Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NIV).

When you trust God in spite of suffering, you’ll point unbelievers to him.

How you handle pain is a great witness to the world.

Frankly, you and I aren’t much of a witness when life is good. Anyone can serve God during those times.

But tough times are a different story.

Remember the story of Daniel’s friends being tossed into the fire? They trusted God, and he rescued them in a miraculous manner.

These guys impressed the king with their faith. And the king was the most powerful emperor of that age.

The king said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NIV).

King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that these guys were willing to defy his order and risk death because they trusted God.

What are you willing to die for?

If you don’t know what you’re willing to die for, you’ll never truly live. You’ll only exist.

Did you know that some trees only sprout after a forest fire? The jack pine tree of North America is like that. The seeds are in the cones so tightly that they won’t come out unless intense heat comes along. It’ll melt the resin, then the seed drops, and then it germinates.

Without heat, it wouldn’t happen.

The same is true with us.

Sometimes God brings new life to others because we trusted him through the fire.

Talk It Over

How have you drawn closer to God by seeing other people’s responses to times of suffering?
What are some things you’d be willing to die for?
Why are we often a better witness in tough times than good times?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

You let captors set foot on our neck; then we went through fire and water and you led us out to freedom” (Psalm 66:12 NAB).

You’ll face trials in life, no doubt about it.

But God will use them to free you.

In fact, sometimes what others expect will enslave you, God uses to liberate you. He’ll use them to set you free from the expectations and opinions of others.

The Bible says it like this: “You let captors set foot on our neck; then we went through fire and water and you led us out to freedom” (Psalm 66:12 NAB).

God wants you to be free. The Bible says the truth will set you free. But truth often comes with a high cost.

Four years ago my youngest son died. You might have heard the story. He had struggled with mental health his entire life. He had a troubled mind but a tender heart.

The day he took his life was the worst day of my life. I’ll never forget it.

But to make matters worse, Satan tried to take advantage of it. Critics came out in full force, saying horrible things about my family. You’d see them on TV, in magazines, and on blogs. They celebrated and laughed at his death. It was brutal, public, and constant. I thought I was going through Hell itself.

But God walked with me every step of the way. During this time, someone asked me how I was doing and I responded, “Honestly, I feel fearless.”

I wasn’t afraid. All I kept thinking was, “Satan, is that all you can throw at me? Are those critics the best you have?”

I’m not afraid of anything anymore. I’m living for an audience of one. Sometimes God uses tough times to wean you off an addiction to other people’s approval. You just don’t need it to be happy.

Talk It Over

How has God used pain to free you from something?
How are you impacted by a need for the approval of others?
Why is truth so freeing?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Psalm 119:36-37
Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. (NIV)

Thoughts
The sun wasn't even peeking over the horizon. The ducks were flying against an orange sky in what seemed to me a mad fashion this way and that. The caller sang a synchronization of quacks, cackles, and whistles gaining the birds' attention. The ducks were answering back with their own version of the song.

Suddenly a pair of ducks looked down at the water and saw the decoy spread. The vision was like a sky diver opening his parachute as the ducks simultaneously cupped their wings and committed to the final approach. They glided into the decoys like they were meeting old buddies, but were faced with a dire situation that left them as part of a hunter's bag limit.
(Dennis W)

Action Point
Too many times our lives are flying around in a mad fashion with really no purpose. This is when Satan thros out his decoys and calls to us. He knows that when we are not focused on abiding in Christ that our human nature can be distracted. We look at Satan's decoy and say, "Oooh, shiny!", pop our chute, and glide into destruction.

I John 2:16-17 reflects, "For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever, " (NKJV).

[Ronnie W. Stark]

I have refined you but not in the way silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering” (Isaiah 48:10 NLT).

No one likes those times when stress gets turned up, deadlines mount, and expectations seem unreachable.

But sometimes God uses heat in your life to burn off the stuff that’s tying you down.

You just need to trust God through the pain.

What’s got you tied up? What’s limiting you from being all God meant for you to be?

God can use the trials in your life to eliminate what’s holding you back.

God says in Isaiah 48:10, “I have refined you but not in the way silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering” (NLT).

It’s highly unlikely you’ll literally go through a fiery furnace in your life, but you’ll go through the furnace of suffering many, many times. God will refine you with that fire.

