason for giving thanks. Yesterday, we looked at three provisions believers can count on during adversity: God’s presence, a pathway through the trouble, and potential to grow. Today, let’s explore two more. 

1. Protection. God doesn’t keep believers from suffering or disappointment, but He does offer protection by staying with us in the struggle. Once we trust in Jesus, God’s Spirit indwells us and will never leave. What’s more, we have assurance that nothing can separate us from His love. So our ever-present God walks with us through the hardships, providing guidance and speaking truth into the situation. 

2. Peace. While difficulties cause many people anxiety, God’s peace is available to His followers. This inner serenity doesn’t depend on whether circumstances improve; it’s a result of our relationship with Him. For this reason, we should be more concerned about relying on God than about fixing the problem. 

As we recognize the Lord’s provision, we can genuinely express gratitude, which will fix our eyes on Him rather than on our circumstances. We may not know what the purpose is for each trial, but we do know that our God is good and trustworthy. 

Memory verse: John 16:33.

“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude” (G. K. Chesterton).

Thursday, September 16.

Kenneth Hughes wrote about a story a missionary to Africa told. A blind elderly woman was reached with the gospel. Though she was blind and could neither read nor write, she wanted to share her new found faith with others. She went to the missionary and asked for a copy of the Bible in French. When she got it, she asked the missionary to underline John 3:16 in red and mark the page it was on so she could find it. The missionary wanted to see what she would do, so one day he followed her.

In the afternoon, just before school let out, she made her way to the front door. As the boys came out when school was dismissed, she would stop one and ask if he knew how to read French. When he said “Yes” she would ask him to read the verse that was marked in red. Then she would ask, “Do you know what this means?” and tell him about Christ. The missionary said that twenty-four of the school boys that lady led to the Lord became pastors.

When Jesus walked this earth, he did not sit passively and wait for folks to come to him. Jesus went out where the sick, the sorrowing, and the sad were. Jesus took his message of joy, healing, and salvation. At a ender age, Jesus went to the temple and taught the doctors and lawyers who were entrenched in the old traditions. It is so interesting to read in Matthew 4:19, how this man went to the seaside intruding the life of the commonest of laborers saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He was a soul winner. Are you a soul winner?

Memory verse: Matthew 4:19. 

“Winners of souls must first be weepers of souls” (Charles Spurgeon).