Time Out! Devotions

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

How would you respond if someone accused you of something you didn’t do? What if you were fired from your job or shunned by your church for actions you never committed? Or perhaps simply misjudged by your peers? What attitude should Christians take when confronted with situations like these?

The apostle Paul knew a lot about being misunderstood. He writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus chose to become a suffering servant so that we could have eternal life. This was God’s plan for Him. However, Peter could not understand the Messiah’s selfless behavior, so he fought against it. He protested, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happened to You!” (Matthew 16:22). The fisherman’s pride stood in the way of his understanding and led him to a very different response than Christ desired.

“Get behind Me, Satan!” was Jesus’ immediate response—one that struck at the core of Peter’s problem. God’s truth always hits the mark. Peter’s pride and desire to see Jesus become a reigning earthly king had surfaced, and the Lord knew He had to address the issue head-on. “You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (v. 23).

Do you have the right attitude when it comes to following Christ? Peter had to lay down his personal desires and selfishness. Paul had to surrender his way and forego his claim to a respectable position in society. Humility in the life of the believer is the mark of greatness—not because you shine when you are humbled, but because when you submit to God’s will, He shines through you.

Perhaps you are faced with a difficult situation but don’t understand why God has chosen that avenue for you. Allow Him to use this time in your life to teach you how to be humble. Peter did just this. And he discovered that once humility accomplishes its perfect work, God will exalt us at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Blessing follows the obedience of a humbled heart.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from the March 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

Revelation 2:9-11 (NCV)

⁹ I know your troubles and that you are poor, but really you are rich! I know the bad things some people say about you. They say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue that belongs to Satan. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.

Everyone would like to feel good and live comfortably, but pain is part of life — and it is not easy to suffer, no matter what the cause. Jesus commended the church at Smyrna for their faith in the midst of suffering. He then encouraged them that they need not fear the future if they remained faithful.

If you are experiencing difficult times, don’t let them turn you away from God. Instead, let them draw you toward greater faithfulness. Trust Him and remember your heavenly reward (Revelation 22:12-14). God is especially near to those who suffer for Him.”Ten days” means that although suffering may be intense, it will be relatively short. It has a definite beginning and end, and God remains in complete control.

The message to the church at Smyrna is to remain faithful throughout their suffering because God is in control and His promises are reliable. Jesus never says that by being faithful to Him we will avoid troubles, suffering, and persecution. Rather, we must be faithful to Him in our sufferings. Only then will our faith prove itself genuine. We remain faithful by keeping our eyes on Christ and on what He promises for us now and in the future (Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:8).

(from the Life Application Bible)

James 1:12-15 (NIV)

¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

¹³When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Temptation comes from evil desire within, not from God. It begins with an evil thought. It becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin’s destruction grows the more we let sin have its way. The best time to stop a snowball is before it is too big or moving too fast to control. (See also Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; and 2 Timothy 2:22.)

It is easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. Excuses include:

• it’s the other person’s fault;
• I couldn’t help it;
• everybody’s doing it;
• it was just a mistake;
• nobody’s perfect;
• the devil made me do it;
• I was pressured into it;
• and I didn’t know it was wrong.

A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself to something or someone else. A Christian, on the other hand, accepts responsibility for his wrongs, confesses them, and asks God for forgiveness.

People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God tests people, but He does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. He allows Satan to tempt them, however, in order to refine their faith and to grow in their dependence upon Christ. We can endure the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to act in obedience to His Word.

(from The Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)