January 31
Although we know we are to praise the Lord because of who He is, there is an element of selfishness in our praise. We tend to praise Him when we are feeling uplifted more than at any other time. The reality is that the act of praise in itself will lift us up, for He “inhabits the praise of His people,” Psalm 22:3, but we don’t always consider that.
We are not alone in this, for we find even David operating from the same viewpoint. For example, in Psalm 28:6 he says, “Praise be to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy.” The sweet psalmist does not say here that he will praise the Holy One because he knows He will hear his plea.
In Psalm 30:11-12, David again lifts His voice in praise because, “You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You praise forever.” Again, the praise is hung on something God has done in David’s behalf, and like him, we tend to extend our thanks and praise when we have received an answer to prayer.
May we require ourselves to emerge from this pattern of praising Him after He does something in our behalf and praise Him instead for Who He Is! If we will do that, perhaps we will then evidence more of His power in our prayers and be conformed more fully to the practice of the apostles who “were continually in the temple praising and blessing God,” Luke 24:53. Perhaps, like them, we shall be then identified as, “…these who have turned the world upside down,” Acts 17:6
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Unless We Remember...
January 30
Absent-mindedness is a trait some people demonstrate all their lives but it is one that eventually catches up with almost everybody. While some young individuals become so preoccupied with the matters at hand that they can scarcely keep track of them, older people are notorious for their inability to retain the simplest facts.
The observation that has been made regarding seniors is that they can recall the minutia of a by-gone point in time but can’t remember what they did this morning. By the time we’re old enough to assess that theory, we may not be able to remember that there is such a theory!
In Psalm 103:2, 3, David alludes to the human proclivity toward forgetfulness. Here the Psalmist reminds himself, “Praise the Lord, O, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Remember the One who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” David is addressing the inclination we have to forget the tentacles of sin from which the Lord has rescued us. We come away from the deprivation and sickness and death of its awful bondage to our place of freedom and we allow ourselves to become comfortable in our new circumstances.
Certainly, we go through the motions of worship and praise. Yes, we now fellowship with like-minded people, tithe to the church, give to missions, but unless we remember where we were before we knew Him, we will find ourselves becoming perfunctory believers. We must not allow ourselves to be complacent about the wretched state from which we were delivered, for if we forget, we will not concern ourselves with Christ’s admonition to, “…preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15). Indeed we must, for, “…how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14.
Absent-mindedness is a trait some people demonstrate all their lives but it is one that eventually catches up with almost everybody. While some young individuals become so preoccupied with the matters at hand that they can scarcely keep track of them, older people are notorious for their inability to retain the simplest facts.
The observation that has been made regarding seniors is that they can recall the minutia of a by-gone point in time but can’t remember what they did this morning. By the time we’re old enough to assess that theory, we may not be able to remember that there is such a theory!
In Psalm 103:2, 3, David alludes to the human proclivity toward forgetfulness. Here the Psalmist reminds himself, “Praise the Lord, O, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Remember the One who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” David is addressing the inclination we have to forget the tentacles of sin from which the Lord has rescued us. We come away from the deprivation and sickness and death of its awful bondage to our place of freedom and we allow ourselves to become comfortable in our new circumstances.
Certainly, we go through the motions of worship and praise. Yes, we now fellowship with like-minded people, tithe to the church, give to missions, but unless we remember where we were before we knew Him, we will find ourselves becoming perfunctory believers. We must not allow ourselves to be complacent about the wretched state from which we were delivered, for if we forget, we will not concern ourselves with Christ’s admonition to, “…preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15). Indeed we must, for, “…how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Scale the Height
January 29
A serious mountain climber will affirm that it is important to plan the climb and to adhere to the plan. To diverge from the plotted course is to invite disaster. Our spiritual climb has a similar requirement. David says of it in Psalm 17:5, “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”
The course the Lord would have His people to follow in order to successfully attain the pinnacle of spiritual good as they climb the mountain of life is a sure one. It is a course that will allow each climber to be availed the richness of the trail within the boundaries established by the Expert Guide, Jesus, who has gone before us and forged our way.
Although the journey will be lovely, there is no denying that it also will have the potential to be, at times, quite arduous, for there will be challenging points along the way that may defy safe crossing. At these junctures, the believer will do well to hold fast to the plan, remembering the words in James 1:4, 5, “Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” The more rigorous aspects of life’s upward journey are those that refine us as people of faith.
Though they may appear difficult to the point of causing our undoing, we know the Lord will guide us safely through them. He has designed the course to deliver us to the pinnacle! If we will remember the words of Paul in Galatians 6:9, we will be refreshed as we grapple with the difficulties of our course, “Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” God’s planned course for man does not include his abandoning the climb. We must stay the course as we scale the height of faith!
A serious mountain climber will affirm that it is important to plan the climb and to adhere to the plan. To diverge from the plotted course is to invite disaster. Our spiritual climb has a similar requirement. David says of it in Psalm 17:5, “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”
The course the Lord would have His people to follow in order to successfully attain the pinnacle of spiritual good as they climb the mountain of life is a sure one. It is a course that will allow each climber to be availed the richness of the trail within the boundaries established by the Expert Guide, Jesus, who has gone before us and forged our way.
Although the journey will be lovely, there is no denying that it also will have the potential to be, at times, quite arduous, for there will be challenging points along the way that may defy safe crossing. At these junctures, the believer will do well to hold fast to the plan, remembering the words in James 1:4, 5, “Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” The more rigorous aspects of life’s upward journey are those that refine us as people of faith.
Though they may appear difficult to the point of causing our undoing, we know the Lord will guide us safely through them. He has designed the course to deliver us to the pinnacle! If we will remember the words of Paul in Galatians 6:9, we will be refreshed as we grapple with the difficulties of our course, “Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” God’s planned course for man does not include his abandoning the climb. We must stay the course as we scale the height of faith!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Life's Only Treasure
January 28
Salvation is a free gift. The Second Person of the Triune Godhead humbled Himself, took on the form of a man, made Himself of no reputation and came to walk the dusty by-ways of ancient Israel in order to redeem man from the sin he had brought upon himself and its entailing separation from God (Philippians 2: 5-8).
Subsequent to investing Himself in man, Jesus was “highly exalted and given a name that is above every name: that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow—of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth—and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2: 9, 10).
When one receives that glorious truth to himself, he is admonished to, “…persist in dong good, seek glory, honor and immortality, and you will be given eternal life” Romans 2:7). When one receives Christ as Savior and Lord, the work is done. It is paid for by the shed blood of the God who became Man and dwelt among us. It is a free GIFT.
But a believer must not denigrate the value of the GIFT by continuing to walk as the world walks. A believer must not trivialize his position of favor before his Holy God. No, he must go on as stated in Philippians 2: 12, to, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Cherish it. Nurture it. Bring it to maturity, for it is life’s only treasure.
Salvation is a free gift. The Second Person of the Triune Godhead humbled Himself, took on the form of a man, made Himself of no reputation and came to walk the dusty by-ways of ancient Israel in order to redeem man from the sin he had brought upon himself and its entailing separation from God (Philippians 2: 5-8).
Subsequent to investing Himself in man, Jesus was “highly exalted and given a name that is above every name: that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow—of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth—and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2: 9, 10).
When one receives that glorious truth to himself, he is admonished to, “…persist in dong good, seek glory, honor and immortality, and you will be given eternal life” Romans 2:7). When one receives Christ as Savior and Lord, the work is done. It is paid for by the shed blood of the God who became Man and dwelt among us. It is a free GIFT.
But a believer must not denigrate the value of the GIFT by continuing to walk as the world walks. A believer must not trivialize his position of favor before his Holy God. No, he must go on as stated in Philippians 2: 12, to, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Cherish it. Nurture it. Bring it to maturity, for it is life’s only treasure.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Stand Firm In Controlled Faith
January 27
Some of us have ample reason to be vigilant as we endeavor to walk in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ because we live in countries where converting to Christianity entails a severe penalty if ones faith is discovered. It is difficult to remain silent when one has emerged from darkness into glorious light, so maintaining an un-proclaimed faith is difficult.
Our hearts compel us to share the treasure of Christ that we’ve received, yet our common sense tells us we must do so with caution. In such a situation, we can be attacked by guilt because we do not shout our new faith from the housetops. If that is the case, we must remember that even Jesus said we should not “cast pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6).
And that is not to denigrate anyone by referring to them negatively; all people who know not Christ, even the most vicious, are lost souls who need the Savior, but our part as believers is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when sharing our faith with them. It is important that we know when to speak and when to be silent if we are to share our faith effectively.
The impetuous apostle cautioned in I Peter 5:8, 9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” Even Peter, whose good intentions caused him to run ahead when he should have followed, learned that the best way to share the good news of salvation was by standing firm in controlled faith.
Some of us have ample reason to be vigilant as we endeavor to walk in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ because we live in countries where converting to Christianity entails a severe penalty if ones faith is discovered. It is difficult to remain silent when one has emerged from darkness into glorious light, so maintaining an un-proclaimed faith is difficult.
Our hearts compel us to share the treasure of Christ that we’ve received, yet our common sense tells us we must do so with caution. In such a situation, we can be attacked by guilt because we do not shout our new faith from the housetops. If that is the case, we must remember that even Jesus said we should not “cast pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6).
And that is not to denigrate anyone by referring to them negatively; all people who know not Christ, even the most vicious, are lost souls who need the Savior, but our part as believers is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when sharing our faith with them. It is important that we know when to speak and when to be silent if we are to share our faith effectively.
The impetuous apostle cautioned in I Peter 5:8, 9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” Even Peter, whose good intentions caused him to run ahead when he should have followed, learned that the best way to share the good news of salvation was by standing firm in controlled faith.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Acts 1:11
January 26
"...Jesus...shall come again..."
Are you anticipating the soon return of Jesus? Yes, we all know that at any minute He could tap us on the shoulder individually and tell us that it’s our time to bid this world farewell. A dear sweet saint of God related the story of her experience when, at the birth of her first child, she was near death.
She had a vision of Christ and He asked her if she’d like to come with Him. She said she would, but wanted to wait until her baby was grown up. He allowed her to live until her baby was nineteen years old. She did not fear death. She embraced it, for she had seen Him and understood that He’d extended her life according to her request.
Although there may be some ‘wiggle room’ for individuals when it comes to their time of demise (see II Kings, chapter 20) we know the veracity of the verse that says, “It is appointed to a man once to die and after that the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27. We may alter appointments to suit our schedules, but the one we have with death is usually set in stone. Yet there is another appointment that we don’t think of very often and that is the one when believers shall, “meet Jesus in the air,” I Thessalonians 4:17.
His promise is, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown,” Revelation 3:11. “A thousand years is as a day and a day, as a thousand years to God” II Peter 3:8. Though His coming seems to be delayed because our perception of time is finite, the Word of God is true. “What He has spoken, He is able to perform,” (Romans 4:21). Be assured, Jesus will keep His appointment to return.
"...Jesus...shall come again..."
Are you anticipating the soon return of Jesus? Yes, we all know that at any minute He could tap us on the shoulder individually and tell us that it’s our time to bid this world farewell. A dear sweet saint of God related the story of her experience when, at the birth of her first child, she was near death.
She had a vision of Christ and He asked her if she’d like to come with Him. She said she would, but wanted to wait until her baby was grown up. He allowed her to live until her baby was nineteen years old. She did not fear death. She embraced it, for she had seen Him and understood that He’d extended her life according to her request.
Although there may be some ‘wiggle room’ for individuals when it comes to their time of demise (see II Kings, chapter 20) we know the veracity of the verse that says, “It is appointed to a man once to die and after that the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27. We may alter appointments to suit our schedules, but the one we have with death is usually set in stone. Yet there is another appointment that we don’t think of very often and that is the one when believers shall, “meet Jesus in the air,” I Thessalonians 4:17.
His promise is, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown,” Revelation 3:11. “A thousand years is as a day and a day, as a thousand years to God” II Peter 3:8. Though His coming seems to be delayed because our perception of time is finite, the Word of God is true. “What He has spoken, He is able to perform,” (Romans 4:21). Be assured, Jesus will keep His appointment to return.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Dispelling Discouragement
January 25
Discouragement can dog our heels. Whether in our professional or personal or spiritual endeavors, we can get in a funk. We may not even know why our outlook is so bleak, we just know that it is. For some inexplicable reason, we feel that the weight of the world is pressing us down and we can’t get out from under it.
We may try to analyze the feeling, trace it to its source, but often, we can’t make any headway toward reaching an understanding of it. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t have a rational basis. If it were someone or something that triggered it, we’d probably know. If it’s not outside ourselves, if it’s deep within, it may be inscrutable.
The Word tells us that we don’t know our own hearts because they are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) so it is not beyond the realm of reason that we would not be able to grasp the intents that spring from there. But the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15:58 gives us a way to grapple with the heart, the unruly seat of our emotions.
He says, “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” If we will keep ourselves focused on the things of Christ, we will not soon be discouraged, for His Holy Spirit will encourage us. Discouragement cannot abide in His presence!
Discouragement can dog our heels. Whether in our professional or personal or spiritual endeavors, we can get in a funk. We may not even know why our outlook is so bleak, we just know that it is. For some inexplicable reason, we feel that the weight of the world is pressing us down and we can’t get out from under it.
We may try to analyze the feeling, trace it to its source, but often, we can’t make any headway toward reaching an understanding of it. Perhaps that’s because it doesn’t have a rational basis. If it were someone or something that triggered it, we’d probably know. If it’s not outside ourselves, if it’s deep within, it may be inscrutable.
The Word tells us that we don’t know our own hearts because they are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) so it is not beyond the realm of reason that we would not be able to grasp the intents that spring from there. But the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15:58 gives us a way to grapple with the heart, the unruly seat of our emotions.
He says, “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” If we will keep ourselves focused on the things of Christ, we will not soon be discouraged, for His Holy Spirit will encourage us. Discouragement cannot abide in His presence!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
HE Makes The Difference
January 24
Life is fraught with trials. Oh, that is not to say there are not the wonderful experiences to be enjoyed as we traverse the path that unfolds before us through Time as we journey to Eternity. Rather, it is to acknowledge the truth of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:45, “He makes the rain to fall on the just and on the unjust; He makes the sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.”
If a good man’s way were bathed in blessings; if he had no challenges to overcome, no one would serve God and walk in righteousness because they love Him. They would do so because good things were bestowed upon them. Jesus does not want believers to follow Him merely for “…the loaves and fishes…” He wants them to follow because they know WHO HE IS! John 6:26.
But the Word does offer much encouragement to those who are enduring trial. Further, if the Word of God is “hidden in the heart” (Psalm 119:11), when the challenges of life assail, the man of God will have a well of strength from which to draw the living water of life that is the Truth of God, which is Christ. When He has been received as Savior and has been permitted to make His abode within the heart, that heart becomes a wellspring of assurance in the dry seasons of life.
As we are told in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” As the old hymn says, “…It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem quite small when we see Christ.” No season of testing is pleasant. No persecution is awaited with eager anticipation, but if/ when trials come, we have the assurance that HE makes the difference for good as we go through them.
Life is fraught with trials. Oh, that is not to say there are not the wonderful experiences to be enjoyed as we traverse the path that unfolds before us through Time as we journey to Eternity. Rather, it is to acknowledge the truth of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:45, “He makes the rain to fall on the just and on the unjust; He makes the sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.”
If a good man’s way were bathed in blessings; if he had no challenges to overcome, no one would serve God and walk in righteousness because they love Him. They would do so because good things were bestowed upon them. Jesus does not want believers to follow Him merely for “…the loaves and fishes…” He wants them to follow because they know WHO HE IS! John 6:26.
But the Word does offer much encouragement to those who are enduring trial. Further, if the Word of God is “hidden in the heart” (Psalm 119:11), when the challenges of life assail, the man of God will have a well of strength from which to draw the living water of life that is the Truth of God, which is Christ. When He has been received as Savior and has been permitted to make His abode within the heart, that heart becomes a wellspring of assurance in the dry seasons of life.
As we are told in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” As the old hymn says, “…It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem quite small when we see Christ.” No season of testing is pleasant. No persecution is awaited with eager anticipation, but if/ when trials come, we have the assurance that HE makes the difference for good as we go through them.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Our Father or Our Judge?
January 23
There are innumerable ways in which the Moslem perception of Allah differs from the Christian perception of the One we consider to be, “…Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6. Perhaps the most distinct point of departure between these two monotheistic faiths from their interpretation of His nature lies in the Christian perception of His Fatherhood.
Because to the Moslem mind, the idea of the Fatherhood of God is entirely human and biological, they reject it (and rightly so) as blasphemy. For some reason, they cannot grasp the spiritual nature of the Christian perception of the Fatherhood of God. Yet it is a vital point of doctrine to the Christian who knows that the God of Creation has chosen this tender, human term to make the believer understand how precious he is to the Holy One.
