Serving for God’s Sake
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Posted:Nov 27, 2023 6:46 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6481 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Numbers 3:5–9
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 30–32; 1 Peter 4
They are to . . . [fulfill] the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. Numbers 3:8
When England’s Queen Elizabeth passed away in September 2022, thousands of soldiers were deployed to march in the funeral procession. Their individual roles must have been almost unnoticeable in the large crowd, but many saw it as the greatest honor. One soldier said it was “an opportunity to do our last duty for Her Majesty.” For him, it was not what he did, but whom he was doing it for that made it an important job.
The Levites assigned to take care of the tabernacle furnishings had a similar aim. Unlike the priests, the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites were assigned seemingly mundane tasks: cleaning the furniture, lampstands, curtains, posts, tent pegs, and ropes (Numbers 3:25–26, 28, 31, 36–37). Yet their jobs were specifically assigned by God, constituted “doing the work of the tabernacle” (v. 8, and are recorded in the Bible for posterity.
What an encouraging thought! Today, what many of us do at work, at home, or in church may seem insignificant to a world that values titles and salaries. But God sees it differently. If we work and serve for His sake—seeking excellence and doing so for His honor, even in the smallest task—then our work is important because we’re serving our great God.
How might knowing that you’re ultimately serving God change the way you work? How can you do it with pride and excellence for His sake?
Father, thank You for giving me this opportunity to serve You. Help me to be faithful with the talents and strength You’ve given me to work for You.
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Who Am I?
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Posted:Nov 26, 2023 8:09 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6432 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 1 Chronicles 29:14–20
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 27–29; 1 Peter 3
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? 1 Chronicles 29:14
As a member of the leadership team for a local ministry, part of my job was to invite others to join us as group discussion leaders. My invitations described the time commitment required and outlined the ways leaders would need to engage with their small group participants, both in meetings and during regular phone calls. I was often reluctant to impose on other people, being aware of the sacrifice they’d be making to become a leader. And yet sometimes their reply would completely overwhelm me: “I’d be honored.” Instead of citing legitimate reasons to decline, they described their gratitude to God for all He’d done in their lives as their reason for being eager to give back.
When the time came to give resources toward building a temple for God, David had a similar response: “Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?” (1 Chronicles 29:14). David’s generosity was driven by gratitude for God’s involvement in his life and that of the people of Israel. His response speaks of his humility and his acknowledgment of His goodness toward “foreigners and strangers” (v. 15).
Our giving to God’s work—whether in time, talent, or treasure—reflects our gratitude to the One who gave to us to begin with. All that we have comes from His hand (v. 14); in response, we can give gratefully to Him.
How has God been involved in your life? How can you give in response?
Dear Father, please help me to respond to Your love and care with a generous heart.
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Worthy of All Praise
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Posted:Nov 24, 2023 6:40 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6521 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 18:1–6
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1
I love you, Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1
Many consider Ferrante and Teicher to be the greatest piano duet team of all time. Their collaborative presentations were so precise that their style was described as four hands but only one mind. Hearing their music, one can begin to grasp the amount of effort required to perfect their craft.
But there’s more. They loved what they did. In fact, even after they had retired in 1989, Ferrante and Teicher would occasionally show up at a local piano store just to play an impromptu concert. They simply loved making music.
David also loved making music—but he teamed up with God to give his song a higher purpose. His psalms affirm his struggle-filled life and his desire to live in deep dependence upon God. Yet, in the midst of his personal failures and imperfections, his praise expressed a kind of spiritual “perfect pitch,” acknowledging the greatness and goodness of God even in the darkest of times. The heart behind David’s praise is simply stated in Psalm 18:1, which reads, “I love you, Lord, my strength.”
David continued, “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise” (v. 3) and turned to Him “in my distress” (v. 6). Regardless of our situation, may we likewise lift our hearts to praise and worship our God. He’s worthy of all praise!
In what ways do you share your love for God with Him and with others? What might be standing in the way of your worship?
Heavenly Father, You’ve put a new song in my mouth. Please help my worship to express Your true goodness and greatness.
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A Thanksgiving Blessing
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Posted:Nov 23, 2023 3:56 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6511 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Luke 14:12–14
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 20–21; James 5
When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Luke 14:13–14
In 2016, Wanda Dench sent a text inviting her grandson to Thanksgiving dinner, not knowing he’d recently changed his phone number. The text instead went to a stranger, Jamal. Jamal didn’t have plans, and so, after clarifying who he was, asked if he could still come to dinner. Wanda said, “Of course you can.” Jamal joined the family dinner in what has since become a yearly tradition for him. A mistaken invitation became an annual blessing.
