build my church 40-day devotional
Monday, September 16
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
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Life has a lot of “If only, thens.”
Sometimes it is our circumstances:
If only my mom didn’t have that diagnosis…
If only I didn’t have to navigate college during a pandemic …
Sometimes it is our regrets:
If only I had studied more for that test…
If only I had picked a different spouse…
If only I had been home more when my kids were young.
…then life would be better and I wouldn’t have all this anxiety and sadness. I wouldn’t feel “stuck” and not be able to get out of this depression. I wouldn’t lay awake at night wondering how to fix it all. It feels like an impossible task and the weight of our regrets and circumstances can be paralyzing.
I’m so grateful for the message of Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
He PROMISES we will find rest. It doesn’t say He will take away the job to be done or the illness to fight through or the task he has given us to do.
This is where we have to look at verses 29 and 30 as well:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. “
The continuation of the promise. He will walk side by side with us, helping to bear the weight. He will teach us what needs to be done; He will not leave us alone in whatever we are facing.
What is your “If only, then…” burden today?
Find peace in the promises of support and rest from our “Come to me, and…” God!
Lisa Shaw
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Tuesday, September 17
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“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19
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It was the winter of my senior year at SAU, I was dreaming about my next adventure: medical school. In six months I would be moving to Detroit, into my own apartment and driving my own car. I would be my first time to live outside of Spring Arbor. This community, church and university had raised and influenced me. But now, I was anticipating a new freedom and autonomy.
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It was in this place that I felt the voice of God. “Follow me and it will go well for you.” I paused. Really? This is MY moment. MY chance. MY future. I felt God’s voice even stronger. “You can choose the hard way (yours) or the easy way (follow me).” And I can remember so clearly my resolve, “No, God. Not this time. It’s my choice. I choose the hard way.” If this was biblical I think it would add, “and she hardened her heart.”
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That next year was the most difficult of my life. I put my trust in all the wrong things, all while still being a Christian. I experienced great heartbreak, despair and loneliness as I tried to live for God and myself. My divided heart knew no joy or peace.
But God was always close, ready to help me if I would only choose him.
I did finally surrender. And God gave me a new heart, a new spirit, and Philippians 2:13 to remind me that He gives me the will and the way to obey.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
But I must give him me.
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Janette Miller
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Wednesday, September 18
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“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:3
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The path back to right relationship with the Lord requires us to acknowledge him, to press on to acknowledge him. The Hebrew word is yada. This is not simply an intellectual assent to truths about God. It also means a deeper relational knowledge. We know God and He knows us completely.
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“Pressing on” is intentionally putting ourselves in a position to be transformed. Like Paul in Philippians 3:14, we press on to be like Jesus, to be with Jesus, to “yada” Jesus.
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And if we turn away from the distractions toward God, he is faithful to show up. With every sunrise, remember that He is also rising. As we seek new light, a new word, a new hope, He appears.
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God has a part and you have a part in this relationship. When you seek Him, He will be found. May each sunrise remind you that God is faithful. Together, we can plan and plant seeds knowing that He will send the rain that will bring abundant life near and far.
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Joel Miller
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Thursday, September 19
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"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2
The book of Habakkuk is a record of the prophet's sorrow at the spiritual death of his beloved nation. The sacred temple had been plundered. The holy city of Jerusalem had been destroyed.
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In this whirlwind of national chaos, Habakkuk asks questions of God.
1. "How long, O Lord must I call for help, but you do not listen?"
2. "I cry out to you, but you do not save.
3. "Why do you make me look at injustice?"
4. "Why do you tolerate evil?"
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Habakkuk is mystified by God's lack of response. We may find ourselves in similar situations. There are times when God seems to be silent. We call out to God in distress. Injustice seems to have the upper hand. Habakkuk pleads for an answer to his heart-wrenching prayers. The silence of God is hard for us to understand. The prophet places an urgent request to God. He pleads for the demonstration of his mercy.
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The prophet's request for some word from God is easily understood in some of the situations God's people experience. The problem of pain and suffering is not easy to understand.
Jesus said, "Do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
God's mercy is like the manna He gave in the wilderness.
You can't store it up.
