No Separation

Rom. 8:38

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

What kind of love is this! In a culture where love is fleeting and unfaithful, it is unbelievable to be able to possess a love that lasts forever! But Jesus has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us, and not only that, but His presence with us will never be devoid of His love. The very next verse speaks of being killed as sheep to the slaughter. How does that fit into this context of love? Thankfully, His love transcends the afflictions and persecutions of this life. It is the anchor of our soul that keeps us focusing heavenward even in the midst of terrible times. And will there be terrible times? Yes, but the point of His love is that it is with us through the terrible times that comprise this life. To answer this important question, Paul declares, No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. How can we be more than conquerors? His love not only helps us endure the hard times and vanquish the enemy of our soul, but it also helps us rise above the earthly situation to live in the power and the grace of God. We are more than conquerors because we have new life in Christ, the indwelling Spirit, and the hope of eternity in the presence of God! So much to live for beyond the paltry offerings of this world! What love is this!

Father,

Thank You for the promise of this great love and for the reality of it every day. Keep my eyes focused on You and my heart seeking Your grace and power.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Lord Looks on the Heart

I Sam. 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

After Saul was rejected by God, Samuel was sent by God to fill his horn with oil and go to the sons of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. It was in this family that He would chose a king. When Samuel arrived, he looked on Jesse's sons and thought the logical choice would be Eliab. How kingly he must have looked! Yet, the initial look can be deceiving since appearance and character are often vastly different. At this point God spoke to Samuel reminding him that He doesn't choose by appearance or height, (Remember Saul) but instead looks on the heart. Soon all the sons gathered there had passed by and still God had not chosen one. After questioning Jesse, Samuel discovered there was a younger son who was tending the sheep, a son that Jesse obviously did not feel was worthy of consideration since he was left in the fields. But, he was brought in and brought before the Lord. He was young, ruddy, handsome, and had beautiful eyes, but best of all, he was God's choice. Samuel took the oil and anointed him and the Spirit of the Lord rushed on him from that day forward. David's life would be forever changed because he was chosen by God!

God's choice was different than Samuel or Jesse expected. Perhaps this is why I should seek God in all my choices. If even a priest and a father can not discern, then certainly I can't. God's choice depends totally on the area of the life that is not seen by other people and on His sovereign will and purpose. He knows not only the heart but the plan and purpose for the life. What is my heart like? Is it focused totally on loving and serving God, or it is concerned with how I look to others?

Father,
Reveal to me the issues of my own heart so that I might be true to You and Your words. Teach me to make choices only after seeking You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Obedience

I Sam. 15:22

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Saul was instructed to go and destroy the Amalekites, all the men, women, children, and animals. He organized the people, and they went to take out this evil nation. But Saul and the people spared king Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, lambs, and all that was good. However, all that was despised and worthless they destroyed. Where was the obedience in this? Saul claimed to have obeyed what the Lord commanded.  How did he view this as obedience? Was he deceived by his own heart, or was rebellion so ingrained that he couldn't see it?

To expose the heart of the matter, Samuel replied, What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear? But Saul had a ready answer explaining that he and the people kept these things to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Samuel simply stated that God does not delight in man-made sacrifices as much as He does in obedience. In fact, rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Disobedience can never be rationalized as something good, it is always disobedience and rebellion! God does not desire my interpretation of the matter or what I think might be a better course of action, He only and always wants obedience to His word!

What was the consequence for Saul's rebellious heart and actions? He was rejected from being king of Israel. Even though Saul admitted his sin to Samuel and begged to worship the Lord, It did not change the outcome. His sin had set the course of his life. Finally, Samuel had to do what Saul should have done. He cut Agag in many pieces as God had commanded.  Even though Samuel and Saul parted ways after this incident until the day of his death, Samuel and the Lord were both grieved over Saul. How tragic and yet how understandable! Man loves to improvise on God's word, to reinterpret, to make it culturally acceptable. Yet, none of those responses will hold water with God. In God's eyes, obedience to His word is the only response!!

Father,

Give me Your grace and strength to obey Your words. Reveal to me when I try and put my own spin on what You desire in my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Grace Abounded

Rom. 5:20

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin came through Adam to all men spreading feverishly and bringing condemnation. But Jesus came to conquer this sin and its resulting death and condemnation. What He offered was a free gift, and the free gift of grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. This gift cancelled the condemnation and in its place brought justification. Similar to death reigning in men because of one man's sin, so grace and the free gift of righteousness reigns through one God-man Jesus. Through Adam many were made sinners, but through Jesus many are made righteous. Even as sin increased in men, grace abounded all the more. It would never run out or be used up. Grace reigns through righteousness and leads to eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Adam...disobedience...sin...condemnation...death
Jesus...obedience...grace...justification...righteousness...life

Father,
Thank You for Jesus and the gift of this great abounding grace and salvation. Thank You for sending Your Son to take my place and pay the penalty for my sin.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Be Exalted, O God

Ps. 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!

How is God exalted? What can I do to exalt God to the degree that He should be exalted? David demonstrated practically how to exalt God in Ps. 57. First, he cried out for mercy. Be merciful, to me, O God. God desires that man should be totally dependent on him because in his dependence, he is declaring God's sovereign power and majesty. God wants to be my all, my refuge til the storms of destruction pass by. Man's propensity for control and mastery are heinous to God, and in essence, steal His glory. When I am most dependent, I am exalting Him the most. How simple yet how very difficult!

Secondly, David cried out to God for all that he needed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. In David's cry he not only declared his helplessness, but he also acknowledged God's sovereign power and purpose. Who better to ask for help than the One who put all the details of life in motion. He knew that God would send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness to Him. His personal trust in God had impacted his life practically. He was living in the reality of God's sovereign power and purpose. When I live in this same reality, I am glorifying Him.

Thirdly, David's heart was faithful to God. My heart is steadfast, O God. His trust in God was unfailing. He was not double minded in his thinking or in his affections. Whatever he was to receive from the hand of God was what he desired for his life. This steadfastness brought glory to God. As Paul said, For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak than I am strong. How wonderful is a heart that trust unfailingly and completely in God! How God delights in such obedience!

Fourthly, David lifted his voice in song and instrumentation. I will sing and make melody...Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. As a natural outpouring of what his heart felt, he sang and played. Music was a vital part of his worship and exalted his God. In this visible manifestation, he was able to praise God and share this praise with others.

Finally, he was thankful. I will give thanks to You, O God. He gave thanks in prayer and in praise before the nations. He acknowledged God to all who came into his life. His life's mission was to declare His God among the nations, to be known as a man after God's own heart. He ends the psalm with the same words, Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! What a powerful psalm! How does my life exalt God? Am I practically living in the reality of a soverign God? Am I thankfully praising God in my words, my actions, and my music?

Father,
Help me live practically in Your soverign power. Reveal it to me when I try and steal Your power and glory. Open my heart up in praise to You alone.
In Jesus name,
Amen

In God I Trust

Ps. 56:3-4

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust,; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Trust in God does not necessarily negate fear as in David' case when the enemy was pursuing him. Fear is an ever present enemy that attacks constantly. But with God, my fear now drives me to God instead of defeating me. So when fear attacks me, it is a signal fire lighting my way to the One who can drive away fear. But how does this trust grow? Is it only through fearing? No, trust grows by praising His word, and to praise His word, I would have to be in His word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Secondly trust grows by realizing who God is, the sovereign God whose plan and purpose controls all the actions of the universe, of men and of nature. So I can say with David, what can flesh do to me? What can man do to me apart from God's plan and purpose? The answer is nothing!! What a load off! Thirdly, I can be confident in my God. This I know that God is for me. He has promised all things are for my good. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. That promise alone takes the wind out of the fear. No wonder David repeated these words later in the psalm. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? What great verses to memorize to use in my battle with fear! What great verses to memorize to praise His word!

Father,
Thank You for being in control of my life and for giving me Your fear-defeating words. Plant them deep in my heart.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Betrayed by a Friend

Ps 55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you:He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

David is deeply grieved and afraid because his enemy had become someone he trusted, someone who was close to him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng. How devastated David was! How devastating for anyone to be betrayed by someone close, a companion and confidante, a spiritual brother, someone who had shared the intimacies of the Spirit! What pain! What betrayal! Yet this is a fairly common occurrence. So the question is what to do? How should a situation like this be handled? Withdrawal? Revenge?  No those are the responses of the flesh, the wounded flesh, but David's actions and words demonstrate the responses of the Spirit. First, he went immediately and continually to God.  Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice.  Instead of dwelling in the land of depression, regret, and self-pity, David poured out his soul, all the hurt, the agony, and the moaning. He knew that God would redeem him and protect him from those who were out for him because his enemy did not honor or fear God. In fact his enemy was the enemy of God.

David could see clearly now the tactics of his betrayer. He had broken his covenant, his word. What he had said was not in sync with what he had done. His speech was smooth as butter (saying anything to accomplish his plan), but in his heart was war. This man was duplicitous. In essence his words were softer than oil, but in truth they were drawn swords. Even when David realized all these things, he was helpless to change the situation. His only recourse was to go to God. And that is what he did! Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved...But I will trust in You. What great resolve! No matter how devastating the situation or relationship, trust in Him. God is not surprised by any enemy. He knows full well their methods and  motives. No man, enemies included, does anything apart from the sovereign plan and purpose of God. Who better to trust than the One who has set it all in motion? Like David, I must trust in Him for whatever comes into my life.

