Day 1228:  Today is the second devotional on the booklet, My Heart Christ’s Home!  (See yesterday’s if you missed it!)

Scripture:  (Paul continues to pray) that Christ will be more and more at home in my heart as I trust in Him, and that my spiritual roots would grow deep into God’s marvelous love!  Ephesians 3:17

Thoughts/questions:  The fourth room in our heart is the workroom where Jesus considers our gifts and talents and asks, “Is this all you are doing for others in your Christian life?” He then comes behind us and places His great, strong hands over ours, and controlling the tools with His skilled fingers, He begins to work through us!  Do not become discouraged because you cannot do much for God. Your ability is not the fundamental condition.  Give your talents and gifts to God, and He will do things with them that will surprise you..

Then Jesus asked to see the recreation room where we have our associations, friendships, activities and amusements.  Some of these Jesus might not enjoy or approve of, so we would not be comfortable with Him being there.  However, we may come to a point where we say, “Lord, I have learned my lesson. I can’t have a good time without You.  From now on we will do everything together.”

Finally, the closet!  We may have one or two little personal things that we do not want anyone to know about and certainly don’t want Christ to see. They are dead and rotting things left over from the old life. And yet we love some of them.  Jesus states that He can’t reside in our home with this stinking, rotting smell, so we need to give Him the key to this room so that He can clean it out completely!

After cleaning one room yet messing up another at the same time, we need to drop to our knees and say this suggested prayer, “Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You are going to be the Owner and Master and Lord.”

Then it truly will be, My Heart Christ’s Home!!!

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19

Day 1227: He IS God and I am NOT!!!

Scripture:  Paul continues to pray that Christ will be more and more at home in my heart as I trust in Him, and that my spiritual roots would grow deep into God’s marvelous love!  Ephesians 3:17

Thoughts/questions:  Robert Boyd Munger’s My Heart Christ’s Home is based on this verse.  I’ll summarize it, but encourage you to read the entire challenging little booklet!

In the center of our being, our heart, a miracle happens when we ask Jesus into our lives.  Remarkably, Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit, makes the human heart His dwelling place seeking to reside in each room.  First the ‘study’ or library – the control room of the house.  As Jesus enters, he observes what we take in through books, magazines, computers – are we embarrassed by what He sees?

On to the dining room where we spend a lot of our time to fulfill our wants.  Worldly fare dominates the menu – money, stocks, academia, fame and fortune.  When served to Jesus, he doesn’t partake, but responds, “If you want food that really satisfies, seek the will of the Father, not your own pleasure . . .  Seek to please Me and that food will satisfy you.”

Now to the living room – a comfortable, inviting room where Jesus says, “This is a delightful room.  Let’s come here often, and we can fellowship!  I’ll be here every morning.  Meet me here and we’ll start the day together!”  Often we spend regular time with Jesus right after inviting Him into our heart, but soon the time together gets shorter and after that, we start missing some days.  If we look, Jesus will be in the living room every morning, and He values our quiet times together – maybe more than we do!  Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find some time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.

Suggested prayer:  Jesus, thank You for coming into my heart and making it Your home . . .

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19  

Day 1226::  Another day to walk together with the living God of the universe!

Scripture:  Therefore, Paul asked the Ephesians not to be discouraged because of his sufferings for them, as his sufferings are their glory.  And when he considered the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, Paul knelt before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.  Paul’s prayer for me is that according to God’s glorious and unlimited resources, He would strengthen me with His Spirit in my inner being!  Ephesians 3:13-16

Thoughts/questions:  Paul, like Jesus, suffered tremendously, but he never considered his suffering to be without meaning or a cause for discouragement.  He always considered everything in his life from a perspective of eternity and his calling to be like Christ and share in His suffering.  A great example for us to follow!

Strengthened in our inner being - we spend a lot of time ‘strengthening our outer being’ – lifting weights, doing yoga, running, treadmills, and multiple machines designed to keep our bodies strong.  Yes, we should be diligent in taking care of our body, God’s temple, but we should first seek to be strengthened in our inner being!

Eventually our bodies will fail us no matter how strong we attempt to make them, but an inner being that is strong of character and virtue will stay strong now and for eternity!  To develop strength in our inner beings, we need to use the same strategy as when we work out physically – have a plan, be devoted, sacrifice, prioritize, do it even when we don’t ‘feel’ like it, keep records of our growth/answered prayer – and let God strengthen our inner being with His glorious and unlimited resources!

Suggested prayer:  Living God of the universe, let Your strength be my strength . . .

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19  

Day 1225:  Today’s personal sharing was a no-brainer – read on!

Scripture:  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield . . .  Psalm 18:2a

Thoughts/questions:  Our God is so amazing! To be able to intricately wind together for our best all of the events in the lives of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) is quite a complex proposition. Our guardian angels protect us and shield us all the time without our direct knowledge, but sometimes we get the opportunity to ‘know’ that He protects us.

