The Holy Spirit Earnestly Yearns for You!

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
— James 4:5

Has there ever been anything you wanted so badly that you just couldn’t get it off your mind? Every time you tried to think about something else, your mind just kept drifting back over and over again to that thing you desired. Finally, your urge to possess it became so intense that every fiber of your being wanted to reach out and capture it before anyone else had a chance to snatch it first!

Let me use a different illustration to make this point. If a drug addict or an alcoholic abruptly decides to stop doing drugs or drinking after many years of chemical abuse, what happens? Unless that person has a miraculous deliverance, it probably won’t be too long before his body begins to crave those chemicals. In fact, his appetite for drugs or alcohol might get so forceful that he doubles over in agony. That’s how much his body yearns for a “fix” of what it has habitually received in the past.

In the New Testament, the images above would be depicted by the Greek word epipotheo, which is a compound of the words epi and potheo. The word epi means over, and the word potheo is the word for desire. But when these two words are compounded together, the new word epipotheo portrays an intense desire, a craving, a hunger, an ache, a yearning for something, a longing or pining for something. More specifically, it describes an intense, abnormal, excessive yearning.

Usually this word is used to indicate an intense yearning for something that is morally wrong and sinful. It is the pitiful picture of someone, such as a drug addict or an alcoholic, who needs his “fix” so seriously that he is doubled over, racked with pain, and crying out, “Please, someone, give me what I need!”

Remarkably, this Greek word epipotheo is the same word found in James 4:5 to describe the desire of the Holy Spirit when it says, “…The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.…”

The word “lust” in this verse is from this same Greek word epipotheo. Only this time the word is not used to describe the painful addiction of a drug addict or alcoholic; rather, it depicts the Spirit of God! There is obviously some object that the Spirit of God craves. In fact, this Greek word pictures Him as desiring it so desperately that He is like one who needs some type of “fix” to satisfy an addiction. He is crying out, “I have to have it! I can’t wait any longer! Give me what I crave! Give me what I am aching and yearning to have!”

But what does this mean? What is James 4:5 saying to us? What does the Holy Spirit yearn for so sincerely that the Bible would picture Him in this way?

In James 4:5, the Bible reveals the intense yearning the Holy Spirit possesses to have us entirely for Himself. That should be no surprise to us. He is our Indweller, our Sealer, our Sanctifier, and our Source of power. His attention, His gifts, His power, and His Word are all directed toward us. He is in love with us!

The Holy Spirit is so in love with us that He wants more, more, more, and more of us. Every day He wants our time, our attention, our devotion, and our fellowship. If we deny the Holy Spirit of what He wants from us, He cries out, “I need you! I must have you! I want to fill you, empower you, and flood you with My divine life!”

James 4:5 conveys this compelling idea:

“…The Spirit has an all-consuming and passionate desire to have more and more of us. In fact, this desire to possess us is so strong that He literally yearns, craves, and pines after us.”

Never forget that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Lover who lives on the inside of us. He passionately yearns to fulfill His responsibility to the Father to help, teach, guide, and empower us. The word epipotheo emphatically means that when it comes to you and me, the Holy Spirit can never get enough!

The Holy Spirit desires to possess you — all of you. Because of this intense desire, He is focused on changing you, empowering you, conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ, and helping you fulfill God’s plan for your life.

Learn how to yield to the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to have more and more of you each day. Satisfy the yearning of this Divine Lover. Let the Holy Spirit love you! Let Him control you! Let Him exercise His authority in your life and flood you with His divine desire! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to be mindful that the Holy Spirit lives inside me and wants to possess more and more of me every day. Please help me learn how to surrender to the Spirit’s power and to yield to His sanctifying Presence. I know that as I yield to Him, He will fill me full of every good thing I need to live a happy and successful life in this world. I want to begin today by opening myself to the Holy Spirit completely. Holy Spirit, I ask You to fill me anew right now.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the Holy Spirit loves me! He thinks of me, dreams of me, and wants to fill me with His Presence and power. The Holy Spirit was sent into this world to be my Helper, my Guide, my Teacher, and my Leader. Therefore, I am learning to lean on Him and to let Him lead me through all my affairs in this life. I surrender to Him, yield to Him, and depend on Him for everything I need.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever experienced the deep love that the Holy Spirit has for you?

2. When you had this experience, where were you and what was happening in your life?

3. In order for you to continually experience the deep love of the Holy Spirit, what do you need to do?

And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, And began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
— Matthew 26:37-39

When God asks you to strike out into uncharted territory and accomplish something new and difficult, it can be challenging to bring your will into compliance with what He is asking you to do. Your mind will try to argue as if it knows best, and your flesh will try to drag its feet every step of the way. In these moments, you are faced with a defining moment in your life when you must place your trust in God’s plan for your life and obey Him unconditionally.

I know this struggle intimately from experiences in my own life. When God first asked our family to move to the USSR, I knew He had something truly wonderful in store for us, but my flesh didn’t relish the idea. Each night as I lay in bed, my mind would bombard me with a stream of negative thoughts of doubt and unbelief. My flesh would tell me, Rick, this is the stupidest thing you could ever do in your life. If you really go through with this absurd notion, you will lose everything you have and never recover. I remember asking God, “Are You really asking me to do this?”

At the time God called our family to the Soviet Union, our ministry in the United States was growing by leaps and bounds, and we were finally experiencing stability and success after many years of sacrifice. However, as good as our lives seemed at the time, God had something far bigger and more wonderful planned for our ministry, so He asked us to lay down our dream and trust in Him. As we entered this new, unfamiliar phase, we didn’t understand His full design, but we chose to defer to His voice and trust that He knew what He was doing with our lives. And because we placed our trust in His divine plan and obeyed His call to move, our ministry exploded in ways that we could never have dreamed!

If you haven’t yet run into one of these moments in your life, there will come a time in your future when you’ll have to step out and do what God is saying, even though you don’t relish the idea of what He is asking you to do. In that moment, it is vital that you follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit so He can lead you into new realms of wonder and possibility.

In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus Himself faced one of those moments in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:37 and 38 relates, “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” This verse reveals what took place as Jesus faced the horror of the Cross and all that He would have to endure in the atonement of mankind’s sin. The reality of what the Father was asking Him to do was being brought to bear on Jesus, and it says He “…began to be sorrowful and very heavy” (v. 37). This word “sorrowful” is derived from the Greek word lupeo, which denotes physical pain or emotional suffering. It can also be translated as broken-hearted, in despair, displeasure, downcast, grief, mournful, in pain, sorrowful, or wounded. It describes the intense grief of someone who has been wounded emotionally by a person or a situation.

Furthermore, the phrase “very heavy” in Matthew 26:37 is a translation of the Greek word ademoneo, which depicts anguish, depression, or dejection. The word “sorrowful” and the phrase “very heavy” are each sufficient on their own to convey the deep emotions Jesus was feeling in this moment of anguish. However, because they are used together, it is unmistakably clear that Jesus was tempted to be overwhelmed by the unimaginably hellish ordeal He was about to face. Although He had always known that the Cross was an integral part of His destiny on earth, it appears that the reality of His assignment weighed heavily upon His mind and body, and He was tempted to sway under the weight of it all.

In the following verse, Matthew wrote, “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). The word “soul” is the Greek word psyche, which denotes the inner life, mental makeup, or emotions of an individual. The phrase “exceedingly sorrowful” is a translation of the Greek word perilupeo, which is a compound of the words peri and lupeo. The word peri means around or to be surrounded, and lupeo is the same word we saw above that describes intense grief. When they are compounded in the context of this verse to form the word perilupeo, it tells us that Jesus was feeling nearly emotionally suffocated with despair as He faced the painful reality of God’s plan for Him.

