March 7, 2017

                                                        

DAY FOURTEEN

March 7, 2017

Discover Your Destiny…Like Jacob

“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it…and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.’” Genesis 28:16,22

Today we continue our look at Jacob’s encounter with God.  Because of this experience, Jacob went from being characterized as a taker, to being known as a giver.  It was all due to meeting the living God personally.  Look at the God he met:

God is a Dream-Maker (Genesis 28:12).  God came to Jacob with a dream for a glorious future.  God always puts dreams about the future in our hearts.  Jacob awoke to a wonderful truth.  Beforehand, he did not know that he was at the house of God and the gate of heaven.  God delights in giving us dreams and then seeing them come to pass.

God is a Promise-Keeper (Genesis 28:13).  God reveals Himself not with just a generic name for God, but the covenant name of Yahweh.  God is a God who makes promises and keeps them.  He does what He says He will do.

God is a Work-Giver (Genesis 28:13).  He speaks.  The verse says, “and He said.”  God reveals Himself clearly to His people through the Bible, which are His oral words in written form.  Jacob had been stumbling around wondering, until he heard the voice of God.

God is a Living God (Genesis 28:13).  God does not identify Himself as, “I was the God of your father Abraham.”  But rather He says, “I am the God of your father Abraham.”

Prayer Focus:  Take time in prayer to praise and worship God for who He is to you.  Love Him back in a real and personal way today.

March 6, 2017

                                                      

DAY THIRTEEN

March 6, 2017

Discover Your Destiny…Like Jacob

“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it…and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.’” Genesis 28:16,22

Today’s passage finds Jacob running from the consequences of his actions and falling asleep at a place called Bethel.  While he was asleep, God revealed Himself to him in a personal way.  It was then that the God of his fathers became his personal God too.

Before we see how this destiny moment changed his perspective about giving, let’s look at the point where God showed up in Jacob’s life.

God reveals Himself when we are at the end of ourselves.  Jacob’s scheming and trickery had brought him nothing but failure and rejection.  When he stopped running and fell asleep at Bethel, he had nothing.  It is when you are at the end of your rope that God reveals Himself to you in a personal way.

God reveals Himself when we are alone.  God came to Moses when he was alone with his flocks in Midian.  God came to Isaiah while he was alone in the temple praying.  God uses the times we are alone to reveal Himself, for usually, that is when He has our undivided attention.

Jacob was forever changed at Bethel.  When God became personal to him, he immediately vowed to give God a tenth of everything.  This personal encounter with God changed Jacob from a taker in life to a giver.  Personal encounters with God result in changed lives.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that everyone touched by Fred Wes will experience a personal relationship with God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Ask the Father how the giving of your time, talent, and treasures can reveal your personal faith in Him.  If you don’t know God in a personal way, pray and ask Him to meet you at “your Bethel.”

March 5, 2017

                                                      

DAY TWELVE

March 5, 2017

Discover Your Destiny…Like Rebekah

“‘Drink, my Lord,’ she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.  After she had given him a drink, she said, ‘I’ll draw water for your camels too…" Genesis 24:18-19

Chapter twenty-four of Genesis details the marvelous narrative of the servant of Abraham who seeks out a bride for Isaac.  Most interpreters see a story behind the story in these verses.  Abraham appears to be an example of Father God, Isaac is a picture of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the servant who goes on the journey to find the bride corresponds to the Holy Spirit.

This unnamed servant, when looking for a bride for the Father’s son, had one characteristic in mind that she must possess.  It was not natural beauty, even though Rebekah was naturally beautiful.  It was not strength, even though she was strong.  The servant was looking for a person who had the spirit of giving, for a giving person would bless the son, Isaac.  When Rebekah gave him a drink and then offered to water his camels (which might take hours, by the way!), he knew that he had found the one for Isaac.

The Holy Spirit as well waits in the background until He sees the spirit of giving in you.  Then He pulls out the riches and gives you revelation of the Father’s plan.

The Holy Spirit is watching and waiting on your response to the opportunities to give in your life.  (Genesis 24:12)

The Holy Spirit will graciously confront you with the opportunity to give.  (Genesis 24:17)

Rebekah was willing to give.  She was going to the well to take care of her needs.  It was her water, but she gave it away.  (Genesis 24:18)

Rebekah was willing to go beyond the ordinary.  If you are willing to go beyond the ordinary for God, He will go beyond the ordinary for you.  (Genesis 24:19)

Prayer Focus:  Pray that Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church possesses a spirit of giving above the ordinary.  Ask God to bless you with a giving spirit.  Pray for someone you know who struggles in this area.

March 4, 2017

DAY ELEVEN

                                                       

March 4, 2017

Discover Your Destiny.…Like Abraham

"Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything" 

Genesis 14:20b

Chapter fourteen of Genesis records for us a significant event in the pilgrimage of Abraham.  This godly man becomes a warrior as he joins in defeating four kings who have united against five kings of the valley.  War would not have interested Abraham, except for the fact that Lot, his nephew, was captured and taken into captivity.  Today’s text picks up with Abraham returning as a conquering hero.  His high esteem, already in the eyes of others, has gone higher.  He is now known throughout the land.

