Daily Devotion (Monday, June, 22nd - Friday, June 26th)

Monday

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5).

Sports can teach us lot of valuable life lessons if we'll let it. Sometimes we buy into the idea that if we will do all the right things and execute the perfect golf swing, or the perfect baseball pitch, or the perfect whatever, we are guaranteed success. The problem is that sometimes it really is true. The outcome matches the execution and the goal. However, in sports, as well as in life, success is not guaranteed.

Sports psychologist Bob Rotella says, "If you bring a smothering perfectionism to the golf course, you will probably leave with a higher handicap and a lousy disposition, because your game will never meet your expectations."

You can make the perfect golf swing and end up in a sand bunker, or make a great baseball pitch and the batter will hit a homerun. The analogies are limitless.
So what do we do when the outcome is bad? We must accept that in sports, as in life, outcomes don't end the way we always hope.

Jesus came to be Savior of the world. He was a perfect human being without sin. He did all the right things. The result was death on the cross because a short term positive outcome was not God's plan for the situation. He had a bigger picture in mind.

We need to keep the big picture in mind when short term outcomes don't turn out well. The Bible calls this perseverance. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).
Ask God for the grace to accept bad outcomes even when you have done all the right things.


Tuesday

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

The Bible tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (see Jude 21). But we are also told in the same passage that God will keep us (see Jude 1).
Is this a contradiction? Not at all. These verses complement one another. They show us God's part and our part. We don't keep ourselves saved, but we can keep ourselves safe.

God's love is unconditional. And fortunately for us, Jesus Christ loves, preserves, and intercedes for us before the Father.

But we can do things that will get us out of harmony with His love. That's why we are reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God, which means that we are to keep away from all that is unlike Him. We are to keep away from any influence that would violate God's love and bring sorrow to His heart.

We are loved by God, and He will protect His investment. For example, if you own an inexpensive pair of sunglasses, you may not be all that concerned about where they are. But if you have a more expensive pair, then you will tend to know their whereabouts.

Or, if you went to Disneyland with your children, you wouldn't just forget about them. Instead, you would keep your eye on them, because you want to protect what is dear to you.

In the same way, we are preserved, we are protected, and we are being kept by the power of God. But we need to keep ourselves in a place where He can actively show His love to us. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God.


Wednesday

"Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24).

The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the daily grind of everyday life when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. In the 1600's, there was a monk named Brother Lawrence who was a dishwasher in his monastery.

He made a profound discovery that is true for every believer in the workplace today. "For me the time of activity does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are calling together calling for as many different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as when upon my knees at the blessed Sacrament."

You see, he found no urgency for retreats, because in the common task he met the same God to love and worship as he did in the stillness of the desert. It is this kind of life that Jesus desires for each of his children. Enoch was also a man that practiced the presence of God. The Bible does not give a detailed account of is life. All we know about him is that "He walked with God." In fact, it says in Genesis 5:22 that Enoch walked with God 300 years! Wow! That is faithfulness!

What does it mean to practice the presence of God daily? It means we are constantly talking to our Heavenly Father about the issues in our day. It means praying about things as they come up. It means stopping at a red light and praying for the person God brings to mind. It means singing a song in your car while you are sitting in traffic. That is practicing the presence of God.

Today, when God gives you times alone or there are needs that arise, stop and consult your Heavenly Father about the situation. Then you will be practicing the presence of God.


Thursday

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Acts 20:24

Imagine for a moment that you are running a race that is ten laps long. And let's just say that you are in first place for nine of those ten laps. Not only are you in first, but you are creaming the competition.
So when you come to the tenth lap, you think, "What's the point? I'm obviously the winner here. I'm going home."

Guess what? You don't get first place, second place, or even an honorable mention. You don't get a gold medal, silver medal, or bronze medal. You are disqualified because you didn't finish the race.
In the same way, it isn't enough for you to do well in the first five years or the next 20 years of your Christian life. You have to cross the finish line.

That is why the apostle Paul, when he was leaving the elders of Ephesus, said in his departure speech, "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

That is what we should all be aiming for. The apostle Paul wanted to win the spiritual race.
We should want to win it as well. And that is why this is not the time to be easing up. This is the time to pick up the pace. This is the time to pour it on.


Friday

"Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day. . . . " Joshua 14:12

What is the secret to spiritual longevity? Caleb, one of the unsung heroes of the Bible, stands as a shining example of someone who never lost his edge spiritually. He was faithful to the very end.
When he was 85 years old, Caleb said, "I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain . . . " (Joshua 14:11--12).

But there is another statement of Caleb's that we should take note of: "I wholly followed the Lord my God" (verse 8).

What does that tells us? To be winners in this spiritual race, we, like Caleb, must follow the Lord our God completely--not half-heartedly, but fully. It means giving 100 percent of ourselves to God.

When Caleb said, "Give me this mountain," it is worth noting that Hebron was one of the most treacherous, mountainous areas of the Promised Land. In fact, there were some formidable adversaries there. No one wanted to take them on--except for 85-year-old Caleb.

Caleb trusted in God's promises. He had waited 45 years. So he said, "Give me this mountain. In fact, I have already picked out the area. I want Hebron." People must have thought Caleb was out of his mind.
Look at Caleb's boldness. He took the mountain. He overcame his adversaries. And he was victorious. While others looked back, Caleb looked forward.

That is an essential key to spiritual longevity. You are always moving forward. You are always seeking to grow spiritually--and never looking back.