A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos
Today’s Bible Verse
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Judges 6:15
What God Does Through Us
Although Gideon was addressing his words to God, his mind was fixed on the natural circumstances, which to him seemed to be stacked against him. The fact that he belonged to one of the least fortunate families in Israel did not offer him any assurance of success in his calling. As well as this, he was also the most insignificant member of his family.
God wants to do the same thing in our lives as He did in Gideon´s life. From the moment He called us, He gave us everything that we require to supply the needs of other people.
We have the medicine that people are in need of to heal the wounds in their souls and bodies. We have the most effective insurance policy, one that gives complete protection to their families. In addition to all this, the anointing of restoration is upon us to see the hearts of the fathers turn back to their children, and the hearts of the children turn back to their fathers. We have the answer to the offenses couples feel toward each other, helping them to forgive one another, and begin to live in the peace and blessing of God.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)
If the Word of God is rooted in our hearts, it will be easy to communicate it to others. When the fire of God is awakened in our hearts, nothing can put it out. The only way we can truly satisfy our hearts is through our efforts to preach the Gospel both strategically and efficiently.
When we come to know the Lord, we regain our real identity and we begin to understand why we behaved the way that we did. It is only because of the redemptive love of God that we have made it this far. It is through His love that we will continue to become what He always intended. He desires for us be effective servants and ministers within His royal family. How a man comes across to others is nearly always the result of what the pencil of his circumstances has written upon his life. Now, let us allow the brush of God’s Word, guided by the Holy Spirit, paint our true image onto the canvas of life.
Something to Think About
There was a young woman who was about twenty-five years old. She had lived a turbulent life, and had been overwhelmed by problems for many years. Her husband had chosen to pursue a lifestyle of drugs and addictions, bringing great emotional, financial and physical stress into her life. On top of all this, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and due to the treatment had already lost all of her hair. She had lost so much weight that she weighed in at only sixty-four pounds. She had one child, a daughter, who had been born with an incurable disease. All this she faced without any help, not even from her own family. She was completely alone.
When she first came to church she arrived in this desperate state. However, God began to work on her heart and change the way she thought. When she finally felt like climbing out the hole she had been living in, she began to understand that all of the answers could be found in God and his word. She began to take drastic measures to change the way she lived. The first thing she decided to do was to serve God with her whole life if He healed her from the cancer.
She had been trapped in the relationship with this man, having left her family under the pretense that he could look after her life, only to step into his life of infidelity and drug abuse. This meant that it was very difficult to leave despite the abuse that he gave her. He thought that she would never leave him because she had nowhere to go and no-one to turn to, and therefore, had no reason to treat her with respect, so she put up with this mistreatment for years. She realized that she could no longer treat him as an idol in her life any more.
She decided to completely cut herself off from this old way of living, which included him. When he saw her unwavering conviction he was so moved that he began seeking repentance and change for his own life. The Lord completely healed her, restored her marriage and even healed her daughter. She is now fulfilling her promise to God by serving Him, and she and her husband are now the leaders of thousands of people. They are a great inspiration to those who desire to restore all that the enemy has stolen from them.
No matter what family you have come from and regardless of your past, God has the power to use your life.
Prayer
“Dear Jesus, thank You for helping me to recover my true image. I am so grateful for the faith that helps me to believe in myself, because I know that You formed me in Your image and likeness. I love you Lord, Amen.”
Declaration
“The power of God is in me because His Spirit dwells in me.”
Today’s Bible Reading
- Old Testament: Deuteronomy 29-31; Psalm 69:19-36
- New Testament: Matthew 27:57-66; Romans 15:1-13