Tonight I was able to witness Him physically ‘shield’ me. About three months ago God was prompting me to buy a mask for protection when I pitch in our softball games. I’ve played over 40 years without one, but for some reason thought this might be a good time to get some added protection – for an old man still playing against young men. While considering it at a sporting goods store, an ex-student and fellow softball player just ‘happened’ to be shopping as well. I told him about what I was thinking about, and he encouraged me to buy one even though no one in our league wears one.

I took his advice and tonight was actually pitching against ‘his’ team – quite ironic – when a hard hit comebacker hit the pitching rubber in front of me, took a bad hop, and that ‘soft’ball hit me right in the face! The mask protected me completely, although my glasses were shoved up into my eyebrow resulting in a cut that bled pretty badly, but was OK.

Without that mask, I would not be posting this at 12 p.m., but would be at a hospital getting my face reconstructed! My shield, our amazing God, delivered me from potential harm 3 months before I would need that protection!!! And I am THANKFUL!!!

Now, may I increase my trust in His loving care in ALL circumstances!!! And may you do the same!!!

Suggested prayer:  Lord God Almighty, thank You so much for showing me how much You have protected me. Help me to trust You more . . .

Day 1224: Have a positive Monday attitude – when asked why, then share how God has changed your attitude about everything!

Scripture:  Paul was to bring to light the administration of God’s plan, which was kept hidden in God who created all things.  This was done so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purposes, which have been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord!  Because of Christ and my faith in Him, I can now approach God with boldness and confidence! Ephesians 3:9-12

Thoughts/questions:  The manifold wisdom of God – one of the things I am looking forward to in heaven is understanding how all of life worked together according to God’s wisdom and His eternal purposes!  Things that happen don’t always match up with our ‘wisdom’ and our ‘purposes’, and there are events which appear to contradict the character of a wise and loving God.

Yet, as we look back at the life, suffering, and death of Jesus, we see that God’s wisdom and purposes are different than if we had orchestrated that plan.  While we are living ‘in’ His plan as it unfolds, it is good to reflect on some of His plans that have come to their end – then we ‘see’ His wisdom; now we must trust!  And trusting is NOT a leap of faith, but a spiritual choice to invest our faith in one who IS, who HAS taken care of us and countless others in the past, and who WILL work in our lives with wisdom according to His eternal purposes!!!

Now we see in a glass darkly, but then face to face; now we know in part (hence the need for trust), but then we shall know . . .  (I Corinthians 13:12)   If you are struggling with not understanding events in your life, approach God with boldness and confidence and tell Him your struggle and seek His help in trusting Him more!

Suggested prayer:  Jesus, thank You that I can come to you boldly and tell You all of my doubts and fears.  Help me to become more and more confident in who You are and what You are doing in my life . . .

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19  

Day 1223:  May this be a day in which you are physically and spiritually refreshed!

Scripture:  God’s plan is that the Gentiles have become fellow heirs and fellow members of Christ’s body, and fellow partakers of the promises in Christ Jesus though the gospel.  Paul became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given to him through the working of His power.  Although Paul considered himself to be the least of all God’s people, he was given the wonderful privilege to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles!  Ephesians 3:6-8

Thoughts/questions:  We consider Paul to be one of, if not the, foremost Christ follower in the history of Christianity, yet he considered himself to be the least of all God’s people!  At a seminar, a speaker told of surveys done with previous attendees in which most stated that being a follower of Christ seemed to work for others, but wasn’t working that well for them.

Sometimes it is comforting to know that we are in the same boat – we ALL struggle, as Satan and self are very strong adversaries!  The issue seems to be that we know tooooooo much about ourselves.  Every thought, every action, every word, every loss of temper, every loss to temptation, every doubt, every prideful moment, every self-focused activity, and the list goes on and on . . .

This might be good if it leads us to humility, but if knowing ourselves so well leads us to discouragement and lack of confidence in who we are in Christ, then it is an issue we must overcome.  Remember, this same Paul, the least of all God’s people, also wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

Two things:  God knows us as well as we do and loves us still the same!!!  And although we ALL struggle, we too can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!  We are nothing. He is everything!!!

Suggested prayer:  Jesus, I cannot do this on my own.  Help me . . .

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19  

Day 1322:  Officiating a beach wedding today – sounds exciting and fun, but the bride has recently been diagnosed with 4th stage pancreatic cancer. I trust that I will be a blessing to their day.

Scripture:  Paul considered himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of his preaching to the Gentiles.  Surely, the Ephesians had heard of the stewardship of God’s grace, which was given to Paul for them.  God had revealed to him His secret plan, as Paul had already written to them.  So when they read what he has written, they will understand Paul’s insight into the mystery of Christ!  God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now He has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.  Ephesians 3:1-5

Thoughts/questions:  What God chooses to reveal and when He chooses to reveal it definitely creates opportunities for us to exercise our faith!  When we don’t know what is going on or when we have to wait for His answer, these are the times that ‘try men’s souls’ and doubt and fear all too often replace faith and trust.

And then there are times when ‘our’ timing coincides with God’s timing.  There are times when we know everything we need to know.  Faith is not a requirement at these times; however, without faith it is impossible to please God – Hebrews 11:6.  Therefore, it makes sense that He would withhold revealing everything to us and would intentionally answer our prayers at differing times that we would have preferred!  These are tests of our faith – not tests of us, but tests of faith!