You can't keep it overnight.
Enough comes for each day. Yesterday's mercies were for yesterday's burdens.
God does not expect us to live tomorrow's burdens today.
No need to get fizzed up or frazzled about tomorrow. In wrath, God shows mercy. We will stand in awe of his deeds.
Darold Hill
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Friday, September 20
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“Therefore, see that you walk carefully (living life with honor, purpose, and courage, shunning those who tolerate and enable evil), not as the unwise, but as wise (sensible, intelligent, discerning people).” Ephesians 5:15 Amplified Translation
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As you probably have heard in the past, always ask what “therefore” is there for by reading what precedes it. The first part of Chapter 5 states and reminds us to walk in love; walk as children of light, do not be deceived and even admonishes believers to “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”. Paul, the author, uses the action word “walk,” something that was part of the believers of Ephesus everyday activity. Three times in the first fifteen verses; signifying that they and now we are not to be idle in our faith; it should be part of our everyday life. The adverb “carefully” gives us intentionality for how we are to walk, specific guidelines, with honor, purpose, and courage. There is to be observation, distinction, and integrity in our walk. We are to walk on purpose with a purpose. Knowing that this walk will bring challenges and even fear, we are to have courage, endurance, and determination.
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The second part of the verse points out that to walk carefully with intentionality and purpose is wise. There are many verses in Proverbs and in Job regarding wisdom. Max Lucado states, “Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability.”
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So let me encourage us to Re-Evaluate your walk! Are you meandering, wandering around or are you walking with Godly wisdom, intentionality, and purpose? In this time of renewal, let us walk with wisdom! We all have a God-given purpose; Walk it out!
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Faith Holton
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Saturday, September 21
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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
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I am a walker…an early morning walker…usually donning my fluorescent-green, reflective, blinking suspenders and stepping out a little after 5:30am.
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It’s a beautiful time of day, quiet and peaceful. Most people are just beginning to rouse. Crickets and cicadas are about to pass their musical baton to the songbirds that welcome the dawn. It’s a calm time when the various demands of the day haven’t started vying for my attention. It’s an opportunity to listen to the Holy Spirit and hear God’s voice. Yes, it is a special time, but there is just one problem….it’s dark!
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Thankfully, most of my daily route is illuminated with well placed streetlights… except the cemetery! In the subdivision, although shadowy between the streetlights, I can keep up a steady pace and stay on a straight path by keeping my eyes on the lights. But, in the dark cemetery, everything changes- my gait, speed, balance, stride…all are negatively affected. My confidence wanes at the uncertainty of what might be in my path. A downed tree branch, large rock, or an unsociable critter become frightening hazards. There are no street lights in the cemetery…nothing to light my path or set my sights on.
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How grateful I am for a trustworthy and faithful Savior who is the light of the world and the light of my life. Keeping my eyes on the streetlights reminds me to keep my eyes on Jesus. His light never goes out. Even in my times of shadows and darkness, I can trust His promises.
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Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Light of the World, and you will never walk in darkness…He promised!
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Carolyn Teachout
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Sunday, September 22
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“Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
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Truth. Truth can feel like a tricky word in our culture. This verse is calling us to correctly TEACH the word of truth. The only way to correctly teach the word of truth is to KNOW the word of truth. The Bible. In a time where we can google a spiritual concept or question and get an AI-generated synopsis, find commentaries from all over the internet, or see Instagram posts overlaid with seemingly random Bible verses with no references attached, it is important to know what the Bible actually says. We need to read verses in context, and to be careful when teaching the Bible that the words you say line up with what the Bible actually says. It’s easy to watch a reel that gets at the gist of a passage of scripture, but it’s another thing to actually read the Bible and to learn, know, and teach others what God’s word, the word of truth, actually says. Through diligent and prayerful reading of scripture, we can know and teach with confidence the truth God has revealed to us through the Bible.
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Dear God,
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Thank you for the Bible. It is a gift to so easily have access to your word and I am grateful! Thank you for the privilege of knowing and teaching your word. Thank you for being the way, the truth, and the life. Help me correctly teach the word of truth, and convict me if I go astray.
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In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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Kelly McGraw
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