Let Jesus Lighten Your Load
Sun. March 1st
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (RSV)
I don’t know what burden you’re carrying. I don’t know what’s weighing you down. But I do know the
answer.
Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 RSV).
For many years I never understood that verse, because I didn’t know what a yoke was. When Jesus
says, “Take my yoke upon you,” it sounded to me like he was going to give me something else to deal
with. I’ve got a heavy enough burden, Lord. I don’t need to take your problems on me.
A yoke is actually a board that has two arches in it that you put over two cattle so they can pull a cart.
The value of a yoke is that it halves the load. Without a yoke, one cow’s got to pull that entire load by
itself. But if you yoke up the cow with another cow, then the two cows pull the load together, and the
load is half as heavy.
When Jesus says to take his yoke upon you, he’s not saying he’s going to give you his problems.
Jesus doesn’t have any problems! He’s saying he’s going to share your problem. He’s going to share
your load. He’s going to take your stress on himself and bear it with you.
Wow!
He says three verbs in this verse: come, learn, and take. Jesus says, “Come to me. Team up with
me. Then, learn how I do it. Take on a lighter load. This is going to reduce your stress. This is going
to make it easier for you to navigate.”
When you’re yoked with Christ, you move together with him. You move in the same direction and at
the same speed. And, you move in the right direction and at the right speed.
Talk It Over
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Why is it sometimes difficult to accept help from someone who wants to share your burdens
and make it easier on you?
Do you have people in your life who are willing to do that for you? How are you offering
yourself to others to help reduce their stress?
God already knows all about your stress. How will you show him that you are ready to take on
his yoke?
‘Dear Friends, God the Father Chose You Long Ago’
Mon. March 2nd
"Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become His
children." (1 Peter 1:2 LB)
Discouragement will come; it always does. Maybe you feel discouraged because of a
struggling relationship, stalled career, or failing health.
When discouragement comes, you can rest assured in one thing: God chose you to be
a part of his family. Long before you chose God, he picked you!
The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:2, "Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and
knew you would become His children" (LB).
God didn't choose you because of something you've done. It's all because of who he
is. You weren't good enough, smart enough, or spiritual enough for him to save you.
He saved you because he loves you.
And that’s good news — really good news! That’s the good news that your whole life
should be built upon.
Because you did nothing to earn your place in God's family, you can do nothing to lose
it. 1 Peter 1:3 says, "For it is His boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of
being born again so that now we are members of God's own family."
Your place at God’s table is based upon his mercy, not your performance. You didn't
deserve it in the first place; you don't deserve it now. The Creator of the Universe says:
"I want you to be a part of my family."
Talk About It
• How should the knowledge of your secure place in God's family change your
attitude and perspective on life?
• What do you need to do today to rest in the security of God's love and
acceptance?
God Uses People Who Want to Share Their Godly Passions
Tues. March 3rd
"It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good." (Galatians 4:18 NIV)
God is a passionate God. He passionately loves some things and passionately hates other things. As
you grow closer to him, he'll give you a passion for something he cares about deeply so you can be a
spokesperson for him in the world.
It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. Whatever it is,
you'll feel compelled to speak up about it and do what you can to make a difference.
You cannot keep yourself from talking about what you care about most. Jesus said, "A man's heart
determines his speech" (Matthew 12:34 LB).
Here are two examples:
David, who said, "My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me" (Psalm 69:9 LB).
• Jeremiah, who said, "Your message burns in my heart and bones, and I cannot keep silent"
(Jeremiah 20:9 CEV).
God gives some people a godly passion to champion a cause. It's often a problem they personally
experienced such as abuse, addiction, infertility, depression, a disease, or some other difficulty.
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Sometimes God gives people a passion to speak up for a group of others who can't speak for
themselves: the unborn, the persecuted, the poor, the imprisoned, the mistreated, the disadvantaged,
and those who are denied justice.
The Bible is filled with commands to defend the defenseless.
God uses passionate people to further his Kingdom. He may give you a godly passion for starting
new churches, strengthening families, funding Bible translations, or training Christian leaders, or you
may be given a godly passion for reaching a particular group of people with the Gospel:
businessmen, teenagers, foreign exchange students, young mothers, or those with a particular hobby
or sport.
If you ask God, he’ll burden your heart for a specific country or ethnic group that desperately needs a
strong Christian witness.
God gives us different passions so everything he wants done in the world will get done. You should
not expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion.
Instead we must listen to and value each other's life message, because nobody can say it all. Never
belittle someone else's godly passion.
The Bible says, "It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good" (Galatians 4:18 NIV).
Talk About It
• What passion has God given you?
• What are you currently doing to pursue that passion?
• Do you believe God wants you to do something more or different to accomplish his goals?
• How can you support the godly passions of your friends and family?
God Uses People with a Passion for Him
Weds. March 4th
"'My wayward children,' says the LORD, 'come back to me, and I will heal your wayward
hearts.' 'Yes, we’re coming,' the people reply, 'for you are the LORD our God.'" (Jeremiah
3:22 NLT)
When was the last time you hungered for God, wanting intimacy with him so badly you
chased after him with abandonment, desiring God so much you'd follow him through the
desert and through an empty and barren land (Jeremiah 2:2)?
If you're like me, you may be thinking, "God, I don't think that kind of love is humanly
possible!"
And if you're thinking that, you're right. Only with Jesus within are we capable of loving
God with the supernatural mystery of his own love. God is able to change the desires
within you; he is able to rekindle a deep, devoted love within you.
If you've lost your passion for God, the way to get it back is not to try harder until you
somehow reach that level of love. The way back is to trust God's promises to bring you
back into deep devotion (Jeremiah 2:2).
God will forgive our prodigal nature; he'll cure us of our lethargic faith. He says, "My
wayward children ... come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."
And our response should be, "Yes, we’re coming ... for you are the LORD our God"
(Jeremiah 3:22 NLT).
Talk About It
• How would you describe your passion for God?
• If God will cure our lethargic faith, what keeps us from returning to a deep passion
for God?
God Uses People Who Fortify Their Faith
Thurs. March 5th
"Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants, not evil
things people want." (1 Peter 4:2 NCV)
What are you doing to fortify your faith? Here are just a few things you could be doing:
Study the Bible. We need to make his Word a part of our lives. God’s Word is inspired,
and it will help you to be fully equipped to do everything God wants you to do.
Maintain a quiet time. How are you doing with your quiet time? For some of you, that's a
guilt-inducing statement. I think that may be because you're trying to have a quiet time like
someone taught you long ago, but the method you were taught doesn't fit the way God
shaped you. What do you need to do to spend some daily time in God's Word?
Read Christian books. Do yourself a favor, and learn all you can. Keep feeding your soul
with what other believers have to say. If all I do is study the Bible for myself and don’t
listen to what other believers have to say about it, I'm not gaining from the wisdom and
experience of other believers.
Keep your testimony fresh. What is God doing in your life? When was the last time you
wrote out your testimony? If you write it out, God will give you the chance to share it.
When you share your testimony with others, it fortifies your faith.
Be faithful to a small group of believers. The Bible says we should "encourage one
another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11a NIV). We are in a marathon of
faith, and we need to run together. We need the support and encouragement of other
believers.
Talk About It
• What is your plan for regular Bible study?
• Talk with your small group, and make a list of great Christian books to read.
• Take time this week to write out your testimony. It doesn't have to be long. Share it
with some Christian friends so they can help you focus what you're trying to say.
• Talk about ways to encourage each other in your small group.
God Uses People with Simplified Lives
Fri. March 6th
"So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds
on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us."
(Hebrews 12:1b TEV)
If we’re going to be used for God’s purposes, we have to focus our lives. The Bible
compares life to a marathon, and that means we have to simplify our lives.
The Bible says, “So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the
sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies
before us” (Hebrews 12:1b TEV).
This means we should remove anything from our lives that would get in the way and hold
us back. If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. He’ll even keep you so
busy doing good things that you won’t have time for the best things.
That’s why the Bible tells you to simplify your life. You have to get rid of the unnecessary
baggage in life. Don’t try to do it all. Do what matters most. A serious runner focuses on
the race.
I’ve heard people say, “I would love to live my life for God’s purpose, but I just don’t have
time.” The reason they don’t have time is they haven’t taken the time to simplify their life.
Talk About It
There are all sorts of things that can keep us from simplifying our lives. How do any of the
following distract you and keep you from simplifying your life?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Trying to be like others instead of being who God created you to be
Trying to make everybody happy
Trying to meet the arbitrary expectations of others
Too many hobbies or too much time with a hobby
Social media, movies, or television
The wrong kinds of relationships
The mistakes of your past
God Uses People Who Practice Good Health Principles
Sat. March 7th
"Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who
was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for
a price. So use your bodies for God's glory." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TEV)
"Sanctify" means to dedicate something for personal use by God. You can take your
house and say, "God, I dedicate this house to you." You can say, "God, I take this car and
dedicate it to you." It means taking whatever you have and giving it to God for his use.
The Bible says, "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives
in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he
bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TEV).
God uses all kinds of vessels, but he wants your vessel to be pure, clean, and healthy. If
you want to be used by God, you need to get in shape. When your body — your vessel —
is sanctified for God's use, it needs to be in the best possible shape to do the things God
calls you to do. The Bible says, "You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense
to follow your commands" (Psalm 119:73 NLT).
God set up the principles of good health. He says you have to balance eating and
exercising and sleeping. You need all three of these for good health.
God wants you to be just as healthy physically as you are spiritually so that he can do a
great work through you.
Talk About It
• How are your sleeping habits? Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is go
to bed.
• Do you eat to live or live to eat? How do you think your eating habits affect your
spiritual health?
Who Defines Who You Are?
Sun. March 8th
"The Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of
Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'" (Judges 6:14 NIV)
Gideon was the least member of the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh.
His task on the day in question was the tedious threshing of wheat, a process where the
cereal grain is knocked loose from the chaff.
But this devotional is not about agriculture. It's about God's ability to see you for who you
are meant to be, not for what you appear to be. God saw Gideon as a mighty warrior and
judge who would lead the Israelites back to their proper worship of God (Judges 6:12).
Gideon, on the other hand, saw himself as just a guy cranking wheat through a creaky old
winepress.
But that didn’t matter to God. He told Gideon: “Go in the strength you have and save Israel
out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14 NIV)
Take note: The strength of the Sender is more important than the strength of the one
being sent. God asks, "Am I not sending you?"
Gideon was still stuck in tunnel vision, believing what he thought and what he saw was the
truth. To paraphrase the ancient Hebrew, Gideon told God, "I just don’t have what it takes,
Lord. I know you’re perfect, but I think you made a mistake" (Judges 6:15).
God, in a sense, says, "Get your head out of the wheat dust and pay attention to me. I will
be with you and so, yes, you will strike down all the Midianites as if they are no more than
one man" (Judges 6:16).
It doesn't matter what Gideon said about himself or what others said about Gideon. Only
one opinion counts: God's.
What God says about Gideon is the truth.
What God says about you is the truth. You are a precious child, created in his image, a
sweet aroma that is pleasing to the Lord.
Talk About It -• In what ways have others described you that may be at odds with how God
describes you?
• How about the way you describe yourself? Is it at odds with the truth God says
about you? Ask God to help you see yourself the way he sees you.
• What about the way you describe others? Ask God to help you see them the way he
sees them.
The Great Reversal: the Last Will Be First
Mon. March 9th
"And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will
be first then." (Matthew 20:16 NLT)
One day there will be the great reversal. Some of the people you envy on Earth will be at
the back of the line on judgment day!
