Devos

God “Picks” Workers According to His Own Wisdom and Power

   

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

If you were picking players for a basketball team, you would probably not pick Evan. Evan is short, slow, and not very smart. He misses most of the shots he takes, and he sometimes actually just drops the basketball. Evan is usually the last person to be picked for any kinds of sports team – if he even gets picked at all.

The Bible tells us that God has chosen “foolish things” and “weak things” to accomplish His work. Evan is not very smart, and he is not very strong, but God has chosen Evan to be His child. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, God has chosen you to shame those who are smart and strong in ways the world values.

God does great things through people who love Him. When He does those great things, He doesn’t want His people to say, “Look what I did because I am smart!” He wants them to say, “Look what God did.” God chooses people who are not necessarily smart or strong so that they will know that God is great, and they are not.

You may not be the smartest or strongest kid in the world, but that makes you the kind of material God can use. When unbelievers see the great things God does through us, they will be ashamed because they will see that even though we were foolish and weak, we were on the winning team the whole time.

God chose you not because you are great, but because He is.

My Response:
» Am I trying to tell God who is or isn’t worthy to serve Him?
» Am I fearful to obey a command from God because I think of myself as unworthy or unable to be of use to Him?
» Am I trying to do things for God in my own power, or am I letting God help me and use me in spite of my shortcomings?

Truth in Real Life Moments

George Frederic Handel

   

“I should be sorry if I only entertained them [hearers]. I wish to make them better.”

Born on February 23, 1685, George Frideric Handel loved music from the earliest part of his life. As a child, he would sit at the church organ and create beautiful music to the surprise and delight of those who heard him.

Handel’s father, believing that music would not provide a worthwhile enough career for him, encouraged him to give up music and become a lawyer. But that isn’t what God had planned for him.

By the time Handel was in his twenties, he was the highest paid composer (music writer) in the entire world. He opened the famous Royal Academy of Music, and people flocked to hear his works performed.

Fame was not to last forever, though. Soon, there were newer and better composers; and people forgot about George Frederic Handel. He no longer had the money or praise of men, and he became very depressed over his life. His hands grew crippled, and no one came to hear him play anymore. He believed he was done.

Once again, God had other plans. He was not finished with Handel yet. One day, Handel received an important manuscript from a man named Charles Jennens. The text was written about Jesus Christ, and most of it was drawn directly out of the Bible.

On August 22, 1741, Handel locked himself in his house with Jennen’s manuscript and began writing music to go with its words. Twenty-three days later, he finished the most famous oratorio (a kind of musical) of all time. Handel’s Messiah is still performed today worldwide, especially around Christmastime. The Messiah includes the famous “Hallelujah Chorus,” for which audiences stand as a tradition to honor the God Whom it is about (“for the LORD God omnipotent reigneth!”).

Once again, Handel became famous, and still is famous today, although the experience humbled him.

God honors those who honor Him. Have you devoted all you have to His honor and glory rather than your own?

1 Corinthians 2:9 – Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

Devos

God’s Spirit Helps Us Speak His Truth

   

“That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:12b-13)

When Peter had to prepare oral book reports for school, he always asked his dad for help. Peter thought every sentence his dad said sounded perfect for his report, and he knew that he would never have been smart enough to think of them on his own. It just seemed like his dad always knew just the right thing to say.

When it comes to speaking about God, the Holy Spirit gives us the perfect things to say. The Bible says we are supposed to be speaking about what God has “given to us.” But we are not supposed to speak with “man’s wisdom” – including our own wisdom and our parents’ wisdom. The Holy Spirit teaches us the wisdom that we need to use. He is our teacher.

The Bible is not saying that the Holy Spirit is going to write your book reports for you or that you should not ask your parents to help you prepare for a speech about God. The Bible is saying that every time you talk about God’s truth, the Holy Spirit is helping you. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us understand “spiritual things” and then to help us tell others about those spiritual truths.

God will help us speak His truth.

My Response:
» Do I depend on my own brain or on the Holy Spirit when I talk to others about God’s truth?

Devos

God’s Spirit Helps Us Know God

   

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Gordon’s best friend sometimes keeps secrets that he doesn’t want him to know. Gordon can’t read his mind, so he will never know those secrets. Nobody can know his friend’s mind except the friend himself (and God). Nobody knows God’s mind except for God.

So how are we ever supposed to know what God wants?

God has not given us the spirit of the world. If He gave us the spirit of the world we would never know what we need to know. God has given us the Spirit of God so we can know the mind of God. We will never know everything God knows, but we can know the things that are “given to us” from God. We can know everything we need to know.

God has given us knowledge about how to live, how to behave, how to treat our neighbors, and how to love each other. We can know how to help friends in need and how to respect our parents. God has “freely” given us all that knowledge.

God gave us the Spirit so we can know Him.

My Response:
» Do I act like I have the Spirit of God or the spirit of the world?

Devos

God Is Light

   

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

Walking around the garage in complete darkness is a bad idea. If the room is pitch black, you’ll probably hurt yourself. You might bump into the car or trip over a baseball bat or a basketball. And you’ll probably stub your toe or hit your head. That could be painful!

But if you take a flashlight with you, everything will change. You’ll see where you’re going, and you won’t stub your toe or hit your head, because of the light you have with you.

What are some facts about light? Light makes things clear and easy to see. Light shows us where to go and keeps us from getting hurt. Light draws our attention to things. Can you think of some other facts about light?

The Bible says that God is light.

God makes things clear in His Word. God makes things easy to see with His will. God draws our attention to Himself. God is the perfect light. And this Light – God – belongs to you, if you are saved.

1 John 1:5 says, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Next time you flip on the light-switch in your bedroom, remember this: it is just as important to see God and His light as it is to see the light in your room.

God is the perfect light.

My Response:
» What do I need God to help me see?
» How can I use God’s Word be a light in my life?