Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

God is the source of everything you need to live. He is the Good Shepherd who feeds, leads, and meets your needs. You don’t have to look anywhere else. You don’t have to look to Wall Street. You don’t have to look to the government. You don’t have to look to your spouse, your individual retirement account, your Social Security, or your job.

If you’re going to put your security in something, you need to put it in something that can never be taken from you. You can lose your health. You can lose your job. You can lose your good looks. You can lose your family. You can lose your life. You can lose your mind. You can even lose your way.

God, however, is never lost. And there is nothing you need that God can’t supply. Philippians 4:19 says, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

So why do we worry so much? Worry may be the most common sin on the planet. It is the direct result of forgetting that God is good all the time. You can pray, or you can panic. If you’re not praying, you’re panicking. You can worry, or you can worship. If you’re not worshiping, you’re worrying. As soon as you invite worship in the front door, worry goes out the back door.

The Bible says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

Clearly, God doesn’t want you worrying about anything. Yet it’s hard for all of us to stop the worry habit. It’s just in our nature!

The best place to start is prayer. Once you’ve recognized how worry keeps you from the goodness of God and you’ve decided that you don’t want it to get the best of you, you can take things to God in prayer instead.

Talk About It

How has worry affected you physically? What about emotionally? Spiritually?
When was the last time you worried about something? Five minutes ago? Last week? Are you worried about something right now?
Spend some time right now praying for the things you are worrying about. What difference does it make?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (NKJV)

Thoughts
This is a difficult thing for us all to do. It's bad enough we have to face our sins to ourselves, but to confess to friends that is real difficult. We can truly appreciate when we find friends who are fishing buddies or hunting buddies.

These friendships can develop to a level where friends can share their sins with each other. We should all have friends whom we can confess our sins to. I know I'm glad for the blessing of friends I have. Thank you, Lord.
(Mike E)

Action Point
Evaluate your friendships and see if you have a friend that you can really open yourself up to.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest” (Psalm 127:2 TLB).

When we started Saddleback Church, I was working 18 hours a day. Kay cooked meals and hosted people in our home twice a week. We had every member of our church in our home at least once during those first two years. On the last Sunday of the first year, I stood up to speak—and fainted. I was worn out from physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational exhaustion.

Over the next year, God taught me some things about balance—which I’ve had to learn over and over again since then. Here’s what I learned: God won’t give you everything he promised all at once. It could be you’re not prepared to handle it all, or it could be it’s too much for you to manage until you mature. God’s promises may be filled little by little as you grow.

The Bible says in Psalm 127:2, “It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest” (TLB).

When I collapsed at church, I realized resistance to rest is immaturity. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is the church or anything else that is worthwhile.

While God is growing your business, he’s growing you. While God is growing your children, he’s growing you. While God is growing your career, he’s growing you. For you to grow, you have to learn to rest in God’s goodness.

Talk About It

What are your reasons for overworking at home, school, or work?
Where is your focus when you overwork?
Based on your daily schedule, which is your higher priority: finishing your to-do list or growing spiritually? Why?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
II Thessalonians 1:11
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. (NIV)

Thoughts
What a special feeling it is to see a child catch his/her first fish. No matter how big the fish, the smile is always bigger, the feeling bigger yet; and the accomplishment outweighs both. After more than 37 years of fishing, I still remember my first fish!

On several occasions, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to show kids how to fish. When they catch that first one, I honestly don't know who is more excited. The parents are proud, the child is proud; and I am grateful that God has blessed me with the ability and responsibility to pass on what He has so graciously let me experience.

I have learned that adventures and experiences, both good and bad, are worth nothing unless we pass them on to others. They can either learn from our mistakes and/or build on our successes so that they have even more to pass on to the next person. To me, that's not only a calling, but a true and wonderful blessing.
(Jim C)

Action Point
If you have the opportunity to pass on any kind of outdoor information, you need to do it. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, that information could be beneficial to many more than the one to whom you told it. We all need to pass it on.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (Psalm 23:2 NIV).

Are you always in a hurry? Is your to-do list unrealistically long? Has more than one person ever told you to slow down? Do you feel guilty when you relax? Do you have to get sick to take time off?

The pace of our modern society pushes us to keep going and going and going. Many people work even on their day off. And those who go to a church service often head home afterward only to dive right into work (whether it’s housework, schoolwork, or career work), trying to do all the stuff that they didn’t accomplish during the regular workweek. On top of that, some people think God only smiles on them when they’re working, praying, or doing “spiritual” activities.

No wonder we’re exhausted! Most of us are maxed out. But that’s not the way of the Good Shepherd.

