Daily Devotional
Reasoning Can’t Replace Obedience
“Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?”
Isaiah 40:13
June 30, 2020
Ponder This
How often do we like to tell God how He ought to do things? Do you hear yourself doing that in prayer? I can imagine those early disciples when Saul was making havoc of the church, hauling Christians off to prison and death. I imagine many were praying, “Oh, God! Do something about Saul! Strike him dead!” But God didn't want to strike him dead. God struck him alive! And aren't you glad He did?
Out in the wilderness, when those poisonous snakes entered the Israelite camp, people were crying, “God! God! Kill these snakes!” But God didn't kill the snakes. Instead, He had a bronze serpent placed high on a pole and had Moses tell the people that if they would look upon the brazen serpent Moses lifted up, they would be healed. None of them would have thought of that, but God raised up a solution that was also a foreshadowing of His Son on a cross. Everyone who looks to Jesus, lifted high upon the cross, finds the cure for their sin and can be saved.
Never substitute your human reasoning for obedience. The Bible is not primarily a book to be explained; it is first and foremost a book to be believed and obeyed. Whether you understand it or not, when God says it, you just simply obey it.
Practice This
Isn't it strange how God works? Understand that our ways and God's ways are so different. Don’t believe your way is better. In humility, say to God, “I will trust You, Father, and I will obey.”
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.’”
