Devotions

How Do I Apply God’s Word?

Because of space limitations, the devotions in this handbook focus mainly on thinking through the meaning of the passage. In terms of application, you can use the SPACEPETS method to help you see applications to your life. SPACEPETS is an acrostic that helps us to remember basic questions we can ask about the passage.

Is there any…

S - Sin to confess? Does it reveal sin for which I need to repent?
P - Promise to claim? Is it a universal promise? Have I met the condition(s)?
A - Attitude to change? Do I need to seek God’s help to work on a negative or worldly attitude?
C - Command to obey? Am I willing to ask God to help me obey this command? What Bible promise(s) will help me obey?
E - Example to follow? Is there a positive example I should imitate? Is there a negative example I should avoid?
P - Prayer to pray? Is there anything I need to pray back to God? Is there anything I should ask for?
E - Error to avoid? Is there any danger or problem that I should be watch for or be aware of?
T - Truth to believe? What do I learn about God the Father, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit?
S - Something to praise God for? Is there something about God I should adore? Is there something I should be thankful for?

Friday - July 4

How Can I Please God?

Meditate on Hebrews 11:1-7.

What do the words “assurance” and “conviction” tell us about what faith is?
What did the Old Testament saints receive by faith? What does that mean? (Look at how “commended” is used in the passage.)
What did Abel, Enoch, and Noah receive by faith?
Looking at verse 6, why does faith in God please God?

The world tends to think of faith in God as “blind faith”. But in the Bible we see that true faith in God is not blind at all. God reveals Himself to us. In His Word; God shows us who He is and what He does. So, we have objective reasons to believe in God and to trust Him.

Faith is not a matter of what we want God to do. Our “assurance” and “conviction” are based on what God has done and what He has promised. Throughout the Bible God tells us that He created the universe. As we hear what God tells us and look at His creation, we know objectively by faith that God created everything out of nothing (v. 3).

God also shows us in His Word that from the very beginning He has always honored those who trust in Him. We see this here in the lives of Abel, Enoch, and Noah. They believed God and trusted Him, and so, by their faith alone, God declared them to be righteous.

So, faith has two parts: believing in God—that He is who He says He is; and trusting God to keep His promises. We please God when we believe Him and trust His Word. This is the only way we can please God.

This faith begins when a person trusts Jesus for salvation, believing that the eternal God has made Jesus the only Savior through His death and resurrection. This faith is the door that opens for us every promise in the Bible.

Saturday - July 5

Trusting God's Promises

Meditate on Genesis 12:1-5 and Hebrews 11:8-12.

What did Abraham and Sarah believe about God?
What did they believe God would do?
What did God do?
Did Abraham and Sarah see all that God did through them?

Abraham and Sarah are a remarkable example of faith and a vivid picture of how God blesses those who believe in Him and trust His Word.

How did Abraham know God? God spoke words to Him. We see that beginning in Genesis 12. Abraham didn’t know God before, but God spoke to him. God told Abraham what to do: “Go out from your country…” God also told Abraham what He would do: “I will make of you a great nation… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”.

Though Abraham hadn’t known God, God knew him and his family. God had a plan for him; God promised him great blessing. And when Abraham heard God’s word, he believed God; He trusted God’s promise: “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him… (Gen. 12:4).

Abraham’s faith was a gift from God. This is how God works. God speaks by His Word, and the Holy Spirit works by God’s Word to give faith. This is how it has always been.

Though Abraham and Sarah didn’t have much to go on, they obeyed God. They didn’t see all of the fullness of God’s promise. But they knew that God would keep them all. In their old age, God gave them a son, later grandsons. And centuries later, through Abraham’s sons, God gave His own Son who will bless every nation.

We live by faith when we trust God and believe His promises. And, when we live by faith, we please and glorify God. And, we receive God’s great gifts our life on earth and throughout eternity.

Sunday - July 6

Meditate on 2 Peter 1:1-11

What has Jesus given to us by His divine power (v. 3)? What does that mean?
How—through what means—do we receive these (v. 3b-4)?
Notice the “so that” in v. 4. Why did He give us these things?
What should we do since Jesus has given us these gifts (vv. 5-11)?

Do you need anything? Most of us could think of something if we were asked that question. We all have needs. One thing that all of us need is to grow in godliness. In short, ‘godliness’ means living according to God’s will. We saw that Abraham, Abel, and others obeyed God’s will by trusting God. Faith is the only way we can keep God’s will.

When we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we want to do God’s will; we want to be godly. But sometimes, we feel like obeying God’s will is very hard. In those times, we probably feel that our faith is very weak? How do we find faith to obey in those times?

Here in our passage, we learn that God has already given us all that we need for life and godliness! ALL! In the Word of God, we have been all that we need to live a godly life by faith. In the Bible God gives us “his precious and very great promises.” While God’s commands tell us what to do, His promises empower us to do them.

We are tempted to disobey God’s will because we think or feel that we can have our need met by sinning. The way to fight such feelings or thoughts is to remember that God has promised to meet our needs in a way that pleases Him AND us. God’s promises are better than the promises of sin. And they are true! So you see, trusting God’s promises is the key to obeying God’s will.

Your Bible is a treasure! Ask God to open your eyes to see wonderful things in His Word (Psalm 119:18). Store up His promises in your heart and live in great joy and hope as you walk in His way.