In the previous devotional I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of life. Let’s say that a sprinter wants to be successful in his race. That race represents 1% of his time. The other 99% is preparation. The same can be … Continue reading Preparing for big situations with little situations
Author: Matthew Ruttan
Honouring God in big situations
Jesus did big things. So did his early followers. They spoke boldly, even in the face of violent opposition. They loved enemies, turned the other cheek, gave freely, and laid down their lives for others. Too often, we find ourselves being people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. Instead of saying or doing something which honours God but … Continue reading Honouring God in big situations
Remain faithful in affliction
When you read through 1st Thessalonians 1, don’t skip too quickly past verse 6. Here is what Paul says as he pays his readers a compliment: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” There’s … Continue reading Remain faithful in affliction
Bread won’t help you if you don’t eat it
Someone was telling me about a survival show on T.V. A guy was dropped way out in the forest. He had to make his own shelter and catch his own food. But he had to remain healthy. Otherwise he would be medically evacuated and taken to safety. He made a shelter. He even caught a … Continue reading Bread won’t help you if you don’t eat it
Keeping hope in front of your face
Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in 1st Thessalonians. It was written less than twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus. One of the things that characterized their thought was that they were eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus. You can sense their anticipation. They thought it would happen any day. In chapter … Continue reading Keeping hope in front of your face
Living by the light of tomorrow’s sun
Hope. It changes things. C.R. Wiley says it like this: “We live by the light of tomorrow’s sun, and that sun is the Lord God.”* He cites the description of Eden restored in Revelation 22:5: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the … Continue reading Living by the light of tomorrow’s sun
Hope works backward to lift you forward
Steadfastness of hope. What an inspiring phrase. Here it is in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (ESV): “We give thanks to God always for all of you… remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Hope. We like it. We want it. … Continue reading Hope works backward to lift you forward
Things you keep doing to keep growing
When someone says the word "habits," what do you think about? Perhaps it's a bad habit like chewing your nails. Or perhaps it's a good habit like eating fruit with your breakfast. I'm a word nerd so I looked up some background on the word "habit." It has a variety of uses. But I find … Continue reading Things you keep doing to keep growing
Set up camp
In the past few devotionals I have said that the battle is waged from a place of stillness. When I say "battle," I'm speaking about the personal and spiritual battles we face. Whenever we have to face hardships, we want to do so from a place that is calm, focused, rested and ready. It might … Continue reading Set up camp
Take back your mind
In the previous devotional I said that the battle is waged from a place of stillness. I was speaking about the personal and spiritual battles we face. Whenever we have to face hardships, we want to do so from a place that is calm, focused, rested and ready. In Psalm 131, David says: “I have … Continue reading Take back your mind
