Tim Hetzner – Daily Devotions

What’s the ‘Most Important’ Thing to You?

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

The story is told of Major Arthur Godfrey Peuchen, a wealthy Canadian man who survived the Titanic. After it struck the iceberg, he returned to his stateroom and, ignoring cash, jewelry, and other valuable possessions worth around $300,000, grabbed a favorite pearl pin and three oranges. Later, he was reported to have said, ‘The money seemed to be a mere mockery at that time.’ Circumstances transformed his values; tragedy clarified his priorities. The question is not will your calendar be full, but who will fill it and what will it be filled with? If you are wise, you will consult God as to your life’s priorities, then keep them before you at all times (see Proverbs 3:6).

In a survey, people over 90 were asked, ‘If you had your life to live over, what would you do differently?’ Three answers constantly emerged:

1) I would spend more time with my family and friends.

Petty things steal too much of our time, and we finish up living by the wrong priorities. If you say yes to every request, you will never get around to doing what God has called you to do. Paul had it figured out: ‘The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me.’ A life in which anything goes is a life in which nothing goes. Your greatest challenge is thinking and doing things that ultimately matter. ‘Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!’ (Deuteronomy 32:29).

Prayer

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Do Not Doubt God

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25)

John writes: ‘Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them…Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed’ (vv. 24-28).

Jesus picked a doubter to be His disciple. And when he doubted, Jesus didn’t denounce and dismiss him. He actually put in a special appearance to resolve his doubts and build his faith. Elisabeth Elliott said, ‘True faith only goes into operation when there are no answers.’ God says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8). The truth is, God does not think like us. He sees the big picture, and He works towards a specific end. Jesus said, ‘I have many more things to say…but they are too much for you now’ (John 16:12).

So when you find yourself doubting, pray …

Prayer

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Live with Integrity at Home

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. (Genesis 19:14)

Make your life an open book. Establish a system of values against which all of life is judged. Walk with God; maintain your integrity at work and at home, and you will make the right choice every time. Lot failed to do this, and it cost him dearly. ‘Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law…and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking’ (v. 14).

When you lose your integrity, you lose your credibility. If you’re a parent, guard your children physically when they’re young, and emotionally as they mature. Teach them to respect others and get to know the people they’re dating. Be sure to check what they and you watch on TV and do on the internet.

That does not mean you should not be fun to be around. Show your lighter side. Don’t be so preoccupied with work or church that you’re a prude or a bore. ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance’ (Proverbs 15:13). The point is, if you ‘talk the talk’, be sure you ‘walk the walk’.

When Lot tried to warn his family, they ‘looked at him as though he had lost his senses’ (Genesis 19:14). Was he too busy making a living to teach them what mattered most in life? Did he say one thing and do another? We don’t know. But any way you cut it, his loss was tragic. The truth is that your integrity, or the lack of it, will have consequences not only in your own life but also in the lives of your loved ones.

Prayer

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Armed for Spiritual Warfare – Part 3/3

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

Your spiritual armor must be put on correctly so that all the pieces fit; otherwise, you’re vulnerable to defeat at Satan’s hands. So, how do you do that? Paul tells us how: ‘Pray in the Spirit at all times.’ Your clothes closet is where you find what you need to wear in the natural realm, and your prayer closet is where you find what you need to wear in the spiritual realm. Only through prayer do you become clothed for spiritual warfare, so don’t go into battle undressed. Paul writes, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh’ (Romans 13:14). That’s one of the most effective verses in Scripture when it comes to winning over temptation.

Professionals who train dogs to listen and obey their commands no matter what, start by throwing a piece of food in front of the dog. The untrained dog immediately goes for it, but eventually the trainer teaches the animal to give him its undivided attention regardless of what’s put in front of it. When the training process is complete, the dog will not take its eyes off its master even when temptation is right under its nose. There is an important lesson here for you. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, it will not matter what kind of lie or temptation Satan throws your way. Every now and then you may want to ‘go for it’, but if you stay focused on Jesus and listen to His voice alone, you will be victorious in the fight.

Prayer

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Armed for Spiritual Warfare – Part 2/3

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

Let’s look at the next three pieces of spiritual armor God has provided for us to live victoriously:

1) ‘You will need faith as your shield’ (v. 16). For what? ‘To stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan’ (v. 16). Do you remember in the old western movies the battles between the Native Americans and the settlers? The settlers circled the wagons, and the Native Americans shot flaming arrows into them. They both understood that you can’t fight fires and fight foes at the same time; flaming arrows are a distraction. Satan uses the same tactic. But faith (focusing on God’s Word) snuffs out those flaming arrows.

2) ‘Put on salvation as your helmet’ (v. 17). This helmet protects your mind. When Satan whispers, ‘If you were really a Christian, you wouldn’t have…’, you repel his attacks by knowing your identity in Christ – a blood-bought, totally forgiven, seen-as-righteous, heaven-bound child of God.

3) ‘Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ (v. 17+). ‘The word of God’ referred to here isn’t logos (the written word) but rhéma, which means ‘utterance’. It calls for speaking God’s Word to defeat Satan; utilizing the right Scripture at the right time to deal with the problem. That’s why Satan fights you so hard over Bible reading. Three times he attacked Jesus in the wilderness, and three times Jesus answered, ‘It is written’ (Matthew 4:4-10). He demolished Satan with Scripture! The devil can out-argue you, but he has no defense against the Word of God. So, memorize the Scriptures, and use them as a weapon to defeat him.

Prayer

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Armed for Spiritual Warfare – Part 1/3

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)

Every day you live, you will battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. In order to be armed for spiritual warfare, Paul gives us six specific pieces of spiritual armor.

