Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 14

Devotion for Monday in the Fifth Week in Lent

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

~ Romans 12:14-19

It’s easy to love those who love us. It’s not easy to bless those who persecute us, but that’s what we’re called to do. We want justice; we want fairness; we want vengeance—at least for ourselves. We want to be forgiven if we wrong someone but want to punish them if they wrong us. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we do what we’re commanded to do: forgive, bless, and bring peace.

Heavenly Father, empower me by the Holy Spirit to bless and not curse, to repay good for evil, to leave vengeance to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday)

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

~ Romans 12:9-13

Paul is giving us a list of how we should live. “Do not be slothful in zeal” jumps out at me. We cannot be passive about this; it could be easy to lose our zeal, still going through the motions without ardor, fervency, passion, intensity. In Revelation, Jesus told the church at Laodicea that because it was lukewarm, He would spew it out of His mouth! That dramatically shows how important zeal is.

Lord God, never let me become lukewarm. Fill me with zeal for You and Your Word. I don’t want to go through the motions without enthusiasm; I want to serve You with passion, with fervency. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Saturday in the Fourth Week in Lent

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.

~ Romans 12:3-6

We all want to serve God by doing something important in His Kingdom. But He have given us different gifts, and all are important, even if some are more prominent and prestigious than others. Rather than using our gifts to glorify ourselves, God’s Word tells us to use the gifts He has given us to perform the functions we are assigned without judging ourselves better or more important than anyone else. Whether we preach to thousands, teach a handful of children, or perform mundane administrative tasks, we are no more or less important than any other servant of the Lord.

Thank You, Lord God, for the gifts You have bestowed upon each of us. Let us use those gifts to Your glory and take no pride in our position or our gift. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Friday in the Fourth Week in Lent

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

~ Romans 12:1-2

This verse is very convicting to me, because my besetting sin is gluttony. I’m conformed to the eating habits of the world instead of being transformed by the renewal of mind and making my body holy and acceptable as a living sacrifice.

Father, forgive me for allowing the sins of the flesh to prevail in my life. Guide me by the Holy Spirit and transform me by the renewing of my mind to treat my body as a holy and acceptable living sacrifice to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Thursday in the Fourth Week in Lent

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord,   or who has been his counselor?” Or who has given a gift to him   that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

~ Romans 11:33-36

Everything is from, through, and to God. We hear and say all of the words of God’s power and might and omniscience and omnipresence and majesty and glory. Yet we can’t get our human minds around them. They are too magnificent for us to even grasp a tidbit of them.

Lord God, I can’t grasp You—all the attributes that I know are Yours but that are beyond my understanding or imagination. Yet I will give You all the glory I can for the little of You I can feel. I can’t imagine magnitudes greater than I can fathom. But I praise and glorify You along with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Wednesday in the Fourth Week in Lent

For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

~ Romans 11:15-24

We Gentiles who believe in the Messiah are grafted into Israel’s tree, while unbelieving Jews have been cut off. But no one is beyond hope; anyone who believes can be grafted into the tree of God’s people.

Father God, may the tree of Your people grow larger and larger as more and more Gentiles are grafted in and more and more Jews are grafted back in. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, now and forever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Tuesday in the Fourth Week in Lent

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. … So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Romans 11:2, 5-6

The Jews were God’s people, and they expected to be saved because they were Jews and followed the Law. They expected the Messiah to come to Jews alone, but Jesus, the Messiah, came to all people. God hasn’t rejected the Jews—there is still a remnant of the faithful saved by grace—but they are not saved by circumcision alone. It is grace that saves us all—Jew and Gentile alike.

Thank You, Lord God, that Jesus died and rose again to save those who accept the free gift. None of us deserves salvation; it comes only through Your grace by the sacrifice of Jesus. Although I can never be worthy, guide me in Your ways and lead me in the paths of righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, who died for my sins and rose again for my salvation. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Monday in the Fourth Week in Lent

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

~Romans 10:14-17

The Gospel is readily available to anyone in the United States and probably most of the Western world. So no one has an excuse for not believing—everyone has a chance to hear the Word of God. But there are places where the Gospel is unknown or forbidden, where Christians are persecuted. The so-called 10/40 window—the area between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator—is almost completely unreached by the Gospel. How can they believe if they’ve never heard? Not all of us are called to preach to unreached people, but we are called to do two things: 1) support those who are taking the Gospel to those who have never heard it (such as Love for the Least), and 2) to share the Gospel in our sphere of influence.

Lord God, I pray for everyone to hear about Jesus, and I will support missionaries to carry Your Word throughout the world. That’s easy to do, though, Lord—it’s not always as easy to share the Gospel with people I come in contact with. Guide me to the people You want me to witness to; give me the words to say and the courage to say them. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

~ Romans 10:5-10

In the Old Testament, righteousness meant following God’s law, which no one could do fully, then or now. However, if we believe in our hearts and speak with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, that He died for our sins, and that He was raised from the dead, we are saved. Believe and profess—that’s all we have to do. Of course, when Jesus is our Lord, we want to follow God’s commandments, but, praise God, our salvation does not depend on following rules.

Gracious Lord, You justify us—impute to us the righteousness of Jesus—if we give our lives to Him. You save us and give us eternal life if we believe and profess. Jesus is my Lord; He is in my heart and on my lips. In His name I pray. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Saturday in the Third Week in Lent

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea,  “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

~ Romans 9:19-26

Oh, how tempting it is for us vessels of clay to question the Potter! We say we totally trust and believe Him, but when something happens that we don’t understand, we wonder. When we think we see clearly what should happen, we move ahead, perhaps in the wrong direction. Praise God that we who were not His people are now called “sons of the living God.”

Forgive me, Father, when I try to do things in my own power rather than Yours, when I think my way is better than Your way that I don’t understand. Give me true faith and complete trust in You, so that I follow even when I can’t see what lies ahead, even when I can’t comprehend. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.