In Scripture, we read that strong faith is essential for facing life’s uncertainties. It prompts us to look beyond our trials to the One who’s promised to guide and sustain us.

As trust in the Lord increases, obedience becomes a higher priority than pleasure or profit. Moses’ life illustrates this—he chose to forsake the advantage of Egyptian royalty in order to be identified with God’s people. Placing his future in the Almighty’s hands, he became the Israelites’ leader and gave precedence to the Lord’s interests over his own.

As devotion deepens, a second outcome is spiritual discernment—believers develop an ability to look beyond the external appearance to see things as God does. The attractiveness of sin will decrease, and its offer of satisfaction will be recognized as false. At the same time, eternal matters will become more valuable to us. Moses left his livelihood of 40 years to become God’s appointed leader. Pursuing the Lord’s plan became more important than anything else in his life. Despite his misgivings and sense of inadequacy, he placed trust in his heavenly Father.

Finally, a growing faith will not permit misunderstandings and criticisms to deter us from pursuing God’s plan. The Hebrew slaves didn’t make it easy for Moses to lead, but his beliefs enabled him to move forward.

The Hebrew leader’s faith became the defining quality of his life. The Lord wants the same to be true of you. By trusting God deeply, you, like Moses, will be able to meet each day’s challenges with courage and determination.

From Early Light Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

INTROSPECTION: We are indeed living in uncertain times. The world financial crisis that started in the US have reached our shores. We hear news of people being laid-off from their jobs, shortened working hours, and companies filing for bankruptcy or transfering to a more investor friendly country. People are having difficulty making ends meet.

However, all these uncertainties should not worry us if we maintain a strong faith in God. He is our Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. So lift your eyes from the hill from where help will surely come.

The Lord pledges to give us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It’s a promise He always keeps. Yet when life hits us hard, we may be tempted to doubt and give up. If our faith starts to waiver, we need to think about what He’s already given us and then look for evidence of Him at work.

We should remember that our Father has freed us from sin’s penalty. Because Jesus died in our place, we owe nothing for our wrongdoing. He paid the entire price, so we now have righteous standing in God’s sight. At salvation, we each became a new creation and were given Christ’s righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). Originally, we were headed toward permanent separation from the Lord, but now our eternal destiny has been changed to a heavenly home with Him. And God’s Holy Spirit lives within us as our constant companion and source of strength.

We also should keep in mind that even in the worst of situations, our Father works to accomplish His will. Joseph experienced betrayal when his brothers sold him into slavery; later, he suffered injustice when imprisoned for doing the right thing. In the end, he realized that God, in His grace, had used those circumstances to rescue his family from a life-threatening famine (Gen. 45:5). Likewise, the Lord uses adversity to develop our character and dependence upon Him. And He works through our trials to bless us and others

Because of the Lord’s sustaining grace, we have access to His power, wisdom, and guidance. When we ask, God’s Spirit will help us fight doubt and provide the strength to persevere.

From Early Light Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

INTROSPECTION: God has always provided for our needs. Things may not be happening according to what we expect. However, this doesn’t mean that we are forsaken. The Lord is always making things work together for the good of those who love Him. Have faith. Wait on Him.

Paul described himself as the worst of sinners, and yet someone to whom the Lord had expressed His favor and love (1 Tim. 1:16 NIV). Because of divine grace, the apostle became spiritually alive and a member of God’s family. He had a new purpose for living—one that would glorify his heavenly Father and help build His kingdom. From that day forward, Paul’s attitudes and behavior were dramatically different.

Through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s character was increasingly marked by gratitude and compassion. In his writings, the apostle consistently expressed appreciation for God’s blessings and urged others to be grateful as well. His words also revealed humility. A well-educated and influential man, he now counted all his credentials a “loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

After Paul met the Savior, his actions also changed dramatically. He cared deeply about those who were still separated from God, and he fervently desired to help Christians grow in their faith. For the rest of his life, he served the Lord by sharing the gospel, encouraging fellow believers, and meeting the needs of others. He accepted that suffering for the cause of Christ was a part of this new life.

As we read about the apostle’s life, we see grace on display. He was used as God’s ambassador to the Gentiles. Through him, biblical truths were recorded for future generations. The Holy Spirit seeks to transform our lives, just as He did Paul’s. Are you allowing grace to work within you?

From Early Light Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

INTROSPECTION: We cannot help but be thankful for God’s grace. An unmerited favor that opened the door for our salvation. A true gift from God. A gift that can fully be appreciated by one who has fully understood the depth of his sins. Someone like the apostle Paul.

As Saul, Paul has raised havoc against the saints in Jerusalem. However, a personal encounter with Jesus changed him to become the apostle to the Gentiles. From being an enemy, Paul became a son of God. A relationship that needs no paternity test for the Shepherd knows who belongs to His flock.

The more we understand the contrast between God’s holiness and our sinfulness, the clearer the magnitude and depth of His grace will become. This knowledge will cause us to turn to Him in . . .

