God Reigns, Rules, Overrules and Overrides

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever He will.”  Proverbs 21:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God can change a ruler, God can remove a ruler, and God can overrule a ruler.

You ask, “Should I pray for my leader if he’s wicked?” You ought to pray all the more for him. Why? Because the Bible says, “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” 1Timothy 2:1-3
The greatest responsibility in America is not in the White House but in the church house. We’re to pray for our government. Pray for those who are in authority.

ACTION POINT:
Would you pray for America right now? You might pray, “Oh God, bless America. Lord, we deserve judgment, but we need mercy. Bring this nation, Lord, back to You. The troubles that we see in our land are tokens of Your love to bring us to our knees. Lord, it’s beyond us. God, we need You in America.”

Simply Obey

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The Bible is not primarily a book to be explained; it is first and foremost a book to be believed and obeyed. Whether you understand it or not, when God says it, you just simply obey it. 

And don't substitute human reasoning for obedience. So many times we like to tell God how He ought to do things. I can imagine those early disciples when Saul was making havoc of the church and hauling Christians off to prison and death. I imagine there were many praying, “Oh, God, do something about Saul. Strike him dead.” But God didn't want to strike him dead. God struck him alive! And aren't you glad He did?

ACTION POINT:

Isn't it strange how God works? You see, our ways and God's ways are so different. This is when we have to say, “I will trust You and obey.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Murmuring Against God

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.” Exodus 16:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The Israelites had just come through the Red Sea, and they were dancing with joy and praising the Lord. 

But just three days later they were murmuring and complaining! Moses said to them, "Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD." 

One of the greatest lessons you can ever learn is, when you murmur and complain, you are really murmuring against God. Murmuring is no little sin. God lists it with idolatry and fornication (1 Corinthians 10)! 

They were being led of the Lord. Moses was there. The Word of God was there. Why did they murmur? It was a lack of faith, but it was also a lack of reason. Would God have brought them through the Red Sea just to let them die? If Jesus Christ died for you on that cross, do you think He saved you to abandon you? 

ACTION POINT:

”My Lord knows the way through the wilderness. All I have to do is follow.” Will you follow Him and let Him have His way and not complain and not murmur?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Fear Not!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” Exodus 14:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Three hundred and sixty-five times in the Bible—once for every day of the year—it says, “Fear thou not,” or its equivalent, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do.” 

Sometimes we come to a place where things are out of our hands. There is nothing we can do. Oh, we hurry around, we’re so busy manipulating, trying, conniving, and scheming. But finally we come to a place where God hems us in, and there is no way out but up. God places us where there is nothing we can do. There is no one to help us. God just says, “Fear not, stand still … and see the salvation of the LORD.” 

ACTION POINT:

Read those words again: “ye shall see them again no more forever.” When you come to the place of desperation, what does God want you to do? Number one, “Fear not.” God wants you to come to this place of dependence that you may learn there is nothing to fear and He may say to you, “Fear not” and "Stand still."

Just stand still. "Be still and know that I am God."

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Good News

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Isaiah 52:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I once heard of a pastor who received word from the war department that a young soldier, reported missing in action and presumed dead, was found alive! His mother had already been informed of his death. And now they asked this pastor to be the one to tell her that her son was alive. 

Do you think this pastor said, “Well, I've got a little vacation I'm going to take first, and I want to play a round of golf or do some other things”? 

What a thrill, going to tell that message! I want to tell you, there ought to be that thrill and urgency in my heart and yours every time we tell a poor, sin-sick, lost, and undone sinner there is good news that Christ died for our sins.

ACTION POINT:

If you know the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and you're not interested in sharing it, I sincerely doubt you've ever been saved. How could a person know the Gospel and not want to share it? 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Christianity, More Than a Creed or Code

“...and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21

Are Christians fools for believing in Jesus? Are we serving a false God? If you go to the tomb of Confucius, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Buddha, you’ll find it’s occupied. If you go to the tomb of Jesus, you’ll find it empty. He is a risen Savior.  Now that’s very important, because you can take Confucius out of Confucianism and still have Confucianism, and you can take Buddha out of Buddhism and still have Buddhism. But you cannot take Jesus Christ out of Christianity and still have Christianity because Christianity is not a code. It’s not a creed. It’s not a cause. It is Christ Himself.

You have a hope that the world needs to hear about. Who can you share that hope with today? 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Sin of Silence

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.” 2 Kings 7:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Andrew Murray said, “There are two classes of Christians: soul winners, and backsliders.” In my humble estimation, there are two great sins a Christian can commit: the greatest is to fail to love the Lord Jesus. The second greatest is not adultery or drunkenness, but it is the sin of silence—to refuse to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Suppose you knew the cure for cancer. Would you not tell it? Suppose you were on an island where people were starving to death and you knew where there was a vast hoard of food. Would you not tell it? 

Ours is the greatest mission, the greatest message, the greatest Master the world knows anything about. Our mission is the Great Commission. Our message is the saving Gospel of our Lord and Savior. Our master, Jesus Christ Himself, has told us we ought to take the gospel to every creature on earth. Yet many Christians are sinning against this command. They're committing what I call “the sin of silence.” If you’re not a witness, you're not right with God, I don't care what else you may do. 

ACTION POINT:

I care not how faithfully you attend, how eloquently you teach, how liberally you give, how circumspectly you walk or how beautifully you sing. If you’re not witnessing, you’re not right with God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers