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