Father,
Build my trust. Help me see Your sovereign hand in every detail of my life, the good and the bad.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Wayward Sons

I Sam. 8:3
Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel, but his sons did not share the same vision. They were in the position for personal gain. What was the problem? Why would his sons be so very different than he was? Since the position of judge was not an hereditary position, was Samuel wrong in appointing his sons? Even if they were not to be judges, would that necessarily mean that they would be unscrupulous? Why this penchant for evil? So hard to understand how a child can go such a different way than the parents! Did Samuel not take enough time to shepherd their hearts and develop in them a love for God, or were their hearts just wayward from the get go? Certainly, God is sovereign over drawing whoever He wills to Him, yet how hard for parents. What a warning to parents to spend time with their children teaching them and shepherding their hearts!

Father,
Teach me to be the godly mother and grandmother that I should be so that I can minister to the hearts of the children You have placed in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Green for God

Ps. 52:8

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

What is the meaning of the image of a green olive tree? Jer. 11:16 says  The LORD once called you 'a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.'  Also, this tree is planted in the house of the Lord which reminds me of Ps. 92:12-15 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is not unrighteousness in Him. Now the image has expanded to include flourishing. God's plan for those who dwell in His house includes being fruitful and flourishing. When I trust in His steadfast love, then the result is that I am abiding in Him which encompasses living a life that is fruitful and flourishing, full of sap and green. Even though my physical body ages, my spirit is young, vibrant, and full of everything that it needs to produce fruit. My spirit never becomes a tree that needs to be cut down and burned. It will never lose its productiveness because my fruit is not from my flesh, but is Spirit-grown. How encouraging! As I age and deal with issues of aging, I don't have to fear becoming useless for God. No matter how old I am, I will be fruitful, full of sap and green. What is the key to this kind of life? Abiding ... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. How glorious is His steadfast love!

Father,
Keep me abiding in You so that I am fruitful, green and full of sap continuously. Help me declare Your love and grace to all those in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Broken Bones

Ps. 51:8

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice.

David's heart was broken on many levels. First, he had to deal with his own sin, a sin that had grown into epic proportions. There was nothing left for him to do but to cry out for mercy and cleansing since he knew that he had broken trust with the God that he loved all to satisfy his own foolish fleshly desires. He needed the purging and cleansing of God no matter how painful. And painful it was! Broken bones!

David cried out for joy in spite of the pain (the broken bones of his spirit and soul). Even though he knew God had broken those bones, he did not question or accuse God for the discipline, but instead asked for his joy to be restored. His one desire was to see the face of God again with a clean heart and a renewed spirit. As his spiritual eyes were opened, he wanted no more of sin and its power. He saw clearly the disparity between what the flesh offered and what God offered. The joy of his salvation must be restored!

The end result to his restoration was declaring God's goodness to others. His lips would pour forth in praise the truth of what God truly desired: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. What a journey! What amazing grace and mercy!

Father,
Reveal to me whatever dampens my joy in You. Help me to keep broken and contrite accepting Your will at all times even when it is painful.
In Jesus name,
Amen

The Charge

Ps. 50:21

These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

There is the problem in a nutshell. Man thinks that God is like he is. He tries to remake the majesty and power of God over into something small and insignificant so that he can do his own will. But God is vastly different than man in so many ways

• God speaks and summons the earth. (Controls all of nature)
• He is a devouring fire and a mighty tempest. (Speaks through uncontrollable nature, the one thing man cannot control)
• He judges his people for He is the judge. (He alone is worthy to judge)
• The heavens declare His righteousness. (Nature supports His sovereign power and plan)
• Every beast of the field is His and the cattle on a thousand hills. (Owns all by right of creation)
• He knows the birds and all that moves in the field. (Intimate knowledge of all creation)
• The world and its fullness are His. (He is the sovereign Lord, King, Creator, and Ruler)

What man can make all these claims? None, yet man claims to have the power over God. But in God's eyes, man is sadly lacking, sinful, and wicked. Man apart from God is ruled by his flesh and his selfishness.

• He hates discipline. (Does whatever and whenever He wants)
• He casts aside God's words.(Irreverent and evil)
• He is pleased with thievery and adulterers. (Without morals)
• His mouth speaks evil freely.(says whatever suits his purpose)
• His tongue frames deceit. (No truth or ethics of truth)
• He speaks against his brother and slanders his mother. (No family loyalty)

Still God requires certain things of men who loves Him, and if these things are not obeyed then judgment follows. Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

• Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
• Perform your vows to the Lord.
• Call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver.
• Glorify Him.
• Listen and He will speak.
• Order Your way rightly.

The choice is simple, salvation by God for listening and obeying or destruction without deliverance for those who persist in their own evil way.

Father,
Thank You for softening my heart to listen and obey You. Keep me walking ever beside You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

None like the Lord

I Sam. 2:2

There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

Hannah delighted in God who had answered her prayer for a son. In her praise, she rejoiced in His sovereign power, His holiness, His strength (rock), His knowledge, and His justice (weighs the actions). She knew He was the One who gave and took life, who gave riches and reduced to poverty, and who exalted some and brought others low. What a depth of theology was in her prayer! How she understood the power of God! But the truly wonderful thing is that her theology went far beyond just knowledge. It came from her heart and from her life. What she had lived and endured shaped her beliefs and her praise. She was the faithful one whose feet had been guarded by God. 

Father,
Teach me to know and understand Your sovereignty in my daily life. Open my eyes that I may see You clearly in all that You do.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Great is the Lord

Ps. 48:1-3

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great king. Within her citadels God has made Himself a fortress.

Jerusalem is great because God dwells in it making it His holy mountain, a city which God has established forever. It is the place where God's temple is and where worship and praise are the cornerstone of human existence. As Ps. 84 says, For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. [Is it the cornerstone of my existence?] Wherever God's name is, praise must resonate from the hearts of man. [Does is resonate from my heart constantly?] In Jerusalem, the joy of the whole earth, praise for a God who lives eternally must fill the air. Amazingly, God has not only chosen a city, but He has chosen a people to praise Him. I am one of His chosen people who praises an eternal God for giving me eternal life and giving me an eternal home. Great is my God!

Father,
You are greatly to be praised! You have made me life complete and have given me a joy beyond expression. Teach me to praise You more and to see Your hand in all of life.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Fearing Him

Ps 47:1-2

Clap you hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.

The title, the Lord, the Most High, is a title of extreme authority and honor, one belonging to a God like no other, a God who is the king over all the earth. Wow! Such a title as this should bring fear to the hearts of men because it exposes the powerlessness of lesser gods and emphasizes the great gulf between God's perfection and human weakness. But what exactly is this fear of God? At first thought fear seems to speak of a negative response saying that God would somehow bring harm or destruction to people. But if fearing Him were this way then why clapping and shouting, why singing songs of joy? No, fearing God means revering Him for all He is, His power as well as His steadfast love and His mercy. Fearing God means acknowledging my weakness so that His power can be perfected in it. Fearing Him means declaring my dependence on Him so that His grace and mercy can flow through me. Fearing Him means living my life desiring to bring glory and honor to Him by loving and obeying all His words. Fearing Him means living practically in the light of His sovereign plan and purpose for my life. Fearing Him means having my mind and heart united to His. Fearing Him is not a cause for anxiety or stress; instead it is cause for clapping, shouting, and singing! For when I fear Him, I am His and He is mine.  

Father,

Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Teach me more everyday what it means to fear You and live in the light of Your greatness and glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Refuge and Strength

Ps 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

What are the implications of truly believing that God is my refuge and strength? It means that I wouldn't worry or fear, that I wouldn't seek help in another area, and that my life would be one of rest and peace. Since a refuge is where I would go when attacked or battered either by disease, stress, relationships, finances, loss of job, problems, heartaches, [any number of things] it means that I could find solace in the presence of God from those things. I could trust the sovereign God who put them in my life and see His hand behind them all. I could rejoice that whatever was in my life was put their by God for my good. So when the heavy things come, I must be still and know that He is God. He will be exalted not only among the nations but in my heart and life. But how, how does my humanity lose its power? Not only is God my refuge but He is also my strength! Amazingly He is not only where I should go in the face of anything that comes into my life, but He also is my strength to get there! What grace is this! It is so fantastic and yet how many times do I muddle along in my misery seeking comfort from things that are really helpless to deal with my problems? How many times is God the last person that I seek? Sadly, too often!

Father,

Teach me to live with You as my refuge and strength. Make me aware of Your sovereign power and plan every minute of my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Commitment to Evil

Acts 23:12-24:9

The Jews had such hatred for Paul that they made a plot to kill him. Not only that but hey made an oath not to eat or drink until the deed was done. Their plan was to have the tribune bring Paul down to the priests as if to question him, but instead 40 men would lay in wait to kill him. As God would have it, the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot and gave warning to Paul who sent him to tell the tribune. The tribune interceded, and their plot was foiled, but their hatred was unabated. When evil has hold of a person, the truth is heinous! What they started with Jesus, they wanted to continue with His disciples! But did this stop Paul or the disciples? No, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. Where was God in all this? What did He tell Paul? Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem so you must testify also in Rome. God was using the hostility and the hatred of the Jews for His own purpose. It would be instrumental in moving Paul to Rome and in spreading the gospel.

Father,
Give me this boldness to speak Your words. Help me to stand strong for You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

My Boast

Ps. 44:8

In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to Your name forever.

Whether or not to boast in self or God shouldn't be a huge issue, and yet it is. Man's pride is so strong that he constantly thinks he is boast-worthy, but God says specifically what not to boast about.

