Suffering unjustly

1 Pet. 2:19-20

For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

 

How hard is this! It's bad enough to suffer when I deserve it, but to suffer unjustly without complaining is a God-thing! How else except through grace! Perhaps that is why it is called a gracious thing.

 

I think back to David in the Psalms. When he suffered unjustly, he cried out to God for deliverance and for the heavy to come down on his persecutors. Yet he endured  and trusted in what God had for him. What about Daniel spending the night with the lions? How did Daniel pray? It doesn't say, but the next morning Daniel told the king that God had sent angels to shut the mouths of the lions.They did not hurt him because he was found blameless before God. Daniel trusted in God implicitly. Whether he was delivered or not didn't matter, his trust was securely in God.

 

Then I think of Mary when the angel came to her telling her of the birth of Jesus. How hard to understand! How hard to live out the reality! She was a young unmarried woman who was pregnant with the Son of God. Who would believe that? Yet her immediate response was, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. Finally I think of Jesus, her son. He was the ultimate example of suffering unjustly. Misunderstood...Doubted...brutalized and crucified all for my sin, and the sin of all mankind. It was nothing that He had done. He has given me the example, and I must follow in His footsteps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.

 

By His wounds I have been healed. For I was straying like a sheep, but now I have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul. Praise God!

 

Father,

How amazing! What great love! My heart is filled with thankfulness and awe. What I suffer is so piddly compared to the suffering of Your son. Give me strength and grace to follow in His footsteps.

In His holy Name,

Amen



Chosen, Royal, and Holy

1 Pet. 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

 

What blessings! Chosen, royal, holy, possessed by God, and walking in the light! All of this and for what reason? To proclaim His excellencies! A chosen race speaks to me of a nation and a people chosen by God as Israel was. They were to obey His laws and His voice, but instead they stubbornly followed their own hearts and chased after foreign gods. Certainly I have no statues of gods and don't go to the high places, but do I have anything that I value more than God? Am I quick to obey the word, or am I stubbornly persisting in behaviors that I justify or rationalize?

 

How would a priest be royal as opposed to non-royal? What does it mean? I know that as a believer I am being built up as a living stone into a temple for God so that I may be a holy priest. Perhaps royal means that as a child of God, I am a heir and joint heir with Christ. That means that I am in the royal family! As a royal child of God, I can be a royal priest. I can go to God confidently for confession and for His grace to help in time of need.

 

I am part of a holy nation, that is the body of Christ. All of us in this nation have been washed in the blood of Christ. We are forgiven, saved, justified, sanctified, and waiting expectantly for Christ's return. As a member of this nation, I am an ambassador for Christ and must share the message when God opens the door. I must guard myself so that I don't become spotted with the muck of this world but stay close to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.

 

Thankfully, God chose me to be His possession. I have switched allegiance from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His marvelous light. In this eternal kingdom, the glorious splendor of the king reigns supreme. There is no fence riding, no idea that one foot can be in the world and one in the kingdom. It is all in or all out. And thankfully I am all in!

 

What is my life mission as a kingdom dweller? Living as a stranger and alien, I must proclaim His excellencies. I must shout out the message, the good news of salvation through Christ. He is the answer for what ails the soul, for the emptiness the world seeks to fill, and for the grief that shades all that the world does. With so much to live for and so much to share, why am I fearful? How strong is my flesh! How crippling!

 

Father,

I confess my fear and ask that you would be my strength, that your grace would be in all that I do. Teach me to live as this verse teaches. Make every part of it a reality in my life.

In His name,

Amen

 



Milk and Stones

I Pet. 2:2-3

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 

Peter speaks clearly about the life of a believer, even a newborn believer. There is no time for hanging with the world. Growth must happen immediately! First, the flesh needs to be cut off, in particular, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. The newborn believer now is ethical and truthful in all his dealings. If he/she hangs on to these fleshly behaviors, the milk becomes polluted and before long is poisonous killing any shred of new life. Without growth there is no new life. We must constantly ask ourselves if we have tasted that the Lord is good, if so, then crucify the flesh and drink long and heartily of the pure, spiritual milk.

 

As we continue in Christ, we not only drink spiritual milk but we are also living stones being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Wow!  How exciting but at the same time intimidating! Thankfully this is all through the grace of God! This reminds me of 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were brought with a price. So glorify God in your body. In this temple I have the duties of a holy priest. O.T. priests dealt with the sins of the people. Likewise, there is no way I can come to God with sin in my life. So my first responsibility is to confess and repent. Then I must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the living stone who was rejected by men. Being His follower means that rejection will come to me as well. I must go without the camp and bear the reproach with Him.  For me this is an honor, but for those who do not believe a rock of offense. The stumble and fall in disobedience to His word as they were destined to do, the plan and purpose of a sovereign God. 

 

Father,

I love the pure milk of the word and rejoice that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. Teach me more each day about belonging to this holy priesthood. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. What a blessing! Open my eyes to the sin within me so that I might be clean before You.

In His name,

Amen

 



Confession, Praryer, and Power

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

 

If I am suffering, pray.

If I am cheerful, sing praises.

If I am sick, call for the elders and let them pray over me, anointing me with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. What is the prayer of faith? One without any doubt. One that the petitioner is sure that God will answer as he has petitioned, or is it one where the petitioner is willing to accept anything that the Lord gives, healing or sickness. It says here that the Lord will raise him up. Does that mean in His time or at the time of the prayer?

 

Therefore...because of all this and because prayer is the way the Lord works, I must confess my sins to another and pray for others as they confess. Why is this so difficult? Perhaps, because it takes a great deal of humility to admit my sin to another person. My mask must come off and my true ugliness must be revealed. I think that it is in this humility that the Lord is free to work in our lives. My disgust and grief over my sin must be greater than my personal pride.

 

Example in point: Elijah. He had a nature like ours, very human and very weak. Yet when he prayed fervently concerning rain, God answered with both the absence of rain and the presence of rain. The word that I pick up on here is fervently. He prayed fervently. How does that look? Is it more time consuming than the average prayer? Or is it speaking of the intense emotional cry of the heart and soul? Perhaps it could be more than one of these. I think that out of the intense cries of the soul would come greater and greater time spent with the Lord. Anyway, it was from this state that God answered his prayers for the rain to stop and for the rain to begin. Prayer was the key. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Prayer brings me into that close communion with God where I can see myself for who I am, confess my sin, and rejoice in His presence. It is in this state that God can show me His power.

 

Father,

So much about this I don't understand. I ask that you teach me what it means and that you reveal to me my sin. Open my eyes to Your words and Your way. Give me a tender heart that grieves over sin.

In His name,

Amen

 

 

My Conduct

I Pet. 1:13

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

In light of the clear Bible teaching about Christ, His death, and the glories to follow and the power resident within the indwelling Holy Spirit, I need to prepare my mind for action. Be ready! Be alert watching carefully for Satan! I need to be sober-minded not taking my Christian walk lightly! And I need to set my hope completely on the return of Christ! These are things that I must do. There is no wiggle room nor is there another option. Carelessness in these areas could be devastating.

 

While I wait for my hope to become a reality, what must I do to prepare my mind for action? The passage goes on to say, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance...but be holy in all your conduct. How can I possibly be as holy as He who called me is holy? Only through grace! I am to be an obedient child who ignores the desires of my flesh, my former ignorance. What is the problem? Why is this such a struggle? Perhaps it is because I do not think of these passions as ignorance and sin. Perhaps I see them as something pleasurable as something I want to hang on to. Or perhaps our culture has so watered down the dividing line between sacred and common that it is hard to discern what is the walk of a child of God. Sadly, that is all too true. How can I possible compare these paltry yet seductive fleshly passions to Jesus Christ and the immeasurable riches of grace? So, so foolish!

 

Another motivation to live holy is the fact that God is the judge who judges each one according to his deeds. Ouch! Peter says that I should conduct myself with fear throughout the time of my exile, knowing that I was ransomed from the futile ways inherited from my forefathers. The price of my ransom was not money or possessions, but the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. This passage reminds me of Heb. 10.  It is a fearful things to fall into the hands of the living God. Am I in any way ignoring His blood sacrifice? Am I keeping it in the forefront of my mind at all times? So many things require time to ponder and pray.

