Christian Daily Devotionals

By Francis Frangipane

"How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring". Psalm 84:5-6

Baca means "weeping." Each of us has times of weeping when our hearts and hopes seem crushed. Because God has placed in our hearts "highways to Zion," however, we pass through valleys; we do not live in them.

"Passing through the valley of Baca…" Once we are on the other side of weeping, our Redeemer makes our valley experience into "a spring." The very things that overwhelmed us will, in time, refresh us with new life. Whether we are experiencing the height of success and power or are in a valley of weakness and despair, the Lord is our God continually!

Has the enemy isolated you, causing you to doubt God's love? Do not forget, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. He cares. It is His love for us that redeems our hardships and not only brings good out of what was meant for evil, but also trains us to deliver others.

How did Jesus prepare to do wonderful works? Part of His training involved suffering. Christ was a man of sorrows. He was One who was acquainted with grief. Yet His suffering was the Father's means of acquainting Him with the actual feelings of mankind's need and pain. Because He suffered what we suffer, He is able to serve as a faithful high priest. If we yield to God's plan for Christ to be formed in us, God will take our sorrows to enlarge our hearts. Once we have been acquainted with grief, we then can be anointed with compassion to deliver others.

Thank You for redeeming the conflicts of my life. I praise You for healing me and causing me to forget all the trauma of my past. Now Lord, help me to remember what I have learned. Cause me to remember that the crises in my life always precede the enrichment of my life. Help me to recognize that the place of my fruitfulness is in the land of my affliction. In Jesus name. Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/12/ff_zion/
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By Francis Frangipane

Our capacity to actually dwell in Christ's presence is based upon knowing the true nature of God. If we see Him as a loving Father, we will draw near; if He seems to be a harsh judge, we will withdraw. Indeed, everything that defines us is influenced by our perception of God.

If we do not believe God cares about us, we will be overly focused on caring for ourselves. If we feel insignificant or ignored by God, we will exhaust ourselves by seeking significance from men. However, once we realize that God truly loves us, that He desires we draw near to Him, a door opens before us into His presence. Here, in the shelter of the Most High, we can find rest and renewed power for our souls.

God's love is not a reality distant from our needs. The Bible reveals that Lord is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" Hebrews 4:15 (KJV). He feels the pain of what we experience on earth. He participates in the life we live, for "in Him we live, and move and have our being" Acts 17:28( KJV). He is not removed from our need; we are His body. He is one with us.

The truth is, we are not alone in our battles. However, if we believe we are alone---if we accept the lie that God does not care---our darkened thinking will isolate us from the loving commitment of God.

Beloved, even in our times of rebellion, the heart of God is not far. Consider the Lord's relationship with Israel. Though Israel had sinned and was suffering oppressive consequences, the Lord wasn't far. We read that when the Lord "could bear the misery of Israel no longer" He raised up deliverers Judges 10:16. God wasn't distant; He was with them, actually bearing their very misery!

At Lazarus' tomb, Jesus wept. Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus; He knew it six days before He called Lazarus back from death. He wept because they were weeping.

Do you know that the Spirit of God actually feels our heartache? He is with us in our conflicts and near us in our fears. At the tomb of Lazarus, some would suggest that Christ's weeping was really over the unbelief of His disciples. I think not. When the Lord wept over Lazarus, those who saw Christ saw a man touched by the sorrows of others. They remarked, "Behold how He loved him!" John 11:36.

Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us. We are raised from the dead when He comes to our tomb and calls us by name out of death.

We must personalize God's love. He gave His Son for my sins, His word for my guidance and His Spirit for my strength. If the Almighty is for me, who can be against me?

Dear friend, with wide-eyed wonder, let us behold how He loves us, and be healed of our isolation.

To learn more about Francis Frangipane visit his website at:
http://www.frangipane.org/

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/17/ff_loves-us/

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