NewSpring Church: Daily Devotionals

In the Beginning - Day 120

2012-05-27T08:50:21+00:00

Genesis 1 starts, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” You’ve probably read or heard this verse. You might even have it memorized. Another book of the Bible also begins with “In the beginning…”

John opens his account of Jesus’s life with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John wastes no time telling his readers something about Jesus that was sure to rock their worlds: Jesus and God are one and the same.

Then John reveals to us that Jesus, being God, is a series of amazing things:

Life - All things were created through Him (John 1:3-4), and all who believe in Him can have eternal life (John 3:16).
Light - He is the light of the world that overcomes the darkness of sin (John 1:4, 5, 9).
Love - The ultimate display of love is shown through His sacrifice for the sins of all mankind (John 1:12-14).
Lord - He can be trusted to provide all we need (John 1:16-17).

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18). If we want to understand the character of God, all we need to do is look at the Son of God.

We Are Weak But He Is Strong - Day 119

2012-05-26T08:07:08+00:00

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

In our desire for control, our yearning to have all the answers now, we pick the way we’ve rationalized to be best. On the surface, this way may not seem bad. We work hard. We help others. We try to be good people. But as exhausting as it is, it will never be enough. The Bible shows us it is not by our own work that we prosper, but by God’s grace.

It is scary to realize you are not in control, until you realize that God has perfect control. It’s actually a relief to find out you don’t have to work so hard to keep it all together.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul recalls what the Lord told him about having it all together: “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.”

You can’t do it all on your own, so stop trying. Accept God’s gift of grace and let His power cover your weakness.

Forgetting God’s Promises - Day 118

2012-05-25T08:04:41+00:00

The days following Jesus’s death were disheartening and gloomy.

The women who accompanied and supported Jesus over the years visited His tomb with preserving spices and ointments, likely also going to pay their respects.

When they arrived on that third morning, their sadness quickly turned into surprise. The tomb was empty, and men dressed in dazzling white asked why they were looking for the living among the dead. No doubt the men saw the women’s puzzled expressions, prompting them to ask why they had so quickly forgotten Jesus’s promise to rise again and defeat death.

The women then remembered Jesus’s words and ran off to share the wonderful news with the disciples. But most of the disciples disregarded the women’s words as nonsense. It was such an awesome promise, but evidently Jesus’s followers thought it too good to be true and dismissed it.

We do the same thing. We read about God’s promises, yet when difficulties arise, we easily forget. It’s as if, in our finite minds, God’s promises are useless when adversity hits. Quite the contrary! Troubles are big opportunities for God’s promises of deliverance, peace, joy and comfort to make themselves known in tangible ways.

Let us not so easily forget the promises God makes. He hasn’t forgotten them.

Less of Us, More of Him - Day 117

2012-05-24T08:01:39+00:00

During good times, we often feel we have it all together. Our ducks are in a row, nothing can stop us. It is especially during these times that we need to be careful not to boast in our own strength instead of relying on and thanking God.

Gideon became a judge when Israel was at war with the nation of Midian. At the beginning of Judges 7, Gideon has an army that could probably defeat the Midianites easily. God had different plans. Judges 7:2-3 says, “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’’”

The Lord had Gideon weed out men from Israel’s army until only 300 remained to conquer the Midianites. God gave the Midianites to the Israelites that night. Israel merely had to obey God.

In our weakness, God is stronger. When we reduce our own “numbers” we step out of the spotlight and let God have it. This obedience is what God wants from us. When He has the spotlight in our lives, He can do more than we can imagine or accomplish on our own.

Let the Past Be Past - Day 116

2012-05-23T08:57:33+00:00

Most of us can probably relate to the Israelites in Judges 6. We take our eyes off the Lord and things go badly. After things are bad enough for long enough, we turn back, cry out to God and He delivers us. And despite such a massive display of love and acceptance, we still struggle with feeling worthy, significant or capable.

Sometimes we doubt God’s ability to use us because of past sins. But take heart. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In Luke 22, we see even Peter messed up and denied Jesus. But God still used him to build the Church. Romans 3:24 reminds us we’re not justified by our actions. Instead “all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

No matter what we’ve done and how many times we may have turned away, God still has purpose for our lives. Psalm 95 offers great advice. “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” How does God want to use you? What is He asking you to do today?

He Will Provide - Day 115

2012-05-22T08:24:45+00:00

Jesus is strikingly attentive to His followers’ needs, yet His ability to provide seems to be the part of putting Him in charge that we question most often. How do I know Jesus will provide everything I need? If I am lacking something now, does that mean Jesus doesn’t know what I need?

