Today our walk in the word explores new life in Christ. Join me as we look at Ephesians 2:1-10 for our devotional study.
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Listen to this devotion at the Walking Points Podcast. Click here or listen on your favorite podcast platform. The podcast version of the devotion has extra commentary I hope you will enjoy and be blessed by. Psalm 63:1 – O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Mixed Feelings I think I know what it means to thirst for God, to long for him, to hunger for him. I believe there are two different circumstances in which I experience this longing. One is when I have been walking closely with the Lord. I feel it when I am spending much time with him in his Word, in prayer and meditation, in worship, in the reading of books by godly authors, and so on. The more I am with him, the richer my time with him, the more I discover I want to be with him, the deeper I desire to go in my relationship with him. There is a true sense of longing during such times. And yet, as strange as it sounds, during those times in my life of spiritual draught and depression, I also long for him. However, there’s something qualitatively different about the feeling. When things are going well in my walk with the Lord, it seems my deeper longing for him will yield great fruit. I almost expect a rich encounter with him. Yet, when I feel distant from him, though I still long for him, I wonder if I’ll ever have again with God what I once had. It’s almost a “longing of despair.” Have you ever experienced that? Fickle Feelings My experience is a good example of why it’s often unsafe to put too much stock in our feelings. Our feelings are fickle and they have the capacity to lead us astray. Not only that, but there are many things that can affect our feelings, such as our health, our sleeping patterns, our diet, the time of day, and our relationships. I often treasure my feelings, but I am very aware of how unreliable they can be. It’s when we gauge our spiritual life based on our feelings we can get ourselves into trouble. For example, one day with the Lord may be a wonderful blessing and you may be tempted to think you should be canonized as a saint. Yet, another day might yield the opposite experience and you may begin wondering if you’re even a Christian at all. Instead of living on that sort of spiritual roller-coaster, wisdom calls us to trust in the Lord always and continue plodding along with him every day, regardless of our circumstances and feelings. God Himself is Our Reward Hebrews 11:6 says God rewards those who earnestly seek him. Deuteronomy 4:29 tells us if we look for the Lord with all of our heart and soul, we will find him. In these verses, and others throughout Scripture, we are encouraged by the Lord himself, to seek him. His promise is we will be rewarded by finding him. You see, God is the reward! Feelings are great. God gave us feelings. But they too are affected by sin which often makes them unreliable. Therefore, don’t put all your trust in your feelings but in the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He alone is the One we are called to seek, thirst for, and long after and desire. He alone is worthy of such a grand pursuit. Walking Points
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This lesson focuses on the first part of Acts 2, in which God pours out his Spirit upon the early church at Pentecost. I'm now on Substack. Click the image above or HERE to subscribe.
The primary purpose of my Walking Points newsletter is to offer "one stop shopping" for folks who want an easy way to keep up with weekly resources for spiritual growth and encouragement. I hope and pray each Wednesday's devotion and Friday's weekly roundup will help you know God better, love him more deeply, follow him more faithfully, and become more like him each and every day. Please make sure to subscribe to it and share it with others if it adds value to you. After you have signed up (for the low price of “FREE”) I will start sending out a midweek devotion on Wednesdays and a weekly review on Fridays so you can see if there’s anything you missed during the week that may be of interest to you. These emails will go out only on Wednesdays and Fridays, so I will not flood your email box with stuff. But by all means, please subscribe so you won’t miss anything. Blessings, Dale Tedder The Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 39
Question 104: What is God's will for you in the fifth commandment? Answer: That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; [1] and also that I be patient with their failings - [2] for through them God chooses to rule us. [3] [1] Ex. 21:17; Prov. 1:8; 4:1; Rom. 13:1-2; Eph. 5:21-22; 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-4:1; [2] Prov. 20:20; 23:22; 1 Pet. 2:18; [3] Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1-8; Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-21 To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. (Richard Foster)
