Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Psalms 118:7 NLT
Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. (Psalms 118:7 NLT)
Complimentary not contradictory
From today's devotional
The LORD has chastened me severely... (Psalms 118:18 NKJV)
Take note of the two realities represented in Psalm 118. In verse seven, the Psalmist proclaims that the Lord is for him; he was absolutely convinced he was favored and loved by Him. Yet, in verse eighteen he declares that the same Lord who was for him had also severely chastened him. Don't those two statements contradict each other?
Without a doubt, there's something inside of us that instinctively thinks so. We understand favor, we understand pain...but we have a hard time believing that one could have any part with the other. They seem inherently contradictory.
It's a dilemma reflected in our childhood when a loving parent stepped in to discipline us, saying, "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you." It sure didn't feel like it! But time has a way of revealing that love and discipline can co-exist and actually complement each other. It's only because we were loved that we were chastened, because a love that isn't willing to discipline is a shallow love at best.
We're on the same learning curve when it comes to our Heavenly Father's involvement in our lives. Our Bible tells us that He is for us, and we trust this to a certain extent. But then we experience His chastening hand in our lives, and it's hard for us to reconcile the two. "If God loves me so much then why is He..."
As your Father, it's because He is for you that He is chastening you. When viewed within the context of a loving parental relationship, His being for you and His chastening you don't contradict but complement each other, and both are bound to be present in our lives just as they're both present in this Psalm.
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see that Your love leads You to discipline us when we need it, and open our hearts to receive this truth.
Take note of the two realities represented in Psalm 118. In verse seven, the Psalmist proclaims that the Lord is for him; he was absolutely convinced he was favored and loved by Him. Yet, in verse eighteen he declares that the same Lord who was for him had also severely chastened him. His being for you and His chastening you don't contradict but complement each other, and both are bound to be present in our lives just as they're both present in this Psalm.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Isaiah 41:8-10 MSG
“But you, Israel, are my servant. You’re Jacob, my first choice, descendants of my good friend Abraham. I pulled you in from all over the world, called you in from every dark corner of the earth, Telling you, ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side. I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’ Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. (Isaiah 41:8-10 MSG)
Monday, December 30, 2013
Psalm 106:44-46 MSG
Still, when God saw the trouble they were in and heard their cries for help, He remembered his Covenant with them, and, immense with love, took them by the hand. He poured out his mercy on them while their captors looked on, amazed. (Psalm 106:44-46 MSG)
The great turning point
From today's devotional
Psalm 106 begins as a record of Israel's wrongs. In verse after verse, we read how God's chosen people sinned and strayed from Him. It's a humbling history of how they failed at every twist and turn on the path the Lord put them on. From provoking Him to anger in Egypt to complaining in the wilderness, they always seemed to do the wrong thing.
Fortunately, the Psalm doesn't end on that note. There's a turn that takes place in verses 44 and 45. Focus shifts from the multitude of Israel's sins to the multitude of God's mercies. And it's here, in the midst of God's mercies, that hope erupts. At this point, the Psalm's tone changes from a lament to a celebration of praise.
Notice that God's Word doesn't deny the reality of Israel's sin but fully acknowledges it. However, it doesn't end there, it declares there is something far greater and bigger that trumps it...God's mercy, and at the end of the day this is what ultimately matters.
We need to remember that the great turning point in life, whether it's Israel's sin or our own, is the mercy of the Lord. No matter how humbling the history of wrongs, no matter how deep the dive into depravity, the mercy of God is able to turn the most heart-wrenching lament into a heartfelt celebration of praise.
Freedom from our sin can't come from covering it up or pretending it doesn't exist. It has to happen through acknowledging and confessing it and trusting that the multitude of our wrongs finds a complete covering in the multitude of God's mercies.
Father, may we always seek forgiveness and refuge in the multitude of Your mercies...and remember that your mercy is the great turning point in our lives.
