Issuu

Lee Warren

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Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.

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Ever wonder whether you can be a good Christian, husband, or parent in this culture? Does the negativity of this world ever bring you down? If so, you need

YES, YOU CAN Devotions FOR MEN.

“Yes, you can”—live a godly life among ungodly people, stay pure in a world of impurity, love your wife and kids well, and do anything that God calls you to do, in His wisdom and strength.

Based on the familiar and beloved scripture “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)—this book provides encouragement for any man who struggles with anxiety over world events, the thought of persecution, the pull of the flesh, or simply the negativity that pervades our daily lives.

The 100 entries feature scripture from the fresh yet familiar Barbour Simplified KJV Bible. Every reading provides a powerful reminder that you can do anything and everything God calls you to do— because He provides the power!

YES, YOU CAN. . . Do

All Things

Through Christ

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

To set the tone for this book, it’s important to understand the context of our theme verse. Keep in mind that the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in the Roman colony of Philippi while he was in a Roman jail. He wrote to thank the church there for their support while also letting them know he had learned to be content in all circumstances, whether in need or in abundance (Philippians 4:10–12). That’s when he dropped in today’s verse. Paul had learned to be content, even while in jail awaiting trial, because Christ strengthened him and settled his soul.

Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of John, knew something about such strength. Sentenced to die in the Roman Colosseum at the hands of wild animals, he wrote seven letters to churches along his route to Rome. In his letter to the Smyrnaeans, he wrote the following: “To be with wild beasts means to be with God. But it must all be in the name of Jesus Christ. To share in His Passion I go through everything, for He who became the perfect man gives me the strength.”

Christ can strengthen you to endure any hardship for His name, and even to find contentment in it. That’s the spirit in which this book is offered.

Questions for Further Thought

• How do you generally find contentment in hardship?

• What do you think it looked like for Paul and Ignatius to find contentment in Christ who strengthened them?

Lord, please give me contentment in all things. Equip me to endure whatever You desire for my future. I’ll gladly accept my lot for Your glory.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

Be a Public Chris tian

“Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

“You go to church?” one barista asked another in a mocking tone. “Why?”

The whine of the espresso machine veiled her coworker’s answer, but all believers face the why question at some point. It’s logical coming from someone who doesn’t believe. As Christians practice their faith in front of an increasingly secular society, we will stand out. This gives us all the more reason to not shy away from praying over a meal in a restaurant, reading the Bible in public, or telling unbelievers about our Savior. How will they believe the gospel if Christians are afraid of any public display of faith?

As Moses prepared to pass the leadership baton to Joshua who would lead the Israelites into Canaan, he offered God’s people a promise: The Lord “will go over before you, and He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall possess them” (Deuteronomy 31:3). Moses’ subsequent charge to Joshua was to be of good courage; he wasn’t to fear or be dismayed, because the Lord would be with him wherever he went.

He’ll do the same for you, no matter how much opposition you face.

Questions for Further Thought

• Have you ever been questioned about the way you live out your faith? How did you respond?

• Why don’t you need to worry about the way unbelievers might respond?

Lord, empower me to be bolder in the way I live for You. Remind me that I have no reason to fear the world, for You are with me.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

Overcome Your Heartaches

He gives power to the faint, and He increases the strength of those who have no might.

Isaiah 40:29

When missionary Adoniram Judson entered Burma (now Myanmar) in July 1813, he was surrounded by hostile and unreached people. William Carey told him not to go, but Judson went anyway with his wife of seventeen months. They were both still in their twenties. He stayed there for thirty-eight years, burying two wives and seven of his thirteen children. The conditions were extremely difficult, including temperatures over one hundred degrees, and diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dysentery.

In 1824, the Burmese emperor imprisoned Judson and nearly all other Western men as presumed spies for the British government. He spent nineteen months incarcerated before he was released. After his first wife, Nancy, died, Judson’s grief nearly consumed him. He disappeared into a hut in the tigerinfested jungle for forty days, digging his own grave and contemplating death.

Eventually, Judson experienced the promise of today’s verse, finding spiritual power and strength from on high. He went on to lead countless people to Christ and is credited with the nearly thirty-seven hundred congregations in Myanmar today that trace their origin to his labors.

