The Fire of Affliction

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God wants to build spiritual steel and rock-solid faith into you. And the way He will do this is through the fire of affliction. Why? To test you. The faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted. 

The times I have grown the most were not when everything was going fine. The times when we go through sorrow, pressure, and trouble are the growing pains of our lives with Christ. Isn’t that true? Someone wrote these lines, 

“I walked a mile with pleasure, she chatted all the way.

But left me none the wiser, for all she had to say. 

I walked a mile with sorrow and not a word said she. 

But oh the things I learned from her, when sorrow walked with me.” 

ACTION POINT:

Are you in the fire of affliction? Trust that He will see you through and make you stronger when the test is over.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God Knows

Psalm 139:1-6

1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 

3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 

The primary theme threaded throughout Psalm 139 is the omniscience of God. 

Omniscience: God’s perfect knowledge of all things

Key Question: Does God really know everything...and if he does, how should that affect the way I live?

3 Things to Know About the Knowledge of God...

God’s knowledge is both intuitive and immense.

(Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:30; Psalm 147:4; Proverbs 15:3; Psalm 50:11; Acts 15:18; Psalm 139:12; Psalm 90:8; Matthew 11:21)

All knowledge past, present, and future resides in him.

God’s knowledge is not confined to the things on this earth. 

Nothing can be hidden from him!

God not only knows what “is” – he also knows what

“could have been.”

God’s knowledge is both intimate and infinite. 

God knows everything about me. (v. 1) 

God knows when I move. (v. 2a)

God knows what I think. (v. 2b)

God knows where I go. (v. 3) 

God knows what I say. (v. 4)

God has me surrounded. (v. 5)

God’s knowledge has implications for my life. 

It should fuel my worship. (v. 6)

It should drive me to the Word.

It should eliminate my worry.

It should transform my walk.

Thanks Dennis!

In Collusion or Collision?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A farmer and his farmhand went duck hunting. The farmer said to his friend, “You’re always talking about fighting with the devil. I’m not a Christian, and I never have to fight with the devil.” 

The farmhand answered, “Boss, if you and I shot two ducks, one was wounded and one was dead, which one would you go after first?” 

The farmer said, “Well, I guess the wounded duck.” 

“That’s right. The devil knows you’re a dead duck.” 

If the devil doesn’t bother you, it’s because he doesn’t have to bother you since you and he are traveling in the same direction. If you turned around, you’d have a collision with him. Right now, you are in collusion with him. 

ACTION POINT:

Are you a child of God? Then praise Him that He has given you the power over Satan and placed you on the pathway to see Him face to face! 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Freedom from the Bondage of Sin

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Romans 5:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

One day Abraham Lincoln was in a slave market and saw a beautiful young slave girl being auctioned. Lecherous men were bidding on her, so Lincoln began to bid. Finally, she was sold to Lincoln. He took the certificate of sale and handed it to her saying, “You’re free.” 

She asked, “What do you mean, free?” 

He said, “You are free.” 

She said, “Free to do what I want to do?” 

He said, “Yes.” 

“Free to say what I want to say?” 

He said, “Yes.” 

“Free to go where I want to go?” 

He said, “Yes.” 

She said, “Then I am going with you.” 

Friend, Jesus made you free. You have been redeemed by His precious blood. And in gratitude, your life is to be devoted to Him. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you know someone who is in bondage to sin today? Share with them the free, redeeming love of Jesus Christ. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

You Are Valuable—Because You Are Loved!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Grace is the most beautiful word in the Bible other than Jesus. Grace is why God loves us when there is nothing lovely about us. We are not loved because we are valuable. We are valuable because we are loved. 1 John 4:10 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” That, friend, is God’s amazing grace. We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. I love Him for His grace. It is all Jesus. It’s not the church. It’s not good deeds. Amazing grace is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you.

ACTION POINT:

Thank God for the justification you have through Jesus Christ. Thank God for the grace He has abundantly given you.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Hands Of The Master

Ps.123:

1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. 

How beautiful are these words? Servants looking toward their Master's hands for holy help. Till He has mercy on us, thank You Lord for mercy!

Ps.124:

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 

The hands of the Master made the heaven and earth!

Ps.125:

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 

We shall not be moved! By God's power, alone!

Restore Such a One

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

As a young boy in Florida, I loved to collect coconuts and sell them. One day while up a tree, I was using my right hand to disconnect a coconut when the palm frond let go. I fell on the grass, but my left arm fell on the sidewalk. It was a bad situation. My brother was there, and he saw what happened to me. 

As I was lying there, having fallen, what did I need? Well, I didn’t need a lecture. I didn’t need my brother to go around to the community and say, “Did you hear about Adrian?” I didn’t need for him to come along and shoot me to put me out of my misery. What I needed was restoration. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you have a brother or a sister in Christ who is overtaken with a fault? If so, go and restore him; restore her. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers