“Today I will thank God for the gift of His Holy Spirit. I will listen to Him and follow Him. Thank You, Lord, for the example of Pauline. Strengthen her as she raises her children.”
Promise #281
I have blessed you in Christ with one outpouring of grace after another.
John 1:16 (WEB)
From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
I love the Amplified version of this Bible verse…For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. (AMP)
In Jesus, God the Father has blessed us with grace upon grace, heaped favor upon favor and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). Words cannot express the wonderful, bountiful outpouring of love and blessings that God has given us through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that we would be able to tangibly grasp the unshakeable inheritance that is ours in Jesus Christ today. He exchanged His life for our life and made the way for us to be partakers of His divine nature and beneficiaries of all His blessings. Thank you God for your amazing grace and every good and perfect gift that comes from your hand (James 1:17).
FINDING REST
Opportunity To Rest
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When We’re in Times of Trouble NANCY DEMOSS WOLGEMUTH |
Listen to this devotion“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9b (NKJV)
We know that suffering is an unavoidable part of every human’s story. It should not surprise us. But when it comes to us, how do we deal with it? How do we persevere? When massive waves are swirling around us, how do we keep from going under?
Getting a right perspective is critical — lifting our eyes upward to God rather than outward to our circumstances or inward to ourselves. Counseling our hearts according to truth. Realigning our thoughts and emotions according to His Story.
In 1895, a South African pastor, teacher and writer named Andrew Murray was preaching at large Christian conferences in England. In physical pain from an injury sustained a few years earlier (thrown from a cart while traveling and ministering) and having just received some discouraging criticism from a well-known person, the exhausted Murray opted to stay in bed one Sunday morning. But rather than wallowing in discouragement, he decided to write some notes for his own encouragement.
At the top of the paper he wrote, “In Time of Trouble Say …” Then he penned the following, counseling his heart with the truth:
First, He brought me here; it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.
Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child.
Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn and working in me the grace He means to bestow.
Last, In His good time He can bring me out again — how and when He knows.Let me say I am here,
1) By God’s appointment.
2) In His keeping.
3) Under His training.
4) For His time.
We can’t remind ourselves of these truths too often.
Never forget that God loves you. He is watching over you. He knows how long and how much you can endure. What you’re going through will not last forever. And whatever kind of suffering you may be facing — whether you have something you don’t want or you’re wanting something you don’t have — this is the kind of heavenly, right-sized perspective that will give you grace, courage and stamina to carry on.
When times of discouragement come, how can we persevere?
Look up. Remind your heart that for every child of God, in every circumstance, the best really is yet to come. Our hope for a joyful future is not in solutions to our temporary problems — but in the assurance that …
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9b).
Heavenly Father, as waves of discouragement, pain or despair hit my life, teach me to look up and confidently trust Your divine plan. Thank You for the unshakable hope that You are preparing a future for me, more wonderful than I can imagine. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (ESV)
Romans 5:3-5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (ESV)
RELATED RESOURCES: In their first book together, bestselling authors Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Robert Wolgemuth share biblical and modern-day stories of God’s providence at work, including their own story of finding love and marrying — the first time for Nancy at age 57 and the second time for Robert, a widower. Each story will inspire you as you watch God redeem impossible situations in the unlikeliest of ways. Learn to see His hand in your life in their brand new book, You Can Trust God to Write Your Story: Embracing the Mysteries of Providence. Find out more at TrustGodToWriteYourStory.com.
CONNECT: Connect with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts or via social media, via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
REFLECT AND RESPOND: Write out the headline, “In Time of Trouble Say …” and then write out several promises or truths from God’s Word that encourage you for the season you are in now.
Join the conversation! We’d love to have you share your thoughts from today’s devotion!
© 2019 by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Moody Publishers for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.
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He Knows and He Cares
Do you ever have days or periods in life when no one seems to understand you? Perhaps you don’t quite connect with others because they don’t comprehend the kind of struggle you’re going through. While reaching out to others for support is important, reaching up to the Savior is even more so. By God’s grace, you are not only invited, you are called into fellowship with Jesus – His own Son. He knows exactly how you feel and is filled with compassion for you. His arms are open wide and waiting for your approach. Won’t you run to Him now and receive His embrace?
