Men Pursuing Christ
Foundation of Faith for Men
Introduction
Today could be your new beginning!!! What I am saying is this, that Men Pursing Christ will be the devotional to get you grounded and keep you grounded. For a lot of men, those who have been believers for many years, those that are new believers or even those that are not believers at all, your foundation as a man or Christ follower has not been a solid one.
Men of faith have a responsibility to seek out the truth and pursue a deeper understanding of God’s will for their lives. It is only through this foundation of faith that men can be sure that their actions are in line with God’s plan for them. Getting your footing in your faith is an important step for men, as it allows them to build upon the knowledge they have and grow in their relationship with God. By taking the time to learn about different aspects of Christianity, such as scripture, prayer, and service, men can become more confident in their beliefs and better equipped to live out God's will.
I understand this very well, as I began this study twenty-three years ago...no it didn’t take twenty-three years to complete, it took twenty-three years to get started. One might ask, “what happened?” God led me to write a daily planner with a daily study and even put the foundations in place that would make it happen. He placed the dream in my heart, freed up my life to give me more time, He provided me with the computer and the needed publisher programs...there, everything was set. It wasn’t like one day I woke up and had this vision from God. I had spent a few years studying the word of God and felt I was prepared to write this journal for me and other believers. This daily planner was established to allow busy Christians an opportunity to schedule their day while spending twenty to thirty minutes studying God’s word, verse by verse. However, a lot has changed since I began this day planner journey. Twenty-three years ago, most people carried a daily planner…in fact Franklin Planner became a phenomenally successful company selling the Franklin Planners. Sounds like that was the perfect time, “so what happened?” The problem, my foundation had weaknesses…my foundation had small cracks, big cracks, sections watered down, and sections that were missing. To say that my foundation wasn’t very strong would be an understatement. One might ask, “Why would God use someone that was so weak?” Well, that’s a question I have asked myself over the past twenty-three years. Then I think about the men that God used like:
Moses- Exodus 3:11 “But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, "Pardon your servant, LORD. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
Gideon-Judges 6:15 "Pardon me, my LORD," Gideon replied, "but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
Jonah- Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
David-1 Samuel 16:10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
Isaiah-Isaiah 6:5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
All these men had one thing in common, the call from God. It appears they were thinking that God could have chosen someone more qualified to accomplish His plan. The thing that has always intrigued me is how God uses ordinary people to do extra ordinary things. Maybe that’s because ordinary people know they can’t do it without God. Sometimes it seems that God uses less than ordinary men to do His task. He chose a group of seemingly nobodies, and yet they would change the world.
With king David, we find that his own father was not sure his youngest son would be the right choice. However, we notice that David was the choice of God. One could draw a conclusion that God used these men despite them not having total faith in themselves. They all needed one thing, “The Strength that God would give them to overcome their weaknesses.”
You see, all our foundations have something in common, that is our own weaknesses. All our foundations have flaws that need to be fixed or completed. If you are not careful you can use them as excuses not to move forward with God’s calling on your life.
There are several reasons why I didn’t move forward with the word God gave me twenty-three years ago. Through this daily plan of walking with purpose...one will discover these weaknesses in my foundation and hopefully bring you to consider those in your own life. For me, the five things that stopped me from pursuing God’s call were:
False comfort in “good intentions”
The love of procrastination
Refusal to face the reality of the call
Business of life
Living in the flesh and not in the Spirit
Everyone has something that hinders their walk with God. At times, everyone has put God's calling on the back burner to pursue the things of this world. This journal brings men to the place of pursuing God's calling in each life. We are all called to walk daily with God, looking for opportunities to further His Kingdom. Your role is crucial in this mission, as you equip men to become stronger followers of Christ through the study of the word. It's about bringing men to a place in their walk where they don't just pursue Christ but complete the Great Commission, making disciples of others.
Start today, pray that God will show you areas in your foundation that needs to be repaired or strengthened.
My prayer: Lord help me to see Your majesty in everything that I do. Teach me Your ways and Your desires for my life. Keep me on Your path of righteousness so that through my life others will see You. My desire is to love, serve and praise You more. Although I have spent most of my life in mediocracy You have restored me and put thanksgiving in my heart. Thanksgiving that you never left me and through it all Your love, forgiveness, and mercy never failed. Lord, use me to bring others to a stronger walk with You and teaching men to pursue You daily.