Mar 24, 2023
Sadly, great numbers of Christians do not know God’s voice. Some can go for months, even years, without ever receiving an intimate word from the Lord in their inner man. Oh, God did speak to them at one time; but over the years, they’ve learned to silence his voice in their hearts. Others have been turned off by so much foolishness among those who believe that every word that pops into their minds is divine. Such people boast, “God told me”; yet the ‘word’ they hear is only their covetous flesh taking voice!
If you want to know and hear God’s voice, be ready to have him speak of cleansing before he speaks of direction. Many Christians want God to tell them how to hold on to what they’ve earned, how to provide for their family, how to keep their business or career afloat. The truth is, though, before God gives us a word of direction in any of these matters, he’ll speak to us about his commandments.
“These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17 NKJV).God will first speak to you about your actions at home with your spouse and children, about your quick temper, your grudges, your unforgiving spirit. He’ll point out every hidden, secret thing in your life; and he’ll lovingly tell you, “I want to be your adviser, your counselor, your guide, your protector, your provider. I want to walk with you through every trial and hardship. I want to favor, bless and keep you by my Spirit. But first, you must get honest with me about the hidden idols in your heart. Right now, you’re holding on to them, but you must give them up! We simply can’t walk together unless we agree on these matters of your heart.”
“Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6).Honesty and transparency before God is the first step toward peace, harmony and blessing.
Mar 23, 2023
In desperation, David cried out, “Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (Psalm 130:2, NKJV). This sounds to me like the plea of a dying man. David obviously wasn’t just uttering “thought prayers.” He was face down on the ground, broken, contrite, pleading from the very depths of his heart, “O holy God Jehovah, you must hear my cry! I can’t go on any longer. My sin is ever before me, and I’m sinking with fear and dread. Please, God, have mercy on me.”
David knew his soul needed a release, and he turned to God alone to find that release. He concluded, “I’m in such a dire condition, only the Lord can help me now. I can’t rely on counselors, friends, even family. My only hope is in prayer, so I’m going to cry out night and day until God hears my plea.”
Have you ever been as desperate as David was? Have you shut yourself in with the Lord, falling on your face and crying out to him? Dull, quiet, lazy praying won’t accomplish anything. If you’re not unburdening your soul to God, you don’t really want healing; you want out of discomfort or guilt. David testified, “I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (Psalm 38:8-9). You have to cry out, as David did, “Lord, hear my plea! I’m not letting go of you until you answer!”
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). His eyes are upon us…his ears are open…he is near…he saves us!
We can pour our hearts out to God with complete abandon. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Call on him. He is listening eagerly for your voice.
Mar 22, 2023
God’s forgiveness can be obtained only by faith. We can’t reason it out. Christ’s gift to us of his blood atonement is so deep, so gracious, so mysterious, it’s far beyond any human ability to understand. We may see the law clearly applied to our sin. We may feel condemnation, fear and guilt over our trespasses, but our heavenly Father always stands lovingly beside us, ready to forgive.
The blood of Christ, the love of the Father, the Lord’s desire to pardon: all these blessings are known only by faith. “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11 NKJV).
You may wonder, “How many times will the Lord forgive me for indulging in the same sin again and again?” Rest assured his incredible forgiveness is unlimited. Every time you sin, you can go to Jesus and find deliverance. Yet the Lord’s forgiveness is not unwise or blind. To be sure, our heavenly Father forgives us; but at a certain point, he chastens us to keep us from continuing to sin. “For whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6). He tells us, “My forgiveness is unending, but while you are on the earth, you will experience the consequences of sin.” He reminds us that sin separates us from intimacy with him and from one another, and it keeps us in a cycle of failure and despair. Our Lord’s deepest desire is to bring us out of that cycle for good to a place of strength and rejoicing in him.
Jesus’ followers said to him one day, “Increase our faith” (see Luke 17:5). He replied, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea.’ And it would obey you” (Luke 17:6). His illustration showed them that when they stepped forward with the smallest kernel of faith, he would respond with vigor!
Give yourself the opportunity to walk in the joy and grace of the Lord. By faith, accept his forgiveness, take his hand, and live the new life that awaits you!
Mar 21, 2023
After all his weeping and crying out to the Lord, David ended up declaring, “But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:4, NKJV).
The Holy Spirit began to flood his soul with memories of God’s mercies, and suddenly David recalled all he had learned through the years about the Father’s loving, forgiving nature. “But you are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them” (Nehemiah 9:17).
Soon David was rejoicing, reminding himself, “For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you” (Psalm 86:5). “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3).
Here is one of the foundational promises of the New Covenant. Jeremiah declares, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (see Jeremiah 31:34). Paul adds in the New Testament that he has made us “alive together with him, having forgiven all your trespasses” (Colossians 2:13).
God has promised us his forgiveness for every sin! He pours out his love upon us, and we have, through redemption, hope for this life and eternal life to come. As our Father, it is in his very nature to forgive. We are not left out in the cold; we are drawn into the shelter and safety of God’s loving arms through forgiveness.
“He will again have compassion on us, and subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38).
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
Mar 20, 2023
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, Nehemiah 1:3-4
Almighty God, as You made the heart of Nehemiah who was in comfort in the palace to grieve for his brethren in affliction, in like manner You will bring conviction to the hearts of helpers of Your cause in all lands in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Blessed Redeemer, please raise up watchmen for Your persecuted people in all nations such that Your heart will move to rescue them in the name of Jesus. Amen.
O Compassionate Savior, please remember Your mercies and set in motion in our lands the sure and perfect course that brings restoration to our desolate places in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Mar 17, 2023
For many believers, sinking to the bottom means the end. They become so overwhelmed by their failures that they develop a sense of unworthiness. Over time, they feel trapped beyond any help. Isaiah wrote of such believers, “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted…” (Isaiah 54:11 NKJV).
Some eventually get mad at God. They grow tired of waiting for him to move, so they cry accusingly, “Lord, where were you when I needed you? I cried out to you for deliverance, but you never answered. I’ve done everything I know to do, yet I’m still not free. I’m tired of repenting and crying, without ever seeing any change!” Many such believers simply give up trying and give themselves over to hopelessness.
Others fall into a fog of spiritual apathy. They are convinced that God doesn’t care about them anymore. They say, “That’s it. I give up. I am invisible to God.” Consumed by sadness and defeat, they tell themselves, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God” (Isaiah 40:27). “The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).
Still others end up focusing all their attention on the failure, trying to keep themselves in a constant state of conviction, guilt and hopelessness. Yet this only causes confusion! They cry, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” (Ezekiel 33:10).
The fact is, recognizing and feeling sorry for our sin is not an end in itself. We aren’t supposed to rest in those feelings. They are meant to drive us to the end of ourselves, toward the victory of the cross. God does not want us to languish in defeat and despair. He is eager to lift us up! When we give our sorrow to Jesus, he has promised that he will hear our cries and bring us into a life of purpose, hope and joy in him.
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7).
“The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14).
