Time Out! Devotions

1 Thessalonians 5:9-24 (New International Reader’s Version)

⁹ God didn’t choose us to receive his anger. He chose us to receive salvation because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.

¹⁰ Jesus died for us. Some will be alive when he comes. Others will be dead. Either way, we will live together with him. ¹¹ So cheer each other up with the hope you have. Build each other up. In fact, that’s what you are doing.

[As you near the end of  a foot race, your legs ache, your throat burns, and your whole body cries out for you to stop. This is when supporters are most valuable. Their encouragement helps you push through the pain to the finish. In the same way, Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others need for encouragement and offer supportive words or actions.]

¹² Brothers and sisters, we ask you to have respect for the godly leaders who work hard among you. They have authority over you. They correct you. ¹³ Have a lot of respect for them. Love them because of what they do. Live in peace with each other.

[Think of your pastor and other church leaders. How can you honor them? Express your appreciation, tell them how you have been helped by their leadership and teaching, and thank them for their ministry in your life. If you say nothing, how will they know where you stand? Remember, they need and deserve your support and love expressed in practical ways.]

¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we are asking you to warn those who don’t want to work. Cheer up those who are shy. Help those who are weak. Put up with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back one wrong act with another. Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.

[Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness to God should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. Obeying these three commands - be joyful, keep praying, and be thankful - often goes against our natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see people in a new perspective. When we do God's will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful.

We cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude all the time. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully. We then find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. A prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer, but should be and outgrowth of those times.]

¹⁹ Don’t put out the Holy Spirit’s fire. ²⁰ Don’t treat prophecies as if they amount to nothing. ²¹ Put everything to the test. Hold on to what is good. ²² Stay away from every kind of evil.

[We shouldn't make fun of those who don't agree with what we believe, but we should always check their words against the Bible. We are on dangerous ground if we scoff at a person who speaks the truth. Instead we should carefully check out what people say, accepting what is true and rejecting what is false.]

²³ God is the God who gives peace. May he make you holy through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept free from blame. May you be without blame from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes. ²⁴ The One who has chosen you is faithful. He will do all these things.

(bracketed text from The Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

In one of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman’s meetings, a man stood up and gave his testimony: “For one year I begged the streets as a tramp and one day I tapped a man on the shoulder and said ‘Mister, could you please give me a dime?’ As soon as I saw his face, I realized it was my father. He threw his arms around me and said ‘I have found you. All I have is yours!’ I had stood there begging my father for ten cents while he had been looking for me to give me all he had.”

So often, Christians approach God like a stranger on the street, begging Him just to help them get by. But when we have accepted Christ as our Savior, He is no stranger to us; He is our Father, waiting with open arms, ready to embrace us in love and offer us everything He has.

Do we approach God from a beggar’s perspective or as His cherished child? If we have any difficulty seeing Him as our loving Father, we need to ask Him to help us develop a healthy Father/child relationship.

Luke 15:21-32 (New International Version)

²¹“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ “

God is still on His throne and man is still on His footstool.

There’s only a knee’s distance in between.

Jim Elliot

(http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/magazine.aspx?id=3602)

We must continue to trust God

even when He doesn’t answer immediately!

How long will You forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you look the other way when I am in need? How long must I be hiding daily anguish in my heart? How long shall my enemy have the upper hand?

Answer me, O Lord my God; give me light in my darkness lest I die. Don’t let my enemies say, “We have conquered him!” Don’t let them gloat that I am down.

But I will always trust in you and in your mercy and shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He has blessed me so richly!

(Psalm 13 – The Living Bible)

• Sometimes all we need to do is talk over a problem with a friend to help put it in perspective. In this psalm, the phrase “how long” occurs four times in the first two verses, indicating the depth of David’s distress. David expressed his feelings to God and found strength. By the end of his prayer, he was able to express hope and trust in God. Prayer is one way we can express our feelings and talk our problems out with God. He helps us have the right perspective, leading to peace (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
• David frequently claimed that God was slow to act on his behalf. We often feel this same impatience. It seems that evil and suffering go unchecked, and we wonder when God is going to stop them. David affirmed that he would continue to trust God no matter how long he had to wait for God’s justice to be realized. When you feel impatient, remember David’s steadfast faith in God’s unfailing mercy.
• David was a faithful man, but he felt the pressure of his problems as much as anyone. His response to pressure, however, stands in stark contrast to the people described in Psalm 11 who wanted to give up. David held on to his faith. In the midst of despair, it is much harder to hold on than to give up. But if you give up on God, you give in to a life of despair.