Promise for Today - Intentionally Available

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

Most people get to watch history; very few choose to make it. But I believe you can be a history-maker.

You’re not sitting where you’re sitting by accident. You haven’t had the experiences in your life by chance. God designed your life to make a difference in the world. A thousand years before you were born, God knew you’d be right where you are today. He knew you’d be reading this devotional. I believe it’s because God has something special, something unique in store for you.

No matter where you’ve been, what you’re afraid of, or what sin is in your rearview mirror, God can still use you to make a difference in this world. What he needs from you is a total commitment to him. God wants you to be all in on his plan for you.

God is less interested in your ability; he cares about your availability.

At an early age I told God, “I’m all in! I don’t care what you ask me to do or how tough it is, I’ll say yes—anytime, anywhere, anyplace.” Since then, it has been a wild and amazing adventure doing what God has asked me to do.

You can make that same decision, too. God is looking for people to use to change the world.

The Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV). God is looking for you—yes, you—so he can strengthen you and use you to make an impact.

And it all starts with a committed and available heart. You can start today. Let God know that you’re committed to doing whatever he wants with your life. Tell him you’re available for him to use you, and then watch how he answers your prayer.

 
Talk It Over

Why is availability so important to God when he looks for people he can use? Have your opinions about your own abilities ever kept you from saying yes to him?

What do you think holds people back from telling God they are all in?

What’s the hardest thing for you to give up when considering whether to give God everything?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           We want to be fully present for Your will. Remove the distractions that pull us away from Your voice, and quiet the noise that clouds our spirit. Teach us to pause, to listen, and to respond without hesitation when You call. Fill us with courage to step into the unknown, and with humility to serve wherever You place us. Let our time, talents, and thoughts be aligned with Your purposes.
     We want our lives to be vessels—ready, willing, and yielded—so that Your love flows through us to others. Father, give us Your wisdom so that we are available not just in moments of convenience, but in every season, every circumstance, and every opportunity You provide.
     We are here —send us, use us, and shape us for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - Being Present

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job 2:13 (NLT)

If you're always in a hurry, then you're never going to be a great listener. To have great conversations, you start by investing as much time as needed. Why? Because you can't listen very well when you’re in a hurry. Great listening takes time.

Job was a wealthy man who lost virtually everything, including his money, health, and even his children. “When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. . . . Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words” (Job 2:11, 13 NLT).

This is called the ministry of presence. When you’re ministering to someone in pain, you must remember this: The deeper the pain, the fewer words you use. If somebody's having a bad hair day, then you can talk about it for 30 minutes. But if that person has a major crisis, talking about it for a long time is probably not going to help.

A lot of people don’t know how to help someone who is in crisis. They don't know what to say. Those same people will often stay away from a friend because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.

The truth is that you don’t need to say anything. Just show up and shut up. You can’t talk people out of their pain. Some pain is beyond words. When it's the right time, your hurting friend will say something. When it's the right time, then you'll be able to say something too.

This kind of investment takes time. Notice how many days Job's friends sat on the ground with him: seven. Do you have anybody in your life who'd sit on the ground with you for seven days without saying anything? That takes a very mature person and a true friend.

If you want to be that kind of friend, then you have to be willing to sacrifice so that you can give people your love, attention, and presence—as much as they need.

 
Talk It Over

What can you do right now that would give you more margin to be available to your friends when they are in crisis?

Is it difficult for you to listen and not talk in a conversation? If so, why?

Why is it an investment to give someone the ministry of presence?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         Grant us the wisdom to set aside distractions and use our time for what matters most. Help us be present, patient, and willing to serve others with love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - To Love You More

Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God.

1 Timothy 6:21 (TLB)

The key to a friendship with God is deciding whose friendship you want most.

You don’t have time to be everyone's best friend. You have to decide who you want as your closest friend. 

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God” (1 Timothy 6:21). They know all the baseball scores. They know the stock market quotes. They know the top 10 songs. They know who’s in and who’s out in every TV Show. But they don’t know God. They’ve missed the most important thing in life!

If you’re not a friend of God, it means you care about something else more. James 4:4 says, “You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a friend of the world becomes God’s enemy” (NCV). When James writes “loving the world,” he means loving the value system of the world. God wants you to love people, but that doesn’t mean you have to love the world’s value system.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the distractions of life. And when you’re distracted by loving the world’s value system, there’s not much room to love people. Instead, you love materialism. You love pleasure. You love popularity. You love prestige. You love passion, possessions, and position.

