WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Bob Coy" [11-17 thru 11-24] DEVOTIONALS
Seven Days of Devotion
The Weekly Word is a Collection of Devotionals to be read on the Day Listed and presented freely as a service to and for the Body of Christ and Believers throughout the World that We may Hear God Speak to us as the Spirit of God gives us ears to hear and eyes to see what God would have for us daily in relationship to Him.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV)
Did you know that you're a three-part person? I say this because the Bible tells us that each person has a spirit, soul, and body. Each part has its own set of appetites. Our bodies have physical appetites, which include hunger and thirst. Our souls have emotional appetites, such as acceptance and appreciation. And our spirits? They too possess an appetite that cries out for fulfillment.
Most people are adept at taking care of their physical and emotional appetites. Restaurants cater to any craving, and many television programs and books are designed to help us find good emotional health. Yet, despite all this, our society still screams out for a sense of satisfaction. What's wrong?
The problem lies in the fact that we often ignore our spiritual appetite. Our hearts are hungry for something that all the food and self-help in this world can never affect. We long for something that only heaven can give to us. Jesus identified Himself as the source of this spiritual satisfaction:
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you . . . ." (John 6:27 NKJV)
A life apart from Christ will always be empty and unfulfilled. Only when Jesus is brought into the picture is the spiritual appetite truly satisfied. If your spirit has been satisfied by Jesus, rejoice and give Him thanks. But if it hasn't, do the sensible thing by placing your faith in Him and asking Him into your heart. When you do, He guarantees to fulfill you as only He can.
And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35 NKJV)
Discuss why you think so many people are unsatisfied with their lives. Dig into John 3:1–21. How would you explain to a friend how to satisfy one’s spirit? Decide to share the resource for meeting spiritual hunger with someone this week.
Whether it’s with a family member, a Facebook friend, or a neighbor, don’t keep the good news of Jesus to yourself!
MONDAY
ABIDING ISN?T AUTOMATIC
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? -Psalm 15:1 (NKJV)
The modern English language has strayed away from using the word abide. The word is considered old-fashioned, and that's a shame because it's one of the most important and insightful words in all the Scriptures.
The word abide literally means "to settle down and dwell comfortably along with." Harmony, unity, communion, and peace are all assumed under the umbrella of abiding with someone. In Psalm Chapter 15, David asks, "Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?" Another way of saying that would be: "What kind of person can rest easy and be at home in Your presence?"
We'd all like to be in sync and in step with God's heart. But it's important to understand that it isn't automatic. There are certain conditions that need to be met on our part in order to arrive at this place of abiding. David enumerates them as he continues the Psalm; a person who walks righteously (v.2), speaks truthfully (v.2), doesn't gossip (v.3), is a faithful neighbor and friend (v.3), despises evil (v.4), honors God (v.4), keeps his or her word (v.4), and isn't greedy for personal gain (v.5).
Don't misunderstand. David isn't declaring that we can become right with God by virtue of our good works. But he does describe the kind of heart a person has when he or she is at peace with God-a person who is able to abide with God. This should cause us to hold up a mirror and examine whether or not these conditions are being kept in our own lives.
Abiding isn't automatic, but it is attainable. May the Lord help us to be completely honest with ourselves and fill us with His Spirit so that we can meet the conditions needed in order to abide.
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
TUESDAY
Off Limits?
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. -Psalm 18:49 (NKJV)
"I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the Gentiles." That was a very strange thing for David to write here in Psalm Chapter 18. Why? Because Gentiles, who were non-Jews, were typically regarded by the Israelites as being beyond the promises or even the reach of God. In fact, the term Gentile had become synonymous with "heathen" or "pagan." It just wasn't a word you would associate with the sacred name of God.
So when David declares that he would praise God among the Gentiles, it must have perked up a few ears and raised a few eyebrows. The Gentiles? Why is David dragging them into our special and sacred relationship with God? Why is he mixing the two when they have nothing to do with us?
To be fair, it was understandable why the Israelites viewed their bond with God as something that primarily separated them from everyone else. It had kept them relatively safe and secure from the evil influences of the nations surrounding them. But David reaches a point of praise where he declares that God's goodness is so great that it transcends these divisions. For David, nobody was off limits from hearing about the grace and glory of his God, not even the Gentiles.
Is that our heart, as well? Or do we have a list of those who we consider to be "off limits" when it comes to sharing the goodness of our God? Are there people we instinctively write off as lost causes? The gospel is such Good News that it deserves and needs to be shared with absolutely everyone, even the modern-day Gentiles in our lives.