We've been talking about how the sin of envy keeps you from living out your purpose:
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Envy denies your uniqueness: "God, you knit me together in my mother's womb
.... Your workmanship is marvelous.... You watched me as I was formed in the dark
of the womb. You saw me before I was born." (Psalm 139:13-15 NLT)
Envy is an insult to God: “Who are you, a mere human being, to criticize God?
Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it 'Why have you made
me like this?'" (Romans 9:20 NLT)
Envy divides your attention: "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one
and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24 NLT)
Envy distracts you from your purpose: "Anyone who lets himself be distracted
from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62 LB)
Envy wastes your time and energy: "I've learned why people work so hard to
succeed; it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But this is
foolishness, like chasing the wind.... Here is someone who lives alone. He has no
child or brother, yet he is always working, never satisfied with what he has. Yet he
never asks, 'For whom am I working so hard?' This is useless, too—and a miserable
way to live." (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 TEV)
Envy leads to every other sin: "For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and
contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest,
disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil ..." (James 3:16 AMP)
Refocus on Pleasing God
Tues. March 10th
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now
hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:2-3 NIV)
One important antidote to overcoming envy is to refocus on pleasing God. That simply
means that we look at life from God's viewpoint and recognize that material things are all
temporary; they're not going to last. Instead, we can refocus on things that matter and give
attention to things that are going to count and last for eternity — like loving, knowing, and
serving God.
When I focus on making God number one in my life, remembering that he made me
unique and has a plan for my life, then competition becomes irrelevant. That’s because I'm
not competing with anyone else. I'm unique, and so are you.
Instead of living with envy, we can make a choice not to compare ourselves with others
and allow it to destroy our lives and relationships. We can focus on what we have and
really be content. Every day, we can show our love for others by enjoying their successes.
And, most importantly, we can refocus on pleasing God with our lives by recognizing he
made us unique and has a special plan for our lives.
The truth is, envy is really a battle with God. You resent his decisions. You are accusing
him of being unfair. This means you don’t really trust him to know what’s best for you.
Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees you and to be all that he created you to be.
Look at things from his point of view and realize that material things aren't going to last,
but relationships do. As your perspective begins to change, you'll see that it really is
possible to have a life without envy.
Talk About It • Write down this reminder: "God may have a reason why I don't have what I want."
How will this truth help you overcome envy?
• One sign of envy is the language you use: "It's not fair" or "Why not me?" or "I work
as hard as they do!" What do these phrases say about what you might be thinking?
Are these phrases a part of your everyday speech?
• Fact: Envy distracts you from your life purpose. Get on with your life!
Be Grateful, Not Regretful
Weds. March 11th
"It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else."
(Ecclesiastes 6:9b GN)
In order to overcome envy, you and I need to rejoice in what we have. Instead of focusing
on what you don't have, you should be grateful for what you do have. Your "wants" will
pale in comparison when you realize that what you already have is more than enough.
Too often we think, "I have this, but if I get more, I'll be even happier." That’s just not true.
We are taught to be discontent, but we don’t have to be if we focus on what good things
we already have.
Does that mean we'll never have a hard time handling the success of other people? Of
course not! We all do from time to time. In fact, human instinct will always cause us to ask,
"Why did that person get a promotion when I didn't?" or "How come they're having a
wedding and I'm still single?" or "Why do they get to go to Europe and we have to pay for
braces?"
Let me clarify this: Envy is not having desires, dreams, or ambitions. You can have
desires, dreams, or ambitions without being envious of others. Envy is when you resent
others who already have the things you hope to have or who have achieved the things you
hope to achieve. Envy is believing you can't be happy until you get those things.
Envy is based on a myth: I must have more than you to be happy!
Talk About It • Be grateful for who you are and what you have. Instead of complaining, remember
that everything is a gift! How will the following Scripture change your life? "Isn't
everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what's the
point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need!" (1
Corinthians 4:7-8 MSG)
• Write: "I already have more than I deserve!" Talk about the meaning of that
statement with a friend.
• Envy asks, "Why them?" Gratitude asks, "Why me?" Which question do you tend to
ask?
When You Envy Others, You Deny Your Own Uniqueness
Thurs. March 12th
“You knit me together in my mother's womb … Your workmanship is marvelous … You
watched me as I was formed ... in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a
single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT)
God has a custom life just for you, and that means you don’t have to imitate someone
else’s lifestyle! If you focus on God’s plan for your life and on pleasing him, you won’t be
bothered with envy.
The Bible says the solution is to see yourself as God does. Psalm 139:13 says, “You knit
me together in my mother's womb” (NLT). You are unique and different, and there is
nobody like you in the world, so why compare yourself to somebody else?
Making positive changes in life and helping others is always good, but when you strive to
be the person God made you to be, that’s when you’ll find real meaning, purpose,
fulfillment, and satisfaction in living.
Of course, you may be living in the middle of circumstances that make it hard to
appreciate your uniqueness and to understand that this is a key factor to moving past
envy. Be encouraged! If only you could see all that God does for you and know how
tirelessly he works to take care of your needs. He promises to bring good out of every
circumstance, mistake, and tragedy.
Recognize your uniqueness. You don't have to envy anybody. You just need to become
all that God meant for you to be in the first place.
When I focus on making God number one in my life, remembering that he made me
unique and has a plan for my life, then competition becomes irrelevant. That’s because I'm
not competing with anybody else. I'm unique, and so are you.
Talk About It • Take the time to identify the gifts, talents, and traits that make you unique. Have you
praised God for his workmanship that is evident in you?
• What difficult circumstance are you facing today? Ask God to help you trust in his
provision and plan in the midst of your circumstances.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Fri. March 13th
"Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of
work done well and won’t need to compare himself with someone else." (Galatians 6:4 LB)
Truth be told, you cannot be happy and envious at the same time. In fact, one of the
greatest secrets of having happiness in your life is learning how to eliminate envy. Just
acknowledging that you struggle with envy can be painful, but it is the first step toward a
change of values and a more mature spiritual life.
God says the way you change envy is by changing your perspective. While you may not
be able to completely change the feelings that cause envy, you can change the way you
look at things, and that will eliminate envy from your life.
