Eric R. Ballard - Gods Challenge for Dads: A 90-Day Devotional Experiencing Gods Truths

Copyright 2018 by Eric Ballard

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Print ISBN: 978-1-68099-360-8

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-361-5

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

God, Three in One

COMMUNITY

Then God said, Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. Genesis 1:26A NLT.

A fter five days of speaking creation into existence, God took a step back to examine His work. And it was good (Genesis 1:3, 10, 18, 21, 25, 31). But He wanted man to be different from all the other animals He had created. Man would bear His very own image in a mighty and mysterious way. So before Adam became a reality, God looked at the other two members of the Trinity and said, Lets make Adam like us.

It has been suggested that God made man because He was lonely. But nothing could be further from the truth. Before the dawning of that very first sunrise, God had perfect company and community within Himself (John 1:12). And because this mystical holy band of brotherhood was so amazing, God wanted man to join in. He wanted man to be like the us of the Trinity.

Do you have this type of community? This type of brotherhood? Friends that stick closer than a brother? Do you have an us to belong to? Most of us dont, at least not anymore. In high school and college, we may have had more friends than we could count, but they seem harder to find nowadays. Most men, as we grow older and older, tend to withdraw from relationships more and more. We become isolated. And this trend is not limited to just our friends and neighbors. Men have a bad habit of disengaging from our family, as well. But this is not what God intended when He dug in the dirt and sculpted Adam with His bare hands. Gods creation of Adam was an invitation to join His community. When we choose to step away from community, we choose to step away from Gods original design.

Lets be intentional about embracing a community of men. Lets find friends we can trust and share our true self with. Lets be purposeful about becoming an us and not just a me.

CHALLENGE

Read Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Dont do this devotion alone. Tell a few friends that you are accepting this 90-day challenge and then invite them to join you so that you can learn and grow together.

Being involved in community was part of Gods original design.

LORD, bring other men in my life that will walk alongside me and help me become the man you created me to be. Amen.

Jonathan and David

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the LORD strike me and even kill me if I dont warn you so you can escape and live. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the faithful love of the LORD as long as I live. 1 Samuel 20:1314 NLT

T here are several studies out there that suggest most men over the age of thirty dont have real friends. Before you say, Thats ridiculous, I have tons of friends, really think about it. Do you? Do you have friends you can share more than just a meal with? Are there friends in your life that know your deepest struggles and fears? Do you have guys you can go to when your marriage is in trouble or work isnt fulfilling you the way it used to? Who truly knows you?

It seems the older we get, the more we choose our friends out of convenience than anything else. All a guy has to be is a coworker, neighbor, our kids friends dad, or the husband of our wifes friend. Possibly none of whom we would voluntarily hang out with. When this is the case, its no wonder our friendships are shallow.

Jonathan was more loyal to his friend David than he was to even his own father, who just happened to be king. Both Jonathan and David were willing to fight and die for their friendship. They wanted the best for each other even if it came at personal cost. And above all else they wanted the other to be in good standing with the LORD. Because God was at the center of their friendship, their lives were intertwined. If you and I are going to have true friendships that make us better men, we must find someone that loves God as much as we do. Dont simply settle for men that happen to be in the nearest of proximity to you as friends; find men with whom you can wage war against this life to call friends. They are well worth the search.

CHALLENGE

Read Proverbs 18:24.

Find a new friend. I know that sound elementary, but give it a try. Pray for God to bring a new friend into your life and the time to invest in that friendship. And pray for Him to do it quickly.

Christian friendships will strengthen us like no other.

Father, I dont want to try to live this Christian life on my own. Send me friends that will stick closer than a brother. Amen.

Nathan

BE A REAL FRIEND

David was furious. As surely as the LORD lives, he vowed, any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!

Then Nathan said to David, You are that man! 2 Samuel 12:5 and 7A NLT

A fter Davids affair with Bathsheba, he had Uriah, her husband, killed so that his infidelities would remain secrets. But the prophet Nathan came to the king and told him a story about a rich man that had numerous sheep and cattle stealing the only lamb from a poor man so that he could feed a visiting guest without killing one of his own animals. This sort of injustice outraged the king, and he demanded to take action against such a selfish and careless man. Then Nathan informed David that he is the man. That as king, David could have had anyone he wanted as a wife, but he chose to take the wife of another. Broken by the truth, Davids eyes were finally opened to his misdeeds.

Nathan was being a true friend to David. Several people in Davids palace must have known the truth about Bathsheba, but only Nathan loved David enough to do the hard thing and confront him with the truth.

A good friend doesnt simply agree with everything we say or do. A good friend loves us enough to be honest with us. They tell us when we have something stuck in our teeth, when there are boogers hanging from our nose, and when we are being idiots with the choices we make. We need to be this kind of friend to others and to our wife. Let us love her enough to be honest with her. To be truthful with both the good and bad news. As painful or embarrassing as the truth may be at first, it is always beneficial and appreciated in the end, especially when it is delivered out of love.