Dwell with God in Trust

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8

In this section of scripture, the prophet Jeremiah is calling out the fundamental sin of Judah: that God's people had turned away from the Lord. Because the "heart is deceitful above all things," Jeremiah contrasts verses 7-8 with verses 5-6. Instead of being blessed for trusting in the Lord, they had been cursed for "trusting in man, making flesh his strength." (v 5) Instead of flourishing like a tree planted by water, they were "like a shrub in the desert." (v 6) The same is true for us today. To experience the blessing of God's presence, we must trust him and seek to abide in him. Jesus said, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit." (John 15:5) As we dwell with Jesus, remain in the truth of his Word, and seek to apply his Word to every aspect of our lives we are stable and rooted like a tree planted by water, nourished by the life giving source of the gospel that reminds us of Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. We are able to endure in trials and suffering with leaves that do not wither and bearing fruit in any circumstance because Jesus is our strength. We have new life in him. With him there is everlasting joy, hope, and peace.

Questions: 

1. When are you prone to trust in your own strength instead of God?

2. Do you see God's Word and prayer as a means of communing with him?

3. How can you grow in your time with the Lord each day?

Prayer:

Lord, I praise you for your kindness and steadfast love. I confess how prone I am to trust in my own abilities and strength rather than in you and what Jesus has accomplished for me on the cross. Would you incline my heart to your Word and prayer and help me to abide in Jesus throughout my day. I pray for leaves that don't wither and fruit that continuously grows for the glory of your name.

By Sean Lyons

Dwell with God by Seeking Him from the Heart

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

The idea of seeking God is used many places in the Bible. We are called to "seek" not because God is hiding or secluded from us, but rather because we are prone to fix our eyes on other things. In this passage, God is reminding His people to seek Him with their whole heart while they were in exile under the brutal nation of Babylon. As God's people shift their hope to Him, He promises to be found and restore them. Jesus portrays this accessibility by coming to earth to be as physically close as possible, but also reconciling sinners to allow us to be spiritually close to the Father. Now with the Holy Spirit in us, Jesus is nearer than if He were physically present among us!

Questions: 

1. What areas of our heart are not seeking after God?

2. How does Jesus provide hope in those areas?

Prayer:

Lord, you are worthy of my whole heart's worship. I confess there are other things that I have placed my hope in. At my deepest core, I do not want them- please remove those from me so I can seek you more. Thank you that you will meet me where I am today. Jesus, your blood has already restored me; will you please restore me in other areas as well.

By David Nauta

The Life of Adoniram Judson: Suffering while sacrificing for God

Dwell with God through Warfare

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” - 1 Peter 2:11

The verse begins with a statement about who we are in Christ: Beloved. We are also sojourners and exiles in this world because our true home is in heaven with God. This is such a comfort to us during times when we find ourselves misfits or outcasts in this world. When we are mocked or looked down upon for faith in Jesus. That is how it’s supposed to be because we were not meant to dwell here permanently. We were created to be in fellowship with God, sin broke that fellowship, and Christ has restored it. That is why Peter exhorts us to “abstain from passions of the flesh”. Our sins destroy fellowship with God and cut us off from the source of life. They “wage war” against our souls by making us deaf to God’s voice, numb to our need for Him. We resist sin, not to earn God’s love, but to prepare our souls to return home to the Lord!

Questions: 

1. Before Christ, how would you answer the questions “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?” If you don’t consider yourself a Christ-follower, how would you answer these questions for yourself?

2. How does your identity as God’s Beloved enable you to “abstain from passions of the flesh”?

Prayer:

God, thank You that You have given me a home in heaven. You are preparing a room for me and place at the banquet table. Thank You for sending Jesus to take my place on the cross, so that my sins could be forgiven, and I am made new. My identity as your Beloved is unshakeable, no matter what happens to me in this life. I pray You would give me the boldness to live as if this is true. Give me a desire to please You and to fight against sins in my life that come between my relationship with You.  

By Yiyi Yao

Pluck out Your Eye by Léonce Crump

Dwell with God by Fleeing Temptation

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." - James 1:14-15

If you are like me, quarantine has been a time of increased temptation to sin. In this text, James describes sin with a sobering metaphor. He says that our sinful desires are like a potential sexual partner by whom we are enticed. If we say “yes” to these desires, they will conceive and gestate and eventually give birth to a baby—an active and growing sin. And this sin, if we feed and nurture it, will eventually grow up to kill us. 

