by Jim Brummett | Apr 11, 2018 | Devotions
Isaiah 36:4 “…on what are you basing this confidence of yours?”
The Assyrian empire spread from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. With their eyes set on Jerusalem, the Assyrian general told King Hezekiah to lay down his arms and surrender. Hezekiah was understandably shaken for he knew in the natural there was no hope.
In our journey of life we wrestle with issues that challenge our faith. If we fix our eyes on the problem we can find ourselves intimidated into spiritual paralysis. If you find yourself in such a battle let me encourage you to consider how Hezekiah handled the situation in chapter 37.
First, he did not ignore the problem, but went to the temple and laid out the threat to God in prayer. In verse 16 he prayed, “O Lord Almighty…you have made heaven and earth.” We begin by acknowledging that as a child of God we have the power and authority of Almighty God on our side. In verse 17 he prayed “Give ear, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord and see…” We ask God to take note of our circumstances and give heed to our prayer. In verse 20 he prayed “Now, O Lord, our God, deliver us…” We ask God to grant us victory and crush the enemy.
God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer by sending an angel who struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. The victory took place swiftly and silently, for the Assyrian general did not discover the carnage until he awaked from his sleep the next morning. Think of it; in a matter of a few hours one single angel from God struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers and their general was not even aware of it until the battle was over. It makes you wonder what incredible thing God is doing on our behalf right now that we are not yet aware of.
Be encouraged my friend, for as a child of God you are supported by the power and authority of Almighty God. He is aware of your circumstances and is working in ways even now that you are not yet aware.
by Jim Brummett | Mar 28, 2018 | Devotions
Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
The word temptation in our text has a dual meaning. It can refer to an inward solicitation to sin, or a testing through external circumstances. Since the source of the temptation is the evil one (Satan), we know the temptation is designed with the sole purpose of threatening our relationship with God. Be encouraged with the thought that victory in the time of temptation means we demonstrate commitment to God and His values.
One of the interesting facts about the Lord’s Prayer is that it does not contain the personal pronouns I, me, my or mine. Instead, it is a request for God to give us this day our daily bread, to forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors, and to lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” For me to pray this prayer is to pray for you, not me. It is a demonstration of putting the interest of others ahead of my own. The prayer of Matthew 6:13 is to pray for God to lead our family and family and friends to spiritual health, that they will honor Him in their thoughts, words and actions.
On this day I pray for you and your family to prosper spiritually. I pray for you to remain victorious in every struggle of life.
Let’s sing: “Praise you, praise you, let my life praise you…”
by Jim Brummett | Mar 21, 2018 | Devotions
Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Forgiving the person who offended us is a big deal. It also is a big challenge. I suspect one reason we struggle forgiving is because we do not want the person who offended us to be free of consequence. The irony is that when we forgive others we actually free ourselves.
Harboring unforgiveness results in the loss of the Fruit of the Spirit, damages our relationship with other people, nullifies our testimony and can even hinder our own prayers from being answered (see Matthew 6:15).
The Lord wants us to walk in freedom from bondage to sin and hurts from our past. Our physical, emotional and spiritual healing begins by making the conscious decision to forgive those who have offended us.
Scripture:Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Colossians 3:12-14 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
Let’s sing: “Jesus, be Jesus in me, no longer me but Thee; Resurrection power fill me this hour, Jesus be Jesus in me.” (JESUS BE JESUS IN ME, by Eddie Carswell, Gary & Shawn McSpadden)
by Jim Brummett | Feb 28, 2018 | Devotions
Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”
There is something comforting in this verse; it speaks of daily provision. Conversely there is something strangely disconcerting, for it speaks of daily need. I suspect we all prefer provision over need.
David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel and noted scholar of the Bible, estimated there were up to 4 million Jews who marched out of Egypt in Exodus 12. It didn’t take long for the deliverance to subside as the people dealt with the challenge of where to find food for 4 million people.
The Bible tells us God provided manna, a small wafer made of honey and delivered it to their camp 6 days a week for 40 years. Now I confess there is something inside me that wonders why God didn’t make it easier for the people by providing a week supply of manna every Monday morning. Wouldn’t the people have preferred to go to bed 6 nights a week without worrying about whether there would be provision the next day? Well, I figure God knew it may have been easier and preferred but not necessarily better. Not everything necessary is easy and not everything easy is necessary.
There are important principles to learn about God and ourselves that require daily trusting God for provision. We face each new day with the assurance the same God who provided our “manna” yesterday will provide it today. As we like to say around our congregation, “What God has done before He is doing again!”
Let’s sing: “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee…”
by Jim Brummett | Feb 21, 2018 | Devotions
Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The word Kingdom refers to the territory subject to the rule of a king. So what would it look like for our community to be subject to the rule of God? First, consider God’s kingdom is characterized by His power and authority. Read through the Gospels and take note of the many times and ways our Lord demonstrated His authority over demons, sickness and sin. Also consider Romans 14:17 where it states “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
As we pray for the kingdom of God to come and for His will to be done, we pray for God to rule the heart of every family member, coworker, neighbor and friend; we pray for the Church to demonstrate spiritual authority over sickness and demonic powers. I can imagine such a community because our Lord told us to pray for it.