Psalm 106 begins as a record of Israel's wrongs. In verse after verse, we read how God's chosen people sinned and strayed from Him. It's a humbling history of how they failed at every twist and turn on the path the Lord put them on. Freedom from our sin can't come from covering it up or pretending it doesn't exist. It has to happen through acknowledging and confessing it and trusting that the multitude of our wrongs finds a complete covering in the multitude of God's mercies.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Isaiah 40:27-31 MSG
Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “ God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:27-31 MSG)
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Psalm 102:3-11 MSG
I’m wasting away to nothing, I’m burning up with fever. I’m a ghost of my former self, half-consumed already by terminal illness. My jaws ache from gritting my teeth; I’m nothing but skin and bones. I’m like a buzzard in the desert, a crow perched on the rubble. Insomniac, I twitter away, mournful as a sparrow in the gutter. All day long my enemies taunt me, while others just curse. They bring in meals—casseroles of ashes! I draw drink from a barrel of my tears. And all because of your furious anger; you swept me up and threw me out. There’s nothing left of me— a withered weed, swept clean from the path. (Psalm 102:3-11 MSG)
He is what we aren't
From today's devotional
Psalm 102 is like a two-sided coin. On one side we see the nature of man presented to us. And what is man? He is weak, he is needy, he is destitute, he is transient, and he is passing. This goes on and on verse after verse. But then the coin flips in verse twelve:
But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations. (Psalms 102:12 NKJV)
Here, on the other side of the coin, the nature of God is given to us. And here's what we see: We see that He is the opposite of all that we are. He is powerful, He is mighty, He is sufficient, He is eternal and everlasting. He is what we aren't.
The structure of this Psalm, with its two contrasting sides, can serve as a valuable lesson to us. It shows us just how unlike God we really are. In fact, we are completely opposite of God.
Sure, as Christ comes inside of us we are made more and more into God's image and likeness. But in essence, in our natural and fleshly condition, we are trapped on one side of the coin, and any good in our lives is only because the Lord has intervened.
When all is said and done, it's not what we bring to the table that counts, but what God brings to the table. All we can ever bring is weakness, inability, and deficiency. On the other hand, God brings strength, ability, and sufficiency. Let's follow the flow of Psalm 102 and shift our focus in life from ourselves to our great God.
All-powerful Father, You are everything that we aren't. Enable us to focus on Your sufficiency instead of on our own deficiencies and shortcomings.
Psalm 102 is like a two-sided coin. On one side we see the nature of man presented to us. Here, on the other side of the coin, the nature of God is given to us.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Romans 8:31-39 MSG
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:31-39 MSG)
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Proverbs 11:14 MSG
Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. (Proverbs 11:14 MSG)
What wise counsel!
From today's devotional
How does God make His will known? The Book of Proverbs tells us "in the multitude of counselors, there is safety." This hits upon an important truth...the Lord often reveals His will through the counsel and advice of other people.
The Apostles had reached a critical juncture in the Book of Acts. They were warned by the religious authorities to stop talking about Jesus. They kept on sharing and were arrested. Eventually, their captors grew so incensed that they were ready to kill them on the spot. But one of their own spoke up and said something:
A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people...said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men...I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing...but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest you even be found to fight against God." (Acts 5:34-39 NKJV)
It was God's will that the Apostles continue to live and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But it's interesting that it was the counsel of a Pharisee named Gamaliel (someone from the other side) that wound up saving the Apostle's lives. The Lord used the advice of this man to accomplish His will.
That's an extreme example, because it involves someone who wasn't dialed into God's agenda. But if the Lord was able to use Gamaliel's counsel, imagine somebody who knows the Lord intimately and wants to be used by Him. At some point in time, God is going to use his or her counsel to convey His plan.
Surround yourself with people who have a strong connection with the Lord, and be open to hearing Him define His will through their counsel.
How does God make His will known? The Book of Proverbs tells us "in the multitude of counselors, there is safety." This hits upon an important truth...the Lord often reveals His will through the counsel and advice of other people. Surround yourself with people who have a strong connection with the Lord, and be open to hearing Him define His will through their counsel.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
1 Peter 5:6, 7 MSG
So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. (1 Peter 5:6, 7 MSG)
Friday, December 27, 2013
1 Kings 19:8, 9 MSG
He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of God came to him: “So Elijah, what are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:8, 9 MSG)
Who's asking?