 

Father,

Lead me in Your way. Make it clear to me where I should walk. Help me dwell on You, Your Son, and Your Spirit. Attune my ears and my heart to Your Spirit's leading.

In His name,

Amen



Blessings

I Pet. 1:8-9

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with joy, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

Not only am I blessed, but I bless God. He has given me so much. He caused me to be born again through the resurrection of His Son. That in itself is glorious! He has changed the course of my life completely aiming me in a total different direction. Also I am born again to a living hope, a hope that keeps me waiting expectantly for the return of Jesus who will call me up to Himself where I shall see Him as He is.

 

When I am born again, I receive an inheritance, one that imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is eternal as opposed to temporal, and not subject to thieves or corruption. This inheritance is kept for me in heaven and will be mine when Jesus calls me to Himself.

 

On this earth, I am guarded through faith for the completion of my salvation, which will be revealed in the last time. I never have to worry about losing my faith or my protection. In this fact, I can rejoice even though I am experiencing various trials, trials that test the genuineness of my faith, trials that will reveal the grace and strength that has been given to me. When I stand strong and walk worthy of my calling, the end result is praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ!

 

Though I don't see Him now, I love Him with a love that grows greater each day, a love that is doubt-free. He has given me joy inexpressible, a joy that is filled with the glory of a loving Savior. The prize at the end of my journey is the completion of my salvation, where I will be fully known and know others fully. I will not long be looking in a mirror dimly, but I will see Jesus face to face! How glorious is that! What blessings are these!

 

Father,

My heart is full of thankfulness. I adore You and extol You. You are infinitely great and kind, a kindness that changes my life completely. Open my eyes not only to Your great blessings, but also to my sin that darkens what You have done and are doing in my life.

In the Name of the Son who will return for me,

Amen

 

 



Steadfast

James 5:11

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

 

Be patient, therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Just as the farmer waits for the crops to grow to maturity, so also believers must wait for the time to be right. Certainly, it would be easier to be taken to the Lord as soon as we are saved, but there would be no growth, no transformation into the image of Christ. It is while we wait, establishing our hearts, that we grow and mature into holiness, into that purity of the chaste bride of Christ.

 

Who suffered and was patient? The prophets, and of course, Job. I notice how the passage has gone from patiently waiting to suffering. Our waiting includes suffering because suffering is the key to holiness and maturing in Christ. As He suffered, so must we. If we endure, then we are blessed. God's purpose for us includes compassion and mercy, but the rub is that it is not the compassion and mercy the world knows. His compassion and mercy extend to eternity and are not just for the here and now. Since He wants us to be holy and mature when Jesus comes to get us, it is His compassion and mercy that allow us to suffer. It is through suffering that we grow into the image of His Son. As Jesus suffered, so must we.

 

In the midst of this passage, James has added, Do not grumble against one another. If we know anything about Israel in the wilderness, we know that Israel was judged by God for grumbling. Grumbling is sin! It is not waiting patiently and steadfastly for the Lord to come. It is not growing in godliness. So as we wait, our relationships with fellow believers are of importance. We must remember it is God's compassion and mercy that gives us what we need to grow, whether painful or pleasurable.  

 

So James concludes this section with But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be yeas and your 'no' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. Let our speech to one another be without anger or impatience as should be our speech to the world. The world needs to see Jesus through us. Much about us is revealed by our speech. What comes out of the mouth reveals what is in our heart! If the heart is full of impatience and irritation, it will reveal itself in our words. So as we wait for Jesus to come and call us home, we need to be patient and steadfast in our actions and our words so we can bring honor to our merciful and compassionate God.

 

Father,

Teach me to be steadfast through Your grace but not in my own strength. I know that suffering makes me lean on You even more. As I suffer, let my speech bring You glory and honor.

In Jesus name,

Amen

If the Lord Wills

James 5:15

Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.

 

After our trip to the worship conference last summer, I so see the truth of this verse. We had registered early, made our hotel accommodations, and were so ready to worship God for 3 days. Yet into the mix came illness. A hospital visit that lasted the entire 3 days [my husband] and stomach flu for me. We never got to attend even one session. But did we still praise God? Yes, He is so teaching us to praise Him even in adversity.

 

On the flight home, our standby status got us kicked off the plane while our luggage traveled on to Boise. So another night in a hotel in Oakland. What a deal! And still we must praise the Lord. But the lesson of this verse really hits home. All I do or plan should be prefaced with If the Lord wills. No one knows what tomorrow will bring.  What is our life? We are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Thinking we control our lives is another one of the mind games that we play with ourselves. Only God controls our lives, our thoughts, our actions, and our decisions. If we do not have this attitude, then we are boasting in our arrogance. Such boasting is evil. It is ignoring the God that I love and serve.

 

Did our 3 day trip cost money? Yes, money for hotel reservations, car rental, registration for the conference, and food. Instead of freaking out over such great losses, God is teaching me that money is common, not sacred. It should be put in the category of If the Lord wills too. Certainly God was in charge of all that was spent. His plan was and is very different from mine, and that is why I need to rest in Him and not view everything from a human point of view. What a lesson!

 

Father,

Thank You for bringing us home. I know that everything is in Your hand. I know that Your will must and will always supersede my plans. I thank You for being in my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Humility

James 4:3

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

 

The quarrels and fights among us are caused from within, from our passions, our flesh. Our flesh seeks to take control. Because of this, we ask wrongly, that is with wrong motives. We are not seeking to glorify God in our prayers; instead we are seeking to gratify our flesh, to satisfy ourselves, and to identify with the world's system. Sadly, we want to be prosperous and enjoy what the world has and not be noticed as different. Perhaps we don't go whole hog, but at the same time we are not standing for Jesus.

 

James speaks out strongly. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend with the world makes himself an enemy of God. There is no fence riding, no middle ground. It is either God or the world! Then to drive home his point even more strongly, James says, Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scriptures says, He yearns jealously over the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us? God's jealousy is a fearful thing. It is because of this fact that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. It is our human pride that would make us think that we could love and worship God and still blend into the world adopting its system and ethics. The answer is submission! Submit to God...Resist the devil...draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts, you double- minded. [What an apt name for someone who wants the best of both worlds.]

 

Confessing, cleansing, and purifying should produce mourning and weeping. Seeing our humanity in light of God's holiness should bring overwhelming grief. What other reaction would there be? Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. What we desire should be from Him and not from the world. We should care only to please Him and to shun all else. Humility is the forerunner of godliness! Humility clears away the double-mindedness! It purifies the flesh, taking away the prideful dross and opens the door to the blessings of God!

 

Father,

I want to be Your friend. I confess that my fleshly passions have tried to undo my soul. Help me to grieve over my sin. Open my eyes to see it as You do. Cleanse me and draw me ever closer to You.

In His name,

Amen 

Wisdom from Above

James 3: 17-18

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 

It occurs to me that if any wisdom that I think I have is missing any of these traits then it is not wisdom from above. Perhaps that is the crux of the problem. I am too infected, infested, and influenced with the wisdom of this world. Perhaps even common sense is uncommon in the realm of the spiritual.

 

Earlier in this passage, it says that wisdom and understanding are a reality if good conduct is demonstrated through works done with meekness. If bitter jealousy or selfish ambition are a reality, then this would not be the wisdom from above. In fact, wisdom such as this, is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic and results in disorder and every vile practice. Now that is pretty black and white. What this passage calls for is total honesty! Not lying about myself or playing mind games with myself to make myself feel better.

 

What is distinctive about this issue is that there seems to be no middle ground. I am either pure, peaceable, reasonable, merciful, fruitful, impartial and sincere or I am bitterly jealous, selfishly ambitious, disorderly, and vile. Obviously, living by grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit would have it no other way! I think it must be more worldly influences that have altered my way of thinking convincing me that if I am better than most worldly people and close to the spiritual people, then I will be alright. But according to this, Not so!! If I want a harvest of righteousness, then all these traits must be a reality. I need to sow purity, gentleness, reasonableness, mercifulness, fruitfulness, impartiality, and sincerity in peace. I must be a peacemaker! Not a doormat, but a peacemaker!

 

Father,

I have prayed these traits many times, and I am asking You again to draw me to Yourself. Teach me how to live in the power of the Spirit and to be a peacemaker who has wisdom from above. This is my heart's desire.

In the name of the Son,

Amen

Faith and Works

James 2:17

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

 

Faith stagnates without an outlet for action. Does faith have value if it is hidden in the heart and never expressed or seen in the life? No, faith is energized and grows by revealing itself in works. For example, if I see fellow believers suffering and destitute and tell them to be warmed and filled without meeting any of their needs, where is my heart? Where is my compassion? I have become only self-seeking and self-gratifying.

 

But the problem comes in realizing which comes first. Do I have faith because of my works, or do I have works that result in faith? Abraham was called to move to a land he didn't know. He had the faith to obey before he loaded up and made that trek. He also had the faith in God that, when he was to sacrifice Isaac, God could do a miracle if need be to bring the child of promise back to life. Abraham's life of faith was righteousness to him. He was known as the friend of God. How wonderful!

 

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Faith and works work side be side, but faith itself is a gift from God as are the works that result. It is all of God to bring glory to His name. My relationship with God is all His doing. He gave me the faith to believe and the grace and strength to have my faith be active. Resisting Him in any way is sin. When I see needs, I must meet them.

 

Father,

Give me the willingness to reach out and meet the needs of others. Thank You for my faith and for Your working in my life. Grow me in seeing and meeting the needs of others.

In His name,

Amen

Bridle the Tongue

James 1:19-20

Know this beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 

James teaches this as an absolute truth! There is no gray area where a believer can hedge the line. If I want God's righteousness in my life, I need to listen without merely waiting my turn to throw out my opinion, speak only after consideration, or much better, after prayer, and be slow to anger. James goes on to say, therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Put it away! Take it out of our sight and our access, and in its place allow the word to have full sway. Let it be implanted in us with meekness. Receiving with meekness...What a thought! That means without resisting or without any reservations. Instead I need to receive it willingly and with eagerness much like a life raft to a drowning man. Will this be easy? No, filthiness and rampant wickedness, no matter how repulsive they sound, are in sync with our flesh. They have so many gray areas that it is hard to tell when we have left the safety of God's word and have slid into the darkness of sin. Often Satan paints this life style in glowing terms, terms that are easy and promise great return. God's way is hard especially if done in the flesh.Maybe that is the problem, we try and do these things in our flesh and are constantly failing. It goes against our pride to ask God for the grace to obey His commands. In essence, it is saying that I can do nothing, not even simply listening without the grace of God. But Satan says bring your flesh. You can do all that I offer you!

 

So for all these reasons, I must be a doer of the word and not only a hearer. The word must be my mirror revealing to me what I am truly doing and how I truly am! No deception! No lying to myself! I am promised that if I look in the Word and remember what it shows me, I will be blessed! I would be so self-deceived if I thought I could circumvent bridling my tongue and still be righteous. God doesn't work that way. It's His way and His way alone. He teaches me the way and gives me the grace and strength to obey and embrace His way, and then blesses me when I do. It seems to be a win/win situation! So why do I fail so often? How weak is my flesh!

 

Father,

Reveal to me when my tongue is unbridled, when I am not relying on Your grace and strength. Help me to dethrone pride each and every day so that You might reign supreme.

In His name,

Amen



Steadfast Under Trial

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

 

I know temptation is of my own making. It is when I am lured or enticed by my own desire. This desire could be me not getting my own way or being frustrated with someone else because they weren't logical [ or really not just doing what I wanted them to do.]. It could be me being in the wrong place where I was being exposed to something that would tempt me to envy or be jealous  Of course, many of those times what I thought or said was just a justification for my own sin. How can I be so foolish as to try and justify my own sin? Why don't I abhor sin like I should? What is wrong?

 

How can I remain steadfast under trial when I allow my flesh to take control even for a minute? In essence I am forfeiting the blessing of God for a paltry roll in the flesh. How foolish!  I must pray that God will open my eyes and my heart to sin. I want to be this blessed man who remains steadfast under trial. Somehow I see trial as a different thing than temptation, but certainly I see a trial bringing on temptation. I see the opportunity for giving up because it is too hard for the flesh. I see a trial being so rough that I could justify the feelings of the flesh.

