Strong, Firm, and Steadfast — Devotion for WOW Ministry

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Janet

““And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

1 Peter 5:10 NIV

“You have an enemy, and he is real.” These are words I remember hearing when I first attended WOW three years ago. I arrived at WOW after years of not standing firm in the faith. In fact, half-hearted and wavering are the words that described me well at that time. As the teaching continued, I heard these words — “determined and steadfast.” As I thought about those words, I suddenly knew what I needed. I needed to trust in God, the God who by His grace had called me to “his eternal glory in Christ,” the God who loved me, the God who would “restore” me, and make me “strong, firm and steadfast.”

This month our verses at WOW have been focused on the word “steadfast.” To be steadfast is to have firmness of mind or purpose, to be constant in pursuing a purpose unwavering, fixed, and steady. Our verse this week is a very precious promise that follows a very serious warning. It is the same warning I received three years ago at WOW — “You have an enemy, and he is real.”

In 1 Peter 5:8 Peter describes the enemy as a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” That enemy is real! That enemy is powerful, very cunning, and deceptive. He wants us to believe that we cannot be strong, firm, and steadfast. He wants to persuade us to be disengaged and unbelieving. If he can get us to give up or walk in fear when we undergo trials and suffering, he knows he will be able to keep us separated from our God and destroy our relationship of oneness with Him. ‬‬This is why believers are commanded to be steadfast and to “resist him (the enemy), standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). ‬‬‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Our verse this week assures us that we do not have to stand against this devouring enemy in our own strength. Our “God of all grace” who has called us to live as one with Him assures us that after we “have suffered a little while,” He will “restore” us and make us “strong, firm, and steadfast.” What is our role? Our role is to believe in Him and remain firmly attached to Him. We are to trust Him entirely, totally, and completely. As we do so, God’s power at work within us will enable us to remain “strong, firm and steadfast.”

I have experienced this truth. Three years ago, I came to God knowing that I needed Him to change my heart from fearful, anxious, and wavering to one that was “strong, firm and steadfast,” full of faith. As I have submitted to Him in the midst of suffering, trials, and temptations, He has been faithful to bring His precious promise to reality in my life.

Have you found yourself where I was three years ago, tormented, fearful, and anxious during the trials of life? God says come and believe in Me. As we submit our hearts to Him and believe in Him, He promises to “restore” us and make us “strong, firm, and steadfast.” Will you come? Will you trust in Him with all your heart? Our song this week is “Firm Foundation” by Cody Carnes. Our God desires to make you a woman who is strong, firm, and steadfast in faith.

Love,

Janet Nelson, Devoted and Determined

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 19:11-41 The Word Prevails Mightily

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Janet

“And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,” Acts 19:11 ESV

People were being healed, demons were being cast out, lives were being changed. People who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls they used to do so and burned them. They were turning wholeheartedly to God!

“So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” Acts 19:20 ESV

This disturbed Demetrius, a silversmith who made idols. It cut into his profits he made by selling his gals gods. So he accused Paul of discrediting the ways of the Ephesians who worshipped their “great goddess.” He stirred up a riot.

Satan is not creative in his techniques. What he did in Ephesus of Paul’s time he will do today in ours. He does not want us to get close to God. He doesn’t want miracles to occur in our lives or the lives of those we are around. He most definitely does not want God’s word to increase or prevail! He will do all he can to stop the goodness of God. But he cannot prevail!

The “great goddess Artemis” is an idol of history. She was never alive, temple in ruins, and mostly forgotten. The name of Jesus is still going strong! The Holy Spirit is still working in our lives! Our God is still victor!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 16:16-40 Midnight Revival!

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Janet

Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for doing a good thing, casting a demon out of a slave girl. Not only were they thrown into prison they were beaten with many blows of rods. Then they had their feet put in stocks and were kept in the inner prison so they could not escape.

Their reaction was to pray and to praise God out loud. Loud enough the other prisoners heard them. Then an earthquake happened and all the bonds fell off the prisoners and the doors were all opened. But they did not run away instead they stopped the jailer from killing himself in fear. That jailer then wanted to know Jesus. He took Paul and Silas home, washed their wounds and listened to them. He and his entire household were saved and baptized.

I love this story. What seemed like defeat and helplessness turned into a great victory as the Holy Spirit enabled Paul and Silas to be witnesses to the one who held them in jail. What could have been time for a pity party and defeat was a midnight revival- prayer meeting and worship time! God took what was evil and made it an opportunity to show His love, power, and salvation!

As we die to ourselves and live in the power of the Holy Spirit, God will be glorified in every situation! His goodness will always prevail!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 14 Other gods vrs The Spirit of Truth

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Janet

Paul and Barnabas continued on their missionary journey. God bore witness to His grace by “enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” When they went to Lystra, Paul prayed for healing of a man who was lame from birth. He was healed, “jumping up and walking.” The crowds were convinced that Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes, gods, come down to them in human form. They proceeded to try to worship them. Paul tells them this:

““Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”” Acts 14:15-17 ESV

The people of Lystra followed idols, “vain things.” We also follow “vain things” in our time. We may not bow down to a golden calf or believe in all the Greek gods of ancient times. But we worship our own way over God’s way. This is what the people of the town were doing. God showed His kindness to them so they could find Him, but they could not see Him. Because they were intent on “going their own way.” We do the same.

This is why Jesus came. This is why He sent the Holy Spirit to enable the believers to be witnesses of Him. He wants us to know Him. He wants us to turn from our worthless ways to the living God, who created us and desires for us to know Him intimately. Let us not be as the town of Lystra. They heard what Paul said and turned on him, stoning him and dragging him outside the city. We have the opportunity to accept the truth and let it change us. May we listen to the Spirit of Truth! Come Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 13 Set Apart to Proclaim!

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Janet

The church in Antioch had prophets and teachers. They were worshipping the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit spoke to the to set apart Barnabas and Saul/ Paul for a work to which He had called them. They fasted and prayed and then sent them off. The rest of the chapter tells the accounts of two of the places Barnabas and Paul stopped on their missionary journey.

Both of the places they stopped had opposition from the enemy/ Satan. But they were not deterred from proclaiming the Good News of Jesus! And in both places people believed! The chapter ends with this statement:

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52 ESV

The Holy Spirit has a work for us to do as well. We are to proclaim the mighty deeds that God has done on our behalf. We will face opposition! The enemy does not want us to lift up Jesus so those around us can see. We can take courage! We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and joy! God’s Word will continue to spread and He wants to use us and set us apart as He did Barnabas and Paul! We can be a witness as they were through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 11: 19-30 The Intimate God

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Janet

The Good News of Jesus keeps spreading! Especially among the non Jews/ Gentiles. The Lord’s hand was on the ones spreading the news. He was working in the hearts of the people. As it says in verse 23, the grace of God had done” it! The grace is defined in Webster 1828 Dictionary as the “Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin.” The Holy Spirit was influencing the people. He was drawing them to Himself, to have their hearts changed so they could know Him in the deepest part of themselves.

If we listen and open ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit is always extending God’s favor towards us. He is always leaning towards us desiring to give Himself to us! The presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is evidence that God WANTS us to know Him intimately! Not just a surface, Sunday Church only relationship. 24/7. Every day all day!

May we be as the early believers in Antioch who believed in God and turned to the Lord! May we be full of the Holy Spirit and Faith!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 9:32-43 “Get up!”

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Janet

Two major miracles! One…Peter commands a man paralyzed for eight years to get up and walk in the name of Jesus! Two… Peter commands a believer who had died to get up and she did! In both cases people heard of the miracles and “turned to the Lord.” They “believed in the Lord.”

Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit, not only with boldness, but with the Spirit displaying signs and wonders through his commands. All of this was done in the name of Jesus! It pointed to Jesus, who was and still is alive!

The Holy Spirit wants to empower us today to see signs and wonders that bring glory to Jesus and testify of His living lordship over all. May we hunger and thirst to be full of Him so we can be a display of God’s love, His image here today! And May we see the Holy Spirit work the unimaginable through our lives so all will see and be in awe of our glorious God!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 9:1-31 Power to Witness

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Janet

The young man Saul, who held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen, grew to be a man who was known as one who persecuted the church. Then Jesus stepped in. Jesus appeared to Saul as he walked along the road to Damascus with authority to arrest Christians when he arrived. Jesus spoke to Saul was blinded by the great light from heaven and Jesus told Him to go into the city. So he did. He waited and prayed. God appeared to a man named Ananias and sent him to Saul. Ananias went to Saul and prayed for him to receive his sight again and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God had plans for Saul to make him a “chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles.” God has a plan and a purpose for us as well. The Holy Spirit fills us so that we can be a witness, or testify, of Jesus the Son of God. He gives us boldness to lift Jesus up to those around us so that Jesus can draw all men to Himself!

May we seek to know this fullness of the Holy Spirit so we can “Know God and Make Him Known!”

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 7 Power to Be a Martyr (Witness)

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Janet

The religious leaders arrested Stephen and set up false witnesses to testify against him. As they accused him, they asked Stephen if the testimony against him was true. Stephen then recites a summary of the history of Israel. In this testimony he points out how God had been faithful to the people, but the people had not been faithful to God. They followed their own selves and “resisted the Holy Spirit.” They killed the prophets who announced the coming of Jesus and eventually killed Jesus, the “Righteous One.”

This angered the crowd all the more so they seized him.

“But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”Acts 7:55 ESV

Stephen told them what he saw. They rushed at Stephen and they stoned him to death.

There standing in the crowd, approving of the killing, was a young man named Saul, who eventually encountered Jesus and became the Apostle Paul. Stephen’s witness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, influenced a man who became one of the first missionaries and a writer of much of the New Testament.

The Holy Spirit’s power in Stephen’s life enabled Him to endure persecution and death. The Holy Spirit’s presence in Stephen enabled Him to bring glory to God no matter the circumstances. We live in a world that is increasingly wicked as the world in Stephen’s time was. We need the power to be a witness that Jesus promised before Pentecost.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We need to be full of the Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 4:1-22 Filled With Boldness!

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Janet

Peter and John were arrested and out in jail for preaching Jesus and His resurrection power. The religious rulers could not have them spreading the good news. It threatened their power. After a night in jail Peter and John were brought before the religious rulers to be questioned. They did not cower in fear!

Verse 8 says that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he replied to their questions. The word says they were bold! This was a testimony that they knew Peter and John had been with Jesus!

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 ESV

Life can throw circumstances that seem insurmountable. But through the power of the Holy Spirit we can be bold to face them! This will be a testimony to all those who are around us that we have “been with Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit that came at Pentecost comes to us still today to fill us full of Him so we can be bold and show the world Jesus to those around us!

Holy Spirit fill us with boldness!

Your Love

Reflections on God’s goodness in my daily journey

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