From today's devotional
God knows absolutely everything that can possibly be known. And so whenever we see Him asking a question in the Bible, it's not because He doesn't know the answer. Instead, what we consistently see is this: God will pose a question for the purpose of making a powerful point. And not only that, but it will also reveal what His will is.
Case in point, the Prophet Elijah had reached a point of despair and discouragement. Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, had threatened to kill him and instead of facing the threat head on in faith, he fled. He ran long and far until he eventually hid in a cave.
Yet despite his attempt to hide, the Lord saw Elijah and asked him a simple question. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" As you read the rest of the story, you find that this question was God's way of confronting the fact that Elijah had strayed from His will. It was a way to remind Elijah that the divine will for his life wasn't to curl up and cower in a cave, it was to publicly proclaim the way of the Lord.
We see the same thing take place in the life of Jesus. On several occasions, He asked His audience questions. And it was usually for the purpose of getting them to consider something inside of them that was out of line with God's will for their lives.
If God should happen to knock on your heart and ask you a question, carefully consider it because He's actually trying to say something to you. And whatever that may be, you can be sure it has something to do with Him revealing His will to you.
God knows absolutely everything that can possibly be known. And so whenever we see Him asking a question in the Bible, it's not because He doesn't know the answer. Instead, what we consistently see is this: God will pose a question for the purpose of making a powerful point. And not only that, but it will also reveal what His will is.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Romans 12:11-13 MSG
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. (Romans 12:11-13 MSG)
Thursday, December 26, 2013
1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 MSG
One final word, friends. We ask you— urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 MSG)
Sanctification
From today's devotional
"How can I know God's will for my life?" Here's an answer to that question that's correct one hundred percent of the time: God's will for you is sanctification. Sanctification means separation, and it speaks of the process by which a believer's life becomes separated from the things of the world and at the same time becomes separated unto the things of the Lord.
It's always God's will for us to become more separated unto Him. He wants our lives to track in His direction because it also happens to help us understand and experience His will for our lives. Watch what Paul says in the Book of Romans about this:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV)
Do you see the sanctification process as we're commanded to not conform to this world, but to be transformed and to renew our minds? And do you also see that in doing this, by being sanctified, that we're then able to prove God's good and acceptable and perfect will of God? It's a cycle: we know God's will is that we be sanctified, and as we're sanctified, we're all the more equipped to know and discern God's will.
The will of God and sanctification go hand in hand. Sometimes people complain about not knowing God's will for their lives. Well, start with sanctification (which is His will to begin with) and see what happens. Separate yourself to the things of God, decide to live a sanctified life, and you can't help but discover His will for your life.
The will of God and sanctification go hand in hand. Sometimes people complain about not knowing God's will for their lives. Well, start with sanctification (which is His will to begin with) and see what happens. Separate yourself to the things of God, decide to live a sanctified life, and you can't help but discover His will for your life.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Galatians 6:9 NIV
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 NIV)
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
From today's devotional
Well...it's that day once again. The day our proverbial clocks have been ticking down to for the past twelve months. The day most of us schedule our vacations, budgets, and celebrations around. The day that those who don't know Jesus stop what they're doing to either appreciate or protest Him. The day that represents His grand entrance into this world as our Savior and God's Greatest Gift.
Merry Christmas!
In all honestly, there's not much more to be written or said here that we haven't already read or heard. But let's take a different angle, a different approach to this day, this year. In celebrating God's Greatest Gift to us, let's not forget that His unbounded love lies behind that gift. It was because God loved that He gave His Son to us. And this love isn't just something to be received, but something to give.
Jesus made that absolutely clear to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion. Knowing His time with them was coming to a close, He kept things short and simple for them. He commanded them to forward the gift of God's love to each other...which is a command that seems all the more meaningful on a day like today.
Receiving the gift of God's love is what we're supposed to do, and we make it a special point to receive it on Christmas. But receiving His love is not all we're supposed to do. For when we truly recognize what we've been given, our natural response is to give it away to others. As God has loved us, we love each other. As God has given to us, we give to each other.
So here's how we can make our Christmas different this year...in all the activity and excitement with family and friends, we need to take a time-out with the Lord. Let's get alone with Him, not just to thank Him for His love but to ask Him to open our eyes to see opportunities where we can forward the gift of love we've been given.
So here's how we can make our Christmas different this year...in all the activity and excitement with family and friends, we need to take a time-out with the Lord. Let's get alone with Him, not just to thank Him for His love but to ask Him to open our eyes to see opportunities where we can forward the gift of love we've been given.
Luke 2:11 NIV
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11 NIV)
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Ephesians 5:17 MSG
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (Ephesians 5:17 MSG)
We can, we must, we will
From today's devotional
God has a will...so what? What possible difference does it make in our lives that God Almighty, the One who inhabits eternity, has a will?
It makes a huge difference, because the Bible, in addition to telling us that God has a will, also tells us that we can know it. He hasn't hoarded His prerogatives all to Himself. He hasn't decided to dwell among the heights of heaven and play keep-away with us lowly earth dwellers. Incredibly, He has made it possible for us to know His wants, passions, longings, and desires.
Beyond that, the Bible goes even further by calling and commanding us to know God's will. From God's standpoint, knowing His will isn't optional; it's absolutely critical and mandatory. Those who don't understand the will of the Lord are described here as being "unwise." In the original Greek, that word can also mean ignorant, stupid, and mindless.
At this point we also need to remind ourselves of the following principle: God never commands us to do something we can't accomplish. He isn't into frustrating us, and when He calls us to undertake a task, we're always able to do it-with His help. Understanding His will is no exception. The Lord not only wants us to know His will, but He wants to aid and assist us in understanding it.
We are without excuse when it comes to knowing God's will. He holds it out to us and implores us to take hold of it. If we haven't done that, if we're in the dark when it comes to what God wants and expects, we need to change that. We need to open up and receive the will of the Lord into our hearts. We can, we must, and we will...with His help!
We are without excuse when it comes to knowing God's will. He holds it out to us and implores us to take hold of it. If we haven't done that, if we're in the dark when it comes to what God wants and expects, we need to change that. We need to open up and receive the will of the Lord into our hearts. We can, we must, and we will...with His help!
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Luke 2:6, 7 MSG
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. (Luke 2:6, 7 MSG)
Monday, December 23, 2013
Romans 8:3, 4 MSG
God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that. The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. (Romans 8:3, 4 MSG)
A Matter of Maturity
From today's devotional
In Romans Chapter 8, there's an undeniable emphasis on the Holy Spirit and walking according to His work in our lives. But Paul doesn't just tell us what we should do. He goes on to give four reasons why we should do it. The first reason is that we owe God:
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (Romans 8:12 NKJV)
Jesus suffered and died in order to own us, to purchase us by His own blood. So when we put our faith in Him, when we surrender to His ownership, we owe Him for what He's done for us. We're indebted, not to the flesh and sin, but we're debtors to the Lord and should live for Him. The next reason is that it's smart:
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit...you will live. (Romans 8:13 NKJV)
This isn't a deep mystery. Who wants to die? Just keep on walking in sin. Now who wants to live? Just keep on walking in the Spirit. See how simple and smart it is? Next, we're to walk in the Spirit because we're family:
As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God...by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:14-15 NKJV)
The Spirit enables us to know God as our Father and to be part of His family. Deep down, everybody wants to be part of a family, to belong to something where there's security, love, wisdom, and resources. What better family could we belong to than the family of God? The final reason is that it brings eternal reward:
We are children of God... and if children, then heirs; heirs of God... (Romans 8:16-17 NKJV)
When we add it all up, we see that walking according to the Spirit is a matter of maturity that isn't optional in our Christian walk.
In Romans Chapter 8, there's an undeniable emphasis on the Holy Spirit and walking according to His work in our lives. But Paul doesn't just tell us what we should do. He goes on to give four reasons why we should do it. When we add it all up, we see that walking according to the Spirit is a matter of maturity that isn't optional in our Christian walk.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Isaiah 7:13-17 MSG
So Isaiah told him, “Then listen to this, government of David! It’s bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid hypocrisies, but now you’re making God tired. So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). By the time the child is twelve years old, able to make moral decisions, the threat of war will be over. Relax, those two kings that have you so worried will be out of the picture. But also be warned: God will bring on you and your people and your government a judgment worse than anything since the time the kingdom split, when Ephraim left Judah. The king of Assyria is coming!” (Isaiah 7:13-17 MSG)
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Romans 6:6-11 MSG
Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did. (Romans 6:6-11 MSG)
Romans 6:6-11 MSG
Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did. (Romans 6:6-11 MSG)
What do You No?