Confession of our sins. The prophet Isaiah, upon seeing God’s holiness, clearly grasped his own uncleanness. In a similar way, recognizing the Lord’s perfection will lead us to realize our own unrighteousness. We may think we’re doing okay until it becomes clear that God’s standard for us is to be holy—without sin. Only through faith in Christ can we meet that standard. The first step is admitting we are not the good person we thought ourselves to be. Rather, we are sinners in need of divine help. Confession is also to be a regular practice of all believers.

Acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice. On the cross, our Savior gave up His life so that we might be reconciled to God. By receiving His sacrifice as our own, we enter into a personal relationship with the heavenly Father. He offers forgiveness of our sins and adoption into His family because we have accepted the atonement Jesus made on our behalf.

Commitment to His Lordship. When Isaiah heard God’s call, “Whom shall I send?” he answered, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8). Because Jesus is our Lord, His purpose is to guide our life. As we grow in awareness of His grace, we will be increasingly motivated to live a life of obedient service.

Ponder the impact of God’s amazing grace on your life. Let your gratitude lead to one of these responses.

From Early Light Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

INTROSPECTION: Why are we doing good things? Is it to try to appease a God whom we have “angered” because of our sins or have we fully grasped the grace God extended to us?

Have a blessed Sunday…

Your faithfulness allows God to reveal greater insight to you than to the less faithful. Faithfulness brings opportunities to you that are not given to the unfaithful. God takes pleasure in answering prayers that come from a faithful heart.

Anna had been a widow for many years. In her day, a widow had little status in society and was virtually helpless on her own. Anna spent her time, day and night, in prayer and fasting in the temple. As she prayed, she yearned to see the Messiah. God chose few people to encounter the Savior when He was born, revealing His Son only to those whose hearts were faithful and pure. Anna was one of those few. Jesus would later say to His followers, “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear . . . it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the_kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:16, 11).

Anna continued faithfully in prayer until her prayer was answered. The answer to her prayers did not come immediately. In fact, it came near the end of her life. But God honored her faithfulness. God’s redemptive plan to send the Messiah included answering the prayers of a humble widow.

Faithful praying may mean a lifetime of waiting to receive an answer. God is looking for intercessors who are willing to continue to pray and to believe until they see God’s answer.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: How long are you willing to wait for your prayers to be answered? Have you ever been persistent in prayer? I never had such patience. Prayer and waiting are two thing I am not good at. With this, I know I have missed a lot.

Have a blessed Sunday…

If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying a relationship. Jesus said that a relationship with Him would bring rest to your soul. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life.

Hard work or lack of sleep can make you tired. This fatigue can usually be remedied by a good rest. But there is a deeper fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness. There is an emotional exhaustion that comes from experiencing heavy burdens and draining crises. There is a tiredness deep within your soul that comes from carrying the weight of the needs of others. You can go on a vacation, but your soul will not be restored. This condition can only be rectified by finding rest in Christ.

Some zealous Christians want to do all they can to serve Christ, and they exhaust themselves in the process. It was to these that Jesus extended His invitation to go to Him and learn from Him. Jesus spent most of His earthly ministry surrounded by needy multitudes. He faced relentless opposition, He often prayed throughout the night, and He rarely had any privacy, yet He always received the rest and strength that came from His Father. It was not that Jesus did not work hard but that He knew the path to spiritual rest. Are you weary? Go to Jesus and let Him give you His rest. His rest will restore your soul as nothing else can.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: I guess all Christians experience this weariness at one point in their walk with Christ. A dangerous state when not addressed. We start the Christian life with having a relationship with Christ then ends up practicing a religion. Find your joy in Christ.

Have a blessed Sunday…

When temptation enters our hearts and minds, we either deal with it and gain mastery over it, or it eventually leads us to sinful actions. The time between the initial temptation and the chosen response is critical. Much hangs in the balance.

Cain knew that God was displeased with him but pleased with Abel. Feelings of jealous anger crept into Cain’s heart, and thoughts of murder pervaded his mind. As Cain considered what to do, God’s word came to him. God warned him that sin was waiting at the door of his life, looking for an opportunity to enter. Now was not the time to treat temptation lightly, not the time to assume sin would never cause any harm. Now was the time to master the sin and renounce it before it overcame him. Tragically, Cain did not master his sin; instead, sin overtook him and destroyed his life.

Temptations come at unexpected moments. Sinful thoughts may cross your mind. Selfish feelings may begin to invade your heart. The promptings of the Holy Spirit will warn you that God is not pleased with the direction your thoughts and feelings are taking you. At that moment of conviction, you must master the sin that crouches at the door of your life. Sin destroys. Sin brings death. Sin is not something to toy with or take lightly. God’s word to you is the same warning He gave to Cain: Master the sin at the door of your life before it brings its inevitable and disastrous consequences. Heed His caution, and you will avoid unnecessary hardship for yourself and others.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: If you feel that you do not have enough strength to overcome temptations, find assurance in 1Cor10:13. God assured us that He will not let us be tempted beyond what we cannot bear. He in fact will even provide a way out. You just have to choose.