Even in the Bible, Jesus’ ability to provide was questioned. In Luke 22:35, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ ‘Nothing,’ they answered.”

Jesus knew what His disciples needed and provided it. Likewise, Jesus knows what you need and will provide it. If you are lacking something now, remember, “the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance” (Psalm 94:14). Jesus’s timing is perfect, making it better than yours, so be patient.

Jesus knows your every thought, need and want. “Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see?” (Psalm 94:9). God created every aspect of you. Who could know your needs better? Stop focusing on how or when He will provide and thank Him for what has already been given.

No Longer an Israelite - Day 114

2012-05-21T08:06:44+00:00

I had a pretty bad opinion of the Israelites when I first read Judges. God had done so much for these people, but they constantly rejected Him and worshipped other gods. They wanted to do things their way, which always led to destruction. They cried out to God to save them, and He did. Then the next generation was back to worshipping false idols. A vicious (and tiring!) cycle.

My disdain for the Israelites ended when I realized I have a lot in common with them. God sent His son to die on a cross for my sins, and I rejected Him. I wanted to do things my way. I worshipped false gods like money, power and celebrity. But God got my attention. He put people in my life that counseled me and prayed for me. He put me in situations where I realized I could not do life my way; I needed a Savior to be in charge of it.

I want the comparison to end there. I don’t want to get caught in the same cycle as the Israelites. When the Lord is the focus of our worship, as the Israelites found out, life is a lot sweeter.

Expectant - Day 113

2012-05-20T08:39:52+00:00

One day Jesus will return to Earth. He will to put Satan in his place and bring Christians to the place He’s been preparing for us. In Luke 21, Jesus reminds people to be ready for His return. He warns us to be careful of doing whatever culture says is right and of allowing life’s worries to distract us from seeing what is to come. Instead, He urges us to pray and watch for Him.

Jesus also describes in detail the signs that His return is near. Some of what will happen could easily make us anxious about the future. But Jesus is encouraging and empowering. He never abandons us. In Luke 21:28, Jesus says, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus assures us that we don’t have to be afraid, because we’re with Him. We can be expectant and hopeful of the future because Jesus has already won!

The End of the Age - Day 112

2012-05-19T08:03:38+00:00

In 2011, we saw a number of people claiming to know when the world would end. Their guesses are merely blind conjectures next to Jesus’ omniscience.

In Luke 21, we find Jesus explaining the coming end of the age to His disciples. His descriptions and warnings are alarming. It is both unsettling and difficult to imagine a world full of such calamity and distress as we spend our days in relative comfort and peace. It’s no surprise that most passages describing the end of time are met with fear and confusion. Maybe it is just such fear that causes some to attempt to foresee the signs of the second coming.

But, as Christians, our comfort doesn’t come from calculations and planning; it comes from knowing Jesus.

Directly in the face of fear and calamity, Jesus promises to save you and every hair on your head. He promises to give you words of wisdom in trials. As Christians, we have no need to fear the end. Jesus asserts, “Stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Today, thank Christ for the redemption that He promises when He comes again.

Don’t Ignore - Day 111

2012-05-18T08:08:06+00:00

As a child, was there someone who only had to speak and you felt immediate sorrow? Correction from someone who loves us hurts. It also makes us want to change.

When we are in relationship with God, He will correct us. Proverbs 3:12 says, “the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.” You may hear God speak through a sermon. The preacher seems to be talking only to you, and you know you have to make a change. You may hear God speak as a verse you’re reading points to a situation in your life and you know you’ve got work to do.

We should act immediately when we experience God’s discipline, asking Him to help bring about the change He wants. God wants what is best for us, and we can trust His leading. Proverbs 13:18 says, “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”

What is God speaking to in your life? Don’t ignore His voice. Allow God to lead you in change that will bring blessing to you and honor Him.

Fighting Doubt - Day 110

2012-05-17T08:23:49+00:00

Planting a seed of doubt is Satan’s oldest trick. In Genesis 3, Satan leads Eve to believe God is holding out on her, even though God has given her every tree in the garden but one. Satan has been using the same deception ever since, planting doubt with a single thought. You may be riding down the road, sitting at dinner or working in the yard when questions come to mind out of nowhere.

Is God real?
Can I trust Him or His word?
Will He really provide for me?

God’s Word is true. Joshua 21:45 (NASB) says, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” When doubt creeps in, crush it with God’s word. Recalling Scripture is the best weapon we have against Satan’s lies.