God, in his goodness, created rest because he considers it as important as work. A loving shepherd makes sure his sheep get enough rest to stay healthy. If you won’t lie down, God will make you lie down. Sometimes the only way God can get you to look up is to lay you flat on your back. He will do that because he cares about your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (NIV).

Giving God your best requires rest.

Talk About It

What do green pastures and quiet waters, like we read about in Psalm 23:2, represent to you?
Why do so many people overwork and not get enough rest?
In what ways could you change your schedule or expectations at home and work so that you get enough rest?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Ephesians 5:1-2
Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)

Thoughts
Just about every time I go into the woods, I try to be something I'm not; I imitate something else - perhaps a dying rabbit, to attract a coyote or mountain lion; or maybe a worm, to attract a smallmouth bass. I almost always try to imitate something that will help me successfully outwit my prey.

In my life as a Christian, I have but One to imitate - God - by being like His Son, Jesus. One of the ways Jesus taught us to imitate God is by loving those He came to seek and to save. He loved us, even to the point of death. That is being like God; and that is what is going to attract others to take God's "bait" and accept His gift of salvation.
(Cliff S)

Action Point
Being a Christian isn't all that complicated. We are to simply be like Jesus, and, therefore, be like God. To do that, we must love as Jesus loved - the Father above all else, and others as He loved them.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV).

Hurry creates worry. Matthew 6:34 says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NCV).

There are two days you should never worry about: yesterday and tomorrow.

You can’t live in the past. You can’t live in the future. You can only live today. Why should you only live one day at a time? First, when you worry about tomorrow’s problems, you miss the blessings of today. Second, you cannot solve tomorrow’s problems with today’s power. When tomorrow arrives, God will give you the power, perspective, grace, and wisdom you need.

The Bible does not say, “Give us this day our WEEKLY bread.” It says, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 ESV). God wants you to depend on him one day at a time. He will provide everything you need. You will lack nothing.

It’s okay to plan for tomorrow. Just don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow. Trust God for each day as it comes.

Talk About It

Spend five to 10 minutes today reciting and meditating on Psalm 23. What other Scripture passages would be helpful to remember when you start to worry?
What are you worrying about from your past that you need to surrender to God?
What are you worrying about in the future that you need to trust God for today?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV).

When you are worried, don’t repress it, suppress it, or deny it. Confess it. If you try to push down worries, you’re going to get sick. It’s like taking a can of soda, shaking it up, and then putting it in the freezer. It’s going to explode!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV).

What is the peace that passes understanding? It’s when you’re at peace but you have no logical, rational reason for it. You just lost your job but somehow you’re at peace about it. Why? The Lord is your shepherd. You just heard the dreaded word “cancer” from the doctor. For some reason, you have peace about the situation. Why? The Lord is your shepherd. Just keep giving your worries to him. He can handle it.

If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Meditation is simply focusing on one thought over and over. So take the skills you use when you worry, and instead meditate on God’s Word. Start with a small portion of Scripture. First, read the passage slowly, perhaps out loud a few times, placing emphasis on different words or phrases. Second, reflect on the truth of the text. Third, respond to God in light of what you’ve just read. This may be quietly or out loud. Fourth, rest in the Word of God, listening for what God has to say through the Scripture.

Would you rather have your worries or God’s Word running through your head? Do something about it today: Confess your worry, and then fill your mind with God’s truth found in the Bible.

Talk About It

When you pray to God about your worries, do you get specific? If not, what difference do you think it would make if you did?
Read Psalm 23, and then practice the ideas on meditating from today’s devotional. What new insights do you gain?
Philippians 4:7 says that God’s peace “will guard” your heart and mind. What do you think that means?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (Matthew 6:32-33 TLB).

Anytime you worry, it reveals a particular area of your life where you have not given God first place. Any area of your life where God is not in control is going to be a source of insecurity and worry.

Welcome Jesus into your house. Give him access to the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, and all the closets in your life. He already knows what’s in there. In fact, God knows your needs better than you do. You’ve got needs you don’t even know you’ve got. Whenever you bring a need to God, he’s not going to be surprised. He won’t say, “Whoa, I never saw that one coming!”

“Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (Matthew 6:32-33 TLB).

When you make Jesus Christ number one in every area of your life, it simplifies your priorities and gives you a lot less to worry about.