Then Matthew 26:39 continues, “And he went a little further, and fell on his face….” The stress and pressure Jesus was under was so heavy that He was able to go only “a little further” before He collapsed and “fell on his face.” The force of the Greek language here indicates that Jesus literally collapsed under the weight of what He was experiencing. And as He fell, He fervently prayed, “…O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (v. 39).

However, in this intense moment as Jesus’ soul was bombarded with mental and emotional anguish, He did not succumb to the will of His flesh. Rather, Jesus pushed through to embrace the will of God that He knew was His divine destiny. He surrendered and complied with the path the Father had set before Him, saying, “…Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Jesus was resolved to do the Father’s will rather than seek a way out of the situation.

The Father’s plan for Jesus included His trials before the Sanhedrin, Herod Antipas, and Pontus Pilate, as well as Jesus being mocked, spit upon, scourged, and crucified. Although Jesus knew that the Father was faithful to Him and a glorious resurrection shortly awaited Him, this was the defining moment in His earthly life when trust and obedience were required in a measure greater than ever before. He had to “commit himself ” to God and trust that His Heavenly Father would raise Him from the dead and deliver Him from the unspeakable horrors of spiritual darkness. Jesus could have rejected God’s plan at this point, but He chose instead to bring His mind into compliance with the will of God. As a result of His obedience, He brought salvation to mankind through His sacrifice, and He was raised from the dead to sit at the Father’s right hand as the Head of the Church and our eternal High Priest.

If Jesus Himself agonized over doing the will of the Father, then it should come as no surprise that we will wrestle with God’s plan for our lives from time to time. Like Jesus, we must choose to push aside our reservations and commit to doing whatever God asks of us. We must learn to trust and obey.

If you follow your Heavenly Father’s plan, you’ll overcome any obstacle that tries to trip you up, and you’ll find yourself seated in a place of victory that you will never regret. It may be uncomfortable right now, but those emotions and struggles are temporary. They will pass, and when it’s all said and done, you will be glad that you came into compliance with the will of God!

As I look back at the moment when God asked me to move my family to the former USSR, I have no regrets. It was hard for my soul at the moment, but the victories won over many years make it clear that God only had good plans in store for us, even though it was difficult to understand that when it all began. Likewise, God has a good plan in store for you. He simply needs your compliance, trust, and obedience.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I ask You to help me push beyond my inward struggles concerning what You are asking me to do. Your requests have exposed my need to come up higher in my level of trust. This has revealed an area where I need to grow spiritually. Learning where I need to improve is good for me, so I thank You for leading me to this place where You can show me where I need to change and grow. Just as Jesus surrendered to Your will, I place my trust in You, and I will comply with Your plan regardless of how difficult it may be for me to understand in the moment. With the help of Your Spirit, I will trust and obey.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God is faithful. If He is asking me to do something I don’t completely understand, I can trust Him to have my best interest at heart. I don’t need to be fearful of what He is telling me to do. I refuse to let my emotions get the best of me, and I choose to follow God’s will for my life. I declare that I will not shrink back from the assignment God has given me, and I am determined that I will comply with His plan for my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of an area of your life where God is asking you to comply with His plan and you’re having a tough time obeying? What is that area, and what is specifically making it difficult for you to comply?
2. Do you know someone today who is struggling to do the will of God? What can you do to encourage that person? What personal experience of obeying God can you share in order to provoke that person to follow God’s plan for his or her life?
3. What stands out in your mind regarding what you just read in this Sparkling Gem? What did you learn about Jesus and His time in the Garden of Gethsemane that you’ve never considered before?

‘X’ Marks the Spot!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
— 2 Corinthians 4:7

When I was a small boy, the guys in our neighborhood loved to play like they were pirates. My friends and I would draw detailed maps with palm trees, waterfalls, lagoons, and, of course, buried treasure! The location of the buried treasure was always specified with a huge “X.” As we acted out our game and pretended to look for hidden treasure, we’d remind each other that “X” marked the spot of the buried treasure.

Treasure hunters are always scouring the earth to look for treasures and relics left by previous civilizations and generations. But the greatest treasure in the whole universe is right inside you! I’m talking about a cache of wealth so immense that its reserves can never be completely dug out, explored, discovered, or discerned. These are spiritual assets beyond your wildest imagination!

The apostle Paul wrote about this astonishing treasure in Second Corinthians 4:7, where he said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” The first thing Paul does in this verse is tell us where this treasure is buried.

Notice that Paul says, “But we have….” The words “we have” in Greek is echomen, which is taken from the Greek word echo. The word echo means to have, to hold, to possess, or to keep. It is the picture of someone who “has” something in his possession because it belongs to him. It is rightfully his, and he has the right to keep it.

But when Paul uses this word in this verse, he speaks in the plural, including himself and all believers. His words could be translated, “We hold and possess as our very own.…” He is describing something that is already in the hands of all believers — something that legally belongs to them and that they have a right to claim! The word “treasure” is the Greek word thesauros, a word that describes a treasure, a treasury, a treasure chamber, or a place of safekeeping where riches and fortunes are kept. It presents the idea of a specially built room designed to be the repository for massive riches and wealth. By using this word, Paul declares that we as believers are the possessors of riches beyond belief. Moreover, we are the chambers, repositories, or treasuries where God has placed this fortune. Because the word echomen (“we have”) precedes the word thesauros, this phrase could be translated, “We already have and hold this wealth in our possession.”  Therefore, it is not something we are trying to obtain; it is something we already possess.

However, Paul says that this treasure is contained in “earthen vessels” — a phrase he uses to refer to our human bodies. The phrase “earthen vessels” comes from the Greek word ostrakinos, a word used to describe small, cheap, and easily broken pottery made of inferior materials. This kind of pottery was weak, fragile, and valueless — so cheaply made that it would never have been seen in wealthier homes. These “bargain-basement” dishes were primarily used in the lower-class neighborhoods, purchased by people who couldn’t afford to acquire better merchandise. Because the dishes were made of imperfect materials, they usually had defects.

As time passed, it is interesting that this word ostrakinos came to represent anything inferior, low-grade, mediocre, shoddy, second-rate, or substandard. Furthermore, it is where we get the phrase “to ostracize.”

When people “ostracize” a person, it means they regard him as substandard — too unfit to be a part of their group. They speak derogatorily of him, poke fun at him, and belittle him in front of others. The person being “ostracized” most likely feels as though he has been cut out of the group — shunned, ignored, and treated like something that is shoddy and deficient.

Shoddy, deficient, substandard pottery is exactly the kind of “earthen vessels” Paul had in mind when he wrote Second Corinthians 4:7. He used the illustration of these cheaply made dishes to announce the location of the secret chamber where God placed His greatest treasure on planet earth!

• Where is the secret chamber in which God has put His greatest treasure?
• Where are the earthen vessels Paul refers to in this verse?

By connecting the Greek words echomen, thesauros, and ostrakinos, Paul says that we are the location of this divine treasure! If “X” marks the spot, then the “X” is marked on us! As amazing as this is to consider, it is true that God has placed His greatest gift on earth on the inside of us!

This means that Second Corinthians 4:7 communicates this idea:

“We possess treasure within ourselves! And not only do we possess treasure, but our easily broken, inferior, temporary bodies are themselves the treasure chambers where this astonishing cache is kept.…”

Paul uses these Greek words, almost in amazement, to joyfully announce that the human body is the residence of the Holy Spirit — God’s powerful gift to every believer. Even though our human bodies are fragile and eventually die, it pleased God to deposit this gift inside us. Think about how incredible this is! The human body is so fragile that:

•  A wrong diet can kill it.
•  Working too hard can break it.
•  Too much pressure can damage it.
•  And even after caring tenderly for it your entire lifetime, it still eventually dies.

Yet God placed His greatest treasure inside us anyway!

Get ahold of this picture in your heart: You are a treasure hunter’s greatest dream. You have the treasure map. “X” marks the spot for the hidden treasure, but this time you don’t have to go searching for the hidden treasure because the “X” is written on you! You are the hiding place for God’s greatest treasure — the third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit!

So meditate on this truth today: You are valuable and precious in God’s sight. Even though in the natural you may seem weak, fragile, and valueless, God has chosen your human body as the place to hide His greatest treasure. Now you can say, “When God looks at me, ‘X’ really does mark the spot!”

My Prayer for Today

Lord, how can I ever say thank You enough for putting Your Spirit inside me! It is so amazing to think that You would want to live inside someone like me. Yet this was Your choice, and for this I am eternally grateful. Help me live a life that is worthy of Your Presence inside me. Forgive me for times when I’ve treated You wrongly by defiling my mind or my body with things that are not worthy of You. Help me stay constantly aware that I am a carrier of the greatest gift the world has ever known.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I joyfully declare that I carry the Presence of God in my life. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit — a treasury where God has placed His power, His gifts, His grace, His fruit, and His character. Resident within me is enough power and answers to change both my environment and the environment of anyone to whom God uses me to speak the words of life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are you daily aware of the wonderful Presence of God that is always resident inside you?

2. Do you look at yourself with disgust, or do you see your body as a wonderfully made treasure chamber for the Holy Spirit?

3. Since the Holy Spirit lives inside you, how should this affect the way you live your life?

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
— Colossians 1:28

After reading a book on the subject of church leadership and the need for every organization to have a “purpose statement,” I realized that the purpose statement for our church and ministry was too long for anyone to remember it, and it was certainly too long to be able to repeat it to someone else. So I started praying for a short, concise way to state the purpose of our ministry.

After a lot of prayer, my heart kept going back to the simple statement the apostle Paul made in Colossians 1:28, a verse that has been the theme of our ministry since its earliest inception and remains the purpose of our ministry after decades of service. However, I had never thought of a way to present it to people as a purpose statement until I was challenged by that book. Colossians 1:28 speaks of Christ’s glorious presence in each of us and of our need to declare truth in various ways to others with the ultimate goal of presenting every person perfect in Christ. It says, “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

I can emphatically say that our ministry has always been, is, and will always be a preaching, warning, and teaching ministry — just as Paul described in Colossians 1:28. And like Paul, we have an audience of “every man.” The word “every” is the Greek word panta, an all-encompassing word that embraces all people with no exceptions. To the lost, we preach. To those who are saved, we warn and teach. But Paul said the ultimate goal is to present every man perfect in Christ. “Perfect” sounds very hard to attain, if not almost unreachable, so what was Paul really referring to when he spoke of presenting people “perfect” in Christ?

The word “perfect” in this verse is the Greek word telios. Paul used this word only five times in the New Testament — each time to describe full-grown adults (see 1 Corinthians 2:6; 14:20; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 3:15; and Colossians 1:28). It describes how, as a person develops, he or she transitions from being youthful and immature to an individual who is full-grown and mature.

In addition, Paul used telios twice (see Romans 12:2; Colossians 4:12) to denote spiritually mature individuals who are living in accordance with the will of God. For this reason, the more recent translation of The Amplified Bible states, “…that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ….” Thus, we see the word “perfect” that Paul referred to in Colossians 1:28 as one who is spiritually mature and endeavoring to live out his or her life in accordance to God’s perfect will.

In the context of discerning our ministry purpose, this verse gives very clear direction. It tells us that we are not called just to win masses to Christ and then leave them behind as spiritual infants. Rather, our God-given task is to help people walk out of immaturity while leading them onward into spiritual maturity. Bringing people up to this level of maturity is an undertaking so huge that Paul acknowledged it could only be done with the power of God. He said, “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29).

The word “labour” in Colossians 1:29 is the Greek word kopos, which describes the most physically and mentally exhausting type of labor. By using this word, Paul reminded us of the extremely hard work that is required to help a person attain spiritual maturity. According to this, Paul worked very hard to bring people from spiritual infancy into spiritual adulthood. In fact, the next word he chose, the word “striving,” drives this point home. It comes from the Greek word agonidzo, from which we get the word agony.

The use of these two words “labour” (kopos) and “striving” (agonidzo) tells us that the task of helping individuals move from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood requires focus, effort, and hard work — and that it can often be as agonizing as raising a natural child to become a level-headed adult. And we’re not just spiritually raising one person, but many people at one time. This would be humanly impossible if it were not for “his working,” which, as Paul said, works in us mightily.

The word “working” here is the Greek word energeo, which, of course, is where we get the word for energy. Furthermore, the word “mightily” is the word dunamis, which Paul used to describe Christ’s divine ability that resides in each true believer. So Paul was acknowledging that it is only possible to present every man “perfect” in Christ because of His divine, supernatural energy that works mightily in us. We are insufficient in ourselves for such a task. We can only accomplish it because of the infusion of Christ’s mighty dunamis power that works in us. Hence, the task of helping someone grow from spiritual infancy into spiritual adulthood is a supernatural feat that can only be accomplished in cooperation with Christ’s mighty power that works in us and through us.

If you feel that you have failed to stick it out to the end with the individuals you’ve been called to help mature, take heart! Yield to the Holy Spirit’s presence in your heart, for you are only up to the task if the Holy Spirit’s power is working in you and through you. And should you be looking for a purpose statement for your church, your ministry, or your personal walk with God, consider Colossians 1:28: “…that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus….”

As believers, this should always be our purpose. We must not only win people to Jesus but also disciple them to maturity so they can live the balance of their lives as fully grown spiritual adults who live to do the will of God.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I have long sought a purpose statement for my life. Today I align myself with the purpose that the apostle Paul wrote of in Colossians 1:28. I ask You to help me know with whom to share the Gospel, how to warn other believers who need to be warned, what ways I should teach believers, and how to let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through me. Shape me into an instrument to help bring other Christians to a place of spiritual maturity to do the will of God. I can do this consistently only if Your power is released consistently in me, so today I yield to the power of the Holy Spirit and commit myself to this great endeavor.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God uses me to preach Christ to the lost, to warn and teach believers the truths of God’s Word, and to help bring others into spiritual adulthood where they are no longer tossed to and fro as young spiritual infants. God wants all believers to reach spiritual maturity — including me — and He desires to use me to help others attain it as well. Although this is a huge task, I yield to the power of the Holy Spirit in me according to Colossians 1:28, and the Spirit works with me and through me to fulfill this God-given purpose.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the purpose statement for your life? Can you summarize it and easily repeat it to someone else? Do you know it well by memory, and are you able to write it down on a piece of paper?
2. If you know the purpose of your life, what are you doing to fulfill it? Doing what God has asked you to do will require resolve, determination, and supernatural power. Is His power actively flowing through you? Is it time for you to have a new experience with the Holy Spirit so that you are refreshed for the task?
3. Has God used you to help someone grow spiritually? Who is that person? Whom did God use in your life to help you grow spiritually? When you think of the time and effort these individuals spent to help you grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood, doesn’t it make you so thankful for them? Why not take the time to call or write these important people in your life and express your gratitude to them today?

