Feb 26, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
– Romans 1:18-23
Devotion
Here Paul begins to give us a graphic picture of the Roman world in the first century. He begins by declaring, “The wrath of God is being revealed.” This is God’s constant and insistent displeasure with evil. God does not change with cultural standards. God is merciful, not because He is lenient with the sinner, but because Christ died. The Gospel has not changed God’s attitude toward sin. The Gospel has made it possible to accept the sinner. The sinner must have either the righteousness or the wrath of God. Both are revealed from heaven. Paul goes on to reveal how God has revealed Himself through His creation so that man is without excuse. We cannot claim ignorance because God’s eternal qualities are clearly seen from what has been made. Despite this revelation, some people would choose to reject God’s revelation and worship created things instead. Paul says, “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” What is clear in Paul’s time is that man was moving away from God. The sin of idolatry was alive and well in Paul’s day and thrives even today. As a society, we have become more sophisticated in our worship of things and continue to move further and further away from God.
The Big Question
Have you allowed the cultural standards of the day to influence your thinking on what is right and wrong? Has your thinking become futile and your heart darkened to the truth of God’s Word? Have you replaced God on the throne of your heart with something else? How does it make you feel to know you are accepted by God because of Christ and not because of your own personal performance?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
Feb 25, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
– Romans 1:16-17
Devotion
Here Paul gives us a summary statement concerning the Gospel or Good News of Jesus. This message of Jesus coming into this world to reconcile mankind to God has the power to save and transform lives! In itself, the Gospel has power, innate power. It has power for a very definite thing: “It is the power of God unto salvation.” Salvation is the all-inclusive term of the Gospel, and it simply means “deliverance.” It embraces everything from justification to glorification. It is both an act and a process. It is equally true that I have been saved from the penalty of sin, I am being saved from the power of sin, and I will be saved from the very presence of sin. The Gospel is for the entire human race. Then Paul declares a wonderful truth, “For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed.” God is holy and His character demands righteousness. But the righteousness Paul is referring to here is not self-righteousness that is produced by human effort. Instead he proclaims a righteousness that comes from God when we put our faith in the person and work of His Son. The righteousness of Christ is credited to the account of those who are trusting in the completed work of Christ. One day we will stand before Almighty God and He will only see the righteousness of His Son.
The Big Question
Are you relying on self-righteousness to make you right with God? What is the basic problem with performance-based religion? Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Has your life been transformed as a result of trusting in the person and work of Christ? Remember this, “The just shall live by faith.”
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
Feb 24, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God—the Gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy scriptures regarding His Son, as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for His name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
– Romans 1:1-6
Devotion
In writing this letter to the church in Rome, Paul purposes to define the Gospel and the condition of man that necessitates the Gospel. Paul writes to explain the tenants of Biblical Christianity. Let me encourage you to do something that will totally impact your understanding of Christianity: read the Book of Romans, and read it regularly. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. This book will ground the believer in the faith. Paul identifies himself in these opening verses as a servant, or slave (doulos), of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul took on this position willingly. After surrendering to Christ, God called him to be an apostle (sent one). Paul then verifies this by declaring that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrection is the hinge pin of the Christian faith. Without it, Christianity falls apart. Then Paul goes on to identify himself as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul had a specific calling to share the Good News with those outside of the Jewish faith. “Grace” and “apostleship” are significant terms. “Grace” is God’s method of salvation. None of us could ever have been saved if God had not been gracious. Although “apostleship” referred specifically to Paul and the others who were technically apostles, every believer is a “sent one.” Every believer should be a witness, one sent forth with a message.
The Big Question
What are you doing to get the Gospel of God out these days? Do you consider yourself a bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you also among those called to belong to Jesus Christ?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
Feb 14, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak, but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.
– 2 Corinthians 13:5-9
Devotion
Paul closes out this letter by instructing the Corinthians to, “examine yourselves.” Most people struggle with the concept of introspection. Sometimes we don’t go there because we are afraid of what we will find. Yet in Scripture, we are encouraged to look within and be honest about what we find. King David is a good example of introspection in Psalm 139:23, when he writes, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” David was not afraid to go to that place. Nothing is hidden from God. He is the only one we can safely be completely open and vulnerable with. Paul closes out this section by letting the Corinthians know that he is praying for their perfection or maturity. This is the heart of a shepherd/pastor. He loves them so much and desires to see them grow and mature in their faith.
The Big Question
So how are you doing with introspection? Are you afraid of what’s under the tip of the iceberg? How are you facing things that hold you down? Are you daily asking God to search your heart and reveal anything that is hindering your growth as a believer?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
Feb 13, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 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.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions and in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
– 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Devotion
Paul reminds his readers that he suffered from a “thorn in the flesh.” No one knows exactly what this infirmity was, but Paul acknowledges that God used this “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble, to keep him from exalting himself. Paul asked the Lord three times to remove this infirmity, and the Lord refused. The Lord revealed that He would remove the thorn but give him the grace to bear the thorn. Because of Paul’s weakness, the Spirit of God was empowering him. We are often tempted to do the Lord’s work in our own strength, but God has a way of humbling us so that through our weaknesses He is glorified. We often see our struggles as a negative when, in fact, God may be allowing them as a way to increase our faith and bring glory to Himself.
The Big Question
Are you struggling with some kind of thorn in the flesh? If so, how does this passage of Scripture shape your understanding of how God might use your struggles to conform you into the image of Christ? How does God receive glory through our weaknesses? How does Paul’s example encourage you today?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
Feb 12, 2020
Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
– 2 Corinthians 10:1-5
Devotion
Here Paul points out that as Christians we are not to live our lives according to the standard of this world. In Romans chapter twelve, He states it this way, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Paul goes on to remind the Corinthians and us that we have a spiritual enemy, and to defeat this enemy we are required to use spiritual weapons. (See Ephesians 6:10-18) These spiritual weapons have the power to bring down spiritual strongholds. He closes out this section of Scripture with this thought, “We take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” Scripture has a lot to say about our thought processes. “Fix your mind on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). “You (God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on You…” (Isaiah 26:3). “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2b). “Your mind should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
The Big Question
Do you live your life according to the standards of this world? Do you recognize the spiritual battles that are being fought in this physical realm? What do you spend your time thinking about? When you are distracted by the noise of this world, how do you redirect your thinking or take every thought captive for Christ?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.