Related to the contrast of the Moslem perspective of Allah as an all-knowing, all-powerful entity who will ultimately judge mankind and the Christian perception of Him as a loving Father who has made provision through the Second Person of the Trinity for believers’ sins to be washed away is the nature of the expectation Allah has of man vs. the expectation Jehovah God has of man. There is a great gulf between the following two generalizations of the perceptions espousers of these two religions have of the Supreme Being regarding them.
A Moslem will always program an error into anything he does because ‘only Allah is perfect.’ A Christian will always strive for perfection in all he does because the Word says in II Corinthians 13:11, “Aim for perfection…and the God of love and peace will be with you.” It also conveys this thought in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:38, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Like a good earthly father, Christians believe that our amazing Father God desires that we walk in His footsteps so we never need to stand before Him as our Judge.
There are innumerable ways in which the Moslem perception of Allah differs from the Christian perception of the One we consider to be, “…Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6. Perhaps the most distinct point of departure between these two monotheistic faiths from their interpretation of His nature lies in the Christian perception of His Fatherhood.
Because to the Moslem mind, the idea of the Fatherhood of God is entirely human and biological, they reject it (and rightly so) as blasphemy. For some reason, they cannot grasp the spiritual nature of the Christian perception of the Fatherhood of God. Yet it is a vital point of doctrine to the Christian who knows that the God of Creation has chosen this tender, human term to make the believer understand how precious he is to the Holy One.
Related to the contrast of the Moslem perspective of Allah as an all-knowing, all-powerful entity who will ultimately judge mankind and the Christian perception of Him as a loving Father who has made provision through the Second Person of the Trinity for believers’ sins to be washed away is the nature of the expectation Allah has of man vs. the expectation Jehovah God has of man. There is a great gulf between the following two generalizations of the perceptions espousers of these two religions have of the Supreme Being regarding them.
A Moslem will always program an error into anything he does because ‘only Allah is perfect.’ A Christian will always strive for perfection in all he does because the Word says in II Corinthians 13:11, “Aim for perfection…and the God of love and peace will be with you.” It also conveys this thought in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:38, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Like a good earthly father, Christians believe that our amazing Father God desires that we walk in His footsteps so we never need to stand before Him as our Judge.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Great Abundance
January 22
Seeds require a time of germination. We put them into the ground and then we wait. It requires not only patience but work before there can be a harvest. The seeds must be watered, the soil must be fertilized. The weeds must be pulled. Being a successful farmer is a daunting task. Many ‘modern’ individuals would find themselves in dire straits if their next meal depended upon their ability to grow it!
In the spiritual realm, believers in Christ have been instructed to sow seeds of peace and harmony into a discordant world. We have been told that we are to share the gospel of peace and salvation with a world that is not always receptive to it. Just as some soil is dry and hard and unproductive, so are some hearts.
But we employ the power of prayer and trust that the investment of love that we make into the lives of those whose salvation we long to see will act as the fertilizer and the rain upon the seeds of truth that we have planted into their minds and hearts. We who are people of peace, we who walk in the steps of the Prince of Peace, have the promise of a great reward.
In Matthew 5:9, Jesus Himself says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” And the half-brother of Jesus says in James 3:18, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” As seeds require careful tending after they’re planted, so do seeds of righteousness and salvation—but, as with natural fruit, so will spiritual fruit, with patience, be reaped in great abundance.
Seeds require a time of germination. We put them into the ground and then we wait. It requires not only patience but work before there can be a harvest. The seeds must be watered, the soil must be fertilized. The weeds must be pulled. Being a successful farmer is a daunting task. Many ‘modern’ individuals would find themselves in dire straits if their next meal depended upon their ability to grow it!
In the spiritual realm, believers in Christ have been instructed to sow seeds of peace and harmony into a discordant world. We have been told that we are to share the gospel of peace and salvation with a world that is not always receptive to it. Just as some soil is dry and hard and unproductive, so are some hearts.
But we employ the power of prayer and trust that the investment of love that we make into the lives of those whose salvation we long to see will act as the fertilizer and the rain upon the seeds of truth that we have planted into their minds and hearts. We who are people of peace, we who walk in the steps of the Prince of Peace, have the promise of a great reward.
In Matthew 5:9, Jesus Himself says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” And the half-brother of Jesus says in James 3:18, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” As seeds require careful tending after they’re planted, so do seeds of righteousness and salvation—but, as with natural fruit, so will spiritual fruit, with patience, be reaped in great abundance.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
So His Peace May Reign
January 21
Discord and strife are at an all-time level. As of this writing, there are 34 major military conflicts going on around the world and there are countless rebellions and acts of terrorism. We live in a world, among a people, who are quite bellicose by nature. Our ability to get along with one another is challenged on virtually every hand.
How can it be that the Prince of Peace has come, yet there is continual conflagration among the people He came to endue with His “…peace that passes understanding”? (Philippians 4:7) The answer to that seeming failure of the Lord to accomplish His purpose in errant mankind lies in the heart of every man.
Indeed, anyone who has received Jesus as Savior and Lord has within himself the capacity to live the life of peace that Jesus came to supply to all who will receive it; however, just as He does not require any among us to receive Him as Savior, neither does He coerce anyone into receiving Him as Lord. Though He "stand at the door" of every heart, intending to enter with salvation and all its gifts, He will not "come in" without an invitation (Revelation 3:20).
Without the commitment of oneself to Him, no man can manifest the attributes of love or joy or faith—or peace—that He came to give. But if he will receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, any man may then reap the promise of Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Let us then invite the Prince of Peace into our hearts, our families, our nations so His peace may reign.
Discord and strife are at an all-time level. As of this writing, there are 34 major military conflicts going on around the world and there are countless rebellions and acts of terrorism. We live in a world, among a people, who are quite bellicose by nature. Our ability to get along with one another is challenged on virtually every hand.
How can it be that the Prince of Peace has come, yet there is continual conflagration among the people He came to endue with His “…peace that passes understanding”? (Philippians 4:7) The answer to that seeming failure of the Lord to accomplish His purpose in errant mankind lies in the heart of every man.
Indeed, anyone who has received Jesus as Savior and Lord has within himself the capacity to live the life of peace that Jesus came to supply to all who will receive it; however, just as He does not require any among us to receive Him as Savior, neither does He coerce anyone into receiving Him as Lord. Though He "stand at the door" of every heart, intending to enter with salvation and all its gifts, He will not "come in" without an invitation (Revelation 3:20).
Without the commitment of oneself to Him, no man can manifest the attributes of love or joy or faith—or peace—that He came to give. But if he will receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, any man may then reap the promise of Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Let us then invite the Prince of Peace into our hearts, our families, our nations so His peace may reign.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Kept By The Spirit
January 20
The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, said in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” Man is very good at concealing the intentions of his heart. From glib-tongued lovers who promise the world but give just a night, to nations that sign false treaties, to a religion that includes in its doctrine the use of lying to propagate its influence and further its endeavor to attain its goal of world domination, our world is steeped in deception.
How does one guard himself from the consequence of being gullible? How does one protect himself from being deceived? Perhaps even more importantly, how does one prevent himself from becoming like the schemers and distorters and deceivers around him? How does one anchor himself to truth when lies have become the stock-in-trade of fallen humankind?
The only sure way to anchor oneself to truth in an age of deception is to know the One who IS TRUTH. Jesus says of Himself, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No man comes to the Father but by Me,” John 14:6. The importance of knowing the truth that makes you free (John 8:32) transcends a mere shielding of oneself from the deceptions encountered in time and assures man that JESUS, who is TRUTH, will be his way to an eternity spent in the presence of our Triune GOD!
When one has received Christ, who is TRUTH, into his heart, he becomes inured to the wiles of the wicked one, the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44) whose intent is to deceive man so he will die eternally. In receiving Christ, one shall receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) who will endue him with power to discern truth and to share the gospel of truth. And the promise is, “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and truth—and peace” Romans 8:6. One who is in the keeping of the Spirit of Life and Truth cannot be deceived.
The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, said in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” Man is very good at concealing the intentions of his heart. From glib-tongued lovers who promise the world but give just a night, to nations that sign false treaties, to a religion that includes in its doctrine the use of lying to propagate its influence and further its endeavor to attain its goal of world domination, our world is steeped in deception.
How does one guard himself from the consequence of being gullible? How does one protect himself from being deceived? Perhaps even more importantly, how does one prevent himself from becoming like the schemers and distorters and deceivers around him? How does one anchor himself to truth when lies have become the stock-in-trade of fallen humankind?
The only sure way to anchor oneself to truth in an age of deception is to know the One who IS TRUTH. Jesus says of Himself, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No man comes to the Father but by Me,” John 14:6. The importance of knowing the truth that makes you free (John 8:32) transcends a mere shielding of oneself from the deceptions encountered in time and assures man that JESUS, who is TRUTH, will be his way to an eternity spent in the presence of our Triune GOD!