We can also look back and remember what God has done for us in the past. In Joshua 4, the Israelites made a memorial to remember how God helped them cross the Jordan River. Be intentional about remembering what the Lord has done for you. God’s past performance is the best indication of His future provision.

Correction - Day 109

2012-05-16T08:05:05+00:00

Have you ever tried to cook something without looking at the recipe? I usually start with the recipe, then begin to feel like I know how to do it on my own. I’m not an experienced cook, so something always goes wrong. I forget ingredients, add them in the wrong order and end up with a mess.

When you’re cooking, failing to pay attention to instruction is a bad decision. When it comes to your spiritual life, failing to take instruction is unbiblical. Proverbs 13:13-14 says, “People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.”

Accepting correction from others is important. God often uses people to speak truth to us about the decisions we are making and the way we are living. When someone speaks with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and their advice agrees with Scripture, it is wise to listen. Although it is tempting to become prideful and reject advice, having the humility to accept correction from others is good for us. Taking instruction is meant to be life-giving and saves us from making decisions we will later regret.

As you go throughout the day, pray that you will have the humility to accept guidance from the people God places in your life.

Trials Test Our Faith - Day 108

2012-05-15T08:54:06+00:00

Spring is often a time of new beginnings, and these pivotal life events can present challenges. Maybe you’re the high school graduate faced with decisions about college, or the college graduate with extensive debt who is looking for a job. Maybe you’re the newlyweds trying to figure it all out, the first-time parents who can’t find answers in a book, or the lonely heart hoping for the dawn of a new friendship.

Trials test our faith in God. When the answers are not readily available, it is easy to question God’s presence. In Joshua 18:3, Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” Before the Israelites could enjoy the land God had given them, they had to have the faith to act on His promise.

God provides for every living thing in every season of life. Sometimes, we just need the faith to take hold of what He’s already given to us.

Entrance - Day 107

2012-05-14T08:48:28+00:00

A famous musician once hosted me in his home. Gaining entrance was complicated. Each doorway has its own code. Even the elevator won’t move until you’ve entered a code. Once inside, musical instruments, personal notes from past presidents and a declaration of knighthood from the Queen of England left me starstruck.

Gaining entrance into the kingdom of heaven is simple. You don’t need secret codes. You don’t need to continually open doors. No matter how wealthy, we gain access to Jesus in the same, common manner. We simply invite Him in.

Being allowed into this musician’s life started with my kinship to the love of his life. Spending time with them allowed me to build a relationship, which led to my invitation. With Christ, I first had to invite Him in. Accepting His forgiveness made me a child of the King, establishing kinship. Then the relationship began.

The next time I visit the musician’s home, the secret codes will be different. He changes them often for security. I’m grateful my salvation is secure in Christ, and He does not change the way we gain access to Him. The reward of eternal life is available to all, and it’s not complicated.

Persistence Has Rewards - Day 106

2012-05-13T08:13:17+00:00

We’ve all been given a gift. For some, it might be athletic talent. For others, it’s academic smarts. Yet others might be great with their hands. But just because we have talent doesn’t mean we’re going to be great at something right away. Michael Jordan couldn’t dunk the first time he picked up a basketball, and Billy Graham’s first sermon probably wasn’t spectacular. Both of these men practiced a lot, and their persistence paid off. The same is true in our spiritual lives.

In Joshua, the Israelites were cultivating a gift — the towns allotted to them after reaching the promised land. The nation of Israel was a ragtag group of nomads that didn’t yet have a place to call home. Joshua dictates what part of the promised land each tribe will get, but there’s a catch: The Israelites will have to conquer the territories in their possession. It will take years of persistence, and they still won’t drive out all the people living there, but eventually they will become a great and powerful nation.

In Luke, Jesus reminds us of another type of persistence: prayer. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus admonishes us to keep praying, even if it seems like God isn’t listening.

In both stories, the Bible reminds us that God rewards persistence, whether we’re developing a gift or on our knees in intercession. Is there something God’s called you to that you’re ready to give up on? A prayer that seems to far fetched to continue praying? Don’t quit! “For in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 ESV).

Gratitude - Day 105

2012-05-12T08:38:32+00:00

Imagine having a terrible, contagious disease that forced you to endure pain and suffering, and isolated you from all you held dear. That’s what it was like to be a leper in Jesus’s time.

Now imagine Jesus, this great teacher and healer you’ve heard stories about, walking into your village. You cry out to Him in agony, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!”

