DEVOTION: Finding Peace in a Chaotic World (Lisa & Ermalee)

KNOWING GOD 

On Monday, January 9, 1956, five women huddled together at Shell Mera, Ecuador, waiting to hear news from their husbands. These five men, each with a passion for sharing Christ’s love, had spent months making contact with the Auca tribe, one of the most hostile and murderous Indian tribes in all of South America, in an attempt to share with them the gospel of Christ. And now they were missing.

Two days later, four bodies were recovered from the river, some with wood spears still sticking through their clothing. Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, Nate Saint, and Ed McCully, whose body had apparently been washed away, died as Christian martyrs in the hands of the very people they longed to reach for Christ.

Knowing the numerous obstacles against them, why did these men still decide to go ahead with this mission? Why did they persevere after being strongly cautioned regarding the extreme danger in working with these people? The answer is that these men had their foundations anchored in Christ, and they were ready to die for the salvation of the Auca. They believed not only that God had called them to Ecuador, but that He went before them as their divine leader. These couples believed that no matter what happened, God was still in control.

In our own lives, in order to trust God, we have to know Him, and the Bible is our guide to finding out who God is.
*What He is like: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

*What He expects from us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

*How deeply He cares about us: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

If we are to persevere in our Christian walk through both the good times and bad times, it is essential for us to
know God and to set our foundation firmly on Him. Only then will we be able to trust Him no matter what is happening in the world around us.

DIGGING DEEPER: The Bible gives us many names for both God and Jesus. Names like the I AM, Alpha and Omega, and Almighty give us a greater insight into who He is. Write down as many names for God as you can think of and what those names tell you about God.

PRAYER: Lord, may we truly come to the point in our lives when our foundation and our identity is firmly set only on you.

“In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” I Timothy 6:19

Be blessed today,

Lisa and Ermalee
(Lisa Harris and her mother, Ermalee)

Scriptures taken from the NIV