It’s like silver and gold. When they heat it up, they get rid of impurities. Then you’re left with 100 percent gold or 100 percent silver.

If you ask a silversmith how to know when silver is pure, he’ll tell you it happens when you can see your reflection while looking into the cauldron.

God knows you’re purified when he can see his own reflection in you. You look more Christlike.

It’s the fire that does that.

Talk It Over

How has God made you more like Jesus through tough times?
Sometimes it is easier to turn away from Christ in the midst of our suffering, instead of allowing it to make us more like him. Why?
What does it mean for you to “be like Jesus” after God refines you through suffering?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Mark 4: 26-28
He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. (NIV)

Thoughts
I have never been much of a farmer, but nevertheless, I really relate to this scripture. When I stock fingerling fish, such as trout or bass, in a small stock dam or mountain pond, and return to that water some time later, I am always amazed when I cast in a spinner and pull out a 12-to-14in fish. I know it's supposed to work that way, but I'm amazed every time just the same.
(Ron T)

Action Point
Whether you're scattering seeds or scattering fish, when the conditions are right, they are going to grow. It is the same for God's Word. I think of the seeds of truth planted in my own life before I became a Christian. They didn't seem that important at first; but over time I began to think about the words, understand their meaning and how they applied to my life. I am so thankful to the laborers that God calls on to sow His Seed.

Now that I am a Christian, it is my job to share the Good News with others. Jesus said, "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned," Mark 16:15-16 (NIV).

[Ronnie W. Stark]

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2 NIV).

The heat is on.

No one likes that feeling. It happens when pressure gets tight, when deadlines get close, and when expectations get intense.

Daniel had three friends who experienced the heat being on them — both figuratively and literally — in Daniel 3.

When Daniel’s friends wouldn’t bow in worship to a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, the king angrily had his men toss them into a fire and turn up the heat seven times hotter.

Literally, the heat was on.

But God walked with them through it.

The Bible says, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods’” (Daniel 3:24-25 NIV).

Of course, you and I know it wasn’t “a son of the gods” in there with those guys. It was Jesus — the only Son of God. He was walking through the fire with them.

And he’ll walk through the fire with you, too.

Jesus tells us, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b NIV).

The Bible tells us you’ll never be alone. God will always be there with you and for you.

In Isaiah 43:2 God says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (NIV).

Notice the Bible doesn’t say if you pass through the waters; it says when you pass through the waters.

You will have troubles. But Jesus will always walk with you through them.

Talk It Over

How have you seen God walk with you through tough times?
Why is it sometimes tough to see God at work when things are difficult?
To whom can you pass on this message of hope during difficult days?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Matthew 7:13 - 14
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (ESV)

Thoughts
I am fortunate to have permission to hunt on a piece of property that borders the Shenandoah River. There is a dirt road that leads up from the river bottom to the top of a large hill. The road forms a large circle around the perimeter of the hill top. The deer love to use the road to move around.

One day while scouting I took a short cut through the woods and brush that was in the middle between the roads. Right in the middle I stumbled across a very well-worn narrow trail that ran up the middle. Any deer walking up this trail would be extremely difficult to see. As I walked the trail I found several signs left by the wise buck who used it to avoid danger.
(Terry L)

Action Point
The road above makes for easy walking and we know it and so does the deer and many a deer has lost its life by taking the easy road. As we walk through this life we make a lot of choices and one of them is what path we will take.

We can take the easy wide road or we can take the less traveled narrow road.

On the easy road we turn our back on the truth or we comprise to the point where it is no longer relevant. Sure it could make our walk easier, but what about our witness and effectiveness for the kingdom?

The narrow path is hard, but it leads to a life that is a shining example of God's love and it gives us a life worth living. On the narrow road we stand on biblical truths and trust in our Lord.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

“There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed” (Daniel 2:27-28 NLT).

Over the last few days in these devotionals, I’ve shown you what Daniel did when facing an impossible situation in Daniel 2. The king had asked him to interpret a tough dream. It almost got the king’s wise men killed because they couldn’t explain what the dream meant.

The stakes were high! But Daniel followed a terrific process that can help us, too.

Don’t panic, and then ask why.
Ask for more time.
Gather prayer partners.
Pray to God for help.
Ask God for supernatural help.
Worship God.
Use what you’ve learned to save others.
And God showed up. Then Daniel used the opportunity to point others to God.

