JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to stay flexible to God’s plans.
Sometimes, God will redirect us to a different place than we imagined going.
In the early church, Paul and his companions were trying to get to a place in Asia, but the Lord redirected them through a vision to go to Macedonia. This was how the Gospel was introduced through missionary activity in Europe.
When we give our lives to the Lord, we are giving Him the right to overrule our plans with His higher purposes. This requires trusting God to lead us, even if His guidance calls for an adjustment in our plans. He sees the bigger picture and He knows what He is doing.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
Take the daily challenge to stay flexible to God’s direction for our lives on the journey of faith.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity is the Apostle Paul.
According to Acts 20:19, he told the church leaders at Ephesus, “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”
Here was a man who persevered through times of testing and tears in his ministry for the church. He stayed true to his calling and consistently preached the message of the Gospel to the crowds. For Jews and Greeks, his message was the same: Repent. Turn to God. Have faith in the Lord Jesus.
The faithfulness of Paul to the Gospel inspires us to stay true to God and live a life of integrity.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the conversion of the Apostle Paul.
Before knowing Christ, Paul had reasons to put confidence in his flesh. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. This was a man who had religion, but no relationship with Jesus. Then he met Jesus on the way to Damascus, and Paul was changed forever.
He says in Philippians 3:7, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”
Paul might have lost confidence in his own credentials, but he gained a relationship with Jesus through faith, and that relationship became his greatest treasure, highest ambition, and source of confidence. From that point on, his boast would be in the Lord.
The conversion of Paul shows us that with Christ’s help, people can change. His conversion is a reason to believe in God’s good news.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason To Believe is how the Gospel changes lives.
If you have been touched by the grace of God, it is quite likely that you can recall specific ways you changed after coming to faith in Jesus-attitudes, behavior, or priorities.
The disciples became followers of Jesus and would later be appointed as leaders of the early church.
After an encounter with Jesus, the heart of Zacchaeus changed from being greedy to being generous.
A jailer put his faith in Jesus and was changed from being suicidal to being filled with joy.
God’s grace changes people’s lives in various ways, but one common thread is that in whatever way the person changes, it results in bringing glory to God.
One example of that is how Christians responded to reports of the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Galatians 1:23 says, “They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me.”
“Changed lives” reveal the power of the Gospel and is a reason to believe in God’s good news.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