He’s Still the Lord of the Wind and the Waves!

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full…. And He [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
— Mark 4:37,39

Anytime you are on the front lines of battle doing something significant for the Kingdom of God, the enemy’s attacks against your life will escalate. I’m not telling you this to scare you, but to mentally equip you. That way when the attacks come, you won’t be taken by surprise!

Being mentally prepared for a spiritual attack is very important. If you are familiar with the devil’s tactics, his assaults won’t take you off guard or by surprise when they intensify against you. You’ll be able to recognize and resist every demonic attack, rejoicing in the Lord because you know what’s happening.

Jesus came under this kind of intense attack when He was crossing the Sea of Galilee with His disciples on His way to cast a legion of demons out of the demoniac of Gadara. This demon-possessed man was an important weapon in Satan’s arsenal. Through the actions of the demoniac of Gadara, the devil had held the countryside hostage with fear for a very long time. The demoniac was so legendary that people throughout the entire coastland region knew of him.

The devil knew that if Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee that night and reached the other side, He would cast the demons out of that man. When that happened, Satan would lose the weapon he had long used to terrorize the whole countryside.

So as Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee that night, violent and destructive winds seemed to come from out of nowhere to capsize Jesus’ boat and drown Him and His disciples in the middle of the sea. Mark 4:37 says, “And there arose a great storm of wind….”

The phrase “there arose” is taken from the Greek word ginomai, which in this case describes something that happens unexpectedly or something that catches one off-guard. This plainly tells us that Jesus and His disciples did not expect bad weather that night. The Greek word ginomai emphatically means that this event completely took the disciples by surprise.

To let us know the size of this storm, Mark uses the Greek word mega, which denotes something of massive proportions. It is where we get the idea of mega-bills, mega-work, and megaphone. Because Mark uses the word mega, it alerts us to the fact that this was a mega-storm with mega-winds!

The word “wind” is the Greek word lalaipsi, which means this was a turbulent or terribly violent wind. This word can also be translated hurricane, cyclone, tempest, gale, windstorm, a furious tempest, or a fierce squall. Therefore, we know the storm that came against Jesus that night was no small breeze. It was a formidable, crushing, overpowering type of storm.

One very important fact must be pointed out: This was a windstorm. There is no mention of rain at all because this was a storm of wind. Jesus and His disciples could feel its effects as the wind blew against them and their boat. They could see the raging waves that were tossed to and fro by this violent wind. However, the windstorm that had come to overturn their boat in the middle of Sea of Galilee and to kill them before they reached the other side was invisible.

The Greek words in Mark 4:37 gives this idea:

“And suddenly and unexpectantly — as if it came from out of nowhere — there arose a gale of wind. It was a ferocious tempest with winds that were terribly violent, turbulent, and overpowering.…”

Here was Jesus — on the brink of one of the greatest miracles of His ministry. At the same time, there was the devil, fearing that he was about to lose one of his most highly prized weapons of terrorism. It was at this exact moment that this violent, destructive turbulence came down upon Jesus and His disciples.

The occurrence of the storm at this exact moment was no accident. The devil didn’t want Jesus to reclaim one of his most prized captives. This was a preemptive strike of the devil to undo the work of God.

But that night in the midst of the storm, Jesus arose and took authority over the situation. The Bible says that when He exercised His authority over this unseen turbulence, “…the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). In doing this, Jesus demonstrated that He was the Lord of the wind and the waves. This potentially deadly situation provided a great opportunity for the disciples to learn that Jesus Christ is truly Lord over all!

Rest assured — Satan will certainly try to attack you with unexpected turbulence from time to time. His attacks against you will probably escalate whenever you’re right on the edge of a breakthrough, as was the case with Jesus that night. But just as that event provided an opportunity for Jesus to demonstrate His power and authority, you need to see each demonic attack against you as an opportunity to rise up, take authority, and demonstrate who you are in Jesus Christ!

Mentally and spiritually prepare yourself to deal with the devil’s attacks. Put on the whole armor of God. Rise up and take authority in Jesus’ name over the wind and the waves that come against you and your family. Never forget that this is your golden opportunity to see a demonstration of God’s power in your life!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for teaching me that Satan often attacks right when I’m on the verge of a major breakthrough. This knowledge helps me so much because it causes me to recognize that Satan loves to make all hell break loose in my life just before a big victory. Now that I know this, please help me keep this in mind when a turbulent wind blows into my life. Help me to look at that storm and say, “I know that the devil must be upset; otherwise, he wouldn’t be messing with me right now. I must be right on track with God!” With this understanding, I will keep pressing ahead, regardless of what I see, feel, or hear.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare that every attack of the devil is my opportunity to see a demonstration of the power of God. What the devil meant for my harm, God will turn for my good. This is my opportunity to rise up, speak the name of Jesus, use my God-given authority, and declare to the spiritual realm that the Lord of lords whom I serve is by far the One with the most spiritual power!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you recall some storms in your past that you had to stand against until the victory finally came?

2. How did you react to the last storm in your life? Did you rise up and take authority over the situation?

3. In what ways are you mentally and spiritually preparing yourself for future attacks?

A Spirit of Wisdom And Revelation for You

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
— Ephesians 1:17

Would you like to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit to help you make some important decisions today? If so, Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 1:17 is an important scripture for you to apply to your own life.

The word “wisdom” in this verse is from the Greek word sophias. It is an old Greek word that was used to describe insight or wisdom not naturally attained. In other words, this is not natural human wisdom — this is special insight.

The word “revelation” is from the word apokalupsis. It refers to something that has been veiled or hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, becomes clear and visible to the mind or eye. It is like pulling the curtains out of the way so you can see what has always been just outside your window. The scene was always there for you to enjoy, but the curtains blocked your ability to see the real picture. But when the curtains are drawn apart, you can suddenly see what has been hidden from your view. The moment you see beyond the curtain for the first time and observe what has been there all along but not evident to you — that is what the Bible calls a “revelation.”

Now apply the meaning of this word to the realm of spiritual truths. The truths we now grasp and enjoy were always there in the realm of the Spirit, but they were veiled — hidden to us. It wasn’t the time for these truths to be revealed yet, so they remained obscured from our sight, even though they were always there. But once the right time came and the Holy Spirit removed the veil that obstructed our view, our minds instantly saw and understood. When this occurred, you and I had a revelation!

Can you remember times in your past when you suddenly saw something in the Bible you had never seen before? That truth had been there all along, but it had been hidden to your eyes. Then suddenly one day, it was as if someone pulled the covers off that verse, and it literally jumped off the pages in front of you. You saw it! You understood it! You had a revelation!

It is a fact that truths remain hidden until God chooses to reveal them to us. This is why Paul prayed for God “to give” the Ephesian church a spirit of wisdom and revelation. The phrase “to give” is the Greek word didomi, which means to hand something over completely to someone else. It could also be translated to impart.

Because the Ephesian church needed wisdom beyond their own human understanding, Paul asked God to give them what they needed: special insight that is not naturally attained. Then Paul clarified what he meant by adding the word “revelation.” One expositor has said the verse could be better translated to “give unto you a spirit of wisdom, even revelation!”

Taking all this into consideration, Ephesians 1:17 could be translated:

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you special insight — I’m talking about wisdom that is not naturally attained. This is the divine moment when the curtains are drawn back, and you are supernaturally enabled to see what you could never see by yourself.”

God had all the answers the Ephesian believers needed. By themselves, they would never have been smart enough to figure it all out. So Paul besought God to impart to them the wisdom they needed. Then Paul clarified that this kind of wisdom would only come to them by revelation — which only God can give.

