#passionatedevotion

WEEK FOURTY SEVEN

Scripture 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Observation John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. The motivation for God coming to earth and rescuing us from our sin was His immense love for the world. This is awesome and I am so grateful for God’s love. Jesus sacrificed himself because of His love for the world.

However, in 1 John, the same author is instructing us to not “love the world or anything in the world”. So, what is it? Do we love the world like God loves the world, or do we not love the world? The answer is “yes”, to both.

Application As Christians, we have the extreme privilege of representing Jesus to the world.  In order for me to do this well, I need the Holy Spirit to teach me, guide me, and lead me so that my heart and thoughts are transformed to resemble the heart and thinking of God.

One of Jesus’ most noticeable attributes was His love for people. Regardless of where they came from or what they looked like, the hallmark and source of Jesus’ ministry was always His love for people. Everything he did, the miracles, the teachings, the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, all stemmed from His love for people.

Here is the amazing part. God wants that same love to be present in all of His kids. The same love in Jesus is to be inside of us. How? Holy Spirit.

To put it simply… God is love. Holy Spirit is God. Holy Spirit dwells in us. God’s love dwells in us.

Seems pretty simple, right? Well, it’s supposed to be that simple. Love God, love people. The problem is that the affections of our heart often get distracted with the things and pleasures of this world.  Without Holy Spirit, these unhealthy affections (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life), can quickly become the center instead of God.  God’s design is for us to remain set apart, or holy, in this world so that, like Jesus, we can live wholehearted for God.

In John 17:17, Jesus prayed for his disciples and said “They are not of the world, just as I am not the world”.  If you are a Christian trying to fit into this world… stop.  Jesus died so that you can be free from this world and be a citizen of heaven.  Stop trying to become someone that you’re not. Rather, embrace your identity in Christ and allow Holy Spirit to transform you from the inside out.

Prayer Jesus, thank you for coming and saving me from my sin. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding me and setting me free with your truth. Renew my mind so that I can be transformed more and more each day to look like Jesus. Reveal any unhealthy affections in my heart so that I can live a life of purity and holiness before you. Thank you, God, for filling me today with your love and for bringing others into my life to share your love with.  Amen.

WEEK TWENTY FIVE

Scripture Proverbs 31:1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:

Observation Who is Lemuel? He is only mentioned once in the entire Bible. Some say that he could be Solomon taking advice from his mother, Bathsheba, while others say he could be Hezekiah, a king of Massa, or just some made up person. We don’t even know for certain what he was King of. With such little given information about King Lemuel, we can only speculate. However, we do know for certain that his name “Lemuel” means belonging to God.

Application Oh for King Jesus to rule! For Him to reign requires a life laid down, surrendered, and submitted to His good and perfect will. To be called a disciple of Christ means we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. If Jesus is our King and His Kingdom has been established in our heart, then He must surely have full jurisdiction in our lives. Upon salvation, we accepted Jesus, believed in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and confessed Him as Lord. We have become recipients of His ministry of reconciliation. We have become a manifestation of God’s original plan to have fellowship with His creation. Without restraint, the name Lemuel is freely given by His grace. Therefore, Let it be said of us:  “we belong to God”.

Prayer Jesus, I love you so much. Let your Kingdom be established and expanded in the territories of my heart. I give you full jurisdiction in my life. My life I give as a laid down lover, surrendered and submitted to your good and perfect will. Let your Kingdom come and your will be done in me as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, amen.

WEEK TWENTY SEVEN

Scripture Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Observation King Solomon wrote three books in the Bible. Song of Songs was written in his early years, Proverbs was written in his early to middle adulthood, and in his later years he wrote Ecclesiastes. Packed with so much wisdom, in Ecclesiastes 3, he leads to verse 11 by first creating a list full of contrast like “a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh”.  In summary, Solomon’s words of wisdom are “though life has its ups and downs, at the end of the day God will turn it all around, leaving us in awe of His goodness.”

Application We were created to have never-ending fellowship with God. No matter what obstacles life brings us, no matter what attacks the enemy throws our way, God has given us unlimited access to Himself by way of Jesus. Eternity has been placed in our hearts. So when our gaze is taken away from His beauty and splendor, we find ourselves with a void in our heart that can only be filled by His endless love. Because “He has set eternity in the human heart”, any amount of temporary pain that we would endure on this earth is worth the prize that awaits us on the other side of every challenge.

