The Only Thing You Have that God Wants

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.” Matthew 10:39

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We have nothing that God needs. Think about that. If I were to give God my riches, I couldn’t make Him richer. He owns everything. If I were to give God my wisdom, I wouldn’t make Him wiser. He is the all-wise God. If I were to give God my power, I couldn’t make God more powerful. He is omnipotent.

God wants only one thing from His children—our hearts. If we pray to God without giving Him our heart, we are mocking Him. If we preach without giving God our hearts, we are preaching in ignorance.

ACTION POINT:

God is saying to you today, “Give Me your heart.” How will you respond?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

What If It Were Today?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Two little girls were talking in school one day, and one said to the other, “I hear the school board is making an inspection of our school this week.” 

The other girl’s desk was messy, so she said, “I’ll clean it up tomorrow.”

The first one asked, “But what if they come today?” 

Her friend said, “You know, I think I’ll clean it up right now—and keep it clean.”

ACTION POINT:

If you knew that Jesus was coming to your house this afternoon, would there be any cleaning you would need to do? Any magazines or videos you would need to trash? Any pictures on the walls you would need to take down?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Have to? Need to? or WANT to?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” 1 Corinthians 9:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are three reasons for obedience. A slave obeys because he has to. An employee obeys because he needs to. But a loving son obeys because he wants to.

So many of us live like slaves, when Jesus has said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15).

ACTION POINT:

I don’t work for my salvation—that work has been done by my Lord. But I will work like any slave for the love of God. What about you?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Going Through the Valley

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Psalm 23 is perched between Psalm 22, which tells about the crucifixion of Jesus, and Psalm 24, which is a prophecy of the coronation of Jesus. It is beautiful trilogy about the Savior’s cross, the Shepherd’s crook, and the Sovereign’s crown.

Psalm 23 is the valley between the blood-drenched slopes of Mount Calvary and the sunlit peaks of Mount Zion. Thank God for every valley, because there must be a mountain.

ACTION POINT:

If you are in the valley today, remember that you wouldn’t be there had there not been mountains to cross. There is vision in the valley and hope in the hills.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Making the First Thing the First Thing

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I believe in church attendance, but if your relationship with the Lord and with others is suffering, then you need to stay at home and get on your face before God. 

Sometimes a businessman will get very prosperous in his business—and at first it seems a good thing. He tells his wife, “Honey, you know how I couldn’t give you much when we got married? Well, now I can.” But soon the pursuit of a nice home and nice things consume him. A sadness descends upon his wife and children, and they lament, “Oh, Daddy….Oh, Husband…what we would give to just have you spend time with us.” 

ACTION POINT:

What tragedy it would be if what you do for Jesus keeps you from Jesus. Stop the cycle today. If you know you’re a workaholic, stop it. If you know your walk is far from God, get it right.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

What Jesus Wants More than Your Service

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Discipleship is fellowship with Christ, knowing Christ, loving Christ, abiding in Christ. 

I’m afraid that too many have joined the movement of Christianity rather than having surrendered to the man of Christianity. These people are doing things for Christ, rather than sitting at the feet of Christ.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with service, and we ought to serve God, but we need to learn that we must minister to Jesus Christ as His disciple before we can minister to others. Jesus values the time you spend with Him far more than the things you do for Him. Do you know that?

ACTION POINT:

Before you head out this morning or go to bed tonight, make sure that you make a date with Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Our Unchanging Father

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God made the mind of man. All true discoveries and all true knowledge in this world come from God. It is God’s Truth and we do not have to be afraid of it. But that doesn’t mean we are to casually stroll down the devil’s lane of godless philosophies.

God’s Truth doesn’t change like philosophies. Malachi 3:6a says, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” I don’t know whether that means anything to you, but it means an awful lot to me, dear friend.

ACTION POINT:

The same God who loved us enough to put His Son on the cross two thousand years ago still loves us with that same love today. We don’t have to worry when we come to God in prayer that we might catch Him in a bad mood. Now, if that doesn’t start your motor, you don’t have one.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers