Based on “The Valley of Blessing” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 1/23-24/10
Message #MB405; Daily Devotional #1 - “Assisting God through Obedience”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): I fear battles I think I have to fight, but I find peace in the midst of battles I know the Lord is fighting for me. If I am fighting a battle, I am in a bad place, for the battles in my life are not mine but God’s (1 Samuel 17:47, 2 Chronicles 20:15). It means I have not turned the events of the battle over to the Lord; I have not trusted Him with the details or the outcome. Every one of us is either in a battle right now, have just come out of a battle, or will be in a battle soon. If we prefer to be on a mountaintop, maybe we should think that thought through. It is windy and exhilarating on the mountaintops, and a great place to be now and then, but no one lives there. More time is spent in the valleys, where growth and peace are nurtured. In the valleys we become God’s cheerleaders, as we watch Him battle our enemies. We learn that He is faithful and rewards the righteous. “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:11-12.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): I once worked as a dental assistant. It was my job to get all the instruments set up in proper order on the dentist’s tray, and not only have everything he would need in the position in which he needed it, but I must have already anticipated what would be involved in the particular procedure on the patient seated in the operatory. I would also need to know which instrument to place in his hand at the right moment. It was the dentist’s job to fix the patient’s problem, just as it is God’s job to take care of our needs. We on the other hand, could be excellent assistants in God’s work by handing God what He wants from us. We must offer Him trust and time with Him, obedient hearts, and a willingness to do what He asks. We must be prepared through prayer and in the learning of His Word, abandon ourselves to Him with true joy, and be the one He can trust to hand Him each day what He requires to fight the battles that will come our way. We must anticipate God’s pleasure when we get up each day and get on our knees to spend those first moments of our day with Him. It is then that He can give us our clear commands for the day’s battle. I would have failed as a dental assistant if I came into the operatory and just sat down to watch the dentist work on the patient. I had to be prepared! We participate in God’s victories by our obedience to His directions.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): We need to be the best assistant to God’s work that we are able to be. I believe God likes us to cheer Him on with our praise and worship, for He is the only one that can get the job done. He wins the battles; He wins the war, and we are only here to hand Him the instruments He has placed within us. God desires to fight our battles and is pleased when we take our hands off His job and attend to our job. For our battles are God’s battles and He, of course, never loses. We must remember all the battles God has brought us safely through, and all the times we had to learn to let go and trust Him. Remember when Jehoshaphat spoke, after being told that a vast army was coming against Judah (2 Chronicles 20:1-5), Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said: “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, if calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name, and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us. 2 Chronicles 20:5-9. Dear Lord, help us to become your assistants in the many battles raging against us in this present world. Remind us, and often, that you bring victory in your way and in your time, but always you bring victory! Fill our hearts with joy and keep us always in your valley of blessings, so we may continue to praise your Holy name. Amen
bam
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.