If you need direction and guidance today, stop right now and pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17 for your own life. Ask God to give you “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” God has all the answers you need, and they’re not as far from you as you may think. In one moment, He can remove the veil of ignorance and help you see clearly the things you need to understand. All you have to do is ASK!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to give me the insight and wisdom I need for this moment in my life. There is so much I need to know, but I am unable to figure it all out by myself. Today I ask that the Holy Spirit would take away the veil that has obscured my view. I ask that my eyes be opened to see exactly what I need to know. I ask You to give me a real revelation about my life, my situation, and the truth I need to know right now. 

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that God gives me “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” regarding the truth I need in my life right now. God has all the answers I need — answers I will not find with my own natural reasoning. At the right moment, the Holy Spirit will remove the veil of ignorance that has blinded my view and help me see clearly the things I need to understand.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you remember a time in your life when a light bulb went off in your spirit and you saw a new revelation from God that you’d never seen before?

2. What difficult issues in your life have you been trying to work out in your own strength? Write them down.

3. Are you ready to surrender those issues to God and ask Him to reveal to you the answers you need?

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
— 1 Corinthians 4:2

People frequently ask, “How does God choose whom He wants to use?” This is an important question to ask, and one that you should ask if you desire to be used by the Lord. As you look at those whom God uses in a significant way, it will quickly become obvious to you that God doesn’t choose people simply because of raw talent or gifts. So there must be another, higher reason that causes Him to reach out and lay His hand on an individual to use him or her in a special way. What is that reason?

There are several answers to this question. In my book Say Yes, I discuss the reasons why God chooses some people and not others. Certainly God loves everyone, but God is not obligated to use everyone He loves. There are certain qualities that cause God to reach out and use some more than others. You need to know those reasons.

In First Corinthians 4:2, the apostle Paul gave us one answer to this question. Paul stated this so categorically that it seems this quality is at the top of God’s list of requirements for those who will do His work. Paul wrote, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”

I want to draw your attention to the word “faithful” in this verse. This word “faithful” comes from the Greek word pistos, which is derived from the word pistis, the Greek word faith. However, in First Corinthians 4:2, the word pistos doesn’t refer to faith as a spiritual force; rather, it denotes a person who is faithful. This is a person whom God has found to be faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, true, and unfailing.

But how does God know if a person is faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, true, and unfailing? Paul answered this question when he wrote, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” There is no second-guessing with God about this question. The word “found” emphatically means that God watches us over a long period of time and in many different circumstances to see if we are faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, true, and unfailing.

If you were God looking for someone to use in a mighty way, wouldn’t you first watch a person’s character and actions to see if he or she was someone on whom you could depend for a big assignment? Even secular employers inspect employees to see who is trustworthy of a big promotion!

The word “found” is the Greek word eurisko, which means to find or to discover. It is a discov- ery made as a result of careful observance. It tells us that God is carefully watching us to see our actions and reactions. He is watching to see how we treat people, how we respond to pressure, and whether or not we have the tenacity to stay on track when distractions try to thwart our obedience. Before He taps us on the shoulder to give us a new assignment, He carefully observes to see how well we have done with the last assignment. Did we do it as He expected? Did we finish it completely, or did we leave parts of the assignment incomplete? Did we do it in a way that glorified the name of Jesus?

God wants to know if we are faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, true, and unfailing. Rather than take a shot in the dark and simply hope for the best, He bases His decision on discovery. That means that God is watching you today. He watches your actions and reactions. He observes how you treat people and how you respond to pressure. He looks to see if you have the tenacity to keep going, even in the face of opposition.

So what has God found about you?

If you were an employer, before you promoted someone into a position of great authority, wouldn’t you watch that person first to see if he or she would be found faithful? Since this is true of humans when they look for someone to oversee short-lived, temporal responsibilities, how much more is this true of God, who entrusts people with matters that impact people’s lives for all eternity? There is nothing more serious than eternal business. That’s why before God promotes someone over greater spiritual matters, He watches to see if they are found faithful.

Once God knows a person can be trusted with more, it isn’t long before a new assignment comes their way. In First Corinthians 4:2, Paul said, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” As noted in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, the word “required” is the Greek word zeteo, which means to seek, to search, or to look very intensively for something. It was a legal term to denote a judicial investigation and could even refer to a scientific investigation. It describes an intense and thorough searching. It could be interpreted, “Moreover, God is making a concentrated, exhaustive, and thorough search in pursuit of stewards who are found faithful.”

This means that the people who possess the necessary qualities that God wants in order to use them are not abundant in the Christian community. Faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, true, and unfailing people are so rare that God must thoroughly and exhaustively search to find them. But once He finds through observation that a particular believer is committed to do His will and to do it with excellence, God has made a valuable discovery. He has found a faithful person He can depend on to lead and carry out a new and important assignment.

Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of people, and it is very rare to find people who are completely reliable. Most are distracted by other things. They start out with a desire to be faithful, but the affairs of life pull them away. Any pastor could testify of the myriads of people who started projects but didn’t finish them. But when a person is discovered who is faithful, trustworthy, reliable, true, and unfailing in keeping his or her word, it is a rare find — a real gem!

When God looks at you, what does He see? Do all you possibly can do to make it easy for Him to say, “Now, that person is a real treasure whom I can trust with the next big assignment!” Don’t let His answer be, “Not yet!” because you refused to make the necessary changes.

Since God is watching, don’t you agree that it is vital that we take a serious look at ourselves to see what He is finding as He watches what we do, the promises we make, and the seriousness with which we obey Him and His Word? Has God found that He can trust us, or would He be wiser to choose someone else?

So if you want to move into a higher realm of responsibility that holds more exciting and significant assignments in life, do everything you can to be found faithful in what you are doing right now. When God has found you faithful in your present project, you have your best guarantee that a door will soon open for you to step through so you can walk out the dream He placed in your heart.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I admit that I’ve often been slack in the way that I’ve carried out the assignments You have given to me. I haven’t always been diligent in many things You have expected of me, and yet I’ve somehow thought that You would promote me anyway. Now I understand that You are watching and waiting for me to be found faithful. Only then will You be assured that I can be trusted with something bigger than what I am doing right now. Forgive me for my faulty thinking in the past. I ask You to make my thoughts agreeable to Your will, as You create in me both the desire and the ability to do what pleases You. I thank You, Lord, for helping me do Your will Your way. From this moment onward, I will do my best to be faithful at the tasks in my life right now. Even if I don’t relish what I am being asked to do, I will do it with all of my heart until You and I both know that I can be trusted with something bigger and better.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am committed to doing my present job with joy and excellence. I do not com- plain; I do not drag my feet; and I do not behave lazily or half-heartedly. I am completely committed to doing this job with excellence and in a manner that brings praise to the name of Jesus Christ. When God looks at me, He smiles because He sees me giving 100 percent of everything I am to the task of doing this the best that it can be done. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I am a faithful steward over all that God has entrusted to my care and oversight. Because I am completing my assignment with my whole heart and with the highest level of excellence I’m capable of, God finds me faithful and will promote me to a higher level and a bigger assignment.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What is the major assignment God has asked you to deal with in your life right now? Maybe it is a work assignment, a relationship assignment, or an assignment to deal with a specific personal issue in your life. Can you name the most significant assignment God has given you — the one you know He is watching most closely to see how you are doing in completing that assignment?
2. If you were to rate your performance on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst), how would you rate your present performance with the main assignment that God is watching in your life? Be honest!
3. Why did you rate yourself the way you did? What are you doing that causes you to think you rate so low or so high? Now ask the Holy Spirit to give you God’s rating of your present performance!

