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“I was reading again in Luke’s gospel the other day,” Stan mentioned one morning while we were eating breakfast. “I saw what looks to me to be a perfect model for what I’m supposed to do when God answers my prayers.”

“Thank Him?”

“Certainly that,” Stan replied, “but I think He wants me to go beyond just thanking Him.”

“Go beyond thanking God for answered prayers? How?”

“Just like Bartimaeus,” Stan replied.

“Just like who?”

“Quick recap,” Stan said. “Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to go to the cross. At one point, when He was getting close to Jericho, there was a blind man named Bartimaeus who was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he called out to Him.”

“That’s what we’re supposed to do, call out to Jesus. Is that the point?”

“We are to call out to Jesus all of the time, not just when He happens to be passing by,” Stan replied. “You’re right about that, but that’s not the point here.”

“What is?”

“After Jesus stopped and had Bartimaeus say what he wanted Jesus to do for him, and Jesus healed his blindness, that’s when Bartimaeus modeled what I think I’m supposed to do when God answers my prayers, but too often I don’t”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Luke records,” Stan said, “that when Bartimaeus received his sight, he began following Jesus, glorifying God.”

“Following Jesus and glorifying God,” I repeated. “That sounds like a great way to respond to answered prayer.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Stan asked without expecting an answer. “It makes me think about what I do when God answers my prayers. Do I follow Jesus as a disciple and glorify God?”

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Bible verses to consider:

And immediately he received his sight, and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God. Luke 18:43.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

Prayer: Father, you are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory, but too often I do not express that in the way you want and deserve. Please forgive the foolishness of receiving answers to my prayers without giving you all the glory for those answers. Help me follow every step of your lead in responding the way you want when you answer my prayers. Help me to give you all of the praise, honor, and glory. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him so you can give Him all of the glory for that? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with how you give God the glory for His answers to your prayers? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

Many of the devotions that appear in this blog deal with discipleship. You ever wondered why? It’s because discipleship is the key to victorious Christian living! The April 7 posting dealt with the cost of discipleship. Take another look at that one (link below) and focus on the question of the cost of your discipleship. Is the cost sometimes more than you want to pay?

Click here to see the April 7 posting.

While we waited for Ricky to bring breakfast one morning, Stan said, “I’ve got a question for you.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“You ever read something in the Bible and have the sense that the words jump off the page?”

“Jump off the page? I’m not sure about that. Why do you ask?”

“I saw something like that earlier this morning,” Stan said. “I was reading in the Book of Acts and saw part of a single verse that was like it was written in big bold letters asking ‘Why not here?’”

“Why not here?” I repeated. “What were you looking at?”

“There’s a statement in the sixth chapter,” Stan replied, “that the word of God kept on spreading and the number of  disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem.”

“So?”

“If it was happening in Jerusalem,” he said, “why not here? Why is the word of God not spreading and why isn’t the number of disciples continuing to increase?”

“Oh,” I replied. “I guess those are important questions.”

“Good guess,” Stan said with a smile. “I think those are important questions that can be answered only by each individual as we make the choice to spread God’s word and to follow what Jesus said about making disciples.”

“If we do that, do you  think it will happen here?” I asked.

“I do,” Stan replied. “And remember that ‘here’ is wherever we happen to be!”

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Bible verses to consider:

And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem. Acts of the Apostles 6:7.

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Romans 10:13-14.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the truth of your word that you sent Jesus into the world to provide salvation and redemption. Thank you for those people you sent into my life to bring me to that truth so I could accept it. I confess that too often I don’t seek to spread your word to those who do not know it — and I don’t seek to make disciples as Jesus said I am to do. Please forgive me. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, spread your word and make disciples. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted the truth of God’s word so you know you will spend eternity in His presence? If no, why? What’s in the way of accepting His free and gracious provision? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with spreading God’s word and making disciples? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

The basic three steps of discipleship deal with denying ourselves, taking up what God has for us to take up, and then following. The following is to be however, wherever, and whenever. The “whenever” is to be always. That’s what the April 4 devotion covered. Take another look at it and spend some time in prayer about those three steps. What do they look like to you for your life?

Click here to see the April 4 posting.

As Ricky put breakfast in front of us, he asked, “Anything else I can get you guys right now?”

We both told Ricky we were fine and thanked him. After he hurried away, I commented, “Ricky is a great example of someone who takes serving seriously. It’s not always easy to serve others.”

“You’re right,” Stan replied. “And earlier this morning I was looking at a story in the Bible that’s also a good example of someone who served. This time it was someone who was healed and then served.”

“Healed and then served? What was going on?”

“It’s the story of when Jesus went to the apostle Peter’s house and found that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed.”

“So Peter was married,” I commented.

“Seems so,” Stan replied. “Unless there’s something I don’t understand, I think that’s how a person gets a mother-in law! But that’s not the important part of the story.”

