Creating Space for God's Presence in Our Lives

Devotional

Day 1: Fasting as a Gateway to Divine Presence

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that allows individuals to create space for God's presence in their lives. It is not merely about abstaining from food or comfort but about intentionally setting aside personal desires to invite God's glory to manifest. Through fasting, believers can experience profound encounters with God's faithfulness and provision, as they prioritize spiritual nourishment over physical needs. This practice serves as a reminder that true fulfillment comes from God alone, and by making room for Him, we open ourselves to His transformative work in our lives. [40:17]

Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV): "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

Reflection: What is one specific desire or comfort you can set aside this week to make room for God's presence in your life?

Day 2: Awakening from Spiritual Apathy

Spiritual apathy can creep into our lives, leading to complacency and stagnation in our relationship with God. Like King Josiah, who earnestly sought God and took radical steps to cleanse the land of idolatry, we are called to actively remove spiritual apathy from our lives. This involves seeking God with zeal and addressing areas of stagnation that hinder our spiritual growth. By inviting the Holy Spirit to disturb our comfort zones, we can reignite our passion for God and experience a renewed sense of purpose and direction in our spiritual journey. [47:01]

Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV): "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Reflection: Identify one area of your spiritual life where you feel stagnant. What steps can you take today to invite the Holy Spirit to reignite your passion for God?

Day 3: Embracing Humility in God's Word

Approaching God's word with humility is essential for spiritual growth and transformation. King Josiah's response to the rediscovered Book of the Law was one of repentance and humility, demonstrating the importance of a humble heart in receiving God's word. When we allow God's word to examine and change us, we open ourselves to His transformative power. A humble heart is open to correction and willing to align with God's truth, leading to a deeper understanding of His will and purpose for our lives. [56:03]

James 1:21 (ESV): "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Reflection: How can you cultivate a humble heart today as you read and meditate on God's word? What specific changes might God be calling you to make?

Day 4: Confronting and Eliminating High Places

High places in our lives represent areas of compromise and sin that we often overlook or ignore. Just as King Josiah destroyed the high places, we are called to confront and eliminate these areas, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal them. This process is crucial for creating a life that is a worthy dwelling place for God's presence. By addressing these areas of compromise, we align ourselves more closely with God's will and experience greater freedom and intimacy in our relationship with Him. [01:03:31]

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ESV): "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

Reflection: What is one "high place" in your life that you need to confront and eliminate? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you in this process?

Day 5: The Power of Community in Spiritual Growth

Dealing with the high places in our lives is not something we can do alone. We need a community of believers to support and walk with us on our journey of healing and restoration. Joining a community helps us grow in our faith and become better followers of Jesus. Through shared experiences, encouragement, and accountability, we can overcome challenges and grow stronger in our spiritual walk. Community provides a safe space for vulnerability and growth, allowing us to experience the fullness of God's love and grace through the support of others. [01:11:43]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to for support and accountability in your spiritual journey? How can you be a source of encouragement to others in your community this week?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the theme of "Making a Place" for God in our lives, emphasizing the importance of creating space for His presence through prayer, fasting, and the removal of spiritual clutter. We began by reflecting on the significance of fasting, sharing personal stories of how fasting has been a pivotal practice in our lives, leading to profound experiences of God's faithfulness and provision. Fasting is not about personal comfort but about making room for God's glory to manifest in our lives.

We then delved into the story of King Josiah from 2 Chronicles 34, who, despite his young age, sought God earnestly and took radical steps to cleanse the land of idolatry and spiritual apathy. Josiah's actions serve as a powerful example of how we can remove spiritual stagnation and apathy from our lives. He demonstrated zeal and commitment to God by tearing down idols and high places, which were symbols of compromise and undealt sin.

The message also highlighted the importance of humility in receiving God's word. Josiah's response to the rediscovered Book of the Law was one of repentance and humility, showing us that a humble heart is essential for spiritual growth and transformation. We are encouraged to approach God's word with a spirit of humility, allowing it to examine and transform us.

Finally, we discussed the need to address the "high places" in our lives—those areas of compromise and sin that we often overlook or ignore. Just as Josiah destroyed the high places, we are called to confront and eliminate these areas, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal them. This process is crucial for creating a life that is a worthy dwelling place for God's presence.

Key Takeaways

1. Fasting as a Spiritual Practice: Fasting is a powerful way to make room for God's presence in our lives. It is not about personal comfort but about creating space for His glory to manifest. By setting aside our desires, we invite God to dwell with us and experience His faithfulness and provision. [40:17]
2. Removing Spiritual Apathy: Like King Josiah, we must actively remove spiritual apathy from our lives. This involves seeking God with zeal and addressing areas of stagnation. Spiritual apathy can lead to complacency, but by inviting the Holy Spirit to disturb us, we can reignite our passion for God. [47:01]
3. Humility in Receiving God's Word: Josiah's humble response to the rediscovered Book of the Law teaches us the importance of approaching God's word with humility. A humble heart is open to transformation and allows God's word to examine and change us. [56:03]
4. Confronting High Places: High places represent areas of compromise and sin in our lives. We must confront and eliminate these areas, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal them. This process is essential for creating a life that is a worthy dwelling place for God's presence. [63:31]
5. Community and Support: We cannot deal with high places alone. We need a community of believers to support and walk with us on our journey of healing and restoration. Joining a community helps us grow in our faith and become better followers of Jesus. [01:11:43]
** [71:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Introduction to Leadership College
[02:00] - Series Introduction: Making a Place
[05:00] - The Power of Fasting
[10:00] - Personal Testimony: God's Faithfulness
[15:00] - King Josiah's Example
[20:00] - Removing Spiritual Apathy
[25:00] - The Importance of Humility
[30:00] - Confronting High Places
[35:00] - The Role of Community
[40:00] - Invitation to Respond
[45:00] - Prayer and Declaration
[50:00] - Closing and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What actions did King Josiah take to cleanse the land of idolatry and spiritual apathy? How did these actions demonstrate his commitment to God? [42:42]
How did Josiah respond when the Book of the Law was found and read to him? What does this reveal about his character? [56:03]
What does the sermon suggest about the significance of fasting in the speaker's personal life and spiritual journey? [40:17]
How does the sermon describe the "high places" in our lives, and what are we encouraged to do about them? [01:03:31]

Interpretation Questions

In what ways does Josiah's zeal for God challenge contemporary believers to address spiritual apathy in their own lives? [47:01]
How does the sermon illustrate the importance of humility when receiving God's word, and why is this humility crucial for spiritual growth? [56:03]
What parallels can be drawn between the physical high places Josiah destroyed and the metaphorical high places in our lives today? [01:03:31]
How does the sermon emphasize the role of community in dealing with spiritual challenges and growth? [01:11:43]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current spiritual practices. Are there areas where you might be experiencing spiritual apathy? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to "disturb" you and reignite your passion for God? [47:01]
Consider a time when you approached God's word with humility. How did it impact your spiritual journey? What steps can you take to cultivate a more humble heart when engaging with Scripture? [56:03]
Identify any "high places" in your life—areas of compromise or sin that you have overlooked. What practical steps can you take this week to confront and eliminate these areas? [01:03:31]
How can fasting become a more integral part of your spiritual life? What specific intentions or prayers might you focus on during a fast? [40:17]
Think about a community or group of believers you are part of. How can you actively contribute to supporting others in their spiritual journeys, especially in dealing with their "high places"? [01:11:43]
Reflect on a personal story of God's faithfulness in your life. How can sharing this story with others encourage them in their faith journey? [40:17]
What is one specific area in your life where you need to make more space for God? How can you begin to declutter this area to invite His presence more fully? [42:42]

Sermon Clips

"And as I look back on our life, I see the faithfulness of God. It's so easy in the moment to say, oh, God, are you here? I can't even feel you. But when you look back on the life that you've led, you have to proclaim, no, God, you are good. You are faithful. And I can't help but notice it all started with a fast. And year after year, January after January, month after month, Rich and I have made a place for God in our family, in our lives, in our homes. We have sacrificed entertainment. We have pushed back the plate. We have sacrificed our own comfort. We do not fast for our own comfort. I love myself an enchilada. We're not fasting for our own comfort. We're fasting to make room for the glory of God." [00:41:45] (46 seconds)

"I want to talk to you today about making a place for God with the removal of some things by removing some things we're going to talk about decluttering for Jesus do I have any declutters in the room oh I love a good declutter sesh when my kids go to school I'm like see ya and then I'm just throwing away like half the stuff in their room when they're in therapy later we'll find out if that was a good idea or not but for now I'm happy so everybody's happy Marie Kondo was not the first one to come up with this we're gonna look at King Josiah in his life it's in 2nd Chronicles chapter 34 but first here's what you need to know about King Josiah King Josiah came from a long line of evil kings they were hoarding idols and altars to gods that were not the God they were adopting pagan ideologies and habits and mindsets that were not according to the word of God and the land was becoming a place for God to live and to live and to live and to live and to put of a way for God to see the truth he came time to let God do lots of things for him he did zoroast according to the word of God and the datas of the 쇱 authority of Kings would be short -lived he would do terrestrial or compulsive typically they were thought as awful and he took up the topic of religious freedom and he utilizar to seek to remove human who are not true followers beganomy he began of banda in frames and games of cameron of thrones he emerged after was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father, David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. An eight -year -old king who did everything right. I would love to meet this kid. My eight -year -old just got a pair of Heelys yesterday. So that's where we're at. She had mac and cheese for dinner. This is an eight -year -old king who did right in the eyes of the Lord, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the eighth year of his reign, he was 16." [00:43:09] (115 seconds)

"While he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father, David. I love this detail so much. There are teenagers in this church that God is stirring your heart and he's beginning to put a hunger and a passion for holiness inside of you. And I truly believe that you don't even know how to articulate what that is inside of you because it's so adverse to what our culture is teaching you. So our culture is saying, oh, you're just anxious or you're just depressed. But I think God's stirring hunger for holiness inside of you. And I think you're uncomfortable in your environments at school and even sometimes at church because you're like, oh, I'm agitated. I must be. No, you're not. You have a call and a destiny and you're set apart for the Lord. And it happened for King Josiah. It can happen for you. So 16 years old, I say, do not back down. If you're feeling that hunger, if you're feeling that urge, if your parents are like, sometimes we go to church. Tell them, get up. I'm going to church. I have a hunger for God. And Josiah was a king and I'm a king too. So let's get to the house of God." [00:45:04] (66 seconds)

"Josiah, when confronted with the word, responds in grief, repentance, humility, and a heart of, I have to know more. I have to know more. And he did not have to respond this way. He could have said, I'm not the one who acquired all these idols and altars. I'm the one doing the dirty business. I'm burning the bones over here. I'm doing the good stuff. This isn't about me. But spiritual pride is when you're confronted with the word and you say, that's not for me. That's for them." [00:57:32] (31 seconds)

"Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Even that altar. I love the Bible's talking to us like, you know, the one we're talking about, even that one. You're like, totally. We were there. We know what you're talking about. Even that altar in high place, he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder and burn the Asherah pole. Also, just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the Kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria. And that had aroused the Lord's anger, Josiah." [01:00:30] (36 seconds)

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