After my regular “dad” search to find our current devotional called “Kill the Noise“. Its description captured my attention when it spoke to “playing”, I over the years will say in meetings “let’s play pretend” which tends to allow people to come along and to make sure there isn’t any deception I tell them how it usually means “let’s play for real” so that we are on the same page and that most people will come along on playing pretend whereas others are hesitant to play for real. The description says it this way: “Too many people are playing at being Christians, and some haven’t yet taken even the first step of belief.” The key for us to grab hold of in order to be the dads God created us to be is that we need to draw closer to Jesus and allow Him into every aspect of our lives. Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to be Lord of all of our lives so that we don’t end up where we discover that we never allowed Him to be Lord at all. Today’s intro speaks to us to be the dads that allow Jesus to continue to get closer to us when it says: “No matter where you are in your spiritual walk, Jesus wants you closer.” Let’s be the dads who are seeking God’s purpose, plan, and will for our lives! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that “He’s got a perfect plan for your life – a plan for purpose, peace, joy, and eternal life.” Let’s be the dads who choose to be authentic! Let’s be the dads who choose to be real! As this devotional says: “All it takes is you deciding that the poser life is not for you. You’re going to be fully committed!” Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you able? Remember all things are possible for those who believe! We will be the dads who are able as long as you believe, then God can do anything in your life! If you believe. you see, God is able to do all things, and he does them according to his plan and according to his purpose, and according to his will. That’s right, it takes faith!
Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:
‘For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’
Ephesians 3:14-21
‘I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.’
Psalms 77:11-15
God’s Word knows right where we are at! God’s Word is alive and active and sharper than a double-edged sword! So let’s not leave it at home, leave it behind, leave it collecting dust, let’s grab it and take it with us wherever we go! Let’s be the dads who are wanting to make a difference for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who want to shine brightly for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who want to impact lives through our saltiness so that people will be touched, healed, and thirst for more of God! Let’s be the dads who God created and purposed for us to be!
Let’s be the dads who kneel before our Heavenly Father! Let’s be the dads who pray and spend time with our Heavenly Father so that He can fill us with the Holy Spirit for His glory! Let’s be the dads who are strengthened through His Spirit through our inner being! Let’s be the dads who have Jesus in our hearts through faith so that we can be the dads who are making a difference for our wives, our kids, and our world! Let’s be the dads who are rooted in love rather than fear, worry, or doubt! Let’s be the dads who are rooted and growing deeper in love so that God’s power is in us, working through us, and leading us into His plans, purposes, and will! Let’s be the dads who grasp how wide and long and high and deep Jesus’ love is for us! Let’s be the dads who know Jesus’ love that surpasses knowledge and by walking out our lives in relationship with Him are able to be filled with and overflow with His fullness! Let’s be the dads who grab onto how God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us! Let’s be the dads who turn to God, reach up to God, cry out to God in order to give Him the glory in Jesus’ name throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen!
Let’s be the dads who remember what God has done for us, our families, and our world! Let’s be the dads who remember the miracles of days gone by! Let’s be the dads who consider all His works and meditate on all of His mighty works! Let’s be the dads who are looking to how God’s ways are holy! Let’s be the dads who know how great our God is! Let’s be the dads who know that our God performs miracles! Let’s be the dads who know how God puts his power on display among the people! Let’s be the dads who are so drawn to God because His mighty arm has redeemed us! Let’s be the dads who take heart because we know that God’s mighty arm continues to redeem from generation to generation! Let’s be the dads who can take hold of the reality of how GREAT God’s love is for us, for our wives, for our kids, and for our world! Let’s take hold of the love of the Father and model it to the world around us! Let’s take hold of the love of the Father and His generosity in order to be able to model it in a way that points people to God so that in doing the good works He has prepared in advance for us to accomplish, we point people back to Him so that they will give God the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Ryan Ries and The Whosoevers. (www.thewhosoevers.com and http://www.elcentronetwork.com)
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
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Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“A God of Miracles“
- Let’s be the dads who are willing to stand with and for God, trusting Him even over the threats of man.
- Let’s be the dads who are willing to do what God asks of us out of trust and faith in Him!
- Let’s be the dads who will answer the call when it comes from God!
- Let’s be the dads who obey God’s commands, instructions, and directions!
- Today’s devotional on God performing miracles gets started with the following details of the fiery furnace with Daniel and his friends also known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:
- “The three friends stood before the king as he was going off on them. “How dare you not worship the idol I put up? Who do you think you are? If you don’t do what I say, I’m throwing you guys into the fire.” The king was asking them to choose life or death. Obey the king and keep your life. Obey your God and you’re dead men.“
- “But these boys took Door Number 3. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up’” (Daniel 3:16–18). They said, “Kick back, King, and slow your roll. You have no say over our life or death. That’s up to God. If we live, it’s because God wants us to live. If we die, that’s cool, too. We trust God either way.”“
- “The king heated up the fire way more than normal, so he could burn them good. He threw them into the fire. Suddenly, the three friends became four. King Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t believe what he saw. The Lord stood with them there in the fire, protecting them from the flames. The three friends walked out a few minutes later, not even smelling like smoke. God’s in the business of doing miracles, and He always wins.“
- Let’s be the dads who are looking at things from the right perspective!
- Let’s be the dads who are willing to change perspectives in order to get a better view!
- Today’s devotional shares three ways to look at life:
- “The first sees an unknown future and is scared to death. It is not just scared to death, but scared of death. Hebrews 2:15 says that people live their lives “as slaves to the fear of dying.” There’s no reason for that. I’m not saying we walk around with a death wish. But if we have Jesus as our Savior and Lord, there is no reason for us to be afraid of dying. He’s not going to let anything happen to us unless it’s time, anyway.“
- “The second way ignores the future. These people just “eat, drink, and enjoy life” (Ecclesiastes 8:15), not thinking about the bigger issues in life. They pretend bad stuff won’t happen to them; it will only happen to other people – bad people. Then one day it happens to them, and they’ve got nothing that they can turn to for help. That day will come, trust me.“
- “The third way is to live a life trusting in the God of the universe, who is bigger than what is going on around you. This is the supernatural God who sticks His hand into the natural world to help those who follow Him. God has done the miraculous in my life more times than I can count. From me getting clean to how The Whosoevers Movement started to bringing me my wife, Crystal, to giving me my triplet girls and my son – every one of those is a miracle story where the hand of God is clearly evident.“
- Let’s be the dads who choose to live life trusting in God!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to trust that God is bigger than anything we are or could go through!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to believe that God is and can supernaturally stick His hand into the natural world to help us because we are choosing to follow Him!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to be fully committed to God!
- Today’s devotional closes this way:
- “Fully Committed means taking risks. It means saying “Yes” when God asks you to do something, even though you’re afraid or you feel inadequate or you’re sure that you’re going to blow it. It’s recognizing that our supernatural God will do supernatural works through you when you trust Him to do them. I’m not saying that you’re going to go around calling down fire from heaven, although that’s certainly something that God could do. You just have to make sure that you don’t let your own perceived limitations or shortcomings stand in the way of the amazing things that God is ready to do in you and through you.”
