To Be Found in Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Paul thought it was the greatest of blessings to be found “in Him” (see Philippians 3:9). Paul exchanged a set of rules for a friend.

Hadn’t you rather have a friend than a set of rules? Before this, Paul had the law. Now, he has the Lord. And what a difference! What a safe place—to be found in Jesus Christ.

You’re not just a church member if you are saved, you are in Christ. You are in His body and He is in you. Talk about fellowship divine! You may be alone, but you’ll never be lonely again because the Lord Jesus Christ is in you and you are in the Lord Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

If you have a hymnal in your home, find the hymn “In The Garden” and meditate on its truth, that “He tells me I am His own.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Lamenting

Definition of lament:

Deeply regret, sorrow, mourn

1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; 

2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 

3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. 

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; 

5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; 

6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. 

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; 

8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; 

9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.  - Lamentations 3:1-9

17 my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 

18 so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." 

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 

20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 

21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 

23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 

26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  - Lamentations 3:17-26

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? 

39 Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? 

40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! 

41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:  - Lamentations 3:38-41

56 you heard my plea, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help!' 

57 You came near when I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear!' 

58 "You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.  - Lamentations 3:56-58

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. - James 4:10

We are not alone in our suffering.

Many before us have walked this path and many will walk it after us, if the Lord is slow in coming!!

We are lost in sin!

It is our own doing!

The weight of sin is so heavy!!

Humble yourself!!

Repent!!

Let your brokenness lead you to Christ!!!

Find peace!

God will hear your prayer!!

God, being rich in mercy, delivers those who call on Him!!!

His mercies are indeed new every morning!

Our help comes from the Lord!!!

Great is His faithfulness!!

Jesus is our Redeemer!!!

Praise Him!!!

That I May Know Him

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” Philippians 3:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

One day I was making a call on a businessman with a friend of mine. This dear man of God began giving his testimony of how the Lord saved him. But then he said something that really shocked me. I was speechless. He said, “I used to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and that He was buried and rose again. But I don’t believe it anymore.”

I was stopped dead in my tracks. Then with a smile on his face he said, “I don’t believe it anymore. Now, I know it!”

Oh, to go from believing to knowing the Savior! What a change of thought. What a change of heart. What a glorious revelation and transformation!

ACTION POINT:

Do you know Him? Really know Him today? Or do you just believe that He died, was buried, and rose again?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

How Passionate Is Our Love for the Lord?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:25

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When I was a little boy and I found something that didn’t belong to me, I’d say, “Finders keepers, losers weepers!”

But do you know what the apostle Paul said? “Keepers weepers, losers finders.”

He said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

Religion does not save us. Jesus saves us. And He’s calling us to not only turn from our sins, but to turn from our righteousness.

ACTION POINT:

What are you holding onto in your life that brings you security? Let it go to the glory of God! You can trust Him to provide for all your needs.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Peace, Be Still

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Keep me as the apple of the eye…hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.” Psalm 17:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Charles Wesley was walking through the woods on a stormy day when a lightening storm broke out and the rain began to come down in torrents. A bolt of lightening flashed, and a little bird was so frightened that it flew down to Wesley and it tried to hide in his coat.

He was so moved by the scene that he wrote a song we often sing: “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Savior, hide, ‘til the storm of life is past; safe unto the haven guide me, O receive my soul at last.” That’s what our Lord does. He hides us, sustains us, and keeps us.

ACTION POINT:

Are the storms of life raging around you? Hide yourself in the dark clouds—they are just the shadow of His wing.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Just Say Amen

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!  - Psalm 106:48

Amen means "so be it", verily and truly.

This "so be it" comes solely from God's authority. 

With this authority, comes the praise of God from man!!

In that authority, it means God reigns supremely!!

It also means God has the last word!!

Amen also affirms who Christ is!

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. - Revelation 3:14

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. - 2 Corinthians 1:20

When the trials come, and they will, we will stand on God and His power!!!

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:23

When These Things Begin to Come to Pass

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Thy name.” 2 Samuel 22:50

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If we get into an auto accident and come out alive, we typically thank God for sparing our lives. But do you ever just thank God for saving your life as you drove home from work and didn’t have an accident? Isn’t that even better?

I heard a story that poignantly illustrates this. One Sunday a husband and wife heard that a person in their church whose son died on the battlefield gave a significant love offering in his memory. On the way home, the wife asked her husband, “Why don’t we give an offering for our son?”

“Why?” he answered. “Our son wasn’t killed.”

She said, “Don’t you think that’s a good reason?” 

ACTION POINT:

What should you do in all things? Whether you are safe or sorry?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers