Who I Am In Christ Devotionals

  But as for me, Lord, my prayer to you is for a time of favor. In your abundant, faithful love, God, answer me with your sure salvation.  Psalm 69:13 CSB My son asked to borrow my car. I paused, thought about it, and threw him the keys. I want to give him good things. And we get to ask God our Father for good things. We get to ask Him for His favor. It feels weird for us to ask. I’m not talking about one of those half-hearted prayers that puff through our cheeks like so much exhaust. No, I’m talking about asking Him like a son when he needs the car. A son has a hopeful expectation of an answer. He looks his father in the eye and waits for a response. Our prayers should be at least that sincere. I mean, it’s no fair to not (really) believe that God answers if we don’t ask expect an answer. But that’s what we've done so many times. This Psalm was written by David and he has every expectation that we should approach God like this too. He wrote it to be sung and memorized. To b

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 CSB Some fathers ignore their children. At best, this kind of man rushes out to work and,  when he get home,  takes care of his own needs and comfort. Sometimes, he looks up to pat the kids on the head. Does God treat me like that, or does He walk with me, take care of me, and make my path straight? Okay, that's an easy answer. He loves. He is love. He is a good father.  That love involves testing too. These tests make me. And in this testing, sometimes, God seems like He ignores me.  He does not ever ignore me.  He is much more like that gymnastics coach who has his hand underneath my back the first time I try to do a backbend on a balance beam. I might not even be aware his hand is there. Yet, when I falter, when I slip, He is right there. He is fully able and engaged.  And He makes grace OVERflow to me. Overflow

As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan… Mark 1:10-13 Jesus is mine and I am His. And Jesus, according to this passage pleased God the Father. This means much for me and my life; Let me explain. Paul says to the church in the book of Colossians - “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God .” Colossians 3:1‭-‬3 CSB So let me try to pull this together. Jesus was pleasing to God the Father. I have died with Him. My life is hidden with Christ in God. What? My dirty, sinful, messy self is hidden. With Christ. With Christ. And that makes

This post is an audio only series of 7 podcast episodes on Psalm 119. You can find part 1 of the series here: https://arseayli.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-psalm-119-series-part-1.html.  If you like these or if you have a helpful critique, please let me know at arseayli@gmail.com.

  But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? Galatians 4:9  Believers, children of God, those called by him to be holy, slip sometimes. I certainly do. I can slip in two general ways; neither of them is about depending on God. I can slip by just letting go and ignore being godly. I can give into my flesh. This always nips my behind when I go there. I can laugh and seemingly enjoy it for a minute; then, it’s like some iron gate clashes, closes in my face, leaving me foolish and stupid. And then, if I’m still stupid, I try to work my way into God’s good graces, so He’ll talk to me again. Of course the bible tells me to draw near to God and He will draw near to me. And really, I think that’s just an awareness. God is already with me. But if I am acknowledging the relationship I have with God, if I am seeking Him, if I am looking for Him, if I am humb

  When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him. 2 Chronicles 18:31 CSB Jehoshaphat is one of the great names in the bible. I just had to say that. By the way, it means Yahweh is judge. Okay. Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah, and he was a mixed bag as kings go. He did some really good things, and he did some dumb and dumber ones too. But I’ll let you look that stuff up. It’s great bible history. And Jehoshaphat was right in the middle of one of his not-so-smooth moves when the events in this passage happened. He was in a battle. And it wasn’t even his battle; it was Israel’s King Ahab’s fight. Jehoshaphat was along for the ride, a ride he should have never taken. If the name Ahab doesn’t ring a bell, remember this: he was Jezebel’s husband. For many, her name is synonymous with evil. So Jezebel’s husband, King Ahab asked Jehosha