Showing God

Hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? — Romans 8:24

Do you have a preconceived idea about how God is going to meet your needs? Throughout the years, I’ve encountered a number of people who have explained how they believed the Lord should answer their petitions. This is always a path to disaster because God’s ways are higher than ours, and He rarely acts in a manner we can predict. And when the Lord didn’t comply with their plans, they grew angry and disheartened with Him.

But understand that God’s purpose in allowing you to face a challenge or need is, first, for you to learn to rely on Him. Second, it is for others to see the Lord’s power and presence in your life so they’ll be drawn to Him. If He responds to you in a manner you can figure out or any person can replicate, where is the glory for Him? No, He must show Himself to be almighty God — beyond what anyone can accomplish in human strength or wisdom.

Therefore, today, stand before the Lord and declare, “I trust You completely to meet my needs in Your timing and according to Your methods.” Have faith in Him even when you can’t figure Him out. And allow Him to be glorified through you.

Jesus, show Yourself to be God in my situation. I have faith in You. Amen.

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The Real Need

After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. — James 1:15 NIV

Name the problems that plague our world, and you can trace them back to underlying emotional or spiritual needs in people’s lives. Whether it’s substance abuse, poverty, broken families, crime, or violence — every destructive condition grows out of profound internal needs that are first manifested in the heart.

People react to the circumstances that they believe are the source of their unmet needs but that are often only symptoms. For example, a person may think that money will alleviate the problems and dissatisfactions he has in life, and he may respond to that perceived need in a manner that is unhealthy, ungodly, and ultimately unsatisfactory — with anything from workaholism to theft. But in reality, the deep inner need he is really feeling might be for respect, personal worth, or security. That is an oversimplification, but you see the pattern. That person will be answering the wrong question about what really fills his soul.

Friend, don’t make that mistake. God not only reveals the true source of your need but satisfies it beyond imagination. Seek Him and trust Him to be all you require.

Jesus, the truth is that I need You. Please help me see past my perceived needs to the deep inner cry You want to satisfy in me. Amen.

Excerpted with permission from God’s Purpose for Your Life by Charles F. Stanley, copyright Charles F. Stanley.

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Your Turn

God is everything we truly need. Him. In Him, we can have real fulfillment, joy, hope, and contentment. When we trust Him to be God in our lives and allow Him to rule, our lives work! ~ Devotionals Daily