hold on

Here Am I: Called To a Glorious Inheritance
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Here Am I: Called To a Glorious Inheritance

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 19 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day thirteen with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to a glorious inheritance.

Called To a Glorious Inheritance

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV)

Have you ever inherited something?  Was it something you were impressed with, or not?  Why?  What would you do if you were to inherit a fortune or substantial piece of property?  Would it be possible to keep it a secret?  Why?  What is the longest you have had to wait for something that you were expecting and looking forward to?  Was the wait worth it?  Why?  How does hope keep you looking forward to what is still ahead?  How does this calling of God strengthen the hope you live with each day?

Many people are fascinated with stories of ordinary people who are left a fortune by a relative they didn’t even know they had.  I suppose such stories give hope that perhaps they too could inherit such a windfall.  Yet none of these stories will ever measure up to the glorious inheritance each of us is called to as a child of God.  This inheritance doesn’t come from an unknown relative and it isn’t the result of chance.  It is a promise from God to both those who are near and those who are far off, that all would draw near can look forward with a confident hope that they too can share in His inheritance.

As you pray about the inheritance you are called to, ask God to fill you with the hope of glory.  Pray that you would find comfort in the day to day struggles of life as you live with confidence in the glorious inheritance to which you are called.  Pray for a greater awareness of God’s love as you share with others about how they too have been called to share in this inheritance from God.  Pray that God would help you to hold fast to the hope you have in Jesus as you look forward to His return.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called To Be Genuine
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Here Am I: Called To Be Genuine

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 20 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day twelve with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to remember where you came from and to be genuine.

Called To Be Genuine

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.”
1 Corinthians 1:26 (NIV)

How many people know the real you?  Are you sure?  How do you feel when someone presents themselves to others as something they are not?  Why?  Are there things about your past, or present, that you try to keep secret?  Why?  How have those things been a part of you becoming who you are today?  How does remembering where you’ve come from help you see how God has worked in your life?  Who has been an example to you as one who is genuine?  In what way?  Who needs to see the real you?

Regardless of our background, there are usually things from our past that we would just as soon pretend never happened.  Growth is intended to bring us to a place that is often different from where we began.  For many who have reached the place of life they desire, there is a great temptation to act as if we’ve always been where we are.  When done with wisdom and discretion, being genuine about who we were before Christ gives us great opportunity to share about the transformation He has done in our life.  Our struggles not only help us to grow, when we are genuine they become examples for others.

As you pray about being genuine, ask God to help you remember the what and where of who you were before you responded to His call.  Pray that you would allow God to use the real you to show His power to the people around you.  Pray that God would reveal, and deal with, any areas of pretense that you have harbored in your life.  Pray for the discretion needed for you to be genuine in ways that are helpful to others.  Pray with thanksgiving for a God who is genuine.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called To Be a Friend of God
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Here Am I: Called To Be a Friend of God

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 21 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day eleven with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to be His friend.

Called To Be a Friend of God

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.“
John 15:15 (NIV)

Who are your friends?  Who considers you to be their friend?  Why?  What do you look for in a friend?  Why?  Have you ever tried to have a friendship with someone that didn’t seem to want to be friends?  Did it work?  Why?  What would you do for your true friends?  What would they do for you?  Why?  Have you ever had a relationship that began as something other than friends but grew into a friendship?  What changed?  What does it mean to you to be called a friend of God?  What will you do with that friendship?

It is difficult to maintain a friendship for very long if it appears to be one-sided with little to no effort being put forth by the other person.  As Christians, we are not only called to be a friend of God, He calls us His friend.  Not only should our friendship with God lead us to share with Him in every aspect of our life, His friendship with us results in Him making Himself known to us through His Word and His Spirit.  As a friend, He holds nothing back that would be a benefit to us.  As God, He knows perfectly the things that are for our good and the things which would bring harm.  As both, He knows and loves us as no one else can.