Here are the first three:

1) The sturdy ‘belt of truth’ (v. 14). During World War II, a plane flew many miles past its destination. Why? Because the crew, not realizing there were such strong tailwinds, refused to believe the cockpit instruments. As a result, everyone on board perished. Yet when the plane was found years later, the instruments were still in perfect working order. You can depend on God’s Word to guide you right. Read it daily and believe it, no matter what your mind or emotions tell you.

2) ‘The body armor of God’s righteousness’ (v. 14). Note, it is God’s righteousness, not yours. You’re not saved by trusting your own performance but by trusting Christ’s performance on the cross. When you know that, God’s righteousness becomes the breastplate that protects your heart from doubts about your salvation (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).

3) ‘For shoes, put on…peace’ (Ephesians 6:15). Shoes indicate you’re going somewhere, so don’t expect to hear from God if you’re determined to remain frozen in the same spot. When you start moving ahead, He confirms the rightness of your direction by giving you a sense of peace (see Colossians 3:15). You ‘know in your knower’ that you’re on the right track. When you don’t have peace about it, seek God for direction. This is particularly important if you’re a self-starter who loves what you do. God wants you to have an abiding sense of His peace – so, don’t go without it.

Prayer

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Prepare Yourself

“This is what the LORD says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.” (2 Kings 3:16)

All things don’t come to those who wait but to those who prepare. There is a great illustration of this in 2 Kings 3. As part of God’s strategy for defeating the Moabites, God told the Israelites to dig a ditch and He would fill it with water until it became a mighty river. They did, and as a result they experienced a spectacular victory. But don’t miss the point here. God said, ‘When you have dug the ditch, then I will fill it!’ (see v. 17). God can use anybody, but He doesn’t; He uses prepared people.

Moses lived to be 120. His first forty years were spent in a palace, his second forty years were spent in a wilderness, and his last forty years were spent fulfilling his God-given assignment. That’s two-thirds of his life in preparation! What happens when you’re not prepared? Things you hope won’t happen, do. Often the dividing line between winning and losing is preparation! Singing, ‘When you wish upon a star,’ won’t make your dream come true – you have to prepare yourself! Paul’s ministry begins with the words, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6). Whereupon God takes him into the desert for the next three years to teach him and prepare him for his ministry.

Whether your vocation is sacred or secular, you have to know what it will cost in terms of time, effort, and resources, and prepare for it. ‘Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts’ (Proverbs 24:3). So, the word for today is – prepare yourself.

Prayer

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Keep Hope Alive

“Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 131:3)

David said, ‘Wait…for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!’ When you decide things are hopeless, you slam the door in God’s face. For most of us, as long as we are in reasonably good health and know where the rent is coming from, hope doesn’t work.

First: Ask yourself what’s your strongest desire. Imagine you’re eighty and looking back. Are you satisfied? If not, challenge yourself to come up with an answer. Hope must be personal, not the kind you think you should have. It must be fervent enough to govern everything you do.

Second: Give it a symbol – something you can center your thoughts around. Jeremiah taught God’s people a lesson in hope by buying land at Anathoth (see Jeremiah 32:9). He knew they would be taken into captivity, and during those long years, the memory of that faraway field in Judah would act as a symbol of future restoration. During World War II when Leo Algimas and his family were herded into concentration camps, they maintained a symbol of hope, a tiny piece of paper from a box of chocolates with an American flag on the bottom. They passed it from hand to hand, looked at it, held it, and whispered about the liberation army that was coming.

Symbols help us fix our minds on what’s possible. In fact, the greatest symbol the world has ever known was the hardest to believe. A baby in a manger signaled God’s kingdom on earth and changed mankind’s destiny. And He can change your destiny. Define what you hope for, ask in His name, and no matter how impossible it looks, expect it to come true.

Prayer

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The Breaking Process – Part 3/3

“He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples.” (Matthew 14:19)

The Bible says that Jesus ‘took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes’ (v. 19). Notice the progression in this story: the loaves were taken, blessed, broken, then given to others. That’s how God works! In order to bless others through you, He will take you, bless you, break you, and give you to others.

Paul had to be broken of pride. ‘I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh…Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me…For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT). So, if you have a ‘thorny’ person or situation in your life, God wants you to experience His grace and power through dealing with them.

Paul finally reached the place where he could thank God for his ‘thorn’. The Bible speaks about ‘the sacrifice of praise to God’ (Hebrews 13:15). When you’re willing to sacrifice in order to have something, it means you value it enough to pay the price for it. Do you want to walk in God’s power? To experience His blessing? Then thank God for your ‘thorny situation’, and embrace the breaking process through which He is taking you today.

Prayer

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The Breaking Process – Part 2/3

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

Brokenness leads to blessing. To receive a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, Elisha, who was a farmer, had to break and burn his plough. To demonstrate her love for Jesus, Mary had to break open her box of costly ointment and pour it over Him. To defeat the armies of Midian, Gideon’s three hundred soldiers had to break their pitchers, let their light shine, and make themselves a target.

The truth is, God has to break each of us in different areas in order to use us. What areas? Bad habits. Stubborn wills. Inflated egos. Evil thoughts. Crippling fears. Secret prejudices. Misguided ambitions. The list is endless. If you’re facing east, you won’t go west, so God has to turn you around. Sometimes that requires discipline. And it’s you, not God, who determines the length of that discipline and the extent of it. ‘No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way’ (Hebrews 12:11). If you’re a parent, you understand this. One child will collapse in tears, whereas another will defy you.

God will do whatever it takes to break your habit of self-sufficiency! Paul writes, ‘Now may…God…sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Notice that your body comes last in order of transformation. As a regenerate spirit living in an unregenerate body, you will always be ‘fighting the flesh’. What’s the secret of victory? Brokenness and surrender!

Prayer

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