Month: January 2012

Accountable to God: Day 17

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional5 Comments

January 31, 2012
Today’s Text:  Read Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Matthew 20:28
Today’s Key Thought: God has purchased every believer out of slavery to sin.

Not only has God created you on purpose, but God has saved you on purpose.  God chose in His plan to send His Son to die on the cross for your sins.  The Bible says in Acts 20:28 that we were purchased by the blood of His Son. Stop and think about that for a moment.  Jesus bled and died so that you can be redeemed or bought back.  He made you, and if you have put your faith and trust in Him for your salvation then He redeemed you as well.  This means that you are twice His.  Once by creation, and once through salvation.    Think about these song lyrics:

“You spread out the skies over empty space,
said “Let there be light”
Into a dark and formless world Your light was born.
You spread out Your arms over empty  hearts
said “Let there be light”
Into a dark and hopeless world Your Son was born.
You made the world and saw that it was good.
You sent Your only Son for you are good.
What a wonderful Maker!
What a wonderful Savior!…”

Application:
We are now twice owned by God.  He made us.  He redeemed us.  He allows us to enjoy all of His Creation.  He allows us to enjoy Him.  Today, think about what a right response to this should be!

Accountable to God: Day 16

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional3 Comments

January 30, 2012
Today’s Text:  Read Psalm 139:16, Psalm 119:73
Today’s Key Thought:  God made every person according to His plan.

Think about the word “accident.”  When you think about that word does it bring up a positive image or a negative image?  Generally speaking we don’t think of “accidents” as good things.  “I was in an accident.”  “I’m sorry.  It was an accident.”  The word isn’t necessarily negative.  You can do something positive on accident, but generally when things aren’t done on purpose it leads to negative results.

Today, I’ve got great news to tell you.  Our God has never done anything on accident.  We serve a very purposeful and intentional God.   And here is some great news for you as well:  YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT.  God made you on purpose.  God created you and has a plan for your life.  You may feel like your life has no meaning or worth, but with God this is not the case.  He loves you, and He created you on purpose!

Application:
Since God created you on purpose that also means He owns you!  Your life really does belong to Him, but He allows you to make the choices that you do.  The right response to knowing that He created you is to submit to what He wants you to do in every area of your life.  Think about this:  God created you on purpose.   Are you living for Him according to His purposes for you?

Accountable to God: Day 15

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional7 Comments

January 27, 2012 

Today’s Text:  Read Matthew 6:19-24

If you wanted to summarize today’s text into just a couple of principles here they are:

  1.  Your treasure and your heart are inevitably and inseparably tied to each other.  The thing you value most has your heart.  Where you invest the most of yourself is where your heart is.
  2. 2.       According to Jesus, earthly things have relatively small value while spiritual things have infinite value.  What’s difficult about this principle is that earth is visible, while heaven is invisible.  That’s where faith comes in.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

 

Application:

Do you want to have a heart for the things God has a heart for?  I hope you do.  Then invest your time, energy, money and talents into the things that God says are important.  Why?  Because your heart follows what you treasure.

 

Let me ask you this question:  Will what you are investing the majority of your time, energy, money and talents in matter in 1 year?  In 5 years? In 10 years?  In eternity?

Accountable to God: Day 14

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional4 Comments

January 26, 2012

Today’s Text:  Read Genesis 1:26-28

In Genesis 1, we see God create the earth and everything in it.  He creates man in his own image making Him unique in creation.  Listen to the very first thing that God tells man:

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

The very first thing God tells man is something like, “I made this good creation.  I own this good creation.  Now you are managing this creation for me.  You are my stewards in this place.”  As part of mankind, we must recognize that our first loyalty and obligation should be to God, and that the things that we have really belong to Him.

Application:

What do you think is the significance of the fact that God told mankind that we are stewards in His first statement to us?