Verse of the Day Image – Proverbs 12:25 MSG
Proverbs 12:25 MSG Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. Proverbs 12:25 MSG
Category: Verse of the Day
Daily Devotional – Imitate God
TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Ephesians 5:1 “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Ephesians 5:1-2, The Message In our world, there are many imitators, but few true leaders. Kids, even adults, want to “be somebody” so they follow the most prominent example they see: Hollywood stars, pro athletes, singers, etc. But unless these people are following a greater example themselves, they are doomed to fail and disappoint us someday. Those of us watching and imitating may go right along with them. For example, just a few months shy of my 30th birthday, my world came crashing down around me when my husband, one of the people I had looked up to and followed as an example, betrayed me. His betrayal shook my whole world. Until it happened, I hadn’t realized I had put him on a pedestal and was following his lead in regards to how I lived my life. It has been said that true character is revealed by what someone does even when no one is watching. I discovered he was leading a double life. Suddenly, I had no desire to be anywhere near him, let alone follow him. Thankfully, during that devastating time in my life, God stepped in and showed me His character through His Word. Over time, as I learned more about Him, I realized that He is the one I should be following, imitating, because His character is perfect. His love is perfect; so is His peace, His joy, and His compassion. The Bible is full of examples of Jesus’ character and how He lived: He always sought to do God’s will and not His own. (Luke 22:42) He did the work His Father gave Him to do. (John 17:4) He found time to be alone with God and pray. (Matthew 14:23) He used God’s Word as His authority and offensive weapon. (Matthew 4:1-11) He loved unconditionally. (Mark 10:21) He gave everything He had. (John 19:30) He didn’t retaliate, threaten, or seek His own justice. (1 Peter 2:23) He was humble, obedient and made Himself a servant. (Philippians 2:5-8) By imitating Jesus and not people, God changed my character. He did the same for my husband. Over time, we have learned to love each other sacrificially, just as Jesus does with us. I want to follow Jesus and let Him change me from the inside out to be more like Him. I’m tired of imitating people who are just fellow sinners like me. I want to set my sights high and strive to be more like the One who created me! Father, help me to look to Jesus as my example. Show me my sin and areas of my life and character that need improvement. Help me imitate You. Copyright © 2013, Amy Meyer Allen, used by permission.
Emerging from Isolation
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them—Matthew 18:20 Imagine, for a moment, a man ever isolated, living alone in the mountains, perhaps. Imagine him living a vigorous, adventurous, spiritual life, but lacking community. The knowledge this man would have of God, the knowledge he’d have of himself, would be modest compared to the knowledge he’d have of both, were he to have full access to relationships, friendships, brotherhood. You see, the isolated man may know about God. But, no matter how much he might read and study, he cannot know God. That takes community. We get to know God by seeing his Holy Spirit moving in others. We encounter God, we experience him, we understand him when he works through the love and sacrifice of other people. In brotherhood, we get to show God to one another. And, the more we’re in community with brothers, the deeper our understanding becomes. The isolated man may also know about himself—his talents, his likes, his dislikes. But, he cannot know himself. He cannot know the man God intends him to become. That too takes community. It takes others around him, who know his story, who spend time with him, who watch him, to discern and affirm and call forth things true and eternal in him, things God longs for to emerge. It takes brotherhood to call forth the true man. Okay, so what do we do? Though we live in cities and towns, many of us are yet like the man isolated in the mountains. We know about God, but we don’t know him. We know the men we’d like to be, but we don’t know the men he created us to be. This message, right now, is another call for brotherhood. It’s a call for you, brother, to get into community with other men. Find some brothers; find your place.
Want Some Courage?
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus—Philippians 3:14 In some respects, we know the men we’d like to become. For one, we’d like to be courageous for God, not simply surviving these lives, but living boldly in them. Well, we absolutely can (Romans 8:31-39). The thing is . . . it’s hard. We’re easily distracted—by our drives for achievement and advancement and accumulation. And we’re easily made afraid—that we’ll be embarrassed if we act boldly for God; that we’re not qualified to stand with him; or just that we’ve never done it before and don’t know how to start. Yes, it’s difficult becoming courageous and, actually, it’s meant to be. God didn’t create two types of men—some cowardly and some courageous. No, he leaves the cowardice/courage decisions to us. That said, we cannot simply choose for courage and instantly become courageous any more than we can instantly become . . . say . . . orators or outdoorsmen. If we want to become either of those, we must practice. We must start small and fail and succeed; we must work and learn. So it is with courage. We become courageous men by practicing courage, by accumulating experiences, small at first, of actually being courageous. So, there are two types of men, but it’s those willing to practice and those not, resigned instead to lives of safety. The good news, brother, is that becoming the former doesn’t require an inordinate amount of time or a major lifestyle change. It just takes a bit of resolve. Okay, so what do we do? Practice. Do something. Don’t overreach (and set yourself up for failure); but don’t reach too short either (and render your efforts pointless). Choose in the middle—something intimidating, but not overly. Here are some suggestions: face a phobia; spend time with someone the rest of the world avoids; serve in a way you’ve never served before.
Verse of the Day: Ephesians 5:8
Ephesians 5:8 You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Ephesians 5:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse…. Before and after — that’s the story of grace. “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” If we could only fully grasp what we so easily sing then life would be filled with more grace and our churches with more confident servants of God. My Prayer… Lord God Almighty, by your grace I know today that I stand before you welcomed into your presence and received as a beloved child. Thank you for rescuing me from all the traps of the darkness and bringing me into your light. Guide my heart and my feet so they will walk your path and show forth your light. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
Verse of the day – Isaiah 40:29 MSG
Isaiah 40:29 MSG Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “GOD has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. Isaiah 40:29 MSG
