August 29, 2025 – Maturity
Utmost – Chambers writes, “Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith.” So true! Makes me think back to Mueller and the fog. “Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.” It really is something to be faced with a situation you know you should treat as ‘joy despite the circumstance’ but yet want to justify being angry and bothered a while longer. “Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict….Faith is unutterable trust in God which never dreams that He will not stand by us.”
Rather than Googling other devotions (since I didn’t bring all of my devotion book friends with me), I’m going to just catch up on the one I made copies of: Power Thoughts by Joyce Meyer.
Power (27th) is entitled “Calm in Adversity.” Psalm 94:12-13 – “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity.” Joyce writes, “God will continue dealing with us until we learn how to stay peaceful in the storm.”
Power (28th) – “Set your mind to please God, even if you have to suffer to do it.” Seems like there’s a maturity theme going here (and not just because three of the devotions are from consecutive days from one book – sometimes in a group one person who has a lot of good thoughts to share does most of the talking!)
Power (29th) – Psalm 91:1 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty.” Joyce writes, “If you believe you can remain stable and control your emotions even during times in which it is difficult to do so, you will find God working through your faith and enabling you to do what you believe.” And to not fall prey to the enemy’s dirty tricks. Help us, Holy Spirit!
