Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for May 9

DO YOU FOLLOW THE MASTER OR THE MIRACLES?

From: May 9, 2024

“And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick” (John 6:2 ESV).

The apostle John reported that large crowds began to follow Jesus in the Galilee region because of the “signs” he was doing. John called the miracles of Jesus “signs” for they were given that people might believe in him as the Messiah.

The crowds grew even larger after Jesus fed the 5,000, miraculously multiplying two fish and five loaves of barley to feed them all with twelve baskets leftover. Yet, the miraculous “signs” were not given that they might seek more miracles, but that they might seek the Master himself.

Signs are not designed to point to themselves, but to give direction and verification. No one pulls off the road and parks under a sign thinking they have arrived. No, they take the exit and follow the sign to that to which it points.

The crowd seeks a sign, a true disciple seeks the Savior. The crowd wants another miracle, a true disciple follows after the Master. What do you follow after–– the miracles or the Master?

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for only seeking after you when we are in desperate need. Teach us to seek after you in order to follow, to look not only to your hand, but to your face. We are your servants. We worship you in Spirit and truth because we have accepted Jesus as Master and Savior. We thank you for your many blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER!

From: May 9, 2023

‘Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”’ (1 Samuel 7:12 NLT).

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame the Philistines for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.”

Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Some keep a photo or certificate. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”

Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God has done for you? If not, get one. Then, raise it high today! Remember and be encouraged!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often forgetful. Help us to remember all the great things You have done for us. Above them all, help us to look to the cross, the “Ebenezer,” that reminds us of the most costly thing You’ve done for us by giving us Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. We look to Him and remember that we have received a great salvation. Now strengthen us to tell others of Your great love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact” (1 Samuel 5:4 NLT).

From: May 9, 2022

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS WORSHIP WITH ANOTHER

The Philistines had defeated the Israelites in battle and had captured the Ark of the Lord. They assumed that the Ark would make a nice addition to their temple to Dagon, so they placed it next to the idol of Dagon.

The Philistines had been a seafaring people that settled along the shores of the Promised Land. They fashioned an idol of their god, Dagon, as a kind of mer-man, with the upper half being fashioned as a man and the lower half, a fish.

After they defeated the Israelites in battle, they assumed that Dagon was more powerful than Israel’s God. So they put the Ark, which represented Yahweh’s throne next to the image of Dagon as a kind of defeated subject. Or perhaps even more likely, they added the Ark to Dagon’s temple thinking that they would worship Yahweh too, as polytheistic peoples are want to do. In this way, they covered all their bases. For they had heard how Israel’s God had delivered them from Egypt.

They were surprised to find the image of Dagon lying on its face before the Ark the first morning after they had placed it in their temple. So they stood the image of Dagon back in its place. However, the next morning, they found Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark again. Except this time, his head and hands had broken off, perhaps showing the falseness of his divinity (head) and power (hands). They realized then that they had to get the Ark out of Dagon’s temple for Israel’s God is God! As the prophet Isaiah later wrote of God, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa. 42:8).

We can be like the Philistines. Instead of worshiping the Lord only, we try to add Him to our pantheon of idols. We too try to cover all our bases. But God will not allow this. If we would have Him as our Lord, we must recognize Him as Lord over all. For He will not share His glory with another.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have come to You through Jesus Your Son, believing in His payment on the cross for our sins. We declare that He is both Savior and Lord over us, over our heads and our hands, over our plans and our work, over our possessions and our families, over all that we have and all that we are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”’ (1 Samuel 7:12 HCSB).

From: May 9, 2021

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER!

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame the Philistines for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.”

Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Some keep a photo or certificate. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”

Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God as done for you? If not, get one. If so, raise it today and be reminded and encouraged!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often forgetful. Help us to remember all the great things You have done for us. Above them all, help us to look to the cross, the “Ebenezer,” that reminds us of the most costly thing You’ve done for us by giving us Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. We look to Him and remember that we have received a great salvation. Now strengthen us to tell others of Your great love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the LORD again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway” (1 Samuel 5:4 NKJV).

From: May 9, 2020

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS WORSHIP WITH ANOTHER

The Philistines had defeated the Israelites in battle and had captured the Ark of the Lord. They assumed that the Ark would make a nice addition to their temple to Dagon, so they placed it next to the idol of Dagon.

