Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for November 10

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD?

From: November 10, 2023

“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!” (Psalm 108:1 NLT).

David declared the confidence of his heart towards God. In other words, David had set and established his heart on God. He had fixed his focus on God alone. Having made God the object of his heart’s desire and confidence, he declared his intent to sing and give praise to God. He set his heart on praising God before all peoples and all nations.

The Lord was looking for one with a steadfast heart for God, when He sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Israel’s future king. God said of David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will (Acts 13:22).

When the Lord looks at you, does He see a heart for God? Does He see a steadfast heart that desires to fulfill God’s will?

PRAYER: Dear Father, examine our hearts and purify them for You. We want our hearts to be confident in You. Wherever our hearts are entangled with idolatry or temptation, forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You deserve our wholehearted devotion. We set our hearts on You alone. We will sing and praise You among the nations. We are Yours, O Lord! Strengthen us now for the journey today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT).

From: November 10, 2022

WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP FOR GOD?

The Lord told the prophet Ezekiel that He had looked for someone to “stand in the gap” of the wall surrounding Israel, but found no one. The physical walls surrounding Jerusalem were still standing at this time, but the spiritual walls were already breached. It wouldn’t be long before the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer tore down the physical walls too.

Will the Lord find someone to “stand in the gap” for our families, for our churches, for our cities, for our land? Will the Lord find us willing to stand in the gap for Him?

PRAYER: Dear Father, our yes is on the table. We say yes to standing in the gap for You. Empower us by Your Spirit. Give us Your zeal and strength for the work. Help us to overcome the temptation for comfort that we might stand in the gap during the night, knowing that morning will soon arrive. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being” (Psalm 108:1 HCSB).

From: November 10, 2021

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD?

David declared the confidence of his heart towards God. In other words, David had set and established his heart on God. He had fixed his focus on God alone. Having made God the object of his heart’s desire and confidence, he declared his intent to sing and give praise to God. He set his heart on praising God before all peoples and all nations.

The Lord was looking for one with a steadfast heart for God, when He sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Israel’s future king. God said of David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will (Acts 13:22).

When the Lord looks at you, does He see a heart for God? Does He see a steadfast heart that desires to fulfill God’s will?

PRAYER: Dear Father, examine our hearts and purify them for You. We want our hearts to be confident in You. Wherever our hearts are entangled with idolatry or temptation, forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You deserve our wholehearted devotion. We set our hearts on You alone. We will sing and praise You among the nations. We are Yours, O Lord! Strengthen us now for the journey today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise…I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations” (Psalm 108:1-3 NKJV).

From: November 10, 2020

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD?

David declared the steadfastness of his heart toward God. In other words, David had set and established his heart on God. He had fixed his focus on God alone. Having made God the object of his heart’s desire and confidence, he declared his intent to sing and give praise to God. He set his heart on praising God before all peoples and all nations.

The Lord was looking for one with a steadfast heart for God, when He sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Israel’s future king. God said of David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will (Acts 13:22).

When the Lord looks at you, does He see a heart for God? Does He see a steadfast heart that desires to fulfill God’s will?

PRAYER: Dear Father, examine our hearts and purify them for You. We want our hearts to be steadfast upon You. Wherever our hearts are entangled with idolatry or temptation, forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You deserve our wholehearted devotion. We set our hearts on You alone. We will sing and praise You among the nations. We are Yours, O Lord! Strengthen us now for the journey today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT).

From: November 10, 2019

WILL THE LORD FIND SOMEONE TO STAND IN THE GAP?

The Lord told the prophet Ezekiel that He had looked for someone to “stand in the gap” of the wall surrounding Israel, but found no one. The physical walls surrounding Jerusalem were still standing at this time, but the spiritual walls were already breached. It wouldn’t be long before the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer tore down the physical walls too.

Will the Lord find someone to “stand in the gap” for our families, for our churches, for our cities, for our land? Will the Lord find us willing to stand in the gap for Him?

