Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

Faith / Trusting God, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Wise

You Will Not Find True Purpose and Fulfillment in Your Own Works

Ecclesiastes is another book of wisdom, written by Solomon. He records here his thoughts about the value of many things he has tried in his life and ultimately has an important conclusion for us all to recognize and apply in our lives. Here is a very wise man, given wisdom above other men by the Father. He has lived with great wealth and power. He has been able to do many things seeking fulfillment. His conclusion?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

This conclusion by itself is a powerful message. I share it as we begin Ecclesiastes for context. We will revisit it again as we go through the scripture, but take a few moments to contemplate it. Then remember it as you read through Ecclesiastes and see all the pursuits which Solomon tried to find fulfillment… and came up empty. Most of us today are still trying to find fulfillment without the Father and we too will come up empty if we continue on that path.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

The Futility of All Endeavor

      1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

      2“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

      3What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?

      4A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.

      5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.

      6Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.

      7All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.

      8All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

      9That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.

      10Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.

      11There is no remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.

We can not find our true purpose, fulfillment and lasting value in our works alone. Works done in our own power will not have lasting impact. Rather, pursue what God calls you to do. That will have lasting impact!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Seeking God

Receive the Kingdom of God As a Child Would

We can easily get busy with our daily activities. Even when we are doing good or important activities, let us take care not to overlook the children.  Take time to appreciate and engage children, as Jesus did.  It is best not to think of children as a distraction, but rather as  gifts from God and as the wonderful creations they really are. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Jesus set a great example for us by making time for children even during His short and busy earthly ministry.

Mark 10:13-16

Jesus Blesses Little Children

      13And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

Children are remarkably open to accept the truth about Jesus. They listen with an open, unbiased mind. They are not yet led astray by the world and by those who make up reasons to reject God and then pressure others to reject Him also. Jesus takes the opportunity not only to show love for the children by making time for them, but also to make an important point. When he says that he the kingdom of God belongs to such as these, He is not only referring to children, but to those who receive the kingdom of God like a child.

Let us pay attention to both lessons that Jesus teaches in this scripture. Value and make time for children, even when you are busy. Secondly, challenge yourself to embrace the kingdom of God as a child, without reservation and doubt… wholeheartedly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to appreciate and encourage little children. Help me to not look on them as a distraction, but as a treasure. Help me to embrace You and Your kingdom with the faith of a young child, without reservation and doubt. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Help / Serve Others, Slow to Anger, Submitted / Servant

Let’s Be Honest With God; He Already Knows Anyway

How often do we try to put our best face forward to God, to look our best, but then fail to express our deeper doubts or concerns or questions? While this is very normal in a human relationship, it can keep us from truly getting close to God. Besides, He already knows what we are thinking, so why don’t we just be honest with God about all of our concerns and questions?

Mark 9:33-37

    33They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

The disciples struggled at times like we do.  They made similar mistakes and had similar issues to overcome in their walk with Jesus. There were times when they did not feel comfortable answering His questions or asking their own… as if He did not already know. In today’s scripture we see an example of how gracefully Jesus addresses the situation. He first invites them to talk, then He just addresses the subject of the conversation they did not want to admit to Him they were having.

We should not overlook the particular here, as it is very significant. Greatness in the kingdom of God is not the same as greatness in the eyes of men. To be great for God means being servant of all. Further, to receive God we are not to do so with reservations and caveats, but as a little child does, wholeheartedly and without doubts. What a powerful message. Jesus did not want to miss the teaching opportunity with His disciples.

Let’s be honest with God. Share our concerns and questions and even doubts openly with Him and ask for His help. He already knows anyway. Let’s invite Him to help us.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Merciful

Yeshua, Help My Unbelief!

Praise Yahweh that He sent us a perfect example for us to follow in order to understand how to live in the right relationship with Him. Yeshua demonstrates a marvelous example. I seek to study and learn from His example. Our faith is a key element of effective prayer. Yeshua stressed this over and over in His earthly ministry. However, He also recognizes our failures and treats us with grace and mercy. He knows our faith is not always as strong as it should be.

Pay attention to how Yeshua interacts with the man whose son is suffering in Mark 9. The man does not have absolute faith, but he simply asks Yeshua to help him in his unbelief. Yeshua answers his prayer.

Mark 9:14-29

      14When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22“It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

It is truly good news that we do not need perfect faith. We can humbly and openly ask our Father in heaven for His help to strengthen our faith. Praise Yahweh for His grace and mercy!

In what areas do you struggle to trust our Father? Come humbly to Him in prayer, in the name of Yeshua, and ask Him to help you in your unbelief.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please strengthen my faith that You are always with me, even in difficult times. Help me to know confidently that You are able to take care of any challenge in my way. Help me to stay strong in my faith even when You choose not to answer my prayers the way I am hoping/expecting. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Learning To Pray Effectively, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

Place Your Hope In Yahweh, Even In Difficult Times

It is easy for us to get discouraged when we experience hard times, when things do not go the way we expect or desire. When we feel overwhelmed, we may begin to feel distant to Jehovah. We are wise to recognize that we need Him in those situations and turn toward Him… seeking Him wholeheartedly for help.

Psalm 43

Prayer for Deliverance.

     1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

      2For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

      3O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.

      4Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

      5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Many of the Psalms begin with sorrow and difficulty. By turning to Jehovah and calling out to Him and trusting in Him they often end with hope and joy, even before the situation has been resolved or improved. Just reminding ourselves of our Father in heaven and engaging Him in true communication can be of great help.  Place your hope in Jehovah, even when times are tough.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Greed, Guide, Persecution / Glorifying God, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Does It Profit A Man To Gain The World?

Yeshua has a way of putting things in sharp focus for His followers.  If we are to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, shoulder difficulties, and follow Him. The world will often come against us. If we try to save our own life to do with as we will, instead of as God wills, then we will lose eternal life.