May Your compassion come to me so that I may live, for Your instruction Is my delight. (Psalm 119:77 CSB)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 CSB)
LORD, You do not withhold Your compassion from me; Your constant love and truth will always guard me. (Psalm 40:11 CSB)
God is faithful; you were called by Him into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (I Corinthians 1:9 CSB)
Jesus, thank You for being there for me. Thank You for knowing exactly what I’m going through and being willing to walk through it with me. Thank You for reassuring me with Your care. You are a gift. Amen.
This is an excerpt from 100 Days of Grace & Gratitude by Shanna Noel and Lisa Stilwell. If you are enjoying this series, consider purchasing a copy of this book to bless someone that could use daily words of encouragement. Shop all DaySpring Books and Devotionals.
10 Prayers Your Adult Children Need You to Pray
- Tamela Turbeville
Our role as parent never ends. The job description changes, but the job is never done. To me, the job as a mom was more comfortable when my children were small. As grown adults, they are out of my hands. Their decisions, choices, and actions belong to them. The only thing I can do as their mother is pray.
In today’s world, our adult children face trials and obstacles unimagined when we were young adults. Our grown children need us to pray for them. We need to pray for their plans, wisdom, and protection. Praying for our adult children invites God to work in their lives and gives us comfort that only the One who can will.
Here are 10 prayers your adult children need you to pray:
A Prayer to Bless and Then Release Your Adult Children to God
To bless someone is to speak well-being and promises over them. Our prayer asks God to bless them, to speak goodness over them. Releasing them to God gives Him the control over their lives, not us. God’s plans for our children are far better than anything we can imagine.
Father, thank you for the privilege of being a parent to my children. Thank you for guiding the time I had with them as children. Today, I release them as adults to your care and guidance. You will fight for them and delight in them (Zephaniah 3:17). Bless them and keep them. Let your face shine upon them.
‘”The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
A Prayer for Your Adult Child to Bravely Enter Adulthood
The entrance to adulthood is scary. This new season of life is filled with new responsibilities, expectations, and a lot of unknowns. Praying for our sons and daughters to bravely enter their adult lives with confidence and the presence of God gives us comfort and our children the courage and guidance they need.
Dear Lord, fill my children with the maturity and confidence to step into adulthood. Help them face the unknowns and expectations ahead with maturity and discernment. Guide them to put away things of their youth that do not benefit them in their adulthood and take up the things that make them caring, productive adults. Lead them toward godly pursuits and not childish desires.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
A Prayer for Friends and Fellowship
In the early church, the first Christians spent time together doing the ordinary things of life—working, sharing everything, and eating meals together. This fellowship helped to build strong bonds and also aided in strengthening them to face the troubles ahead. Our children need the same kinds of relationships.
Dear God, send the right people to be part of our children’s lives. Help them to learn to live together well, to build each other up and share their blessings and their needs. Bind them together with godly men and women that strengthen their trust and faith in You.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
A Prayer for Your Adult Child’s Future Spouse
When my sons neared adulthood, I daydreamed about what their future might be. Who would they marry? How many children? These are the typical questions we all want to know. What I forgot to ask was, “What are God’s plans for my children?” “Who does God have for my sons to marry?” We need to pray for the spouse God has for our sons and daughters.
Father, we praise you that you have great plans for our sons and daughters. May our children know they are treasures and worthy of love. Lead them to the person who sees them in the same way. Once they become one, let their bond be secure, and their love for each other be profound. May they place a relationship with You first. As their parent, show me how to love their spouse as my child and make that person feel welcome in our family.
“Therefore a man shall leave his Father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
A Prayer for Your Adult Child to Be Godly Parents
As parents, we know the importance of teaching our children to follow Jesus, to trust God for everything, and give glory to Him only. But will our children do the same with their children? Let us pray for our grown children to grow into godly parents.
You, God, are the ultimate Father. You love us with great love and show compassion to your children. Help our children guide and teach their children the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). We pray for our children to be present and engaged with their children, and when parenthood is difficult, help them to avoid angry words and to give grace and understanding.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127:3)
A Prayer for Protection from Harm
No matter how old my sons become, I will forever be concerned about their safety and well-being. When they were small, that was a full-time job protecting them from busy streets and hot stoves, but as adults, they are out of my reach and my view. But not God’s. He has the power to protect them from anything that may be harmful. He watches over them. Let us pray for their protection from harm.
Father, You see what we can never see, the potential harm, and pain. We ask you to build a hedge of protection around our children (Job 1:9). Protect them from the evil of this world, from the dangers that lie waiting in the dark. You are their mighty warrior, their protector. Keep their steps in safety and far from harm.
