September 18 – Of Being Firstfruits

 “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” -  James 1:18 (ESV)

Let’s take a moment to recognize how often we misunderstand the meaning of God’s promises because we use our own finite ability to reason out what makes sense. If a passage makes sense in our own reasoning there is no guarantee that we have a good understanding of what the Holy Spirit wants us to know of His inspired and authoritative words in Scripture. By example the promise in today’s verse teaches us that our regeneration is fully according to God’s will. He wills and it happens. “Of His will” a Greek. word that makes the point that regeneration is not just a wish. It is an active expression of God’s will. He always has the power to accomplish His will. James places this phrase at the beginning of the sentence in Greek, in order to emphasize that the sovereign will of God is the source of our new life. Regeneration, or the new birth is described as “He brought us forth.” We are God’s chosen “firstfruits” of the work Christ accomplished for us through His death. Let’s reflect back to the previous verses (James 1:16-17), where God promises us every perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father.

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June 12 – Just Ask Rightly

“You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” – James 4:2-3 (ESV)

When we consider what God’s word teaches about prayer, we find that we are to ask—and to ask with humility, sincerity, and love, and with an understanding that God is sovereign and that His will is what we most wish to be done. For Jesus prayed in this way in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying “Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:16) It was a bold prayer and Jesus had the courage to ask God to do something humanly impossible. Yet He showed complete submission to the Father’s will. It was God’s sovereign purpose that kept the cup from being removed as Christ prayed. In the same manner, the boldness, childlikeness, and eagerness we demonstrate when asking God to do the impossible are not undermined by His sovereignty; they are mercifully controlled by it. With boldness we too can come before our Father, trusting Him to accomplish all we need and all we ask that is in accordance with His will. We can never ask for something that is too big for God to do. So let’s ask!

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January 21 – A Promise of Promises

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 (ESV)

The promises God has made us and blessings He’s given us in these promises will never fail. We are reminded in today's verses that we need to continue to believe and have faith in what God has promised. Hold on to our confidence in the face of whatever God allows to be put in our path of our lives. Due to persecutions, the recipients of this letter to the Hebrews were tempted to run away from their outward identification with Christ and Christians and to apostatize. His promise in the Bible is that He gives us the confidence and the endurance we need each day. It is His will for us to not lose the reward He’s promised. Each day we come closer than ever to our promised eternal reward. It’s no time to turn back. We don’t receive the great reward through our own effort of being good enough but by trusting each day in what God has promised. Our promise today is that we will receive what is promised by doing the will of God — which is to trust in Christ fully by living daily in the will of the Father.

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December 30 – A Matter of Priorities

“ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. ” – John 4:34 (ESV)

It was a common for the priorities of Jesus to be very different than the concerns of his disciples. Jesus, hearing how his activity in Judea was stirring up interest, he heads out of the region to avoid conflict with the powers in Jerusalem. He makes his way from to Galilee using the road through Samaria. An unusual route for a Jew but not for Jesus. He did so to be at Jacob’s well at just the right time of day. Jesus had an appointment with divine destiny in meeting the Samaritan woman, to whom He would reveal His messiahship. While waiting, the disciples go into a nearby town for food. They return just as Jesus’ conversation with the woman is finished. Having brought Him food, they offer it and encourage him to eat. But Jesus speaks of “food” differently than what the disciples did for him. For Jesus, fulfilling the will of His Father was more important to him than taking care of a passing physical need. That is what He lived for. He wanted his disciples and He wants us to recognize that God’s purposes and works have s a higher priority than satisfying even important physical needs. 

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June 24 – Importance of His Will

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 (ESV)

Knowing that God has promised eternal life when we believed on the name of the Son of God, gives us confidence and certainty in our lives as Christians. We have a wonderful promise today but we need to be careful to understand it rightly. Many these days speak of “praying” for others. People reach out to friends and friends of friends asking for prayer and receive assurances that the “prayers are being sent up.” But can just anyone who prays know for certain that God even hears? Does God answer and deliver on any and all prayers?” Our verse today gives us confidence that God will hear us but consider this very important condition. “…that if we ask anything according to His will...” To pray according to God’s will is to pray in accord with what He has told us He wants, not simply what we decide or desire we need. God may not respond to prayer made by those who do not believe on Him. God does not respond or answer prayers that are contrary to His will. God hears the prayers which are according to His will, not just according to our will only. 