To change your perspective, the first thing you have to do is stop comparing yourself to
others. The Bible says satisfaction comes from doing your best, not comparing yourself to
others: “Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal
satisfaction of work done well and won’t need to compare himself with someone else”
(Galatians 6:4 LB).
Take an envy self-examination. Do you compare your life, your home, your husband, your
kids — even your lawn — to other people’s? This exam may reveal some surprises and
show you that there are more important things to do than compare yourself or what you
have to others.
When you strive to be the person God made you to be, you’ll find real meaning, purpose,
fulfillment, and satisfaction. You can’t focus on your purpose while looking at other people.
Talk About It
• What surprised by the results of your envy self-examination?
• How does your perspective need to change so that you do not feel envious toward
others?
Envy Will Make You Miserable
Sat. March 14th
"Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited ..." (1 Corinthians 13:4b HCSB)
Did you ever play "King of the Hill"? You know the game: There's only room for one guy at
the top, and when you make it there, you’re the King of the Hill! We’re envious of the
person at the top, and, when we finally get there, we like to make others envious of our
position!
As adults, we still play that game — we just do it more subtly. "Hey! Look at me! Notice
the kind of car I'm driving! Notice my jewelry! My kids are smarter! Notice the color of my
credit card!"
But the truth is, envy can make you miserable. Envy is usually an expression of insecurity.
When we feel inferior, we get envious.
When I was in the fifth grade, I got a new bicycle for Christmas. It was one of those with
big wide handlebars and a banana seat. I thought I was hot. I was so proud of this bicycle
until I rode down the street to my friend’s house and discovered that he’d gotten a fancier
one. My joy went down the tubes. I was envious when I compared what I had with what he
had.
When I look back now, I realize the real problem was my low self-esteem. When we have
low self-esteem, we’ll always feel threatened by people who are more beautiful and better
dressed as well as those who have more status, more education, and more charisma —
or better bikes!
No one is immune to envy, and you probably know from experience that it can make you
miserable. Envy is to your soul what cancer is to your body. It will eat you alive if you don’t
watch it.
Envy can cause us to become obsessed with changing our circumstances. We think the
answer is more money, so we become consumed with making more money. The problem
is that once you get to that level, there's a next level. If you're motivated by envy, you're
going to burn out, because there's always a next level.
Because envy is a hidden sin, we tend to think it’s not as bad as overt ones. But envy is
destructive!
It devalues others. It destroys relationships. It causes you to miss out on sharing in much
joy, such as weddings, births, or promotions. Instead of being envious, God wants us to
be happy when he blesses others! When you learn to enjoy others' success, you’ll
experience a lot more joy.
Talk About It
• What joyful experience has God made available to you that you were unable to
appreciate because of your envy?
• What can you thank God for today that you already have?
At a Dead End? Expect a Rescue
Sun. March 15th
"'What do you mean, "If I can"?' Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes.'"
(Mark 9:23 NLT)
God will build your faith by planting a dream within you. But that dream will require a
decision of faith, and then God will stretch your faith as you face delays, difficulties, and
dead ends.
It is then that God comes in and delivers. God does a miracle. God provides a solution.
For instance:
In Moses' case, God parted the Red Sea.
• In Abraham's case, he and Sarah miraculously conceived a child.
• In Joseph's case, all of a sudden his dream came true, and he found himself no
longer imprisoned in a dungeon; instead, he was the second in command in Egypt.
And Jesus was resurrected! God can even turn a crucifixion into resurrection, and that
means he has the power to transform your dead ends into deliverance. He builds your
faith through delays, difficulties, and dead ends, so that when he delivers you, God gets all
the credit!
•
When faced with a dead end, the best response is to expect God to act. What are you
expecting God to do in your life? Jesus says, "According to your faith let it be done to you"
(Matthew 9:29b NIV).
When you wait for deliverance, then God gets the credit. And you can look back to see
how God led you through a path of faith, expanding and increasing your trust of him with
every step. Your faith is stronger, and now you can say with confidence, "I am expecting
the Lord to rescue me again, so that once again I will see his goodness to me ..." (Psalm
27:13 LB).
Talk About It -• How have you seen God deliver you or a friend or family member from a delay or
difficulty in pursuit of a dream?
• What great expectations do you have for what God wants to do in your life?
Dead Ends Are Part of God's Plan
Mon. March 16th
"At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear,
in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this
experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves,
but in God who can raise the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:8b-9 PH)
When the pursuit of your dream deteriorates from difficult to impossible, when the situation
looks hopeless — congratulations! You're in good company.
Even Paul went through dead ends: "At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the
burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet
we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we
might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead" (2 Corinthians
1:8-9 PH).
If God can raise dead people physically, he can raise people who are dead emotionally.
He can raise a dead marriage. He can resurrect a dead career. He can resurrect you from
a health problem. If God can raise the dead, he can do anything.
In Abraham’s situation, God said, "I want you to become the father of a nation," but then
Abraham had to wait until he was 99 years old before he had his first child. The Bible
shows Abraham’s situation going from difficult to impossible. He looks at his body and
says, "No way!" Then he looks at his wife and says, "Double no way!"
But Sarah got pregnant, and they laughed about it. When the baby was born, they named
him Isaac, which means "laughter."
God often lets problems become impossibilities. The disciples planned to follow Jesus.
They thought he was the Messiah, but then the next thing they know Jesus is hanging on
the cross, dying. Was this a dead end for the disciples? For three days it seemed that
way, but then Jesus walked out of the tomb.
When you face a dead end, you may start asking, "What’s going on, God? Did I miss your
will? Your plan? Have I missed your vision?" Keep in mind that dead ends are part of
God’s plan for you.
What’s the best response to a dead end? "He has delivered us from such a terrible death,
and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again" (2
Corinthians 1:10 HCSB).
Talk About It
• Have you ever missed seeing God's vision because you thought he had abandoned
you (when your problem was seemingly impossible)?
