The One Thing Needful

[Duane]

If It Matters To You, It Matters To God

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6–7

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that God is too busy taking care of the “big things” to be interested in the little problems they are facing. Are you one of them?

It may be your child’s bed-wetting habit, a quarrel with a friend or the small pimple on your face. No matter how trivial it sounds, if it troubles you, then God wants to take care of it! God wants to take care of every area of your life, even the smallest detail. He loves you so much that He knows the number of hairs you have on your head. And if your loving heavenly Father knows and is interested in the small details of your life, then you don’t have to overcome any problem on your own.

When my daughter Jessica turned three, my wife Wendy and I decided to bring her to Disneyland. Knowing that it was her first encounter with Disneyland and that she could be frightened by unexpected shocks, I decided to watch one of the theater productions which I had planned to bring her to, before I took her to watch it. As I sat through the production, my mind was on Jessica all the time. I was thinking, “Is this too frightening for her? Will she like the mechanical singing bear?

Is the place too dark for her?” I decided to bring her to the show only after I had seen it myself and was sure that she would enjoy it. My friend, your heavenly Father cares for you in the same way as He lays out His plans for you. You are on His heart all the time as He carefully considers and makes plans for every aspect of your life, both big and small.

And the very thought of you puts a smile on His face because He knows that the plans He has for you are plans to bless you. (Jeremiah 29:11) So no matter what problems you are facing right now, you can rest in His love for you. There is no problem that is too insignificant for Him to handle. He is not just God Almighty, He is also your heavenly Father who loves you!

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[Duane]

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”

Genesis 7:1

Remember how Noah was safe in the ark when the floodwaters came? While Noah was not perfect, God saw him as righteous because of his faith in God (Heb. 11:7).

When the flood came, everyone outside the ark died, but Noah and his family were protected and saved. Why? Because they were in the ark, which is a type of Christ, who is our salvation (Acts 4:12).

The ark didn’t have windows along its sides, only near the roof. The truth here is that God does not want you to focus on all the darkness, terror, and evil that are around you and in the world. He wants you to look up and know that His Son is coming back for you.

I want you to see something else: I believe there were times when Noah might have lost his balance and fallen as the storm waters crashed against the ark. But Noah fell in the ark; he never fell out of the ark.

Similarly, for the believer today, when the devil tempts you and you fall, you don’t fall out of your position in Christ; you are still in Christ. In the book of Proverbs, it says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Prov. 24:16).

You see, a believer doesn’t fall in and out of righteousness. Our righteousness today is a gift from our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17). This means that even though we may fail from time to time because we are imperfect human beings, we are still in Christ our ark and do not forfeit His blessings of protection.

Now, in case you are wondering, does this make someone want to live recklessly? Certainly not! I believe that knowing you are righteous in Christ makes you live responsibly and in honor to the Lord (Rom. 6:10–14).

The revelation of our righteousness in Christ produces righteous living (Titus 2:11–12).

This devotional is taken from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times.

If you or a loved one are dealing with a health or mental wellness challenge today, know that we are praying for you. We would also like to encourage you to read "How do I walk in faith and wisdom as I look to the Lord for healing?" to help you build your faith as you wait for your breakthrough.

 

[Duane]

Good Things Happen when You Believe God Loves You!

. . . to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:18–19

Once, when I was preparing to preach, the Lord shared this with me: “good things happen to people who believe that God loves them.” My friend, good things happening to you does not depend on who you are, what academic qualifications you hold, or what your profession is. Good things simply happen to you when you believe that God loves you! He loves you all the time. Even when you fail, He loves you! His love is not like our love. Our love is conditional, but His love is not. It is not contingent on our behavior.

It is contingent entirely on His grace and the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

When Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus, he prayed that they might be able to comprehend “what is the width and length and depth and height” of “the love of Christ” (see today’s scripture). Notice Paul’s emphasis on the love of Christ. In other words, it is not about our love for Christ. Paul was praying for them to have a revelation of Jesus’ love for them and not their love for Jesus. Now, observe closely the result of them knowing the Lord’s love for them: they would be “filled with all the fullness of God.” I have heard many sermons saying that if you do this and do that, you will be filled with the fullness of God. But that is not what the Bible says. It says that when you know the love of Christ, you will be filled with the fullness of God. You will see Him provide for your needs in big and small ways.

I want to share a praise report from Kimberly, who lives in Florida, that demonstrates this truth. She and her husband had received the revelation of the gospel of grace and began to see financial breakthroughs where they had previously struggled. On their eighth wedding anniversary, Kimberly’s husband had surprised her with a new wedding ring. He got the new three-carat diamond ring at a supernaturally low price—almost nothing over their trade-in, half-carat diamond! To Kimberly, it was a symbol of God’s favor on their marriage and lives. So you can imagine her dismay when she lost it! Kimberly recalled:

I was choking back negative thoughts as I feverishly tried to find the ring. We tore our house apart. The more I searched, the more stressed I became. I remember hearing the Holy Spirit say, “Stop trying to find it. Just rest and I will bring it back to you because I love you.” This gave me peace for about a day and a half but by the third day, I was in tears and frantic again! I cleared my bathroom vanity area three separate times to look for it!

I went to the bedroom in tears, looked up, and said, “Jesus, I know that You love me, and You don’t have to help me find my ring to prove that. But because You love me, will You bring my ring back to me?” I prayed that simple prayer, walked back into the bathroom, and found my ring lying on my vanity area! Completely shocked, I immediately called my kids in to ask them if they had placed my ring there, and they said that they had not. I began crying and praising God because He truly answered my prayer by placing my ring in a spot that I had just checked and scrutinized three times! Jesus brought it back to me just as He had promised! I praise Jesus for loving me. Now, my ring symbolizes His grace even more.