 

James goes on to say that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father, the Father of Lights. He is steadfast and true, never wavering. It is His purpose and will for me that I will be a kind of  firstfruit of His creatures. It is His will for me that I remain steadfast under trial. It is His will that I rely on Him for strength and grace to resist temptation and to walk and live by the Spirit. If I do, God has promised me a crown of life

 

I wonder how often am I forfeiting the blessing of God for a weak moment of frustration, temper, worry, or stress.  It is so simple when I read, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given him. All I have to do is ask without wavering. Ask believing He will give it to me. Such wisdom as this can help me face trial and temptation. It can help me see my flesh for what it is.

 

Father,

I ask You for this wisdom. I confess I often indulge my flesh in envy and temper. Forgive me. Grant me a renewed awareness of my sin and my need to confess. Thank You for wanting to bless my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Count It All Joy

James 1:2-4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Count it all joy...What a tall order! In my flesh it's definitely not possible. The trials of various kinds are attacking the flesh, the body, the mind, the spirit, or the emotions. How can a person be joyful undergoing such devastation? That's the whole point! I can't and the sooner that I realize that and live in that reality, the better. I must do this counting in and through the grace of God! God sends these emissaries to grow me into the image of Jesus. Did Jesus suffer? Yes, and so must I! I must follow in His footsteps. What is the result of all this? Hopefully, holiness. But how is holiness grown?

 

Steadfastness is the first step. Enduring with joy until the end! When steadfastness has its full effect,  I will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. From my point of view, I see that I am a far cry from perfection and completion. So I must constantly look ahead to Jesus' return and to the city whose builder and maker is God. When I face the promise constantly then the growth can be counted as joy. If I take my eyes off the prize, then the trials become hard and overwhelming. So to count it all joy means I must follow Paul in forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Father,

Grow me in Your joy and steadfastness. As Your love is steadfast, so grow my joy in trials. Mold me into the image of Your Son.

In His name,

Amen

The First and the Last

Is. 44:6-8

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? and you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock,; I know not any.

 

How clear is this statement! God is the only God, the first and the last, the end all and the be all. No one else is like Him in any way. Because He was Israel's God, and He is my God, I have nothing to fear. He is the one and only Rock!

 

Is. 43: 1-3

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume. you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

 

Just like Israel, I am called by name by God. I am His and whatever I pass through He will be with me. Nothing shall overwhelm me, no matter the adversity, the severity, or the duration. What a God is this! What a blessing to be called by name by God!

 

Is. 43:10-11

You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior.

 

I am His witness as well and His servant because He has chosen me. How glorious to be chosen by God for His special purposes! He is my Savior who redeemed me and changed the entire course of my life. Am I witnesses of all He has done in my life? Am I living like a servant? Am I easily recognizable as a servant and witness of the Lord?

 

Father,

Thank You for choosing me to be Your servant and witness. Give me the words to say so that I might share You with all those You bring into my path.

In His name,

Amen

Wings Like Eagles

Is. 40:28

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.

 

This is my God! How glorious! He also gives His power to the faint [me] in the form of the indwelling Spirit and Son. To Him who has no strength, He gives strength. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In life, even youths faint falling exhausted. Humanity has no capacity to be a super-man, unstoppable with unfailing strength. In fact, humanity is the opposite of all that God is. He is strength constantly and forever. He is wisdom without measure regardless of the date, age, or culture.

 

So if man's plight is so bleak and puny, what should I do? They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. Wait on the Lord! Simple but hard! My flesh says tackle it, give it all you've got, but God says no. I must wait for Him if I want to mount up with wings like eagles; if I want to run and not be weary; if I want to walk and not faint. What a glorious promise! It seems so foolish to plow ahead instead of waiting. Waiting on Him gives me all that I need and want!

 

Father,

Teach me to wait, wait patiently with joy. Give me Your strength. Help me to fly in You without weariness and fainting. You are what I want!

Thank You Jesus for reconciling me to the Father. I love You.

In Your name,

Amen

The Proverbs 31 Woman

Prov. 31:28

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

 

Oh how most mothers would love to her blessed from their children and their husbands! What would this blessing be like? Would it be a thank you or a good job? Not really sure about that...but it would be nice. This woman had specific qualities that resulted in this blessing. What were they? Can they be incorporated into our time and culture?

