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Christian Devotional – September 2, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 13:14–May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. TRUTH: Grace, love, and fellowship. These three traits are some of those that make up the core of the Christian life. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we can experience grace. God Himself is the author of love, and the Holy Spirit enables us to experience the fellowship of God. These three traits are to be evident in our lives and to be a focus on our daily walk with Him. RESPONSE: Father, help me to apply the grace, love, and fellowship that You…
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Christian Devotional – September 1, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 12:9–But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. TRUTH: Paul was given what he called a “thorn in the flesh” and when he asked God to remove it, God gave him this response. No matter what we face and what situations or struggles we find ourselves in, God’s grace is always sufficient for us. We can rest assured that through His grace we will always have exactly what we need to make it through. How? Because God’s…
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Christian Devotional – August 31, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 11:30–If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. TRUTH: Most people don’t think about boasting in their weaknesses, typically we try to hide those. However, Paul is using his weaknesses and sufferings as a way to explain God’s grace. Paul knows that these sufferings and difficulties are only so that God can be shown to be full of grace and power as He works through Paul to do the amazing things that Paul has been a part of. When we are weak, He’s shown to be strong. Are we boasting in our weaknesses so we can explain about God’s grace through…
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Christian Devotional – August 30, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 10:18–For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. TRUTH: The people Paul was talking to had some other people come by and preach to them as well, but those men were boasting about how much better they were than Paul. Paul reminds the Corinthians that it’s not about trying to earn the praise of men or boasting about oneself, but it’s about the Lord’s approval and commendation for a job well done. Do we boast of our own abilities or are we seeking only the praise of the Lord? RESPONSE: Father, forgive me for not only…
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Christian Devotional – August 29, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 9:11–You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. TRUTH: God blesses us in so many ways: money, time, experiences, wisdom, just to name a few. Why does God bless us? He blesses us so that we can bless others. We are to be generous with everything that God allows us to have. As we are generous with God’s blessings, others give thanks and praise back to God. God’s blessings lead to our generosity, which results in thanksgiving and praise back to God. RESPONSE: Father, Your cycle of blessing,…
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Christian Devotional – August 28, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 8:12–For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to that one does not have. TRUTH: How does God evaluate giving? For God, giving is evaluated based on willingness, not quantity. People can give large amounts of time or money, but if they are only giving out of duty or obligation, then they are not giving an acceptable gift. However, if their heart is willing and they give a gift, even if it is a small gift based on their ability, that gift is acceptable and pleasing to God. RESPONSE: Father, I desire to give. The contents of the…
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Christian Devotional – August 27, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 7:10–Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. TRUTH: When we are confronted with having done something wrong, we have a couple of ways we can respond. We can experience Godly sorrow, which is being truly sorry for how our sins have hurt God. This kind of sorrow leads to repentance and salvation as we seek to restore our relationship with God. We do not get bogged down with regrets as we experience the love and forgiveness of our Savior. Or, we can display Godly sorrow, which is being unhappy about going through the consequences of the sin. This…
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Christian Devotional – August 26, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 6:2–For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor and now is the day of salvation. TRUTH: What does it mean that now is the time? It means that today is the day when God will hear and help us. He is listening to us and He is poised to help us as we come to Him. Do we see today as the day of God’s favor? We don’t have to wait for it, God hears us and helps us today! RESPONSE: Father, You are…
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Christian Devotional – August 25, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 5:15–And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. TRUTH: Here, in one simple statement, is the essence of the Christian life. Jesus died for all so that we who are still living can choose to submit to Him and allow Him to live through us. While we are still trying to control ourselves, our lives, and are living for ourselves, we cannot be living for God. As we come to Jesus, we sacrifice ourselves, with our sinful habits and practices, and we choose to live for the one who…
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Christian Devotional – August 24, 2013
VERSE: 2 Corinthians 4:18–So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. TRUTH: What are we focused on? As we are going through each day, are we focused with intensity on the eternal things that matter? Or are we focusing on the things that are temporary? The temporary things are more distracting because they are easier to see, but the eternal goals that God has for us require discipline of mind to stay focused on because they cannot be easily seen. Are we choosing to focus on the unseen and eternal or…