• Ask God to help build your trust in him and his promise of deliverance.
The Difficulties While God Delays
Tues. March 17th
"This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by
all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith,
which is infinitely more valuable, than gold ..." (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH)
In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream. Then, he'll urge you to make a
decision. But then he'll allow a delay, because in the delay he matures you and prepares
you for what is to come.
The truth is, you'll have difficulties while God delays. This isn't because he doesn't care
about you or that he's forgotten your circumstances; rather, it's one of the ways he pushes
you toward the deep end of faith.
As God delays, you'll face two types of difficulties: circumstances and critics. This is a
natural part of life. God designed it this way because he knows we grow stronger when
facing adversity and opposition.
When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt into the desert toward the Promised
Land, he had one problem after another. First there was no water. Then there was no
food. Then there were a bunch of complainers. Then there were poisonous snakes.
Moses was doing what God wanted him to do, but he still had problems.
David was anointed king, and then for the next several years he was hunted down by
Saul. Joseph had a dream of becoming a ruler, yet he was sold into slavery and thrown
into prison on a false charge where he languished, forgotten. Imagine the difficulties Noah
had building a floating zoo!
The Bible says that when Moses died, Joshua was appointed the new leader. Moses led
the people across the desert, and then Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Did he
get the easy part? The Bible says that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land,
there were giants in the land. Even in the Promised Land there were problems!
God does this because he is building our faith and character. When we finally come to a
place where the difficulties become so bad, where we've reached our limit, where we've
tried everything and exhausted all our options, it is then that God begins a mighty work
through us: "This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily
harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident — it happens to prove
your faith, which is infinitely more valuable, than gold ..." (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH)
Talk About It -• What circumstances has God brought you through that have grown your faith the
most?
• What do you think about viewing your critics as God's way of growing your faith?
When God Says 'Wait'
Weds. March 18th
"But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time
approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these
things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"
(Habakkuk 2:3 LB)
Even as you make a decision to follow the dream God places in your heart, you can
expect a delay. God will not fulfill your dream immediately, because this is another step
toward building your faith.
In Habakkuk 2, God says, “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily,
surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled” (Habakkuk 2:3 LB).
When delay comes to your dreams, you’ll most likely start asking the question, “When,
Lord? When are you going to answer my prayer?”
And we hate to wait. We don’t like to wait in a doctor’s office, in traffic jams, at restaurants,
for Christmas presents, or for anything else. But what we hate worst of all is waiting on
God.
We all have to go through these waiting periods. Even Jesus waited for 30 years in the
carpenter’s shop before setting out on his public ministry.
Why do we wait? It teaches us to trust in God. We learn that his timing is perfect. One of
the facts we have to learn is this: God’s delay never destroys his purpose.
A delay is not a denial. Children must learn the difference between “no” and “not yet,” and
so must we. Many times we think God is saying, “No,” but he is really saying, “Not yet.”
Talk About It
• Have you ever given up on a dream because there was a delay?
• From this point, how will you respond to God's timing as you pursue your dream?
Decision Making: Use Your Muscles of Faith
Thurs. March 19th
“But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person
with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the
wind. . . . Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in
everything they do.” (James 1:6, 8 NLT)
After God gives you a dream, the next step for building your faith is decision — God
challenges you to do something about your dream.
Nothing is going to happen to that dream until you wake up and put it into action. You
have to make the decision to go for it! For every 10 dreamers in the world, there is only
one decision maker. A lot of people have dreams, but they never get to step 2 — making
the decision to trust God and follow their dream.
James says, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver,
for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and
tossed by the wind. . . . Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are
unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6, 8 NLT).
Faith is a verb. It’s active and not passive. It’s something you do. Decision making is a
faith-building activity. You use your muscles of faith.
Faithful decision making requires two things:
1. You must decide to invest your time, money, reputation, and energy. You lay it on
the line; you take the plunge. You say, “God, you’ve told me to do this, and I’m going to
be faithful to do it!”
2. You have to let go of security. You cannot move in faith and hold onto the past at the
same time. You have to move forward. Moses had to let go of his position in Pharaoh’s
kingdom in order to do God’s will. Nehemiah gave up a secure job in order to go build a
wall around Jerusalem. In other words, if you want to walk on water, you have to get
out of the boat.
God brings you to a point of decision so your faith will build as you move toward the
dream God has given you.
Talk About It
• What step will you take today to work toward the dream God has given you?
• What do you need to let go of so that you can move forward in pursuing your
dream?
God Gives You a Dream to Build Your Faith
Fri. March 20th
st
1 Day of Spring
“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more
than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers,
desires, thoughts, or hopes.” (Ephesians 3:20 LB)
Faith is like a muscle: It can be strengthened. It can be weak or it can be strong,
depending on how much you use it.
How does God build your faith? He uses a very predictable pattern. If you understand it,
you can cooperate with him in developing greater faith. It’s like when the father, seeking
help from Jesus for his son, said, “Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!” (Mark
9:22 TEV)
Jesus replied, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? ... Anything is possible if a person believes”
(Mark 9:23 NLT).
The first thing God does to build your faith is give you a dream. When God wants to work
in your life, he always gives you a dream — about yourself, about what he wants you to
do, about how he’s going to use your life to impact the world.
How do you know when a dream is from God or when it’s just something you’ve thought
up yourself? The Bible tells us that God “by his mighty power at work within us is able to
do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our
highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20 LB).
In other words, if a dream comes from God, it will be so big in your life that you can’t do it
on your own. If you could do it on your own, you wouldn’t need faith. And if you don’t have
faith, you’re not pleasing God, because the Bible says whatever is not of faith is sin
(Romans 14:23).
God starts to build your faith by giving you a dream. He may be speaking to you now, but
you just don’t recognize it for what it is. That dream you have, the idea or concept you’ve
been thinking about doing that would be of real benefit to other people — where do you
think that idea came from?