Wanda’s kindness in inviting a stranger to dinner reminds me of Jesus’ encouragement in Luke’s gospel. During a dinner party at a “prominent” Pharisee’s house (Luke 14:1), Jesus noticed who was invited and how the guests jostled for the best seats (v. 7). Jesus told His host that inviting people based on what they could do for him in return (v. 12) meant the blessing would be limited. Instead, Jesus told the host that extending hospitality to people without the resources to repay him would bring even greater blessing (v. 14).
For Wanda, inviting Jamal to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner resulted in the unexpected blessing of a lasting friendship that was a great encouragement to her after her husband’s death. When we reach out to others, not because of what we might receive, but because of God’s love flowing through us, we receive far greater blessing and encouragement.
When has an unexpected invitation encouraged you? What blessings did you experience?
Heavenly Father, may my invitations reflect a heart that wants to bless others as You lead me.
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Shining Stars
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Posted:Nov 22, 2023 5:22 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6613 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Philippians 2:12–16
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 18–19; James 4
You will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Philippians 2:15–16
The first thing I noticed about the city was its gambling outlets. Next, its cannabis shops, “adult” stores, and giant billboards for opportunistic lawyers making money off others’ mishaps. While I had visited many shady cities before, this one seemed to reach a new low.
My mood brightened, however, when I spoke to a taxi driver the next morning. “I ask God every day to send me the people He wants me to help,” he said. “Gambling addicts, prostitutes, people from broken homes tell me their problems in tears. I stop the car. I listen. I pray for them. This is my ministry.”
After describing Jesus’ descent into our fallen world (Philippians 2:5–8 the apostle Paul gives believers in Christ a calling. As we pursue God’s will (v. 13) and hold to the “word of life”—the gospel (v. 16)—we’ll be “ of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” who “shine . . . like stars in the sky” (v. 15). Like that taxi driver, we’re to bring Jesus’ light into the darkness.
A believer in Christ has only to live faithfully in order to change the world, historian Christopher Dawson said, because in that very act of living “there is contained all the mystery of divine life.” Let’s ask God’s Spirit to empower us to live faithfully as Jesus’ people, shining His light in the world’s darkest places.
How can you focus on Christ today, rather than the world’s evil? How can you shine His light today in your neighborhood?
Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Light of the World who brings me out of darkness.
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Precious to God
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Posted:Nov 21, 2023 6:22 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6572 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Isaiah 43:1–7
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 16–17; James 3
You are precious and honored in my sight. Isaiah 43:4
As a boy, Ming found his father harsh and distant. Even when Ming was ill and had to see the pediatrician, his father grumbled that it was troublesome. Once, he overheard a quarrel and learned his father had wanted him aborted. The feeling of being an unwanted followed him into his adult years. When Ming became a believer in Jesus, he found it difficult to relate to God as Father, even though he knew Him as Lord of his life.
If, like Ming, we haven’t felt loved by our earthly fathers, we may face similar doubts in our relationship with God. We may wonder, Am I a burden to Him? Does He care about me? But while our earthly fathers may have been silent and distant, God our heavenly Father comes close and says, “I love you” (Isaiah 43:4).
In Isaiah 43, God speaks as our Creator and as a Father. If you wonder whether He wants you to live under His care as part of His family, hear what He said to His people: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth”
(v. 6). If you wonder what you’re worth to Him, hear His affirmation: “You are precious and honored in my sight” (v. 4).
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty of sin so that we who believe in Him can be with Him forever (John 3:16). Because of what He says and what He’s done for us, we can have full confidence that He wants us and loves us.
What’s your experience of relating to God as a Father? How can you remind yourself that you’re precious to Him?
Father, I want to live each day as Your , precious and honored in Your sight.
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Priceless Results
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Posted:Nov 20, 2023 5:38 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6673 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 17:12–22
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 14–15; James 2
A cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22
On every school day for three years, Colleen has been dressing up in a different costume or mask to greet her as they exit the school bus each afternoon. It brightens the day of everyone on the bus—including the bus driver: “[She] bring[s] so much joy to the on my bus, it’s amazing. I love that.” Colleen’s agree.
It all started when Colleen began fostering . Knowing how difficult it was to be separated from parents and to attend a new school, she began greeting the in a costume. After three days of doing so, the didn’t want her to stop. So Colleen continued. It was an investment of time and money at thrift shops, but, as reporter Meredith TerHaar describes, it brought a “priceless result: happiness.”
