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Devos for March

Posted By jnshamus On February 26, 2009 @ 09:13 In Devotionals | No Comments

14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD .    

15 ” ‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. 27 So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. Ezekiel 16:14-15,27 NIV  

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV  

It seems like its human nature to trust ourselves instead of God.  We can easily trust in our wealth, beauty, strength, talent, or any other good quality we have, but when it comes to trusting God, we don’t usually live up to expectations. If our body is ruling our lives, instead of our spirit, we’re bound to seek other sources of strength, because that’s what the flesh knows and understands.  

We don’t like things that we can’t see or touch. The challenge of living by faith is that usually we can’t see God’s kingdom at work within us.  We know that at some point in the future it will be clearly visible to all people, but for now it is veiled.  God calls us to put our faith in him and trust him for all things.  

This requires us to seek him.  Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).  Those “things” that Jesus was talking about were all things that we need for living, such as food, shelter and clothes. Our God is a good God and he loves us very much. He wants opportunities to show us that he loves us.  Our trust in him opens up the opportunities.   

 It takes humility to say “I need you, God” or “Please help me, because I can’t do this by myself.”  It takes humility to wait on God for an answer to our prayers for guidance and direction.  It takes humility to obey God when he tells us not to do something we want to do.   If we decide to continue trusting in our own abilities and strengths, we can’t expect God to draw near to us.  Our self-sufficiency is equivalent to arrogance toward God, and he’ll maintain his distance from us.  

James wrote:  6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  James 4:6-8 NASB 

When we exercise humility by trusting in God, we have the assurance that he will draw near to us and hear our prayers. 

Week 1 

Why do we not always trust God completely?   

What happened to the people in the passage of Ezekiel who trusted their beauty instead of God?  

Although faith and trust are invisible, how can they be powerful at times? (Mark 9:23)  

If our trust in God is weak, what can we do for help? (Mark 9:24)  

Why do we often find it easier to trust things that we can see and touch more than trusting God? 

 Why do we often find it hard to ask God to help us have faith/trust in him?  

Why does God want us to trust in him and not earthly things?    

Week 2

Reread the passage from Ezekiel.

 How did the woman end up when she trusted in her beauty and not God?  

What might have happened if she had trusted the LORD?  

What will happen to us if we put our faith in earthly things and not God?  

How can we strengthen our faith?  

Why is trusting in God so important?  

According to Jesus, what can we do with our faith? (Luke 17:6)  

How can we believe in God, and yet not have faith in him?   

Week 3 

25 “And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over

Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.  27 “O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. 28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.” 

This passage is David thanking God for blessing him. David trusted God and God blessed him for it.

In what ways did David trust God?  

What happened to David’s enemies (namely Saul) who didn’t trust God?  

In what ways did David show that he had complete and total faith in the LORD?  

When did David’s faith waver from God? (1 Chronicles 21:1-8)  

How did God punish David when he didn’t trust in him? (1 Chronicles 21:9-14)  

Why did God give David choices of how he was to be punished?  

How did David strengthen his faith and how can we do the same?

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