The Bible says Daniel told the king: “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed” (Daniel 2:27-28 NLT).

Daniel didn’t take credit for the amazing answer to the king’s dream. He knew God had given him the answer. So he was honest about that.

I don’t know about you, but if I were a 17-year-old boy and I did something to make the king happy, I’d be tempted to take a bit of the credit. Daniel did the praying. He did the listening. He did the obeying.

Couldn’t he take a bit of the credit?

He didn’t. Instead he pointed people to God.

Do that and God will bless you. God will do great things through a person who doesn’t care who gets the credit.

It’s a bold witness for Jesus. It’s what evangelism is all about.

God wants you to do that in every situation of your life — whether you’re in a coffee shop, in a meeting, or at home parenting a 3-year-old.

God wants you to point others to him.

Read a bit further in Daniel 2 and you can see how this story turned out.

The Bible says the pagan king told Daniel: “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47 NLT).

How about that? A pagan leader acknowledged the true Creator of the universe.

When you spend your life pointing people to God, miracles happen.

Talk It Over

Describe what you’ve learned from someone who consistently points others to God when good things happen to them.
What can keep you from pointing people to God when he works in your life?
How has your life been impacted by the humble response of others to the Lord’s work in their lives?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world! (NKJV)

Thoughts
Given the fact that John the Baptist had been studying for about 3 years in the wilderness, poring over Old Testament Messianic prophecies, you'd think that his first introduction of Jesus would be from those. But, no, the first words out of his mouth about his cousin, are the names of two animal sacrifices from the Temple.

The Lamb of God that he mentions is the pesah, Passover lamb, the only lamb of Israel called Lamb of God.

His reference to the one who takes away the sin of the world is a description of the azazel, or scapegoat of Yom Kippur, that carried away the guilt of the people.

These are two prominent and well-known animals of the whole Old Testament sacrificial system.
(Fred B)

Action Point
The new-born brown goat in my picture became my namesake. When we walked up on the 4 little Philipinos in the foothills of NW Philippines during my recent missions trip, I saw that twin kids, one brown and one black, had just been born to their nanny.

They reminded me of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Israel. Two goats were brought to the Priest. Lots were cast on the two to see which one would die, and which would live. The one that lived was called the scapegoat.

Jesus came to be both. He died for my sins as my lamb of God, and carried away my guilt, as my scapegoat.

I need to thank Him each day for both:
For dying because of my sins, to pay my penalty.
For taking the blame for all my sins, though He never sinned.
(Fred B)

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, ‘Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream’” (Daniel 2:24 NLT).

When you’re faced with an impossibly big request, it’s easy to just give up. You figure that your boss should just find someone else. You guess that your spouse just doesn’t get you. You suspect your teacher isn’t paying attention to how many assignments he’s given you.

But what if God has more in mind? What if the Lord put you in the situation because he wants you to help someone else?

You see this in the story of Daniel that we’ve been looking at over the last few days. We’ve seen Daniel provide a great pattern for us to follow when we’ve been given an impossible task.

Don’t panic, and then ask why.
Ask for more time.
Gather prayer partners.
Pray to God for help.
Ask God for supernatural help.
Worship God.
Then Daniel used what the Lord had shown him to save others. God saved Daniel from the impossible task, but he didn’t just do it for Daniel’s own good. He wanted Daniel to help others.

The Bible says, “Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, ‘Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream’” (Daniel 2:24 NLT).

God gave Daniel the answer to the king’s dream, but Daniel wouldn’t tell the king without ensuring the safety of the wise men — the Babylonian wise men!

God doesn’t want to just save you either. He wants to save everyone. He wants to save your family. He wants to save your friends. But he also wants to save your competitors and your enemies. God cares about everyone.

And so should we.
That’s why you and I need to continue reaching out to people with the Good News about Jesus. God wants everyone to know his purpose for their lives. He wants everyone to know him.

That’s your witness. That’s your mission in the world.

Talk It Over

How can you help other people through what God has shown you?
Who in your life needs to hear about how God saved you?
Who in your life could be helped by knowing what God has taught you?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:19 NLT).

Most of us don’t really know what to do when we’re confronted by an impossible situation. Did you know that a teenage boy from thousands of years ago can help?

Over the past few devotionals, we’ve learned some incredible principles from how Daniel dealt with an impossible request by the most powerful king of his time period. So far we’ve seen Daniel model these five actions.