• Prov. 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. How true! Yet how often do we boast about what will happen tomorrow or what we have planned as we have control over the outcome of even the next minute.
• Jer. 9:23-23 Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. These verses pretty much cover the substance of human boasting: wisdom, strength, and riches. All of these things man foolishly thinks that he has achieved on his own merit. Wisdom can disappear in a flash with Alzheimer's, mental illness, or even just faulty information or personal bias. Strength can be even more fleeting with injury, illness, lack of training, foolish decisions or nutrition. One need only look at history to see how fleeting riches are. Even though man is aware of the temporary nature of these things, he still claims ownership of them. And in that ownership comes pride and boasting. So foolish!

But what does God say is worthy of boasting?

• Ps. 34:2 My soul makes it boast in the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Why? Essentially because it is the Lord who is responsible for wisdom, strength, and riches. It is the Lord who determines the course of the next minute as well as tomorrow. It is the Lord who has planned and purposed every minute of human existence. Not acknowledging His power and purpose is purely foolish!
• I Cor. 1:31 So that, as it written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. The Lord in His gracious love saved me and sanctified me. He will come back for me to take me home with Him. What is more important than my eternal salvation? That should be the substance of my boasting not anything temporal or fleeting.
• II Cor. 12:9 But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. My salvation is through His grace and every moment of my life is through His grace alone. In my own wisdom, strength, or riches, I am nothing. So Paul states the issue clearly. Because all this is true and because His power is perfected in weakness, I will boast in my weakness. Because when I am weak, then I am filled with His grace and His power rests upon me. How glorious is that!
• Gal. 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. My boast can only be in the cross. It is in the cross that I have my being, my purpose, my meaning, my life, and my existence. It is in the cross that I live in the resurrected power of Jesus.

So what is my boast? Nothing I do, but as the psalmist says, I will give thanks to His name for all that He has blessed me with, the pain, the suffering, the bad times, and the good times. All that He gives me is for my good. He is my boast and can only be my boast!

Father,
Keep me ever aware of Your power and presence in my life. Reveal it to me when I boast in myself.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Send Your Light and Truth

Ps. 43:3-4

Send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise You with the lyre , O God, my God.

Ps. 43 seems to continue the depression of Ps. 42. In this psalm the psalmist felt forgotten and rejected by God. He was questioning his own emotional state and his oppression by the enemy. Perhaps he was not accepting his life as God had ordained it. But yet in this bad time of personal misery, he knew enough to ask God to send His light and truth. He wanted to be led back to God's dwelling and to His altar. He wanted to praise God as His joy, a joy he sorely needed. Even though he definitely wanted to be rid of the depression, the depression had a strong hold on him! In the last verse of the psalm he said, Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Even with the knowledge of God as His help, he was plagued by these negative feelings. Yet, he ended the psalm with hope, the same hope that ended Ps. 43. Hope in God; for I shall again praise HIm, my salvation and my God. He would again praise God! He could hope in the character and the truth of His God. I too can hope in the character and the truth of my God. When the dark days come, and they will, God will be my joy and my hope.

Father,

Keep me living in the truth of who You are. Let me never forget that You are my joy and my salvation. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Despair to Hope

Ps. 42:1-2

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

In life's desert times, the psalmist cried out to God for the divine water that would sustain his life. Without it, his life was threatened. In essence, he was the deer deprived of water, a water that only God would supply, and he knew that spiritual dehydration was not far away. He was so downcast that his tears had become his food as he was mocked by his enemies. Although he could remember better times, times when he rejoiced leading the festival to the house of God, his hope had now vanished. Why such a bleak picture? If he could remember those better times, couldn't he remember what was true about God?

The psalmist did just that. In the midst of his despair, he began a dialogue with himself. His first words were: Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.  He went on to acknowledge his depression and to remember what God had down earlier in his life. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. Still the problem haunted him. He cried out why, why God, and as if that were not bad enough, his enemies taunted him. They were a deadly wound in his bones! But then there was a subtle change. His questioning turned from God to himself. Why are you cast down oh my soul? At the point where he could see the problem within himself, his own sin, he cried to the One who could solve the problem. Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.   

Father,

Keep my eyes focused on You, my hope. Help me not to indulge despair and self-pity, but to remember what is true about You and cling to Your glorious words.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Blessed of the Lord

Job 42:12

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.

