Tag Archives: obedience

Devotionals, Extraordinary Living, Miracles

The Pattern of a Miraculous Life ¦ Devotional

Scripture: But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” – Luke 1:30-34

Perhaps you feel very normal as you read this devotional today, not considering that your life is very ‘miraculous`. Mary probably felt exactly the same way until the angel Gabriel appeared and told her that she was going to be used in miraculous ways to fulfil God’s purposes.

When Gabriel had given her the first part of his message, Mary was clearly wondering how on earth such a thing could possibly happen to her, a virgin. “How will this be?” she began to ask, before reminding Gabriel that the suggestion was (humanly speaking) totally impossible, “since I am a virgin”.

I wonder how many Christians stop believing that God will use them in miraculous ways because it seems totally impossible. I read a quote recently that said ‘you don’t always get what you want in life but you always get what you expect’.

I love the fact that Mary didn’t simply state that it was impossible and stop there, but she asked Gabriel “How will this be?” Her ‘mustard seed’ of childlike faith was evident as she allowed herself to wonder how God might do such a thing. She got her answer in the next verse.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (verse 35). Wow, what a response! Gabriel basically told her not to worry because she wasn’t going to be required to do the impossible bit and that the Holy Spirit would take care of that.

Mary then demonstrated great faith and complete submission to God’s will by saying “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (verse 38). Of course we know now that it did happen exactly as God had said and millions of lives have been changed as a result.

In this story I see a pattern for miraculous living. Firstly, God is always the one who initiates – the vision has to come from Him. Secondly He requires us to respond with faith and submission to His will, even if our minds are screaming ‘this is impossible!’. Finally, we are not expected to ‘produce’ the miracles. He is the one who brings about the miracles by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You have a special and important part for me to play in Your Kingdom purposes on this earth. I want to say sorry for the times I have backed away because I’ve felt that the ideas or visions You were giving me were impossible to achieve. I choose to believe that nothing is impossible for You. Today I want to submit myself to Your will afresh and recognise that Your Holy Spirit can overshadow me and my weaknesses at the time You want to do the miraculous with my life. Help me to hear Your voice and follow Your leading. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Devotionals, Obedience

Keep It Simple ¦ Devotional

Scripture: For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ – Matthew 8:9

There are times when God gives us basic instructions and we follow them immediately, just like the soldiers who were under the authority of the centurion soldier that Jesus encountered in Matthew 8.

Then there are other times when we feel God is telling us to go in a direction that is so radical and requires so much change, that our human nature likes to ask lots of questions and over-complicate things!

“How is it all going to work out?” we ask, or “Is God really telling me to do this” (when we know full well He is!). “How on earth will we survive financially?” or “what are people going to think?”. Rather than operating in simple faith, we allow ourselves to over-analyse the potential consequences of the decision. This is obviously not the way God intends us to handle things, since he commands us not to worry or be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6).

At a point in my life when I found my mind full of questions like these, the Holy Spirit gently calmed my thoughts and fears by speaking these three words into my spirit: keep it simple.

This was His gentle reminder to me that the God of the Universe, who placed the stars in the sky, is quite capable of handling all the little details of our lives, and that worrying about them is not a burden He wants us to carry. I know it’s easier said than done but our responsibility before God is simply to listen to his instructions and obey them.

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:31-34

Prayer: Father, I want to say sorry for the times I have tried to work things out in my own mind, rather than simply trusting you with the details of my life. I’m sorry for the times I have missed things that you wanted to do in my life because I was too busy worrying about the practicalities. Today I choose to trust you with all my heart, and not to lean on my own understanding. I thank you that you have an incredible plan for my life and I ask you now to empower me by your Holy Spirit to fulfil that plan as I take instructions from you, step by step. In the mighty name of your Son Jesus, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!