Day 5 | Helping Hands, 2016

Day 5 - For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 [Amplified version] 

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Chip Ingram has a sermon called “How to Become the Person that You’veAlways Longed To Be”.  In that message he talks about areas and needs to be met within the church and how to step up and outside of your comfort zone. He uses an example about how most of the time, churches have a tendency to let the Pastor visit the shut ins or pray with the sick etc. Sometimes they even handle music, children’s ministry and/or coordinating maintenance needs within the building. Yet one person cannot be responsible for it all. –Nor should they be.

Don’t we also have a tendency to believe that someone else must be more qualified because we see them already doing x, y or z. The truth is most of the time, the people that you see ‘doing’ are just like you and I. The only thing that separates them, is the fact that they were willing to jump in and figure out how to do a new thing. They too, are still learning.

On the flip side of that whether or not you know what it is, you have a calling. All the ingredients are already inside of you. Having a variety of experiences and lessons will activate your personal talent and interests. Trying new things will give you a stronger sense of self and even the mistakes that you make along the way, will give you wisdom that you can build on. Together these things will define your character and personal “flavor”.

With every “first” you might feel awkward and notice your flaws or make mistakes but what an opportunity to trust in the Lord! His Word assures us that he can use all things for good (Romans 8:28). And a few verses up from that says that “Glory will be revealed in us”. In the words of Jesus “Do not be afraid, just believe” that you have a purpose. Then getting busy let the Lord lead you to and through it.

Think About It:

1. Spend some time in thought about where you could go to work for the Lord. There is also no job that is too small. Even if it felt like it was, you could develop humility doing things “beneath” you. Connections can also be made while you’re completing tasks that will take you to the next level. You just need to start on the path where you are, in order to get to that intersection.

2. Our verse says that it is God who works in you to will and do of his good pleasure. Are there any relationships, circumstances or assignments in your life right now that would not bring him pleasure?

3. If these questions are hard for you to answer, consider finding an older Christian mentor to guide you through them or pairing up with a friend to help you do them. Name someone that you could use in one or both of these roles.


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Photo Credit: The above, stunning image is actually christian artwork around the verse Philippians 2:13. You can purchase it from here: https://www.marklawrencegallery.com

Day 4 | Helping Hands, 2016

Day 4 - For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 [Amplified version] 

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As King Solomon began the book of Ecclesiastes, he tells us that everything is meaningless. Seeking wisdom, finding pleasure, having fun, hard work, worry and strife- all of it. [Paraphrasing] In Chapter 2 he tells us how he knows: “I undertook great projects, built houses and vineyards with all kinds of trees, I had many slaves, girlfriends and children. I had more wealth in herds and gold than any other in Jerusalem. I had everything my heart desired and there was no one greater than me. And yet it was all meaningless. Not only do we waste our days working for it but then we aren’t fulfilled by it nor can we take it with us. We have to leave it all to someone else.”

And the end of Chapter 2 he says: “For without God who can find enjoyment?” You can spend all of your time and energy going, doing, losing sleep, striving and working for something but you will never be satisfied. More times than not the high of a victory is short lived and then it becomes the new level to beat or a notch on a belt moving forward. Something else will need to be attained. Your accomplishments will never enough to satisfy you. You will never see, nor hear, nor taste or do enough. Yet with God, you can find joy and contentment in the even the most mundane tasks or activities.

Commentary on these passages says that some of the pleasures Solomon sought were wrong and some were worthy but even the worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as an end in themselves. We must look beyond our activities to the reasons that we do them and the purpose they fulfill. Is your goal in life to search for meaning or to search for God who gives meaning?

Think About It

1. On a scale of 1-10 how “fulfilled” would you say that you are? Do you feel that you and your life has purpose? Why or why not?

2. Do your activities draw you closer to God or take you away from him? List them all and consider them each separately.

3. If you could add and remove one thing right now, what would they be? If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, spend some time in prayer and meditation. Then come back to answer.

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Photo Credit: http://godunderstands.americanbible.org/when-you-feel-life-is-meaningless

Day 3 | Helping Hands, 2016

Day 3 - For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 [Amplified version] 

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When the Lord told Gideon to save Israel from Midian’s hand, his reply was “Pardon me Lord but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family.” You can almost see Gideon’s shock with his mouth hanging open… excuse me? What did you say? You can’t be talking about my crew or me. Who am I?

And as you continue through the rest of Judges 6, you see Gideon pursuing God to confirm these instructions. He is praying, sacrificing, following specific steps in obedience, acknowledging when the Lord appears, then worshiping him and setting up an altar of remembrance. Then he pursues God again with the next steps and the Lord appears and confirms again.

