FREE FOOD
(Isa 55:1)
MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2010
Question for the day:
Do you ever ask God to provide for a need
and then try to take care of it yourself?
What can we pray with YOU about today?
Good morning,
This is just a reminder that every day, while we are studying God’s Word to add to our website, someone from our ministry, Dysmas Conduit, is holding you up before the Lord in prayer. May He greatly bless you today as you pursue His will and He is glorified through you.
God’s blessings, our love,
George & Sidney Granger
CURRENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for Mike Brommer as he spreads the Lord’s Seed and witnesses to His glory while on the road today. Please pray also that the Lord will lead him to Kingdom-profitable loads to carry, and that He grants Mike safe passage today.
Please hold up before the Lord a dear friend, Ann Long, who is to undergo cancer surgery on March 29. Also please ask for strength for her family, especially her husband, Dennis.
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TODAY
March 22, 2010
Great Faith
Micca Monda Campbell
"Then Jesus answered,
‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.'"
Matthew 15:28 (NIV)
Devotion:
I used to covet others' faith. I'd watch the spiritual "giants" in my church and community and wonder why they were given a greater faith than me. It didn't seem fair. Even worse were people with great faith who never seemed to have any type of adversity. Do you know the kind of people I'm describing?
One day, I decided to get to know a person with obvious great faith. I think it was one of the best things I've done to increase my own faith. The first thing I learned was people with great faith got it from their abundance of trials, not from their lack of trials. Trusting God in one trouble gave them courage to trust Him in another. Before they knew it, they had developed great faith in God. Great faith didn't happen overnight; it was a process.
Through the course of trusting God, we discover several things about great faith. First, it leads to great undertakings. Take the Gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter found in Matthew 15 - pause to read her story if you can. She cried out for Jesus to heal her daughter, but she received no response.
This action on Christ's part can seem confusing. Therefore, it is important to know that this woman was not only a Gentile, but was of Canaanite descent. The Canaanites were an immoral people God had commanded
Annoyed by her attempts, the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. She was a nuisance to them, but to Jesus the woman was an example of great faith. She was determined to do whatever was necessary to get what she needed.
Great faith also brings about great expectations. If you're like me, you often don't expect great results from your labors and prayers. This is because we lack faith. This was not true of the Gentile woman. She expected the Savior to heal her daughter.
That's not all. great faith awakens great earnestness. This woman didn't play by the rules so to speak. She didn't care what others thought about her actions. Crying, she fell at the feet of Jesus and worshiped Him. I've seen this kind of earnestness in others with great faith as well. They pray with persistence until God moves.
Great faith conquers great difficulties. The woman kept on pursuing Jesus even though He reminded her of her position as a Gentile, not a Jew. Christ responded to her begging, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs" (vs.26). In other words, why should He give her, a Gentile, what He had come to give the Jews?
Her answer to that was to agree with Him, "Yes, Lord." And then throw herself on His mercy again by adding, "…even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" (vs. 27). She understood that even one morsel of God's power was more than enough to heal her daughter. Pleased with her faith, Jesus commended her.
Finally, great faith achieves great victories. Jesus rewarded the woman's faith by healing her daughter. Our difficulties can be overcome by expressing great faith in Christ's mercy and love, which provide for our needs.
Great faith isn't given to some and not to others. It is a choice we make to trust and pursue God even when at first there appears to be no response.
Dear Lord, my circumstances call for great faith. Today, I'm ready to undertake whatever I need to do in this situation. I expect You to hear and respond to all my concerns. With earnestness, I promise to seek Your will in this area so that I may be more than a conquer. Victory is already mine because I trust in You, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Application Steps:
Do not give up. Find a mentor with great faith and become their student.
Practice great faith by expecting God to hear and meet your needs.
Reflections:
Do you ask God to provide for a need and then try to take care of it yourself? If so, why?
Do you think following the example of the Gentile woman will increase your faith?
Power Verses:
Mark 9:23b, "Everything is possible for him who believes." (NIV)
Psalm 130:5, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, in his word I put my hope." (NIV)
YOU TUBE SONG FOR TODAY
Enough
David Crowder Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygo1eOBcXn0
…and…
Taking a trip on the Bible Bus
1 Peter 1:10 -16
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstancesthe Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.
A Call to Holy Living
Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.
Listen to Scripture at
http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Listen to Thru the Bible
Dr. J.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Thru_the_Bible_with_JVernon_McGee/
Please send your prayer requests to
No comments:
Post a Comment