“What is?” I asked.

“It’s what she did after Jesus healed her,” Stan said.

“What’d she do?”

“She got up and began to wait on Him,” Stan replied. “Seems to me it’s supposed to be the same for me, for you, and for everyone else.”

“In what way?”

“When I became a Christian by accepting God’s free and gracious gift of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, I was healed of my eternal separation from God. Because I accepted God’s provision of life eternally with Him, I was moved by the Holy Spirit to get up and to serve God while He keeps me on this side of eternity.”

“That sounds kind of like discipleship,” I commented.

“How so?” Stan asked.

“Well,” I replied, “the getting up to serve is like denying the self-centered notion of just wanting to serve myself. And then there’s the taking-up part, where serving God is doing what He has for me to take up. And, of course, there’s the third step of following Him after I have denied self and taken up what there is for me to take up.”

“Sounds about right,” Stan said. “As well, I think that’s what God intends for each person who is a part of His church. Once we have been healed from our eternal separation from God, we are to get up and serve Him as disciples.”

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Bible verses to consider:

And when Jesus had come to Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.  And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and began to wait on Him. Matthew 8:14-15.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for healing me of my separation from you when I accepted your free and gracious provision of the finished work of the cross.  Thank you for healing me so that I have the opportunity to serve you. I confess that there are too many times when I don’t choose to serve you while you keep me on this side of eternity. Please forgive the foolishness of not serving you with the life you have given me. Help me  follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, serve you as a disciple however, wherever, and whenever you want. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious healing for eternal purposes so you know you will spend eternity in His presence? If no, why do you not want to be healed in that way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption because by being  healed of your eternal separation from God, how are you doing with serving Him on this side of eternity? As well as you would like? As well as He would like? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

As we were enjoying our breakfast one morning, Stan commented, “The other day I was visiting with a neighbor and we got on the subject of his personal testimony.”

“How he came to faith?” I asked.

“Not so much that,” Stan replied. “More about how he came back to faith.”

“Back to faith? Had he wandered away?”

“That’s his testimony,” Stan said, “and he indicated that what started him on the road back was a single verse from the Old Testament, in the Book of Judges.”

“What’s that about?”

“It’s in the story of Samson and Delilah,” Stan replied, “where it says that Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.”

“Did your neighbor say that God had departed from him?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “My neighbor said that as he read about what had happened to Samson, he was struck by the notion that maybe God hadn’t gone anywhere. It caused him to think about how we leave God. And that was especially true with him.”

“He had left God? How’s that happen?”

“It was the same with him as it can be with all of us,” Stan replied. “It’s usually a little by little. A little unconfessed sin here, a little lack of repentance there, and pretty soon what may be little becomes big. All of a sudden we look around and see that we are no longer as close to God as we were. Someone has left, and it wasn’t God.”

“Then what?”

“It’s like my neighbor’s testimony,” Stan replied. “He said he confessed, repented, and began anew his walk with God.”

“And that helped?” I asked.

“It sure did,” Stan said, “and my neighbor told me that he does something every morning to help make sure he doesn’t move away from God again.”

“What’s that?”

“He comes before God and asks Him for His help in examining every part of his life for any unconfessed sin, any lack of repentance, along with anything else that might interfere with his ongoing, ever-deepening relationship with God.”

“Every morning?” I said. “He must consider it important.”

“He does,” Stan replied. “He realized it was not God who had packed up and left, it was him. And he doesn’t ever want that to happen again!”

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Bible verses to consider:

But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Judges 16:20.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24.

Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart. Psalm 26:2.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you want me to walk closely with you. I confess that too often I choose to walk apart from you. I do that because that’s what I want to do. Please forgive the foolishness of that. Please help me follow every step of your lead in asking you to examine and convict me of any and all unconfessed sin, failed repentance, and anything else that keeps me from walking closely with you. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Do you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence? If no, why? Do you not know it is a free and gracious gift that only needs to be accepted? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in not wandering away from God on this side of eternity? Is there unconfessed sin or failed repentance that you need to bring before Him? If you sense the need for change in how you pursue an ever-deepening relationship with God so there is no distance between you and Him, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

The Christian life involves being transformed into something we haven’t been before. The posting for April 5 (link below) focused on that idea with a story of someone who re-purposes old stuff into something new. Take another look at this subject from the standpoint of your personal transformation. Spend time with God in prayer to see what He has for you to consider about this.

Click here to see the April 5 posting.

As we waited for Ricky to bring breakfast, Stan mentioned, “A few weeks ago, we talked about some people who laughed at Jesus. Do you remember that?”

“I do,” I replied. “Some people laughed at Jesus because they thought they knew more than He did about a child dying.”[Note to reader: See the posting for March 15, 2023, “Laughing Because of Unbelief”].

“Why do you ask?”

“Earlier this morning,” Stan replied, “I was reading in Luke’s gospel about a similar situation with some Pharisees, but they weren’t so blatant about it.”