From today's devotional
There's a shift in Romans Chapter 6. Up to this point, Paul has been addressing the issue of sin positionally. He's been showing us how faith has moved us from a position of guilt to innocence before God. Now, he addresses the issue of sin practically, by discussing sin's actual presence in our lives.
We're exhorted to "just say no" to sin. But he also knows that for us to say no to sin, there's things we need to know about sin. First, we need to know dead things don't sin:
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with... (Romans 6:6 NKJV)
Death destroys sin, and Paul tells us our old sinful nature died as we identified with Jesus' death. Our old sinful nature has been put to death and lacks the power it once did over us. But the next thing we need to know is our new life in Christ is liberating:
Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more...Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:9-11 NKJV)
Jesus didn't just die. He was also raised to new life. In the same way, we don't just die to sin in Christ, but we receive a new spiritual life that gives us freedom from sin, not the freedom to sin. Finally, we also need to know we're going to have to serve somebody:
Do you not know... you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:16 NKJV)
We're either going to obey the old sinful life or we're going to obey our new life in God. There's no neutral ground. We'll either go forwards in new life or go backwards in the old...and knowing all of this gives us what we need to say "no" when sin comes calling.
We're either going to obey the old sinful life or we're going to obey our new life in God. There's no neutral ground. We'll either go forwards in new life or go backwards in the old...and knowing all of this gives us what we need to say "no" when sin comes calling.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants— all their whips and cudgels and curses— Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian. The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood, Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days! For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He’ll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God -of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this. (Isaiah 9:2-7 MSG)
Saturday, December 21, 2013
If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. (Romans 4:4, 5 MSG)
Just Faith
From today's devotional
For the past three chapters of Romans, the Apostle Paul has conducted a systematic demolition of our inclination to justify ourselves before God. He's shown how sinful, wicked, and unjust all of us are. In other words, he's been very thorough in spelling out the bad news for us.
Now, as we get to the fourth chapter of Romans, Paul introduces a true game-changer into the equation. Here comes something that literally changes everything; it's the pivot-point on which the whole message of the gospel hinges. "Faith is accounted for righteousness."
Check out the flow up to this point. Paul has given reason after reason why man is incapable of justifying himself in God's sight. Your circumcision doesn't matter, your strict adherence to the Law can't cut it, no amount of tradition or effort or merit can ever reconcile you to God. But now Paul goes on record to declare that there's one thing, and only one thing that can ever fully justify us before God: faith.
When we respond to what God has said by believing, when we simply trust His Word to be true, we are instantly justified in His eyes. Faith accomplishes what nothing else can. That's an astounding truth! When it comes to the determination of our eternal destinies, when it comes to receiving Heaven or Hell, when it comes to entering the Kingdom of God or suffering under the wrath of God, it all hinges on one thing...faith.
Just faith. Nothing else ever will or ever can make us right before God. He doesn't accept human work, effort, or merit when it comes to salvation. The only currency that counts in Heaven is trust, trust in what God has promised.
Just faith. Nothing else ever will or ever can make us right before God. He doesn't accept human work, effort, or merit when it comes to salvation. The only currency that counts in Heaven is trust, trust in what God has promised.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Friday, December 20, 2013
It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.” (Romans 1:16, 17 MSG)
Just Live by Faith
From today's devotional
Every major faith has its heaven, its paradise, its Shangri-la, its nirvana. There's a final destination for those who follow, as well as a set of instructions on how to get from here to there. In that sense, every world religion has something in common.
But when you dig a little deeper, when you delve into the doctrine of the major religions, you find a striking difference between Christianity and all the others: Every world religion outside of Christianity tells its followers that if they just do this or that, if they adhere to a code of conduct, if they jump through the right hoops and clear all the hurdles, then they'll eventually make it. Notice the emphasis on what people have to do.
Christianity is just the opposite. It's not what a person has to do in order to get to Heaven, but a matter of what God has done. On the cross, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30), and the "it" He was referring to was the work of bridging the gap between heaven and earth, of reconciling sinful man with a holy God.
