“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

I believe that when God says He will meet all our needs it doesn’t necessarily mean that He will provide material goods, but rather that He is the embodiment of all we need.  Paul, in the midst of a great struggle, heard the Lord speak to him. God’s response to Paul’s cry to remove the torment was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Which leads me to a question: do we believe that God is enough?

Is He enough to fill my need for approval? Is He enough to satisfy my longing for love? Through sickness and hardship and grief, is God enough to sustain me?

God revealed Himself in the Old Testament to Abram (Genesis 17:1) as “El Shaddai” which means, “God Almighty” or “God All Sufficient.”

Purpose, fulfillment or satisfaction can’t be found in relationships, work or possessions. Humans will never satisfy our need for approval or love because they are imperfect.  Sooner or later they will fail.

God, on the other hand, will never fail or forsake us. He alone gives our lives meaning. The Scripture promises: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Yes, He is all I need.

All Sufficient God, help me to rest in the knowledge that You are all I need.  Amen.

Questions: How has God been enough for you in the past? How do you need God today?

If your mind is full of trouble and you could use a listening ear, contact a mentor today.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

What are your thoughts focused on today? What do you call to mind? Just prior to these verses in Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah had been thinking about all the troubles he had experienced in his life. He remembered being mocked, being deprived of peace, being afflicted, and the bitterness that resulted.

“Yet this I call to mind.”

Then, the whole tone of the passage changes because Jeremiah does a remarkable thing. He deliberately decides to summon up from his memory examples of God’s compassion and faithfulness to him.

Hope emerged in the midst of his predicament, sparked by God’s compassion. The light of God’s love shone into the darkness of Jeremiah’s situation. Remembering God’s faithfulness strengthened Jeremiah’s resolve to cling to Him in the middle of a difficult situation.

“Yet this I call to mind.”

We too can become intentional about recalling God’s faithfulness in our lives. Remember the time you thought you couldn’t bear one more day, but then God gave you the strength? Remember when God miraculously intervened providing the finances needed, healing that relationship, giving you a fresh start?

Although I don’t know the details of you life, I know that God is faithful. That is why I can say with confidence, as Jeremiah did, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

I urge you to call this to mind today.

Faithful God, thank you for Your great love and compassion! Remind me of all the times You have faithfully provided all that I need and help me to fix my attention on You, so that I don’t give in to despair. Amen.

Questions: Why are our thoughts so important to our outlook? What examples of God’s faithfulness do you call to mind?

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

Have you ever really wanted something? Wanted it so desperately that you were willing to spend whatever time, energy or resources it took to acquire it? Imagine seeking God in that manner

Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value – worth selling everything we own, in order to buy it. Zechariah prophesied that there will be a day when, “[T]he inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.’” (Zechariah 8:21)

Of course, it’s easier to be a follower than a leader; easier to wait for someone else to make the move to go against the flow of culture and risk everything in order to find eternal life. Yet when I read these words from Zechariah, I feel God calling me to be the first one to set out on this holy quest; the one who beseeches God for forgiveness and encourages others to do the same. I hear the call to be the one who humbly seeks God’s face, to know and be known by Him, and by example, urges others to drop whatever they’re doing in order to discover His will.

I sense within my heart the need to say, “I myself am going to seek God, won’t you come with me?”

Almighty God, thank you for the promise that I will find You when I seek You with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Give me the courage and the strength to seek after You regardless of who goes before me or if anyone else follows.  Amen.

Questions: Is anything holding you back from seeking God now? Why is seeking God of greater value than any other thing?

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1, 2)

The word “rejoice” creates a picture in my mind of celebration. Yet it must be more than a happy emotion or a festive occasion.  Many days don’t feel like party days. Financial troubles, heavy workloads, illness, and infidelity happen regardless of our race or home address. So how do we rejoice?

In his book, Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller provides this definition: “To rejoice is to treasure a thing, to assess its value to you, to reflect on its beauty and importance until your heart rests in it and tastes the sweetness of it.” (Counterfeit Gods, p 173)

Let me remind you today that in the midst of whatever trouble you face, you have a reason to rejoice. We have been justified through faith. What a glorious truth to treasure. By faith in Jesus Christ, we have been made right with God. Nothing on earth can bring joy like that.