So the pattern looks like this: 

desire surrendered to > sin > maturing sin > death 

What does this teach us? That the war on sin is won on the battle ground of small moments. The sin that kills begins as the temporary acceptance of a small desire. When sin is nothing more than a beckoning desire, we must learn, with God’s help, to shake our heads “no” rather than nod “yes.” Remember, that desire can birth something that will kill you. 

But the encouraging thing is that this works the other way around. When we, in the small moments, refuse evil desires and accept godly ones, there will birth into our lives a maturing and life-giving righteousness. These moment-by moment actions are, in the words of one writer, like “the steady progression of small choices that laid end to end will become like the stones of a pleasing path stretching to eternity” (Douglas McKelvey, Every Moment Holy, 163). And it is never too late to start building. 

Questions: 

1. What are the small battle grounds of your war on sin? 

2. What is the long-term consequence of your momentary choices in these areas? What could happen if you accept the enticement of ungodly desire? What could you build by choosing Christ instead? 

Prayer:

O Christ, be my joy. Outshine those things that tempt me with the bright light of your glory. Let me love you, Lord, by obeying in the small things, trusting that sin is serious, even when it doesn’t feel like it, and that you are worth every sacrifice, even when it is hard to let go of my desires. Help me! I am weak. Be my strength. 

By Bryan Elliff

Dwell with God in Any Circumstance

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:10-13

For me, the circumstances of life often directly affect how I feel about my day, how much stress I feel, and even how near I feel God is. But here Paul reminds us that simply being with God, and being strengthened by him, leads to a kind of contentedness that is deeper than circumstance. So when we have plenty or have need, Paul through the Holy Spirit urges us to regard our situation as far less important than the joy of knowing God and walking in relationship with Him. He is what we most truly need in any circumstance!

Questions: 

1. In which situations or circumstances do you find it most difficult to be content in the Lord?

2. What might be the idols underneath those circumstances that you desire more than God?

Prayer:

God, I want to be content in you. I want to desire being with you more than I desire a change in circumstance or more comfort. I confess the ways that I do not trust that you are faithful to carry me through hard seasons, and that I can rest on my own abilities instead of resting in your presence. Holy Spirit, change my heart to desire you, and teach me that my strength is found only in you.

By Meredith Evans

George Mueller’s Strategy for Showing God

Dwell with God through Difficulty

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” - Psalm 25:4-5

David wrote this Psalm from a place of distress and affliction (v16-18). Not only does he cry out for forgiveness, but he pleads for wisdom in the way forward. As the words "way" and "path" are repeated several times throughout this Psalm, David acknowledges that God's ways are not discovered by his own merit but require a humble and trusting posture. In the midst of trial and adversity, God is our refuge. He is our salvation. He poured out his love for us in Christ Jesus who suffered the absence of the Father on the cross that we might be reconciled to him. Through faith in Christ, God gives us his Holy Spirit who guides us into his truth and leads us on the path of greater joy and delight in him. We all hunger for truth, for the best way forward in any given situation. God's Word calls us in the wilderness seasons or situations to wait on him, to listen and trust him, and humbly walk forward in surrender to his leading. He is the God of our salvation. His love for us in Jesus can never be taken away.

Questions: 

1. When do you find it most difficult to trust God?

2. What does the gospel teach us about God's faithfulness and nearness in our time of need?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for being the God of my salvation. Thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins so that I can be brought near to the Father and filled with your Holy Spirit. Your Word is truth. Help me trust you in this chaotic and unknown season. "Make me to know your ways, O Lord; and teach me your paths." Remind me of your grace. Humble me as I wait on you..

By Sean Lyons

Dwell with God through Fasting

“Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." - Matthew 9:14-17

Fasting is a common practice throughout Scripture used to grow a heart-longing for God. Here, Jesus explains the fasting seen in the Old Testament was a longing for the Messiah to come, and since Jesus is present, His disciples do not fast. However, Jesus anticipates His followers to fast when He leaves them, after His Ascension and until His return. With the foretaste of God's glory and goodness shown through Jesus, we have a new perspective on fasting, one that is rooted in God's power, love, and faithfulness that we have already seen, which makes us hunger after Him even more.

Questions: 

1. What characteristic of God have we seen or experienced that we desire more of?

2. What can we fast from that will increase our longing for more God?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you are more than enough for me. You have graciously revealed your love and glory to me. Show me ways to increase my hunger for you and decrease my longing for things of this world. Grow my heart to earnestly seek for you to come again.

