Scripture Reading: Psalm 9
Focus Verses: Psalm 9: 9-10 “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Trust always takes time. As you get to know a good friend better, you begin to trust them more. The same it true with our relationship with God. We learn more about God by reading the Bible, then as we see Him work in our lives to help us through troubles and trials we begin to trust Him more and more. In our passage David learned about God’s promise to be our refuge in times of trouble. A refuge is a safe place to be when life rages on. This is not a physical place where we go, but the security of our relationship with God. Because of the relationship, we trust Him. As we look back over our lives we will see many times when He has carried us through uncertain times. To deeply trust in God’s faithfulness takes time to build, but His promises are always something we can trust in. The Lord will never forsake those who are seeking after Him. Trust a little now and then later you will trust more deeply.
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, July 28, 2017
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Come to Jesus
Bible reading : Mark 5: 35-43
Focus Verse: "While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:35-36
When sickness and suffering in the lives of those we love weigh heavy on our hearts we can feel helpless and hopeless. We need divine intervention and understand our need for Jesus more deeply. This is exactly the sort of person Jesus encounters in Mark 5.
At verse 35 we see the situation as humanly hopeless, with word reaching Jairus that his daughter had already died. Then the messengers say, “why bother the teacher anymore?” When all hope is lost, why continue to trouble Jesus? Jesus’ response to this question invites us deeper into the mystery of God’s love, nature, and power. "Don't be afraid, just believe."
There is never a time, moment, or situation in which all hope is lost. We must remember that we serve a God who is Lord of heaven and earth, in whose hand “is the life of every living thing.” (Job 12:10) We must believe that the God who defeated death on the cross is powerful enough to bring hope and healing to the darkest and most painful moments of life, even when all hope seems to be lost.
Do we seek Jesus in prayer only for the things that seem likely to be answered, or are you and I willing to learn from this story and continue to open ourselves up to God’s plan and power even when it is beyond what we can see or understand?
How can you persistently seek the Lord in prayer and intercession, even when all hope seems to be lost? Take whatever weighs heavy on your heart today to the Lord in prayer, and find comfort and peace for your soul. Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you and will never abandon you, and in light of the resurrection we know that a day is coming when all shall be made well. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Focus Verse: "While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:35-36
When sickness and suffering in the lives of those we love weigh heavy on our hearts we can feel helpless and hopeless. We need divine intervention and understand our need for Jesus more deeply. This is exactly the sort of person Jesus encounters in Mark 5.
At verse 35 we see the situation as humanly hopeless, with word reaching Jairus that his daughter had already died. Then the messengers say, “why bother the teacher anymore?” When all hope is lost, why continue to trouble Jesus? Jesus’ response to this question invites us deeper into the mystery of God’s love, nature, and power. "Don't be afraid, just believe."
There is never a time, moment, or situation in which all hope is lost. We must remember that we serve a God who is Lord of heaven and earth, in whose hand “is the life of every living thing.” (Job 12:10) We must believe that the God who defeated death on the cross is powerful enough to bring hope and healing to the darkest and most painful moments of life, even when all hope seems to be lost.
Do we seek Jesus in prayer only for the things that seem likely to be answered, or are you and I willing to learn from this story and continue to open ourselves up to God’s plan and power even when it is beyond what we can see or understand?
How can you persistently seek the Lord in prayer and intercession, even when all hope seems to be lost? Take whatever weighs heavy on your heart today to the Lord in prayer, and find comfort and peace for your soul. Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you and will never abandon you, and in light of the resurrection we know that a day is coming when all shall be made well. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, July 14, 2017
Ask Anything in My Name
Bible Reading: John 14Focus verse: John 14:13-14 - "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
(Last week's devotion was on spiritual healing. This week I want you to hear from a lady who was injured and she is paralyzed and in a wheelchair.)
Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada with a word about healing. There was a season in my life when I begged God to heal me. And one of the key verses I used in my prayers was John chapter 14, verses 13-14 where Jesus says, "I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." Well, that was quite a promise! Jesus will give us whatever we ask, as long as we ask in his name?!
Well, I kept doing just that—asking in His name, but nothing happened, so I dug deeper, confessing and repenting of whatever extra sin might stand in the way. But still, no healing. I wondered what I was doing wrong. So I went back to John 14, and this time I read all around it. I discovered that the context is all about "giving the gospel." After all, this chapter was our Savior's last chance to teach his disciples about "the main thing." And the main thing (as we'd all agree) is his Gospel. Jesus was so passionate about his disciples giving the good news, that he inasmuch said, “Look, if there are mountains in your way, I’ll move them. If there’s an obstacle in the way, I’ll help you get rid of it. If it means the advancement of God's kingdom, I’ll do it." Jesus was adamant about this because this is what would give his Father the most glory.
I began to grasp the fact that my suffering was part of God's strategy to further his gospel. After all, it says in First Peter 2:21-22, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps." Just as Christ suffered yet trusted the Father, I am to follow in His steps on the road marked with suffering and trust my heavenly Father,.
When we Christians trust the Lord in our hardships, it showcases to a skeptical, cynical and unbelieving world that God is worth trusting and the Bible is worth believing. The world can't argue when it sees people in pain rejoice in their God. Friend, no one goes to Christ’s heaven who doesn’t first share in Christ’s sufferings. And there’s a good reason for it. Heaven will be populated with people who opened their hearts to God because they saw the power and the reality of His Gospel demonstrated through you. And that’s worth more than being healed on your feet any day.
He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.