God will never tell you to do something that contradicts his truth. In other words, he won’t
give you a dream of leaving your family and kids and moving to Hollywood to be a movie
star. If you have that dream, then you can know it is not from God.
God starts with a dream as he works within your life to build faith.
Talk About It
• What is it that you’ve been dreaming of doing?
• If you believe this dream is from God, what should you do with it?
Confident in God’s Promises
Sat. March 21st
"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take
possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.'" (Numbers 13:30 NIV)
God wants you confident in the truth that, through him, all things are possible.
Every day of your life, you have a choice:
•
•
You can focus on the bigness of the giants that stand before you, or ...
You can focus on the bigness of the one, true God who is pouring his strength into
you.
Your focus will determine your behavior, and it will influence your faith.
When the Israelites first approached the borders of Canaan, Moses sent scouts into the
Promised Land to assess the situation. Ten of the scouts came back with reports that
focused on the giants in the land, men so big and powerful the scouts feared they could
not be defeated.
However, two of the scouts remained focused on the promise from God that he would
hand the land over to the Israelites. One of those scouts, Caleb, silenced the others when
he said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it”
(Numbers 13:30b NIV).
He was focused on the magnitude of God, not the magnitude of any giant challenges
ahead. Today you may see many giants that challenge your faith — giants of time and
energy, finances and resources, fear and faithlessness.
God wants you to be confident that he’s pouring his strength into you so you can do
whatever it takes to defeat these giants. God says you can take possession of an
abundant life because he is with you.
By seeing his hand sweep away the personal giants in your life, you’ll be even more
confident that you can do all things through him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).
Talk About It
• What giants are you facing today?
•
Meditate on the greatness or "bigness" of God. How do your problems compare?
Trying to Satisfy Ourselves
Sun. March 22nd
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living
water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah
2:13 NIV)
Jeremiah 2:13 says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the
spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold
water” (NIV).
Those of us not raised on a farm or a ranch might not know that a cistern is just an
underground container to catch and hold water. In this verse, God mentions two of the
specific ways the nation of Israel had disobeyed him. He tells them they had forsaken him,
the true God, and they were trying to satisfy themselves instead of relying on him.
It’s like this. We’re hopelessly lost in the desert, dying of thirst, seeking anything to quench
our parched, dry throats. We see a kiosk with big flashing neon lights, and God is holding
up a sign that says, “Living Water Available Here.” Yet we say, “No, thanks, God!
Appreciate the offer, but I see a shovel over there. Think I’ll dig my own cistern!”
Off we trot to start digging our own well and our own cistern. We abandon God — who
doesn’t just have water but a spring of water that will never dry up — and decide to figure
our problem out by ourselves.
The problem is our cisterns always break; they never hold up. The water leaks out, so we
remain thirsty, unable to quench our own thirst.
Here’s how this plays out in my life. See if you can relate.
I’m having a bad day. Any number of things have gone wrong, and I’m feeling down. What
God wants me to do is to first talk to him. He wants me to read his Word and remind
myself of his ability to quench the ache in my soul. He wants me to readjust my
perspective on my life that day and seek the Spring of Living Water.
Instead, I often feel the emptiness and ache in my soul and decide to call my husband or
my friend in the hopes that someone else will cheer me up. But shortly after I do that, I
realize that the good feelings are gone, and I’m still lonely, afraid, or upset. Then I decide I
will feel better if I turn on the TV for a while and find something to distract me. That too
works for a bit.
Yet the bad feelings are still there. As I walk through the kitchen, the refrigerator calls my
name, and I think food will make it better, so I consume mass quantities of chips and salsa
and guacamole. But I’m still empty. I’ve talked to a friend, distracted myself from my
worries, eaten far too much, and I’m still sad inside.
Talk About It -• To whom or what do you turn when you have a bad day or experience?
•
Describe a time when you sought God to fill a void in your life that seemed
impossible to face?
It Is Finished
Mon. March 23rd
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 NIV)
When Jesus died on the cross, his work of redemption was complete. Matthew, Mark, and Luke say
he gave out a loud cry as he died, but John adds the detail of what Jesus said in that moment: “It is
finished.”
Jesus, a carpenter most likely familiar with buying and selling, used a business term that could be
rendered “paid in full.”
It is finished. It is paid in full.
Jesus completed the work required to bring us back into communion with God. No other work is
required. We cannot do anything to further the work of Jesus, and, even if we somehow could, there
is no need to do so.
The picture is this: Jesus, having completed his mission, gives a victory shout. It’s a shout emerging
from his joy — not an “I’m glad this is over” but more like a good and faithful son hearing his father
say, “It’s done. Well done!”
Jesus responds with this glorious shout, “It is finished!” The victory is won; the captives are free to
come home.
Then to signify that this singular path to peace with God was now open, the “curtain of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38 NIV; see also Matthew 27 and Luke 23).
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the
cross” (Colossians 1:19–20).
Talk About It •
•
Does your perspective on Jesus’ death change when you picture him saying “It is
finished” with joy?
Are you living with the joy that comes from knowing you have been reconciled to
God?
The Definition of Joy
Tues. March 24th
“We're depending on God; he's everything we need. What's more, our hearts brim
with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got —
that's what we're depending on.” (Psalm 33:20-22 MSG)
Finding joy is a challenge for me. I’m not naturally an upbeat person; I’m more of a
melancholy. When I talk about joy, I’m not doing so from the perspective of a generally
peppy person who never has a bad day. In fact, it’s because of my own inability to live
with joy that led me to explore why my experiences didn’t line up with Scripture.
My problem was my definition of joy. I thought joy meant feeling good all the time. That’s
impossible! Even for those who are naturally upbeat and optimistic, that’s impossible. We
have to start somewhere more realistic — and close to Scripture.
So here’s the definition I’ve come up with from studying Scripture:
Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the
quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the
determined choice to praise God in every situation.
You’ll find nothing in that definition about happy feelings, because, as we all know,
happiness is fleeting and temporary.