By David Nauta

Dwell with God through His Presence

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:11

I often find myself thinking, I can’t wait for this vacation or this event to happen. Maybe for some of us, it’s the idea of finding a spouse or getting a pay raise. These are all good things and in many ways are examples of God’s goodness towards his people. The tricky part is after we experience the event, achieve the monumental life moment or finally get that promotion we are still longing for something more. We seem to have an insatiable appetite for more. The Psalmist tells us to look for joy in a unique place that will endure through every season and never run dry. This joy is found in the very presence of God he says. Jesus came to break the curse of sin and restore our relationship with and access to the Father. If you are struggling to experience joy today, I’d like to lovingly point you to Jesus (John 10:10). In his presence alone will you find joy that will overflow and never end. Take time today to sit with him, learn from his word and share your heart with him. He won’t let you down.

Questions: 

1. In what ways do you see yourself looking for joy in temporal things?

2. How can you cultivate uninterrupted time to sit in the presence of God today?

Prayer:

God, we acknowledge that we so easily look to temporary things to bring joy and satisfaction. We proclaim that eternal joy and pleasure is found in you alone. Thank you that through Jesus we have direct access to this joy! Help me to cultivate time each day to sit in your presence and hear you speak through your word.

By Caleb Price

Dwell with God through His Promises

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:3-4 

The Apostle Peter writes that because of Christ, we have been granted “all things that pertain to life and godliness” and “his precious and very great promises.” Have you ever wondered what God’s promises are to us? Looking at 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, we see examples:

As God has said:

“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”

17 Therefore, “Come out from them
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.”

18 And, “I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

God wants to dwell among His people. He doesn’t just want any relationship with us- He wants close relationship with us! So God gives us the assurance of His promises to encourage us to dwell more deeply with Him. But for God to dwell more deeply in us, He calls us to separate ourselves from “unclean things.” God is holy and righteous, so He cannot dwell in a dirty place. If we are painfully honest, it is not hard to see many unclean places in our hearts. Perhaps they are parts of our past we want to keep hidden or things in our present that we turn a blind eye toward. We find ourselves in a predicament because we have no means of making ourselves clean on our own before God. Yet Jesus made a way for relationship through His righteousness by His death and resurrection! Because of Jesus, we have assurance that we are cleansed, and God dwells in us- but we get to respond in faith to believe God’s promises and give our “unclean things” over to Him. Let’s give thanks that God is a God who desires closeness with us, and that He has made the way for ever increasing relationship throughHis precious and very great promises that are ours in Jesus!

Questions for Processing:

1. In what ways have God strengthened you to “escape from the corruption in the world” (like past sins)? Are there ways that you currently do not desire to turn away from sin? 

2. What are some of “his precious and very great promises” that you can cling to, receive power for transformation through, and give thanks for? 

Prayer:
Dear LORD, You alone are holy and righteous. It amazes me that You would even want to dwell with people who are sinful and broken. When I see other people’s sin, I naturally want to recoil from them and cut them off. But You draw near to us in the midst of our brokenness, You take the penalty for our sins, so that we can become Your sons and daughters. You love us simply because we are Your creation, not because we can offer You anything. Thank you that You have made the way for a restored relationship with You, and that You give us Your presence. Please help me to treasure it more deeply. 

By Yiyi Yao

Dwell with God through the Gift of Christ

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Scripture uses many metaphors to help us understand the reality and effect of sin in the world. In Romans 6:23, Paul compares sin to “work”: what is due to us for our sin -- its “wages” -- is to receive death as our paycheck. “Death” is not merely the physical outcome, but also the little deaths that our sins produce through its consequences. Yet God’s grace does not leave us there- there is a glorious and contrary truth to our deathly situation! Paul declares that eternal life is a gift, not a wage. We earned our death and could never ‘un-earn’ it, but have received a gift we can neither earn nor lose. The gift that comes to us in isn’t an object but a relationship we embrace by the presence of Jesus with us. The gift that comes to us is not “from” Jesus, but “in” Jesus. Paul wants us to know that the gift cannot be received apart from the giver- the gift is “in” the giver! If you are experiencing distance from God this week, remember that diving back into communion with Jesus is a gift we have been given- and it’s free!

Questions: 

1. In what ways do you experience the real life “wages” of your sin drawing you away from God and into little “deaths”? 

2. How does remembering the gift of eternal life in Jesus compel you to be with Him today to experience the gift?

Prayer:

Father in heaven, I acknowledge that the wages of sin in my life bring about death in many different forms. But I thank you that in Jesus Christ, I have eternal life here and now. Help me to embrace the free gift in Jesus, not separating it from His presence, and to dwell deeply with Him all day long.

By Pastor Devin Deuell