Prayer God, I love you so much. Thank you for working all things for good to those who love you. I pray for a fresh revelation of Jesus on all humanity. Though you have made everything beautiful in its time, you are outside of time and your love has no end. Thank you for your everlasting love. I stand in awe of your goodness. In Jesus name, amen.

WEEK SIXTEEN

Scripture

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Observation

Many look at this psalm as the biblical chapter to be read at funerals, but this psalm is actually one that is meant to bring joy and excitement in our lives here on earth. Although he is in the presence of his enemies, David discovers the greatest reason behind why he doesn't fear and why he overflows with abundant life and hope. The answer is: “I will not fear, For you are with me.” It's perhaps the most simple verse in this chapter yet the most powerful. Because of his confidence in knowing that the Lord is with him, he is able to look ahead and say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life.” It's why David can say “I shall not want.” He will always have more than enough in his life because the Lord is with him as the Provider. He is the Good Shepherd. All of David's peace and joy which is felt by reading this psalm point to the belief that God is with him.

Application 

It's hard to find rest in God when you believe that something bad will always happen to you. Part of why so many people struggle with hopelessness and anxiety about the future is because they are imagining their future without God. I have definitely done this before, resulting in feeling fearful. I've discovered that there is no beneficial outcome from imagining my present or my future without God. What I have found is that when I imagine God in my present and future and trust that He is working out all things for good in my life, anxiety fades away and peace comes at once. There may be enemies sitting in front of me but He has given me the ability to have joy because He is with me. What I like to do when reading this psalm is remind myself that no matter what happens in life, I will thrive because God is with me now and even years from now. I meditate on the truth that goodness and mercy are my inheritance and that nothing will stop God from being my provider, defender, restorer, and good shepherd of my life.

Read this psalm and feast on it. Ask Father God to show you where He is in your right now and where He is years from now. Ask Him to show you how goodness and mercy have followed you and will follow you all the days of your life. When He shows you, receive it in your heart. Sometimes what I like to do is say out loud, “I receive it and believe it,” to get my whole being in agreement with this truth. He says, “Let the weak say, I am strong.” It's powerful when we declare. 

“I am with you” is what gave Gideon strength to lead an army into victory when he believed that he was the weakest of the weak. “I am with you” is what gave Moses courage to face Pharaoh day after day asking him to let God's people go which resulted in the splitting of the Red Sea. “I am with you” is what David believed when he faced a giant that no man wanted to confront, which ultimately led him to lead the Israeli army into freedom against the Philistines. Imagine God with you daily because He is, and when a giant comes your way, you won't be afraid to run after it, cutting off its head. God is saying “I am with you. And I will be your hope and strength.”

Prayer

Good Shepherd, I pray that we would be a people that is fully convinced of the truth that you are with us. And when we know that you are with us, comfort, peace and courage fill us. Open up our imagination to see that you are in front of us and behind us leading us with your rod and your staff. I pray that we would lie down on green pastures in peace through disasters because our peace isn't in external realities going well. Our peace comes from fully trusting you as our faithful Good Shepherd over our lives. May we be people who truly and wholeheartedly trust in you.

WEEK THIRTY

Scripture Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB) 25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life... 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Observation I absolutely love the freedom Jesus walked in. It is so attractive to me. It seemed almost like He floated on the earth without a care in the world. I imagine His peace was contagious. I believe His freedom and peace was due to the fact that He didn’t worry. He wasn’t tied to a mortgage, a job or a location. He did not worry about where His next meal would come from because He knew that His Father in heaven would take care of Him. He was truly free to focus on bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Application Jesus gives us a recipe that leads to freedom. This recipe eliminates worry and creates a pattern of thought that puts the kingdom of heaven at the forefront. Jesus of course cares about us and our needs. So even though this recipe seems irresponsible or negligent, Jesus says that if we seek first His kingdom that we will get everything else that we need. It is a recipe of trust, leaning on His goodness for our needs as we turn our attention to the Father’s desires.

Prayer ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.Matthew 6:9-10

We surrender our needs to You Father! We know that You will take care of us. Now we turn our focus from ourselves to You!