“The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)
A Prayer During Painful Times
We will have sorrow and suffering on this earth. It could be death or severe illness or job loss or relationship problems. Troubles will come. But in James 1:1, we are told to count it all joy when we have trials and difficulties. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to shelter our children from such pain? This is not completely possible, but we can pray that God will uphold our children and strengthen them in difficult days.
Our Father Creator, we know that trouble will come for our children. Strengthen our sons and daughters. Let them know your presence as you walk through the waters with them (Isaiah 43:1-3). You, Father God, are faithful and will protect our children from the evil one. You alone give them the strength to endure. Your grace is sufficient.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
A Prayer for Your Adult Child’s Wisdom and Discernment
James 1:5 says that if we need wisdom to ask God who will give generously. His wisdom is not from the world, but from heaven, pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, and full of mercy (James 3:7). Our sons and daughters need God’s wisdom to discern what is best, not just good.
Father, give our children the wisdom to know what is best, to be pure and blameless. Your wisdom is like gold, precious, and pure. Help our sons and daughters to see the world through godly wisdom and to discern your will for their lives.
“The One who gets wisdom loves life; the One who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.” (Proverbs 19:8)
A Prayer for An Adult Prodigal Child
Sometimes a child chooses a path that leads to despair and sin. As parents, it’s hard to watch our sons and daughters make bad choices and suffer the fallout. Even harder is to watch as they continue to go down a road of destruction. In those times, we remember that God knows our pain, loves our children more than we do, and He is working in their lives, whether we see it or not. Our job during this time is to wait for God. While we wait, we watch for them to come down the road home.
Father, this is the most difficult prayer to pray. You know the dreams we had for our children and hopes for their future, but now we are brokenhearted. We ask that you work in their hearts. We know that you want everyone to come to repentance and not perish. We ask that you protect our children from harm until they come home. Father, praise you that although we are blind to your plans, we trust your good and perfect ways.
“He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.” (Job 33:28)
A Prayer for Your Adult Child to Know and Live for Jesus
The greatest gift we can give our children is introducing them to Jesus. The best gift for us is when they continue to follow Jesus as adults. Let us pray for our grown children to continue living for Jesus. If they do not know Jesus, our prayer is that they will meet Him soon.
Father, you love us so much that you sent your Son to atone for our sins and the sins of our sons and daughters. Thank you that they know you and pursue godliness. Help them to continue to seek your face and share your love. For the grown children yet to know you, we pray that you will shine your loving light through the tiniest crack in their hearts and give them a desire to know you. Amen.
“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.” (John 3:16)
Tamela Turbeville lives for every woman with a difficult past to know God loves them, they are worthy and wanted. She is wife to Richard, and mother to three grown sons and two beautiful daughters-in-law. When doing what she loves most– studying God’s Word, reading and writing–she is surrounded by her six rescue dogs in her small office in south Arkansas. She began Living One Word to write and share how God redeems the unlovable and you can read more about Tamela, her journey, and her family at www.livingoneword.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Dragon Images
Do You Want to Share Heaven with Serial Killers?
- Rachel Watson
- The Bible is Relevant.
Sharing Heaven with Serial Killers
Roy Ratcliff is the pastor who baptized infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
After Dahmer was convicted of 15 murders and sentenced to many lifetimes in prison, Ratcliff began visiting him and sharing the gospel. According to Ratcliff, Dahmer struggled to grasp the depths of God’s grace. It’s not hard to understand why. For someone who committed such atrocious acts, grace must have seemed unattainable. But in a 1994 interview with Stone Phillips, Dahmer said: “I have accepted [Jesus] as my Lord and Savior.” Though we won’t know of his sincerity until heaven, it’s possible that one of the most twisted serial killers of our lifetime said yes to grace.
Do you want to see Jeffrey Dahmer in heaven?
Ratcliff wrote a book about the time he spent with Dahmer. If you skim the comments under the book on Amazon.com, you will quickly see that our definition of grace doesn’t always reflect God’s. One reviewer wrote:
I don’t know why you, or the person who posted above you, cares about the state of Dahmer’s soul, much less has any desire to meet him in heaven. It’s just plain creepy. Some of the people who have read the pastor’s book, and written reviews, are thrilled that God can and does forgive anything, and how much hope it gives them of getting into heaven. Good Lord, what kind of sins did they commit themselves, to be “relieved” by something like that?