Jesus did the necessary work for us, and He did it completely, which means we don't have to strain or strive to make ourselves right with God. All that's required of us is to believe this, to exercise faith in the fact that we can get to Heaven on the basis of what He's done-and not because of what we do.
How do we get from here to there? By faith and faith alone. And when we exercise faith, God declares us "justified," or innocent of sin. That's dramatically different from anything taught in any other religion, and it's a truth so important that it becomes the opening shot here in the book of Romans.
How do we get from here to there? By faith and faith alone. And when we exercise faith, God declares us "justified," or innocent of sin. That's dramatically different from anything taught in any other religion, and it's a truth so important that it becomes the opening shot here in the book of Romans.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” (Matthew 18:18-20 MSG)
Thursday, December 19, 2013
What a leader!
From today's devotional
It's interesting to note the tense of the word "lead" here. It does not say that God "led" or "will lead" His people. The focus here is on the present, active leadership of the Lord. Like a fountain that never runs dry, so is the reliable and unerring guidance of God.
Moment by moment, day by day, event by event, and crisis by crisis, our Good Shepherd will lead us through whatever we might be going through, no matter how difficult the way may seem.
Just look at Israel as an example. Look how He brought a motley multitude of slaves out of Egypt, through innumerable perils in the wilderness, and led them into the Promised Land. We sometimes forget the feat of leadership God demonstrated there. Even Moses wanted to give up and quit on this miraculous migration. But God led them through, and if He can do it for a nation, He can do it for us.
There is never any lack of leadership for the child of God, as long as they seek Him for it. Nothing is beyond His leadership ability. There's no problem too tricky, no distance too great, no dilemma too complicated. Everything that falls within the bounds of this universe falls under His capabilities as a leader.
What a blessed advantage in life to know that we have a leader, that we can follow Him and know His way will always be true and trustworthy. We don't have to wonder or guess if we're going in the right direction or if we're going to make it. We have a leader like no other, and it's an unparalleled privilege to be led by Him.
Lead us, O Lord, in Your ways. Guide us according to Your will, and may we always sense Your shepherding hand upon us.
There is never any lack of leadership for the child of God, as long as they seek Him for it. Nothing is beyond His leadership ability. There's no problem too tricky, no distance too great, no dilemma too complicated. Everything that falls within the bounds of this universe falls under His capabilities as a leader.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. You keep me going when times are tough— my bedrock, God, since my childhood. I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle; I’ll never run out of praise. Many gasp in alarm when they see me, but you take me in stride. (Psalm 71:4-7 MSG)
His Book On You
From today's devotional
It's always interesting to compare siblings' scrapbooks. For the most part, you can tell which one is the firstborn, because he or she tends to have more pictures and mementos than the others. Photos are taken of every imaginable "first," "second," and "third" in that baby's life. But when it comes to the kids who follow...let's just say things tend to be less extensive.
Now, here's a wonderful fact when it comes to God: If He had a scrapbook on your life, it wouldn't only be extensive, it would be exhaustive! He was there from your very first moment of existence. Absolutely everything you've ever experienced-your first breath, the first time you opened your eyes, the first time you discovered your fingers, your first step, your first word-all of it was captured and framed in the heart of God!
Meditate on that for a moment. He has been there from the beginning of your existence, fully aware of you before you were ever aware of yourself. And not only that, but He's been with you every step of your life since then. There's nothing about you-no detail, no decision, nor date that escapes or eludes His attention. He took you from your mother's womb and has upheld you ever since. Just imagine the book He has on you!
Nobody knows you like God does. Not your spouse, not your children, not your best friend, not even your own mother. He knows all the good-and the not-so-good, and yet He still loves and accepts you unconditionally. This day, celebrate the fact that you're fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted by the Father!
Our great God and Father, in light of Your place and presence in our lives, we just want to thank You for being who You are. Thank you!
Nobody knows you like God does. He knows all the good-and the not-so-good, and yet He still loves and accepts you unconditionally. This day, celebrate the fact that you're fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted by the Father!
