Tim Hetzner – Daily Devotions

You Need God’s Help

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Self-help books and motivational speakers are like cheerleaders standing on the sidelines shouting, ‘You can do it!’ They can be helpful, but if the ‘you can do it’ philosophy always held true, we wouldn’t need God. Paul understood this. That’s why he wrote, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). Discovering the will of God requires faith for the impossible and a childlike dependence on Him. The Bible is full of men and women who discovered their destiny in the perfect will of God by doing things that would ordinarily have been impossible to do on their own. For example:

1) Noah and his impossible project. Noah was commissioned to build a ship the size of an aircraft carrier – by hand – and on land!

2) Abraham and his impossible promise. At ninety, after years of trying unsuccessfully to be a father, God told him his children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands of the sea.

3) Mary and her impossible pregnancy. Imagine telling your husband to be, ‘I’m pregnant, and the baby’s father is the Holy Spirit.’

God has always chosen ordinary people to do extraordinary things – and they all had something in common. Every one of them was called to be part of something bigger than himself or herself. And because of their willingness to yield to God and allow His purposes to be revealed in them and fulfilled through them, He used them in amazing ways. God takes pleasure in doing things through us that only He can do, so that in the end, He will receive all the glory, honor, and praise.

Prayer

ITTT

Your Limited Window of Opportunity

“Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Let’s read what God said to the parents who entered the Promised Land: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Notice the progression here. First, “watch yourselves closely.” Next, “teach them to your children.” Your ability to influence and mold the children you care for is based on your credibility with them. When the principles you live by produce joy, peace, strength, kindness, discipline, and success, the children who look up to you will begin to take you seriously. And you have a limited window of opportunity. There are skills that can be learned during early childhood that become much more difficult later on.

Have you ever wondered why it’s so simple to teach preschoolers any language they hear? And they can learn it perfectly, without even a trace of their own accent. Fifteen or more years later, they will have a much harder time attempting to make those same sounds. This is explained by a process called ‘phoneme contraction’. The larynx of a young child assumes a shape needed to make any sounds he or she is learning to use. It then sets in those positions, making it impossible or challenging to make other sounds in later years.

A child’s attitude towards parental leadership and the guidance of careers is similar. That’s why it’s essential to ‘shape the will’ during the preschool and early years by balancing unconditional love with consistent teaching and firmness at home. If you miss that opportunity, the adolescent years can be rougher than they need to be.

Prayer

ITTT

Give Children Convictions to Live By

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7)

If you’re a parent, are you trying to keep your children under lock and key in order to keep them out of trouble? Or if you’re a teacher or Sunday school leader, do you try to impose strict rules? It won’t work. You’re not keeping them out of trouble, you’re simply postponing it. Things like curfews, dress codes, internet use, and checking up on their friends are part of good parenting and good teaching. But when you are not around to guide them, they need sound principles to live by. And those principles can be found in God’s Word:

‘Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes’ (vv. 6-9).

Isn’t it interesting how each succeeding generation views the previous one as old-fashioned and out of date? And that’s not all bad. Every generation believes there is a better way to do things, and that is the foundation for progress. That’s why getting from Liverpool to New York takes only seven hours by plane instead of three weeks by sailing ship. God’s Word can stand the test of scrutiny. So instead of shutting them down, invite children to ask questions and challenge assumptions, then help them arrive at solid scriptural convictions to live by. As someone who cares for children, there is no greater gift you can give them.

Prayer

ITTT

Your Harvest Is On the Way

“Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” (Mark 4:27)

Have you sown a ‘seed’ of faith, and now you’re wondering when you will reap the ‘harvest’ God promised in His Word? If so, read on: ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come’ (vv. 26-29). Before you reap the harvest of blessing God promised, you go through certain stages.

First, there is the ‘not knowing’ stage. Your seed is buried in the ground. How and when your harvest comes is entirely up to God. But you must believe that it will happen.

Next comes the ‘blade’ stage. It’s just a tiny blade blowing in the breeze, but it’s enough to encourage you and let you know your harvest is on the way.

Next comes the ‘head’ stage. The seed has started to sprout and looks like what you prayed for. This is when you must water it with prayer, fertilize it with God’s Word, and protect it from anything or anyone that would uproot it through doubt and unbelief.

Finally, you enter the ‘full grain’ stage, when the grain ripens and you immediately reap a harvest.

Whatever stage you’re in today, stand fast and keep trusting God. Your harvest is on the way.

Prayer

ITTT

Stop and Ask for Directions

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

You can be sincere in your intentions – but sincerely wrong. The Bible says the rain falls on ‘the just and the unjust alike’ (Matthew 5:45). The law of cause and effect applies to everybody, and all your good intentions won’t bring you out at the right destination if you’re on the wrong road. Think about it like this: maybe you have considered investing in a particular company. You do the research, talk to the experts, and things look good. So, you proceed on the assumption that it’s a sound decision. Then the unexpected happens. A recession hits, and the market tanks. It’s not your fault; you were sincere in your decision to invest, but that doesn’t change the end result. You still lose.

You can’t afford to put your trust in what ‘seems right to…man’ (Proverbs 16:25); you must pursue those things that are right in God’s eyes. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). That means unless you have committed your life to Christ, you’re already on the wrong road. Turn around and ask Him to forgive your sins and put you on the road to eternal life. And if you’re a believer seeking direction, pray, read your Bible, and listen for what God has to say.

The disciples on the Emmaus road said, ‘Did not our heart burn within us, while he…opened to us the scriptures?’ (Luke 24:32). Ask God to open His Word, give you ‘spiritual heartburn’, and point you in the right direction. He will!

