reset week devotion

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RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency --- Trust in the Lord Day 1

Proverbs 3:5-6 I was recently thinking about a day when my one year old granddaughter Aaliyah was at

our home. She had just learned how to stand and take a step or two. But when she wanted to come over to where I was, she would lift up her hands to communicate that she wanted me to pick her up. Later she cried out to indicate to us that she was hungry. When one of her toys made a sound or did something she did not understand, she would look over to us to explain what was happening. That evening when it was time for her to go home, she laid back as we put her clothes, shoes, and sweater on. Aaliyah was completely dependent upon us for everything. Aaliyah is now two years old and has begun trying to be more independent. She wants to figure things out for herself and she often pushes back from our instructions. She would rather turn left when we tell her to go right or run when we want her to stand still. We are a lot like my granddaughter as it relates to our relationship with God. In our lives we feel that we have reached a point where we can figure things out for ourselves and rely on our abilities to maneuver through life. In reading Proverbs 3:5-6, we are instructed to give our complete trust and dependency to the Lord. To trust in the Lord wholeheartedly means one should not rely on their understanding, for human insights are never enough. God’s ways are incomprehensible (Isa. 55:8-9), yet He is trustworthy. All the wisdom a person may acquire can never replace the need for full trust in God’s superior ways. In verse 6, the writer says, “ in all your ways acknowledge Him…” The word ‘acknowledge’ means ‘to know…to know relationally and experientially’ In all our ways our desire should be to come to know God; and to know Him in such a way that we learn never to rely on ourselves but to always follow Him. As a person trusts in the Lord and acknowledges Him in all his ways, he finds that God makes his paths straight. This means more than guidance; it means God can remove the obstacles, making a smooth path or way of life, or perhaps better, bring one to the appointed goal. Proverbs teaches us that those who follow wisdom have an easier, less problematic life. •

What are some reasons people struggle with Trust? What areas of trust are still fragile for you? Commit to memorizing Proverbs 3:5-6

RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency---The Lord Will Provide a Way Day 2

Exodus 14:13-22 We have all faced times in our lives when we are completely out of options. No plan B’s

to fall back on; no money or credit to buy our way out of; no family or friends to assist us…you are hopelessly trapped. In Exodus 14, that is what Moses and the Israelites are facing. They cannot proceed forward because the Red Sea is in front of them. They cannot go back, because Pharoses’ army is in pursuit of them. They are trapped. What can they do, what will they do? Well the Israelites did what we tend to do…they began to complain. They shouted to Moses that it would have been better for them if he had left them in bondage in Egypt. Though they cried out to the Lord, they had no confidence He could help. It is when we find ourselves completely out of options, that we come to realize just how completely dependent we are to the Lord. There are times when God places us or allows us to be in situations in which we recognize our hopelessness, so that we can then see Him do what He can only do. God tells Moses to tell the people not to fear their situation; to stand firm; and to see the deliverance that can only come by way of the Lord. Moses raises his staff and the waters are parted allowing for the people to cross through on dry ground. As the people passed through, they witnessed the waters being held back on both their right side and their left. Their obstacle, the sea, was still present, but the Lord had provided a path by which the people could still continue their journey. •

Explain what, if any, is the relationship between fearing and dependency. (Phil.4:6)

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Why do you think the first reaction people display to a “trapped” situation is fear?

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What are some things that you can do to lessen your fears when you’re out of options?

Continue to memorize Proverbs 3:5-6 and ask the Lord to teach you to trust Him in all things and to realize your complete dependency on Him for everything.

RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency-What Has the Lord Said Day 3

Mark 4:35-41 A few years ago, on my flight to Africa for a mission trip, we experienced terrible

turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean. The plane shook violently up and down and from side to side. The pilot informed us that he had not received clearance to go to a different altitude, because reportedly the winds were even worse. Due to the flight being at night, I could not see anything outside of the windows and all that any of us could do was to just hold on. This flight was similar to the journey Jesus and His disciples took as recorded in the 4th chapter of Mark. In verse 37 we read that their boat began to fill up with water due to encountering a fierce storm of wind and waves. The disciples, who had a lot of experience on the sea, were fearful of their situation. What made things even worse, was throughout the terrifying ordeal, Jesus is below the deck sleeping. I imagine the disciples saying to themselves and to each other, that they have left everything to follow Jesus, and here they are…in the dark; terrified; fearing for their lives; and yet Jesus appears not to be concerned with their condition. Within this passage, two verses jump out. In verse 35, Jesus makes the statement to His disciples “Let’s go over to the other side”. The second statement is found in verse 40 when Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you afraid?”. There are times when each of us experiences moments in which our lives feel as though they are being shaken upside down and there doesn’t seem to be anything that we can do to change our condition. All that we can depend on is ‘what has Jesus said’. In this story, He tells the disciples in verse 35 that they are going to go to the other side of the sea. Jesus doesn’t say it will be smooth sailing throughout the journey. His words are ‘they will go to the other side’. The same is true in our lives. He never says that we will not face trials, but He does say that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut.31:6; Heb. 13:5). Can we learn to find rest based upon what Jesus has already said rather than focusing on the outside forces that appear to be saying just the opposite. Can Jesus be trusted even as you’re going through the storm? •

In reading verse 41, why do you think our complete dependency on Jesus is so easily shaken?

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Based upon your answer to the above question, how and what will you pray?

RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency-Desperate for the Lord Day 4

Mark 5:21-43 Our initial response as to how to best address an issue in life, is usually the best indicator

as to where our dependency can be found.

Most of us rely on our income. Our thought is that

if we just had enough money, all our problems could be solved. Some find it in our intellect or our education. Still others rely on their professions and their network of friends. If we just had more of one of these things or a better quality of these things, life would be better. The problem with this type of mindset is that these things are limited, or they don’t have the ability or willingness to fully address our needs. Which then leaves a person at a point of desperation. In the middle of a passage found in Mark 5:21-43, we read about a woman (in v.25) who has a medical issue. Her condition has cost her all of her money (v.26), the stigma from being considered ‘unclean’, and a great amount of time (in terms of years and in obtaining opinions from various physicians --v.26). And with all of that, her condition had grown worse. Desperation. This woman finds herself desperate and hopeless. Verse 27 says this woman has heard about this man named Jesus and His healing power. When a person is desperate, they don’t mind running the risk of hearing the ridicule that may come from others. They don’t mind going through barriers or obstacles to get to where they believe they can find help. And because of what she has heard and now believes, she fights through the crowd in pursuit of Jesus. She is not looking to have a consultation with Jesus or a discussion with Him. She truly believes if she can just touch His outer garment, that she would be healed. She is so desperate for Jesus, she has made the decision to do whatever is required to touch Him. •

In what, where, or who would you truly say your dependency can be found?

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Are you at a point in your life where you would consider yourself ‘desperate’ for healing?

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What is it that you have heard about Jesus that would cause you to want to live in complete reliance in Him? Have you made that decision?

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What are the obstacles in life that deter you from fully pursuing Jesus?

RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency---Patience, Persistence, Power Day 5

Mark 5:21-43 A few months ago, I was in a Wal-Mart, trying to find an item but I was having difficulty

to locating it. Shopping is not my most favorite thing to do, but I really needed this item, so after unsuccessfully trying to find it on my own, I flagged down an employee and asked if he could help me. He said he would and we began walking towards the opposite end of the store. But as we proceeding another customer approached the employee with a question, and the employee began helping her. I was a little upset about the time this delay was costing me. Should I just walk off and try to find the item on my own or should I wait? In yesterday’s devotion, we studied the faith of the woman with an issue of blood. Nestled around that story is another story with Jesus and His encounter with a synagogue official named Jairus (v.22). Jarius’ daughter is extremely ill and he asks Jesus to come with him so that Jesus may heal her. As Jesus is going to help Jarius, He has the encounter with the woman, which will now delay Jarius in getting to his daughter. Jarius had to have been extremely anxious knowing that his daughter is near death, knowing Jesus is His only hope for her, but now Jesus has stopped to dialogue with someone else. As Jesus is still speaking with the woman, word comes that Jarius’ daughter has died. The delay caused by the woman’s healing would be a severe test of Jairus’ faith. Jesus says to the official not to fear, only believe. In looking at the story, Jairus had already shown faith by initially going to Jesus. He demonstrated faith in patiently waiting for Jesus. He persistently remained with Jesus through the delay. Jarius was now being exhorted to believe that Jesus could bring her back to life. Later we do read that Jesus indeed did bring life back to Jairus’ daughter. Have you ever felt stretched beyond what you thought was possible? Has the Lord ever seemed slow with His response to you? It is during the times when all appears to be hopeless and lost, that we can witness the unlimiting power of Jesus. •

What are you’re the areas you need the Lord to bring life back into?

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Have you become frustrated with being asked to patiently wait on God? What do you do as you wait on the Lord?

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Persistence allowed Jarius to witness Jesus’ power. How is your persistence?

RESET WEEK DEVOTION Dependency Day 6

John:15:5

Self sufficiency is the opponent to complete dependency. There is a desire that lays within each of us that seeks one thing. CONTROL. We want it, we desire it, we pursue it. We want to be in charge and make our own way. Our culture today has a philosophy that believes that we are the captains of our ship; that we are able to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps; that we can be, do, and achieve anything that we put our minds to do. It is a philosophy that says we have the control. We have been taught and come to embrace the thought that we control our destiny. John 15: states something radically different. Jesus says, “For apart from Me you can do nothing”. In this passage Jesus, being in an agricultural society, uses the analogy of the vine and the branch. The branch is completely dependent upon the vine to supply everything it needs to grow and to produce. If that connection is severed, there is nothing the branch can produce of its own. The vine is the life line for the branch. Jesus is saying that He is the vine and we are the branch. If we have no connection with Him, we can do NOTHING!! Have you really come to embrace that not merely as a concept, but as truly a way of life? The apostle Paul uses a different starting point to come to the same conclusion when he writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all thing through Him (Christ) who strengthens me” Pride, self sufficiency, independence, self reliance…whatever words or phrases we use, they are all opponents to complete dependency upon the Lord. “For apart from Me you can do nothing”; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”; “Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart and do not lean unto your own understandings, but in ALL of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight” •

What areas in life are you still trying to control?

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How and What will need to occur for you to relinquish your desire for control?

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If you do not sense that you are presently abiding in Him, what is causing the disconnect? Be specific.

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How do we remain connected to the vine and what will that produce?