Tim Hetzner – Daily Devotions

Learning to Listen to God – Part 1/4

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)

Jesus told His disciples, ‘I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth’ (vv. 12-13).

Jesus spoke these words to men He had spent the previous three years with. Now, wouldn’t you think if Jesus was with us in person, day and night for three years, we would have learned all there is to know? Not so. In fact, Jesus tells us to stay tuned, because He always has something to say to us about every new situation we face. But there are certain things He will only reveal to you when He knows you’re ready to handle them.

God wants to speak to you on a one-to-one basis, to lead you step by step into the good things He has in store for you. He cares about the tiniest details of your life. So, never hesitate to take what you consider small things to Him – after all, everything is small to God! He cares about the desires of your heart. He wants to reveal truth to you that will set you free from fear and worry.

His plan to share an intimate relationship with you was in place long before you were born. He ‘marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him’ (Acts 17:26-27). Now think about it: if God planned your life in such minute detail before you were even born, isn’t it important for you to learn how to listen to Him?

Prayer

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Do Not Give Up!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

Paul writes, ‘Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up’ (v. 9). Look at Job the patriarch: attending the funerals of his ten children, losing his health and wealth in a single day, and listening to a wife with a tongue sharp enough to cut through steel. Yet he didn’t give up. Learn from him! ‘You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord’ (James 5:11). Job stayed focused on the end goal and endured the immediate circumstances.

Yes, there are times when giving up looks good, defeat seems inevitable, and retreat appears to be your only option. The question is, how will you handle those times? On the threshold of the Promised Land, God told Joshua, ‘Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9).

The Israeli statesman David Ben-Gurion observed: ‘Courage is a special kind of knowledge, the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage.’

And where does this courage come from? Knowing God is ‘with you wherever you go’. Why does the Bible record the failures of people like Peter and David? To let you know that when you fail – you can start again!

Prayer

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Take Control of the Small Things

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” (Daniel 1:8)

Can you imagine being uprooted from your home and taken prisoner to a hostile country? It happened to Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered his homeland and carried him off to slavery in Babylon. He lost his house, his job, his freedom, his culture, his friends, and his status as a member of Israel’s nobility. He had to learn to speak a foreign language and live in a place where he didn’t want to be.

If you had been Daniel, wouldn’t you have been tempted to focus on the things you couldn’t control, like blaming exile for your unhappiness and feeling sorry for yourself? Not Daniel! He took charge of his life in little areas. The Bible says, ‘Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the…king’s [food]’ (v. 8). He decided to live by his convictions – even in small things. That’s important because small battles train you for big ones! If Daniel hadn’t taken control of small things, he wouldn’t have had the strength to say no to big things like worshipping idols or facing the lions’ den without fear or compromise.

Maybe you can’t do anything right now about your house or your job or your relationship, but you can change your life by taking control of the little things. Perhaps, like Daniel, it will involve what you eat, what you watch on TV or the internet, what comes out of your mouth, or a refusal to let others dictate your attitude based on how they treat you. When you ‘purpose in your heart’ to honor God in small things, He blesses you and becomes involved in your life in ways you never thought possible.

Prayer

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Four Principles for Victorious Living

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Jesus said: ‘Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down…or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do!’ (Matthew 5:11-12). If you are thin-skinned, you will have a rough time in life because you will be an easy target for the devil. Paul endured desertion by his friends, ugly letters from the Corinthians, disappointment with the Galatians, mistreatment in Philippi, mocking in Athens, and finally imprisonment and beheading in Rome.

The Bible gives us these four principles for victorious living:

1) Be on the alert. Why? Because you have an adversary who is out to get you (see 1 Peter 5:8). What’s he after? The God-given potential he knows lies within you. You’re a seed capable of producing a harvest of blessing.

2) Stand firm in the faith. Why? Because you cannot stand on your feelings, your circumstances, or the opinions of others. Those things change constantly, so you must stand firm on the Word of God.

3) Act like an adult. Why? Because being childish won’t cut it when the battle is raging. It’s time to grow up; if you’re still making the same mistakes twenty-five years later, you’re not learning enough.

4) Be strong. Why? Because weakness is an invitation to the Enemy. It always precedes surrender – and giving up is not an option for you. God told His people the Promised Land was theirs – but they would have to fight for it. And you will too!

Prayer

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Put Your Heart into Your Part

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16)

You have probably heard that unless you’re the lead dog, the view seldom changes. The problem is, however, not everybody can be the leading man or woman. And it’s better to be a working actor than an out-of-work star; at least you get to be in the play! Besides, most great achievers, if they are honest, will tell you they could not have done it alone; they needed the contributions of each member of the team.

So, if God has placed you in a supporting role today, accept it without complaining. Do your part to make the entire production stronger. Not only will you learn all about team spirit, and that’s important for when you do get to lead, you will also learn the Christ-like virtue of humility. The Bible says you will ‘grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body…[who] holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly’ (vv. 15-16). So, put your heart into your part. Stop and think about how you’re living your life. Are you giving it everything you’ve got, or are you holding out, hoping somebody else will recognize your talent?

It’s not about the greatness of the part you have been given, it’s about how much effort you put into doing it. If God has placed you in a supporting role rather than a starring one, it’s because He recognizes that the team needs your particular strengths and talents. Ask Him to help you accept the role He has given you – whatever it is – and learn to fulfill it with gratitude and dignity. Contribute from wherever you are today.

