Will He find faith in you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
(Luke 18:8 (NIV))

As the church, we cling to the first half of this passage. We pray for God’s justice to come and for His righteousness to prevail, but we fail to pay any attention to the next sentence.

Why is that?

What makes us ignore this question?

This passage is taken from the parable of the widow and her persistent pleas with an ungodly judge to give her justice. He eventually relents because she is bothering him, but he doesn’t provide justice for the right reasons. He doesn’t do it because the widow deserves it. He gives in because he is getting tired of the constant barrage he is receiving from the widow. He wants to be left alone, so he gives in for selfish reasons and gives her the justice that she seeks.

When we ask God to send His judgment on sinners, what is our reason? Are we doing it because we feel a holier than thou attitude? Do we treat the Lord as our personal Savior while forgetting that the ones we are asking for Him to judge are also able to receive the same grace that we profess? If we are the Body of Christ, we are given a commission to share the Gospel with others.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
(Matthew 28:19-20a (NIV))

Thankfully, nowhere do I see a command within these words to condemn sinners. After all, we were all condemned before we accepted Jesus.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2 (NIV))

Is this why the question is asked if the Son of Man will find faith on the earth? Are we praying for justice without praying for a change of heart? Are we praying for condemnation without offering grace? Are we praying for selfish reasons? If so, we need to have the faith to pray for God’s Will in the situations and ask for hearts to be turned so that judgment and justice turn into grace and mercy!

Will He find faith in you?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Wait for it!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
(Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV))

Do you await the appointed time?

Sadly, too many people who profess a faith in Jesus only look to Him as their assurance of eternal life once they die, but what about all of the other aspects of Jesus? What about the promise to return for His church? What about the promise to return as a mighty warrior who will defeat Satan and cast him into the Abyss for one thousand years? I know that I summarized all of these events, but we need to realize that Jesus is more than a get out of hell card that we can play if we profess a faith and belief in Him. I know that my wording may make some people question my understanding of Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but we have to look beyond our personal desires and look at what Jesus actually came to do.

Jesus came to bring salvation by living the perfect, sinless life that we are not capable of living. Every single human who has ever lived has been cursed with the results of the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Jesus came to offer each of us a way out of the results of that sin by willingly paying the price that our sin merits. Jesus came to give us a gift! Jesus came to defeat death!

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23 (NIV))

Human nature has made too many people stop there.

Not only did Jesus come to offer us salvation by exchanging our sin for His righteousness as He suffered the death that was meant for us, He also came to defeat and bind the devil so that the father of lies could not deceive anyone else. Jesus came to restore the perfect creation that God had planned.

We like to think of Jesus as a baby, as a teacher, preacher and a miracle worker. We also think of Jesus as crucified, resurrected and ascended to the Father. We also think of spending eternity in heaven with Jesus, but we have a hard time with the righteous warrior aspects of Jesus. We don’t like to think about the state of the world that will trigger His return for His church. We don’t like to think of the wrath that will be poured out on the earth because humanity has gone too far and God’s appointed time has come.

Does this frighten you, or, does it make you look up in hopeful anticipation of His return? It is a matter of perspective. If you look at His return through the eyes of one who has accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the prospect of His soon return should excite you. If you look at His return through the eyes of one who has rejected Jesus, it is not too late to change your mind. It is as easy as ABC.

A is for admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

B is for believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead.

C is for call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

Once you do that, I pray that you don’t stop there. Embrace Jesus in all aspects of His glory. Do not fear Jesus as the righteous warrior. Wait for the appointed time.

Wait for it!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you been positioned for Kingdom purposes?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
(Esther 4:14 (NIV))

God places people in positions and circumstances in order to fulfill His purpose. Not many of us will have such a high calling and purpose as Esther. Just to refresh your memory, Esther was a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin, Mordecai. Through a series of events, she became the wife of the king of Persia. God had placed her in a position to save His people when Haman conspired to have all of the Jews killed because they would not bow to him. Even though there was great danger for her to approach the king, she recognized that God had placed her in this position for “such a time as this.”

Esther is not the only person that God has orchestrated into certain situations in order to fulfill His purposes. He is still doing it today!

God’s people faced death if Esther did not act. Today, many people potentially face eternal separation from God if we do not act. If we profess a faith in Jesus, then we have been given an assignment. We are to share the Gospel, the good news of Jesus!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
(Matthew 28:19-20a (NIV))

We have been placed at a point in history and location where God wants to use us to reach others. Some people who study prophecy are calling our current time the end of the age.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
(Matthew 28:20b (NIV))

This means that the Lord is still with us. This means that the assignment has not changed. This means that each of us are positioned so that God can use us. Are you willing to be used? If the Lord is your coach, are you ready and willing to go into the game and do what needs to be done? Think about your life. Think about your family and friends. Think about the people you work with. You have been positioned in the lives of these people for a reason.