Talk About It

Pastor Rick mentioned insecurity in today’s devotional—what other emotions accompany your worries?
Are there things in your life that you love more than God, even if they are good things?
How have any of those things become a source of worry for you? If they aren’t a source of worry, why do you think that is so?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (NIV)

Psalms 37:23
Stalwart walks in step with God; his path blazed by God, he's happy. (MSG)

Thoughts
While crossing Skull Mesa with our half Native American guide, Wayne, the trail would totally disappear for some distance. Even with the forest service map and GPS, we'd have to circle out ahead numerous times to pick up the resemblance of a trail to continue. We planned to cross over and be in Cave Creek before dark. But, these detours were crowding our time. With all the modern technology available to us, I was following the Indian home.
(Wes W)

Action Point
Often times in life we just seem to lose our way. We try to make wise decisions, plan ahead, and use modern technology, but life just becomes uncertain. When life becomes uncertain? God is my GPS:
G. - God
P. - Points
S. - Specifically
God directs my paths and my decisions.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11 TLB).

Sheep are essentially defenseless animals, so a shepherd uses a few tools to care for and protect his sheep. He uses a rod for guarding and protecting and a staff with a little crook in it to rescue the sheep.

We are like lost sheep, so Jesus came to Earth to be our Good Shepherd. Just as a shepherd uses the physical tools of the rod and the staff for direction and protection, God wants to protect you and direct you. Here are five ways he does that:

If you bring your hurts to him, Jesus is compassionate.
Jesus has compassion on us, because he knows that we are helpless without him (Matthew 9:36). He doesn’t put you down; he lifts you up. He doesn’t hassle you; he heals you.

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 ESV).

If you follow him, Jesus leads you in the right direction.
The Shepherd goes before. He leads from the front and calls you forward. Jesus is not going to push you through life. He’s going to say, “Watch how I do it. Look where I go.”

“When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice” (John 10:4 CEV).

If you get confused or wander away, Jesus will find you and bring you back.
When God brings you back from wandering away from him, he will not punish you, but he may discipline you. If a shepherd has a sheep that is prone to wander, he will often wrap that sheep’s leg so it can’t move. In the same way, sometimes God gives us a limp to keep us from wandering.

“If a man has a hundred sheep but one of the sheep gets lost, he will leave the other ninety-nine on the hill and go to look for the lost sheep” (Matthew 18:12 NCV).

If you fail or fall, Jesus rescues you and sets you on the road to recovery.
Like all sheep, we not only wander, but we also stumble. When we trust that God is going to restore us and rescue us when we fail, we’ll faithfully run to him every time we mess up.

“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not rescue it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep!” (Matthew 12:11-12 NIV).

If you trust him to save you, Jesus will keep his promise to do just that.
It’s not your job to save yourself. Your job is simply to put your hand in God’s and say, “God, I’m all yours—the good, the bad, the ugly.” God loves you too much to ever let you go.

“My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29 NCV).

The goodness of God means he’s going to guide you, guard you, protect you, direct you, and save you. No one else can offer you those five benefits. They only come from Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

Talk About It

In what direction is Jesus leading you right now? In your work? Your family? Your community? Your church? Your relationships?
What have you learned from God’s discipline?
Do you trust God for his promises never to leave you and to always come after you? Why or why not?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (NKJV)

Thoughts
Many of us would love to spend every day hiking, fishing, or hunting. We would love to always have enough money to pay our bills, and still have enough for the latest rifle, scope, fishing lures, gas, truck, ammo, out-of-state licenses, cabin, or camping trailer. But, this is not reality for most of us. Our days are not perfect. They are filled with financial burdens, not enough vacation time, family stresses, illnesses, and struggles. We live in a not so perfect world trying to live for Christ.

One deer hunt when I was about 14, my brother-in-law had killed a deer in the afternoon on the backside of a mountain that my family had deservingly nicknamed "Misery Mountain." This mountain had shale slides, cactus, and was so steep that one could stay standing and still lean against the mountain to rest. Everyone went to retrieve that deer with a burro, except my mother and me. We had the job of feeding the fire just in case those on the mountain did not make it back by night fall.

Just as the sun was going down, we saw our hunting party disappear over the ridge of Misery to retrieve the deer. We knew we were in for a wait. We had gathered our wood or what you can in the desert. The night was quiet as the darkness settled around us. We waited as long as we could to light the fire to preserve our wood supply. The night grew colder and the darkness grew thicker. Mom had hunted with dad since she was 17. She was a good sport and a great hunter herself.

She decided we would light the fire, but we also needed to hike with a small flashlight across a dry gully to another hill in order to gather more wood. At 100 yards from that life reassuring fire, we suddenly heard something crashing through the brush. Minutes later came the high pitched, spine-tingling scream of a mountain lion. Mom, with a quiet resolve stated it was time to walk back to that fire. Hours later we would sporadically see our hunting party's flashlight way up high on Misery. They were trying to save their light and would use it sparingly.

I Thessalonians 5:5-6 reminds us, "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled," (NIV).
(Rebecca L)

Action Point
Mom and I were very alert waiting alone in that AZ wilderness. We felt much better when we made it back unscathed to our fire. It was even more reassuring when we could finally sporadically see a small flashlight beam of our hunting party maneuvering down that mountain. We didn't feel so alone.