We tend to think that life comes in hills and valleys. In reality, it’s much more like train
tracks. Every day of your life, wonderful, good things happen that bring pleasure and
contentment and beauty to you. At the exact same time, painful things happen to you or
those you love that disappoint you, hurt you, and fill you with sorrow. These two tracks —
both joy and sorrow — run parallel to each other every single moment of your life.
That’s why, when you’re in the midst of an amazing experience, you have a nagging
realization that it’s not perfect. And while you’re experiencing something painful, there’s
the glorious realization that there is still beauty and loveliness to be found. They’re
inseparable.
If you look down train tracks into the brightness of the horizon, the tracks become one.
You can’t distinguish them as two separate tracks. That’s how it will be for us, too. One
day, our parallel tracks of joy and sorrow will merge into one. The day we meet Jesus
Christ in person and see the brightness of who he is, it will all come together for us. Then
it will all make complete sense.
Talk About It
• What is your definition of joy?
• Does it need to change to match the Bible? How?
Count It All Joy
Weds. March 25th
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.
You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true
colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become
mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2-4 MSG)
We don’t get a chance to hide or pretend when the bottom falls out of our lives.
When we get bad news or a health scare, someone dies, or our finances collapse, all our
great words about faith are worthless.
What matters is what we do in those circumstances.
The Bible says in the first chapter of James that our “faith-life is forced into the open and
shows its true colors” during hard times. It doesn’t matter what I say about living a life of
joy and faith. What I really believe is obvious to everyone —especially to myself — when
bad times come.
So what do we do in those moments?
James 1 says to “consider it a sheer gift when tests and challenges come at you from all
sides.” Another version of James 1 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters ...” I
have to be honest: That’s rarely my first reaction! I can probably count on one hand the
number of times I’ve been initially successful at considering hard times a “gift” or “counted
it all joy.”
No, I’m like you. My first reaction is usually anger, despair, or bitterness — not joy or
thankfulness for the “gift” of difficulties. When I react like that, I get disappointed in how far
I still have to go to be a mature woman of God.
But that’s exactly the point James is making. We hate the process that makes us like
Christ because it involves pain, sorrow, stress, and upheaval. Yet we all want the product:
spiritual maturity. James tells us not to try and wiggle out of the hard times too soon. If we
do, we will short-circuit the process and remain immature little babies.
I don’t want to be a spiritual or emotional baby. Do you? I want my faith-life to be sturdy
and strong, mature and well-developed. I’m willing to let trials and troubles expose my
faith-life so I’ll know to stay on the path until I’m finished.
I want my true colors to show.
Talk About It
•
•
How have you allowed God to use your recent struggles to help you grow
spiritually?
What do you think it looks like to "count it all joy"?
False Sources of Joy
Thurs. March 26th
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and
where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)
If you’re like me, you want to experience joy on a daily basis, but you’re not sure how to
get there. It’s ridiculously easy to look for joy in all the wrong places. Everyone wants it,
but somehow we often head off in the complete opposite direction to find it. For example,
we try to find it in:
People: Even though we know better, we expect the people around us to meet our needs,
take care of us, make us happy, understand us, and appreciate us. We expect them to
love us 100 percent right, 100 percent of the time!
Possessions: Material belongings — or the lack of them — have a way of shaping our
lives. A new pair of shoes, a new computer program, a better car, or a better lawn mower
have the power to improve our mood and outlook.
Places: For many of us, where we live is a key to our sense of fulfillment and joy. Where
we live, who our neighbors are, what shape our house is in, and what our yard looks like
can be powerful drivers in our search for joy.
Position: For many, this can make or break their level of contentment. Where do I fit on
the totem pole at work? Am I climbing up the ladder fast enough? Who’s ahead of me?
Who do I need to knock down so I can advance? More importantly, who’s behind me?
Do you know what these four sources of joy have in common? They’re all false. They all
fail to deliver long-term joy. They all disappoint and fail to satisfy the deepest longing for
joy in our souls.
The Bible says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not
break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew
6:19-21 NIV).
People, possessions, places, and positions are too flimsy to hold up the weight of our
expectations and our desire to experience joy.
Only Jesus can meet those expectations.
Talk About It -•
•
How have you been searching for joy or contentment in people, possessions,
places, or position?
Explain the difference between happiness and joy?
Jesus, Our Model of Joy
Fri. March 27th
“And Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” (John 2:2 NIV)
In yesterday’s devotional, we talked about a major roadblock we must overcome to
experience the kind of joy the Bible teaches us about: our views of God and Jesus. I hope
you’ve spent some time thinking about your perceptions of Jesus — whether he’s mostly
the Man of Sorrows or mostly the Man of Joy to you.
It can be weird to think of Jesus laughing, smiling, rolling around on the ground with
children, and making jokes to his disciples. We tend to see him in a limited way that
minimizes his humanity.
But we know Jesus was a winsome man. His joyous attitude attracted people. He was
invited to parties! Dull, boring people don’t usually get a lot of party invitations. Little kids
loved him! They are usually really good judges of who is fun to be around.
People liked to be around Jesus. He was funny, too. We often miss his humor because
we’re not first-century Jews.
Jesus came to Earth to die. There’s no doubt about his role and his mission. In that role,
he bore our sorrows and suffering upon himself. But he also came reflecting the joy,
kindness, patience, and loveliness of God, his Father. And in that, he was the Man of Joy.
This picture of Jesus is attractive to me. I can identify with him. He knew what it was like to
experience pain and betrayal and immense suffering, but he was also someone who could
laugh, play, and enters fully into life with all its brokenness.
His life gives me permission to seek a life of joy for myself.
Talk About It • How does picturing Jesus as a Man of Joy help you understand the person of God?
• Ask God to make you a person of joy instead of a person of sorrows.
Joy-killers: Misconceptions About God
Sat. March 28th
“Then the Son of Man came, enjoying life ...” (Luke 7:34b Phillips)
Most of us face a major roadblock as we try to experience joy on a regular basis. We
believe the Bible is a heartless, joyless collection of dry rules and regulations. But it isn’t.
