Devotional Reading–Living an Abundant Life

Devotional–Living an Abundant Life—November 21, 2022, From The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12

When Hurricanes Ian and Nicole hit the Florida East Coast, I noticed something phenomenal, the palm trees swayed in the 50 mph gusty winds, yet, they did not break, nor did they lose their leaves. A little research reveals that “Palm trees are very elastic. They are fibrous, and fairly wet on the inside, which allows them to bend easily in the wind.” This should be no surprise to those who hold fast to the fact that Jesus created the earth. He spoke into existence the trees that would not break when faced with the adversity of nature.

Equally fascinating is the red cedar tree: “Because of its sleek, more compact growth habit, the cedar fits perfectly in any space. And it’s one of the hardiest and most tolerant trees. It grows anywhere across the country, in any soil or environmental condition – cold or hot, dry or wet. No diseases and pests, which means no harsh chemicals or sprays. Little to no upkeep is required because of its tolerance, hardiness, and resistance to diseases and pests.” Eastern red cedar seedlings develop a long fibrous root system, often at the expense of top growth.

In Psalm 92, God says that if we surrender and commit our lives to Him, we will hold fast like the palm and the cedar trees. What does God require from us? Faith, Trust, Obedience, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and unceasing prayer. Most importantly, we pray daily for the anointing of the Holy Spirit who leads, gives us spiritual discernment of the Bible, and reveals the spiritual warfare of our daily temptations.

Something interesting happened last week when I had my eye exam. The glasses that I wear for reading are two years old. After the exam, Dr. Justin told me that my vision had improved except for my far vision which had a slight decline, but not enough for bifocal glasses.

Our lives include the present and the future. As we progress in our spiritual journey, we will experience short-term changes that affect our future lives. Yet, we can expect spiritual growth and development into the character of Christ if we keep our covenant with God. Although God has plans for us, we let our will and heart’s desires overrule His will.

“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course” Jeremiah 10:23.

This verse is the beginning of the prophet Jeremiah’s prayer for God’s mercy when the nation of Israel was deep into idolatry and God had revealed the punishment of their soon captivity.

Human beings have the innate disability of being short-sighted. We plan our lives—present and future as if God’s direction is not required. Many Christians, will give their testimony that although they faithfully serve God and made sound plans for the future that their lives did not turn out as they expected.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches, But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I delight,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

We do not possess far-sighted–futuristic spiritual vision. If we desire to live an abundant earthly life [not referring to financial excess] then we must allow God to direct our steps. Only the Omniscient God knows our future obstacles, defeats, and victories.

Nothing happens in the righteous person’s life without the permission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. God allows the trials and sorrows needed for us to experience the spiritual transformation of our minds and characters. He is preparing us for an abundant life in heaven [and after a thousand years] in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Staying faithful to our covenant with God to do His will guarantees us that He will intervene and give us spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength like the palm and cedar trees. Yes, the righteous who stay rooted and grounded in Christ will receive their reward of an abundant, heavenly, eternal life with King Jesus, the One who gave His life for us.

Prayer: God, we ask You to save our souls. Please reveal any disobedience and waywardness in our hearts. We desire to renew our covenant with You and to have abundant earthly and heavenly lives. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray. Amen.

Born with the Strength to Overcome

Devotional–Born with the Strength to Overcome From The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

A child has more than the physical appearance of their parents, they also inherit mommy and daddy’s personality traits, and learn their parent’s or caregiver’s observable behaviors and habits.

Whether we agree or not, humanity was made in the image of God. Those who believe in God most likely possess knowledge of the Creation story in Genesis. Still, a profound lack of understanding exists of God’s attributes as evidenced by our natural reaction to feeling defeated in times of adversity.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ ” (Genesis 1:26)

For us to have dominion over the animals, we must have the innate characteristics to perform the duty we were given by God. Our Heavenly Father is all-knowing and was aware of the difficulties we would face before He created us. We were born with the necessary attributes to be courageous and to perform the duties that our lives require.

  1. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
  2. “…Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us (Romans 12:3 NLT).

Our God-given gifts: Power, Love, a Sound Mind, and a Measure of Faith.

No, we are not demigods nor do we have divine power without asking for divine strength. Nor were we created to function independently without God’s Divine Intervention in our daily lives.

“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.’ ” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The human effort of acquiring knowledge of who God is gives us the confidence that we are not alone to fight against spiritual warfare and our daily challenges. When the apostle Paul asked God three times to take away His thorn in the flesh [poor eyesight], Jesus answered with No. God does not give yes answers to prayers that would give us the ability to function without His divine Intervention. Many people choose to live without God, but “…the way of the transgressor is hard” (Proverbs 13:15).