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
I hate the two-faced, but I love your clear-cut revelation. You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me. Get out of my life, evildoers, so I can keep my God’s commands. Take my side as you promised; I’ll live then for sure. Don’t disappoint all my grand hopes. Stick with me and I’ll be all right; I’ll give total allegiance to your definitions of life. Expose all who drift away from your sayings; their casual idolatry is lethal. You reject earth’s wicked as so much rubbish; therefore I lovingly embrace everything you say. I shiver in awe before you; your decisions leave me speechless with reverence. (Psalm 119:113-120 MSG)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
What are you waiting for?
From today's devotional
Think back to the last time you willingly waited in line for something. Was it for a show your favorite band was putting on? Was it that long-anticipated summer blockbuster? Was it for a table at the hot new restaurant in town? What was it?
All of us have waited for something, and the reason is simple. That thing, whatever it was, was extremely important to us. "Ah, but what about the DMV? I can't stand the DMV!" We don't enjoy the DMV experience, but we do enjoy the ability to drive, and so we endure the DMV because driving is important to us.
The simple fact is this: We don't wait for things that don't matter, and our willingness to wait is an indication of how much we value something. When we wait, we're essentially saying, "This is worth it."
Now re-read what David says here in Psalm 62:1, "My soul silently waits for God." This simple little statement says a lot about the Psalmist's heart. It reveals how much he valued God. It shows that God was "worth it" as far as David was concerned.
What we're willing to wait for reveals a lot about us. It shows what lies at the core of our being. So are we willing to wait on the Lord? If not, it might mean we lack confidence and trust in Him-and value for Him. But if we're like David, if we're willing to silently wait on the Lord, then it speaks volumes about how much He means to us and how much we appreciate Him, from whom our salvation comes.
Great God of our salvation, Your value is unmatched and unfathomable...help us to be people who can honestly say, "You're what we're waiting for."
All of us have waited for something, and the reason is simple. That thing, whatever it was, was extremely important to us. So are we willing to wait on the Lord? If not, it might mean we lack confidence and trust in Him-and value for Him. But if we're willing to silently wait on the Lord, then it speaks volumes about how much He means to us and how much we appreciate Him, from whom our salvation comes.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. (2 Corinthians 5:16-20 MSG)
Monday, December 16, 2013
Jehovah-sebaot
From today's devotional
Israel is a land bridge that connects three continents. Asia, Africa, and Europe all converge on this sliver of land that's about the size of the state of New Jersey.
Here's the significance behind this geographical fact: In biblical times, any empire with ambitions to dominate the world would eventually have to pass through Israel. So, foreign armies were constantly crossing Israel's borders and threatening her existence. This gave rise to another name ascribed to God, Jehovah-sebaot, or "LORD of hosts." Sebaot means "armies" or "fighting force" in Hebrew. And the purpose in connecting it with the covenant name of Jehovah was to emphasize His military dominance over the steady stream of invading soldiers.
There's a spirit of "My dad can beat up your dad" in the name Jehovah-sebaot. Or better yet, it's a declaration of "My God can beat up your god." The name Jehovah-sebaot acknowledges that the Lord directly intervenes in battle on behalf of His people. We see this over and over again, from the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6) to the supernatural slaying of the Assyrian army (Isaiah 37). Jehovah doesn't just wear a crown, He also wields a sword.
When it comes to us, the New Testament teaches that we're engaged in an ongoing battle in the spiritual realm. Our enemy is none other than Satan, and he has an army of demonic beings that he has commissioned to contend against us. Left to our own, we're no match against this spiritual foe. But because we belong to Jehovah-sebaot, the One who always emerges victorious on the field of battle, we're bound to overcome the adversary of our souls. All that's needed is for us to stop striving in our own strength, and start relying on Jehovah-sebaot to fight for us.
The name Jehovah-sebaot acknowledges that the Lord directly intervenes in the spiritual realm, battling on behalf of His people.
Think About It...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Sunday, December 15, 2013
That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them. God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.” (Exodus 15:26 MSG)
Jehovah-rapha
From today's devotional
Here's something you'll never hear: a person who has sincerely and unreservedly opened his or her heart to the Lord saying, "I was better off before!" This doesn't mean a believer won't experience trials and tribulations. In fact, Jesus promised we would (John 16:33). But we need to make a distinction between what the Lord allows outside of us and what He does inside of us.