• She does her husband good constantly and consistently. No bad mouthing at all!
• She works with her hands (wool and flax). Her life is not filled with idleness.
• She provides good food wherever she has to go to get it. (I wonder if it was organic?)
• She rises day and night to provide for her family.
• She even works out of the home (buying a field and planting a vineyard). She is industrious.
• She dresses herself in strength. She is healthy and not so concerned with fashion.
• She makes a profit with her merchandise.
• She works on the distaff and the spindle.(whatever tools she had available).
• She is generous to the poor and needy. She meets needs as she sees them.
• She is unafraid of the coming seasons because her house is prepared.
• She makes garments and sells them.
• Her husband is free to set at the gates with the men. His confidence in her is firm.
• Strength and dignity are her clothing. Once again, a woman of great character.
• She speaks in wisdom and kindness. (How important! and even with little sleep!)
• She constantly looks to the needs of her home and meets them.(No idleness)

 

After all this her children call her blessed as does her husband. Charm and beauty are not her concern; instead she fears the Lord. The fruit of her hands and her works will be evidence of her character. What a woman! It really is mind-boggling! How did she have time to do all these things on so little sleep?  

 

What I take from this is that her family was her prime concern. I like that she is not just a phenomenal worker but that her speech is kind. I am sure there were times when she was so tired, yet she spoke kindly. I think that her strength and beauty came from the fear of the Lord. He was her ever-present help. Perhaps that is what is wrong today. Women try and tackle so much in their own strength and forget to rely on the Lord. They don't necessarily purpose to work in their own strength but it always seems to happen. So I need to develop a God-consciousness every minute and not run on auto-pilot. Auto-pilot seems to be replete with unkind words, anger, and irritability. I wouldn't want someone to respond to me in that way and I should not respond to others in that way.

 

Father,

Rein me in and keep me close to You constantly. Teach me to make wisdom and kindness of speech. Teach me more and more about fearing You and through that to love others especially the family that You have given me.

In His name,

Amen



Grace upon Grace

Jn. 1:12

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

How glorious! It was nothing that I have done or could ever do. Even my belief in Him was a gift! It was all God! He drew me to His Son. He gave me the right to become a child of God. This is now my right through the gift of God. The special thing about this right is that it can never be taken away by anyone or anything. I am sealed by the Spirit and indwelled by the Son and the Spirit.

 

Jesus became flesh. In doing this He was the representation of God, His grace and truth. And from HIs fullness we have all received grace upon grace. How Glorious! Grace upon grace...a never ending supply. Grace for salvation! Grace for sanctification! Grace for every minute of my day! I need never respond or act in the flesh became I have a steady supply of grace! Sadly, why do I still choose the flesh over the grace...How flawed I am.

 

Father,

Thank You for Jesus and Your great grace! Help me to live each moment in Your grace and proclaim my love for Jesus.

In His name,

Amen

 



Outraged the Spirit of Grace

Heb. 10:29

How much worse punishment, do you thin, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

 

These words are so strong and so powerful! It is almost scary to think of the outcome of some people who profane His blood and outrage the Spirit of grace. So sad! To whom does this apply? Does it mean someone who was a Christian and then backed out? No, thankfully. Christ has said that no one can pluck a believer from the hand of God. So this must mean someone who was in church and had even participated in the activities of church, someone who had  blended in but without true substance, and someone who, when it was no longer convenient or suited his or her purposes, left. Sad to think that in the congregation of the righteous are people who are not genuine. It makes me examine my own heart, to look deeply and make sure that I am not one of these people.

 

Rejecting Christ as Savior sounds so much nicer than spurning the Son of God and profaning the blood of the covenant. Perhaps that is what our culture has done. Watered down everything so that it sounds nice and less offensive. Who in their right mind would outrage the Spirit of grace but that same person might say that they were pursuing God in a different religion or even in nature. The Bible is so black and white with issues that demand a response. I must be responsible for my own heart and tell this message to those who don't know. Even the outcome of the unbeliever has been watered down to make it more palatable.  I have heard people say that they wanted to go to hell with their friends or that there was no hell [as if that would change it.]. How deluded and foolish! It breaks my heart...especially when I think of my brother.