Have you been there before? You got so frantic and stressed that God had to interrupt your frenzy of worry to remind you that He loves you and would take care of that detail for you? What made the difference for Kimberly was this very knowledge that the Lord loved her. Once she was conscious of how much the Lord loved her, she saw her prayer answered and her precious ring (which the Lord had blessed them with) returned to her.

Beloved, I pray that you have been growing in the revelation of how much God loves you as you see all that Jesus has accomplished for you on the cross. The more you realize that it is a revelation of Jesus’ love for you and not your love for Jesus, the more you, your family, and your future will be filled with the fullness and riches of His grace.

Post in thread 'The One Thing Needful'

Jul 29, 2025

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”

Genesis 7:1

Remember how Noah was safe in the ark when the floodwaters came? While Noah was not perfect, God saw him as righteous because of his faith in God (Heb. 11:7).

When the flood came, everyone outside the ark died, but Noah and his family were protected and saved. Why? Because they were in the ark, which is a type of Christ, who is our salvation (Acts 4:12).

The ark didn’t have windows along its sides, only near the roof. The...

• Duane

 

[Duane]

The World Cannot Give You What You Need

Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him 1 John 2:15

The longing of the human heart is to be loved and to love. The objects of our affections need to be rightly ordered if we are truly to find ultimate and lasting satisfaction. John, therefore, commands us, “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world.” Why? To love the world is to not love Father God, which is what you really need.

It is what you were created for. John says, “Choose your lover, but choose carefully; choose wisely. Choose God the Father, not the worldly enticements of the father of lies.” John 8:44

We must recognize that turning even good things into “god” things becomes a bad thing. It is to give your love to a lesser lover—one who can never satisfy, who can never give you what you truly need.


Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John

 

[Duane]

The World Cannot Give You What Will Last


And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.1 John 2:17

This verse brings to a conclusion John’s argument as he contrasts the two loves, two lives, two approaches to life. Why side with the world? Why give your life to an empty imitation, a worthless fake, a temporary illusion? The world, this evil and deceptive system of Satan, is continually passing away and its desires with it. The darkness was on the run in 2:8. The world is on the run in 2:17. Light and that which will last forever has shown up in Jesus Christ. What remains? What lasts? What endures? The answer is, the one doing (continually) the will of God. This one abides (continually) forever.
Jesus said many things about the will of God, especially in John’s Gospel.

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. (John 4:34)

I can do nothing on My own. I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 5:30)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

Jesus’ work is lasting and effectual because it was the will of the Father for Him to do that work. For our work to abide like Christ’s, our hearts must not be attached to the things of this world, but to the will of the Father.


Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John

 

[Duane]

Don't be Like Demas

One of the saddest stories in the Bible concerns a man by the name of Demas. He is not very well known, but his life serves as an important and tragic lesson for those of us who love the Father who sent His Son. We first hear of him in Colossians 4:14 where he is working hard for the gospel alongside Luke. He is listed along with nearly ten others for their faithful service to Christ (Col 4:7–18).

We do not hear of him again until 2 Timothy 4:10, toward the end of Paul’s last letter, as Paul anticipates his own execution and martyrdom for Christ. There we simply read, “Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world.” The NLT says, “he loves the things of this life.” You can almost feel Paul’s heart break as he pens these words.

Let’s learn from the unfortunate story of Demas. Don’t let love for the things of this life eclipse your love for the Father. Don’t let a love for the things of this life cause you to chase after that which is fleeting and passing away. Let the love of the Father found in Jesus come in.

Love the Father with all your heart, and see every room you enter become a sanctuary of love from the Father, all your work a sacrifice of love to the Father, and every praise that rolls off your lips a confession of love for the Father. Love the Father supremely who has loved you so deeply. There will be no regrets. God’s Word says so.


Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John

 

[Duane]

The Antichrist(s)

1 JOHN 2:18–27


Main Idea: There have always been those, and more will come, who actively oppose Christ and the gospel; Christians must resist such error and cling to the truth of God as revealed by the Spirit in the Scriptures.

I. Antichrists Attack Christ (2:18).
A. Antichrist has a period of time.
B. Antichrist is a principle of spiritual error.
C. Antichrist is a person of deception.
II. Antichrists Abandon the Church (2:19, 22–23).
A. Physically, they desert the fellowship (2:19).
B. Spiritually, they deny the faith (2:22–23).
III. Antichrists Assault the Christian (2:20–21, 24–27).
A. We have experienced the anointing of the Spirit (2:20–21, 27).
B. We must embrace the authority of the Scriptures (2:24–26).

One of the earliest and most important lessons we Americans teach our children is how to tell time. This is because we live in a time-conscious culture. Whereas people in many other parts of the world worry much less about deadlines and dates, we are rather obsessed with them. Being early is not fashionable. Being late can often be costly.

The apostle John was also concerned that we know how to tell time. However, it was not chronological time-telling that concerned him. It was spiritual clock-watching that he deemed of first importance. His interest was not time as man measures it, but time as God measures it. How God reckons time is an important theological issue that should concern the heart and occupy the mind of every follower of Jesus Christ. You see, as God keeps time, “it is the last hour” (v. 18).

Time is running out. Midnight is almost here. How do we know this? According to John, unmistakable evidence has appeared: the antichrists have come on the scene!

The word “antichrist” (Gk antichristos) has a way of striking a sense of wonder, amazement, and even fear in our hearts. And in one sense it should. Nevertheless, given all the strange and wild speculations that surface when antichrist is mentioned, it is absolutely essential that we have a biblically balanced understanding of who the antichrists are and what the antichrists do.

John will place before us three important lessons that will equip us to both recognize and defeat these archenemies of the true Christ, our Savior the Lord Jesus. It is time to get armed for the battle. Spiritual conflict is inevitable.


Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John