Devotions

In order to be able to follow the Spirit and be sensitive to all His detours, we must first have an open, prayerful heart that stays connected with God. Jesus is our greatest example of this.

No aspect of Jesus’ life shines more brightly than His dependence on prayer and communion with His heavenly Father. It is the defining characteristic of His ministry, the strength behind all He said and did. Jesus prayed constantly, at every opportunity. He prayed for sinners, for His disciples, for wisdom and guidance, for His food and water — for everything. And He often went away to be alone so He could listen for the Spirit’s voice without distraction.

Prayer is the portal by which the Holy Spirit is allowed access into our hearts and minds, and any serious inquiry into God’s guidance and direction must begin with this simple act of communication.

When we pray, we can be completely honest. Jesus knows our hearts, our motives, our thoughts, our sins and struggles. He fully understands our pain and temptation: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Jesus understands us much better than we understand ourselves. He made us and lived among us. He knows what we are going through. And part of our being an effective tool for Christ is being willing to open up our hearts and souls to Him — allowing Him to share with us in our successes and failures.

Nicky Cruz, internationally known evangelist and prolific author, turned to Jesus Christ from a life of violence and crime after meeting David Wilkerson in New York City in 1958. The story of his dramatic conversion was told first in The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson and then later in his own best-selling book Run, Baby, Run. 

It was the night before the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus had gathered His disciples in an upper room to prepare them for His departure from the earth. After they shared a meal together, the Lord took a towel and proceeded to wash the men’s feet.

That evening, Jesus told these devoted followers He was going to be “lifted up” (meaning crucified) by the hands of wicked men. When He told them this, He was forewarning them about what was to come.

Jesus ended His message to them by saying, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father” (John 16:28).

To this, the disciples responded, “You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things. . . . By this we believe that You came forth from God” (16:29–30).

The disciples were letting Jesus know that they understood clearly what He had told them. Yet, more importantly, take note of their words in the last verse: “Now we are sure . . . we believe.”

It appeared that a great faith had gripped their souls. These men were declaring to Jesus, “Now we see, Jesus! Now we know. Now we believe.”

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

At the cross, mercy and peace took on the face of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, whenever a child of God has fully trusted in the cleansing, healing power of Christ’s blood, peace has been promised. It is Christ’s own peace, the very peace that rules paradise.

The apostle Paul’s words on this subject are meant to help every believer apply this truth in his own walk:

“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15, my italics).

Dear saint, this is our hope in all our battles: Let peace rule your heart by resting in the promises of God. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

May the following prayer of Paul become ours, as well, in these days of uncertainty:

“The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Thank God for His joy and peace!

“‘For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Hebrews 12:6-7).

You are never more loved than when you are chastened or corrected by the Lord. In fact, the entire process of chastening has everything to do with God’s desire for you. It is all meant to take you into the knowledge and glory of Himself. And remember, God never chastens His children in anger.

Yet, make no mistake. The Bible calls these times of chastening grievous. They are in no way joyful. “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present” (12:11). Nevertheless, we’re told, “Afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (same verse).

Over the years I have had to quench many of Satan’s darts and lies, yet today I proclaim with assurance, “God is not mad at me. And, dear follower of Jesus, He is not mad at you. Therefore, quench everything the devil says to try to convince you otherwise!”

This is the victory of the cross: Peace with God and the very peace of  God.

The scene at Calvary did not look like a victory. But that day something was at work that Satan did not know about. It was something he will never understand about our blessed Savior. I’m talking about the unfathomable mercy of God in Christ!

Something incredible happens when a person receives Jesus as Lord. Once they forsake the world and follow Him, they are forever bound to the Lord with unbreakable cords of love. Consider Paul’s description of this deep, unknowable mercy:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? . . . Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 38–39).

Despite the disciples’ shameful failure, God’s mercy was fully at work in them through the Holy Spirit. And that mercy determined their victory after the dark day of the cross. A seed of faith had been implanted in Jesus’ followers, and their houses had been built on a rock. Their houses were shaken, of course, as satanic storms beat upon the walls and powerful waves pounded the foundations. But when the storms passed, it was obvious that those houses had stood the test.