Tim Hetzner – Daily Devotions

Include Jesus in All You Do

“Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.” (Luke 2:44)

The Bible says: ‘Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival…After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers’ (vv. 41-47).

Note the words ‘Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company…’ It was a full day’s journey before they realized He wasn’t with them! Then it took them three days to find Him! There is a lesson here for you. It’s easier to lose that special sense of God’s presence than to get it back once you have lost it. It’s easy to wander off and do your own thing, unaware that you haven’t included the Lord in your day or taken time to consult Him about your plans.

The way to maintain a sense of God’s presence is to intentionally involve Him in all that you do. Jesus promised, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them’ (John 14:23).

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God Will Deliver You

“In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6)

Have you suffered a series of defeats and setbacks? Are you discouraged because the attacks have been long and tiring? Read these words from the psalmist David and stand on them:

‘Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me…In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven; my cry reached his ears…He reached down…and drew me out of my great trials…On the day when I was weakest, they attacked. But the Lord held me steady. He led me to a place of safety, for he delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right…What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him. For who is God except our Lord? Who but he is as a rock? He fills me with strength and protects me wherever I go’ (vv. 1, 6, 16, 18-20, 30-32).

You have heard it before, and you know what to do – spend more time with God in prayer and reading His Word! Instead of striving in your own strength, plug into God and start flowing in His strength. Check and see who is on the throne of your life. If it’s anyone other than the Lord, including yourself, it’s an idol that must be dethroned.

How long will this battle last? God knows, and He will never permit the attack you face to be greater than the great grace He provides. Today He is saying to you, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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Experiencing God’s Incomparably Great Power

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” (Ephesians 1:18–19)

Like a proud parent, our heavenly Father loves it when we carry out impossible things by His power and for His glory. And when you live in raw reliance upon His power, you will do things that otherwise cannot be done. When you think about it, in and of ourselves, we are incapable of loving God. We cannot fabricate love for Him. We can just respond to His love for us. Knowing this sets us free.

Religion focuses on doing things for God. But true Christianity is all about receiving what Christ has done for us on the cross. What we do for God is a reflection and a response to what He has done for us. We all love miracles; we just dislike being in a circumstance where we need one. But, that is a precondition. You will never experience the power of God until you’re in a situation that requires it.

If you want to be filled with His Spirit, step into a situation that requires His power. Pursue a God-ordained dream you cannot achieve in your own strength and wisdom. That’s why Paul writes: ‘I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms’ (vv.18-20).

Today, God wants you to experience His ‘incomparably great power’ in your life.

Prayer

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They Will Lay Hands

“In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17–18)

Here is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: ‘In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ A comforting, caring touch can reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 percent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural.

‘And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him’ (Acts 28:8). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don’t have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, ‘These signs will follow those who believe’ (Mark 16:17). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you’re qualified.

Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power. By laying hands on someone, you do two things: you identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven’t acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder?

Prayer

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Goodness of God Leads to Godliness

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

Do you remember the woman who took an alabaster box of fragrant oil and anointed Jesus with it? The Bible says: ‘Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner”’ (Luke 7:39). Man-made religion condemned this woman because of her past, but Jesus cleansed her and made her whole. ‘Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little’ (v. 47). Jesus knew what this woman had done, but He also knew what she could become when His grace touched her life.

The more you realize that you have been forgiven much, actually, of all your sins, the more you will love the Lord. God’s forgiveness does not lead to a sinful lifestyle; it leads to a life of glorifying Jesus. ‘The goodness of God leads you to repentance.’ The word ‘repentance’ means to turn around and do the opposite. Condemnation does not produce righteous living, but the knowledge of God’s grace and goodness towards us does. Simon the Pharisee thought that his acceptance by God was based on his performance; hence, he became self-righteous. But Jesus set him straight: ‘To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ When you realize how much and how often God has forgiven you, you fall in love with Him and desire to please Him in all you do.

Prayer

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Overcome Temptation – Part Three

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)

If you are serious about overcoming temptation, here are five things you must do:

1) Think about the choices you are making, and the consequences, before you make them. Wisdom always looks ahead.

2) Believe that you can resist temptation – because you can. ‘You are of God…and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4).