When one has received Christ, who is TRUTH, into his heart, he becomes inured to the wiles of the wicked one, the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44) whose intent is to deceive man so he will die eternally. In receiving Christ, one shall receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) who will endue him with power to discern truth and to share the gospel of truth. And the promise is, “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and truth—and peace” Romans 8:6. One who is in the keeping of the Spirit of Life and Truth cannot be deceived.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
No Room For Fear Or Doubt
January 19
Your God wants to hear from you. There is always an open line to the Throne of Mercy and Grace. Any time you ‘call,’ He will answer. In fact, Daniel 10:11-21 affirms that the messenger of the Lord was sent to Daniel, “…from the first you set yourself to understand and to chasten yourself before your God…”
In this instance, we are further informed that the “Prince of Persia…” inhibited the answer of Daniel’s prayer to the degree that Michael the Archangel was dispatched to assist in getting the message through! It seems the lesson of the passage is that delays to answered prayer may come, but they are not because the Lord is unwilling to answer.
The enemy of the Holy One intervenes whenever he has the opportunity to prevent the child of God from receiving the answers to prayer that are sent to him. The sole purpose is to thwart the hand of the Lord and to render the believer discouraged and despondent as he awaits the blessing for which he has asked. That is why Paul gives us clear instructions to successful prayer.
In his letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6-7, the Apostle tells us, “In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” There will be no room for fear or doubt in the mind of a believer whose mind is staid upon the Lord.
Your God wants to hear from you. There is always an open line to the Throne of Mercy and Grace. Any time you ‘call,’ He will answer. In fact, Daniel 10:11-21 affirms that the messenger of the Lord was sent to Daniel, “…from the first you set yourself to understand and to chasten yourself before your God…”
In this instance, we are further informed that the “Prince of Persia…” inhibited the answer of Daniel’s prayer to the degree that Michael the Archangel was dispatched to assist in getting the message through! It seems the lesson of the passage is that delays to answered prayer may come, but they are not because the Lord is unwilling to answer.
The enemy of the Holy One intervenes whenever he has the opportunity to prevent the child of God from receiving the answers to prayer that are sent to him. The sole purpose is to thwart the hand of the Lord and to render the believer discouraged and despondent as he awaits the blessing for which he has asked. That is why Paul gives us clear instructions to successful prayer.
In his letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6-7, the Apostle tells us, “In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” There will be no room for fear or doubt in the mind of a believer whose mind is staid upon the Lord.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
A Single Eye
January 18
In James 1:8 we are told, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Jesus Himself said in Luke 16:13, “No man can serve two masters…” We know from our own experience the veracity of these assertions. Most of us have at some time, in some situation, attempted to juggle two competing interests.
Whether those interests regarded working two jobs to meet the demands of a troubled economy and finding ourselves drained from the effort, or whether they involved an attempt to maintain more than one ‘serious’ romantic interest at the same time, we discovered that the exercise could not be successfully maintained indefinitely.
The necessity to be steadfast is certainly evident in the spiritual realm. We cannot vacillate between two positions if we are to grow in spiritual maturity. We cannot profess faith in Christ while harboring doubt. We cannot affirm that we are Christian if we deny Biblical doctrine. We cannot, as Jesus said, serve two positions.
The prophet says in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is anchored steadfast in Your truth, because he trusts You.” When we have resolved the matter of trusting the Lord once and for all in our own mind, it is then that we can go forward with a single eye into any challenges the future may hurl our way.
In James 1:8 we are told, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Jesus Himself said in Luke 16:13, “No man can serve two masters…” We know from our own experience the veracity of these assertions. Most of us have at some time, in some situation, attempted to juggle two competing interests.
Whether those interests regarded working two jobs to meet the demands of a troubled economy and finding ourselves drained from the effort, or whether they involved an attempt to maintain more than one ‘serious’ romantic interest at the same time, we discovered that the exercise could not be successfully maintained indefinitely.
The necessity to be steadfast is certainly evident in the spiritual realm. We cannot vacillate between two positions if we are to grow in spiritual maturity. We cannot profess faith in Christ while harboring doubt. We cannot affirm that we are Christian if we deny Biblical doctrine. We cannot, as Jesus said, serve two positions.
The prophet says in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is anchored steadfast in Your truth, because he trusts You.” When we have resolved the matter of trusting the Lord once and for all in our own mind, it is then that we can go forward with a single eye into any challenges the future may hurl our way.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Until We Return
January 17
Where have we gone wrong—as a nation, as a people, as a church, as individuals? Of course the answer to that question can be as complex as we desire to make it. It would be impossible within these few lines to even begin to identify a fraction of our trespasses or the most evident of their consequences.
But there is a verse that capsulizes our problem. In fact, to this source can be traced the entirety of our sins and foibles; to it can be linked the whole of our departure from the path of life and truth and the resultant journey we’ve begun on the path of unrighteousness.
David, Israel’s sweet psalmist, mighty warrior and victorious king said in Psalm 119:165, “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” Peace and sure footing as we traverse the path of life are achieved when people love the law of God. If we assess ourselves accurately, we must acknowledge that we have departed from a love of God’s law—perhaps we don’t love even Him anymore.
Our government—from allowing abortion to indulging astronomical debt—engages in practices that are forbidden by the law of the Holy One. We as citizens have voted for politicians who have compromised the eternal law of God to satisfy the immediate desire for gratification of a wanton people. Because we don’t love the law, we don’t uphold it—and because we don’t uphold it, we don’t walk with a sure step in the peace it supplies. Until we return to God and His immutable law, we will stumble in darkness.
Where have we gone wrong—as a nation, as a people, as a church, as individuals? Of course the answer to that question can be as complex as we desire to make it. It would be impossible within these few lines to even begin to identify a fraction of our trespasses or the most evident of their consequences.
But there is a verse that capsulizes our problem. In fact, to this source can be traced the entirety of our sins and foibles; to it can be linked the whole of our departure from the path of life and truth and the resultant journey we’ve begun on the path of unrighteousness.
David, Israel’s sweet psalmist, mighty warrior and victorious king said in Psalm 119:165, “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” Peace and sure footing as we traverse the path of life are achieved when people love the law of God. If we assess ourselves accurately, we must acknowledge that we have departed from a love of God’s law—perhaps we don’t love even Him anymore.
Our government—from allowing abortion to indulging astronomical debt—engages in practices that are forbidden by the law of the Holy One. We as citizens have voted for politicians who have compromised the eternal law of God to satisfy the immediate desire for gratification of a wanton people. Because we don’t love the law, we don’t uphold it—and because we don’t uphold it, we don’t walk with a sure step in the peace it supplies. Until we return to God and His immutable law, we will stumble in darkness.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Quiet Ourselves
January 16
In the cacophony of conflicting information about God, we sometimes cannot hear the inerrant truth that God has established. We live in the ‘information age’ and there is a ceaseless bombardment of doctrines and interpretation of them that vie for credibility in every man’s mind.
Someone identified our situation well when he said, ‘Where is the knowledge we’ve lost in information? Where is the wisdom we’ve lost in knowledge?’ There is so much ‘noise,’ purporting itself as being relevant to our lives that we have become confused; our understanding has become darkened to the point of being unable to see truth.
Yet if we will take God at His word, if we will listen, we will discover that He is not in the clamorous noise that is vying for our attention. No. As the Word says in I Kings 19:12, ”…the Lord is in the still, small voice.” When we want to hear the Lord, we must quiet ourselves. We cannot hear Him while we are caught up in the world’s jangle of noise.
And when we are quiet before Him, we will receive the promise expressed in Psalm 85:8 which says, “I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people; He promises peace to His saints.” In the quiet of His presence is the confidence to face whatever tomorrow holds in the quiet assurance of His truth and His peace.
In the cacophony of conflicting information about God, we sometimes cannot hear the inerrant truth that God has established. We live in the ‘information age’ and there is a ceaseless bombardment of doctrines and interpretation of them that vie for credibility in every man’s mind.
Someone identified our situation well when he said, ‘Where is the knowledge we’ve lost in information? Where is the wisdom we’ve lost in knowledge?’ There is so much ‘noise,’ purporting itself as being relevant to our lives that we have become confused; our understanding has become darkened to the point of being unable to see truth.
Yet if we will take God at His word, if we will listen, we will discover that He is not in the clamorous noise that is vying for our attention. No. As the Word says in I Kings 19:12, ”…the Lord is in the still, small voice.” When we want to hear the Lord, we must quiet ourselves. We cannot hear Him while we are caught up in the world’s jangle of noise.
And when we are quiet before Him, we will receive the promise expressed in Psalm 85:8 which says, “I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people; He promises peace to His saints.” In the quiet of His presence is the confidence to face whatever tomorrow holds in the quiet assurance of His truth and His peace.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
God's Inerrant Word
January 15
The entirety of the Word of God is ‘yea and amen.’ There is nothing contained in the Bible that, if we fully understood it, would not be recognized as absolute truth. Our God cannot lie; His promises cannot fail. When beset by trial, when it appears a believer is broken, forsaken, even then, the hand of the Holy One is guarding and guiding him.
David, in Psalm 77:7-20 resolved this issue when he was deluged by trials; his conclusion was that God continually leads His people as He led them by His servant Moses. As there were times when the Israelites appeared to be forsaken—when pharaoh was in hot pursuit, when food was scarce—so believers today at times seem bereft of God’s care, but as with the Israelites of old, He is continually with them.
One graphic example of man’s understanding being limited, thereby distorting his perception of the accuracy of God’s Word, regards the ‘last days’ prophecies that so greatly include events that are to occur in the nation of Israel. These prophecies seemed ‘off the wall,’ totally impossible, because there was no nation of Israel—until May 18, 1948!
On that date, Bible scholars and laymen alike saw the fulfillment of the prophecy of a “nation brought forth in a day” (Isaiah 66:8), which transformed their whole interpretation of scriptures relating to the events of the last days. When our understanding is limited, still we trust the inerrancy of the Word. Man’s finite mind cannot always grasp infinite truth, but he can always trust his faithful Lord.
The entirety of the Word of God is ‘yea and amen.’ There is nothing contained in the Bible that, if we fully understood it, would not be recognized as absolute truth. Our God cannot lie; His promises cannot fail. When beset by trial, when it appears a believer is broken, forsaken, even then, the hand of the Holy One is guarding and guiding him.
David, in Psalm 77:7-20 resolved this issue when he was deluged by trials; his conclusion was that God continually leads His people as He led them by His servant Moses. As there were times when the Israelites appeared to be forsaken—when pharaoh was in hot pursuit, when food was scarce—so believers today at times seem bereft of God’s care, but as with the Israelites of old, He is continually with them.
One graphic example of man’s understanding being limited, thereby distorting his perception of the accuracy of God’s Word, regards the ‘last days’ prophecies that so greatly include events that are to occur in the nation of Israel. These prophecies seemed ‘off the wall,’ totally impossible, because there was no nation of Israel—until May 18, 1948!
On that date, Bible scholars and laymen alike saw the fulfillment of the prophecy of a “nation brought forth in a day” (Isaiah 66:8), which transformed their whole interpretation of scriptures relating to the events of the last days. When our understanding is limited, still we trust the inerrancy of the Word. Man’s finite mind cannot always grasp infinite truth, but he can always trust his faithful Lord.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Justified through Christ
January 14
Justified. If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you have been justified. It hasn’t anything to do with the church you attend or how many times a week you attend there. It hasn’t anything to do with how effectively you endeavor to keep the commandments.
The simple explanation that is often used to make the theological concept of justification understandable to the layman is that when one has received Christ and the cleansing He gives, the whole of the sinner’s existence is washed; his sins, “though scarlet, are white as snow,” Isaiah 1:18.
He may say his life is new, that it is, ‘Just as if I’d' never sinned. What a precious concept! What a matchless gift! It is the reason that man, steeped in sin though he may be can go to his final moment with a peaceful heart. He knows he will meet his Maker, but he will not be met as a convicted criminal before a judge. No! He will be met as a beloved child before his loving Father!
Romans 5:1 tells us clearly and concisely just how this transformation occurs. In simple terms that anyone can understand it conveys to us how we may go from being sin-laden to being sin-free! Here Paul says, “Since we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord and Savior.” We believe in the work Jesus did on the cross, and the work He did on the cross makes us clean.
Justified. If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you have been justified. It hasn’t anything to do with the church you attend or how many times a week you attend there. It hasn’t anything to do with how effectively you endeavor to keep the commandments.
The simple explanation that is often used to make the theological concept of justification understandable to the layman is that when one has received Christ and the cleansing He gives, the whole of the sinner’s existence is washed; his sins, “though scarlet, are white as snow,” Isaiah 1:18.
He may say his life is new, that it is, ‘Just as if I’d' never sinned. What a precious concept! What a matchless gift! It is the reason that man, steeped in sin though he may be can go to his final moment with a peaceful heart. He knows he will meet his Maker, but he will not be met as a convicted criminal before a judge. No! He will be met as a beloved child before his loving Father!
Romans 5:1 tells us clearly and concisely just how this transformation occurs. In simple terms that anyone can understand it conveys to us how we may go from being sin-laden to being sin-free! Here Paul says, “Since we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ, we have peace with God through our Lord and Savior.” We believe in the work Jesus did on the cross, and the work He did on the cross makes us clean.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Worm
January 13
One of the most haunting verses of scripture touches on the concept of patience because it suggests it will require that virtue to be exercised throughout eternity. In light of the fact that it will not be exacted from the inhabitants of heaven, it is obvious that the sobering requirement will be placed upon those who are withering in hell.
Certainly, there is ample scriptural evidence to make us aware that hell is a place of anguish. Patience would hardly be expected there in any form or to any degree. Whether the place is Dante’s molten inferno, or whether it is populated with vile demons that demoralize its human captives with taunts of the sin that brought them there, or whether it is another form of torment that hasn’t been imagined, it will not be a pleasant place.
But perhaps the most haunting verses of scripture regarding hell are those that Jesus tells us repeatedly in Mark 9:44, 46, 48, “Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” Is hell a literal fire? Perhaps so. Perhaps the torment of it is unbearable. But at least as bad is the idea that the ‘worm’ doesn’t die there. The gnawing anguish of remembering the opportunities a man had to receive Christ as his Savior and Lord—but rejected—will never stop tormenting him!
He will know he brought himself to that awful place because the Lord made a way of escape for him by paying God’s death penalty for his sin—and he refused to accept it! That heart-wrenching thought will never leave him. Will all eternity enable him to develop a patient acceptance of his loss of heaven because of his own recalcitrance? May every man spare himself the awful contemplation of that potential eventuality by simply embracing Jesus to his heart.
One of the most haunting verses of scripture touches on the concept of patience because it suggests it will require that virtue to be exercised throughout eternity. In light of the fact that it will not be exacted from the inhabitants of heaven, it is obvious that the sobering requirement will be placed upon those who are withering in hell.
Certainly, there is ample scriptural evidence to make us aware that hell is a place of anguish. Patience would hardly be expected there in any form or to any degree. Whether the place is Dante’s molten inferno, or whether it is populated with vile demons that demoralize its human captives with taunts of the sin that brought them there, or whether it is another form of torment that hasn’t been imagined, it will not be a pleasant place.
But perhaps the most haunting verses of scripture regarding hell are those that Jesus tells us repeatedly in Mark 9:44, 46, 48, “Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” Is hell a literal fire? Perhaps so. Perhaps the torment of it is unbearable. But at least as bad is the idea that the ‘worm’ doesn’t die there. The gnawing anguish of remembering the opportunities a man had to receive Christ as his Savior and Lord—but rejected—will never stop tormenting him!
He will know he brought himself to that awful place because the Lord made a way of escape for him by paying God’s death penalty for his sin—and he refused to accept it! That heart-wrenching thought will never leave him. Will all eternity enable him to develop a patient acceptance of his loss of heaven because of his own recalcitrance? May every man spare himself the awful contemplation of that potential eventuality by simply embracing Jesus to his heart.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Counsel of Fools vs. Counsel of Heaven
January 12
We’ve all heard the perverted advice, ‘Don’t get mad, get even.’ Indeed, it flies in the face of all the counsel of the Holy One. When words spoken by mere mortals conflict with God’s Word, we should dismiss them completely from our thinking. We should, but often we don’t.
We are inclined to fall into the trap described in Proverbs 12:16, “A fool shows his annoyance at once…” We flare up, allow our indignation to be conveyed, totally ignoring the second half of that verse which says, “…a prudent man overlooks an insult.”
To emphasize this point further, King Solomon says in Proverbs 14:29, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” The height of foolishness is evidenced when we rush to judgment or vent our ire when we are displeased with our circumstances. Rather than proving our point by punctuating it with anger, we reveal ourselves to be lacking in judgment.