At this point in his prosperity, he is faced with a significant choice.  In fact, his future destiny hangs in the balance of this choice.  This choice is a spiritual battle, and it is a greater battle than the physical one he just fought.  Will he become worldly with all these material possessions, or will he become rich in God’s eyes because he is a giver?

Life is all about making the right choices.  In this Bible passage, Melchizedek is a picture of Jesus Christ.  With that in mind, you can see that Abraham made a wise choice by giving back to God a tenth of what God had given him.  In your prosperity, which comes from God, do you give any back to Him?  Spiritual growth will result from worshipping the Lord through giving.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that our church is a giving church.  Pray that we will reach beyond our walls and our members to touch the world with God’s love through our talents, time, and treasures.  Ask God to reveal ways that we can grow in our giving.  Pray about your personal giving and how you can become more generous.

March 3, 2017

DAY TEN

March 3, 2017

A Prayer For Direction

"Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133

There are at least two essentials to the Spirit-filled life – prayer and the Word of God.  As the old song says, “They go together, you can’t have one without the other.”  Prayer finds its very foundation in the Scripture.  You could not pray with purpose, conviction, or direction without the revelation of God that you find in the Bible.  Therefore, you must study the Bible and be a person of prayer.

In Psalm 119, almost every verse refers to the Scriptures.  Verse 133 is a prayer for direction.  The Psalmist here pleads for guidance from the Word of God.

Have you ever considered that God desires to guide every step you take?  He desires to guide not only the big steps in your life, but even the mundane steps you take every day in the kitchen or your workplace.  He will also guide you to the friend who needs encouragement, the neighbor who needs Jesus, and the co-worker who needs a witness of God’s love.

Prayer Focus:  Thank God for guiding our church through Scripture and prayer to purchase property and build a larger facility.  Ask the Lord to continue to give the pastor and leaders the wisdom and discernment needed to accomplish everything He has placed before us.  Thank God for His guidance of your steps.  Ask Him to continue to guide you by making the Scripture you read become alive and personal to you.

March 2, 2017

                                                               

DAY NINE

March 2, 2017

Learning To Trust Him

"Trust in the Lord....Fear the Lord....Honor the Lord" Proverbs 3:5-9

In order to receive the blessing of God, we must trust Him.  Trusting God is not some mere token confession you make from time to time.  Trusting God must be complete, total, daily reliance upon the promises of God.  Every day you will face the choice of relying upon your own understanding or trusting Him.

You and I must choose to trust God.  When you come to those places in life where the line is drawn and the question is “Can I trust God?” your answer determines whether you grow beautifully or shrivel spiritually.  The issue is, “Which am I going to choose?”  When God told Noah to build the ark, it had never rained.  Noah chose to trust God.  Abraham left everything behind because he chose to trust God.  Joshua was faced with a decision, and he said, “Choose today whom you will serve…but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Do you have this kind of trust in the Lord?

You can prove your trust in Him.  Trusting Him is real when you acknowledge Him, when you depart from evil, and when you honor the Lord with your time, talent, and treasures.

Prayer Focus:  Claim the following Scripture today and personalize it for Fred Wes and for yourself:  Hebrews 10:35-39, “Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens.  Remember your reward!  You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want Him to do for you all that He has promised.  His coming will not be delayed much longer.  And those whose faith has made them good in God’s sight must live by faith, trusting Him in everything.  Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them.  But we have never turned our backs on God and sealed our fate.  No, our faith in Him assures our soul’s salvation.”

You Can Trust God

DAY EIGHT

March 1, 2017

A God You Can Trust

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

God expects His people to trust Him, and He is a trustworthy God!  We were created to live our lives in dependence upon Him.  Our knowledge is incomplete, our wisdom is inadequate, our power is ineffective; thus, we need our Creator.  Sin in its very essence is failing to trust God.  These verses in Proverbs tell us how we are to trust Him.

We are to trust Him entirely (verse 5).  God wants us to trust Him “ with all of our heart.”  That means everything from our salvation to physical, mental, and social needs.  That includes trusting Him with our families, marriages, jobs, relationships, finances, abilities, weaknesses, health, accomplishments, and failures.

We are to trust him exclusively (verse 5).  God commands us not to depend on our own understanding.  Why, because our understanding is fundamentally flawed with an infection of sin.  God is truly omniscient.  He knows it all from beginning to end.  He even knows the number of hairs on your head.  So follow His leading from His Word, prayer, and Godly counsel.  He is on your side, so trust Him!

We are to trust Him uniformly (verse 6).  In all we do, in every decision we make, we are to trust His wisdom, not just with big things, but also with the little things.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church will be fully convinced of His trustworthiness.  Take time to praise Him today for who He is and what He does.  Take time to thank Him today for His direction of your church’s path. Thank Him for His direction of your path.