Never Forget That You Are More Than a Conqueror!

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
— Romans 8:37

How do you see yourself? As a champion who wins nearly every fight? Or as a loser — someone who struggles along, never seeming to conquer a single problem? How you perceive yourself is very important because it will ultimately affect the way other people see you.

Have you ever met someone who had a bad self-image or who always seemed to carry an air of inferiority around with him? It isn’t hard to discern this attitude in people. They feel so badly about themselves that they exude their negative perception of themselves and their sense of insecurity. On the other hand, if you’ve ever met individuals who are self-confident and self-assured, you know that it’s easy to recognize their confidence. Why? Because a confident person exudes confidence.

It is simply a fact that you will inevitably project what you feel about yourself to others. So this question about how you see yourself is very important. If you see yourself as a champion who wins every fight, that is exactly how others will see you. But if you see yourself as someone who struggles and wrestles with a bad self-image — that is precisely how others will perceive you.

So let’s turn to Romans 8:37 to see what the Word of God has to say about us. In this verse, Paul declares that “…we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” I want to especially draw your attention to the phrase “more than conquerors.” It comes from the Greek word hupernikos, a compound of the words huper and nikos. By joining the words huper and nikos together into one word, Paul is making one fabulous, jammed-packed, power-filled statement about you and me!

The words “more than” are derived from the Greek word huper, which literally means over, above, and beyond. It depicts something that is way beyond measure. It carries the idea of superiority — something that is utmost, paramount, foremost, first-rate, first-class, and top-notch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to; preeminent, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed, unequaled, and unrivaled by any person or thing.

Now Paul uses this same word to denote what kind of conquerors we are in Jesus Christ. We are huper-conquerors! Paul uses this word huper to dramatize our victory.

This is what Paul meant to get across in Romans 8:37:

“We are greater conquerors, superior conquerors, higher and better conquerors!”
“We are more than a match for any foe!”
“We are utmost conquerors, paramount conquerors, top-notch conquerors, unsurpassed conquerors, unequaled and unrivaled conquerors!”

But we must continue to the next part of the verse, where Paul calls us “conquerors.” The word “conqueror” is from the Greek word nikos. The word nikos describes an overcomer; a conqueror, champion, victor, or master. It is the picture of an overwhelming, prevailing force. However, the word nikos alone wasn’t strong enough to make Paul’s point, so he joined the words huper and nikos together to make his point even stronger!

When you put these two words together, they form the word hupernikos, which declares that in Jesus Christ, you are an overwhelming conqueror, a paramount victor, or an enormous overcomer. This word is so power-packed that one could interpret it as a phenomenal, walloping, conquering force!

That’s precisely who you are in Jesus Christ! So stop looking at yourself as a struggling loser. Regardless of your past experiences, you must begin to look at yourself through God’s eyes and in the light of Romans 8:37. This verse declares that you are always the winner and never a loser! And when you begin to see yourself the way God sees you, it will change the way others see you too.

Resolve right now to see yourself the way the Word of God does — as a walloping and conquering force! You are more than a match for any adversary or foe that would come against you today! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for making me a phenomenal, walloping, conquering force! Because of what Jesus has done for me, I am no longer a struggling loser. Instead, I possess the power to be an enormous overcomer! Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me take my eyes off my past failures so I can focus on the power of the resurrection that lives inside me. 

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that in Jesus Christ, I am a conqueror who is utmost, paramount, foremost, first-rate, first-class, and top-notch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to; preeminent, dominant, incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed, unequaled, and unrivaled by any challenge that would ever try to come against me! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How do you honestly see yourself in life — as a winner or a loser?

2. Think about the Christians you know who exude boldness and confidence in the Lord. What do those people do to maintain that sense of confidence on a consistent basis?

3. What steps can you take to begin to see yourself as God sees you according to His Word?

Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.
— 1 Corinthians 4:2

When we were growing up, my father often reminded me and my siblings, “As long as you live under my roof, you are going to abide by my rules!”

My parents were wonderful examples and godly leaders in our home. They loved us deeply. However, my father made it very clear who was in charge. We understood that Dad was the head of the home — and, as such, he made the rules. When wills collided and we wanted to do something contrary to his way of doing things, we were reminded that he was the one in charge, not us. Resisting Dad’s rules in one of those moments was like running into a wall of solid concrete. If anyone was going to bend, it wasn’t going to be him — it was going to be us.

I am so thankful for this lesson that my father taught me when I was young. I feel sorry for children today who are not taught to respect authority at home, because they’re not being adequately prepared for the realities of life they will later face. Because they were permitted to bend the rules or, even worse, to manipulate their way around the rules, they will be in for a big shock when they enter the work world and discover that their boss is not going to bend for them or allow their manipulation. If we love our children, we must teach them that living by the rules is a part of life.

Because my father made the rules very plain, we knew what was expected in our home and we knew the kinds of behavior that would never be tolerated. This knowledge created stability and taught responsibility to me and my siblings. I am so thankful that my parents taught us that we must live by the rules. When my own sons were growing up, I told them the same thing my father had told me: “As long as you live in our house, you are going to abide by my rules.” Today as I look at our sons, I can see the great fruit this firmness produced in their lives. They are authority-honoring, law-abiding, responsible men.

Living by the rules is a necessary part of every realm of life. In the natural, it’s true that your habitual violation of the rules will eventually result in negative consequences or punishment. On the other hand, if you abide by the rules, you position yourself for a life of order, stability, and freedom from enforced restriction. In the same way, God has rules — and if you are a son or daughter in His house, He expects you to live by the rules. In fact, if you refuse to abide by His rules, you will probably never be greatly used by God. He looks for the obedient — those who respect Him, honor His Word, and follow His instructions.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). This verse is filled with lots of important teaching, but today I want us to look carefully at the word “steward,” which is so important to understand if you want God to use you significantly in this life. However, first I want to draw your attention to the word “required.”

The word “required” is actually translated improperly in the King James Version. It is the Greek word zeteo, and it means to seek, to search, or to look very intensively for something. It was used as a legal term to denote a judicial investigation, and it could even refer to a scientific investigation. It denotes an intense and thorough searching for accurate, concrete facts, not a mere surface investigation. The King James Version says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful,” but the Greek could be interpreted, “Moreover, God is making a concentrated, exhaustive, and thorough search in pursuit of stewards who are faithful.”

Because the word zeteo is used, we know that the high caliber of stewards God is seeking is not abundant in His house. Such “stewards” are so uncommon that God must search thoroughly and exhaustively to find those who respect, honor, and abide by the rules of His house. Just consider what it means, then, when God does find the rare treasure called a faithful steward. No wonder “…the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 AMPC)!

Now let’s focus on the word “steward.” This word in Greek is oikonomos, which is a compound of the words oikos and nemoo. The first part of the word, oikos, is the word for a house. It expresses the idea of a real physical residence where a family resides, including the residents, furniture, finances, property, and household items connected to that particular family and home. Because the word oikos is all-inclusive not only of the house, but also of its residents and their possessions, finances, affairs, and everything else in or connected to that particular house — it is often translated household, which correctly conveys the idea of this Greek word.

The second part of the word oikonomos is the word nemoo, which means to dispense or to administrate. It is derived from the word nomos, which is the Greek word for law and refers to anything laid down, ordered, established, or made into law. It depicts standards, norms, or laws that are firmly established, publicly accepted, and categorically expected. These rules are to be respected and followed. Violating such a rule of law would result in penalty.

