We all long for peace. We were created to have it with our Father who created us for Himself. The wonderful thing is: His peace is greater than any momentary peace that we think is the best we’ve ever experienced. Only He can give us that peace. And, this peace will conquer all fears and anxieties that we have, if we would allow Him to work in us.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do we remember His peace is a goal for us to have in this life? 2. Do we realize that His peace is stronger than any momentary fears we might have? Challenge: Lord, help us to be thankful that you created us in the first place, and that your will is for us to have YOUR peace, which is the greatest peace in the universe. It is bound up in your love for us, and it is truly stronger than any fears and anxieties we might have. Help us, please, to remember that, and to thank you daily FOR your great and enduring peace. Thank you, Father! Amen.
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10/14/2021 0 Comments Worry NotJesus told us that worrying could not add one single hour to our lives. He said so Himself. He Himself had worries, too, which we’ve read about. So, how do we make sure that worry doesn’t envelope us and actually take time from our lives, with time being one of our most precious commodities in this life?
Questions for further thought: 1. When worry hits us, do we pray to our Lord right away about it? 2. Are we worried about real things, or small things, and do we remember the many blessings we already have from Him? Challenge: Lord, please help us to remember the things Pastor Doug has mentioned often: “God didn’t change, and God didn’t move.” Help us to remember that. You’re always with us, you never left us, and you’re the same today as you have always been, and that includes with us! Lord, we thank you that we can go to you to calm our fears and anxieties, and celebrate the blessings you give us daily. Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Jesus was born to die on the cross for us. We know this. He knew it even before any of us were created! Still, He also was anxious about going through it, and at one point wished that He did not have to. But He knew, in the end, that He had to confront His anxiety and His sacrifice in order for all of us to be saved. He was anxious, but He faced it and worked through it to the end.
Questions for further thought: 1. How hard do you find it to face whatever is causing your anxiety? 2. Do you pray to avoid it or, as Jesus did, ask for strength from God to push through it? Challenge: Lord, help us to push through our troubles and anxieties just as you did, and to do so with help from you. You had to go through the worst experience imaginable; please help us to realize that you’re with us in our darkest moments, not to help us avoid life’s troubles, but to give us strength to solve and go through them, as you did for us. In your name, Amen. 10/12/2021 0 Comments What Friends Are ForThe popular song “I get by with a little help from my friends” really is good advice. From time immemorial, people have relied upon their friends to help them in life’s travails. Many people in life whom we look up to have said that their good friends helped them through their biggest troubles. And, of course, we always have our Lord with us as our biggest friend who never has and never will leave us.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do we rely upon a friend or group of friends when we’re anxious, or do we try to “tough it out” alone? 2. Do we realize that our friends are there for us when we need them, JUST as Jesus requested His apostles to be with Him in His time of anxiety? Challenge: Folks, we don’t have to do this life alone! Our friends (and family) are there for us. And that includes our church family! Please reach out to those who will be there with you, walk alongside you, and pray and support you. Jesus asked His disciples to be with Him; we should do no less. 10/11/2021 0 Comments (Not So Sweet) EmotionAll of us, at times, have had anxiety. This even included our Lord Himself. Jesus, though God, was also human, and His humanity allowed Him to experience the same anxiousness that we do. He knew He had to not let it rule Him, as we often let it control us.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do we often isolate ourselves in the midst of anxiety? 2. Are we hesitant to even acknowledge that anxiety has the best of us? Challenge: Let’s remember that we all have times of anxiety in life, even Jesus Himself did, but we don’t have to bear it alone. God is with us, as the Father was with Jesus when He felt anxiety. Let’s challenge ourselves to go to the same strength source in our anxiety as our Lord did when He had it in Gethsemane. 10/8/2021 0 Comments Comforted to Comfort2 Corinthians 1:3-4 While we should always feel free to bring our hurts and concerns to God, the Father has also given us another source of help in times of trouble. As believers, we can lean on one another when we’re hurting. When we experience God’s comfort, we can help others by sharing our experience of His help and healing with others who are struggling. God often delivers His help through the members of Jesus’ body. Seek the comfort of others, and be a comfort to others.
Questions for further thought: 1. Can you recall a time when God used another believer to provide support to you? 2. What experiences have you had that God might use to provide support for others? Challenge: Ask God to help you recognize opportunities to bring comfort to others. Be alert for His leading in this area for the rest of October. 10/7/2021 0 Comments Speaking the UnspeakableRomans 8:26-28 When you’re dealing with sorrow, hurt or anxiety, where do you turn? We know we have a Father who is not only instantly accessible but also intimately familiar with our situation. But at times, we don’t even know what to say. That’s when the Holy Spirit steps in, interpreting our “groanings” and bringing them before God. Even when we’re hurting beyond words, God hears our cries.
Questions for further thought: 1. Can you think of a time when you were so distressed that you didn’t even know how to pray about your situation? 2. How does the fact that the Holy Spirit prays for you make you feel? Challenge: Take a few minutes during your prayer time today to thank the Holy Spirit for His presence in your life and intercession on your behalf. 10/6/2021 0 Comments Compassion on DisplayLuke 7:11-16 Jesus made it clear that those who had seen Him had also seen the Father. His heart of compassion for those in distress reflects the heart of God. This account of His care for a widow who had lost everything is just one of many such encounters in Jesus’ ministry. Lepers were touched and healed, the blind regained their sight, demons were cast out and even the dead were raised. He physically demonstrated God’s concern for the hurting.
Questions for further thought: 1. When you consider the people Jesus helped, were most of them folks who would have been considered “acceptable” by the religious types of the day? 2. How do you think the church in general does in following Jesus’ example of compassion? How about Hillcrest? How about you? Challenge: Spend a few extra minutes today and find three examples in the Bible of Jesus’s compassionate response to hurting people. 10/5/2021 0 Comments Someone Who's Been ThereIsaiah 53:2-6 Biblical experts agree that these verses delivered by the prophet Isaiah clearly describe the Messiah who was yet to come. They describe Jesus as one “…well acquainted with grief.” No one who has read the account of His life on earth, or his death on the cross, can deny that description. When you’re hurting, know that you have a Savior who has been in your shoes and understands your pain.
Questions for further thought: 1. Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Is it easy or difficult for you to picture Him experiencing the same emotions you do? 2. Do you ever hesitate to bring your concerns to God because they don’t seem “big” enough? Is that biblical? (Check 1 Peter 5:7) Challenge: Do you have concerns that you have hesitated to bring to God for whatever reason? Add them to your prayer list today. 10/4/2021 0 Comments Seen and HeardExodus 3:7-10 As God reveals Himself and His plans to Moses, He also makes known the fact that He has both seen the affliction of His people and heard their cries. The Israelites may have felt that God was unaware of their pain, but God made it clear that was not the case. He also had a plan to address the situation, and Moses was the instrument He chose to implement His deliverance. God always sees and hears His people when they are in need.
Questions for further thought: 1. Do you typically find it easy to believe that God cares when you hurt? Why or why not? 2. When our pain is caused by our own actions, does God still hear our cries? Again, why or why not? Challenge: Spend time in the Bible to find scripture that backs up your answers to the previous two questions. |
AuthorThis devotional is written every week by Hillcrest members. Archives
March 2024
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