Monday—December 11•Our Confidence in God So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:12–13) I don’t know any man who enters into relationship with Jesus and then plans to fall away from his faith. And yet, almost every week, I hear of at least one person who has abandoned his faith. In John 17, Jesus warned those who were closest to Him that they would fall away. And John 17 also tells us that, in the chaos surrounding Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, all His disciples deserted Him. If those men could advise us, I believe they would warn us about where we place our confidence. Let us learn to distrust any confidence that does not depend entirely on God. Today’s Scripture reminds us that, when we trust in our own power and ability to endure, we stand on shaky ground. But when we rely on God’s faithfulness and His power, we can trust that He will provide a way of deliverance, even in our most difficult seasons. WEEK Week 9 Re-read 1 Corinthians 10:12–13, quoted at the beginning of this devotional. Then consider how you can discern if you are relying on your own strength, of if your confidence is fully resting on God. Daily Reading: Amos 4:1–6:14, Revelation 2:18–3:6, Psalm 130:1–8, Proverbs 29:21–22 Tuesday—December 12•What Happens to Those Who Fall Away? 49 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. (Psalm 51:10–13) The Bible describes King David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Yet even David fell away from his faith and went so far as to commit adultery and murder. Psalm 51 records his prayer for restoration, with verse 3 saying, “My sin is always before me.” A person who falls away from his faith will suffer. This does not mean everyone who suffers has fallen away. We live in a fallen world which causes pain on many levels, even for people who remain faithful to God. But I’ve never known a person who walked away or drifted away from a relationship with Jesus without suffering in some way. That person’s sin will haunt him. The good news is that Jesus will pursue us and restore. Men who have experienced that kind of restoration are uniquely capable of sympathizing with others’ weaknesses. And often, when they return to a strong faith and a powerful reliance on God for daily living, they find that God ignites a passion for ministry to others. WEEK Week 9 Take a moment to look up Psalm 51 and read the whole thing. Then concentrate on the verses cited at the beginning of this devotional. List the phrases that David uses to describe restoration in his relationship with God. Daily Reading: Amos 7:1–9:15, Revelation 3:7–22, Psalm 131:1–3, Proverbs 29:23
20514 Man in Mirror
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