Solomon states it again, yet another way in Proverbs 19:11 where he says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” The best way a wronged individual can aggrandize himself, (can attain glory!) is to overlook a wrong. These are startling conclusions, but they are made by one who is acclaimed as the wisest man who ever lived, so it behooves us to give credence to them.
We’ve all heard the perverted advice, ‘Don’t get mad, get even.’ Indeed, it flies in the face of all the counsel of the Holy One. When words spoken by mere mortals conflict with God’s Word, we should dismiss them completely from our thinking. We should, but often we don’t.
We are inclined to fall into the trap described in Proverbs 12:16, “A fool shows his annoyance at once…” We flare up, allow our indignation to be conveyed, totally ignoring the second half of that verse which says, “…a prudent man overlooks an insult.”
To emphasize this point further, King Solomon says in Proverbs 14:29, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” The height of foolishness is evidenced when we rush to judgment or vent our ire when we are displeased with our circumstances. Rather than proving our point by punctuating it with anger, we reveal ourselves to be lacking in judgment.
Solomon states it again, yet another way in Proverbs 19:11 where he says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” The best way a wronged individual can aggrandize himself, (can attain glory!) is to overlook a wrong. These are startling conclusions, but they are made by one who is acclaimed as the wisest man who ever lived, so it behooves us to give credence to them.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Strength through Affliction
January 11
Paul, in Romans12:12, gives us a little snippet of truth that is our foundation for building a life of patient anticipation. Here the apostle tells us to, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Joy. Hope. Patience. Faithfulness. Employ these with prayer through our afflictions and we shall be established as we await His answer.
Unfortunately, being established through affliction is not easy. We are inclined to flee trials, to endeavor to work our way, or fight our way, or pay our way, or pray our way out of them. But some of them will not capitulate to our most resolute efforts; they require us to endure them.
David, knew many challenges in his life, from slaying lions, to fighting a giant, to leading an army, to ruling a nation, to enduring the impact his own failures had upon his family. He was no stranger to conflict and upheaval. But through it all, he maintained an attitude of anticipation before the God. In Psalm 27:14 he said, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for Him.”
This posture is reflected in the book of another prophet in Micah 7:7 where it says, “As for me, I watch in hope for the Lord; I wait for God my Savior and He will hear me.” Like David, Micah and Paul, believers today must employ the strategies that work. They must be patient, hopeful, faithful; they must take heart in their afflictions. They must be confident that God is true; that His joy is their strength in affliction (Nehemiah 8:10).
Paul, in Romans12:12, gives us a little snippet of truth that is our foundation for building a life of patient anticipation. Here the apostle tells us to, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Joy. Hope. Patience. Faithfulness. Employ these with prayer through our afflictions and we shall be established as we await His answer.
Unfortunately, being established through affliction is not easy. We are inclined to flee trials, to endeavor to work our way, or fight our way, or pay our way, or pray our way out of them. But some of them will not capitulate to our most resolute efforts; they require us to endure them.
David, knew many challenges in his life, from slaying lions, to fighting a giant, to leading an army, to ruling a nation, to enduring the impact his own failures had upon his family. He was no stranger to conflict and upheaval. But through it all, he maintained an attitude of anticipation before the God. In Psalm 27:14 he said, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for Him.”
This posture is reflected in the book of another prophet in Micah 7:7 where it says, “As for me, I watch in hope for the Lord; I wait for God my Savior and He will hear me.” Like David, Micah and Paul, believers today must employ the strategies that work. They must be patient, hopeful, faithful; they must take heart in their afflictions. They must be confident that God is true; that His joy is their strength in affliction (Nehemiah 8:10).
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Patience
January 10
It’s been stated before but bears repeating, ‘We live in an age of instant gratification.’ Our forbearers were much more patient than are we—not because they were intrinsically more given to that illusive commodity than their progeny, but because the circumstances of their lives required it more than do ours.
For example, they had to till the soil, plant and water the seed, pull the weeds before they could harvest their wheat to make their bread. We simply pick up a loaf—ready sliced—on our way home from work. The element of waiting has been taken from almost every aspect of life.
From obtaining our daily bread to attaining sexual gratification, we aren’t inclined to wait for anything. We want it all, now. In James 5:7, 8, we are counseled to cultivate patience, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming, as the farmer waits for the land to yield its crop. See how he is patient for the autumn and spring rains! You, too, must be patient, for the Lord’s coming is near.”
James is saying that if we can’t wait for the rain and the increase it brings, we will hardly be equipped to await the Lord’s coming if He tarry His return. Though he expected Jesus to split the eastern sky and gather His own to Himself at any moment, he knew that unless the wait was with patience, the believer could become discouraged. Instant gratification is not our answer to life’s most important season of waiting. Patience is.
It’s been stated before but bears repeating, ‘We live in an age of instant gratification.’ Our forbearers were much more patient than are we—not because they were intrinsically more given to that illusive commodity than their progeny, but because the circumstances of their lives required it more than do ours.
For example, they had to till the soil, plant and water the seed, pull the weeds before they could harvest their wheat to make their bread. We simply pick up a loaf—ready sliced—on our way home from work. The element of waiting has been taken from almost every aspect of life.
From obtaining our daily bread to attaining sexual gratification, we aren’t inclined to wait for anything. We want it all, now. In James 5:7, 8, we are counseled to cultivate patience, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming, as the farmer waits for the land to yield its crop. See how he is patient for the autumn and spring rains! You, too, must be patient, for the Lord’s coming is near.”
James is saying that if we can’t wait for the rain and the increase it brings, we will hardly be equipped to await the Lord’s coming if He tarry His return. Though he expected Jesus to split the eastern sky and gather His own to Himself at any moment, he knew that unless the wait was with patience, the believer could become discouraged. Instant gratification is not our answer to life’s most important season of waiting. Patience is.
Monday, January 9, 2012
His Own Promise
January 9
What do godly parents wish for their children? Certainly, they want them to be successful, to be happy, and even more, to have “the joy of the Lord” as their strength, according to Nehemiah 8:10. But more than any temporal happiness, they want to leave an inheritance for their children that will not fade away.
All of us would claim the fruition of Proverbs 13:22 into our lives which says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children…” We hope to prosper sufficiently to do just that, but even more important is the promise of Genesis 18:19 that affirms, “…he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.”
We want our children to be saved, to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for we know that apart from Him, there is no righteousness and there is no justice. Because embracing Christ does not come by osmosis, we know it is incumbent upon us as parents to instruct our children in the way they should walk. We know we are to teach them through every activity of life (see Deuteronomy 6:6, 7), and we have a great promise of help toward that end!
Isaiah 54:13 assures believing parents that, “All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children.” The Lord who tasks parents with the awesome responsibility of teaching their children the spiritual truths that will assure their eternal salvation has given them His own promise to reinforce their instruction! He does not leave them to their own devices in this crucial matter! He, by the power of His Holy Spirit, will woo their children to Himself.
What do godly parents wish for their children? Certainly, they want them to be successful, to be happy, and even more, to have “the joy of the Lord” as their strength, according to Nehemiah 8:10. But more than any temporal happiness, they want to leave an inheritance for their children that will not fade away.
All of us would claim the fruition of Proverbs 13:22 into our lives which says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children…” We hope to prosper sufficiently to do just that, but even more important is the promise of Genesis 18:19 that affirms, “…he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.”
We want our children to be saved, to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for we know that apart from Him, there is no righteousness and there is no justice. Because embracing Christ does not come by osmosis, we know it is incumbent upon us as parents to instruct our children in the way they should walk. We know we are to teach them through every activity of life (see Deuteronomy 6:6, 7), and we have a great promise of help toward that end!
Isaiah 54:13 assures believing parents that, “All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children.” The Lord who tasks parents with the awesome responsibility of teaching their children the spiritual truths that will assure their eternal salvation has given them His own promise to reinforce their instruction! He does not leave them to their own devices in this crucial matter! He, by the power of His Holy Spirit, will woo their children to Himself.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Are We There Yet?
January 8
Ever taken a trip with children? If so, the inevitable and oft-repeated, “Are we there yet?” is still ringing in your ears. You try to keep them occupied along the way with activities such as, ‘I see something that starts with…’ and it keeps them busy for a while, but before long, you’re back to square one (Are we there yet?)
The Word of God offers a solution to the dilemma of what to do to keep the kids busy when traveling with them. It requires a depth of knowledge of the Word on the part of the parent and it affords his young ones a marvelous lesson about his heritage as a person of faith.
Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 says, “These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you travel along the road. Speak of them when you lie down and when you rise up.”
The laws of God are so important to Him that He wants to assure every child is made aware of them. How does He want this wonderful knowledge to be conveyed? Through caring, godly parents who share the truth of God’s Word with their young ones in every activity of life.
