Who’s in control?
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
My self-control is the product of God’s control.
Good morning, Lord. When I let You take control, I see an increase in my self-control. The tighter I hold on to control, the more out-of-control I feel. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for working Your way in me. Keep up the good work, in Jesus’ name.
Proverbs 25:28 (ESV)
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
“Broken into and left without walls” — in other translations of the Bible: breached, helpless, without protection, defenseless, conquered.
Without self-control, I leave myself defenseless, unprotected, open to the enemy.
Good morning, Lord. Teach me self-control. Without it, I am open to the enemy’s attacks, and I know he comes to steal my peace, kill my joy and destroy my hope (John 10:10). Show me the path of righteousness, help me establish safe boundaries, and empower me to live within the guardrails of Your truth.
Exodus 33:11 (NIV)
The Lord would speak
to Moses face to face,
as one speaks to a friend.
Friends with God … face-to-face conversations … anytime, anywhere.
Good morning, Lord. I am grateful for our friendly conversations — at daybreak, midday, evening and in the dark of night. Round the clock, You are willing to listen to me. Forgive me for failing to be equally attentive to You. Tune my ears to hear Your words of guidance and encouragement … even correction … all the time, everywhere.
Cain had an attitude problem, and he let it come between him and God.
Genesis 4:5 (NIV)
Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
I imagine Cain trudging along, slumped shoulders, eyes fixed on the ground. He was angry at the world, angry with God.
His downcast face wasn’t seeking God’s face.
Good morning, Lord. Sometimes I’m stuck in a bad mood, walking in a shroud of my own doom and gloom. Deep in the shadows of my personal pity party, I refuse to seek Your face. Shine Your light into my darkness, O God. Catch my attention with a glimmer of hope. Renew my spirit, restore my soul.
Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.
Does God move to make His face shine on us? Or does He move us out of darkness into the light from His face?
Good morning, Lord. I want to live in the light from Your face. If I start to step away, turn me around. When I’m stuck in a gloomy place, shine Your light into my darkness. Bless me, O God with Your precious grace and peace.
Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)
In the beginning … darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The Hebrew word used here for face of the deep and face of the waters is paniym. It is the same word used for the face of God. When I imagine the “face of God,” I tend to think mouth, eyes, nose. But like the “face of the deep,” the “face of God” is not the face of a human. Frankly, I have no idea what it looks like.
And yet, I know it when I see it.
Good morning, Lord. I can picture Jesus’ face. He was God with the face of a man. The Triune God — Father, Son, Spirit — is beyond my imagination. And yet, I seek Your face, not to know what it looks like, but to know You better. Day by day, bit by bit, may it be so, amen.
Psalm 27:8 (ESV)
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
When I want to be sure a child is listening to me, I say, “Look at me.” In essence, I’m saying, “Seek my face.”
God says, Seek my face. Are we looking and listening?
Good morning, Lord. I want to seek Your face, really, I do. And yet, I’m distracted by the noise of the world and by my own thoughts and desires. I forget to look towards You, I fail to concentrate on Your words. Open my eyes and ears, O God. Teach me to seek, look and listen.
Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)
… I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you
on the palms of my hands.
God sees my name on His palm — engraved (better than permanent marker).
Good morning, Lord. Sometimes I wear a cross around my neck as a symbol of my love for You. You carry my name on Your hand, a symbol of Your love for me … wow! I didn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it. Amazing love, engraved by grace.
Sometimes life is scary.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We don’t have go it alone. God walks beside us.
Good morning, Lord. You are right beside me, holding my hand, through good times and bad. When things are hard, I often wish You’d whisk me to a better place, but no — You stick with me through the muck and mess. You lift me up when I fall and You hold me back when I’m about to plunge over the edge. Forgive my whining, God. I’m grateful for Your right hand holding mine.
The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, reminds us to mark the hand of God at work in the past.
“It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe his goodness in delivering them, his mercy in pardoning them, and his faithfulness in keeping his covenant with them.”
Not just back then, Spurgeon suggests, but here and now.
“But would it not be even more interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives?”
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Morning, July 9
Morning and Evening (daily devotional)
Good morning, Lord. Your hand has been at work in my life from the time I was born — no, even earlier. And as I crawled out of bed today, I realized yesterday’s disappointment is Your hand at work offering me an unexpected opportunity. Thank You for new mercies.