When the word oikos and nomos are compounded into one word, as in First Corinthians 4:2, the new word formed is oikonomos, which means the rule or management of a house. In the Old Testament Greek Septuagint, the word oikonomos depicted leaders so trusted by the king or state that they were appointed to administrate entire departments or nations. In secular documents of that time, the word oikonomos is translated court officials or palace officials, and it described anyone entrusted with a public office. As public officials, they were to set the supreme example of honoring the law in their private lives, households, and personal affairs.

Over time, the word oikonomos was applied to household stewards. Household stewards were individuals entrusted with managerial responsibility in wealthy homes. It was their job to run the household in an orderly fashion and according to the rules set forth by the owner or to administer the rules of the house. The word “steward” could designate the gatekeeper, the chief concierge, the head janitor, the head cook, or the chief accountant. These were not mere laborers, but directors of departments who had oversight, responsibility, and who were therefore accountable for areas entrusted to their care. Most importantly, they knew, respected, and followed the rules set forth by the one in authority over them, and they made sure others in the household followed the rules as the head of the household expected.

In the New Testament, the word oikonomos appears only ten times. A key example is Romans 16:23, where it is used to describe a brother in Corinth named Erastus. In that verse, Paul referred to a brother he called “Erastus the chamberlain of the city.” For historical purposes, I want to note that a marble slab with an inscription identifying Erastus as the chamberlain of Corinth was discovered buried in the remains of ancient Corinth.

The word “chamberlain” that described this brother and leader in Corinth is the word oikonomos, which clearly tells us that Erastus was the chief administrator of the city. For a Christian to hold such a title in the pagan world of Paul’s time was very rare, but this shows that the Christian influence was beginning to be felt on every level of life. As the chamberlain, manager, or administrator of the city, Erastus was responsible to know the law, live by the law, enforce the law, and apply the law to others. If you take this meaning into First Corinthians 4:2, where Paul discusses “stewards” in God’s house, it unmistakably means that God is seeking leaders who know His rules and live by them, who set themselves as an example for others by applying His rules in every situation, and who therefore teach others how to live by those rules as well.

The word “required” precedes the word “stewards,” and it comes from the Greek word zeteo, which implies a thorough search. This emphatically means God is ardently seeking people who are committed to His Word. When He finds a man or woman who knows the Word, honors the Word, and follows the Word in every situation, He has found the type of person to whom He will give authority and responsibility. The fact that this individual knows the rules and lives by them demonstrates to God that he or she can be trusted with greater responsibility.

Just as my father reminded me that as long as I lived under his roof, I was going to live by his rules, God also expects us to live by the rules of His house. We must remember that we are His sons and daughters in the household of faith. It is our obligation and responsibility to live under God’s roof according to His rules. I assure you that if we are out of sync with God’s Word, He isn’t going to bend to accommodate us. We are the ones who must change and conform to Him.

Especially if you are a leader or if you desire to be a leader who has influence on others, it is imperative for you to know and to live by God’s rules and to ensure that these rules are honored by all under your charge. If you are a person who already does this, throw up your arms and rejoice, because God is searching for you and is about to tap you on the shoulder to do something marvelous! I assure you that God is listening to your prayers — and He is watching to see if He can trust you with a bigger assignment. If He finds you faithful, a new assignment will soon arrive at your door.

However, if you are sloppy about how you apply God’s rules to your life, you need to be honest with yourself and realize that the big break you’ve been hoping for may still be very far away. For God to give you a big assignment, He needs to know that He can trust you to live according to the rules of His house!

I encourage you to take an honest survey of your life and examine every detail to see if you have been honoring God’s Word and obeying it as strictly as you should. If not, then make this your opportunity to repent. Follow your repentance with change, and know that God will watch to see if your repentance is genuine. Once your heart is set to do your best to keep His rules, a new assignment will soon be on the way. But never forget that before God gives a big assignment to someone, He carefully observes his actions to see if he is living according to the rules of His house.

Since this is true, wouldn’t it be wise for you to examine your life before the Lord to determine what HE sees as He watches you?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for making me Your child — and today I am renewing my commitment to live according to the rules of Your house. It is a great honor to be Your child. I want to honor You by being obedient to You. I want to understand Your rules — what they mean, why You require them, and how to apply them to every situation in my life. When You look at me, I want You to see me as a child of God who is ardently doing all I can to honor Your rules, to live by Your rules, and to help others honor and obey them too. In my own flesh, it is impossible to do it all, but with the help of Your Spirit who dwells inside me, I can do what You expect and live in a way that brings glory to Your name. Holy Spirit, today I am turning to You for help as I endeavor to honor God in the way that I live under His roof.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am Christ-honoring and Word-keeping in the way I live and conduct my life. The Holy Spirit empowers me to think right, to do right, and to order my life according to the law of God. I am not a law-breaker — I am a law-abiding child of God. When God sees me, He finds me to be faithful and honoring of the rules that are so very important to Him. I am thankful to be saved and honored to be called a child of God. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to honor God in the way I live in His house and under His roof.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of areas in your life where you are sloppy in your obedience to the Word of God? Have you been cutting yourself too much slack in areas that God doesn’t take lightly? What are those areas, and how long have you been sloppy in your obedience to these important issues?
2. If you were God and you were looking at your life, would you consider yourself to be a law-keeper or one who tries to bend or get around the rules?
3. For you to genuinely repent, what necessary changes do you need to make in your life? God already knows the truth about you, so why don’t you take a few minutes today to be honest with God and with yourself so you can begin to make the changes He wants to see in your life.

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
— 1 Corinthians 3:13

I will never forget the sound of the fire engines one night several years ago. We lived in a high-rise building in central Moscow, so when those fire trucks came speeding through the city with their horns blaring, the sound reverberated between the buildings on either side of the street as sound might ricochet off the walls in a great cavern.

I saw the lights flashing from the back side of our apartment, so Denise and I stepped out onto the balcony to see what was happening. The building directly behind us was on fire — and the flames were literally piercing the top of the roof and ferociously crackling upward into the smoke-filled air. The heat was so intense that the firemen were unable to get very close to the building. They had to stand back and watch the fire do its worst work before they could begin pumping water close enough to put out the burning timbers on the roof.

After the fire finally subsided, the only part of the building that remained was the part made of stone and mortar. Everything composed of burnable material was gone — reduced to ashes and burned to a crisp!

With today’s sophisticated technology and machinery, fires are usually extinguished quickly, thus reducing the amount of damage done. But in the apostle Paul’s day, there was no such equipment. Fires were a huge problem in large ancient cities. In fact, when a fire began, it often raged out of control for many days.

What made this even worse was the fact that the slave population in large cities lived in dwellings made of wood, hay, and stubble. As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, this was exactly the picture Paul had in his mind when he wrote, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble” (1 Corinthians 3:12).

To review, the word “wood” in this verse is the Greek word zulos, and it means wood, wooden timbers, branches of a tree, boards, or anything made of wood. However, this word was also frequently used to depict fuel for a fire. Thus, this word zulos can describe a building composed of cheap, temporary, perishable, burnable materials.

The word “hay” in the same verse is the Greek word chortos, and it means grass or hay. This “hay” should never have been used as a construction material, for it ignited very easily. It was meant to be the food that was fed to animals and is often translated as “fodder.”

The word “stubble” in First Corinthians 3:12 is the Greek word kalame, which means straw or stubble. This material was so inferior that even animals wouldn’t eat it. Yet in the homes of slaves, it was used as a floor covering, insulation, and stuffing for beds. It was cheap, disposable, and replaceable.