What about the trial? Where was its origins? In 42:11 it says, And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. God is sovereign and ultimately everything that happens is from Him, the good and the bad. That is really hard to grasp!! Why would He bring evil? What purpose would it serve? Perhaps, God wanted him to trust Him regardless of the nature of the trial and even if he didn't understand it. [The same goes for me!] Perhaps He wanted him to trust Him realizing that he would never understand it and that he didn't need to understand it. [The same goes for me!]  Perhaps all he needed to do was value  and worship God resting in the fact that everything in his life was not the fruit of his own work but was from God who had blessed him.[The same goes for me!] Since He has promised that all He sends is for my ultimate good, then I don't have to stress. Was Job's trial for his good? Amazingly, he was able to pray for his friends who had spoken falsely of him. That showed great growth. He was also able to see the sovereign power of God in comparison to his own existence. Could his trial have given him the eternal perspective that he needed and revealed his reliance on his own deeds and righteousness?  The last chapter says that God restored his fortune giving him twice as much as before; not only that but he had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He lived 140 more years and died an old man full of days. What can I learn from Job? I need to rest in Him and His sovereign plan for my life. I need to accept in faith whatever He has for me no matter how mind-boggling it might be. I need to value Him and my relationship with Him above every other thing in my life.

Father,
Thank You for Your sovereign plan and for teaching me daily. In each of life's circumstances, draw me back to You and keep my vision on You alone.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Sovereign Power

Job. 38:6-9

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: "Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?  Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?

The whirlwind speaks asking questions that require no answer! When God judges, disciplines, or even questions, He makes the issues clear and without question. He reveals Himself in awesome power, the power of nature which no man can tame. It is this power that He reveals to Job his own soul. Through the cleansing turbulence, God addressed the issue of His sovereignty in comparison to man's weakness. What power does man have? Will he in his arrogance and pride put God in the wrong? Such is the height of ignorance and foolishness! When man's pride is so overblown that it obliterates who God is, then he has a huge problem. He has blinded himself to the true issues. No matter how the circumstances appear from man's point of view, God's point of view is never wrong. His sovereign plan and purpose are always right and are for the good of those who love Him and those whom He loves. Remembering the truth about God in the midst of trials and adversity is the life line for the believer, but dwelling in the land of pity parties and the blame game will defeat his soul.

Father,

Teach me to trust You and Your sovereign plan. Unite my heart to fear Your name that I may walk in Your truth.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

God Was Doing It

Acts 19:11-12

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

The crucial difference was that it was not Paul who was doing the extraordinary things [miracles], but God working in him. Since Paul's heart wholly followed God, he served God in His power and timing and for His glory alone. By way of contrast some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists wanted to exercise that same power. They invoked the name of Jesus over evil spirits saying, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims. The evil spirit within the person answered them saying, Jesus I know and Paul I recognize, but who are you? What a disaster! The evil spirit jumped them overpowering them so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. How revealing! Attempting to use the power of God for one's own glory will never work. The heart and the true motivation must be seeking to glorify God. Could this be a warning for believers as they serve? Are we serving for our own glory, for human praise? Are we in essence taking the glory away from God? As this event became known to all, the name of Jesus was extolled. Many confessed evil practices burning their magic art books (worth around 50,000 thousand pieces of silver). The final result: the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. How powerful is God when He is at work in the heart of someone wholly dedicated to Him!

Father,
Reveal to me my true heart. Keep my eyes off myself and focus them securely on You. Help me to glorify You in all that I do.
In His name,
Amen

If the Lord Wills

Acts 18:21

 But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

The direction of Paul's life and ministry was up to God. Paul knew that God would guide him to the exact location that he needed to be. His plan did not always guarantee lack of problems: in fact, it usually meant more problems including imprisonments, beatings, oppositions, reviling, and hostility. But still, Paul could have peace that his life and journey were in God's sovereign control. He did not have to figure out the logistics and then beat himself up when it didn't turn out right.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Is. 26:3

On one occasion, God's leading took the form of a vision where God spoke to him saying, Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. Paul did preach to this city, and he stayed 18 months teaching the word of God. Yet, when he was at Ephesus, he was asked to stay longer, but he declined saying he would come back if God willed it. At Caesarea, he spent some time and then departed and went from one place to another strengthening the disciples. God leading for him varied but whatever God wanted, he was willing to do. When my spirit is sensitive to God's leading, fear and worry are banished. It is only when I try and take control, then my spirit is troubled. Paul even in the midst of suffering had peace because this is where God had placed him. Oh, to have such peace!

Father,

Continue to teach me to take my hands off the control of my life. Grow my trust in You. Keep me in Your perfect peace as I learn to follow Your lead.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Judges 6:34

But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezites were called out to follow him.

God had called Gideon to save Israel from the enemy. But even after the incident with Baal, he was still fearful.  He told God that if indeed God wanted him to do this, he would lay out a fleece of wool on the threshing floor [the very place that he had previously been hiding]. If the fleece was wet with dew and the ground dry, it would mean God would save Israel by his hand. When Gideon checked the next morning, he was able to wring water out of the fleece. Surely, this gave Gideon reassurance, but no.  He asked God once again to let the fleece be dry with the ground wet. The next morning the fleece was dry, and the ground was wet. God wanted to use Gideon to save Israel!