Faith, love, courage, power, and a sound mind require spiritual nutrients for proper growth. Many of today’s believers rely on the pastor’s sermons to feed their minds and souls. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 timothy 2:15). God has given us the responsibility of studying the Scriptures for ourselves. The importance of studying the Scriptures is we learn of the divinity and power of the Trinity Godhead–God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and God’s will and plans for our lives.

“Pray without ceasing” (2 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is vital! Prayer sustains our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. Pray for the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit in the morning as soon as you awaken. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot discern the spiritual meaning and depth of the Word of God [the Bible]. Prayer is the way in which we communicate and stay connected with the God of the Universe who imparts His Divine power and strength through the Holy Spirit to us every day.

Yet, God does not impose Himself in our lives. If we do not take the time to worship through prayer and study of the Bible, we will be weak and despondent as a babe who does not receive proper nutrition. Anxiety, worry, and depression cannot enter the mind of a believer who stays connected to Jesus, the Source of Life.

The human effort of maintaining our relationship with Christ [He is the only way that we can come to God] prepares us for unexpected times of trials and sorrows. Faith carries us through even in lengthy tribulations because we have faithfully stayed rooted and grounded in the Foundation, the solid Rock–Jesus Christ.

“Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you tower over your circumstances. You are a child of God. Stand up straight.” Maya Angelou

Prayer: God, thank You for the innate gifts that you have graciously given to us. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and for a stronger relationship with You. Jesus, we thank You for your great sacrifice and for being our Friend. We ask this prayer in the Worthy name of Jesus, Amen.

The Test of Friendship

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)

Loyalty is a fruit that grows from the vine of love. Jesus is the vine and He is love. Jesus is a forever Friend. We have His promise that guarantees He will never leave us or forsake us. Even so, friendship is a two-way street. Can you make the same promise to Jesus that you will always be His loyal friend?

Love and Loyalty

The Tender and Compassionate Heart

The Tender and Compassionate Heart From The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

The atmosphere of our world has rapidly evolved into one where most people possess hearts filled with self-seeking desires. Wealth and success are promoted by social influencers and in many churches through prosperity messages. Sadly, our focus is on the entertainment industry and the sports arena where billions of dollars are poured into by the people whose priorities are the pleasures of this world.

Historically, the great disparity between those “who have and those who have not” has always existed. We are familiar with the unfair but widely accepted divisions of social and economic status. In most countries, people are divided according to their financial status–upper and lower classes. Although America has three financial classes [upper, middle, and lower] people and is advanced in spaceflight, science, and biotechnology, we have the escalating and unresolved social issues of abject poverty and homelessness.

The topic of a country’s social issues usually involves a heated debate. Regardless of our political loyalty or religious affiliation, there are only two classes of people when addressing social issues: Those who actively help others, and those who ignore the plight of human beings struggling to live productive lives.

Most will agree that humanity has a dilemma that is fueled by our misguided priorities and the desires of our hearts. Yet, all is not hopeless. Our world may appear to be out of control, but this is still our Father’s world. God will not leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is well aware of all that is happening, all that has happened, and all that will happen.

Even with the best human effort, our world has social issues that humanity cannot resolve. Divine Intervention is always available! God has people with tender and compassionate hearts who care about those who are trapped in the web of poverty and despair.

A few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting a woman who is affectionately known in our apartment complex as “The lady with the walker.” One day as we were chatting, Sue shared her story of becoming a missionary and her travels. Yes, I was surprised. Yet, I was very excited to hear the interesting details about her commitment to God and others. Her story is not one of an adventure movie. Let it be known that her missionary calling required a great sacrifice of separation from others during her consecration and preparation to do the will of God.

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17)

The lady with the walker still has a tender and compassionate heart. She bravely approached a tenant with extensive community contacts to network and help an elderly, homeless man living in the shopping center next to our complex, find housing. The love in Sue’s heart is the catalyst that propels her to continue her calling as a missionary and be an advocate for those who cannot help themselves.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good, And what does the LORD require of you, But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”– Micah 6:8

We have a responsibility given to us by God to help those in need. Having a tender and compassionate heart and the desire to help others demonstrates our love for God and others. The apostle Paul tells us that we are to imitate Christ in His humble interaction with others while on this earth. From a loving and humble heart flows love, compassion, and concern for others. God expects all of us to be like my friend, “The lady with the walker” who has a tender and compassionate heart.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:3-4

Prayer: God, we ask You to reveal our purpose on this earth. Please direct us to those who we need to help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.