Grow Good Not Weary

Grow Good Not Weary by Kirk Hunt

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV
Please read also, Galatians 1:7-10

Doing good costs time, money, and effort. There is always the risk that you may grow weary in your efforts. Stay with it until your harvest arrives.

Weary is not just a reference to the physical body. A mind can grow weary also. A heart can become tired of the exertion.

Scripture promises you will reap a harvest. But you have to stay the course. Good things come to those who continue to work while they wait.

It is too easy to become discouraged when it seems you are always giving and never getting. Guard your emotions. Protect your mind. The enemy of your soul is not above a cheap shot.

There are souls and lives hanging in the balance. Your work makes it better today, tomorrow, and for seasons to come. Men and women, boys and girls, need you to stay with it.

They may never know your name. You may not meet them before heaven. Still, they need you to grow good, right where you are.

Creating good outcomes is hard work. You must invest attention, resources, and a caring heart. If it was easy, everyone would.

Think: God promised that my good work will create a harvest one day.

Pray: “Father-God, help me to grow good and not weary.

Copyright © October 2023, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.

Be Still And Know

Be Still And Know by Kirk Hunt

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 NKJV

Be still and know that God is God. A simple command. You would think I could obey it more easily.

Too often, I look at all the injustices that seem unchecked. I despair that all of the villains and scoundrels are not just getting away with it, but are prospering. I am looking at the wrong things.

God is God. He is holy. He is just. Thankfully, he does not immediately judge me for every infraction.

In the end, He will be exalted. All of the nations and jurisdictions will know that He is in charge. In the meantime, my job is to quietly know.

He is God. No matter what the world does, that fact will not change. When I forget He is my source, I am suddenly without consolation or assurance.  When I stop and contemplate God, I am better for the time spent.

 

Too often, I rush about my day and ignore Him. I am too frequently absorbed by my day and tasks, instead of His Word and presence. His peace and assurance will grow only in His presence. I have to stop and be still and let His presence provide all the answers.

Think: Am I quietly focused on God, or noisily rushing around?

Pray: “Father-God, help me to live quietly focused on You alone.

Copyright © September 2023, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.

“If It Is Your Will?”

“If It Is Your Will?” By Kirk Hunt

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:41–42 NKJV

The enormity of His coming trial and execution fell heavy on Jesus. Alone, He appealed to God, the only One who could change the course of events. “If it is Your will,” proves that Jesus went humbly and obediently to the Cross.

Too often we expect men and women to face the worst of life with a beatific expression and wise words of faith and encouragement for others. Instead, when the worst of circumstances decent on us, we can do what Jesus did. He went to God, and asked to be excused.

“If it is Your will” is the request of a faithful and obedient son or daughter who knows (or suspects) just how difficult events are going to get. A real saint, with Real Faith™, will follow God’s path, no matter where it goes. Still, in humility and obedience, we are allowed to ask our loving Father-God if there is another way.

Maybe there is a different way to fulfill God’s will. Perhaps, as with Jesus, events unfold as we knew they would. It is okay to ask in either case.

Jesus went to the Cross and bought our salvation with His perfect sacrifice. As you face your place in His will, be strong in your faith and obedience. And your prayer for a different path may draw an angelic encourager to stay the course.

Think: God’s will is not always easy, even though it is always best.

Pray: “Lord, I will follow Your will. Help me have the strength to stay Your course.”

 

Copyright © October 2017, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.

“Mother, Go With Me?”

“Mother, Go with Me?” By Kirk Hunt

And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”

Judges 4:8 NKJV
Please read also Judges 4:4–9

Deborah sent for Barak, a leader and general of Israel. She confirmed to him that God had already commanded him to fight Sisera’s army, and promised him victory. Barak responded with “Mother, will you go with me?”

Barak faced a bigger, better equipped army with a history of brutally beating against Israel. God told Barak to lead footmen against chariots (infantry against tanks) and promised him a win. Barak, through faith, trusted God. Still, who could blame him for wanting God’s woman to go with him?

If you are one of God’s people, you run a risk. God, at any moment, may command you to face insurmountable odds with no assurance but His promise. Barak faced the real risk of losing a battle that common wisdom said could not be won. To his credit, Barak went in obedience and faith.

True saints with Real Faith™ follow God’s Word in complete confidence and trust. Real saints, like me, might want a trusted man or woman of God to go along, just to keep repeating God’s promise. Things are different when your life, legacy and liberty hang in the balance.

God, of course , delivered on His promises. Barak went in with and trust. Still, he kept a grip on Mother Deborah’s hand. Your faith, like Barak’s, may not be completely perfect, but God always honors our obedience.

Think: Trust God Word in your life and purpose. Take men and women of faith with you, to help.

Pray: “Lord, my faith and trust is in You. ”

 

Copyright © October 2017, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.

The Testimony Of Scars

The Testimony Of Scars By Kirk Hunt

 

The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print [scars] of the nails, and put my finger into the print [scars] of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

John 20:25 NKJV

 

Thomas wanted proof. Like the other disciples, he knew for certain Jesus had died on the Cross. Now, he wanted the same kind of certainty that Jesus again lived. He wanted to see and touch the scars of the living, breathing Jesus.

 

Enough hurt, pain and loss will rattle the confidence, or drain hope from, even those with iron wills and steel souls. Too often, the words of others mean nothing in those dark moments of distress. Only the testimony of scars can speak to those who seem to have lost everything.

 

“See? Jesus brought me through the same crisis.” “His Spirit carried me when I got the same late-night call.” “His grace healed me of the same illness.”

 

God’s people too often hide their scars. By hiding them, we also hide the evidence of God’s power and restoration in our lives. Only survivors have scars. Survivors speak with an authority that exceeds all others.

 

Thomas finally got his living proof of the resurrected Jesus. You also have proof of the resurrected Jesus. His power has brought you through. Your scars are irrefutable proof of His power and authority in the real world.

 

Think: My scars are irrefutable proof of God’s power and supremacy in my life.

 

Pray: “Lord, help me to use my scars to testify of You.”

 

 

Copyright © February 2016, Kirk Hunt

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