Gideon went to the spring of Harod where his men were camped. Here, the Lord directed him to allow all those who were fearful to go home [interesting, since Gideon was fearful himself] since there were too many men there for Lord to use. He did not want them to think that their salvation came at their own hand but from the hand of God.  Twenty-Two thousand men returned home. But still too many men! So God commanded him take the remaining men to the brook and watch them drink. Those who lapped like a dog got to stay, but now there were only 300 men. That same night Gideon and his 300 mean went down to the enemy camp because God told him the victory would be his, yet once again God made provision for his fear. Gideon could take Purah his servant with him. So did he take his servant? Yes!! What a strong hold fear has on a person!

The camp was filled with the enemy and their provisions. As he entered the camp, he heard a man telling a dream to his comrade. He had dreamed that a cake of barley tumbled into the camp and struck down a tent completely flat. The comrade told him that this would be Gideon and that God had given the Midianites and their camp into his hand. As soon as Gideon heard this, he worshiped and returned for his 300 men. He divided them into 3 companies and put trumpets and empty jars with torches into their hands. They were to look at Gideon and follow his lead yelling, For the Lord and for Gideon. Sure enough, they blew the trumpets, smashed the jars, and yelled. The enemy army fled in fear and ran, but only to be pursued by Gideon's men. God had won the victory, and He had used fearful Gideon to lead the charge. If God calls, He always enables. How kind God was to Gideon! He must have understood  the power of fear as He worked so gently with him. God's purpose was to show His great power and what better way than through such a fearful man!

Father,

Give me Your courage to speak out and follow Your lead no matter how big the enemy.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Lord is Peace

Judges 6:23

Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, the Lord is peace.

Israel had done evil in the sight of God; and consequently, they had been given over to the Midianites. It was so bad that Israel had to hide themselves in caves and strongholds because whenever they planted crops the invaders would attack decimating the land and devouring the crops. So the Israelites cried out to God, and He provided Gideon.  

The angel of the Lord came to Gideon, a somewhat fearful man who was beating out wheat in the wine press as a means of hiding form the Midianites, saying, The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor. Was Gideon really a man of valor? Perhaps the angel was seeing what he would become in the power of the Lord. As the conversation continued, the angel told him to go and save Israel from the hand of Midian. His immediate response was one of doubt and fear. Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. Sounds defeated from the get go! But the angel persisted saying, I will be with you, you shall strike the Midianites as one man. Surely he was convinced now! But no, he replied, If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. He needed visual confirmation! How like Christians today. God calls us for a task, but we are fearful, afraid to be embarrassed, afraid to be ostracized, and afraid to be defeated. We often are paralyzed and don't even ask for a sign.

When Gideon brought out a young goat and cakes for the angel, he was told to put the gifts on the rock and pour broth over them. With the tip of his staff, the angel touched the gift making fire sprout consuming the meat and the cakes. Now Gideon was sure it was the angel of the Lord! God spoke to him telling him that peace was with him. Do not fear. You will not die. In response, Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it The Lord is peace. Gideon received peace for fear as he trusted in the power of His God. But what was he to do? That night he was to pull down his father's altar to Baal and the Asherah beside it and in its place build an altar to God offering on it a bull. Even after all this he was still afraid. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. What a powerful hold fear had on Gideon! 

As one would expect, the next morning the men of the town were angry that the altar had been destroyed and replaced. They came for Gideon, but his father intervened telling them that if Baal was truly a god, he could fight his own battle against Gideon. On that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar. Gideon survived his first encounter with the enemy, an enemy in his own home town. What a lesson for me! When I am afraid, the Lord is my peace! He is my strength!

Father,

Take fear out of my heart. Give me Your grace and power for the tasks that You call me to do.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

The Jailer's Salvation

Acts 16:30-31

Then he brought them out and said, Sirs. what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.

What a divine appointment! God chose a time when all human hope was gone to work a miracle which would transform a man's life. Paul and Silas had been interfering with the revenue that the owners of the fortune teller was making. These men became so angry that they brought them before the magistrates. As the crowd joined in with the merchants, they all attacked Paul and Silas tearing their garments, beating them with rods, and hitting them repeatedly after which they were arrested, put in stocks, and confined to the inner most part of the prison. What chance did they have to share Jesus now? Every chance that God wanted them to have!! He sent a great earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison. When the jailer awoke, he found the doors open. Thinking his situation was hopeless, he drew his sword to take his own life. Believing the prisoners had escaped, he was surprised to hear Paul's voice. He ran to them and cried out, Sirs. what must I do to be saved? How exciting! The jailer knew immediately what he needed, and he wasted no time in getting the answer. Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and his household. After washing his wounds, he and his household were baptized. Definitely on the fast track! The jailer brought them to his house, fed them, and they all rejoiced together that he had believed in God. The next day the magistrates sent word that Paul and Silas were free to go, but Paul threw a whammy back in their faces! Since Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, he wanted the magistrates to come publicly and release them. What an effect this had on the magistrates! Fear struck their hearts. Indeed they came and released them with an apology and an escort out of the city. How miraculously God worked in this city! His sovereign divine appointments went forward without a hitch! Nothing man could do could alter God's plan and purpose either for salvation or for the preservation of a life. How would I have responded in this situation? Would I have lost all hope? Would I have been praying and singing hymns to God as I was bound in stocks? Is there an extra measure of grace for such a time as this?
Father,
Keep my eyes on You every day and all day. Help me rest in You and Your sovereign power. Give me boldness to share You in every situation of my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen

The Two-Edged Sword

Judges 3:15

Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man.

