November 3
Some people are creatures of habit. Everything they do, indeed, everything they think, is rooted in prior experience. Every decision they make, every action they take is based in what they know has worked for them in the past. They may be perceived as being in a rut, but to them it’s simply a matter of following the tried and true path.
The Bible acknowledges the value of maintaining a true course. In Proverbs 11:3 it says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” The contrast presented here cannot be more clear. The individual who is upright will be guided by his choices while the unfaithful will be undone by his.
The man who is upright in his ways can say confidently with David, “In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever,” Psalm 41:12. The watch-care of the Holy One over those who endeavor to walk before Him with a pure heart of surrender to His law and to His Spirit will ever be in place. He will always hold His faithful people securely.
He asserts in Isaiah 57:2, “Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest even as they lie in death.” The word of the Lord keeps those in perfect peace who walk after Him and peace extends to their final journey. He has a habit of bestowing blessings that go beyond life’s last moment and encompass the breadth and scope of eternity.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
He's Secured the Good Things
November 2
To be blameless before God holds great reward. But being blameless before God is an impossibility in our humanity. We are a fallen people. The curse we took upon ourselves in the garden (Genesis 3:15-19) dogs our heels today. Does the fact that we are not blameless relegate us forever to a place where we cannot be blessed by God?
No! Because of Jesus’ amazing love for man, all men may reap the blessings of Heaven’s great reward. The one, the only treasure a man can possess eternally is that of the salvation Jesus purchased at the great price of His shed blood. The stripes He bore, the thorns He wore, the nails that tore His flesh—secure our blessings.
As Psalm 84:11 says, “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” He is a sun, that life-giving force without which we cannot survive. He is a shield that guards us from our own waywardness.
His desire to supply mankind with favor and honor, with every good thing, compelled Him to pay the price to secure them at Calvary! Therefore, the man who wears the robe of righteousness that He supplies, the man who wears HIS integrity, may, “…walk securely…” Proverbs 10:9, knowing His provision secures man’s reward.
To be blameless before God holds great reward. But being blameless before God is an impossibility in our humanity. We are a fallen people. The curse we took upon ourselves in the garden (Genesis 3:15-19) dogs our heels today. Does the fact that we are not blameless relegate us forever to a place where we cannot be blessed by God?
No! Because of Jesus’ amazing love for man, all men may reap the blessings of Heaven’s great reward. The one, the only treasure a man can possess eternally is that of the salvation Jesus purchased at the great price of His shed blood. The stripes He bore, the thorns He wore, the nails that tore His flesh—secure our blessings.
As Psalm 84:11 says, “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” He is a sun, that life-giving force without which we cannot survive. He is a shield that guards us from our own waywardness.
His desire to supply mankind with favor and honor, with every good thing, compelled Him to pay the price to secure them at Calvary! Therefore, the man who wears the robe of righteousness that He supplies, the man who wears HIS integrity, may, “…walk securely…” Proverbs 10:9, knowing His provision secures man’s reward.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
I've Got Your Back
November 1
Perhaps you’re dealing with an individual at work whose shifty behavior requires that you be forever on your guard regarding any interaction you might have with him. Perhaps you have a spouse whose inconvenient memory lapses necessitate your continual ‘checking up’ on the successful completion of any responsibility he assumes.
It would be wonderful if everyone simply completed the tasks designated to him so you could go about yours, knowing confidently that something outside your sphere would not rear its head at some point in the future to cause you a problem. Nobody wants to be an unsuspecting dupe, so you stay on guard—and being forever alert is tiring.
There is a place of rest you can have as you shoulder the oversight of tasks that are not your own, for the Lord says in Proverbs 2:7, 8, “God holds victory in store for the upright; He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.”
He’s saying in essence, ‘I’ve got your back.’ You, therefore, can abide in the confidence of knowing you needn’t keep your finger on the pulse of every task of everyone around you. God will assure that you are protected from the consequences of their oversights, for as II Chronicles 29:17 says, “…God…(is) pleased with integrity.”
Perhaps you’re dealing with an individual at work whose shifty behavior requires that you be forever on your guard regarding any interaction you might have with him. Perhaps you have a spouse whose inconvenient memory lapses necessitate your continual ‘checking up’ on the successful completion of any responsibility he assumes.
It would be wonderful if everyone simply completed the tasks designated to him so you could go about yours, knowing confidently that something outside your sphere would not rear its head at some point in the future to cause you a problem. Nobody wants to be an unsuspecting dupe, so you stay on guard—and being forever alert is tiring.
There is a place of rest you can have as you shoulder the oversight of tasks that are not your own, for the Lord says in Proverbs 2:7, 8, “God holds victory in store for the upright; He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.”
He’s saying in essence, ‘I’ve got your back.’ You, therefore, can abide in the confidence of knowing you needn’t keep your finger on the pulse of every task of everyone around you. God will assure that you are protected from the consequences of their oversights, for as II Chronicles 29:17 says, “…God…(is) pleased with integrity.”
Monday, October 31, 2011
Power Outage
October31
October 29, 2011, was a very challenging day. It began like an ordinary Saturday. Fresh coffee was brewing in the kitchen, the weekend edition of the newspaper had arrived, preparation was being made for doing the ordinary Saturday errands. When the weather report forecast snow—4 to 8 inches—it seemed unusual for the time of year, but nothing that triggered concern.
The forecaster did say it would be wet snow and it would weigh heavily upon the trees because they were still leaf-covered. This condition, in turn, might trigger power outages. Still no concern.
As the snow fell, the beauty of it became apparent. There is little that compares to the majesty of newly-fallen snow. The dingy, rain-marred leaves had not acquired their usual Autumn splendor because of the amount of rain and corresponding lack of sun, so the pristine white robe of snow draped over the countryside was exquisite to behold.
When the power went out, it wasn’t an immediate cause for concern. ‘They’ had said it might do just that. The temperature, mercifully, wasn’t all that cold—just at the point required for rain to take on the frozen attribute of snow. As time passed without restoration of electricity, we took on more clothing—and it was still OK.
In a home that’s totally electric, not only is there no heat but there is also a lack of refrigeration and running water. There’s no ability to make hot coffee (or hot coco for the children) and certainly, no way to flush the toilet more than once. So, care is exercised to bundle a little more and be discretionary about the use of ‘the facilities.’
As the weary day draws on, it becomes apparent that there’s not going to be a quick solution to the problem. The power may be out, according to the representative who was finally reached after a half hour of waiting on the line, until nightfall or perhaps into the next day…
A minor inconvenience has become a major concern as cold becomes more pervasive and the symptoms of coming down with a cold as a result of prolonged exposure to even this minimally cold afternoon and evening become more obvious. More bundling—a fleece and stocking cap are donned.
Discomfort makes one realize how dependent one is upon the modern creature comforts that are taken so much for granted on an ordinary day. When the power comes on after over twelve hours of enduring the elements without said modern comforts, the chill is a long time in dissipating. The fleece and stocking cap are worn to bed and the heaviest quilt doesn’t seem quite warm enough.
Perhaps more disconcerting than the lack of electrical power is the lack of spiritual power discovered at this juncture. It didn’t take long to begin to begin to wonder where God was and why HE wasn’t enabling the power company to bring a quick resolution to the problem. Perhaps the great lesson of the day was not how frail I am without electricity, but how frail I am in the inner man—and how desperately I need an infusion of Holy Spirit power to help me overcome the desperate plight that overtakes me when my spiritual power line is shaken.
We may be unaware of it, but we have a high calling in Christ. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Not only do we bear a physical likeness to Him (Genesis 2:26), but here we are told that we were created in Christ to do good.
Jesus went around doing good. A large part of His earthly ministry was the good that He did in order to reveal the heart of God to errant man. Jesus never wasted a moment in a negative pursuit. He did not break the commandments in letter or in spirit and He did not incite others to do so.
He did not compel those who followed Him to give their substance to Him or to lay down their lives in battle in His behalf. He desired only that a man recognize the contrast between the temporal and the eternal, so, with the understanding of the vast gulf between the two, each man who willed to do so could choose the eternal (see Luke 18:18-30).
Jesus desired that, as Paul stated in Colossians 3:12, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved (we would) clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” If we allow Him to dress us in these fine garments of Heaven, we can be sure we will look like Christ before the eyes of a skeptical and unbelieving world—something I failed to do during my personal 'power outage' on October 29.
October 29, 2011, was a very challenging day. It began like an ordinary Saturday. Fresh coffee was brewing in the kitchen, the weekend edition of the newspaper had arrived, preparation was being made for doing the ordinary Saturday errands. When the weather report forecast snow—4 to 8 inches—it seemed unusual for the time of year, but nothing that triggered concern.
The forecaster did say it would be wet snow and it would weigh heavily upon the trees because they were still leaf-covered. This condition, in turn, might trigger power outages. Still no concern.
As the snow fell, the beauty of it became apparent. There is little that compares to the majesty of newly-fallen snow. The dingy, rain-marred leaves had not acquired their usual Autumn splendor because of the amount of rain and corresponding lack of sun, so the pristine white robe of snow draped over the countryside was exquisite to behold.
When the power went out, it wasn’t an immediate cause for concern. ‘They’ had said it might do just that. The temperature, mercifully, wasn’t all that cold—just at the point required for rain to take on the frozen attribute of snow. As time passed without restoration of electricity, we took on more clothing—and it was still OK.
In a home that’s totally electric, not only is there no heat but there is also a lack of refrigeration and running water. There’s no ability to make hot coffee (or hot coco for the children) and certainly, no way to flush the toilet more than once. So, care is exercised to bundle a little more and be discretionary about the use of ‘the facilities.’
As the weary day draws on, it becomes apparent that there’s not going to be a quick solution to the problem. The power may be out, according to the representative who was finally reached after a half hour of waiting on the line, until nightfall or perhaps into the next day…
A minor inconvenience has become a major concern as cold becomes more pervasive and the symptoms of coming down with a cold as a result of prolonged exposure to even this minimally cold afternoon and evening become more obvious. More bundling—a fleece and stocking cap are donned.
Discomfort makes one realize how dependent one is upon the modern creature comforts that are taken so much for granted on an ordinary day. When the power comes on after over twelve hours of enduring the elements without said modern comforts, the chill is a long time in dissipating. The fleece and stocking cap are worn to bed and the heaviest quilt doesn’t seem quite warm enough.
Perhaps more disconcerting than the lack of electrical power is the lack of spiritual power discovered at this juncture. It didn’t take long to begin to begin to wonder where God was and why HE wasn’t enabling the power company to bring a quick resolution to the problem. Perhaps the great lesson of the day was not how frail I am without electricity, but how frail I am in the inner man—and how desperately I need an infusion of Holy Spirit power to help me overcome the desperate plight that overtakes me when my spiritual power line is shaken.
We may be unaware of it, but we have a high calling in Christ. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Not only do we bear a physical likeness to Him (Genesis 2:26), but here we are told that we were created in Christ to do good.
Jesus went around doing good. A large part of His earthly ministry was the good that He did in order to reveal the heart of God to errant man. Jesus never wasted a moment in a negative pursuit. He did not break the commandments in letter or in spirit and He did not incite others to do so.
He did not compel those who followed Him to give their substance to Him or to lay down their lives in battle in His behalf. He desired only that a man recognize the contrast between the temporal and the eternal, so, with the understanding of the vast gulf between the two, each man who willed to do so could choose the eternal (see Luke 18:18-30).
Jesus desired that, as Paul stated in Colossians 3:12, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved (we would) clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” If we allow Him to dress us in these fine garments of Heaven, we can be sure we will look like Christ before the eyes of a skeptical and unbelieving world—something I failed to do during my personal 'power outage' on October 29.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Marked
October 30
Marked for Christ. That sounds reminiscent of what was done to slaves in a by-gone era when one man’s servitude to another was accepted as a reasonable and common practice; it does not resonate to the modern ear. We know that some forms of slavery still exist, but those kinds of bondage do not include physically marking the slave.
Some today may be slaves to their employment, sacrificing many hours each day beyond those spent in the office. Some people are slaves to fashion, squandering their substance upon the latest designer offering. Some are slaves to passion, selling their souls for a moment of guilty pleasure.
None of these leave a mark—except upon the heart of the slave. And that’s where Jesus places His mark. He puts it there, upon the heart of the sinner, thereby covering forever the cruel impression that sin stamped upon the un-surrendered heart of the one who cut innocence and peace out of his life every time he embraced sin to himself.
But Ephesians 1:13 tells us that, “You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” His mark, the Holy Spirit, does not inflict a scar! His Spirit brings power to pull down destructive strongholds, to erase every scar left by sin!
Marked for Christ. That sounds reminiscent of what was done to slaves in a by-gone era when one man’s servitude to another was accepted as a reasonable and common practice; it does not resonate to the modern ear. We know that some forms of slavery still exist, but those kinds of bondage do not include physically marking the slave.
Some today may be slaves to their employment, sacrificing many hours each day beyond those spent in the office. Some people are slaves to fashion, squandering their substance upon the latest designer offering. Some are slaves to passion, selling their souls for a moment of guilty pleasure.
None of these leave a mark—except upon the heart of the slave. And that’s where Jesus places His mark. He puts it there, upon the heart of the sinner, thereby covering forever the cruel impression that sin stamped upon the un-surrendered heart of the one who cut innocence and peace out of his life every time he embraced sin to himself.
But Ephesians 1:13 tells us that, “You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” His mark, the Holy Spirit, does not inflict a scar! His Spirit brings power to pull down destructive strongholds, to erase every scar left by sin!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Do We?
October 29
How do we define worship? How should we define worship? Many of us attend church on Sunday morning, sing a few hymns, struggle to stay awake through a sermon, drop a buck or two into the collection plate and think we’ve fulfilled our obligation to worship the Almighty God who made us and who sustains us.
But, have we worshiped Him? What if real worship entails more than our mere presence in a house designated for that purpose, and requires more of us than our brief attention to a few words designed to strengthen our faith, and costs more than a few paltry dollars donated from our ‘wellspring’ of generosity?
If it’s indeed more than the sum total of the above, have we missed it? Have we deluded ourselves into believing that we’re stalwarts of the faith who are complying with one of the most difficult of His requirements, found in Malachi 3:10, “Bring the tithe into the storehouse…,” when in actuality we’re going through the motions without any commitment to real worship?
One person can’t answer those questions for another, but perhaps the Word itself gives some insight. In Psalm 95:6, 7 we are told, “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture…” Have we bowed our hearts before Him? Have we knelt in awe of who He is? Do we weep at the magnitude of His grace, mercy and love? Have we? Do we?
How do we define worship? How should we define worship? Many of us attend church on Sunday morning, sing a few hymns, struggle to stay awake through a sermon, drop a buck or two into the collection plate and think we’ve fulfilled our obligation to worship the Almighty God who made us and who sustains us.
But, have we worshiped Him? What if real worship entails more than our mere presence in a house designated for that purpose, and requires more of us than our brief attention to a few words designed to strengthen our faith, and costs more than a few paltry dollars donated from our ‘wellspring’ of generosity?
If it’s indeed more than the sum total of the above, have we missed it? Have we deluded ourselves into believing that we’re stalwarts of the faith who are complying with one of the most difficult of His requirements, found in Malachi 3:10, “Bring the tithe into the storehouse…,” when in actuality we’re going through the motions without any commitment to real worship?
One person can’t answer those questions for another, but perhaps the Word itself gives some insight. In Psalm 95:6, 7 we are told, “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture…” Have we bowed our hearts before Him? Have we knelt in awe of who He is? Do we weep at the magnitude of His grace, mercy and love? Have we? Do we?
Friday, October 28, 2011
Out of Darkness
October 28
God goes to great length in His Word to substantiate for us exactly who we are in His eyes. In Psalm 100:3, David says, “Know that the Lord is God. It is He who has made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Because we are the work of His hands, He cares for us (I Peter 5:7).
This knowledge should supersede any other opinion that anyone else may have regarding us. It shouldn’t matter if our employer thinks we’re unworthy of promotion. It shouldn’t matter if our friends think we’re dull company. It shouldn’t matter if our spouse thinks we’re beginning to show our age. God says we’re His.
In I Samuel 12:22 the prophet says, “For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people; the Lord was pleased to make you His own.” An employer might limit our opportunities for advancement, our friends may ruin our social life, our spouse may not validate us as we would like—but God has made us His own!
Just what does that mean? Peter, the impetuous apostle spells it out for us in chapter 2, verse 9 of his first epistle, which says, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” All this—and we walk in the light of His glory!
God goes to great length in His Word to substantiate for us exactly who we are in His eyes. In Psalm 100:3, David says, “Know that the Lord is God. It is He who has made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Because we are the work of His hands, He cares for us (I Peter 5:7).
This knowledge should supersede any other opinion that anyone else may have regarding us. It shouldn’t matter if our employer thinks we’re unworthy of promotion. It shouldn’t matter if our friends think we’re dull company. It shouldn’t matter if our spouse thinks we’re beginning to show our age. God says we’re His.
In I Samuel 12:22 the prophet says, “For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people; the Lord was pleased to make you His own.” An employer might limit our opportunities for advancement, our friends may ruin our social life, our spouse may not validate us as we would like—but God has made us His own!
Just what does that mean? Peter, the impetuous apostle spells it out for us in chapter 2, verse 9 of his first epistle, which says, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” All this—and we walk in the light of His glory!
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