3) Recall how you felt when you gave in to temptation before. Guilt, condemnation, shame. These are some of Satan’s favorite weapons. When you give in to them, it is hard to get back on your feet again.

4) Don’t put yourself in situations where you can easily fall. If you struggle with managing your money, don’t go to the shopping mall or shop online when you can’t afford to buy anything. If you struggle with pornography, remove the source of it from your life.

You will never graduate from being tempted. It’s easy to think you’re beyond stumbling, and once that happens, you make yourself an easy target for the Enemy. God wants you to trust Him for victory in every area of your life. Sheep are defenseless animals; they have no fighting skills. When they stray from the fold, they are quickly devoured by the wolf. So, they have learned that their safety and protection lie in staying close to the shepherd. And the same goes for you. Here is a promise you can stand on today: ‘The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations’ (2 Peter 2:9).

Prayer

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Overcome Temptation – Part Two

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition says: ‘Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]. For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear].

‘But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently’ (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 AMPC).

The words ‘means of escape’ do not promise you exemption from temptation. Satan, who is called ‘the tempter’ , never lets up or takes a day off. But God’s goal is to make you strong where you have been weak, so His promise to you is ‘that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently’. Keep going! As you become stronger in the Lord, the temptations you are battling will become progressively weaker until they lose their appeal and you begin to walk in victory.

Prayer

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Overcome Temptation – Part One

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

In Scripture, Satan is called ‘the tempter’ and ‘the accuser’. First, he will tempt you, and when you fail, he will accuse you. He wants you to feel unworthy and disqualified in God’s eyes. But you’re not! ‘We do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:15-16).

When you fail, you can go to God with confidence, knowing He will not only forgive you but provide the enabling grace to help you overcome temptation next time. We all face temptation; it’s an unavoidable part of life. Even believers who have walked with the Lord for many years deal with it. Their areas of temptation may be different from yours, but Satan does not give any of us a free pass.

However, you can overcome temptation. One of the first steps to conquering it is to start saying the right thing. The Bible says, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit’ (Proverbs 18:21). Your words give life to what you say. So, start speaking God’s Word. Jesus said, ‘I give you the authority…over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ (Luke 10:19). Claim that promise today; for what God promises, He will give you the strength to perform.

Prayer

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Stay Within the Boundary Lines

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16)

There is just enough ego and independence in us to want to do things our own way. And they keep getting us into trouble. Paul writes: ‘Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other’ (vv. 16-17). Note the words ‘the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit’.

What’s the key to victory? First, lean more on God and less on yourself. Second, establish boundaries in your life. That’s why daily Bible reading is so important. It keeps you in God’s safety zone by telling you what you can do and what you had better not do to be safe. Roads have lines: one on each side and one in the center. These lines provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over the line on one side, we risk going into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we risk getting hit by oncoming traffic. We appreciate those lines because they keep us safe.

And it’s like that in our personal lives too. When we have clearly marked boundary lines, we feel much better and experience God’s peace. When God says don’t, He is not being difficult to get along with; He is being protective. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, you are precious in His eyes, and He wants only the best for you.

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Develop Your Awareness that God Is Present

The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

When you sense God’s presence and know He is with you, you can handle whatever life brings. Try to imagine the assignment Moses had – liberating two million people from the grip of slavery: leading them through a wilderness where they were exposed to enemies and elements such as extreme heat and cold; feeding them, clothing them, settling their disputes, and keeping them moving towards their destiny. Here is what Moses prayed: ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us’ (v. 15). Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him.

When his affair with Bathsheba was exposed, David didn’t pray, ‘Don’t take my crown from me, or my kingdom, or my army.’ No, he knew what mattered most: ‘Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me’ (Psalm 51:11).

In order to grow spiritually, you must develop an increasing awareness of God’s presence in your life. How do you do that? Instead of being a rock, become a sponge. When you place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet, but its core remains hard and dry. But when you place a sponge in the ocean, the water alters the very essence of its being.

Slow down and sense God’s presence. Begin by reading this Scripture, writing it down, repeating it over and over, and opening every pore of your soul to God’s presence: ‘The LORD your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The LORD will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you’ (Zephaniah 3:17 GNT).

Prayer

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