May 19 (2 Timothy 1:14)

…the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  (NIV)

“I am not God.”  We sometimes use this as an excuse for bad behavior or to get out of something we think is too difficult to do.  Although this statement is, of course, true, as an excuse it is false.  God lives within us through the Holy Spirit.  If our lives do not reflect this, then one of two things must be the case.  God is inactive in us, or we are rebelling against him.  Have you ever known God to sit around and do nothing?

Do not misinterpret this as something to shame us into action.  Stop and think for a moment.  What does it really mean to have God dwelling within you?  He is as close as your next breath.  You can know Him as intimately as your own heartbeat.  The strength of the One Who defeated death is in You.  The creativity of Him Who spoke the stars into existence inspires your soul.

What will you and God, Who lives within you, do together?  Dare to dream.  Dare to ask Him.  Dare to live the life of one joined to God.

O God, I pray as if You are a million miles away.  Help me to know You intimately.  What would You do together with me?  I am Yours.  Show me how to live.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

May 12 (Romans 6:6)

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  (NIV)

It is my right to say what I want to say when I want to say it.  What could be more freeing than to do exactly what I want to do?  Surely true freedom is just that, to act on a desire at the very moment I have it.

Does this sound familiar?  It is the rallying cry of just about every movie, television show, and news article.  We have all felt it ourselves.  It is, however, the lie of our great enemy that makes slavery appear as freedom.  You see, it is the tyranny of sin that says we must do this or that in answer to our appetites.  Genuine freedom is the exercise of free will to say no.

What a revolutionary concept this is!  What an amazing freedom is actually ours!  In His free choice to die, Christ said no to the ultimate slavery of sin and death.  He offers that freedom to us through His resurrected life.  What choice will you make?

Lord, too often I feel as if I have no choice in my life, forgetting, ignoring, or even rejecting the powerful freedom You have given me.  Help me to live boldly in the freedom of Your grace, free to reject what seems to have power over me and free to live the true life that You have designed.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

May 5 (Nehemiah 8:10)

[T]he joy of the Lord is your strength.  (NIV)

Nothing is more difficult to write about than joy, and to talk about the joy of the Lord is nearly impossible.  First of all, most of us know little about joy.  We are quite familiar with happiness and pleasure, but joy?  Not so much. 

Joy is something that does not grow naturally in this world.  It has to be imported.  The difficult thing in talking about this is that there is no list of things to do.  We can tell each other how to achieve happiness and pleasure, but joy is simply something to be experienced.  We must be still.  We must pay attention.  We must allow God to bring the joy.  Only a heart being transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ is capable of recognizing joy for what it is.

And only then is there something for us to do.  We must hold on to it.  We must choose not to draw our strength from any other source, and this is a great effort indeed.  Yet the reward is worth it, for the strength that comes from the joy of the Lord is capable of facing anything.

Jesus, grant me not only Your joy, but the grace to see it for what it is.  As my identity grows deeper in You, may I take my strength solely from Your joy.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

April 28 (2 Timothy 4:5)

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an 

evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.  (NIV)

You and I have a ministry.  You may work in an office, work out of your home, or work on the line.  You may be self employed or working for the man every night and day.  Whatever your job is, it is also field of your ministry, and the work of that ministry is ultimately evangelism.

Whoa, Nelly!  Evangelism?  Yes, evangelism, which is simply and literally sharing the good news of Jesus.  Evangelism is work, though.  It is hard work.  You may lose friends over it.  You may lose your job.  You will not, however, lose your ministry.

Paul was not giving advice to his young friend Timothy here.  He was giving him the speech generals have given warriors throughout history.  Since all Scripture is inspired by God, hear Paul saying these words to you.  Either get in the game, get back in the game, or stay in the game.  Whatever your situation is, God, through Paul, is speaking to you.

Father, I hear what You are saying, and rather than lay before You all my fears and objections, I am simply going to say, "Yes, Lord."  Deep in my heart, this is what I really want to do anyhow.  I ask only for the strength and grace to do it.  In the name of Jesus, my Savior, amen.

 

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

April 21 (Romans 1:16)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes….  (NIV)

I am suffering some holy discontent, and I am glad for it.  I do not want God to take it away.  In fact, I am praying that He will make it worse.  You see, I am a nice guy.  I do some good things.  I try to live right.  Blah, blah, blah.

The bottom line, though, is that there is so much of my life that God could use to advance His gospel.  How much of my time is spent on, well, on anything else?  How much of my money, my energy, my resources?  If, like Paul, I am truly not ashamed of the gospel, then I think my life should look quite different.

How would your life look if every aspect of it were committed to the good news of salvation to everyone who believes?  Stop and think about that seriously for a moment.  If your calendar and your checkbook truly reflected what you say you believe, if your cabinets and closets and shelves really bore witness, would your life look as it does?

Jesus, do not let me go.  Show me the places that need to change, whether sin that needs repentance or simply habits that need to be altered so my whole life can be spent in the service of the good news You died to bring us.  My life is Yours.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

April 14 (Matthew 10:29)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. (NIV)
I was reminded of this verse twice in less than twenty-four hours. Our daughter, who is eight, called our attention to a sparrow sitting in the road in front of our house. Not hopping or fluttering its wings, it seemed wounded, and she wanted us to help. I put on some gloves and carried it to the woods behind our house, where it eventually took flight. On the way, our daughter walked closely beside me, and I shared this verse with her as we asked Jesus to care for the little bird He had made.
The next day I arrived early at the school where I teach to get some paperwork done. A student met me at the door, however, and I could quickly see the paperwork would have to wait as she poured out the latest details in the tragedy that is her life. This is no teenage drama. She lives in poverty and violence, and they are taking their toll. How could I attend to something as unimportant as paperwork when another of God’s sparrows stood before me with a broken wing?
Take heart, then, for as Jesus went on to say, we are worth many sparrows. Your Father cares for and loves you more than you realize. He really does. From the overflow of that love, for He will always lavish you with it, reach out to his other children, who are also worth more than many sparrows. He loves them, too.
Father, keep my eyes open for those who need to feel Your love through me. Show me how to help those who are wounded. In all things, thank You for loving me. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins

April 7 (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  (NIV)

Do you know what your race is?  Do you know what prize you are striving to attain?  There is a shared prize we are all yearning for, and that is life eternal with our blessed Savior.  The race, however, is particular to each one of us.  Generally speaking, of course, we all run the race of serving God, but how we are called to serve Him looks different for each person.

It is a beautiful spring day, and I have enjoyed much of it outside with our children.  As I walked back to our house after playing with them, I realized how clear my race was to me and the confidence I felt regarding the prize I seek.  Both the clarity and the confidence are not born of my own skills or achievements, but rather of that One Who is the author and perfecter of my faith.

I am neither unique nor special in this.  Such clarity and confidence can be yours as well.  Jesus wants them to be yours.  After all, He is the one who has called you to your race.  He is the one who paid for your prize with His life. 

Jesus, I trust You, not just the words You have spoken, but with my life.  I put it in Your hands.  I want nothing more than to run the race You have set for me and to enjoy the everlasting prize with You.  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins