The Ultimate Goal

1 Corinthians 9:24-27  ²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Today’s text brings a smile because I cannot think of anyone less athletic than myself.  Yet God’s Word is fascinating because it manages to reach us all no matter what the topic.  While I am not athletic, I am familiar with the age-old proverb:  If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well (c.f., based on Ecclesiastes 9:10).  Here is our starting point to pursue application.  Let’s try the question and answer method.  I’ll pose some questions, and you ponder them with your Heavenly Father (and don’t worry, I’ll be doing this right along beside you!).

Do I consider myself to be a Christian?  …just the average, every day, sort of Christian? Am I satisfied with the status quo, or do I truly desire a deeper walk with my Heavenly Father?  Are the things that I do in my daily Christian life helping me to not only finish but to win the race? What is the quality of my effort in serving my Lord?  Am I content with mediocrity?  Finally, are there areas of my life which might disqualify me from the prize?

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

May all that I think, say, and do enable me to win the race in such a way that it brings honor and glory to You.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion The Ultimate Goal was originally written for Friday, February 7, 2014; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Interesting Adjectives

1 Timothy 6:6-16  ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you  ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Adjectives are describing words often used to bring writing to life in the mind of the reader.  Adjectives help us make personal connections to the text. When reading Paul’s letter to Timothy, we catch a glimpse of those personal connections. 

Contentment can bring great gain to our lives (v. 6).  Fighting the good fight of faith, can help us take hold of eternal life through our good confession in Christ (v. 12).  Perhaps the best personal connection is to know we are truly blessed when we rest in the assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ will certainly return in accordance with God’s own timing (v. 15).  I challenge you to take a moment to read this passage again, making connections with the text as you notice all those wonderful descriptive words.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the provision of your Word. Thank you for inspiring its authors to make your Word come alive in our lives today. Thank you for the promised Blessed Hope of the soon return of your Son and our Savior, to take place in your own time. May we be faithfully engaged in service for you until that moment.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Interesting Adjectives was originally written for Saturday, September 28, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Complete Predicates

2 Thessalonians 3:6-16  ⁶In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” ¹¹We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹²Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. ¹³And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. ¹⁴Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. ¹⁵Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer. ¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Yesterday we focused on prepositions.  Today I cannot help but see all the predicates, or action words, jumping off our text.  Here are just four action phrases that help to summarize our text:

·         KEEP AWAY from idleness

·         FOLLOW our example (e.g., Paul, Silas, and Timothy)

·         WORK, LABOR, and TOIL so that you will not to be a burden to anyone

·         NEVER TIRE of DOING what is right

I challenge you to go back through the entire passage and find as many other predicates (i.e., action words) as possible. Meanwhile, if we would simply focus on this brief list of actions provided, what a change we might see in our daily lives.  Imagine the daily peace this could bring to us!

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the fresh look at your Word. Challenge us to stay active in ways that honor you.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Complete Predicates was originally written for Friday, September 27, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Little Prepositions

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24  ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

One of the challenges I faced as a schoolteacher was helping my young students learn various parts of speech and basic sentence structure. What fun we had with prepositions!  Once students began to understand that most prepositions function as location words, they seemed to catch on quite easily.

Just the Sunday prior to this writing, I was blessed to hear a guest speaker at our church draw attention to one of the little prepositions in today’s text. He, too, had been blessed by one of our other denominational leaders who had previously encouraged him.  To be honest, I had always assumed I was to be thankful for all circumstances.  Ah, but there it is… I have been using the wrong preposition.  God does not ask me to be thankful FOR everything that happens to me; but the expectation is to be thankful IN every situation.  I do not have to be thankful for evil or hurtful things—but I can be very thankful that my Heavenly Father sees me through those difficult times.  What a difference a little preposition can make!

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the privilege of communicating with you in prayer. Thank you for teaching us to rejoice in all circumstances. Thank you for being our Strength in difficult times.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Little Prepositions was originally written for Thursday, September 27, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

What's In a Name?

Exodus 20:7  You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

One of my previous church homes celebrated a special mission’s event each year called Penny Crusade. Each Sunday during that Penny Crusade time, we would learn about different mission areas, their needs, and their progress. One year, we discovered many children receiving help from the Cristo Salva mission did not receive names at birth, since at that time few were expected to live past the age of five. That seems hard for us to imagine. We live at the other end of the spectrum, and most of us have names linking us to ancestors or other important people or events. New parents create lists and sort through names looking for just the right match. Great attention and detail is often given to unique spellings for names.  Do you remember your school years?  No one wants to hear his or her name mispronounced by the teacher.  No one wants to see his or her name misspelled.  No one likes unpleasant or derogatory nicknames. 

Are we as careful with God’s name? 

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

You alone are the Great I AM. You have always been, you are right now, and you always will be.  Precious and Sovereign is your name.  Oh that we might set a guard over our lips and only address you with respect and honor due to you.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion What’s In a Name? was originally written for Thursday, June 5, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Between a Rock and a Promised Place

Exodus 17:1-7  ¹The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.²so they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?” ³but the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” ⁴Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” ⁵The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Today’s passage should not be confused with the similar passage in Numbers.  They are two events. Countless sermons and devotionals have been created on the latter passage, when Moses lacked enough trust in God to see water gush forth from a rock solely upon a spoken word.  How heavy the consequences were for that disobedience!

