Daily Devotionals – February 18, 2012
TODAY’S ENCOURAGING WORD – 2/18/2012
How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!
–Psalm 116:5, NLT
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
–1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT
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Already Judged
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged ; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
-John 3:17-18
As a society, Americans are fond of their rights. We’re very protective of our liberties, even when they might bring harm rather than good. That can be true of spiritual matters as well. For example, exercising the “right” to reject God’s plan of salvation leaves a person in a condemned condition.
I have heard the following phrase often in my years of ministry: “I don’t believe God is going to condemn me to hell.” I agree, but not with the comment’s intended meaning–that a person is worthy of heaven on the basis of his own merit. You see, it is true that the Lord doesn’t condemn people to hell. He allows them to opt for that eternal destination themselves. They have a right to choose.
God says that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ have been judged already (v. 18). In other words, by rejecting–or politely ignoring–their need for a Savior, unbelievers have chosen to remain unsaved and unforgiven. Scripture teaches that there will one day be a judgment, but God has already determined that those who trust in Christ will stand with Him while the rest will be sent away (Matt. 25:34-46). An unrepentant man or woman is not condemned by God but, rather, has chosen to remain in the company of all those condemned by their own free will.
God desires that everyone come to a saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9). To that end, He has granted each person the right to decide whether or not to follow in obedience. However, those who reject the Savior are forewarned that they have settled for condemnation.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
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Weapons of Warfare
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Saturday, February 18 2012
“Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears.” – Joel 3:10a
In this third chapter of Joel, we hear the prophet describe a time yet to come. It will be a time of great harvest on the earth, and this verse describes the catalyst. A plowshare is an agricultural instrument used to till the soil. At this point in history, it was a tool that spoke of one’s vocation. However, the prophet was speaking of a time yet to come. The prophet described the plowshare as an instrument that will be turned into a sword. The sword is often used in the Bible to describe God’s Word. The only way a plowshare can be turned into a sword is for it to go through extreme heat, and then the blacksmith must beat that plowshare into shape. Heat and punishment of the metal turns that plowshare into an instrument of battle. God must do this in each of our lives in order for us to be useable as a worthy sword. We are all in a battle – a spiritual battle. Paul describes our battle as one against the principalities of the unseen world. I believe God is going to raise up many in the workplace to use their plowshare as a weapon of righteousness in these last days. That weapon won’t be used for destruction, but as a weapon of love. That weapon of love will yield a great harvest in our lifetime. But this is only part of the story.
God is also going to turn our pruning hooks into spears. A pruning hook is used in two ways. First, it is used to prune a tree for greater growth and productivity. It is also used to cut the fruit from taller trees in which one cannot reach the fruit. This fruit from our vocation is going to be cast forth like a spear, but even more as seed planted to bring the harvest of which Joel speaks. Fruit from our work life is often the financial rewards generated. God wants to use our finances and everything else for His purposes. We must use our vocations and the fruit that comes from them as seed to bring the great harvest that God is planning.
How are you using your plowshare and your pruning hook for God’s glory today? Ask God to show you how He wants to use your skills, resources, and relationships to prepare for the great harvest He has planned.