As you pray, ask God to help you see clearly His desire to have you as a friend.  Pray that you would live as a friend of God.  Pray that your friendship with God would lead you to be a better friend to others.  Pray for wisdom in knowing and understanding the things of God.  Pray for courage in upholding your side of a friendship with God.  Pray about how you will share your friendship with the hurting and lonely around you who need to know God’s love.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called To Be Free
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Here Am I: Called To Be Free

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 24 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day nine with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to perfect freedom.

Called To Be Free

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.“
Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Do you ever feel stuck, or trapped, in some situation of life?  Why?  How much effort do you put into getting out of those situations?  Why?  Do you think freedom is more about what you can do or about what you don’t have to do?  What’s the difference?  Are there things you enjoy doing because you have the freedom to do them that you would not enjoy if it was something you had to do?  Why?  What is God’s idea of freedom when He calls you to be free?  Explain.  How does God want you to use the freedom He has called you to?

Freedom is one of those words that get thrown around a lot with most people having their own idea of what it means based on what they want to be free from or what they want to be free to do.  God’s desire is that we would find freedom in Christ that sets us completely free from the bondage of sin.  But not only does He want us to be free from the burdens produced by sin, He wants us to be free to do the works produced by love.  Being set free leaves us with a choice on how we use that freedom and God calls us to live life free to love as He loves and to serve with complete humility just as He has served us.

As you pray, ask God to make known to you the glorious riches of the freedom you have in Christ.  Pray that you would understand both what you have been set free from and what you have been set free for.  Pray about how God would have you use the freedom He has given.  Pray for the courage to live as one who is free to love and serve others.  Pray that your life would be an example to others who need to know how to live a life of freedom.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called For God’s Purpose
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Here Am I: Called For God’s Purpose

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 25 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day eight with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God according to His purpose and for His purpose.

Called For God’s Purpose

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“
Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Does what you do each day have a purpose?  What is it?  Does knowing the answer to that help to motivate you to do what only you can do?  Why?  What if you don’t know the purpose?  Does not knowing mean there isn’t a purpose?  Explain.  What are some of God’s purposes for His children that He has revealed in His Word?  Will pursuing those purposes give you greater belief in the purpose He has for you?  Why?  How will living as one called according to God’s purpose change the way you view tasks and circumstances that you don’t understand?

Often just knowing there is purpose to our work makes it more enjoyable, even if we don’t fully understand the purpose.  The Bible gives us many purposes for the believer’s life which generally revolve around making Christ known and glorifying our Father.  When we live with a pursuit of the holy purposes of God, we learn to trust that he can use our ordinary tasks of life to accomplish His extraordinary purpose.  As God calls you for His purpose, trust Him to do good works through you and to work all of your circumstances together for good.

As you pray, ask God to increase your faith so that you would have a greater trust in the goodness of His purposes.  Pray that you would respond in a positive way to God’s desire that your life fulfill the purposes He has revealed in scripture.  Pray that God would open your eyes to see how He has worked, and continues to work, in the details of your life in order to accomplish His good purpose.  Pray that you would be patient in waiting for God’s purpose to be completed in His time.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called to Fellowship
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Here Am I: Called to Fellowship

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 26 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day seven with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to be faithful through a life of patient endurance.

Called to Fellowship

“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

Who are the people you like being with the most?  Why?  Do you consider yourself a “people person” or not?  How does that influence your desire to be with people?  How much time do you spend with God?  What does that time look like?  How do you feel about God calling you into fellowship with Jesus?  Does knowing He desires fellowship with you determine how much time you spend with Him?  Why?  Does that fellowship make a difference in the fellowship you have with others?  In what way?

While it can be somewhat confusing to figure out if we belong in the fellowship of a group of people, God leaves no doubt about His desire when He calls us into fellowship with His Son.  It is in the context of this fellowship that He also calls us into fellowship with one another.  Through our fellowship with God we ought to find commonality to have fellowship with others.  When I think of fellowship with God, I consider one of my favorite Bible characters — Enoch, a man who walked with God in such a way that one day his daily walk continued uninterrupted from this earth to God’s presence.