Have you been positioned for Kingdom purposes?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Be vigilant and stand firm!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
(Romans 16:17 (NIV))

How firm is your spiritual foundation?

Are you grounded in God’s Word well enough to know the difference between the truth, partial truth, and a lie?

What causes division? If you look at any scenario, it usually starts with a subtle difference such as what Satan used in the Garden of Eden. It is a twist of the truth to make you think that the twisted, partial truth is correct. This results in one group accepting the truth while another group has accepted the partial truth. The next subtle twist takes the partial truth further away from the truth. Eventually you have two sides who have split over something that started out small but grew to such a point that there is division between the groups.

Division is not a good thing in the Body of Christ!

God created each of us to be unique, but our uniqueness is not the same as division. Our uniquenesses complement and fulfill the uniquenesses of other members of the Body, but division separates us. It tears us apart, and if we are not careful, it will draw us away from Jesus. We must be so well grounded in God’s Word that we can distinguish partials truths and lies from the truth of the Gospel. We must not accept, or even entertain, anything that is less than God’s truth.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
(Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV))

Sadly, we still have people just like those whom Paul wrote of. They try to pervert the gospel of Jesus. They twist and manipulate words and by doing so, they twist and manipulate lives. Avoid such people. Stand firm in the truth. Measure everything against the truth of God’s Word. Do not be deceived.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
(2 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV))

Be vigilant and stand firm!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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We must not lose hope in the Lord!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 (NIV))

How has your strength been recently?

I could probably stop with just those words and you can fill in your own issues that you see in the world and in your life. Let’s face it. Every single person alive is caught up in the middle of the events that have affected the whole world.

Financial crises.
Political upheaval.
Race riots.
Wars and rumors of wars.
The global pandemic.
Good being called evil and evil being called good.

Do I need to list anything else?

I honestly do not understand how anyone who doesn’t profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior makes it through each day when more and more is added to the already huge list of troubles. Those who do call upon the name of the Lord have a promise that we can rely upon to give us strength even in the midst of troubles.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 (NIV))

We are told that troubles will increase as the time gets closer for the events spoken of in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. As we see things unfolding, we must remember to never lose sight of the Lord. We must remember to never lose hope in the Lord, for all of His promises are “Yes!” When the world sees trouble, we must see hope. We must renew our strength as we find shelter in His presence and in His strength. When we rely on His strength, we can face anything. We can run and not grow weary. We can walk and not be faint, and best of all, we can soar above the troubles of the world.

We must not lose hope in the Lord!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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His Word is truth!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(Matthew 28:18 (NIV))

Timing is everything. If Jesus had spoken these words earlier in His time on earth, He would have given those who sought to crucify Him just that much more evidence to support their plans, but Jesus spoke them after His resurrection. He spoke them to His disciples after He had been crucified and they saw Him die. He spoke them to His disciples after they had seen Him buried. He spoke them after His resurrection and after He had appeared to them various times. He spoke them at a point in time when those who witnessed all of these events would fully understand that what He said was true.

Could you imagine witnessing all of these events? Could you imagine hearing these words as Jesus spoke them? Could you imagine being so on fire for the Lord that you are willing to do anything that He asks, even if you knew that there was a chance that it would mean hardship and more?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV))

Many scholars have come to the conclusion that the resurrection was real simply based on the lives of the disciples from that moment on. They realized that no one is willing to die for a lie, but all of them were willing to die for the truth of the Gospel. They had witnessed something so amazing that their very lives were transformed.

Do you hold fast to the truth of the authority that Jesus has been given? Has your life been transformed?

As believers in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we long to hear words spoken by Jesus as well.

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
(Matthew 25:21 (NIV))

Can you imagine what it will be like to hear Jesus say these words? Timing is everything. Each day brings us closer to that day. Whether it is at the end of our life, or at His return for His church, everyone who professes a faith in Jesus longs to hear these words. Until that day, we must hold fast to the promises that we have been given. We must keep our eyes focused on Jesus and remember one simple truth. When things look bad, we must look up!

He is coming again!

His Word is truth!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Our home is with Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
(Psalms 91:1 (NIV))

I originally wrote this about six years ago. Since then, I have seen so much more in this world that could easily take away my joy. As the Body of Christ, we must remember that this world is not our home, so no matter what we may witness, we have a hope of a future home with Jesus!

I have often looked at the state of the world and wondered why things are happening as they are. I know that God is unfolding time according to His purpose, but I can’t help but look at the things that are unfolding and feel saddened by these events.

I don’t feel sad for myself or for anybody who calls upon the name of Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Rather, I feel sad for all of the people who have bought the lie of the enemy. I am saddened by the fact that what they have signed on for will lead them to eternal separation from God. Let’s be honest. It will lead them to hell!

God’s laws do not change because society says that they do!