How are you doing on these tests?  Do doubt and fear remove any trace of trust and faith in the living God of the universe?  Does your need to control cloud your view of God’s hand working in all of your circumstances for your very best?  He WILL always BE what you need Him to be when you need it, but He WON’T always DO things your way or according to your time frame!  Recommit your trust in our all-powerful and all-wise God!

Suggested prayer:  Living God, I commit ALL of my ways to You.  Help me to trust You completely in everything . . .

Memory Verse for Ephesians 3:  So that I may know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and that I may be filled up to all the fullness of God!  Ephesians 3:19  

Day 1321:  Today IS the day that the Lord has made!!!

Scripture:  God’s household has been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.  In Him, I am joined together with all believers to become a holy temple to the Lord.  And in Him, the Gentiles are also being built together into a dwelling where God lives by His Spirit!  Ephesians 2:20-22

Thoughts/questions:  These verses liken believers to a building, and not just any building, but one where God Himself dwells!  We respect and revere the prophets and apostles and deservedly so, as they did the foundational work – the dirty work!

We, however, are built on that foundation and are part of the visible building!  There are times buildings are raised by fundraising.  People purchase a block or brick and their names are imprinted on them, which become a permanent part of the building.  Not too many people give money so that their names get imprinted on the foundation – they prefer to have their name above ground to be seen by all!  And that is where we are – part of a holy temple to the Lord!

The foundation has been laid, the cornerstone is Jesus, and we are part of God’s temple exposed so that everyone can view our lives.  How’s your building material doing?  Is it like a rock, strong and secure, or more like sand that changes shape depending on life’s circumstances?  Let each one of us be strong in the Lord and be the type of building material that is fit for a King’s dwelling!!!

Suggested prayer:  Living God of the universe, thank You for such a strong foundation.  Help me to be just as strong in You . . .

Last day for memory verse for Ephesians 2:  For I am God’s masterpiece!  Ephesians 2:10a

Day 1320::  Be still and know that I am God (and you are not)!  Love, God

Scripture:  Jesus came and preached peace to the Gentiles who were far away and to the Jews who were near.  For through Him, everyone can now have access in one Spirit to the Father.  Consequently, I am no longer a stranger or alien.  I am a fellow citizen with God’s people, and I belong to God’s household!  Ephesians 2:17-19

Thoughts/questions:  It’s is never fun to feel like a stranger or like you are on the outside looking in, as one of the basic needs of humans is belonging – gangs, sororities, fraternities, social networking, rotary/elks, churches, bars, membership only clubs, athletic teams, and more – all attempts at having a sense of community – belonging!  According to research, people who have this sense of belonging live longer and are healthier!

Its opposite, loneliness, affects all kinds of people and its impact can be devastating.  It may be true that lonely people actually die of a broken heart, as lonely people are more prone to cancer, psychiatric illnesses, addictions, hypertension, and heart disease.

We were created for relationship, and because of Jesus, we are NEVER alone and NEVER unloved – we belong!  And is there a better group to belong to than the household of the living God of the universe?  Even when there are times that we find ourselves alone, we’re still in good company – Jesus and me!  We have instant access to our heavenly Father!!  Although we are spending a short time in our earth suits on this beautiful planet, our citizenship is in heaven – when we get there, we will definitely know that heaven is where we truly belong!!!

Suggested prayer:  Jesus, thank You that through You I belong to the household of God . . .

Memory verse for Ephesians 2:  For I am God’s masterpiece!  Ephesians 2:10a

Day 1319:  Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me . . .   Soooo true!!!

Scripture:  For Christ Himself is my peace, and He also made peace between the Jews and Gentiles by breaking down the wall of hostility that separated them.  His death abolished the law with its commandments and regulations.  His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating one new man out of the two.  In creating one body, He reconciled both of them to God through the cross, and their hostility toward each other was put to death.  Ephesians 2:14-16

Thoughts/questions:  Jesus brought peace through reconciliation at a high cost to Himself.  When we have strained relationships, we desire peace, but are we willing to initiate reconciliation knowing it might come at a high price as well?  As Christ followers, are we to pick and choose which parts of Christ’s life we follow or ???

With making peace His purpose, He intentionally gave His life to put to death the barriers that separated groups from each other and individuals from God.  This reconciliation was not a simple task done without personal sacrifice for undeserving recipients, yet He did it!  Now, it is our turn!

With peace as your purpose, what are you willing to give to eliminate the barriers that have separated you from someone?  If you were having a face-to-face conversation with Jesus as to why you did ‘not’ attempt reconciliation, would any of your reasons compare to what Jesus had to overcome for us?  Would He respond by saying that given your situation, He would have done the same thing?  Or would He share that what He went through in an attempt to reconcile us to the Father was far more in every way than anything we would experience?

Peace through reconciliation at any cost!  That is His example!  That is His challenge to us!

Suggested prayer:  Jesus, thank You for going through so much for my reconciliation.  Help me when I resist reconciling with others . . .

Memory verse for Ephesians 2:  For I am God’s masterpiece!  Ephesians 2:10a