 

Father,

Thank You for Your Son and Your Spirit giving me salvation and grace each day. I bring my brother before You and ask that You work in His heart. Soften it and draw Him to You if it is in Your will.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen

 

The Single Offering

Heb. 10:18

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

 

What a big deal! Forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus changed an entire religious system, and for me, changed the course of my life. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. I feel that I am remiss in not valuing forgiveness more. I know about it and I gladly accept it, but do I praise God for it often? Am I overwhelmed with the magnitude of forgiveness? Am I rejoicing in Jesus and all He has done 24/7? Or has my heart become somewhat hard to the reality of it? Do I have a cavalier attitude toward sin sometimes even forgetting to confess? I know that I need to meditate on this and really absorb the reality of having my sins forgiven, of having a new life in Christ, and of having constant communication with the Father, a communication that is not marred by unconfessed sin. Am I just so busy living life that I don't notice? Or is it that I operate way too much on auto-pilot and not in the power of the Spirit?

 

Father,

My heart is deeply touched. Spirit, make me aware of the sin that I excuse and of the sin that I don't even see. Open my eyes to the reality of a new life in Christ. Jesus, thank You for dying to give me this forgiveness. I praise You all for the work You are doing in my life.

In His name,

Amen

Eagerly Waiting

Heb. 9:26-28

But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

 

Christ has already appeared to put away sin by His own sacrifice, by His own blood. Without blood there is no forgiveness of sin [under the Law as well as with Christ]. After His sacrifice, He went to heaven where He makes intercession for those He came to save. He did not need to offer Himself repeatedly [as did the priest in the Law] because he was sinless and the only One who could be the perfect sacrifice. But Christ will come again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who eagerly wait for Him. Eagerly waiting must be my attitude and my action. Christ saved me to live for Him and to wait eagerly for His return. Am I eagerly waiting, or am I somehow consumed with the everyday issues of this world and of my life? How to maintain such an attitude must be a priority in my life! I must seek Him constantly through His Word and through prayer. I must identify with Him constantly and make an attitude of eagerly waiting my constant prayer.

 

Father,

Keep me eagerly waiting. Reveal to me when I get too involved in this world. Convict my heart and grant me repentance.

In His name,

Amen

No Wood

Prov. 26:20

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

 

What a great thought! If I don't allow wood in my life, I will have no fire. If I don't repeat whispers, then will be no damage. What a connection this verse has to love. It is love that endures without repeating. It is love that values another and doesn't seek its own way. It is love that rejoices in the truth and not in fighting and quarreling. It is love that is patient and kind.

 

Whispering can be so dangerous! The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. Sadly, these words are not easily forgotten and shouldn't be repeated. Once they are repeated they seem to have a life of their own, hurting and separating, causing distrust and injury. If I am concerned about someone, I must pray for them and let the Spirit of God do a work in his or her heart. Pray don't whisper!!

 

Father,

Thank You for Your word. Help me to keep my life free of wood so that no fire will ever smolder or burst into flame. Teach me to love like You loved and to care like You cared.

In the name of Jesus who loved me completely,

Amen



Consequently...

Heb. 7:25

Consequently He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

 

Consequently...is a word that brings so many blessings for man. It is a word that ended a system of works and ushered in a system of grace. Grace for all who believe, all who are drawn by the Father. Praise God for such a Savior and a Priest!

 

The former priests and sacrifices were many, but Christ holds the priesthood permanently. There is no need of an inherited line of priests. Because of this, and His acceptable once-for-all sacrifice, He can save completely and forever, yes, to the uttermost! And as an added blessing He forever lives to make intercession for believers. His heart is for us [for me] constantly and completely. He prays for me in the most perfect way, a way that I can not since I am merely flesh. He has the power to change my life into the image of His. What do I do? Receive His grace!!!

 

He is a high priest who is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He is perfection incarnate! His sacrifice was once for all, covering all sin! The law appointed men in their weakness as priests, but Christ was appointed a Son who has been made perfect forever! This great concept and blessing negates my need for working or earning my salvation. It was given to me through grace as a gift [which is the only thing it can be or it wouldn't be grace.] What a blessing! Even though I understand it in my head, it is so hard to live it practically. How to receive grace when my flesh is so strong...

 

Father,

Take me down a path of grace, a path where I rely totally on You and for Your work in my life. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, my High priest, Redeemer, and Savior!

In His name,

Amen