One little verse amid a book of wise and witty advice, largely by King Solomon to his , sums up the results of this mom’s antics: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). By bringing cheer to all her (biological, adopted, and foster), she hoped to prevent crushed spirits.
The source of true and lasting joy is God through the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21; Galatians 5:22). The Spirit enables us to shine God’s light as we strive to bring joy to others, a joy that offers hope and strength to face trials.
When has someone done something to bring you joy? What was the result?
Dear Father, thank You for giving me joy. Help me to spread it to others.
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Gathering Strength in God
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Posted:Nov 19, 2023 5:25 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6617 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:2–10
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 11–13; James 1
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9
Grainger McKoy is an artist who studies and sculpts birds, capturing their grace, vulnerability, and power. One of his pieces is titled Recovery. It shows the single right wing of a pintail duck, stretched high in a vertical position. Below, a plaque describes the bird’s recovery stroke as “the moment of the bird’s greatest weakness in flight, yet also the moment when it gathers strength for the journey ahead.” Grainger includes this verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth. Enduring a season when he was overwhelmed with personal struggle, Paul begged God to remove what he described as “a thorn in my flesh” (v. 7). His affliction might have been a physical ailment or spiritual opposition. Like Jesus in the garden the night before His crucifixion (Luke 22:39–44), Paul repeatedly asked God to remove his suffering. The Holy Spirit responded by assuring him that He’d provide the strength needed. Paul learned, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Oh, the thorns we experience in this life! Like a bird gathering its strength for the journey ahead, we can gather up God’s strength for what we’re facing. In His strength, we find our own.
Where are you experiencing weakness today? How can you—in that exact weakness—gather God’s strength for your journey?
Dear Father, help me gather my strength from Yours as I face what’s ahead in my life today.
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Confronting In Love
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Posted:Nov 18, 2023 5:36 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6706 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 4:1–12
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?” Genesis 4:6
He did many things well, but there was a problem. Everyone saw it. Yet because he was so effective in accomplishing most of his role, his anger issue wasn’t adequately addressed. He was never truly confronted. Sadly, this resulted in many people being hurt over the years. And, in the end, it led to the premature close of a career that could have been something so much more for this brother in Christ. If only I’d chosen to confront him in love long ago.
In Genesis 4, God provides the perfect picture of what it means to confront someone’s sin in love. Cain was infuriated. Being a farmer, he’d presented “some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord” (v. 3). But God made it clear that what he brought Him wasn’t acceptable. Cain’s offering was rejected, and he was “very angry, and his face was downcast” (v. 5). So, God confronted him and said, “Why are you angry?” (v. 6). He then told Cain to turn from his sin and pursue what was good and right. Sadly, Cain ignored God’s words and committed a horrific act (v. 8.
While we can’t force others to turn from sinful behaviors, we can compassionately confront them. We can “speak the truth in love” so that we both become “more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 nlt). And, as God gives us ears to listen, we can also receive hard words of truth from others.
Why is it vital for us to confront others in love? How do you receive hard but helpful words?
Father, help me to have the courage to confront others in love and to receive hard but true words with grace.
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Tell of Gods Goodness
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Posted:Nov 16, 2023 5:00 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:19 am 6644 Views
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Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 66:5–12, 16–20 |
Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40
Let me tell you what he has done for me. Psalm 66:16
Testimony time was the segment in our church service when people shared how God had been at work in their lives. Auntie—or Sister Langford as she was known by others in our church family—was known for packing lots of praise into her testimonies. On the occasions when she shared her personal conversion story, one could expect her to take up a good bit of the service. Her heart gushed with praise to God who’d graciously changed her life!
Similarly, the testimony of the writer of Psalm 66 is packed with praise as he testifies about what God had done for His people. “Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” (v. 5). His deeds included miraculous rescue (v. 6), preservation (v. 9), and testing and discipline that resulted in His people being brought to a better place (vv. 10–12). While there are God-experiences that we have in common with other believers in Jesus, there are also things unique to our individual journeys. Have there been times in your life when God has particularly made Himself known to you? Those are worth sharing with others who need to hear how He’s worked in your life. “Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me” (v. 16).
How can you more readily share your experiences of God’s goodness with others? How have you been inspired to trust Him more when you’ve heard others share His awesome deeds?
Heavenly Father, I rejoice in the varied expressions of Your kindness to me. Help me not to keep these things to myself.
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