Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for May 7

JOINING THE FATHER IN HIS WORK

From: May 7, 2023

‘So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does”‘ (John 5:17 NLT).

Jesus described His activity as being inspired by and empowered by the Father. He did nothing by himself. He spoke and moved as the Father did. There is a great principle on how to live the abiding life on display here. Rather than asking God to join us in our plans, we can begin to look and ask what God is already doing and then join Him in His work.

This kind of following means listening and looking before speaking and acting. When we look to join the Father in His work, we begin to follow as Christ did, and as His body, which is the church, should. This life relies on prayer and the Spirit’s power, which is always greater than our own plans and efforts.

PRAYER: Our Father, allow us to see where you are already at work in our world today. Show us how to join you there. Empower us to do that which you’ve planned for us to do. Help us to rely on you for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life” (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NLT).

From: May 7, 2022

HANNAH, A GODLY EXAMPLE OF MOTHERHOOD

Hannah was barren. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a son.

Finally, the Lord gave her a son and she named him, Samuel, which means “Asked of the Lord.” Her grief was turned to joy! When the boy was weaned, she did as she promised and gave him to the Lord, leaving Samuel with Eli the priest. And Samuel grew up and served the Lord there.

What can we say about Hannah? She is perhaps the most prominent woman of faith in the whole Bible other than Mary, the mother of Jesus. For she asked the Lord for a son, knowing that children are a gift from the Lord. And she raised her son unto the Lord, knowing that she would give him back to the Lord for his whole life.

Isn’t that the job of godly parenting? To recognize that children are a gift from the Lord and to raise them up with the goal of giving them back to the Lord? Motherhood is a holy stewardship.

With Mother’s Day coming on Sunday, it’s good to remember the story of Hannah. For she is a godly example of motherhood.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for our mothers. For we see in them a glimpse of Your great sacrificial love and care for us. As we honor them, we honor You even more, for both mothers and fathers were Your idea and created by Your design. As we read of Hannah and Samuel, we can’t help but see the foreshadowing of Mary and Jesus. For the first points to the fulfillment in the last. And Jesus is the One that we look to and worship as Lord and Savior. For it’s in His name we pray, amen.

“I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked Him for, I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:27-28 HCSB).

From: May 7, 2021

HANNAH, A GODLY EXAMPLE OF MOTHERHOOD

Hannah was barren. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a son.

Finally, the Lord gave her a son and she named him, Samuel, which means “asked of the Lord.” Her grief was turned to joy! When the boy was weaned, she did as she promised and gave him to the Lord, leaving Samuel with Eli the priest. And Samuel served the Lord there.

What can we say about Hannah? Isn’t she perhaps the most prominent woman of faith in the whole Bible other than Mary, the mother of Jesus? For she asked the Lord for a son, knowing that children are a gift from the Lord. And she raised her son unto the Lord, knowing that she would give him back to the Lord for his whole life.

Isn’t that the job of godly parenting? To recognize that children are a gift from the Lord and to raise them up with the goal of giving them back to the Lord?

With Mother’s Day coming this Sunday, it’s good to remember the story of Hannah. For she is a godly example of motherhood.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for our mothers. For we see in them a glimpse of Your great sacrificial love and care for us. As we honor them, we honor You even more, for both mothers and fathers were Your idea and created by Your design. As we read of Hannah and Samuel, we can’t help but see the foreshadowing of Mary and Jesus. For the first points to the fulfillment in the last. And Jesus is the One that we look to and worship as Lord and Savior. For it’s in His name we pray, amen.

“I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life” (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NKJV).

From: May 7, 2020

HANNAH, A GODLY EXAMPLE OF MOTHERHOOD

Hannah was barren. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a son.

Finally, the Lord gave her a son and she named him, Samuel, which means “asked of the Lord.” Her grief was turned to joy! When the boy was weaned, she did as she promised and gave him to the Lord, leaving Samuel with Eli the priest. And Samuel served the Lord there.

What can we say about Hannah? Isn’t she perhaps the most prominent woman of faith in the whole Bible other than Mary, the mother of Jesus? For she asked the Lord for a son, knowing that children are a gift from the Lord. And she raised her son unto the Lord, knowing that she would give him back to the Lord for his whole life.

Isn’t that the job of godly parenting? To recognize that children are a gift from the Lord and to raise them up with the goal of giving them back to the Lord?