The Bible is really a book about joy!
You’ll find more than 500 references to joy, gladness, merriment, rejoicing, delighting, and
laughing in the NIV translation of the Bible. You would think there would be 10 times as
many negative references — to sadness, mourning, tears, etc. — but there are only 158
such references. That tells us that God’s Word is a book of joy!
We also have very powerful misconceptions about who God is and who Jesus is.
Most people perceive God as an angry, judgmental being who roams around looking for
ways to squash all of our fun. Look how he is portrayed in artwork throughout the ages —
as a white-haired old codger with a beard. Look at the artwork portraying Jesus. Most of it
shows him in his time of terrible suffering, hanging bloodied and broken on the cross.
The Bible calls Jesus the “Man of Sorrows” in Isaiah 53, someone who was familiar with
grief and suffering. It’s true: The role Father God gave to Jesus was to be the Savior, the
Redeemer of mankind, and that required horrific suffering and the shedding of his blood in
a graphic, violent way. Yet he wasn’t only a man of sorrows, with little to no capacity for
joy, gladness, and pleasure. In his essence, Jesus was God. And God is a God of joy.
Luke 7:34 says, “Then the Son of Man came, enjoying life ...” (Phillips). That messes with
my stereotype of Jesus as a kill-joy or a man who couldn’t survive without his box of tissue
paper. Jesus was someone who experienced joy as well as sorrow. He sounds like
someone I’d like to get to know! If he could experience joy, then I can, too.
And so can you.
Talk About It
• How does the truth that Jesus came enjoying life change your view of him?
• Why do you think God is a God of joy?
Train Your Mind to Remember God
Sun. March 29th
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself
for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NLT)
The Bible tells us to “pray all the time” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 MSG).
How is it possible to do this? One way is to use “breath prayers” throughout the day, as
many Christians have done for centuries. You choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase
that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath: “You are with me.” “I receive your grace.” “I’m
depending on you.” “I want to know you.” “I belong to you.” “Help me trust you.” You can
also use a short phrase of Scripture: “For me to live is Christ.” “You will never leave me.”
“You are my God.”
Pray it as often as possible so it is rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that your motive
is to honor God, not control him.
Practicing the presence of God is a skill, a habit you can develop. Just as musicians
practice scales every day in order to play beautiful music with ease, you must force
yourself to think about God at different times in your day. You must train your mind to
remember God.
At first you will need to create reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the
awareness that God is with you in that moment. Begin by placing visual reminders around
you. You might post little notes that say, “God is with me and for me right now!”
If you are seeking an experience of his presence through all of this, you’ve missed the
point. We don’t praise God to feel good, but to do good. Your goal is not a feeling, but a
continual awareness of the reality that God is always present. That is the lifestyle of
worship.
Talk About It • Try using breath prayers to worship God throughout today. Do you notice a
difference in your attitude and your interactions with other people?
• What visual reminders will best help you be aware of God’s presence?
• Talk about the way you learned to play an instrument or a sport. Are you applying
the same disciplines and energy into developing a lifestyle of worship?
God Uses People Who Confess Their Sins
Mon. March 30th
"If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be
clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work." (2 Timothy
2:21 NLT)
God uses all kinds of vessels — big vessels and little vessels, ornate vessels and plain
vessels, very expensive ones and very ordinary ones. But there is one thing God will not
use: a dirty vessel. So if you’re going to be used by God, you have to do some cleanup.
Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, because tomorrow the LORD will perform
miracles among you” (Joshua 3:5 TEV). The fact is, God wants to do something great in
your future, too. But you have to start by settling the accounts of the past. You have to
clean up yesterday.
How do you do that? You do it through confession. Augustine said, “The confession of bad
works is the beginning of good works.” We start by dealing with our past. The Bible says,
“If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do right: he will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9 TEV).
I’ll never forget the first time I made a "sin list." I felt like God was a million miles away,
that he was distant. I couldn’t feel his power or his grace. I felt like my prayers were
bouncing off the ceiling. So, one night, I took out a pad of yellow paper and said, “God,
show me every sin between me and you, and I will write it down specifically. I committed it
specifically. I'm going to confess it specifically. We’re going to deal with it right now and
get it out of the way.”
I started writing. And writing. And writing. I thought I was going to write a book, like "The
Purpose Driven Sinner"! I ended up with about nine pages of sins. It was 2 a.m. when I
finished. I confessed all those sins to God and wrote 1 John 1:9 over each.
I’ve had to make a sin list many times since that night, because it’s very easy to let things
come between us and God.
You need to make a sin list on a regular basis so that you have a clean vessel to offer
God for his use. If you only take the garbage out of your house once a month, it’s going to
start stinking.
Talk About It
How long has it been since you confessed specific sins to God?
As you make your sin list, what surprises you about what or how much you are recalling?
God Uses People Who Practice Good Health Principles
Tues. March 31st
“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who
was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for
a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TEV)
“Sanctify” means to dedicate something for personal use by God. You can take your
house and say, “God, I dedicate this house to you.” You can say, “God I take this car and
dedicate it to you.” It means taking whatever you have and giving it to God for his use.
The Bible says, “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives
in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he
bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TEV)
God uses all kinds of vessels, but he wants your vessel to be pure, clean and healthy. If
you want to be used by God, you need to get in shape. When your body—your vessel—is
sanctified for God’s use, it needs to be in the best possible shape to do the things God
calls you to do. The Bible says, “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense
to follow your commands”. (Psalm 119:73 NLT)
God set up the principles of good health. He says you have to balance eating and
exercising and sleeping. You need all three of these for good health.
God wants you to be just as healthy physically as you are spiritually so that he can do
great work through you.
Talk About It
• How are your sleeping habits? Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is go
to bed.
• Do you eat to live or live to eat? How do you think your eating habits affect your
spiritual health?