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October 26 – As He Will

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”  Daniel 4:35 (NASB)

The words in this verse are the words spoken  by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.  God had fulfilled the prophecy He sent in a dream and King Nebuchadnezzar, the most  powerful person in the world at that time, was driven mad and away from his kingdom.  He lived like an animal until He came to the understanding expressed in these words.  Our promise is that no one on earth is above God.  In comparison, we account for nothing.  God does as He will and no one can question Him. Our God is a great God! He is sovereign in His dealings with all of us. God has always had His purposes in mind as he has dealt with His people. He has a purpose for you and for me. Sometimes He reveals why He deals in a certain way. We need to recognize that He works for our welfare and in love because He is a God of love.

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June 16 – Ready and Willing to Please

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”    Philippians 2:13 (NASB)

An important lesson we should always keep in our minds is that we do not live our Christian lives by ourselves or in our own ability.  When we become Children of God by accepting Jesus as our Savior we do open ourselves for God to work in us.  It is so good to realize that God does have wonderful plans for us for the time we live here on earth and also for eternity.  God is working in each of our lives today and the promise in our verse is a confirmation and reminder that He wants us to desire to follow His plan.  He wants us to be willing and available to be used by Him for the work He has for us.  This work brings God pleasure and it brings us joy and peace also.  Yes, God wants to use us for His glory and for the good that He brings to us.  This is the purpose He had in creating human kind.  Today, let's be open to allowing God do His will and good work through us.  

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March 2 – A Larger Family

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:50  (NIV)

When Jesus spoke these words His mother and other members of His earthly family were nearby but Jesus reminded His listeners that He had a larger family.  Family relationship were and always have been very important, even sacred.  Being considered a brother or sister in Christ is a blessed position.  And the way Jesus expressed His feelings in this verse can help us understand how we can be included even today, hundreds of years later.  By believing in Jesus as our Savior we become children of God and Jesus knows us and recognizes us as belonging to His family.  He is aware when we obey God's will and this is the indication for Him that we are truly and closely related to Him.  Jesus lives with us.  We can keep this promise of family relationship clear by showing Him that we are doing God's will every day.  

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August 15 – Desire and Do

“...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13 (NASB)

Each day that we wake up we have the opportunity to remember what a wonderful God we have.  He loves us and cares for us and wants the very best for us.  He does have plans for each of us.  There are certain things that are expected of us and we need to know how we are going to meet those expectations.  The answer to that question is given to us in today's verse.  God Himself is the one who is at work in each of us.  He it is who is helping us to be willing and to work for His good pleasure.  This is a good thing from our good and perfect God.  You can understand that God is working in us to make us want to please Him.  He gives us the desires to do what He expects of us – what He has created us to do.  Then, God works in us to help us do what He wants.  We do not have to do this on our own and on our own, we never could.  We need and have God enabling us to desire and do what pleases Him and we can trust Him for this promise today, right now, this very moment.   

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July 15 – Do the Will of Our Father

“I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8 (NIV)

These are very precious words. We believe that David was expressing his own personal  feelings but we also believe that these words have a wider meaning than that. These words fit so well with what the Bible records about the attitude of Jesus. We remember how often Jesus expressed His desire to do the will of His Father – all the way to the cross. We also want to apply these words to ourselves as we come to our God in prayer we want to express our deep desire to do what is pleasing to Him. And we know we have the promise within our hearts, if we have believed and accepted Jesus as our Savior. That is why it is our desire to do what God wants. And, don't we sense in our hearts what is pleasing to Him?

March 23

“Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’”  John 18:11 (NIV)

During the final hours before Jesus died He made many important statements. Here He is speaking to Peter when He was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had just prayed to His Father asking that, if possible, He might not have to drink the cup. But He had also said, “Not what I will but what You will.” So when Peter tried to defend His Lord by fighting for Him, Jesus would have none of it.  He said, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” I’m so glad Jesus obeyed the Father. There was no other way for us to escape eternal punishment for our sins.