Devotions

It is always good to take a step of faith when we have placed our trust in Christ. This kind of faith is to be applauded. Yet the Bible shows us there is great danger if we don’t follow up on that first step with increased faith.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

When we are in a deep struggle, things can come at us “fast and furious” and at such times we may think, “Lord, I don’t know if I can handle this. I don’t see how I can ever make it through.” At such times the enemy takes advantage, moving in with principalities and powers to try to rob, steal and shipwreck our faith.

Dear believer, this happens to every true servant of God. Peter lovingly warns us that it would happen, saying, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

No matter how long you serve the Lord, you can always be trained in this area of following his clear direction, especially in the hard places. We should never say, “That’s it, Lord, I’ve had enough.” Instead, we should say, “Lord, I don’t see the way ahead and I don’t know where I’ll find the grace to get through this, but you promised to provide it and I know you will be my strength.”

This place of true faith is the place where you find your rest — by fully trusting in the Lord’s love. God is going to bring you through and take you to a place of incredible blessing. You may have to be willing to do insignificant things and you may face tests and trials that will be hard, yet the training ground God has set apart for multitudes of his most beloved ones is where we learn his nature, his character, his blessing, and his goodness.  

We are cherished by a holy God and he has a holy purpose for us, just as he did for his own Son. Therefore, we have a peace that passes all understanding, and we rest knowing his blessing lies ahead for us. Thank you, Lord!

Most Christians know what the Bible says about God’s great love for his children, yet many have never learned to appropriate that love, even after years of faithfully walking with Jesus. There are dedicated servants of God who have never enjoyed the glorious experience and benefits of knowing the Father’s love — and nothing saddens God’s heart more.

God described himself to Moses in this way: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7).       

God wanted Moses to know that he was merciful, gracious, longsuffering and forgiving. We have been taught much about these; indeed, from cover to cover the Bible speaks of the Father’s loving and tender heart toward us. But when we are mired in the midst of trials and tribulations, we often forget what God has said about himself.

Scripture says of the Lord again and again that he is ready to forgive at all times (Psalm 86:5); patient with us, full of tenderness and mercy (Psalm 145:9, Psalm 119:156); slow to anger and wrath (Joel 2:13).

The Lord wants us to approach him fully convinced that he loves us. And he wants us to know he is all he says he is. For this reason, Satan will try to make us believe a lie about our Father. If you have been adopted into God’s family through Christ, you must know how special you are to him. You are the recipient of the Father’s special love for his children.

“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light … [you] are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

No one can number all of Christ’s tender mercies and the manifold blessings of his shed blood. But let’s focus on one victory in particular: the forgiveness of all past sins.

“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin … If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9).

It is imperative that every follower of Jesus lay hold of this glorious truth. Appropriating it has everything to do with whether we will maintain a victorious faith in the midst of dire afflictions. Indeed, in days of uncertainty, this matter of resting in Christ’s forgiveness is crucial.

Many who have served Jesus faithfully over the years have grown confident that their faith can withstand any fiery furnace. Like the disciples, they testify, “Now I see, Lord. Now I believe.” They thank God that Christ has opened their eyes to his eternal purposes.

Then suddenly they are faced with an overwhelming, tremendous crisis. They realize they have entered a furnace seven times hotter than any they have ever known. They have come face to face with a battle so painful, a struggle so draining, that their house begins to shake. And soon it is being swamped with burdens and fears.

Hear the words of the apostle Paul: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that we previously committed” (Romans 3:24-25).

Through faith in Christ’s shed blood, all past sins are covered! We are cleared in the eyes of God by his unmerited forgiveness. All guilt, fear and condemnation are lifted and all past charges are wiped away. Hallelujah!

Amazingly, God made provision for this reconciliation while you were still in sin. According to Paul, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Finally, Paul tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).   

The Israelites groaned under the burden of slavery and their cries for help rose to their Father in heaven. God’s response to them should build our faith and increase our confidence in him: “God heard their groaning, and he remembered” (Exodus 2:24). The word “remembered” here means God was about to bring the reality of his promises to the forefront of their lives and his desires for them were going to become manifest. “He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act” (2:25). Even though Israel was in bondage, God’s promised realities were within their reach.

The promises God has given us through Jesus — freedom from bondage and slavery to sin — are beyond anything we could think or imagine. He has placed us beside himself in heavenly places and given us our identity in him. If these incredible promises don’t build up our confidence, there is something wrong with our view of God. We are not seeing his glory as fully and clearly as we should.

No complex theology is required in order for God to respond to you. All it takes is your heart’s simple cry, “Lord, I’m calling on you for help because your Word promises that you will deliver me from my enemies and give me salvation and overcoming victory in Christ.”

Jesus’ first promise to us is abundant life: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). This means life overflowing, streams of living water spilling over the riverbank of our soul. His second promise is dominion over sin, Satan and death. These no longer reign over us because Jesus does! “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (Romans 6:14). He has put the very power of his Spirit in our hearts, giving us victory over sin and filling us with joyful strength.  

The work of the Holy Spirit enables us to say, “He has made me holy, blameless and faultless before him. I am inseparable from his love; therefore, I am more than a conqueror against any weapon Satan tries against me.”

George Müller (1805-1898) was an evangelist and the director of an orphanage in England. He was a man of great faith and when asked how he could accomplish so much with so few resources, he replied, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.”

Our society is obsessed with instant gratification. We do not want to wait for anything, and many Americans find themselves in debt because they think they need the latest car, house, gadget — right now! This has created a generation that is immature, rebellious and feeling entitled to just about everything — without working hard to gain what they need or want. But instant gratification is not in God’s dictionary because it does not produce faith and trust in him. In fact, it doesn’t produce anything of spiritual worth, nor does it produce godly character.

The prophet Isaiah said, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). He will answer our prayers, but in his perfect timing and in his perfect way. Waiting is not easy but God tells us to be persistent in our prayers, believing that he will indeed answer at just the right time.

Maybe you are tired of waiting for God to answer your prayers and beginning to lose heart. Jesus tells a parable about a widow who repeatedly came to a judge looking for justice from those who had come against her. Finally, the judge said, “Because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me” (Luke 18:5). Then Jesus said, “Just as this ungodly human judge granted the request of a persistent widow, how much more will God answer you (and fight for you) if you call out to him” (see 18:7).

God does not ignore our pleas. His character is love, so in all ways he does what is in our best interest even though we might not see the answer right away with our natural eye. God has decreed that your prayer will be answered, so trust in his Word while you pray in faith!

^{Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001. In May of 2020 he transitioned into a continuing role as General Overseer of Times Square Church, Inc.}