Don’t panic, and then ask why.
Ask for more time.
Gather prayer partners.
Pray to God for help.
Ask God for supernatural help.
The next thing we learn from Daniel in Daniel 2 is to worship God.

It is important to understand that worship is much more than just music. There are thousands of ways to worship. Anytime I turn my attention to God, that’s worship. When I express my love to God, that’s worship. You don’t have to be in church to worship.

When you worship God, you move your focus off of your problem and onto God.

The Bible says of Daniel, “That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:19 NLT).

The passage shows you how to worship God in the midst of a crisis. Specifically, Daniel did three things.

He praised God for who he is. (v. 20)
He honored God for what he does. (v. 21-22)
He thanked God for his help. (v. 23)
That’s worship. Do that and you’ll move the focus off of you and your problems, and put it on God.

And he’s always where our focus should be.

Talk It Over

Why is worship sometimes tough when you’re facing a particularly difficult situation?
How have you seen worship impact your stress level during struggles in your life?
Which of the three parts of worship mentioned in the devotional do you struggle with the most during a crisis: praising God for who he is, honoring God what he does, or thanking God for his help? Why?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Four Types of People You Need In Your Life

"Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 NIV).

You and I can never be the kind of people God wants us to be on our own. We were never intended to be. We all need people who are teaching us, sharing their lives with us, investing in us, and encouraging us to grow.

The Bible tells us, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 NIV).

In fact, to be all that God calls you to be, you need to learn from at least four different kinds of people.

Mentors – These are your coaches. I’ve had nine different mentors in my life. No one can teach you everything you need to know. One person will teach you in one area. Another person will teach you about something else.
Role models – These are people who are already doing or have already done what you want to do. Many of the skills you’ve learned in your life, you’ve learned by watching others.
Partners – You need co-workers and colleagues who are in your profession, people to support and challenge you on what God wants to do through your life.
Friends – Friends don’t necessarily help you with your goals. They’re just friends. They love you no matter what you do. You can mess up, and they still love you. A friend walks into your life when everyone else walks out. That’s when you know who your friends are.
Trying to live life solo isn’t just lonely. It works against God’s design for us.

Talk It Over

Of the four types of people Pastor Rick says you need in your life, which do you have the most of? Which do you have the least of?
Why do so many people attempt to live life without the support of others?
Does anyone in your life need your support in one of these roles?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Mathew 4:19
And He said to them, Come after Me [as disciples letting Me be your Guide], follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!
(Amplified)

Thoughts
I was recently asked to teach a fly tying class at the local library. This was a labor of love, as I've been "tying" for twenty-eight years. As I began to prepare for this, I reflected about the gatherings to which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, spoke: mixed audiences, young and old, some familiar with the script, some who came for the free food, many searching for positive reinforcement and satisfaction in their life. Armed with these biblical thoughts, I began to prepare my fly tying presentation.
(Carl B)

Action Point
Learning how to tie your own fishing flies may not be an activity for everyone. Here are two benefits for consideration:
How often do you fly-fish? If you fish more than thirty days each year, tying and building your own flies and baits offers the added satisfaction of catching a fish with a fly you assembled.
After arriving at your dream fly-fishing city, you go into the sporting goods store to purchase some flies, only to hear, "People are catching limits of trout using a Blue Morning Dunn, but we are out of those. We'll have some in next week." Another reason to learn how to tie your own flies.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Considerate In All
Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. (NLT) ( Philippians 4:5 )

This verse isn't asking us to put on a show and make it obvious for everyone to see that we are considerate. Instead it is saying our consideration should be so well thought out it becomes obvious to the amount of thought involved. What does consideration look like? Anticipate others' needs, have empathy, tolerate personality differences, use basic manners or even being punctual. Focus on one area of consideration you can work on improving today.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://jctrois.com
http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevoti ... V3DtHYUYzD

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Thankful Heart
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (NLT) ( Colossians 4:2 )

When you focus on the things you don't have you begin to undervalue the blessings God has given you. Then feelings of resentment and shortchanged start to build up. It can happen in our prayers when we only make requests. Take a moment and think through the ways you are blessed and thank God for them. When you truly realize the amount of blessings in your life you truly feel loved by God.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://jctrois.com
http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevoti ... 8J4wjAE8ox