Tag: sincerity

Are You Faithful?

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“Are You Faithful?” By Kirk Hunt

 

Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.

Numbers 12:7 NKJV

 

Aaron and Miriam received the direct attention of God. His Shekinah glory cloud stood in the door of the Tabernacle and spoke with them about their brother’s faithfulness. Moses, the servant of God, was commended for his faithfulness.

 

Moses’ force of personality did not carry the day. His skills and abilities are not what God recognized. Moses was commended for his determination to be a man of God, carrying out God’s commands.

 

Moses’ siblings had started the fight. “We have skills.” “We have talents.” “We did not marry a foreigner.” God, in his sovereign omnipotence, settled the fight: “Faithfulness is what I value.”

 

Skills and talents are nice and good, but that is not what pleases God. Like any loving father, He is delighted when His sons and daughters are busy working at their assignments with diligence and sincerity.

 

Do not make it complicated. Build your skills and talents if you can. Work skillfully and cleverly, whenever possible. Remember that faithfulness is what pleases God most.

 

He seeks after hearts that seek Him. He is most honored by men and women, His sons and daughters, who use all they have for his purposes. You can choose to be the servant of God. Just be faithful.

 

Think:             God honors my faithfulness, no matter what others see or do not see.

 

Pray:               “Lord, help me to be faithful, first and foremost, to You.”

 

 

Copyright © September 2015, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is a ministry of https://devotionals.cadremenpress.com.

Here I Am To Worship

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“Here I Am To Worship” By Kirk Hunt

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:1 NKJV

Song: “Here I Am To Worship”
Original Psalmist: Tim Hughes
Covering Psalmist: Israel Houghton

 

Why did you come? To worship God? To (re-)acknowledge Him as Lord of your life? Really?

 

Isaiah was performing rituals. His tasks and actions, standing in the middle of the original Temple, were intended to be devotion to God. Instead, somehow, he slipped into real worship and made true contact with God.

 

Your actions may be officially sanctioned. Your activities might be correct and proper. That does not make them sincere or authentic. Going through the motions is not the worship that God wants or deserves.

 

Momentum may carry you, but can be insincere. Ritual and habit can hide the authentic. God wants what you give to be from your heart.

 

He does not want the glossy, polished version, if it lacks heart. God wants the real article that comes from the bottom of your heart. Your worship should smell and taste like the real you.

 

Close your checklist. Stop in the middle of the sequence. Push the official and authorized to the side.

 

Look up and see Him. Let your heart fill with Him. Look past the things and people around you and reach out to the God you love and serve.

 

Authorized and sanctioned have their place. Rituals and ceremonies have their meaning. What God really wants is you.

 

Think:             Is this really worship? Is this really why I came?

 

Pray:             “Father-God, You are the reason I came. Really and sincerely.”

 

 

Copyright © June 2015, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is a ministry of https://devotionals.cadremenpress.com.

Thankful

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“Thankful” By Kirk Hunt

 

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalms 116:17 NKJV

 

I approached the Western Wall, considering the place holy, if not by God’s true presence, then by the thousands of sincere prayers offered there. As I drew close, I could see that every crack and crevice in the stone was filled with prayer notes. I was thankful that my requests would go to God there.

 

I was, frankly, taken aback. My heart, mind and mouth could not form a request. The Holy Spirit stopped up my request maker. In its place, He unleashed my thanks giver. “Quit begging. Start thanking.”

 

So there I was, a lone goyim at the Wall, my heart crying out to God. The tears were of joy. I gave myself over to the thankfulness and gratitude that spilled out to my God. After all, He has been good to me in the past, is good to me in the present and will be good to me in the future.

 

Not that all of my days have been easy and bountiful. Still, even on the toughest days, He has been exceedingly good to me. Since I have already received so much from Him, my only reasonable response is to be grateful and thankful.

 

I am reminded that I should thank more and ask less. I am blessed by the sincere gratitude of my own sons. I owe God my gratitude, and I intend to pay what I owe.

 

Think:           I should be thankful for all God has done, is doing and will do for me.

 

Pray:               “Thank you, Lord.”

 

 

Copyright © November 2014, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is a ministry of https://devotionals.cadremenpress.com.

Prepare Yourself

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“Prepare Yourself” by Kirk Hunt

 

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:15 KJV

 

The work required more physical fitness than I assumed.  Walking 4-6 miles a day, in all kinds of weather.  Climbing in and out of the van.  Lifting the bunk lid to get at my stuff.  My deployment required more endurance, strength and flexibility than you get from just sitting at a desk.

 

God prepared an opportunity to reach people, but part of my preparation involved strength and aerobic exercises.  My ability to minister depended on going to the gym.  Who knew service involved so much athleticism?

 

Have you answered God’s call on your life?  Good.  Are you preparing for all aspects of your calling?  I pray you are.  Your full calling will require more than you realize.

 

Exercise and eating correctly?  Sounds mundane, does it not?  Mundane does not mean unimportant.  If you are going to answer your call, go all the way.

 

I worked every work day, and even some of my off days.  , I had the physical resources to do so because of my preparation.  My calling deserved nothing less.

 

Think through all aspects of your calling.  Be prepared for every aspect you know.  Ask God to show you anything you missed.  Your calling deserves no less.

 

Think:            Preparation for my calling involves a whole life commitment.

 

Pray:              “Lord, help me to be disciplined in every aspect of my calling.”

 

 

Copyright © January 2013, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is a ministry of https://devotionals.cadremenpress.com.

Humble Yourself

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“Humble Yourself” by Kirk Hunt

 

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:10 KJV

 

Even I murmured somewhat about the task: “Go door-to-door and explain this flyer.”  I did this kind of work in my youth.  I did not relish doing it again.

 

Still, I put on my jacket and gloves and marched out into the cold streets.  Not everyone did.  Some in our group were too good, or too important, for the task.  They packed up and went home.

 

For weeks, I faithfully did my best.  Admittedly, I watched and waited for something worthy of me to materialize.  Viewed through mundane eyes, the task did not qualify as worthy.

 

The work led us to a homeless shelter that desperately needed food and medical staff.  And to a wife and mother I helped find assistance.  It was my privilege to help restore a man, exhausted from helping others.  Ask them if my task was worthy.

 

Humility can manifest in many different ways.  I had to humble myself in order to sincerely complete the task, despite my opinion of its value.  Then I was humbled again by the outcome of my work.

 

The important people missed out.  Glory was hidden in the task.  Importance was disguised in a humble wrapper.

 

Some of Kingdom work is humble to earthly eyes.  Look with Spirit-filled vision to the glory within.  If you do your part, He will answer with His glory.

 

Think:            Do the humble work of the Kingdom and God will fill you with His glory.

 

Pray:              “Lord, help me to humble myself so I can receive Your glory.”

 

 

Copyright © January 2013, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is a ministry of https://devotionals.cadremenpress.com.