“In what way?”

“They didn’t laugh out loud,” Stan said, “but they did scoff or ridicule Jesus for what He was telling them about the use of money.”

“Why would they do that?” I asked. “Why would someone ridicule what Jesus had to say about anything?”

“They didn’t like what they heard because it was contrary to what they wanted to hear,” Stan replied. “It can be the same thing today.”

“What same thing?”

“Let’s look at what was going on and see how it might apply to us,” Stan said. “A quick summary. Jesus had just spent quite a bit of time talking to some Pharisees about money, being good stewards, giving to the needy, and things like that. Luke writes that they scoffed at Jesus. They ridiculed Him for what He had just told them.”

“Any idea why they scoffed?”

“Luke writes that they did so because they were ‘lovers of money’.”

“Oh,” I said. “They loved money more than they loved hearing what Jesus had to say about them and money. So they ridiculed what He had to say. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “And it’s a good lesson for me.”

“In what way?”

“When I read or hear something God has for me, and I don’t like what I’m reading or hearing,” Stan replied, “it’s time for me to take a closer look at what’s going on. Is there something that God is pointing out that I love more than I love Him? If I just scoff at what I read or hear, rather than taking it to heart, I’m on the wrong road heading in the wrong direction. It’s time to turn around.”

“Turn around,” I said. “You mean like repenting?”

“Exactly, my friend,” Stan replied. “It’s time to listen, repent, and obey, not the time to scoff!”

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Bible verses to consider:

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him. Luke 16:14.

And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others, let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” Luke 23:35.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you through the cross of Christ. Thank you for those who brought me to that truth so I could accept it. Thank you, too, for all you have to say to me about living for you and your kingdom. I confess that too often what you say is contrary to what I want to hear and, as a result, I do not obey. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me follow every step of your lead so I truly listen to what you have for me. If what you say is not what I want to hear, please help me look at why that’s so and make whatever adjustments need to be made so I do obey you. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him? If no, is that because you don’t believe and you are ridiculing and rejecting God, as well as those who do believe? If that’s what you are doing, take some time to reflect on why you want to do that. If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing when what God says is something you don’t want to hear? Do you just reject it, or are you willing to take a look inside of yourself to see why you don’t want to hear what God has to say? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

“I can’t be in two places at the same time,” is a common expression that reflects the need to make choices about what we do. It was the same thing for the early disciples who were sitting in their boats mending nets when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” They couldn’t stay in their boats mending nets and follow Jesus at the same time. The posting for March 31 (link below) was on this subject. Take another look at it and spend some time in prayer about whether God has somewhere else for you to be, doing something different than what you are doing now.

Click here to see the March 31 posting.

As we waited for Ricky to bring breakfast one morning, Stan commented, “I was reading in Luke’s gospel the other day and saw a simple statement about what someone did that seems to have application about how I praise God.”

“Praise God about what?”

“Anything and everything,” Stan replied.

“What were you looking at?”.

“Quick summary,” he said. “Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.”

“To go to the cross?”

“That’s right,” Stan said. “He was always on His way to the cross. That’s why He was here. As He was on His way, He encountered ten lepers who asked Him to have mercy on them.”

“Have mercy on them? You mean like curing them?” I replied. “Did He do that?”

“Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests,” Stan said, “and as they were going they realized that they were healed.”

“So the point is to do what Jesus says, is that it?”

“That’s another story for another day,” Stan replied. “Here I want to talk about the one guy who turned back to thank Jesus.”

“Only one thanked Him?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Stan replied, “That, too, is another story for another day! Here, the point is how he thanked Jesus.”

“How he thanked Him? What’d he do?”

“It says that he glorified God with a loud voice,” Stan said. “I think I’m supposed to do the same thing.”

“Glorify God with a loud voice? Why?”

“At least two reasons,” Stan replied. “First, I am to glorify God loudly enough so He can hear my praise and thanksgiving. Secondly, it seems that I am to glorify God loudly enough so the people around me can hear and know where I direct my praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving.”

“So that it might make a difference in their lives and relationship with God? Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “If I don’t praise and give glory to God loudly enough for them to hear, how are they going to know?”

“I guess they won’t,” I said.

“Good guess, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.

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Bible verses to consider:

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. Luke 17:15-16.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for all you have done, and for all you do, for me. You have given me life eternally with you. You provide all I need to live this life for you and your kingdom. I confess that too often I do not thank and glorify you in the way I should. Please forgive me. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, give you all praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving to you in ways that are loud enough for you to hear and know what’s on my heart. Help me to speak it loudly enough so those around me hear and know that I am focusing on you and your provision so that it may make a difference in their relationship with you. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him so you can and do give Him all the glory for what He has done? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with giving God praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving in ways that are loud enough for Him to hear, as well as loudly enough for those around you to hear? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?