Category Archives: Daily Devotional

September 13, 2011

Over Give Under Spend

By alexpenduck

For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will – 2 Corinthians 8:3

When it comes to spending and budgeting the vast majority of people in the western world go beyond their means. They use their credit card, store card or buy that car or house which they know that they can not really afford. However, when it comes to ones spiritual life this mentality is soon forgotten.

For the believers at the church at Macedonia they realized that a life devoted onto Jesus Christ was a life where they would have to give more than they would be ever able to afford. It didn’t mean a life where they were writing checks which they knew were going to bounce, it didn’t mean racking up an out of control balance on their credit card, but it did mean giving of their life to the point that they couldn’t give anymore. In fact it meant just as Jesus said that anyone who wants to follow Him, they must first take up their cross, these Macedonian believers got it. They realized that they would have to give and keep giving unto God because their life was not their own. They realized that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ they had been bought with a price, this meant they would give what was expected, and then give more in gratitude and thanksgiving unto God.

This world has it so wrong! We overspend on ourselves what we can’t afford and under give to God what we can afford. Instead, God is looking for people who will over give even though it will cost them what they can’t afford and under spend on themselves out of what they can afford. Copy the Macedonians and don’t withhold from giving unto the Lord.

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September 12, 2011

Out of The Ashes

By alexpenduck

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair                  Isaiah 61:3

Tragedy is an inevitable part of life. It is impossible to go through a lifetime without experiencing or seeing some type of tragedy. Ten years ago the world watched in horror as the tragedy that we now know as 9/11 happened before our very eyes. The events of that day left an enormous amount of ashes, an overwhelming amount of grief and an uncontrollable feeling of despair.

Tragedy whether on the scale of the size of 9/11 or in the size of hearing the words that you have been laid off, or that your child is in the hospital all cause the same emotions, helplessness!

The difference between a problem and a tragedy is that you can fix a problem, but a tragedy is not fixable. A tragedy often ends in death, either physical death or spiritual and emotional death. It may mean death to your hopes and dreams or death to your confidence. Yes, tragedy brings death and if there is one thing about death, it is that death is final. The remains are ashes, mourning and despair.

However, while that may be a fact of life, there is a God who is higher than facts, he controls physics and is the possible of the impossible. He is the one who breaths life into that what once was dead, He is the one who replaces dirty useless ashes with beauty and substance. He is the one who gives immense joy instead of grief and mourning and he is the one who showers hope to overcome despair.

For the believer of Jesus Christ there is one promise. Not a promise that tragedy will not happen, not a promise to shelter you from harm or pain, but a promise that in the place of the natural there will be the supernatural. The divine nature of God will take control and where everyone else sees the ashes of death, you will see the beauty of new life and the joy of a new day.

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September 8, 2011

Joy vs Happiness

By alexpenduck

Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain! – Habakkuk 3:17-19

Happiness is an emotion so many strive for each day. People do things that make them happy. They try to surround themselves with people who make them happy, eat things that make them happy, listen to music that makes them happy and read books that make them happy. Yet life isn’t always happy. In fact there are times in life that are downright unhappy!

For the writer of the book of Habakkuk he looked out of his window and saw conditions that were far from happy. Recession had hit, wealth had gone and the harvest had failed. For the person who filled their life trying to find happiness, this sight who have thrown their world upside down. However, for the writer of Habakkuk this was not the case. You see this man had something called joy!

Joy is not happiness! Don’t ever confuse the two. Happiness is an emotion, a condition, a feeling! Happiness comes and goes. Happiness goes out the back door when sadness knocks on the front door. So for the one who fills their life striving for happiness, the arrival of sadness brings death to their pursuit. However, joy is not an emotion, nor is it a condition, it is a permanent fixture in one’s life. It is the very fruit of a life that seeks God not self. This fruit does not fall when storms arrive, it does not rot when conditions change and it does not flee when your world comes crashing down!

The reason for this is that joy comes from the Lord, the eternal, sovereign, awesome Lord. What the Lord gives no-one can snatch away and when God gives joy the conditions of the world around you can have no impact on the fruit that is produced through a life that seeks God.

Are you a happiness seeker or a joy producer? One leads to real contentment, the other to many days of emotional heartbreak! Seek God and allow the fruit of joy to be produced!

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