Daily Devotional For Monday, November 20, 2023
Our God, who is our heavenly Father, loves to give us what we need, not what we deserve. If you are a parent you understand this. You love to give your kids gifts and especially, very good gifts. For most parents, it is hard to withhold blessing your children. The Apostle Paul wrote these words from prison in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT).
Psalms 34:10 says this, “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (ESV). God has not promise to give us all our greeds. Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us this “health and wealth” theology preached by some pastors today. God is not a genie in a bottle, that if we rub/read the Bible enough, He pops out and grants us what we want. Yet, He has promised to meet all of our needs. This is a promise we should enjoy and thank God for today.
The error occurs when we confuse our need with our greed, when we confuse God as a genie. King David wrote these words in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord,and He will give you the desires of your heart” (ESV). Many Christians read this and misinterpret it. On the surface, it does seem like a blank check, doesn’t it? The Hebrew word translated as “delight” here is [וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג, hitannag] and this is not the traditional Hebrew word for “delight.” The meaning here is that we are to find our delight or pleasure in the Lord first before anything else.
Another ways to begin this verse would be, “Have your joy in the Lord, take pleasure in His service, to enjoy His fellowship . . .” The root of this Hebrew word translated as “delight” means “to be brought up in luxury, to be pampered.” It speaks of the abundance of the blessings we have in the Lord Himself, totally apart from what He gives us. To enjoy the blessings and ignore the Blesser is to practice idolatry.
In Jesus Christ, we have all God’s treasures, and we need no other. If we truly delight in the Lord, then the chief desire of our heart will be to know Him better so we can delight in Him even more, and the Lord will satisfy that desire! This is not a promise for people who want “things,” but for those who want more of God in their lives. Jesus said something similar in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (ESV).
Would you say your life wants to know more of God, to develop an intimate relationship with Him? The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:10a, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead” (NLT). Do you want to really know Jesus Christ or just use Him as some kind of genie? The biggest problem all of us have is sin. Jesus Christ solved that problem for us when He came to earth, was crucified and resurrected. Look at Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (ESV).
And since Jesus Christ has taken care of your biggest need — sin — don’t you think He will care for you with your finances, your health, your career? YES! Why? Because He does care for you. Think back over your life and answer these questions:
- When have you seen God provide for and meet needs in your life?
- Why do you think it is so hard to trust God to meet our needs?
- What is the biggest challenge or barrier for you personally to trust God to meet your needs?
This week — strive to work on your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is hard to trust someone you do not know. To trust, there has to be truth. Do you really believe God’s Word? The words of Jesus Christ? Do you? If you do, spend some time with Him each day this week. Love you, Pastor Kelly
Verse to Meditate On: Matthew 7:11, “Jesus said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (ESV).
Prayer to Pray: “Dear Jesus, I tend to live my life with a lot of self-sufficiency. I tend to think I know what is best for me and then I strive to works things to get my needs met. This week, Lord, help me to trust You and only You. Thank You Jesus for meeting my greatest need — my sin problem. I love You and I will trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”