As you pray, ask God to help you fully believe His invitation to a greater fellowship with Jesus.  Pray that being called into fellowship would increase your desire and commitment to spend time with God.  Pray that you would be known as one who walks with God.  Pray that your fellowship with other believers would grow as you deepen your fellowship with God.  Pray that you would be actively involved in making others aware of God’s desire to have fellowship with them.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called to Be Faithful
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Here Am I: Called to Be Faithful

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 26 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day seven with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to be faithful through a life of patient endurance.

Called to Be Faithful

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”
Revelation 14:12 (NIV)

How often do you feel like giving up?  Why?  Do you?  Are there things you ought to give up on?  What things should you never give up on?  How do you know the difference?  When you think of being faithful, is there a specific person that comes to mind?  Who?  Why?  Do you think of yourself as a faithful person?  Why?  Would the people who know you best agree?  Why?  How should being called by God to be faithful influence the way you view your ability to be faithful and the patience you approach life with?

When I think about being faithful, I think more about a steadfast pursuit of something than I think about having actually arrived.  The destination is great, but many times our impatience causes us to change course before we accomplish what God desires to do in and through us.  God’s desire is that weariness or distraction would not cause us to give up before we reap the harvest of righteousness He has in store for us.  When we respond to God’s call to be faithful with a steadfast “Here am I”, we commit to a life that doesn’t give up in our pursuit of Him.  In a world filled with broken promises, be one who is faithful.

As you pray about being faithful, ask God to help you see your decisions and actions from an eternal perspective.  Pray that you would not become weary in doing good.  Pray that the evil in the world would not distract you nor entice you into a life that is unfaithful.  Pray for the wisdom to understand the direction God has set forth in His Word, and for the courage to be steadfast in following His direction no matter what.  Pray that your life would be an example to others.

In prayer,

Tom  

Here Am I: Called to Eternal Glory
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Here Am I: Called to Eternal Glory

While we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe we have a great opportunity to represent Jesus well as we respond to God’s calling with a hearty, “Here Am I”!  Over the next 27 days I will continue sharing the devotions from my “Here Am I” book to help each of us pray about our response to God as He calls us to Himself.  Through time in prayer, this devotional journal was written to help you see and respond to God’s calling as you see Him working in your “everyday” life.

Here is day six with an important reminder that you, and those around you, have been called by God to be counted worthy.

Called to Eternal Glory

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

What is the most glorious thing you have ever seen?  How long did that glory last?  Why?  What is it that gives something its glory?  What things cause that glory to fade?  How does a focus on the difficulties of life affect your view of the future?  Why?  What would a continual focus on a future of eternal glory do to your view of the suffering you experience?  Why?  Which is easier to focus on, the present or the future?  Which has the greater reward?  What will you do to live as one who has been called to an eternal glory?

Many people try to overcome discouragement by seeking out something new and shiny to lift their mood.  Whatever we purchase to get us through our struggles here on earth will eventually wear out and lose its glory and our encouragement is short-lived.  When God calls us to an eternal glory, He gives us glimpses of it throughout life. In this way, the glory which carries us through our suffering doesn’t fade; rather it is ever-increasing until we experience it in its fullness with Christ.  While our enemy wants us to focus on the troubles of life so that we would give up, God calls us to focus on an eternal glory for all who are faithful.

As you pray about being called to an eternal glory, ask God to help you keep your eyes fixed on the glory that is found in Him.  Pray that you would not lose heart in the midst of life’s hardships.  Pray that your life and words would be reminders to others of the glory that is yet to come.  Pray that you would know the greatness of God’s glory as you allow it to give perspective to your current sufferings.  Pray for the courage to allow God to strengthen you as you rest in Him.

In prayer,

Tom