Today’s text gives the first account, when Moses completely trusts in God’s command and obeys without hesitation. This was the right time to strike the rock and watch water gush forth quenching the thirst of a parched, albeit rebellious, people.  Many more opportunities for obedience would occur between this rock and reaching the Promised Land.

If you have ever felt disappointed by good deeds gone unnoticed; the lesson is simply this:  Do the right thing—simply because it’s the right thing to do. Obey God and trust in His ultimate wisdom.  For then it will not matter who notices, because your Heavenly Father certainly will!

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for your abundant providential care. Grant us the strength and courage to give you our complete obedience in all things; the first time, and without hesitation or reservation.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Between a Rock and a Promised Place was originally written for Wednesday, May 28, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

A Change of Plans

Exodus 13:17-22  ¹⁷When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. ¹⁹Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” ²⁰After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. ²¹By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²²Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Flying from Albuquerque to Tampa is simple—just a quick plane change in Dallas. Usually.  A number of years ago that same trip took most of the night with an unplanned stop in Denver in addition to Dallas.  We arrived around 3:00 a.m. to discover Tampa airport was closed—only the custodial staff was left to greet us as they cleaned and prepped for the new day.  God had other plans for us that night as we later discovered we had been kept safe from numerous devastating storms hovering over our usual flight path. 

In our passage today, the Israelites came up out of Egypt “armed for battle” (v. 18).  They had planned for a short trip through Philistine country.  God had other plans.  The Israelites were to take the same route once taken four centuries earlier by Joseph as he buried his father, Jacob, in their homeland. God even provided guidance both day and night with pillars of cloud and fire.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for your watch care over us. Thank you, too, for rerouting us when we stray from your planned course.  Thank you for the provision of your Holy Spirit for guidance.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion A Change of Plans was originally written for Monday, May 19, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Present Your Requests to God

Genesis 18:17-33_(excerpts)  ¹⁷Then the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” ²⁰Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous ²¹that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.” ²³Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁸...what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? ²⁹...what if only forty are found there? ³⁰...what if only thirty can be found there? ³¹...what if only twenty can be found there? ³²...what if only ten can be found there? He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”  ³³When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In the New Testament we are urged to present our requests to God (Philippians 4:6). How reassuring to know that God is patient with us even when our “requests” are not within His plan for us.  I have only provided excerpts from the Genesis account and I would encourage you to go back and read the entire passage. I have to imagine that Abraham must have hoped his requests would be honored by God—even  though reality revealed God’s infinite wisdom and planning—the consequence of complete destruction would soon fall on Sodom and Gomorrah for their grievous sins.  Quite possibly, Abraham was trying to estimate how many of his nephew’s family lived within the walls of the condemned city of Sodom; and more importantly, how many of those relatives would be found faithful to God?  Surely there must be at least ten faithful relatives!  Even though God knew full well that not even ten faithful would be discovered within the city, yet God remained ever patient and faithful to listen to Abraham’s earnest requests.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for your patience with us. Thank you, too, for giving us what we need rather than what we think we want. And yet, help us learn a lesson from Abraham—may we be found faithful, and may we bring the news of salvation to those in our family so they, too, may be found faithful.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Present Your Requests to God was originally written for Friday, February 21, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Baby Dipper

Genesis 1:14-19  ¹⁴And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Because my dad died when I was young, I have few memories, but the ones I do have are precious to me.  One of my favorites is looking at the stars with him.  We would race each other to find the Pleiades (the Seven Sisters).  I would laugh and say, “There’s the Big Dipper, there’s the Little Dipper, and there’s the Baby Dipper, too!”  Our purpose was singular—to admire a glimpse of God’s fourth day of creation.  Together, Dad and I would sing the JW Peterson hymn, “It Took a Miracle.”

My Father is omnipotent and that you can’t deny; a God of might and miracles; ‘tis written in the sky.  It took a miracle to put the stars in place; it took a miracle to hang the world in space.  But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took a miracle of love and grace.

Some 50-60 years have passed since those childhood days when I shared the night skies with my Dad, but I still look for the Baby Dipper—and I still sing!

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the beauty of your night skies. Thank you for the miracle of Your love and grace!

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion The Baby Dipper was originally written for Friday, January 4, 2013; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

If We Believe

1 John 5:5-12   ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. ⁶This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷For there are three that testify: ⁸the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. ¹⁰Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Scores of commentaries and documentaries have carefully analyzed—even scrutinized—the words and phrases used in today’s text.  To create a summary within a brief devotional seems an impossible task.  However, within today’s text I find some extraordinary golden nuggets of truth. 

Jesus Christ IS the Son of God!  He really did come to earth in human form!  He was indeed baptized by John—recognized by God as “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17, NIV).  He shed his blood and died on the cross for your sins and mine!  And we know from the next several verses that Christ’s resurrection provides the hope we have for eternal life!

These are indeed amazing nuggets of truth providing all the strength we need to survive any battle the world throws in our life’s pathway!  IF, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the truth provided in your Word—Jesus Christ is real! Your promises of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life are also real!  May our love and commitment to YOU be just as real!

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion If We Believe was originally written for Thursday, December 6, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.