Think of it! Those slave dwellings were made of wood and sticks, covered with a roof of grass, and insulated with straw. Imagine how quickly these flimsy structures went up in smoke when a fire touched them! When a fire struck one of those little houses, it ignited like a box of matches and started a chain reaction. Pieces of burning wood, grass, and straw whirled upward into the air as hot embers and fell on the surrounding slave dwellings. One after another, every little house made of wood, hay, and stubble burst into flames and began to burn like an inferno. Wood, hay, and stubble fueled the fire!

When these fires ran their course and died out, everything that could be burned was burned. Everything made of wood, hay, and stubble was gone!

This is one reason important buildings were made of stone. The builders knew that if a fire ever raged through the city, a stone building might get scorched but would still survive. Although it might be stained with smoke, the building would endure the worst of a fire and be fixable!

Living in the First Century AD and ministering in large cities, Paul had no doubt seen the effects of fire. Knowing that hardships, tests, and trials eventually come to every person’s life, he used this example as a backdrop when he said, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

Paul began this verse by saying, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest….” By using the words “every man,” the apostle informed us that eventually a time comes to every person when he will be tested. The words “every man” are from the Greek word hekastos, an all-encompassing word that means everyone, no one excluded. Hence, Paul was telling us that no one in this world is completely exempt from fiery situations that arise to test him and thus reveal the true quality of what he is doing and building with his life.

By using our faith and yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can avoid many catastrophes and demonic attacks in life. But as long as we are in this world where the devil operates, there will be moments when fire comes to test our works. When these fires come, that is the golden moment when we discover if our works are made of gold, silver, and precious stones — or if we have been building our lives with wood, hay, and stubble.

The word “work” in First Corinthians 3:13 informs us of what will be tested. The Greek word is ergos, which refers to the work or the output of one’s life. It signifies some kind of action, deed, or activity. Very often it referred to a person’s occupation, a person’s labor, or the things produced by a person’s effort or life. Thus, it could describe a person’s line of work, his career, his acts of labor, or even his profession.

Paul warned us that a day will come when our works will be tested. On that day, the true quality of our works and the real motive, intention, and reason behind our works will become evident. That is why he said, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest….”

The word “manifest” is the Greek word phaneros. It describes something that is visible, observable, obvious, clear, open, apparent, or evident. In fact, our works will become so evident that, as Paul said, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire…” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

That word “revealed” is the Greek word apokalupto. It is a compound of two Greek words, apo and kalupsis. The word apo means away. The word kalupsis means a curtain or a veil. When these two words are compounded, the new word describes something that has been veiled or hidden for a long time, but is now clear and visible because the veil has been removed.

It is like pulling the curtains out of the way so you can see what has always been just outside your window. The scene was always there for you to see, but the curtains blocked your ability to see the real picture. However, when the curtains were drawn apart, you could suddenly see what had been hidden from your view. In that moment, you saw beyond the curtain for the first time and observed what was there all along but had not been visible to you.

Often we see things on the surface, but we don’t know the real motivations of a person’s heart or the hidden reason why people do what they do. However, a day is coming when our works and the works of others will suddenly come into view. On that day, the curtains will be drawn apart, and the picture will become clear both to ourselves and to others. On that day, Paul said fire will pull the curtains apart so that the real picture becomes clear.

Paul went on to say, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire….” The words “by fire” can either be translated by fire or in the midst of fire. The language makes it 100-percent clear that fire is the medium that will expose the truth about what we have done and what we are doing with our lives. We are tested by fiery situations or in the midst of fiery situations.

Paul goes on to say, “…And the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” The Greek word translated “try” is the word dokimadzo. It means to test, to try, or to scrutinize. It was used to describe the testing of metals or other materials to see if they could stand up under pressure. If these materials had a flaw of any kind, the pressure of this test was so intense that it would cause that object to crack or to break into pieces.

The purpose of the test was not to hurt the object, but to expose flaws that could later do greater damage to many people. Putting materials through such dokimadzo tests was intended to point out the weak, dangerous, hidden flaws before these materials were used. It was simply a fact that later when these materials were used, they would be put under tremendous stress. If hidden flaws remained undiscovered, it could prove disastrous. Moving too quickly or using materials that were improperly made could result in the loss of an entire project, in the loss of money, and even in the loss of life.

Like it or not, it’s just a fact that tests come to us all in life. So rather than shut our eyes to this reality, we must allow the Holy Spirit to expose the hidden flaws in our souls, our character, and our work that would later break us when even more fiery trials come our way. It is up to us to make sure that we are building our lives with materials that will pass the test and won’t crumble under pressure!

Can you think of a time when you, your work, your job, or your ministry was tested? I can think of several times when our own ministry experienced hardships that revealed hidden flaws in our organization. I didn’t relish the experience, but afterward I was thankful that the fire had revealed weaknesses that we were unaware of but really needed to deal with. As difficult as those situations were, I was grateful I saw the defects and the areas where we had incorrectly built our ministry. Those fiery situations exposed the truth that we needed to see!

That is why Paul concludes this verse by saying, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

As we have seen, in the ancient world, fires occasionally consumed everything that was made of wood, hay, and stubble. However, everything made of gold, silver, and precious stone survived. When the fire was done, it revealed what had been built cheaply, hastily, and with perishable materials, and it also revealed what had been built with right materials and by right methods. As Paul says in First Corinthians 3:13, fire tells us what sort of thing we’ve been building with our lives!

An interpretive paraphrase of First Corinthians 3:13 could read as follows:

“Regardless of you who are, it is just a fact that a day will eventually come when the true nature of what you have built with your life will be exposed by fiery situations. When the fire comes, you’ll be so thoroughly tested that you’ll have a clearer picture afterward of what you have been building right and what you have been building wrong.”

I don’t know how our discussion today has affected you, but it makes me want to seek the face of God to make sure I am building my life, my marriage, my children, my finances, my household, my ministry, my organization, and every other part of my life in a way that will pass every test of life.

It is just a fact that if you and I build our lives hastily, cheaply, or with the wrong motives, a situation will eventually arise that will reveal the truth. When that day comes, everything we’ve done wrong will be burned and will go up in smoke, just like a fire consumes wood, hay, and stubble.

So rather than waste our precious time on works that have no eternal value, let’s choose to be wise by getting before God so He can speak to our hearts. God is more than willing to show us what we need to correct before a fire comes to teach us the hard way!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, help me take a good look at my life to see if I am building it correctly with the kind of materials that will last through any difficult time. I do not want to be irresponsible in the way I build my life, my family, my business, or my calling, so please help me be very attentive to what I am doing and how I am doing it. I realize that tests eventually come to everyone, and I know that if I am diligent with my life right now, I will stand up stronger and last longer when the storms of life try to assail me. So help me today, Holy Spirit, to start seriously pondering my life to see how I can be building better.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am building my life in such a way that I will be able to survive any attack! Because I am building wisely — with the right materials and the right methods — my life is becoming so strong that it will be capable of passing every test. I forsake hasty, irresponsible living, and I press forward with purpose to make a difference in this world. Therefore, I am giving my best efforts to build something that is excellent, respectable, and will bring glory to Jesus.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of any areas of your life that “went up in smoke” because you moved too hastily, built with the wrong materials, or used the wrong methods? What were those areas, and what did you learn from those experiences?
2. What have you done differently since you experienced this loss in your personal life? Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts about what you should do differently in order to build your life so it can withstand even the worst fir
3. Do you know anyone going through tests and trials right now who could use some encouragement? If you remember what it was like to go through hard times, why not look for ways to comfort those who are hurting with the same comfort you received from God?