He looks in your direction and tells you, “Go show yourself to the priests.” As you turn and walk in that direction, you feel your body start to heal. The pain is ebbing away, and you feel whole again. You literally jump for joy, because now you can!

How would you respond to this miracle?

In Luke 17, Jesus healed 10 lepers, and only one, a Samaritan, returned to thank Him.

As followers of Jesus, we have even more to be thankful for than the lepers. They were healed physically, but we’ve been healed spiritually. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we become new creations when we enter a relationship with Jesus.

If that wasn’t enough to be thankful for, the healing we experience as Christians is ongoing. We should begin every prayer thanking God for all He has done and is doing in our lives. Have you taken time to thank the Lord today?

Have A Little Faith - Day 104

2012-05-11T08:22:55+00:00

In Luke 17:1, Jesus tells us we are bound to face situations that will cause us to sin. Most of us think of sin as breaking God’s rules, but we also sin anytime we disobey God and try to do things on our own.

For example, I remember ignoring God when He told me to have an awkward conversation with a co-worker. Instead, I prayed to hear His voice clearly. I knew what He wanted me to do, but I was hoping He’d give me something easier. I was letting fear and doubt get in the way of what God wanted me to do. When I finally talked with my co-worker, I felt empowered by the Holy Spirit and eventually, I saw that co-worker come to know Jesus.

Disobedience often stems from lack of faith. In Luke 17:6, Jesus says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” In Joshua 10:12-14, when Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still long enough for Israel to conquer its enemy, God answered. The impossible is possible when we are working with God!

Knowing we serve the same God who made the sun stand still, what leap of faith are you willing to take today?

Fathers That Failed - Day 102

2012-05-09T08:51:20+00:00

There isn’t a more profound sign of the Old Testament covenant than circumcision. Indeed, God called it ‘the covenant … in your flesh’ in Genesis 17. It was to be performed, without exception, on the eighth day after the birth of a baby Jewish boy. Genesis 17:14 says any Jewish boy not circumcised would be considered a covenant breaker and cut off from the people of God.

How is it then that in Joshua 5 “all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised”? Their fathers failed. In so many ways, their fathers failed. They were the ones who witnessed first-hand the 10 plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven and so many other incredible examples of God’s glory and faithfulness. Yet they failed to trust God and were doomed to 40 years of wandering in the desert.

Worse yet, they failed to equip their children for success in the faith. The one thing God told fathers to do to include their sons in the faith was universally ignored. With every male they neglected to circumcise, they lost the opportunity to share God is and what He had done for them.

Ask any father today, and he’ll tell you he’s far from perfect. But like the Israelites, we have a choice. Perpetuate the problem or repent and do everything we can to equip our children for success in the faith?

Be Strong and Courageous - Day 100

2012-05-07T08:14:04+00:00

I am amazed at how easy it is to doubt. Though I know Jesus has saved me, and I walk in that victory every day, I still struggle with whether I’m doing everything right or living in God’s will. Sometimes I even wonder whether God still loves me and cares for me like He has in the past.

In Joshua 1, Moses has just died. Joshua is taking over as the leader and faces the daunting task of guiding the Israelites into the promised land. In the midst of all the confusion, frustration, sorrow and doubt, God gives Joshua a very clear message: “as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

Isn’t this an incredible truth? God tells Joshua that, as he follows God’s will and is obedient to His commands, God will be with him in every circumstance! I love the repetition of the phrase “be strong and courageous” (verses 6, 7, 9, 18). It makes sense for Joshua to be strong and courageous when he realizes that the God of all creation is with him. We should have the same attitude, knowing God is at our side despite the situation we are facing.

So just as God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous, He is telling us as His children to do the same. We should approach each day with courage and strength, because we know He is always with us. And though we may encounter circumstances that seem impossible to overcome, we can rest assured that He has not left us, He has not forsaken us and He will be there for us every day.

Change Your Mind - Day 99

2012-05-06T08:59:51+00:00

In Jesus’s time, if someone was afflicted the community assumed it was a result of sin. If someone was crippled, blind or demon-possessed, it had to be the result of his sin or his parents’ sin.

In Luke 13, Jesus teaches that bad things are going to happen, but it’s not because one person is a worse sinner than another. He also uses this opportunity to teach another principle: repentance.

Not once, but twice Jesus tells his listeners to repent. To repent means to change the way you think about something. In this case, Jesus is referring to how we think about sin, and how we think about God. We must recognize we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and God is the source of both salvation and judgment (Romans 3:9-18). Paul wrote to the Romans, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

Is it time to change the way you think about God and sin by turning toward Jesus?