Daily Devotional
Are You Seeking the Will of God?
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.’”
Acts 5:29-32
August 20, 2024
Ponder This
Our obedience must be intentional. You must intend to obey and seek the will of God. You must want to know His will. There should be a time every day where you stop and ask, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” Not, “Lord, what do you want others to do?” And not, “Lord, what do others want me to do?” But “Lord, what would you have me to do? Inhabit my humanity. Think through my mind. Smile through my countenance. Work through my hands. Love through my heart. Speak through my lips. Here, Lord, I submit to you.”
When I was a boy, and my dad got that, “there’s work to be done around this house” look in his eye, my brother and I made ourselves scarce. If Dad said, “Do this and do that,” but we didn’t do it, we’d be disciplined. But we figured out if he couldn’t tell us, then we weren’t disobedient because we weren’t there to be told. Some of us are the same way with God. We think, “Well, it’s not our fault; we don’t know His will.” You are trying to make yourself scarce when God wants to speak to you. You have not sought Him. You’ve not said, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” Ignorance of God’s will is no excuse. God will hold you accountable for what you hear, and God will hold you accountable for what you would have heard if you had listened.
- What does your time with God look like? Do you take time to listen to Him?
- When was a time you didn’t want to hear what God had to say?
Practice This
Submit to God in prayer, asking Him to guide you today.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