That hunting experience is so like life. We can become so bogged down with making a living that we don't take time to see the "Light". God has sent us His Word as a light to light our path. He has a plan for our lives. It is up to us to be joyful, to pray for His guidance and protection, to be alert, and self-controlled. He will be with us in the scary unknown times. He offers His love and protection. All we need to do is believe and trust Him for His care.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

God never asks you to do something without providing what you need to do it. Anointing is a sign of God’s equipping you to fulfill an assignment he’s given you. When he gives you an assignment, a plan, or a strategy, he is going to empower you.

Just as a lamp won’t shine unless it’s plugged in, your light won’t shine unless you’re plugged into your power source. You cannot fulfill the purpose you were created for apart from the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).

If you want God’s power to work through your life, you need to understand what it means to have his anointing and keep a few things in mind.

When God says to do it, you can count on his anointing. Jesus’ last assignment to his disciples was impossible. There was no way they could possibly take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It could only happen through his power. God will often give you an assignment that looks physically impossible, but he will make it possible.
“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

God’s anointing makes difficult tasks easier. Your resources are limited. Your energy is limited. Your knowledge is limited. Your wisdom is limited. Your talent is limited. God’s is not. With God’s anointing, you can handle things better, last longer, and go farther.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources [God] will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT).

God’s anointing makes the impossible possible. In your business, marriage, health, and relationships, you’re going to come up against insurmountable problems. God is a competent Father. He can handle any problem you give him. Nothing is beyond his ability or his resources.
“What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NIV).

God anoints your life to bless others. Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, the broken-hearted, those who are enslaved to habits, those who don’t know how to get out of debt, and those who are blind. And he anoints you to comfort others as well.
“Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him” (Acts 10:38 The Message).

For every new challenge, you need fresh power from God. Anointing by the Holy Spirit cannot be stored up. You cannot handle today’s problems with yesterday’s anointing. You certainly can’t handle the problems you’re going to have tomorrow, next week, and next year with yesterday’s anointing. Stay in touch with God so that he can constantly fill you with his grace, love, and power. Ask for God’s anointing again. James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God” (NIV).

Talk About It

If you believed God wanted to bless your life, what would you ask of him?
Do you try to accomplish your tasks based on your own power or God’s power? What difference does it make?
In what ways do you see how God has anointed you—that is, equipped you—to fulfill whatever assignment he has given you?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Ephesians 5:15-16
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. (NASB)

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (KJV)

Thoughts
Anyone who has hunted for very long has come to understand the importance and value of the walk. To be a consistently successful hunter, one must walk well. Paying attention to changes in wind direction, looking for good cover to prevent long periods of exposure, and careful foot placement with each step are priorities.

When the walk becomes a stalk, paying attention to these priorities is usually the difference between success and failure. I have bagged several animals because others walked carelessly and I capitalized on their errors.
(Randy E)

Action Point
The Holy Spirit gives us the reason for walking as "wise" men and women of God, "So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain," Philippians 2:15-16 (NASB).

So, how are you walking?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5 NIV).

King David knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by the Prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but Saul was still king. Even though David served him loyally, Saul was jealous of the future king, and he decided to kill him. David had to hide from Saul in caves while lies were being told about him across the kingdom. Yet, David never said a bad word against King Saul. He never retaliated, because God was preparing David to be a king who followed God’s heart.

David said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5 NIV).

Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself because he trusted God to be his defender.

It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, and when rumors are spreading about you. When that happens, everything in you wants to rise up and do something about it. How do you handle people who attack you? You don’t. You let God handle them.

Trust God to be your defender.

Not only does God want to defend you, but he also wants to fellowship with you: “You’ll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to you. Let the party last all night! Stand guard over our celebration” (Psalm 5:11 The Message).

This is a banquet, or a party, at an unlikely time—not just when good times are happening but when you’re under attack.

God says, “I know you’re in the heat of the battle right now. You’re fighting for your job. You’re fighting for your health. You’re fighting for your sanity. You’re fighting for your dignity. While the battle is going on, I want to throw a banquet for you to offer just a little encouragement.” It’s a party in a combat zone. It’s a banquet on a battlefield.

If you’re a child of God, your heavenly Father is proud of you. Critics may spite you, slander you, ignore you, ridicule you, or libel you, but they can’t stop God’s blessing on your life.

“He brought me to his banquet hall and raised the banner of love over me” (Song of Solomon 2:4 TEV).

Talk About It

What battle are you in right now? What opposition is staring you down?
What will you have to let go of when you surrender your defense to God?
How does resting in the midst of a battle help you fight better?