Mark 8:34-38

      34And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37“For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

If we seek after Yeshua wholeheartedly, we will experience eternal life. He will save our soul. If we pursue the worldly things we shall perish, even if we gain the whole world along the way.

Take time to reflect on verses 37 and 38 above. This is serious business. Do not be ashamed of our Savior or the word of God in this world or He will be ashamed of us when we come before God.

It is the ultimate “choose your own adventure” opportunity. Will you follow Yeshua to the Father? or Will you pursue the world? One must be master. You can not serve both or you will love one and hate the other (Luke 16:13).

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me through the Holy Spirit so that I would truly be passionate for You and not ashamed. Help me to pick up my cross and follow You. Help me be joyful in doing so. Help me to lay down my life for and devote my life for You and the gospel message of salvation You represent. Amen.

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Submitted / Servant

Accept God’s Way of Doing Things Even When You Don’t Understand It

The Father’s ways are higher than our ways. We will not always understand why He does things a certain way. Nonetheless, we should strive to understand and accept things through His perspective and interests rather than our own. Sometimes there is death and suffering. Sometimes it serves His purpose and He not only allows it but brings it about. This does not make Him wrong because we don’t like it.

Mark 8:31-33

      31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Is there something you are experiencing in your life that is difficult to understand? A death or illness of a loved one? We will not always understand why God heals or does not heal, but we can submit ourselves to serve Him and worship Him either way. We can set our minds to submit to Him. If we stumble in this, we can ask His forgiveness and we can always ask Him for help.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, I ask You to help me to see things through Your eyes. Help me not to judge with my own. Help me to be strong in my faith, even when things are difficult and I am having a hard time. You are good all the time. Amen. 

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Seeking God

A Question We Each Must Answer: Who Do We Say Jesus Is?

The answer to this question should define our life. “Who do we say Jesus is?” If He is God, then what will we do about it? How will we let that shape our lives?

Yeshua poses important questions to Peter in Mark 8. “Who do people say that I am?” and “But who do you say that I am?” Few reasonable people can debate the true existence of the historical Yeshua who lived, taught the word of God, suffered and died and then rose from the dead. The evidence is overwhelming for those who actually consider it without bias against it. Some make up different excuses. Some say Yeshua was just a prophet, or a good teacher, but some of us fully embrace the truth of who He is… like Peter.

Mark 8:27-30

Peter’s Confession of Christ

      27Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 30And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

It is interesting that we see another example where Yeshua instructs someone not tell anyone He is Messiah. This is very different than we expect when we think of pastors and others who want to put titles on themselves and draw attention to increase their status or number of followers. For Yeshua, it was not yet His time. Yeshua was not worried about His personal status, but rather doing the will of the Father.  Later the disciples were instructed to go and tell all the nations about Him.

Many people say many different things about Yeshua. Some claim He was only a good teacher or a prophet.  The question for each of us is “Who do we say that Yeshua is?” It is an important question. How we answer the question should impact how we live. It is not a question of low significance. For those to whom the LORD has revealed it, let us embrace Him as Messiah. He is indeed God Himself, who came as one of us to live among us. He died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

If we truly believe this about Yeshua, then our lives should be transformed to seek wholeheartedly after Him and our actions should reflect that belief. We will truly then be a different from the world and be a light to others who do not yet know Him.

Ask yourself, is your life a testimony to Yeshua in this way? If not, reflect on what changes you should make and ask the LORD to help.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me truly embrace Yeshua as Messiah. Help me to be transformed and my life to be a light to draw others to You. Let me not walk as if my life is not affected by this knowledge of Yeshua as Messiah. Let it impact every aspect of my life. Help me to lay down my ways and the ways of men and follow Him. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Provider

Find Rest and Peace in God

Like most, I can get nervous or anxious about some things. I naturally live like I need to control or take care of all my needs. God reminds us to find rest and peace in Him. He is also patient with us as we make mistakes and fail to find that peace and rest. He is loving and kind and patient for those who seek Him. He is slow to anger. We see a great example of this in Mark 8, as Jesus addresses the concerns of His disciples over how much food they had brought with them to eat.

Mark 8:14-21

      14And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18“HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Be slow to mock the disciples for this kind of mistake. They had just witnessed miracles around food and now they worry about what to eat. How much do we struggle day to day to break away from worldly thinking and truly think in terms of the sovereignty and power of our God, who is in control of all things?

I am grateful that God is so gracious and patient with us and that we can find rest in Him. Praise our loving Father! Thank you!

Take some time to reflect prayerfully on your own life. Are there areas where you are worried and not resting and trusting in God? Ask God to help you release those to Him. It does not mean you do nothing, but it means you trust in Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness

Focus on What God Can Do Instead of What You Cannot

The beginning of Mark 8 focuses on a miracle we can all too quickly take for granted. Jesus feeds 4,000 people starting with only 7 loaves of bread.

Also, consider what moved Jesus to this miracle. He felt compassion on the people. Why? They had been with Him for days without food. Think about that! That is quite a demonstration of faith on their part.

What did the disciples focus on in this situation? Where Jesus focused on the people and their needs, the disciples focused on their own limitations and not being able to think about how they could meet the need in their own power.

Don’t be too hard on them! How often do we do the same thing in our lives?

Mark 8: 1-10

Four Thousand Fed

      1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, 2“I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3“If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4And His disciples answered Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. 10And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.

When you see a need or feel called by God to help others or overcome a challenge… don’t focus on what you can or can’t do in your own power, but rather focus on what God can do!

Pray and ask God to show you any areas in your life where you are too focused on what you can’t do to solve a situation and not focused enough on what He can do! Trust in Him to provide. He will make a way.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.