By Chapter 7 Gideon has established a level of Trust that the Lord is with him. So, when the Lord asks him to thin his already small army, the same guy that was originally startled to go, doesn’t even question it. And then he does it again thinning it out even more, per the Lord’s instruction.

True yes, Gideon did win the war and he did take specific steps and actions to make it happen but it was not his actions that changed Gideon or that gave him confidence or that even gave him the upper-hand. It was the Lord’s revelation to him.

Anyone can tell you what to do and how to do it. You can practice every step and do it all very well. –But nothing will be more powerful in your own life that the Lord’s direct and personal revelation to you! Nor will anything in your life give you the same level of confidence.

Think About It

1. What areas of your life do you feel too small to be useable by the Lord?

2. What do you think you’d need to feel more empowered? Have you prayed or asked about it?

3. When was the last time that you sought the Lord and asked that He reveal himself in your circumstance?





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Photo Credit: http://imgarcade.com/1/reaching-up-to-the-sky/

Day 2 | Helping Hands, 2016

Photo found: www.vg247.com

Day 2 - For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 [Amplified version] 

***

When I was in high school, I frequently had dreams about being in a car accident. I had never been in an accident before and I wasn’t afraid of driving. So, I couldn’t understand why I had so many nightmares about it. Often, I was the one driving and the only person in the car. I would wake up night after night, startled and sweaty with my heart racing. It wasn’t until years later, when I realized those dreams were because my life, at the time, was out of [my] control.

Later on, I would find myself having dreams about my teeth falling out. As silly as it sounds, I discovered that I only had those dreams when there was a decision that I was wrestling with and I just couldn’t “sink my teeth into it”.  During the day my decisions had too many varying influences, so my body tried to talk to me at night.

On the other hand, during the day, I often dreamed of being a writer. I dabbled in poetry. I always chose essays over school projects and even wrote many articles for my high school yearbook. Yet when not given an assignment I had no idea what to do with the desire. But it didn’t stop the desire from growing.

In fact, it wasn’t until I chose to make my relationship with Jesus my number one priority and started reading the Word daily to learn his will for me; that I suddenly had a topic to write about. The words began pouring out of me. A blog was born and I found such a meaningful way to apply his word to my life. Writing this way has become one of the most fulfilling and satisfying things that I have ever experienced.  On top of that, it has led to other opportunities as a result.

Job 33:14-16 tells us that God talks to us in our dreams at night. Genesis 1:27 says that we are created in God’s image. Just as he created; he made us to create. Not only has he given our physical bodies ways to warn and guide, he’s also given us talents and interests that help us fulfill our purpose. Our very anchor verse says that it is He that works in us to accomplish all of these things.

Think about it

1.  Not every dream is a sign from God but have you considered that any of them are? Do you have reoccurring dreams? If so what are they? Alongside it, write about events in your life. Note any correlations. Consider praying, reading your Bible and journaling about them. 

2. Are there desires or talents that you wish that you had but perhaps you don’t quite know what do to with? 

3. How might you use the area(s) in #3 to honor the Lord or serve others?

Day 1 | Helping Hands, 2016

Day 1 - For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 [Amplified version] 

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Throughout the Bible, trees are used to represent Godly examples of the Lord’s people. Jeremiah 17 says “her leaves are always green”. Proverbs 3 refers to “trees of life”. Isaiah 61 says that “we will be called Oaks of Righteousness for the Lord’s splendor”.

Yet trees are never seen frantically running around, worried, preening or even applying miracle grow to themselves. In fact, when you study a tree, you might note instead that each of them is born with a crown, even before it appears. Their arms are always raised and their usefulness and beauty multiplies as it ages. So long as it remains in the Son’s light, as intended.

The Bible also tells us that we have fruit and that others will know us by it. Instead of peaches and blossoms, we will one day produce, love, joy peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
 

Matthew 6 tells us that the Lord provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and yet our heavenly continues to provide for them. In just the same way, He is what produces the goodness within each tree. Whether it’s in the ground or within you or I.

Think about it

1. Do you spend as much time with the Lord meditating on what a scripture means to your life as you do memorizing the order of the words? Or the same amount of time trying to get in the presence of the Lord as you do getting perfect attendance at school? 

2. What if simply being obedient to the things that the Lord wanted you to do, made all of your other efforts that much better. As if while you were taking care of his commands, he was taking care of your other tasks. Trusting him to strengthen you his way, allowed you to produce a better result elsewhere, even if there was less time or resources?

3. How much of your day is spent in the Son’s light? What would you need to change/rearrange in order to get more time in it? Are you willing to do it, why or why not?

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These devotions are used during personal reflection time at the end of each day during Helping Hands Mission Camp.