The Philistines were a seafaring people that had settled along the shores of the Promised Land. They fashioned an idol of Dagon as a kind of mer-man, with the upper half being a man and the lower half a fish.

After they defeated the Israelites in battle, they may have assumed that Dagon was more powerful than Yahweh. So they put the Ark, which represented Yahweh’s throne next to the image of Dagon as a kind of defeated subject. Or perhaps even more likely, they added the Ark to Dagon’s temple thinking that they would worship Yahweh too, as polytheistic peoples are want to do. In this way, they covered all their bases. For they had heard how Israel’s God had delivered them from Egypt.

They were surprised to find the image of Dagon lying on its face before the Ark the first morning after they had placed it in their temple. So they stood the image of Dagon back in its place. However, the next morning, they found Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark again. Except this time, his head and hands had broken off, perhaps showing the falseness of his divinity (head) and power (hands). They realized then that they had to get the Ark out of Dagon’s temple for Israel’s God is God! As the prophet Isaiah later wrote of God, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa. 42:8).

We can be like the Philistines. Instead of worshiping the Lord only, we try to add Him to our pantheon of idols. We too try to cover all our bases. But God will not allow this. If we would have Him as our Lord, He must be recognized as Lord over all. Or He is not our Lord at all.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have come to You through Jesus Your Son, believing in His payment on the cross for our sins. We declare that He is both Savior and Lord over us, over our heads and our hands, over our plans and our work, over our possessions and our families, over all that we have and all that we are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs” (John 6:2 NLT).

From: May 9, 2019

DO YOU FOLLOW THE MASTER OR THE MIRACLES?

The apostle John reported that huge crowds began to follow Jesus in the Galilee region because of his miracles. The crowds grew even larger when Jesus fed the 5,000, miraculously multiplying two fish and five loaves of barley to feed them all with twelve baskets leftover. Yet, the miraculous “signs” were not given that they might seek even more, but that they might seek the Master himself.

Signs are not designed to point to themselves, but to give direction and verification. No one pulls off the road and parks under a sign thinking they have arrived. No, they take the exit and follow the sign to that to which it points.

The crowd seeks a sign, a true disciple seeks the Savior. The crowd wants another miracle, a true disciple follows after the Master. What do you follow after–– the miracles or the Master?

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for only seeking after you when we are in desperate need. Teach us to seek after you in order to follow, to look not only to your hand, but to your face. We are your servants. We worship you in Spirit and truth because we have accepted Jesus as Master and Savior. We thank you for your many blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:9 NLT).

From: May 9, 2018

A LITTLE LAD’S LITTLE LUNCH FEEDS A LARGE CROWD

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was always bringing people to Jesus. Here, he brought a young boy to Jesus with his packed lunch. The boy’s lunch was barely enough for him. It was not only a small lunch, but a poor one. For barley was the bread of the poor. Yet, Jesus loves using the young, the small and the poor to accomplish much! Jesus took the five barley loaves and fed five thousand. Andrew had enough faith to bring the little lad and his little lunch to Jesus. The young boy had enough faith to give the whole of it to Jesus, not asking for even one loaf or one fish back for himself. And Jesus had more than enough power to multiply it to miraculously feed a multitude with twelve baskets leftover.

The young boy had enough for a meager lunch for himself, but giving it to Jesus, there was more than enough for everyone, himself included.

“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6:15 NKJV).

From: May 9, 2017

After Jesus had miraculously fed the multitude, He “perceived” that the crowd had it in their minds to make Him king. So, He went into the mountain alone, staying there until nightfall. Jesus would not allow the people to determine His identity and purpose. The Father had not sent Him to be a temporal king, but a Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. He was establishing an eternal kingdom.

We do not get to make of Jesus what we will. He will not allow it. We must receive Him for who He claims to be. Then, willing submit to Him, asking Him to make of us what He wills.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the LORD has helped us.'” (1 Samuel 7:12 ESV)

From: May 9, 2016

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.” Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Some keep a photo or certificate. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.” Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God as done for you?

‘Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us”‘ (1 Samuel 7:12 NKJV)

From: May 9, 2015

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it Ebenezer or “stone of help.” Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.” Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God as done for you?