The Lord had raised up judges for Israel to save them for the nations that plundered them. Even though He had done this, they did not listen to Him and instead chose to whore after other gods turning aside from the ways of their fathers. They were in a cycle of sin involving crying out to God--getting a judge--rejecting God--being plundered by other nations-crying out to God...and going through it all again. What a devastation to them and a heart breaker for God!

Into this cycle of sin, rebellion, and disobedience, God raised up Ehud, a left-handed man. What a interesting fact! Ehud was taking the tribute from the people to Eglon the king of Moab. Before journeying there, he made himself a two-edged sword and hid it on his right thigh under his clothes. After presenting the tribute to Eglon who was a very fat man, he sent all the people away saying he had a secret message for the king. As Eglon was sitting alone in his roof chamber, Ehud told him he had a message from God for him.  Ehud took the sword and thrust it into Eglon's belly hilt and all. The fat closed over the blade, and the dung came out. Yuck! Then Ehud left closing the doors behind him. He escaped because the servants assumed Eglon was relieving himself. Finally, they opened the doors only to find him dead. Ehud had escaped to the hill country where he became the leader of the Israel.

What a story! I find it interesting that Ehud had a two-edged sword to defeat this evil king. Likewise, I have a two-edged sword to fight evil. Similarly, the sword of the Spirit divides the inmost part of a person leaving that person naked and exposed.  Like Ehud, I keep my sword close to my body at all times and ready for action. The sword of the Spirit is also a message from God, a message that if believed and obeyed completely defeats sin.

For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Heb. 4:12-13)

Could it be a parallel? Who knows??  But most assuredly, God will deliver those who cry out to Him. He will equip and empower those who love Him with all that they need to defeat the enemy of their soul.

Father,

As Your words take root in my heart and mind, show me the evil that lies close at hand. Help me defeat it. Keep me true to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Risk

Acts 15:25-26

...it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What if this were the criteria to serve Jesus today? What if men were chosen for a task because they had risked their lives for Jesus? Who would be chosen? Sadly, very, very few, if any...Why is this? Is Jesus the same Jesus today as He was then? Is the power of the Spirit the same today as it was then? After having read only 15 chapters of Acts, I do see a much different power and fervor in the lives of the disciples. Perhaps in this time, when the church was being formed, the power was needed in greater measure, but at the same time, perhaps in my time and culture the power is less because the hearts are dulled with the allure of the world. I see in these people an abandon for Jesus, a throwing away of all that is worldly, and a complete preoccupation with the cause of Christ. What is my heart's preoccupation? What makes me passionate? Am I ready and willing to risk my life for the sake of Jesus? Hard questions...

Father,

Reveal my heart to me. Help me see clearly what You desire in my life. Give me a passion and a fervor for the souls of others and the spread of Your gospel.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A Yoke on the Neck

Acts 15:10
Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

Into the passion of salvation by grace came the intermixing of works in the form of circumcision. Certain men were teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation, and this teaching did not set well with the Paul, Peter, and the rest of the group. A debate ensued! In fact, they traveled to Jerusalem to consider the matter. Peter spoke at the gathering up saying that it is God that knows the heart of each man, and furthermore, He gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit, and in this giving, He made no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. As Peter explained they were putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, a yoke that was unbearable. His final conclusion was: we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will!  That was the end of the matter. Salvation is by grace alone through faith. It is the gift of God. It involves nothing that man does.

How quickly the works theology came into the mix! Strangely, there is something about the nature of man that wants to do something, that wants to feel like his input has value and is necessary. But  salvation has nothing to do with man. It has to do with God. In fact, salvation comes in knowing that I am poor in spirit and have nothing to bring to God to make me worthy. Salvation comes in my knowing that Jesus is my worthiness. He is all that I need. So when any works theology tries to creep into my relationship with God, I must realize that this is a yoke on my neck, that this is putting God to the test. In essence it is saying that His gift of salvation was not sufficient, and I need to add something to it. Grace would not be grace if I needed to add anything to it. Grace is God's gift to me, a gift that saves and sanctifies.

Father,
Thank You for this great gift of grace. Keep my eyes open to any human works that might creep into my spiritual life. Keep me free of yokes of my own making.
In Jesus name,
Amen