Not everyone shared this reviewer’s feelings, but it made me wonder about the limits we put on grace. We love knowing God can save someone like Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson from a past of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, but do we rejoice when he extends grace to a man who raped, killed, and even ate his victims? We want to see Brad Pitt in heaven while hoping Hitler didn’t have a last-minute conversion. We want God to forgive us when we worship our mini idols of leisure, but we shudder to think of a pedophile receiving the same forgiveness.
I praise God the decision isn’t ours. While I am guilty of holding onto mercy with tight, stingy fists, the God I serve is not. He offers grace through Christ to any who call on his name (Rom. 10:13).
Because of this, I might one day be singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” beside Jeffrey Dahmer. This excites me for three reasons.
1. It means there is hope for me.
Many of us have heard of King Manasseh. He’s the one who burned his sons alive and liked to hang out with sorcerers and witches (not the J. K. Rowling kind). One of the first things he did after becoming king was to “rebuild the high places” where people worshiped Baal. He didn’t listen to God until he was in a bind—literally (2 Chron. 33:10). And yet “when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God” (2 Chron. 33:12–13).
If there is hope for King Manasseh and Jeffrey Dahmer, there is hope for you and me.
I found it interesting when the Amazon commenter asked: “What kind of sins did they commit themselves to be ‘relieved’ by something like that?” So many. I have failed to be holy. I have failed to be patient. I have failed to extend the sort of mercy I’ve received. I have utterly failed my Maker. So yes, I am relieved he can save someone like me. Hoping that grace doesn’t extend all the way to serial killers and evil kings is a misunderstanding of grace. It trivializes sin and underestimates the omnipotent goodness of God.
2. It means there is hope for others.
I have a list. It’s stored in my heart, not on paper. It’s filled with names of people I love who don’t love God. When I read about Manasseh ignoring God’s voice and committing infanticide, I think about my own sins. Then I think about the people on my list. I know that unless they cling to Christ they will wear their own punishment. Until they submit to God, humble themselves, and seek his face the way Manasseh did, they will not see grace. But I rejoice in the availability of grace:
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus. (Acts 3:19–20)
I rejoice in the assurance that if they surrender to God by clinging to Christ, they will be saved. They will be forgiven. There is hope for them. In Hebrews 7, Jesus is described as the perfect high priest. So perfect that daily sacrifices are needless since his death achieved what all previous sacrifices failed to: permanent, once-and-for-all atonement for sin:
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb. 7:25)
“To the uttermost.” Some translations say “completely” or “forever.” There is no caveat here. Murder. Homosexuality. Infanticide. Idolatry. These sins do not pose a threat to God’s grace when we draw near to him through Christ. Every person on my list and yours is a candidate for mercy.
If God does not offer grace to sinners like Manasseh and Dahmer, there is no hope for us, and there is no hope for our loved ones.
3. It means God gets all the glory.
The extravagance of God’s grace reveals the extent of our insufficiency. We need him, and that’s uncomfortable. Humiliating. When it comes to defeating sin, Christ alone stands victorious.
Some of us hate receiving gifts. Instead of a thankful smile we respond, “You really shouldn’t have.” Acts of mercy make us feel indebted instead of blessed. But this is damning pride. My pastor reminded me in a recent sermon: “There is no catch to God’s grace but this: you can only receive it as a gift.”
I wonder what Jesus’s genealogy would look like if it were up to us. It certainly wouldn’t include Rahab (Matt. 1:5), David’s most disgraceful sin (v. 6), or the likes of King Manasseh (v. 10). Surely we would select our favorite saints and revel in the thought of linking arms with them. But God defines grace. He marks out its path, its length, its depth. The scribes in Mark 2:7 rightly questioned: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” No one. And he offers forgiveness even to the worst person you know.
Stephen’s prayer while being stoned is extraordinary: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60; cf Luke 23:34). Perhaps even more extraordinary is Saul’s response: “And Saul approved of his execution” (Acts 8:1). The conversion and subsequent ministry of Saul, better known as Paul, is one of history’s most powerful illustrations of God’s relentless grace.
Praise God that he shows mercy to the merciless and love to the unlovely. Praise God that he redeems rebels like us.
This article originally appeared on TheGospelCoalition.org. Used with permission.
Rachel Watson is a theology student at The University of St. Andrews and a high school English teacher. She strives to show her students how to think, build discernment, and enjoy great literature. She writes at The Bible Is Relevant. You can follow her on Twitter.
Image courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Dose of Devotion 