You’ve faced your own hardships and subsequent

grief. Take heart. God will give you power and strength to overcome your heartaches. It’s a promise for those who have called on His name for salvation.

Questions for Further Thought

• How have your own hardships affected your zeal for the ministry God has given you?

• What can you do to make the truth of today’s verse a reality in your life?

Lord, I’m inspired by Judson’s faithfulness to trust in You. Give me that kind of faith!

YES, YOU CAN. . . Conquer the Impossible

“With men it is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible.”

Mark 10:27

Before speaking today’s verse, Jesus offered His disciples a teaching that astonished them: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25).

They were surprised by this because in their understanding, the rich would have had more opportunities to do good with their money. If even rich people cannot enter heaven, they would have wondered, then who can? How did they stand a chance? They failed to see that riches can get in the way of salvation because self-sufficiency is at odds with the gospel. That’s what Jesus pointed out to them.

Let’s expand this principle. What obstacle or challenge are you facing right now? Does it feel impossible to overcome? If it does, then take your eyes off your circumstances and place them on the Lord. He can do all things. In fact, if it’s His will, nothing can stop Him. All things are possible for Him.

Questions for Further Thought

• When you read that all things are possible with God, what do you think?

• How has He done the impossible for you in the past?

Lord, You are the ruler of the universe. As such, You are sovereign and able to do anything according to Your will. I offer my circumstances to You right now and ask that You would have Your way in them. Increase my faith and reorient the way I think in this matter.

F

YES, YOU CAN. . .

lip the Scrip t

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Remember when King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was approached by his people who wanted him to lighten the harsh labor polices of his father? Rehoboam first sought feedback from older and wiser advisors who served Solomon. They recommended that he listen to the people and lighten their load. Then he consulted his younger friends, and they recommended that he should make the conditions even harsher. Rehoboam didn’t consult God, nor did he choose the path of wisdom. . .and he paid a heavy price.

Who is the first person you run to when you are facing trouble? Do you have a core group of friends who always seem to have the answers? Proverbs 27:9 supports that: “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” But people can steer you wrong. What is a Christian supposed to do?

Flip the script.

Instead of running to people first, run to God. You can certainly follow up with trusted, wise friends. But if what they offer doesn’t line up with what you hear from God, ignore their counsel. Only God is our refuge and strength. He is a very present help in trouble.

Questions for Further Thought

• Why does God want to be the first one you turn to in trying times?

• When was the last time you ran to God first, before any other important person in your life?

Lord, I don’t want to be like Rehoboam. I want to seek You first in all things. Empower me to turn away from outside counsel until after I have met with You.

YES, YOU CAN. . . Surrender Your Wea kness

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

You probably know that William Wilberforce (1759–1833) worked diligently to ban the British slave trade. But did you know that he fought part of that battle from his bed? His eyes were weak and painful, and he was prone to colitis. In his late twenties, he wrote the following from his bed: “[I] am still a close prisoner, wholly unequal even to such a little business as I am now engaged in: add to which my eyes are so bad that I can scarce see how to direct my pen.” His doctor said he wouldn’t last another year, but Wilberforce lived to the age of seventy-three. Through it all, Wilberforce drew spiritual and intellectual strength from the Bible and the Puritans. His journals were filled with expressions of his faith. God sustained him and used him to abolish slavery in Great Britain, despite Wilberforce’s own personal thorn in his flesh.

What about you? What is your thorn? Is it health related? Maybe it’s mental wellness. Whatever it is, God’s grace is sufficient to see you through it. He’s just waiting to exhibit His strength in you if you’ll let Him.

Questions for Further Thought

• Have you surrendered your “thorn in the flesh” to God, asking Him to exhibit His strength in your weakness?

• How might doing so change your attitude and effectiveness for Him?

Lord, I surrender my thorn to You. Use me despite my imperfections. May You get all the glory when Your strength is manifested in my weakness.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

t rus t God with A l l Your Heart

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

Missionary George M ü ller (1805–1898) built five orphanages over the course of his lifetime, caring for more than ten thousand children in England. One morning, one of the orphanages didn’t have any food. Müller told the housemother to seat all three hundred children in the dining room. He thanked God for the food and waited for God to provide.

Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door and said he’d had a dream the night before, informing him that the orphanage would need bread—so he baked three batches for Müller. Then a milkman knocked and told Müller his cart had broken down and his milk would spoil by the time it was fixed. . .so he asked if the children wanted some free milk. Time and time again, as Müller prayed, God provided food, clothing, and medicine.

What area of your life do you need to surrender to the Lord? Is it your finances, your dreams, or your relationships? Rather than trying to figure everything out, trust in the Lord to show you what to do. That’s not to say you shouldn’t make plans. . .but make those plans after you’ve given the situation to God.

Questions for Further Thought

• Think of a time when you couldn’t see your way out of a situation. How did God see you through?

• Do you have an area of life you need to surrender to Him now?

Lord, give me the same trust in You that Müller had. Help me to not waver when my own cupboards are bare.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

E xhibi t Good Cheer During t ribulation

“In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

If Christians aren’t careful, they can develop a mindset that goes something like this: I go to church every Sunday. I attend Bible study on Wednesday night. I don’t sleep around or get drunk or get into trouble with the law. So, why is my life so difficult? Why did I lose my job? Why am I dealing with a serious diagnosis? Why is my small business not getting anywhere? Lord, aren’t You supposed to provide for me, heal me, and help me succeed?

Jesus promised that in this world, we will face trials. It’s a theme you’ll see repeated in scripture. Philippians 1:29 says, “For to you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” 1 Peter 4:12–13 reads, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial that is to test you as though some strange thing happened to you. But rejoice because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” And 2 Timothy 3:12 adds, “Yes, and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” How much more powerful might our witness to a watching world be if it saw us exhibiting “good cheer” as Jesus called us to whenever we were undergoing various trials? How much more believable would the gospel be to them?

Questions for Further Thought

• What is your default demeanor when you face a trial?

• How does that mesh with what scripture teaches about hardship?

Lord, transform my heart and mind regarding the way I deal with hardship. Make me a strong witness to the watching world as people see me exhibiting a cheerful countenance.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

Be of Good Courage

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

The psalmist here almost seems to be saying, “Cheer up! After you do that, God will strengthen your heart.” But something deeper is going on here, as noted by the beloved Bible commentator Matthew Henry (1662–1714): “Lord, pardon our complaints and fears; increase our faith, patience, love, and gratitude; teach us to rejoice in tribulation and in hope. The deliverance of Christ, with the destruction of His enemies, ought to strengthen and comfort the hearts of believers under all their afflictions here below, that having suffered courageously with their Master, they may triumphantly enter into His joy and glory.”

The Hebrew word rendered “courage” in today’s verse is khaw-zak’. It means, in part, to fasten upon—hence to seize, be strong or obstinate; to bind, restrain, or conquer. It can also mean to be constant. In other words, being of good cheer is about much more than simple happiness. It’s about being established in something—in this case, God. To be established in Him is to be settled unconditionally in your redemption. Being of good courage as a believer means finding strength for your heart and soul.

Questions for Further Thought

• What sort of complaints or fears do you offer to God or those around you?

• How can “being of good courage” change your heart?

Lord, mold and shape me into a believer who doesn’t complain about his circumstances. Instead, establish me in Christ and continually strengthen my heart.

YES, YOU CAN. . .

Strengthen Your Household Spiritually

Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Ephesians 6:10

In the 1800s, Mary Slessor grew up poor in the slums of Aberdeen, Scotland. She had an alcoholic father, but a mother who read the mission paper every month to her. This planted a desire deep in Mary’s heart to share Jesus with others, so she took to the mission field. After the famed missionary David Livingston passed away, she continued his work to reach Africa with the gospel. As is often the case for missionaries, she faced life-threatening illness and many hardships. She stood strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, earning the moniker “Mighty Mary.”

We live in an age in which Christian material is more readily available than ever before, but we have to be intentional about consuming it. We have books, podcasts, videos, sermon collections, and conferences. If we will immerse ourselves in these resources, we can ground ourselves in the Lord. As the leaders of our homes, we can expose our families to stories of how God has been working to reach people for centuries with the good news of the gospel. Doing so will create missionaries—both on the foreign field and in our homes, workplaces, and communities.