I have had to remind myself that this is a fallen world and that I should not expect it to follow God’s laws or God’s Word. If it did follow them, I honestly believe that the fall from grace would never have occurred. Even in the best of times, the Body of Christ has lived in a fallen world. It is how we respond to that fallen world that makes a difference.

Do we simply accept the state of the world and adapt or do we continue to live according to the teachings of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

We are called to be salt.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
(Matthew 5:13 (NIV))

Is the Body of Christ being trampled? Is the Body of Christ still able to be salt to the world?

Do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High? Do we know His will well enough to realize that this world is not our home and that it will not behave like we expect it to?

In the days that are ahead, I honestly believe that the Body of Christ will be in for far more things that will try to take our joy, and possibly our lives. No matter what the world may send our way, we must never lose site that this world is not our home. Have you packed your faith and hope and are you ready to go?

Our home is with Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What do you know?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
(Romans 8:28 (NIV))

This is a difficult thing for many people to grasp, for they see only the immediate results of things as they happen. Humanity does not have the luxury of being able to see the long term consequences of any given event or series of events.

All too often we jump to worldly conclusions and do not see the “God” scheme of things. No matter what we may face in this life, we must remember that God is in control. If we are His through the grace and mercy granted through His Son Jesus Christ, then our ultimate good is heaven. If that is true, then everything that happens in this world can be taken as a temporary situation. This is hard to fathom when a loved one faces death or when a country faces terrorism, but, we must remember that what we see in the physical world is only a small fraction of the battle that goes on in the spiritual world.

If we hold steadfast in our faith in Jesus, then we are assured of our “good.”

What do you know?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
(Romans 8:26 (NIV))

Is it just me or have you found yourself spiritually groaning as you observe all of the events transpiring in the world? They seem to be increasing in intensity and in frequency. If you don’t believe me, just think back to two years ago. No one could have imagined a worldwide pandemic. No one could have imagined the racial conflicts that have been increasing. No one could have imagined far too many things that we have seen and continue to see as they progressively unfold. When I actually contemplate everything that has transpired worldwide, I involuntarily sigh and groan. I am appalled at what I see. I am saddened by the state of insanity that has grasped this nation and this world. If it makes me sigh and groan, can you imagine how heavy God’s heart is as He watches people reject Him? Can you imagine how heavy God’s heart is as He watches people reject His offer of grace and salvation through His Son, Jesus?

What do you see when you look at the world?

Do you see a world that is as safe as the one that you grew up in? Do you see a world that is vastly different than just twenty or thirty years ago? Do you see a world that rejects God more and more each day?

How does that make you feel?

Is there something inside of you that sighs and groans at the thought of where we have come to? Is there something inside of you that sighs and groans adamantly at the thought of where our world is so rapidly progressing to?

It is a common human trait to wish for a better life for our children and grandchildren. With all of the spiritual groaning that I feel and that I am reading that others feel, I do not believe that this physical world will provide a better life as human nature desires.

All is not lost!

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
(Matthew 24:7-8 (NIV))

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
(Matthew 24:32-34 (NIV))

Many believe that we are the fig tree generation. The generation that saw Israel become a nation again and the generation that is seeing all of these things transpire right before our eyes. We must look to Jesus! We must look for Jesus! When God’s Spirit fills us with groans, I prefer to think of them as pleas for God’s Will to be done.

Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do you still need milk?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
(Hebrews 5:12 (NIV))

What do you put into your physical body to sustain it and give it the nourishment that it needs? What gives you the physical strength that you need to face each day?

Each of us are mature enough to realize what our body needs in order to be nourished and thrive. We know that we have to provide our physical body what it needs, and we know that it is not a once a week occurrence, or even a once a day occurrence. We also know that in order to feed our physical bodies, it takes time to prepare. It takes time to decide what we need and then to make it happen. We may still drink milk, but it is not our only source of nutrition. Thanks to the milk we received as an infant, we have matured enough to now need solid food! If you have children, you have probably spent some of your time teaching them how to prepare solid food and how to make wise decisions.

The same is true of our spiritual life as well.

When we become new believers, we drink in the basic concepts, the milk, of our salvation. We learn the basics, such as the ABCs of salvation, in much the same way that we learn the letters of the alphabet.

A is for admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

B is for believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead.

C is for call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

We must feed our spiritual side with much more than the simplicity of the Gospel. We must dive deeply into God’s Word and learn all that we can about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We must prepare ourselves to respond to others in such a way that they may feast upon the solid spiritual food that we all need. We must not simply sit in the pews for an hour a week and allow someone to spoon feed us what we need. In much the same way that an infant will start to feed themselves, we must learn to feed ourselves the spiritual solid food that allows us to deepen our relationship with the Lord. We must take what we learn and share it with new believers in much the same way that our mentors shared with us.

We have a responsibility!

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
(Mark 16:15 (NIV))

We can’t preach the Gospel if all that we can do is recite the ABCs. We can’t preach the Gospel if all that we feed upon is milk!

Do you still need milk?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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