But God loves people. And he wants you to love them too. One way to show your love of others is by taking an interest in their interests. In other words, what is important to you becomes important to me (always within the context of biblical truth).

That’s how you show your love of God too. If you’re going to be a friend of God, then you’ve got to care about what he cares about and stop caring about the things he doesn’t care about. God doesn’t care about your image. He’s not interested in your status. He’s interested in your character—not how you LOOK but who you ARE.

Are you ready to take a practical step toward friendship with God? Choose to value what he values.

Talk It Over

Describe the relationship you have with your best friend. How does it compare to the relationship you have with God?

What’s more important to you than knowing God? Why do you value it more?

What are some things that you know God values? How important are those things to you?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           We long to know You more deeply. Draw us closer to Your presence, Lord, and remove anything—sin, distraction, fear, or doubt—that creates distance between us. Awaken in us a hunger and thirst for You, like the deer that pants for water in Psalm 42:1. Teach us to hear Your voice clearly and to recognize Your leading. Give us hearts that seek You above all else, minds that delight in Your Word, and a spirit that responds quickly in obedience.
       Reveal more of who You are—Your love, Your holiness, Your mercy, and Your power. Help us to abide in You daily, to slow down enough to listen, and to walk in step with Your Spirit. We want to make our relationship with You to be real, to be intimate, and life-changing. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - As Long As It Takes

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Forgiveness is not a term you can casually throw around, making everyone instantly feel better. That’s not real forgiveness. 

The Bible says there are four characteristics of real forgiveness:
1. Forgiveness is remembering how much you’ve been forgiven. 

This is the starting point for genuine forgiveness. If you don’t feel forgiven, you probably won’t want to forgive anyone else. If you’re hard on yourself, you’re going to be hard on others. But the more grace you receive from God, the more gracious you’re going to be with others. The more you receive God’s forgiveness, the more forgiving you’ll be toward others.

2. Forgiveness is relinquishing your right to get even. 

The Bible says in the Living Bible paraphrase, “Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it” (Romans 12:19). Life is not fair, but one day God’s going to settle the score. He’s going to right the wrongs. So who’s better at getting justice—you or God?

3. Forgiveness is responding to evil with good.

The Bible says in Luke 6:27-28, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (NIV). How can you tell when you’ve really forgiven someone? When you can look at that person’s hurt, not just your own, and pray for God to bless them. You ask, “How could I possibly forgive them? They really hurt me.” Only the love of God can help you do something like that. It’s why you must fill your life with God’s love.

4. Forgiveness is repeating the process as long as necessary. 

“Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’” (Matthew 18:21-22 NLT). Jewish law said you had to forgive a person three times, so Peter doubled it and threw one in for good measure. But Jesus said to go even further with your forgiveness!

How long do you have to keep forgiving someone? Until the pain stops and the desire to get revenge goes away. In other words, as long as it takes.

Talk It Over

What difference has God’s grace made in your life? How can you extend that grace to others?

Who can you ask God to bless today? How can that prayer be part of the process of letting go of your hurt?

What good can you do for someone in your life who dislikes you or who has wronged you?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

         We recognize that holding onto anger only harms our own souls. We know that we need Your strength to forgive what seems unforgivable. We ask for Your help to release the anger, bitterness, and resentment that weigh us down. Help us to let go of the pain, to release the burden of grudges, and to see others through Your eyes of grace. Grant us the grace to forgive those who have wronged us, just as You have forgiven us. Teach us to forgive repeatedly, even when memories resurface, and to trust in Your healing power. Please give us the strength to extend mercy freely. May Your peace fill our hearts as we choose forgiveness, and may we experience healing and freedom through Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

Promise for Today - Give Up or Look Up

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ 

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV)

What do you do when you can’t fix an unfixable problem or change an unchangeable circumstance? What do you do when you can’t control something that hurts deeply in your life? [What can you do?] You throw yourself on the sustaining grace of God.

To get the kind of grace you need to keep going in spite of temptations, trials, tension, tiredness, and troubles, you need to do four things:

1. Cry out for God’s help. 

When you pretend to be self-sufficient, you short-circuit God’s power in your life. You need to admit your inadequacy and say, “God, I can’t handle this!” The Bible says, “‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’ So give yourselves completely to God ... Come near to God, and God will come near to you” (James 4:6-8 NCV).