We have peace with God. How sweet it is to know that sin no longer separates us from God. We have an intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We have gained access into grace. What could be of greater importance than God’s unmerited favor shown to us? Savior the goodness of being forgiven.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. You have hope. Not a deceptive hope that tomorrow will be better, but something solid to cling to. One day we will see God in His glory. Evil, sin and death will be defeated; God will be victorious; every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Great and gracious God, teach me to rejoice in the hope that I have in You.  Amen.

Question: How do you define rejoice? How does rejoicing in what you know is true help you on dark days?

Sometimes I feel restless and sometimes I don’t feel restless enough. Let me explain. I get these antsy moments when I feel like a job would give me more purpose or a move would bring more excitement into my life. Then there are intervals in which everything is going well. I like my neighbours; we have a good income; the kids are happy.

I have found that being content isn’t always a good thing. Discontentment can be a signal from my soul, not to spice up my life with a change, but a reminder that, “We are not citizens of earth – our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20) When my soul is restless it is because I am longing for something that I will never get here on earth. Conversely, we often get too comfortable with life here, forgetting that we were made for more than this.

The heroes of our faith didn’t build three car garages, they lived in tents. That was because they knew this life wasn’t permanent. They were looking ahead to something better. They considered themselves “aliens and strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

Considering myself a stranger here should transform the way I live.

“They were longing for a better country – a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). I need to start looking for a better country, one where right prevails, where Jesus is Lord, where truth is known and lived by all.

Rather than longing for the day when the kids will graduate, so that I will have more time on my own, I need to long for the day when I will be with Christ. I need to increase my yearning by focusing on Jesus. I must strengthen my longing by living like a stranger here. But how do we live like strangers? The Word of God has specific instruction:

1. Keep yourself from sin. “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
2. Be selfless. Our own emotions do not define how we live. “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not” (1 Corinthians 7:29,30).
3. Don’t be consumed by possessions, instead be generous. “Those who buy something, [should live] as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:30,31).
4. Love and honor God; be holy. “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear (1 Peter 1:17).
5. Admit our status as aliens and yearn for Christ’s return. “And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

“Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:2).

Holy God, help me to understand what it means to live as a stranger here on earth. Help me not to be caught up with or consumed by the temporary things around me. Instead let me live for You and long for Jesus’ return.

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Daily Devotional: Am I ready for heaven?

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” (Luke 12:37)

Masters don’t serve slaves their dinner. Who ever heard of such a thing? CEOs don’t pour coffee for their secretaries. But as radical as it sounds, Jesus demonstrated that very thing.

“After that, [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” (John 13:5)

Nothing humbles me more than realizing that God is humble. The God of the universe humbled Himself to become a man – Jesus. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet as an act of service and as an example to us all. His death on the cross – the ultimate act of service –provides the way for us to experience eternal life.

As servants of the serving God we need to heed His instruction: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.” (Luke 12:35)

The story in Luke includes a stern warning. “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and women servants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:46)

Jesus tells us to continue to serve Him and be ready for His return, no matter how long it takes.

Holy God, it boggles my mind to know that you are both Almighty and humble. Show me how to live for You, always ready for service. Amen.

Questions: How does knowing that God is humble impact you? Why do we forget the need to always be ready of Jesus’ return?

Do you still carry wounds from childhood? Has someone tried to tell you who you are? Our mentors are available to talk and pray with you.

“To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” (Revelations 2:17)

The book of Revelation contains letters to seven churches. As part of God’s message to the churches, each letter describes something God will give to each one who overcomes. Revelations 2:17 says, “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Do you realize that God calls you by a name that no one else knows?

I believe that God bestowed that title on you, chosen specifically for you, when He created you. That name symbolizes all that God created you to be, all He knew you could be with His love. The name is not “loser” or “cheater” or manipulator” or not good enough” or “worthless.”

Instead, God’s name for you will be “Beauty” or “Treasure”, “My loved One” or “the One who Overcomes”, “Honesty” or “Purity”. You see, you are not defined by your mistakes – that is not who you are. Nor are you what people have done to you. It may have been an awful thing that happened to you, but it is not you. No, you are the child of God. You are the one He loves. You are the one He created to hold a place in His heart that no one else can fill.

Daughter of the Most High God, you are exceptional, highly esteemed and greatly loved.

God, we cry out to You because we desperately need a new name. We have been bound by the words that were yelled at us and by the injustices that were perpetrated against us. Help us to believe the truth that You love us and see us as Your precious children.  Amen.

Questions: Why are names so powerful? How does knowing that you have a new name help you to move forward in your life?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by guilt? This is a safe place. Talk to us.

A vague idea that things will work out eventually isn’t what we need. No, we need something solid to cling to, something that is true and will never fail.

The prophet Jeremiah understood the feeling of affliction. Evil surrounded him; no one would listen to him. He was persecuted and thrown into prison because he spoke the words God gave him. In the midst of his trouble, through the power of the Holy Spirit, he penned some of the most powerful words to address despair ever written.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed.”
“God’s compassions never fail.”
“Great is God’s faithfulness.”

This is truth; a solid place for us to stand in the midst of desperate trials. God is faithful. God never fails to show compassion. God’s great love is the reason will we survive. Though you may not feel it today, these words are true. I urge you to repeat them – out loud, if necessary – until your heart feels what your head knows.

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for Your faithfulness. Thank you for Your great love. You are my reason to hope. Help me to cling to this truth. Amen.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Lord, I want to trust you but I don’t know how!

Questions: How does repeating what you know to be true change your feelings? Why is God’s great love our reason to hope?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

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Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited” (Zephaniah 1:7).

In Israel’s history, priests offered cattle, sheep, goats or even birds as sacrifices to God for the sins of the people, but that is not what Zephaniah is talking about in this passage. When Zephaniah says that God has prepared a sacrifice, he can only mean one thing: Jesus’ death on the cross.

You see, God has to punish sin, because He is holy and pure. But in His great mercy, He has not only withheld that judgment until the last day, He has provided a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin.

“He [Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Although Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead at a particular time in history, God planned His sacrifice from the beginning of time. John says in Revelation, “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

John also writes, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9)! And Zephaniah tells us God has consecrated – or made holy – those He has invited.  How wonderful it is to know that although God will judge sin, He has also provided a way for sin to be forgiven and for each one who accepts this forgiveness, to be made holy.

You may ask, but who has God invited?

It is an open invitation, Paul says, quoting the prophet Joel, “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Romans 10:13, quoted from Joel 2:32).

Thank you Heavenly Father for providing a sacrifice for our sins and for making us holy. We join with those who say, “You [Jesus] are worthy … because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Amen.

Questions: Why did God need to provide a sacrifice? How does knowing that God has invited you and consecrated you impact your life?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

Please join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our women’s chat room at 10:30am est

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (Matthew 14:13).

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

In the gospels, we see a pattern in Jesus’ life of seeking solitude. Jesus sought out quiet times to be with God. It is an example that we need to follow.

Is there no quiet place for you to go?

Susannah Wesley was a godly woman who lived in the late sixteen and early seventeen hundreds. She gave birth to nineteen children, nine of whom died in infancy. It is said that if she could not find a quiet place to pray, she would simply flip her apron over her head, as a signal that she was not to be disturbed, and pray where she was.

Maybe it isn’t that lack of quietness in our world that hinders us as much as the loss of the ability to be still.

Though the noise of our daily lives is great, sometimes the noise within our hearts is greater. We cannot be still because we are afraid of the quiet. We keep running, hoping that the hurts we have received, the pain of our own failures and our restless thoughts won’t catch up to us. We are so tired, but we can’t stop.

It is time to stop running.

It is time to make seeking out a solitary place to be with God a priority.

It is time to be still.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7)

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

~Heavenly Father, I want to pattern my life after Jesus. Help me to withdraw from the busyness around me to spend time in prayer. Show me how to be still and wait on You.

Questions: What keeps you from seeking a quiet place to be alone with God? What thoughts or fears prevent you from being still?

About the Author: Suzanne Benner

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, When You Open the Door, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog