Daily Devotional (Page 43)
Daily Devotional – Our Lord’s Surprise Visits
Our Lord’s Surprise Visits – From Utmost.org March 29, 2016 You also be ready… —Luke 12:40 A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is…
Daily Devotional – Isn’t There Some Misunderstanding?
Isn’t There Some Misunderstanding? – From Utmost.org March 28, 2016 “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “…are You going there again?” —John 11:7-8 Just because I don’t understand what Jesus Christ says, I have no right to determine that He must be mistaken in what He says. That is a dangerous view, and it is never right to think that my obedience to God’s directive will bring dishonor to Jesus. The only thing that will…
Daily Devotional – Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity – From Utmost.org March 26, 2016 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. —Matthew 5:8 Purity is not innocence— it is much more than that. Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. Our life with God may be right and our inner purity unblemished, yet occasionally our outer life may become spotted and stained. God intentionally does not protect us from this…
Daily Devotional – Maintaining the Proper Relationship
Maintaining the Proper Relationship – From Utmost.org March 25, 2016 …the friend of the bridegroom… —John 3:29 Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction.…
Daily Devotional – Am I Carnally Minded?
Am I Carnally Minded? – From Utmost.org March 23, 2016 Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal…? —1 Corinthians 3:3 The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about carnality. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, are what produce carnality and the awareness of it. But Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the…
Daily Devotional – The Burning Heart
The Burning Heart – From Utmost.org March 22, 2016 Did not our heart burn within us…? —Luke 24:32 We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart—…
Daily Devotional – Identified of Simply Interested?
Identified or Simply Interested? – From Utmost.org March 21, 2016 I have been crucified with Christ… —Galatians 2:20 The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said, “I have been crucified…
Daily Devotional – Abraham’s Life of Faith
Abraham’s Life of Faith March 19, 2016 He went out, not knowing where he was going. —Hebrews 11:8 In the Old Testament, a person’s relationship with God was seen by the degree of separation in that person’s life. This separation is exhibited in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and his family. When we think of separation today, we do not mean to be literally separated from those family members who do not have a personal…
Daily Devotional – The Servant’s Primary Goal
The Servant’s Primary Goal – From Utmost.org March 17, 2016 We make it our aim…to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:9 “We make it our aim….” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well…
Daily Devotional – The Discipline of Dismay
The Discipline of Dismay – From Utmost.org March 15, 2016 As they followed they were afraid. —Mark 10:32 At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different…
Daily Devotional – Yielding
Yielding from Utmost.org March 14, 2016 …you are that one’s slaves whom you obey… —Romans 6:16 The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because…
Daily Devotional – Total Surrender
Total Surrender – from Utmost.org March 12, 2016 Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” —Mark 10:28 Our Lord replies to this statement of Peter by saying that this surrender is “for My sake and the gospel’s” (10:29). It was not for the purpose of what the disciples themselves would get out of it. Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. For example, “I’m going to give myself…