God Promises That We Have What We Need
Do you have everything you need today?
Verse of the Day
‘By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.’
Today’s Devotional
There’s a silly saying in the South that duct tape and WD-40 are the only tools anyone needs. If something is moving and you need it not to move, use duct tape. If something is not moving and you need it to move, use WD-40.
Tools are wonderful to have at our disposal. But we must pick them up and use them. I am a part of a fellowship where daily people are offered tools that will radically change their lives and their relationship with God. Sadly, many people don’t pick up the tools. They think they have a better way.
God’s promise today is that we have everything we need in order to live a life that brings Him honor and glory. How do we get access to this set of miraculous tools? We grow in our knowledge of God and deepen our relationship with Him. That’s it.
Many times, we don’t see the answer to our problems as spending time with God and getting to know Him better. From enduringword.com: “We are willing to try almost anything except the knowledge of Him. We will trust in the schemes and plans of men instead of the knowledge of Him. We will try knowing ourselves instead of the knowledge of Him. We need to come to the same place the Apostle Paul did, when he said “I want to know Christ” (Philippians 3:10).
I read on bibleref.com an explanation of this verse that hit home for me. “Some Christians struggle with sin, spiritual weakness, and apathy. Are such people missing something? Have they been left unequipped by God? What have we not been given in order to lead the life God calls us to? Peter’s answer is simple: We’re not missing anything. We are fully equipped. But we have a choice about whether or not we’ll really use those spiritual tools. This requires effort on our part.
How are we equipped? It didn’t happen naturally. We weren’t born with it. We didn’t earn it through hard work or good behavior. For those in Christ, God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Like salvation, all of this was ours when we came to know God (through faith in Christ). As Peter will make clear, knowing God, the source of all life, is the only path to being fully equipped to live as God calls us to do.”
Knowing God is the only path to being fully equipped.
How do you get to know a God you cannot see? You read the love letter He left for you. (That’s the Bible…) You talk to Him and you listen for Him to answer. You spend time with other people who know Him well. And yes, all of this takes time and effort. But isn’t it worth it? Instead of looking at your relationship with God as another item on your “to-do” list, maybe look at it as the gift that it is. It’s what equips us to do everything else well. And it’s WAY more effective than duct tape or WD-40.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Where do you feel like you are not fully equipped?
How can you get to know God better today?
How can you engage the Word today?
What do you need to talk to God about? And how can you listen for His response?
Who can you spend time with to get to know God better?