Ever taken a trip with children? If so, the inevitable and oft-repeated, “Are we there yet?” is still ringing in your ears. You try to keep them occupied along the way with activities such as, ‘I see something that starts with…’ and it keeps them busy for a while, but before long, you’re back to square one (Are we there yet?)
The Word of God offers a solution to the dilemma of what to do to keep the kids busy when traveling with them. It requires a depth of knowledge of the Word on the part of the parent and it affords his young ones a marvelous lesson about his heritage as a person of faith.
Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 says, “These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you travel along the road. Speak of them when you lie down and when you rise up.”
The laws of God are so important to Him that He wants to assure every child is made aware of them. How does He want this wonderful knowledge to be conveyed? Through caring, godly parents who share the truth of God’s Word with their young ones in every activity of life.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
A High Calling
January 7
Parents have a high calling from the Lord. They are given the formidable responsibility of training the next generation. If parents are faithful to teach the law and love of Christ to their children, the young ones will grow up in faith. If parents relegate Jesus to an inconsequential place in their children’s lives, they will grow up without knowledge of Him or His salvation.
The Word of God is replete with admonitions to parents regarding their off-spring. Deuteronomy 4:40 says, “Keep God’s decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives to you for all time.” Although this promise was given to His people, the Jews, it is applicable to people of faith today.
Proverbs 20:7 gives a wonderful promise to God’s ancient people but it is also for everyone who complies with it: “The righteous man leads a blameless life, and his children are blessed after him.” The example of righteous living before a child is one of the greatest blessings a parent can give to his impressionable progeny who look to him as their primary role model.
Proverbs 29:15 goes on to admonish parents to discipline their children when they do wrong because to neglect to do so will bring the child and his parents to shame. And the most quoted verse on the topic is that found in Proverbs 29:17, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he’s old, he won’t depart from it.” Even children who try their boundaries will ultimately return to the training they got at their parents’ knee.
Parents have a high calling from the Lord. They are given the formidable responsibility of training the next generation. If parents are faithful to teach the law and love of Christ to their children, the young ones will grow up in faith. If parents relegate Jesus to an inconsequential place in their children’s lives, they will grow up without knowledge of Him or His salvation.
The Word of God is replete with admonitions to parents regarding their off-spring. Deuteronomy 4:40 says, “Keep God’s decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives to you for all time.” Although this promise was given to His people, the Jews, it is applicable to people of faith today.
Proverbs 20:7 gives a wonderful promise to God’s ancient people but it is also for everyone who complies with it: “The righteous man leads a blameless life, and his children are blessed after him.” The example of righteous living before a child is one of the greatest blessings a parent can give to his impressionable progeny who look to him as their primary role model.
Proverbs 29:15 goes on to admonish parents to discipline their children when they do wrong because to neglect to do so will bring the child and his parents to shame. And the most quoted verse on the topic is that found in Proverbs 29:17, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he’s old, he won’t depart from it.” Even children who try their boundaries will ultimately return to the training they got at their parents’ knee.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Avoiding Rabbit Trails
January 6
Life presents to us enticing rabbit trails. Many who have been “…raised up in the nurture and wisdom and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:4, have traveled down some of the dark alley-ways the deceitful one—and at times the lust of our own eyes—have opened before us as though they were paths of light.
We have stumbled into the denizens of sin and deprivation. We have made our bed among adulterers, we have drunk the wine of power, we have embraced the riches of earth, and we have enjoyed them. We have sought out the allurements that we knew were forbidden and we have justified ourselves in doing so in ways that defy rationalization.
But the gnawing truth that will not release us is the reality of His un-compromised Word as He gave it to His people in Deuteronomy 13:4 where Moses writes, “It is the Lord your God you must follow and it is Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.” If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we acknowledge that there is no path, but that of obedience, that leads to eternal life.
The apostle reiterates in I John 2:5, 6, this profound reality: “If anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him—whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Jesus, even as He faced the cross and asked if there were any other way of salvation, (Matthew 26:39), walked in complete obedience to the Father. So must we.
Life presents to us enticing rabbit trails. Many who have been “…raised up in the nurture and wisdom and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:4, have traveled down some of the dark alley-ways the deceitful one—and at times the lust of our own eyes—have opened before us as though they were paths of light.
We have stumbled into the denizens of sin and deprivation. We have made our bed among adulterers, we have drunk the wine of power, we have embraced the riches of earth, and we have enjoyed them. We have sought out the allurements that we knew were forbidden and we have justified ourselves in doing so in ways that defy rationalization.
But the gnawing truth that will not release us is the reality of His un-compromised Word as He gave it to His people in Deuteronomy 13:4 where Moses writes, “It is the Lord your God you must follow and it is Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.” If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we acknowledge that there is no path, but that of obedience, that leads to eternal life.
The apostle reiterates in I John 2:5, 6, this profound reality: “If anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him—whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Jesus, even as He faced the cross and asked if there were any other way of salvation, (Matthew 26:39), walked in complete obedience to the Father. So must we.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Devotion, Love, Obedience, Joy
January 5
Jesus has paid it all, done it all, to secure the salvation of mankind. There is nothing remaining for any supplicant before the Throne of Mercy and Grace to present in order to obtain His free gift. There is no amount of treasure a man must lay at the Lord’s feet in order to be the recipient of Heaven’s greatest treasure—salvation.
However, many live their lives as though there were a debt outstanding, as though the gift could not be simply received but must be earned. Some seal themselves away in monasteries where they take vows of silence, where they promise before God that they shall not utter a syllable to another human being as long as they live.
Some take vows of poverty, promising the Lord that they shall relinquish to His Kingdom’s work anything of value that they might possess if He will but save them from the wretchedness of sin that they recognize within themselves. Some have become God’s warriors, vowing to subject the whole world to Him or dispense His wrath upon them if they refuse to embrace their view of who He is and what He wants from man. And all this is futile.
None of the above, none of the countless schemes each man may contrive within his own heart to obtain the favor of the Holy One is efficacious toward the end he desires. The way to gain salvation is that set forth in John 15:10, 11 by Jesus Himself who said, “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love as I obey My Father’s commands and remain in His love. Do this and My joy in you will be full and your joy will be complete.” Obedience will always be the undeniable evidence of a man’s devotion--and his source of joy.
Jesus has paid it all, done it all, to secure the salvation of mankind. There is nothing remaining for any supplicant before the Throne of Mercy and Grace to present in order to obtain His free gift. There is no amount of treasure a man must lay at the Lord’s feet in order to be the recipient of Heaven’s greatest treasure—salvation.
However, many live their lives as though there were a debt outstanding, as though the gift could not be simply received but must be earned. Some seal themselves away in monasteries where they take vows of silence, where they promise before God that they shall not utter a syllable to another human being as long as they live.
Some take vows of poverty, promising the Lord that they shall relinquish to His Kingdom’s work anything of value that they might possess if He will but save them from the wretchedness of sin that they recognize within themselves. Some have become God’s warriors, vowing to subject the whole world to Him or dispense His wrath upon them if they refuse to embrace their view of who He is and what He wants from man. And all this is futile.
None of the above, none of the countless schemes each man may contrive within his own heart to obtain the favor of the Holy One is efficacious toward the end he desires. The way to gain salvation is that set forth in John 15:10, 11 by Jesus Himself who said, “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love as I obey My Father’s commands and remain in His love. Do this and My joy in you will be full and your joy will be complete.” Obedience will always be the undeniable evidence of a man’s devotion--and his source of joy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Heaven's Esteem
January 4
It is difficult for people who feel they are quite ordinary by earthly standards to presume there is anything they could do or be that would attain any accolades in Heaven. The God who inhabits eternity, by whose power the worlds are held in place, who is the Author and Finisher of life couldn’t possibly be impressed with anything about us.
Top executive for a multi-national company? Big deal. Endowed with amazing athletic prowess that brings fame and fortune? So what. Savvy investor who begins on a shoe string and ends up a multimillionaire? What else is new? If the best of what we esteem to be man’s accomplishments are merely ‘ho-hum’ to God, it’s inconceivable that our ordinary successes would impress Him.
But, the devoted mother who lavishes her children with love and encourages them to find their own place at the foot of the cross has won His approval. The godly father who spends himself to provide the needs of his family in a troubled economy has caught His eye. The Christian businessman who shaves his own profits so his employees may have a needed bonus will not go without his reward.
But beyond these things believers do in the course of their lives in order to assure that Christ’s message of love and salvation is extended to everyone around them, there is another thing that assures they will have His approval. Jesus said in Matthew 5:19, “He who practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Respect for Heaven’s law will bring Heaven’s esteem to those who honor it.