Have a blessed Sunday…

There is a significant difference between judgment and discernment. God sees people’s hearts and knows their motives (Prov. 16:2). Only God can accurately judge those who deserve punishment. Ultimately, Christ will sit in judgment upon us all in the day of judgment (2 Cor. 5:10). Our problem is that we like to sit in the judgment seat and pronounce condemnation upon those whom we think have sinned! Scripture commands us not to judge or condemn others, for we cannot be judgmental and redemptive at the same time. It is difficult to pray sincerely for someone while we are judging them. At times our judgmental attitude can seem to provide us an excuse not to become involved in God’s redemptive work in someone’s life. Scripture reminds us that God will treat us with the same grace or severity with which we treat others (Luke 6:38).

God commands us not to judge others, but He does want us to be discerning. Jesus said we would know people’s spiritual condition by the fruit of their lives (Matt. 7:16). He said grapes are not produced by thorn bushes. If a person’s life produces thorns, we can assume that person is not a grapevine! Are we being judgmental? No, we are being discerning. Scripture commands us to avoid associating with scoffers or fools (Prov. 22:10; 17:12). Unless we are able to identify scoffers and fools, we cannot obey God’s command. That is not being judgmental, it is being discerning. As Christians, we have been instructed to observe the lives of others so that we can help them while avoiding any sinful influence.

You will be helpful to others only if you see them as God does. If you have been judgmental of others, ask forgiveness and pledge yourself to let God use you as His minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: A number of persons often fall into a scam for simply refusing to be discerning. They often associate discernment with being judgmental of a person. As a family friend told us, it may be wrong to be judgmental but it never hurts to be careful.

Have a blessed Sunday…

At times you may feel so worn out and stressed that you are not sure you can take another step. You may seem to spend all your time running from crisis to crisis and to be constantly giving your time and energy to others. Your Lord wants to renew your strength and enable you to enjoy the abundant life He intends for you. The key is to wait upon Him to do so.

Our generation does not enjoy waiting. We are harried by all the commitments we have made and the many responsibilities we hold. We rush through our lives without stopping to evaluate our activities. Sometimes in our haste to get on with our work, we race ahead of God. Part of God’s restorative process is to slow us down and make us listen to Him. As we wait on Him, God will remind us of our utter dependence upon His strength. When we slow down and seek His will, He will reveal His plans.

Biblically, waiting on the Lord is never passive; it is always active. Waiting requires us to cease our own pursuits and give God our complete attention. We may have to give up some of the activities we have allowed to inundate our lives. We may need to take an entire day to sit quietly before the Lord. If we ask Him, God will show us the resources He has provided to help with the work we have been attempting on our own. God may address feelings of guilt that have motivated us to do things that He has not asked us to do.

Jesus carried more responsibility than you do. More people needed Him than will ever need you. Yet He was never overwhelmed or inadequate for the task. Now Christ offers to guide you so that you will fulfill your heavenly Father’s will and gain the strength necessary for each day (Matt. 11:28).

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: When you feel weary, take a break. Rest and rediscover the purpose of God. Reflection helps you set a better view of things and allows God to work wonders in your life. Wait and listen for His still, small voice.

Have a blessed Sunday…

It is never a minor thing to know God’s will and not do it. God calls this sin. We can make excuses for our lack of obedience: “I’m just not ready yet” or “I’ll do it later!” or “I don’t think it will make a difference” or “I can’t afford to!” We rationalize, we procrastinatate; yet, in God’s eyes, rationalization and procrastination are nothing more than disobedience. At times we deceive ourselves into thinking that good intentions equal obedient actions. They do not. A good intention without corresponding activity is disobedience. When we encounter God and He gives us a direction, it is not enough to write down the date in our spiritual journal, or even to tell our friends and church of our “decision.” God’s call is not to “make a decision” but to obey! Deciding to obey is not equal to obeying! (Matt. 21:28–31). Loudly affirming the necessity of obedience is not the same as obeying (Luke 6:46). Making commitments, even publicly, is not the same as obeying our Lord. Substituting our own good works is not the same as obeying.

God told King Saul to wait until the prophet Samuel arrived. Instead of waiting, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice. Saul discovered, to his deep dismay, that other acts of supposed piety do not take the place of obeying a clear command from God (1 Sam. 15:22). As with Saul, God expects you to obey everything exactly as He tells you. Only obedience satisfies God’s desire for obedience!

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: Disobeying God has a cost, not to God but to ourselves. He can easily go on with His plans by using another person who is more willing than us while we miss out the opportunity to be used by Him. In the end it is always our lost.

Have a blessed Sunday…