~Joni Eareckson Tada
(Last week's devotion was on spiritual healing. This week I want you to hear from a lady who was injured and she is paralyzed and in a wheelchair.)
Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada with a word about healing. There was a season in my life when I begged God to heal me. And one of the key verses I used in my prayers was John chapter 14, verses 13-14 where Jesus says, "I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." Well, that was quite a promise! Jesus will give us whatever we ask, as long as we ask in his name?!
Well, I kept doing just that—asking in His name, but nothing happened, so I dug deeper, confessing and repenting of whatever extra sin might stand in the way. But still, no healing. I wondered what I was doing wrong. So I went back to John 14, and this time I read all around it. I discovered that the context is all about "giving the gospel." After all, this chapter was our Savior's last chance to teach his disciples about "the main thing." And the main thing (as we'd all agree) is his Gospel. Jesus was so passionate about his disciples giving the good news, that he inasmuch said, “Look, if there are mountains in your way, I’ll move them. If there’s an obstacle in the way, I’ll help you get rid of it. If it means the advancement of God's kingdom, I’ll do it." Jesus was adamant about this because this is what would give his Father the most glory.
I began to grasp the fact that my suffering was part of God's strategy to further his gospel. After all, it says in First Peter 2:21-22, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps." Just as Christ suffered yet trusted the Father, I am to follow in His steps on the road marked with suffering and trust my heavenly Father,.
When we Christians trust the Lord in our hardships, it showcases to a skeptical, cynical and unbelieving world that God is worth trusting and the Bible is worth believing. The world can't argue when it sees people in pain rejoice in their God. Friend, no one goes to Christ’s heaven who doesn’t first share in Christ’s sufferings. And there’s a good reason for it. Heaven will be populated with people who opened their hearts to God because they saw the power and the reality of His Gospel demonstrated through you. And that’s worth more than being healed on your feet any day.
He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.
~Joni Eareckson Tada
Saturday, July 8, 2017
By His Stripes We Are Healed
By His Stripes We Are Healed
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2
Focus verse: Isaiah 53:5 "
But He was wounded for our transgressions, (our sin)
He was bruised for our iniquities; (our evil doings)
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed."
"“Stripes,” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24) in the language of the King James Version of the Bible, and in some others, means “wounds,” as seen in more modern translations such as the New International Version. These stripes were administered by whipping the bare backs of prisoners whose hands and feet were bound, rendering them helpless. The phrase “by His stripes we are healed” refers to the punishment Jesus Christ suffered—floggings and beatings with fists that were followed by His agonizing death on a cross—to take upon Himself all of the sins of all people who believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The whips used were made of braided leather, with pottery shards and sharp stones affixed to the ends, which tore open the flesh of the prisoner with each cruel swing of the whip. When we picture this terrible, inhumane form of physical punishment we recoil in horror. Yet the physical pain and agony were not all Jesus suffered. He also had to undergo the mental anguish brought on by the wrath of His Father, who punished Him for the sinfulness of mankind—sin carried out in spite of God’s repeated warnings, sin that Jesus willingly took upon Himself. He paid the total price for all of our transgressions.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter wrote, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” In Isaiah 53, Jesus’ future life on earth was foretold in the clearest of terms, to include his eventual torture and death: “But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds (stripes) we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
The contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that they are referring to spiritual healing, not physical. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The verse is referring to sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” in both these verses is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not being physically healed."
The above is taken from www.gotquestions.org
Spiritual healing from sins is a greater miracle than physical healing. Yes, God can heal us physically and sometimes he wills it, but this verse is not about that. Yes, we still should call the elders to come pray for us, but don't cheapen the healing of the soul by using a verse not meant for physical healing. Always look to the context of the scripture when you determine what it means.
~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
See photo: Click here
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2
Focus verse: Isaiah 53:5 "
But He was wounded for our transgressions, (our sin)
He was bruised for our iniquities; (our evil doings)
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed."
"“Stripes,” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24) in the language of the King James Version of the Bible, and in some others, means “wounds,” as seen in more modern translations such as the New International Version. These stripes were administered by whipping the bare backs of prisoners whose hands and feet were bound, rendering them helpless. The phrase “by His stripes we are healed” refers to the punishment Jesus Christ suffered—floggings and beatings with fists that were followed by His agonizing death on a cross—to take upon Himself all of the sins of all people who believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The whips used were made of braided leather, with pottery shards and sharp stones affixed to the ends, which tore open the flesh of the prisoner with each cruel swing of the whip. When we picture this terrible, inhumane form of physical punishment we recoil in horror. Yet the physical pain and agony were not all Jesus suffered. He also had to undergo the mental anguish brought on by the wrath of His Father, who punished Him for the sinfulness of mankind—sin carried out in spite of God’s repeated warnings, sin that Jesus willingly took upon Himself. He paid the total price for all of our transgressions.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter wrote, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” In Isaiah 53, Jesus’ future life on earth was foretold in the clearest of terms, to include his eventual torture and death: “But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds (stripes) we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
The contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that they are referring to spiritual healing, not physical. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The verse is referring to sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” in both these verses is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not being physically healed."
The above is taken from www.gotquestions.org
Spiritual healing from sins is a greater miracle than physical healing. Yes, God can heal us physically and sometimes he wills it, but this verse is not about that. Yes, we still should call the elders to come pray for us, but don't cheapen the healing of the soul by using a verse not meant for physical healing. Always look to the context of the scripture when you determine what it means.
~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
See photo: Click here
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