Outwardly, things won't always appear better. Inwardly, though, God is always up to something good. He's always improving us on the inside. That's what He does, because that's who He is, and this is represented by His name, Jehovah-rapha. This word rapha is used over sixty times in the Old Testament, and its translation usually indicates something to do with healing or being healed, like here in Exodus 15:26. But we need to understand that the word rapha is not limited to that.
It can also mean "repair," "restore," or simply "make better."
A lot of times, we look at a name describing the Lord as our healer and limit it to a physical meaning. Of course, God can and does physically heal His people when it's according to His will. But Jehovah-rapha is much bigger than that. In a more comprehensive sense, God makes us better in totality, and people who have opened their lives to Him will surely agree!
Jehovah-rapha never leaves His people worse off. His influence upon us is always positive. He's constantly repairing, restoring, and improving them on the inside, because that's part and parcel with who He is.
We come to Him with shattered and broken hearts. He receives us, and He begins a process of repairing and restoring us-of making us better than before. And it's all because He is Jehovah-rapha. We need to make a distinction between what the Lord allows outside of us and what He does inside of us.
Outwardly, things won't always appear better. Inwardly, though, God is always up to something good. He's always improving us on the inside.
Think About It...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Saturday, December 14, 2013
El-olam
From today's devotional
Ancient Hebrew is a very colorful and expressive language. A single word can represent a concept, a thought, or an idea that would take us paragraphs to express in English. That's the case as we come to God's next name, El-olam.
Let's take some time to unpack this word olam. It comes from another word that literally means "to be hidden" and speaks of something that cannot be seen or perceived. The idea is that there comes a point in this world where our senses reach their absolute limit, like when we look at the horizon ahead of us and can't see any further. Consequently, some scholars have defined olam as "the vanishing point."
That's the idea communicated when it comes to the divine name El-olam. It specifically focuses on the concept of God transcending what we can see and measure with our finite senses. It draws attention to the fact that He is infinite, eternal, and everlasting. In the grand scheme of things, we're trapped in a tiny sliver of time. We can only see so far into the past, and we certainly can't see into the future. We're locked into the now. We're limited...but God isn't. He's El-olam. Here's the practical significance of God being El-olam.
Much of our worry and anxiety is based on unknown, uncontrollable things that lie beyond the vanishing point in life. We instinctively fear what we can't see. But El-olam can see everything. And what's more, He has all power and authority over absolutely everything that exists out there, even beyond the vanishing point. The divine name El-olam specifically focuses on the concept of God transcending what we can see and measure with our finite senses. It draws attention to the fact that He is infinite, eternal, and everlasting.
Think About It...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Friday, December 13, 2013
His Hand
From today's devotional
Take notice of what the Word tells us after God created Eve. It says He "brought her to the man." That's interesting! It doesn't say the man wandered around until he stumbled across her path, and it doesn't say the woman eventually made her way to him. It specifically says that God played an active part in bringing the two of them together. Why is that so significant? It's significant because it's a deliberate recognition of God's divine providence in their relationship. He was the One who was working on their behalf to create, prepare, and bring them together. The Lord's hand was upon their union, and this detail is something that every believer needs to highlight in his or her heart.
When husbands and wives recognize God's providential hand in bringing them together, they're reminded that they're connected to something much bigger than themselves. They're attached to a greater cause, a superior agenda, and a providential plan. And that's going to give them a confidence and an outlook that's greater than what they can individually and independently possess. But the flipside is equally true. If a couple doesn't see this, if they feel like their union is merely a matter of chance or their own doing, then the strength of their union will only be as strong as they are. And it won't take long for them to grow weak and weary.
When there's a healthy recognition of God's providential hand upon a marriage, there's also going to be a healthy marriage. As husbands and wives see His sovereign role in bringing them together, it acts as a "godly glue" that will keep them from falling apart when times get tough.
When husbands and wives recognize God's providential hand in bringing them together, they're reminded that they're connected to something much bigger than themselves. And that's going to give them a confidence and an outlook that's greater than what they can individually and independently possess.
Think About It...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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