PRAYER: Dear Father, our yes is on the table. We say yes to standing in the gap for You. Empower us by Your Spirit. Give us Your zeal and strength for the work. Help us to overcome the temptation for comfort that we might stand in the gap during the night, knowing that morning will soon arrive. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Destruction! Destruction! I will surely destroy the kingdom. And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to him.” (Ezekiel 21:27 NLT).

From: November 10, 2018

UNTIL THE ONE APPEARS

The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy destruction over the kingdom of Judah because of their sin. This prophecy in the Hebrew repeats the word “avah” three times (עַוָּה עַוָּה עַוָּה), which adds to both the finality and the certainty of it. “Avah! Avah! Avah!” (“Destruction! Destruction! Destruction!”) says the Lord. Some suggest that the three-time repetition points to the three conquests of Jerusalem, in which the last Davidic kings, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, were overthrown.

Yet, more significant than the certainty of Judah’s destruction, is the prophecy concerning its future restoration by “the one” who is to appear. This “one” is identified by four features. (1) He will restore David’s kingdom. (2) By implication this means that he is from the line of David. (3) He has the “right to judge.” And (4) the Lord Himself will “hand it over to him.”

Who is this “one?” Was it Zerubbabel? No, although Zerubbabel was in the line of David and led the returning exiles to rebuild the Temple, he was never king. Was it one of the Herods? No, although the Herods carried the title of king, they were just political puppets under Rome and certainly not from the line of David.

So, who is this “one?” When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus this question: “Are you the one?” (Matt. 11:3). Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him what they had seen and heard, that the “the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor” (Matt. 11:5). Jesus is “the One!”

Someday Christ will return to completely fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy. And so we wait “until the One appears.”

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14 NKJV).

From: November 10, 2017

When we have received Christ’s “offering,” we are already “perfected forever.” We are already made whole and complete in Christ, so that we are fully accepted by the Father for eternity. Positionally, we are already at the right hand of the Father in Christ. We are already holy. We are saints.

Yet, we are still “being sanctified. We still experience the battle between the flesh and the Spirit, and sometimes give into the flesh. But all our sins are already forgiven. The Spirit empowers us to repent and walk in His power, growing in maturity. This is our experience. This tension between our position and our experience has been called the “already/not yet” of the Christian life. In Christ, we are already perfected, but not yet perfect.

But on that Day, our position and our experience will be the same, for we “shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). Those that are in Christ, will become like Christ. This is God’s purpose for those who believe.

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” (Hebrews 10:17 ESV)

From: November 10, 2016

To those who have received the free gift of salvation that comes through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit bears inner witness that God has not only forgiven their sins, but has decided to remember them “no more.” Do you struggle with the memory of past sins and failures? If you have given your life to Christ, then all your sins are forgiven and forgotten. Therefore, it is not the Spirit that keeps bringing them to your mind, but your own flesh giving in to Satan’s accusations. As you grow in the Lord, you will learn the difference between the Spirit’s conviction and Satan’s accusation. The first is meant to give you life and freedom from condemnation, the second is meant to kill and enslave. Give your life to Christ and yield to the Spirit’s witness who says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us…” (Hebrews 10:15 NKJV)

From: November 10, 2015

Not only did God send Christ to die for our sins and sanctify us, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to bear “witness” to us, so that the His righteous laws might be written on our hearts and minds. It is by believing in Christ Jesus that we are saved. And it is by the Holy Spirit that we are assured of our salvation. For the Spirit is the inner witness that gives us the awareness of our adoption as children of God, so that we call Him “Abba, Father” (Rom.8:15-16). It is through His inner witness that our hearts and minds are continually sanctified, so that we love God as Father and desire to do His will.

“Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes” (Psalm 108:12-13 NLT)

From: November 10, 2014

This psalm of David reveals his secret strategy for success in battle, namely, “God’s help.” We often attempt “mighty things” with human strategies and plans, only to be defeated. We ask God’s help, but don’t submit to God’s way. When we face our Goliaths, we often fail because we face him wearing Saul’s armor, rather than the Shepherd’s garb.