August 17, 2025 – Ask
JA – “My chosen people are holy and dearly loved. I know that you are neither perfect nor sinless, but you are indeed holy in My sight.” How interesting. I’ve thought of God as holy, but not me. “As My follower, you are covered with righteousness forever!… With your identity secure in Me, you can relate better to others.”
Streams (16) – Psalm 40:1 – “I waited patiently for the Lord.” If I had read this yesterday, it would have really spoken to me about the van. It still does. Cowman quotes Samuel Dickey Gordon: “Waiting is keeping yourself faithful to His leading – this is the secret of strength.” And she pulled from the Sunday School times: “It is a vital principle of the Lord’s guidance for a Christian never to move from the spot where He’s sure God has placed him, until the ‘pillar of cloud’ (Ex. 13:21) moves.” And from J.R. Miller, “The greatest life is: ‘after you have done everything, to stand.’ (Eph 6:13).”
Streams (17) – Surprisingly, I don’t always remember a devotion when I round to it again during the year, but today’s is one of my favorites. I think about the story during the year but usually can’t remember where I’ve heard it to refer to it. I think it’s Cowman telling about a ship captain telling her about crossing with George Mueller five weeks before. The dense fog had slowed their progress so Mueller told the captain, “I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon,” and when the captain told him that was impossible, Mueller said, “Very well, if your ship cannot take me, my God will find some other way….let’s go down to the chart room to pray.”
The captain asked him if he realized how dense the fog was and Mueller replied, “No. My eye is not on the dense fog but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.” The captain told Cowman that Mueller “prayed one of the most simple prayers I’ve ever heard,” but when the captain started to pray, Mueller told him not to pray and explained, “First, you do not believe God will answer and second I BELIEVE HE HAS.” When they looked outside, the fog was gone and he made it to Quebec on time.
How do you get there to that kind of faith when clearly sometimes God’s answer is no or not now? What if God wanted to delay Mueller? I would have prayed “Your will be done” and if the fog didn’t lift, I’d think God had a purpose in the fog. I suppose that’s ok. That’s what I’ve learned so far. But is that settling prayer? What made Mueller know that God answered? What was that simple prayer? I see some research ahead in my days. I’ve prayed bold prayers before, and I thought I believed them only to be left wondering. Lord, show me what I’m missing. I want to grow in my faith, in my understanding, and in my love for You.
JC (16) – “Meet Me in the early morning splendor. I eagerly await you here.” I woke around 5:30 this morning and thought about getting up for my time with God, but decided to rest some more for the day ahead working on the rental house. When I didn’t heed what was likely a prompt from God to get up, so that I wouldn’t cut into the productivity of the day, I thought about rushing through a few devotions thinking I didn’t need the full bag of books every day. Certainly reading all of the books is not a requirement; but, as I’ve said before, when I read less, I do miss some helpful insight from my “small group” friends and valuable guidance from God. As I started reading, I knew rushing was not the way to start the day nor is it honoring to God who was waiting there to spend time with me. Don agreed. We will listen to a later service while we paint (and will look forward to getting back to going in person again soon.)
“I have awakened in your heart a strong desire to know Me….When you seek My Face in response to My Love-call, both of us are blessed. This is a deep mystery, designed more for your enjoyment than for your understanding.” I’m smiling as I write that because as I wrote earlier, that I want to grow in my understanding, I felt a catch in my spirit. I felt like You were smiling and saying that understanding is not what I need to seek.
JC (17) – “Sometimes events whirl around you so quickly….Whisper My Name….Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead, trust Me enough to yield to My design and purposes.” [Yield to the fog or pray for it to be removed?]
Utmost (16) – “When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (John 20:17). It is possible to know all about doctrine and yet not know Jesus….When have I stubbornly doubted? (John 20:27). Have I been doubting something about Jesus – an experience to which others testify but which I have not had?… Have I a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one sign of discipleship is intimate connection with Him, a knowledge of Jesus Christ which nothing can shake.” George Mueller had it. I want it.
Utmost (17) – “Have you ever heard the Master say a hard word? If you have not, I question whether you have heard Him say anything. Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to, but do not hear; when we do hear, His words are amazingly hard.” This devotion is based on the story, in Luke 18:18-30, of the man Jesus told to sell everything and follow Him, but the man didn’t. “And Jesus did not go after him. Our Lord knows perfectly that when once His word is heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. The terrible thing is that some of us prevent it bearing fruit in actual life. I wonder what we will say when we do make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain, He will never cast anything up at us.”
Prevail 228 – Larson bases this devotion on Matthew 6:20-21 and writes, “God wants us to live with the end in mind. He’s set eternity in our hearts. How we live here deeply impacts how we’ll live there, when we’re forever with Him….Whatever we hold closest to our hearts fuels our daily desires. Hold Heaven close. Treasure Jesus most….We lose our reward when we live out of our insecurities….But when we – out of loving response for all God has done – give…offer…forgive…or pray a bold prayer [like Mueller], heaven takes note and Jesus rewards….Whatever you do for Jesus will last.”
Prevail 229 – Matthew 7:7-8 – “Keep on asking….Keep on seeking….Keep on knocking….” Larson writes, “We don’t dictate to God. And He’s not a means to an end. [So, what was Mueller’s simple prayer if not a means to an end?] He’s the end as well as the beginning. [Ok, and?] However, Jesus himself charged us in this passage to persist and keep persisting. Why? Because we give up too soon. [Ahhh, ok] I’ve either seen miraculous breakthroughs around me, or I’ve experienced personal breakthroughs within me….Lord, stir up a passion in my soul. Help me to persist in prayer in a way that honors You and changes me! Amen”
Power (16) – Joyce bases this devotion on Psalm 118:24 and writes that the psalmist “made a decision that produced the feelings he wanted rather than waiting to see how he felt….Everything we do is sacred and amazing if we do it unto the Lord and believe He is with us.”
Power (17) – She based today on 1 Corinthians 6:12 and points out, “Discipline is the price of freedom” and from 1 Corinthians 10:23 she explains, “Paul is saying he is technically free to do anything he wants to do but he restrains himself doing things that would not be wise.” Help me remember this sooner than later each day and in each situation.
Max (16) is entitled, “The Lord is Listening.” Thank You God for always being here waiting patiently. Max reminds us to “Ask God for help” and then shares several verses to encourage us. He takes me back to Mueller on the ship, “Reduce your request to one statement….Engage in specific prayer. And engage in promise-based prayer.”
Max (17) – “God holds it all together. And He will hold it together for you. You cannot face a crisis if you don’t face God first….Cling to God.”