It is difficult for people who feel they are quite ordinary by earthly standards to presume there is anything they could do or be that would attain any accolades in Heaven. The God who inhabits eternity, by whose power the worlds are held in place, who is the Author and Finisher of life couldn’t possibly be impressed with anything about us.
Top executive for a multi-national company? Big deal. Endowed with amazing athletic prowess that brings fame and fortune? So what. Savvy investor who begins on a shoe string and ends up a multimillionaire? What else is new? If the best of what we esteem to be man’s accomplishments are merely ‘ho-hum’ to God, it’s inconceivable that our ordinary successes would impress Him.
But, the devoted mother who lavishes her children with love and encourages them to find their own place at the foot of the cross has won His approval. The godly father who spends himself to provide the needs of his family in a troubled economy has caught His eye. The Christian businessman who shaves his own profits so his employees may have a needed bonus will not go without his reward.
But beyond these things believers do in the course of their lives in order to assure that Christ’s message of love and salvation is extended to everyone around them, there is another thing that assures they will have His approval. Jesus said in Matthew 5:19, “He who practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Respect for Heaven’s law will bring Heaven’s esteem to those who honor it.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Incomparable Joy
January 3
Many fathers have recently concluded the task of assembling Christmas gifts for their children. Ask any of them about the experience. Unless they are professional rocket scientists, they found the task daunting. After the initial unpacking of the necessary pieces and the assuring that all components were present, there came the formidable job of putting the item together—then praying it would actually work!
The time-consuming endeavor became worth the careful following of every step, worth every moment spent, when the child’s delight illumined his whole being on Christmas morning. The child’s exuberant appreciation—even if it was directed to Santa—gave his father incomparable joy.
Our Heavenly Father longs to share with His fallen creation the blessings of eternity that have been purchased with the shed blood of Jesus. To that end, He has given us an instruction manual that carefully unfolds His directions for attaining the good things a life lived in Christ will afford to us as well as the unimaginable things He has prepared for our eternal enjoyment.
As stated by the half-brother of our Lord in James 1:25, “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has seen and heard but doing it—he will be blessed in whatever he does.” When we look into the perfect law of God, when we are mindful of it in every area of life, the application of the law, like the following of directions, leads to success! To happiness! To incomparable joy!
Many fathers have recently concluded the task of assembling Christmas gifts for their children. Ask any of them about the experience. Unless they are professional rocket scientists, they found the task daunting. After the initial unpacking of the necessary pieces and the assuring that all components were present, there came the formidable job of putting the item together—then praying it would actually work!
The time-consuming endeavor became worth the careful following of every step, worth every moment spent, when the child’s delight illumined his whole being on Christmas morning. The child’s exuberant appreciation—even if it was directed to Santa—gave his father incomparable joy.
Our Heavenly Father longs to share with His fallen creation the blessings of eternity that have been purchased with the shed blood of Jesus. To that end, He has given us an instruction manual that carefully unfolds His directions for attaining the good things a life lived in Christ will afford to us as well as the unimaginable things He has prepared for our eternal enjoyment.
As stated by the half-brother of our Lord in James 1:25, “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has seen and heard but doing it—he will be blessed in whatever he does.” When we look into the perfect law of God, when we are mindful of it in every area of life, the application of the law, like the following of directions, leads to success! To happiness! To incomparable joy!
Monday, January 2, 2012
All the Insurance We Need
January 2
Auto insurance. Fire insurance. Flood insurance. Health insurance. Do we have all the bases covered? Have we insured ourselves against every possible eventuality? Some even take out ‘marriage insurance,’ in the form of a prenuptial agreement. If the marriage fails, both parties go their own way. No fuss, no muss, no loss of assets.
Yet, what happens if the auto accident or the fire or the flood or the disease results in loss of life? What insurance policy can we obtain in order to prevent against that? The Bible tells us, “It is appointed to a man once to die and after that the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27, so everyone will face that inevitable appointment.
The fact is that there is nothing to do to insure against death. No matter how costly a policy we’ve bought, when the time comes to claim it, someone else will gain the reward of our purchase. When death taps us on the shoulder and ushers us to our ‘reward,’ our reward will not be monetary. But Jesus offers a unique opportunity to insure against eternal loss. He shows us how to be protected against life’s final enemy.
In Matthew 7:24, 25, He says, “Everyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came, the river rose, the wind beat against it, but it stood secure because it was built upon a sturdy foundation.” If our spiritual foundation is secure, if our lives are built upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ, we have all the insurance we need against eternal catastrophe.
Auto insurance. Fire insurance. Flood insurance. Health insurance. Do we have all the bases covered? Have we insured ourselves against every possible eventuality? Some even take out ‘marriage insurance,’ in the form of a prenuptial agreement. If the marriage fails, both parties go their own way. No fuss, no muss, no loss of assets.
Yet, what happens if the auto accident or the fire or the flood or the disease results in loss of life? What insurance policy can we obtain in order to prevent against that? The Bible tells us, “It is appointed to a man once to die and after that the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27, so everyone will face that inevitable appointment.
The fact is that there is nothing to do to insure against death. No matter how costly a policy we’ve bought, when the time comes to claim it, someone else will gain the reward of our purchase. When death taps us on the shoulder and ushers us to our ‘reward,’ our reward will not be monetary. But Jesus offers a unique opportunity to insure against eternal loss. He shows us how to be protected against life’s final enemy.
In Matthew 7:24, 25, He says, “Everyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came, the river rose, the wind beat against it, but it stood secure because it was built upon a sturdy foundation.” If our spiritual foundation is secure, if our lives are built upon the Rock that is Jesus Christ, we have all the insurance we need against eternal catastrophe.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
A Clean Slate
January 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Just as Jesus gives each of us a clean slate when we let Him wash us clean of sin by His shed blood, so everyone has a fresh new calendar page with nothing written upon it as we begin the New Year. No doctor appointments. No reminders of meetings to attend. No social engagements jotted down. Everyone has a completely clean slate to begin a brand new year. Each individual will bring his personal set of appointments to the calendar, and he will scribble them into the appropriate boxes of each page of each month. He hopes they’ll all be good.
As we begin the New Year that is before us, it behooves us to be mindful of the Lord’s words regarding the truths we know from the Bible. He says, “Be doers of the Word, not hearers only,” James 1:22. The half-brother of the Lord goes on to say in this verse that if we hear and don’t act upon what we know, “…you deceive yourselves.”
We who profess to love the Lord Jesus Christ, we who claim that our lives have been transformed by His gift of salvation, must assure that as we fill the moments and hours and days and weeks and months before us that we will employ the time He gives to us with activities that will bring honor to the name of the One we have owned as Savior and Lord, for that is the highest privilege of our calling.
We will be well-served in our endeavor to fill our calendar with good things if we, as Paul admonished his protégé in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourself approved of the Lord, a workman that need not be ashamed because he rightly discerns the word of truth.” When we rightly discern the Word because we have taken it to our heart, we can receive the promise, “Blessed are those who hear and obey the Word” Luke 11:28.
May we hear and obey—and be blessed—in the year that will unfold before us.
Just as Jesus gives each of us a clean slate when we let Him wash us clean of sin by His shed blood, so everyone has a fresh new calendar page with nothing written upon it as we begin the New Year. No doctor appointments. No reminders of meetings to attend. No social engagements jotted down. Everyone has a completely clean slate to begin a brand new year. Each individual will bring his personal set of appointments to the calendar, and he will scribble them into the appropriate boxes of each page of each month. He hopes they’ll all be good.
As we begin the New Year that is before us, it behooves us to be mindful of the Lord’s words regarding the truths we know from the Bible. He says, “Be doers of the Word, not hearers only,” James 1:22. The half-brother of the Lord goes on to say in this verse that if we hear and don’t act upon what we know, “…you deceive yourselves.”
We who profess to love the Lord Jesus Christ, we who claim that our lives have been transformed by His gift of salvation, must assure that as we fill the moments and hours and days and weeks and months before us that we will employ the time He gives to us with activities that will bring honor to the name of the One we have owned as Savior and Lord, for that is the highest privilege of our calling.
We will be well-served in our endeavor to fill our calendar with good things if we, as Paul admonished his protégé in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourself approved of the Lord, a workman that need not be ashamed because he rightly discerns the word of truth.” When we rightly discern the Word because we have taken it to our heart, we can receive the promise, “Blessed are those who hear and obey the Word” Luke 11:28.
May we hear and obey—and be blessed—in the year that will unfold before us.
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