WEEK TWENTY ONE

Scripture Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Observation It’s so good to start the book of Romans this week! I have to admit it’s one of my favorite books of the Bible because it boldly lays out the Gospel step by step. Chapter 1 verse 16 is one of those verses that sums up so many rich truths but there’s only 2 things I want to focus on here. One is that Paul is not ashamed of the message he carries. Number two is I hear his unwavering belief in what the Gospel can do. If this statement is true, the Gospel message is worth more than any medical cure in the world. It has the power to save, heal and deliver!

Application This verse is pertinent for our moment in history. I believe it is time that the message of the Gospel comes to the forefront again. The Body of Christ has a unique opportunity to address an unsure world and it is only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that can calm all of the unsettled hearts. It is time for us to be bold about our testimony, that the Gospel message has transformed our lives more than any other article, natural remedy, medicine or philosophy! It is the real deal!

Prayer Father I thank you for the Gospel clearly communicated in the book of Romans. Now I am equipped with the message that is for all mankind. Give me boldness and love to creatively use the moments you set up in my sphere of influence. I love your Gospel, the Good News is still running through my veins. Help me communicate it and demonstrate it. Amen

WEEK TWENTY FOUR

Scripture Romans 15:13 (TPT) Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!

Observation Have you ever been to a place that either grows or makes food like a farm or a factory and had a freshly picked or freshly prepared sample of their product? It's mind-blowingly better than any store bought substitute, right? If you want the good goods, you go to the source. In this passage, we discover that the source of our hope can be found in God. He is the fountain of hope that can fill us to the brim and beyond with joy and peace. And on top of that, he is the real deal - the inspiration! He's mind-blowingly better than any worldly substitute, right?

Uncontainable joy... Perfect peace... hope... these things may feel impossible to attain. But if you trust in God and allow the Holy Spirit to surround and guide you, you will be filled with these things abundantly!

Application In Sunday School, we sing a song that says "This is my commandment that you love one another, that your joy may be full!". Jesus asks that we put our faith in action and surrender our own will to His! Our obedience to his commands will result in an organic overflow of joy. When we are able to love our neighbors in the same way that God loves us, we will truly be able to understand and receive the Father's love which ultimately will fill us with uncontainable joy and perfect peace.

Prayer God, give me true faith! Let it grow in me day by day. I trust you. And I trust that you will fill me with hope when I feel hopeless, I trust that you will bring me joy when I am down, and I trust that you will bring peace to the chaos in my life. Thank you for being readily available to fill me up when my joy and peace tanks are empty. I know that You fill me up beyond what I need so that I can share your hope with others. Give me opportunities to love my neighbors and to share these gifts with those around me who need it!

WEEK TWENTY EIGHT

Scripture Psalm 119:50 NKJV This is my comfort in my affliction, For your word has given me life.

Observation This Psalm is the longest chapter in the entire bible. Written with beautiful history and experience with the Lord, King David penned this treasured acrostic poem describing his value to meditate, read, and obey God's word above all else. We see in this psalm that what lifted David up in hardship and what led him to victory was God's word. There's no doubt that David's success came from a passion and love for God's word.

Application His word is the very thing that will always sustain us in the season of hardship and in the season of abundance. When we take time to allow His words to be the only words that lead us we find comfort for our souls. Matthew 4:4 says: “It is written, man shall not live by word alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

We were meant to feast upon His word. When we do, life and identity naturally flow through us. Psalm 119:96 states: I've learned that there is nothing perfect in this imperfect world except your words, for they bring such fantastic freedom into my life. If we want to be sons and daughters of God that live in freedom, then meditating on His words that are written and that were spoken to us are essential. Friends, family, and positions cannot tell us who we are or give us life. Jesus speaks to us through His word and always brings us to a place of greater freedom. His desire for our lives is abundance. He is His word, so when we read and meditate on them we come face to face with the living God. No wonder David came alive during such hardships which is why we will too.

Take time to read this whole psalm and not skip to the next one because it's too long. This psalm is meant to be chewed upon. Get in receive mode and ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with His words and promises over your life. It's hard to feel low when we believe His words, and it becomes easy to feel abundant life. Let’s allow His word to give us life.

Prayer Lord, You are a man of your word. We choose to be people that allow your words to speak to us and guide us. We pray that you would overflow in us like a mighty rushing river overflowing its banks. No one can make us come alive like you do. May our relationship with you come alive consistently, daily, and rhythmically. We love you. Amen.