Prayer

ITTT

Show Grace under Fire

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Here are three important principles you need to keep in mind when conflict arises:

1) Deal with the issue without attacking the person. Some of the most vicious personal attacks have been waged over religion. What a shame! Some of us would rather lose the relationship than lose the argument.

2) Sometimes it’s best to go separate ways. When Paul and Barnabas argued over whether or not John Mark should travel with them on their next missionary journey, ‘their disagreement was so sharp that they separated’ (Acts 15:39). But that’s not the end of the story. Actually, it resulted in the birth of two different ministries. So, be gracious. What’s happening right now may be God’s way of moving you into a new area of service and blessing.

3) Remember that ‘iron sharpens iron’ (Proverbs 27:17). When iron sharpens iron, sparks fly. If you have ever been around teens, you can relate. They’re experts at coming up with unconventional, off-the-wall opinions that challenge you and keep you honest.

An old Quaker bought a cantankerous cow. Every milking session became a battle of wills. Determined to demonstrate grace under fire, the old man refused to react when Bessie stomped her foot, whipped him in the face with her tail, and knocked over the milk bucket. Finally, she kicked him against the barn wall, and that did it! Glowering, he growled, ‘Thou knowest I am a Quaker and cannot strike thee back – but I can surely sell thee to a Presbyterian!’ When you are the injured party, that’s when you need to draw on this promise: ‘He gives more grace.’

Prayer

ITTT

Having Job Security – Part 4/4

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Losing your job can be devastating. This is when you must keep the right perspective. Having less does not make you a lesser person. God still values you, and you must keep valuing yourself. The Christian life is one of trial and triumph. Paul writes: ‘I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength’ (Philippians 12-13). What should you do when you’re unemployed?

1) Reduce your expenses to the bare minimum. That may mean riding the bus or train, making your own lunch, and using other cost-saving measures.

2) Take the stigma out of being unemployed. Don’t presume that people think less of you because you have lost your job. People generally respond to your situation in the same way you do. They will find your enthusiasm about your next move inspiring – even though you may not yet know what it is. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28).

Being thrown into prison led to Joseph becoming the prime minister of Egypt. ‘The LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you’ (Deuteronomy 23:5). God can reveal talents within you and connections around you and open the door to a level of blessing and success you never dreamed possible. So, trust Him and keep believing that your best days are ahead.

Prayer

ITTT

Having Job Security – Part 3/4

“For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)

To have job security, you should:

1) Increase your visibility in your industry. Establish contacts and relationships with others outside your company by attending local industry gatherings wherever possible. Your goal should not merely be to know enough to get by but to develop your skills so that you will get noticed and get ahead. When the time is right and you’re ready, God will open doors for you. ‘For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield’ (v. 12).

2) Maintain a divine perspective on your job. Remind yourself that it is not the source of your security but simply one of many channels God can use to provide for you. Read the story of Elijah the prophet and how God miraculously provided for him through a raven, a brook, and a single mom with just enough food for one meal. God used four different streams to water the Garden of Eden. So when you have an unmet need or a financial shortfall, ask Him to reveal different streams of income to you. And stand on these two promises: ‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:19). ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear [of losing your job], but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ (2 Timothy 1:7).

Fear and faith are powerful forces that seek to rule your life. One will take you in the wrong direction; the other will take you in the right direction. So, strengthen your faith by reading God’s Word, praying, and entrusting the outcomes of your life to Him.

Prayer

ITTT

Having Job Security – Part 2/4

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

To have job security you should:

1) Endeavor to be as indispensable as possible. ‘Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap’ (Proverbs 21:5-6). Strive for integrity and excellence in your work, while learning as much as possible about procedures and processes beyond your area of responsibility. Be willing to help others – but not at the expense of your own effectiveness.

2) If the fear of losing your job stems from personality clashes with your boss, embrace the biblical principle of authority and submission. The buck stops with the person in charge. Therefore, determine to submit to reasonable instructions that are asked of you, provided they are not illegal or immoral. When possible, confirm the instructions from your boss with a follow-up email, including your feedback on the potential outcome. Always speak with respect. Be willing to go the extra mile. Don’t make excuses or try to cover up for poor workmanship. Cooperating with your boss is crucial, so make doing so your special project. ‘Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back’ (Titus 2:9).

3) Know your marketability. Are you in a field with a strong demand for your skills, or do you need to educate yourself in order to upgrade them? If you want a raise or a promotion on the job, you must be willing to invest the time and effort to do what’s necessary in order to earn them. ‘Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth’ (Proverbs 10:4).

Prayer

ITTT

Having Job Security – Part 1/4

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.” (Proverbs 12:11)

If you think the perfect life would be one in which you didn’t have to work, think again. God created the Garden of Eden, then He created Adam, then He told Adam that his job was to take care of it. Why? Because work gives dignity and meaning to our lives. That’s why the Bible says, ‘Those who work…will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense’ (v. 11).

For the next few days, let’s talk about how to have job security. In 2024, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was about 4.1 percent. With statistics like those, it’s easy to see why so many of us live in fear of becoming unemployed. The fear of losing your job is rooted in the following core fears. Lack: ‘How will I meet my obligations?’ Inadequacy: ‘I’m not good enough.’ Helplessness: ‘What do I do now?’ Loneliness: ‘I’ll be isolated from my social network.’ For some, the shame and humiliation of losing a job is as devastating as the loss of income.

Fretting about being fired can become a self-fulfilling prophecy because its anxiety makes you less efficient and effective. So if you live with the constant fear of losing your job, it’s time to stop worrying and start developing a strategy that will enhance your position on the job or assure you of a soft landing if you get laid off. Your first and foremost strategy must be to trust in God’s faithfulness: ‘The LORD your God will then make you successful in everything you do….The LORD will again delight in being good to you…if you obey his voice’ (Deuteronomy 30:9-10).

Prayer

ITTT