This Week’s Scripture · Genesis 1:1-2:4 · Psalm 8 · 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 · Matthew 28:16-20 Adoration Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast (verse 1) Come, sinners, to the gospel feast; let every soul be Jesus’ guest. Ye need not one be left behind, for God hath bid all human kind. (Charles Wesley) Take time now to offer God your praise and worship. Confession 11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11) O blessed Lord, who has commanded us to love one another, grant us grace that having received thine underserved bounty, we may love everyone in thee and for thee. We implore thy clemency for all; but especially for the friends whom thy love has given to us. Love thou them, O thou fountain of love, and make them to love thee with all their heart, that they may will, and speak, and do those things only which are pleasing to thee. Amen. (St. Anselm) As David did in Psalm 139, ask the Lord to search you and know you through and through. Confess the sins God brings to mind, knowing you are forgiven and that He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Thanksgiving Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving all authority in heaven and earth to my Lord, Jesus Christ. I praise you that, even two thousand years ago, he had me in mind when he commanded his followers to go into all the world to make disciples. Century and century after century your faithful followers have passed down the faith once delivered to the saints, so that two millennia later, I can give you glory for redeeming me in and through the saving work of your Son. Gracious God, please help me observe all you have commanded and spur me on to love others by declaring to them that same good news of your love, expressed through the person and work of Christ the Lord. Finally, blessed Redeemer, I thank you that you have not left me alone in this world, but have promised to always be with me, even to the end of the age. That is indeed a precious promise and I am grateful for it. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen. (based on Matthew 28:16-20) Spend some time reflecting on the prayer of thanksgiving above and then thank God for who he is and the many ways he has poured out his goodness and grace in your life. Supplication (Petitions – prayers for yourself) · Give me greater love for those who are hard to love. · Help me to be compassionate and kind to those in need, even when it’s inconvenient. · Pour out upon me your courage and boldness to love those who do not know you and to share with them your Gospel, in word and deed. · Today’s events and interactions with others, planned and unplanned · Other needs Supplication (Intercession – prayers for others) · My family · My family and friends who do not have a saving relationship with Christ · For those in my other spheres of influence who do not know Christ · For evangelists around our city, country, and world who risk much in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who are lost · Other needs I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need. (Charles Spurgeon) How Many Years of Experience?
Age does not guarantee wisdom. Not even experience guarantees wisdom. There is nothing magical about the lapse of time in one’s life that causes him to become a sage for the ages. We probably all know someone who doesn’t have 25 years of experience at his job, but instead, has experienced the same one year, 25 times in a row. No growth or maturation has taken place. This was the case in the story of Job. Job’s three friends, older men in the community, were all sharing their insights as to why poor ol’ Job was experiencing such suffering. Each one was way off the mark. Finally, the younger, less experienced Elihu, who had been respectfully silent, observing the back-and-forth of his elders, could no longer sit idly by and allow such error and ignorance to prevail. He responded, “I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. [7] I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’ [8] But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. [9] It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. (Job 32:6-9) Elihu then went on to provide his diagnoses of Job’s situation. The Real Source of Wisdom We learn a very important principle from Elihu: Wisdom does not come automatically with age. Some folks never seem to learn. Instead, true wisdom comes from God himself. Wisdom, God’s wisdom, must be desired and intentionally sought. That takes effort, self-discipline, and commitment. But it will be found only in this way. The chief source from which we gain godly wisdom is God’s Word. Psalm 119:99 says, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and its focus, (almost exclusively so), is God’s Word. In that chapter, God’s Word is also referred to as his statute, law, precept, decree, and command. In each case it refers to God’s revelation of himself and his will to his people. His wisdom for the ages can be found therein. This is how he has chosen to guide us. Psalm 119:24 says, “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” Godly friends and teachers, empowered by God's Spirit and informed by God’s Word, are treasures. But it must be his Word that is the primary source for wisdom. I’ll take a mentor who has been seasoned by years of experience almost every time over a younger, less-experienced person, but especially if the former has walked with God during those years and sat under the tutelage of God’s Word. That’s where wisdom will be found. That’s also why we must “delight” in God’s Word each day – that we too might learn, grow, and one day be a source of godly wisdom for someone else. Walking Points
Prayer Gracious God, you are sovereign, good, and all-wise. You are in control of the universe you have made and know best how it works. You love me and have my best interest at heart. Furthermore, you not only have my best interest but know best how to bring it about in my life. Therefore, I will trust you. Thank you for the gift of your Word that provides direction for me to follow. I needn’t grope in the dark, tripping over obstacles, when your Word is such a radiant and trustworthy light in my life. In the name of the One who is the Light of the world, I pray. Amen. |
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Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: (Proverbs 23:19)
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
(Matthew 7:13-14) |