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
WEDNESDAY
THE CAPSTONE OF CREATION
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul? -Psalm 19:7 (NKJV)
Psalm 19 is one of the most interesting Psalms in the Bible. It begins by describing the grandeur and glory of God's creation in the first six verses. Our eyes are drawn toward the handiwork of the heavens, the splendor of the sun, toward things above and beyond our ability to fathom.
And then, without warning, the Psalm switches gears and goes into a discourse on, of all things, the law of the Lord. Doesn't that seem somewhat anti-climactic? We begin with the beauty and majesty of creation and then we end with...the law?
Far from being anti-climactic, there's a powerful point being made here. For as awesome as the stars in the sky are, and as glorious as the galaxies are, they all pale in comparison to the law of the Lord, because the law of the Lord possesses the power to do what nothing else in the entire universe can. It can convert the soul.
The natural created order gets our attention. It opens our eyes. But it's the law, or the Word of God, that informs and transforms our hearts. It alone goes down deep into our heart and spirit, where our deepest difficulties reside, where we aren't even able to discern what's wrong with us...it's here that the law of the Lord, the capstone of creation, goes to work in us in a way that saves us:
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
THURSDAY
PRAYPARE FOR TROUBLE
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble? -Psalm 20:1 (NKJV)
Unlike other religions, Christianity never shies away from the reality of trouble and trials in the world around us. It doesn't pretend they don't exist and are mere mirages of our imagination. In fact, it actually levels with us by drawing our attention to the existence of trials and deals with them head on.
We see an excellent example of this in the opening words of Psalm Chapter 20, where David writes, "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble." Notice that he clearly states there's trouble in this life, that there's a day of trouble, and that encountering it is inevitable. As much as we don't want to hear it, the fact is that trouble is coming-no matter how we position or posture to avoid it.
It's important to recognize this because trouble, when seen in all of its inevitability, becomes a catalyst for our prayer life. If we don't appreciate our need for God's help, then we're less likely to ask for it. But when we're thoroughly convinced there's a day of trouble coming, our hearts find the necessary motivation to prepare for it by grabbing hold of God's presence in prayer.
And when we turn to prayer in preparation for our troubles, there's no surer way to fortify and safeguard ourselves than through this mighty provision God has graced us with. Trouble is there, trouble is real, but equally so is prayer and the promise that the Lord will answer us.
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
FRIDAY
CONNECTED TO THE CROSS
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? -Psalm 22:1 (NKJV)
The words of Psalm 22 are significant for a couple of reasons. First, they describe David's heartache at this particular point in his life. Secondly, and more significantly, they prophetically point to Christ's suffering on the cross.
We know this, not only because the Psalm gives a graphic account of the then-unknown practice of crucifixion, but also because Jesus directly quoted from this Psalm as He hung on the cross:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying..."My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 NKJV)
Even as He endured the shame and pain of the cross, Jesus, the consummate teacher, was instructing the people who were watching Him die. He was pointing them to Psalm 22 so as to say, "See, what I'm doing right here and right now is the fulfillment of David's Psalm!"
There's an unbreakable connection between Psalm 22 and the Cross. But in all actuality, the same can be said of every page and passage in God's Word. One way or another, every bit of the Bible relates to the Cross. No matter where you happen to be, it anticipates and looks forward to the Cross, or it commemorates and looks back at it. The Cross is the central theme and event in the Bible.
Psalm 22 is a powerful reminder of this as it transports us to Calvary. It connects our hearts to the saving scene that determined our destiny. That's a connection we would do well to keep and maintain.
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
SATURDAY
A NEW APPETITE
LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. -Psalm 26:8 (NKJV)
Something special happens inside a heart once it opens up to God. It develops a new appetite and begins to hunger and thirst for something that it never had before. That thing is God's glory, and David expresses this truth here in the eighth verse of Psalm 26.
He writes how he has loved being in the place where the Lord's glory dwells. At the time this was written, God's glory was manifested in a sacred tent called the Tabernacle. It was there that God would visibly reveal His glorious presence to His people, and it served as the center of the Israelite's society. Eventually, the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple, which was built in the city of Jerusalem. Every Israelite's heart was drawn to this one spot, because it was the home of God's glory.
But in New Testament times, things changed. God's glory was removed from the Temple and poured out upon the corporate body of the Church through the Holy Spirit. So in our day and age, the place where God's glory dwells is in the midst of the Church.
It's becoming more and more common, even among Christians, to question the place and purpose for the church. Past faults and flawed personalities are often cited as reasons why some are trying to do the Christian life outside the church. Granted, no church on earth will ever be perfect. But at the same time, the collective body of believers is where God has chosen to pour out His glory, and if God has indeed done a work within us, then we'll love it and be drawn to it.
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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