Prayer

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Turning Two Families Into One

“Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. ‘Who are these with you?’ he asked. Jacob answered, ‘They are the children God has graciously given your servant.'” (Genesis 33:5)

Due to the divorce rate today, both inside the church and outside, couples are falling in love and facing the challenge of blending two families into one. Here are some of those challenges: visiting rights, custodial care, court intervention, and ex-in-law involvement. Add to that a mountain of paperwork and legal specifications, and it’s like negotiating an international peace treaty. You chose to marry your new spouse, but your children didn’t get that choice. So, it’s not enough to bring them all together under the same roof and say, ‘Play nice.’

Their world has been turned upside down, and you must allow them time to digest the situation and find their place in the new order of things. ‘Love will solve all our problems’ is a nice sentiment, but it’s not true. You say, ‘But the Bible says, “Love never fails”’ (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV). Yes, and it also says, ‘Love suffers long and is kind’ (v. 4 NKJV). You’re going to need truckloads of patience and kindness to make this work. So:

1) Prepare yourself and your children for the changes that are about to take place.

2) Listen to your child’s fears without saying, ‘Don’t be silly, everything will be okay.’ For as long as they need to talk, that’s how long you need to listen.

3) Pray, pray, pray! Ask God to give you His plan, so that this merger can be as painless and stress-free as possible.

Your new mate may meet your personal needs for love and security – but remember that your children have those same needs too.

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Take It Easy, Mom

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3)

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into a woman’s garden. She could tell from looking at him that he had a good home. He followed her inside, down the hall, and promptly fell asleep. Two hours later, he went to the door and she let him out. The next day he came back, resumed his position, and napped for a couple of hours. This went on for a week. Curious, the woman pinned this note to his collar: ‘Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.’ The next day, the dog showed up with a note that read: ‘He lives at home with ten children – apparently he needs some quiet time. Can I come with him tomorrow?’

If you’re a mother, you can probably relate!

Carla Barnhill, author of The Myth of the Perfect Mother, writes: ‘I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t keep trying to be SuperMom. I wasn’t all that good at it to begin with. I’ve tried to be the perfect combination of devoted mom…loving wife…solid Christian…and have failed miserably…But even if I had been able to pull all of that off, I’m not convinced any of us should…we don’t have to be impressive…[or] follow some random rules about what motherhood should look like. Grace means we already matter to the One who matters most, our good, loving, and grace-filled God! So let’s drop our capes, put down our halos, retire our medals, and let ourselves be the sometimes flawed, sometimes awesome moms God made us to be.’ In other words: ‘Try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities.’

Prayer

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The Seven-Day Challenge

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” (Philippians 2:14)

Some cancers, like skin cancer, are more obvious and you can remove them. Then there is the kind that grows undetected and it destroys your body. Complaining is like that; it impacts your health and sabotages your success. Paul says, ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing.’

Dr. Ann Shorb writes: ‘If you find yourself…feeling negative and down…listen to what’s being said around you. Is there a lot of grumbling and complaining? Are the people you spend time with constantly expressing discouraging thoughts and feelings?…Maybe you are the one…griping and complaining…Many times we become our own worst enemy by developing angry or bitter attitudes…Your thoughts and attitudes are your choice. Where you put your mind is up to you!…Follow what the apostle Paul wrote about putting off the negative and putting on the positive (see Colossians 3: 1-15; Ephesians 4:20-32)

‘…Acknowledge that there are problems…but don’t dwell on them…Do what you can to remedy the situation. Remember…you can never change another person, only yourself and your attitudes…Find the positives…Focus on these and be thankful that God promises to be with you…through the hard times…Use Bible verses and inspirational sayings to re-focus when your thinking starts to go [downhill]…By changing your thinking you change your outlook, and by changing your outlook you change your life.’

To one person the world looks desolate; to another the same world looks rich and interesting. What you see depends mainly on what you look for. Make up your mind not to complain for a day. Then challenge yourself not to complain for a week. You will be amazed at how much better you feel.

Prayer

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Live the Living Word

“I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119:100)

Bible expositor Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, says: ‘The words printed on the pages of my Bible give witness to the living and active revelation of the God of creation and salvation, the God of love who became the Word made flesh in Jesus, and I had better not forget it. If in my Bible reading I lose touch with this livingness, if I fail to listen to this living Jesus, submit to His sovereignty and respond to His love, I become arrogant in my knowing and impersonal in my behavior. An enormous amount of damage is done in the name of Christian living by bad Bible reading. Caveat lector, “let the reader beware.”’

It’s not enough to read God’s Word daily, you must practice its principles consistently. The psalmist writes: ‘Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies…I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:97-105).

The Bible becomes a living word, when you decide to live according to its principles and precepts each day.

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Do The Word

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

A pastor writes: ‘The Latin word for “listen” is where we get our word audit. When you audit a class, you take in lots of information, but you don’t do anything with it. You don’t do the homework, or if you do, you don’t turn it in to get it graded. You don’t take the tests. And you don’t get any credit either. The same is true in our spiritual lives. You don’t get credit for auditing Scripture. You’ve got to put it into practice. Every word of Scripture must be translated via obedience. In the Western world, we make a distinction between knowing and doing. But there was no such distinction in ancient Jewish thought. Knowing was doing and doing was knowing. If you didn’t do it, you didn’t really know it. Knowledge isn’t enough. Truth must be translated with your life.’

James writes: ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do’ (vv. 22-25 NIV).

God doesn’t bless you because of what you know but because of what you do about what you know. So each time you come across a verse that tells you to do something, put it into practice that day.

Prayer

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