With Mother’s Day coming this Sunday, it’s good to remember the story of Hannah. For she is a godly of example of motherhood.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for our mothers. For we see in them a glimpse of Your great sacrificial love and care for us. As we honor them, we honor You even more, for both mothers and fathers were Your idea and created by Your design. As we read of Hannah and Samuel, we can’t help but see the foreshadowing of Mary and Jesus. For the first points to the fulfillment in the last. And Jesus is the One that we look to and worship as Lord and Savior. For it’s in His name we pray, amen.

‘So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”‘ (John 5:17 NLT).

From: May 7, 2019

JOINING THE FATHER IN HIS WORK

Jesus described His activity as being inspired by and empowered by the Father. He did nothing by himself. He spoke and moved as the Father did. There is a great principle on how to live the abiding life on display here. Rather than asking God to join us in our plans, we can begin to look and ask what God is already doing and then join Him in His work. This kind of following means listening and looking before speaking and acting. When we look to join the Father in His work, we begin to follow as Christ did, and as His body, which is the church, should. This life relies on prayer and the Spirit’s power, which is always greater than our own plans and efforts.

PRAYER: Our Father, allow us to see where you are already at work in our world today. Show us how to join you there. Empower us to do that which you’ve planned for us to do. Help us to rely on you for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge” (John 5:22 NLT).

From: May 7, 2018

ETERNAL JUDGMENT GIVEN TO CHRIST

Jesus did not come to judge, but to save. Judgment was not the purpose of Christ’s first advent. Yet, Jesus is coming again. At that time, He will exercise His “absolute authority to judge.” Those who made Jesus appear in their kangaroo court and conspired to crucify Him, will one day stand before His judgment seat. And those today, who continue to reject and dishonor Him, will give an account before His Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11).

Why not come to Jesus now? Come to Him in this time of grace and receive His pardon. For there is coming a day when He will exercise His absolute authority to judge.

‘But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord”‘ (1 Samuel 1:15 NKJV).

From: May 7, 2017

Hannah was barren. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a male child.

Eli, the priest, was sitting at the door of the Tabernacle watching Hannah. He saw her lips moving without sound and wrongly assumed that she was drunk. He admonished her to put away her wine. But Hannah corrected him, explaining that what he had seen was not the result of wine being poured in, but from the sorrow in her soul that she was pouring out. So, Eli blessed her, asking the Lord to grant her petition.

Have you seen one like Hannah at your worship services or small group meetings? Don’t be like Eli and assume that you know what motivates her behavior. Wouldn’t it be better to ask what troubles her and offer to pray with her first? Eli ultimately makes it right. But only because of Hannah’s humility in answering.

Would those who are hurting like Hannah find a place of blessing and acceptance in our/your church?

‘So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise'” (John 5:19 ESV)

From: May 7, 2016

Jesus described His practice of first looking to see what the Father was doing and then joining Him in His work. This is a great spiritual principle. Rather than asking God to join us in our plans, we can begin to look and ask what God is already doing, and then join Him in His work. This kind of following means listening and looking before speaking and acting. When we look to join the Father in His work, we begin to follow as Christ did, and as His body, which is the church, should.

“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23 NKJV)

From: May 7, 2015

Honoring (worshiping) Jesus is the only way to offer acceptable worship to God. There is no lack of clarity in this. All other worship is vain. Jesus is the glory of God revealed to us. He is God’s fullest and final revelation. Rejecting Jesus is to reject God. Receiving Jesus is to receive all that the Father has for us, so that we may worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, receiving eternal life and adoption into God’s family. Honor Jesus.

“But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:18 NLT)

From: May 7, 2014

In contrast to Eli’s grown sons, young Samuel served the Lord. Samuel was given to Eli to raise as his own by his mother Hannah. She had been barren and promised to give the Lord her firstborn son if He allowed her to conceive. Eli was a permissive and passive father. His sons were evidence of his parenting failure. Yet, like many today, he was a better grandfather to Samuel than he was a father to his own sons. Hannah gave her son to the Lord. He grew up in God’s presence. From his youth until his death, Samuel was faithful to God. He was the last of Israel’s judges. He was a transitional figure who acted with all three titles of prophet, priest and judge, before anointing the first two kings of Israel.