2. Fill your mind with God’s Word. 

Study the Bible every day of your life, and let it comfort you, strengthen you, and energize you to keep going. The psalmist prayed, “I lie in the dust; revive me by your word” (Psalm 119:25 NLT). If the solution were to look within yourself, you’d already be changed. You need to look to God! He’s the only one with sustaining grace.

3. Accept support from God’s people. 

The Bible says that by helping each other with our troubles, we obey the law of Christ, which is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” God never meant for you to go through life on your own. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV). Our weaknesses help us realize how much we need God’s grace and each other.

4. Hold on to God’s promises. 

There are more than 5,000 promises for you in the Bible. Here’s one of them: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired . . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV). Keep your eyes focused on the hope of heaven, not just on the here and now.

God’s sustaining grace is always available to you. When you’re going through a problem you can’t fix, don’t give up. Just look up!

Talk It Over

In what situation do you need God’s sustaining grace right now?

Which of God’s promises do you need to claim for that situation?

What godly people in your life can provide the support you need to keep going?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          When our circumstances feel hopeless, please renew our hope. Help us see beyond present difficulty and trust Your presence and promises for our future. Thank You for holding plans filled with purpose and peace. Strengthen our faith when discouragement rises and remind us that You work all things for our good. We place our hope in You, believing that this season will not define our story and that thanks to Your sustaining grace, better days are ahead. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Spurred On

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…
Hebrews 10:24 NIV

Patience was not my strong suit this week. I immediately got a mental picture of a big stick with a spur affixed to the end of it. I was thinking a different way of spurring some people on…

Then I read vvs. 25-27 NIV

" 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Attitude adjustment coming – NO walking away from anyone. NO ignoring texts. YES, answering phone calls. YES, making time.

" 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

Do I want fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God?

NO, I do not.

Prayer:

Father,
       I come before You today with a humble and open heart. Thank You for the endless mercy and unfathomable love You have so generously poured out on me. Forgive me for the times I have been indifferent, quick to judge, or blind to the struggles of the people around me.
      Lord, please transform my heart. Give me eyes to see the hurt and brokenness in the world through Your eyes. Give me ears that listen to the cries of the needy, a tongue that speaks comfort instead of criticism, hands that are ready to serve, and feet that hurry to assist my neighbor in trouble. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Remove pride, bias, and impatience, and fill me instead with Your deep empathy, kindness, and grace. Make me a true vessel of Your love, bringing healing, hope, and peace to everyone I encounter. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen

Promise for Today - God's 5G Plan - Grace, Giving, Generosity, Gratitude, Greater

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NIV)

One way to measure how much you understand grace and how much you’re living by grace, look at your giving.

The Bible says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV).

Notice the “alls” in that Scripture: “all things,” “at all times,” “having all that you need.” Those are the promises related to the person who’s becoming like Christ. What is Christ like? He is a giver. God loved the world so much that he gave. And as you learn to be generous—with your time, hospitality, money, resources, and opportunities—you start to look like Jesus. Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than being lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God.

If you feel tense or defensive when your pastor starts talking about giving, it may mean you don’t fully understand grace. Look at the Scripture again. It says that God loves a cheerful giver and is able to take care of all your needs—all the time, in every way, however you need them.

Here’s the question: Are you going to trust the God who gave his life for you? If you can trust him enough for salvation, can’t you trust him with everything he’s given to you, including your finances?

The truth is, you really don’t own anything. God just loans it to you for 70 or 80 years. It’s all his in the first place!

God gives to us generously. Then he says, “Lead a life of gratitude. Be generous in giving.” Does God need your gifts? No. He wants you to become like him. He wants you to have a heart that says, “I can’t wait to give in every area.”

Romans 8:32 says, “Since [God] did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (NLT).

You can say you love God and sing that you trust God and put him first, but how generous you are with everything he’s given you is where you can show just how much his grace means to you.

Talk It Over

Would you call yourself a cheerful giver? Why or why not?

How have you seen God bless your finances or provide for you as you have been faithful to tithe?

In what ways does your life reflect gratitude for God’s grace?

-by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for the gift of grace that meets us where we are, even when we fall short. Open our hearts and minds to understand the depth of Your love and the beauty of Your mercy. Teach us to see every blessing, both big and small, as a reminder of Your goodness.
      When we face confusion, grant us wisdom to see with clarity. When we are impatient, remind us of the patience You have shown us. Let our gratitude grow deeper each day, so that our lives reflect the kindness and compassion You have poured into us.
      May we never take Your grace for granted, but instead live in a way that honors the gift You so freely give. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen