Devotionals for Women

 

 

 

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Presence

I remember it so clearly. As a college student, I was so blown away by the kindness of my uncle and aunt, who drove from Delaware to Houghton, New York, in order to attend my senior piano recital. They had already shaped my life in so many ways. My focus on music certainly came from their influence. In those days, it seemed to me like a very long way to drive, and a huge sacrifice of time. I remember the impact of their visit more than any other kindness on that night. To me, their presence meant deep love and caring. It revealed their sensibility and kindness.

I suppose Jesus could have stayed in heaven, sent new messages to new prophets, provided a new means of sacrifice for sins with the creation of new animals, or some other sacred rites, in order to satisfy the holiness of His Father and bring salvation to mankind. Instead, Jesus willingly came the very long way from Heaven. In so doing, He expressed to us His enormous love and unfailing kindness in a way that we could see, feel, hear, and experience, especially because we knew how unworthy we are to receive His mercy, grace, and love.

Certainly, my uncle and aunt could have attended a far superior piano concert in Washington D.C., or in Philadelphia—both cities much closer to their home in Delaware. Instead, they chose to come to a run-of-the-mill student senior recital, knowing the importance of the event to me.

Somehow, God’s coming to earth through His precious one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, lets us know that in His eyes we have inestimable value. God values us enough to sacrifice His Son to provide us a way to salvation. God obviously wanted to give us a living demonstration of His eternal love. He knew that through His Son, God’s presence would express His love like no other means could possibly express it.

Jesus’ very name means “presence.” To Joseph, the angel came in a kind and surprising visit to calm his fears and explain the strange happenings about to transpire. Matthew 1:23, re-quoting Isaiah 7:14, tells us the angel spoke these words:

Not only did Jesus come to us that first Christmas, but He still lives and loves and shows His kindness to us through His living presence in our lives by means of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. In this year of lonely, toned-down celebration because of the pandemic restrictions, let us rejoice again. Yes, let us rejoice that not only did Jesus care enough to come that first Christmas, but He continues to show His love and caring in that He lives for us, prays for us, and brings His presence beside us in all sorts of ways we may never have expected.

Indeed, let us rejoice as we continue to await the kindness and love of our Savior this Christmas. He will give us His divine presence in new ways for our messed up, dark, and lonely world this Christmas Season of 2020.

—Posted: Monday, December 28, 2020

 

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Who is the Fairest?

We all can likely recall the wicked queen in the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, when she stands before a magic mirror and asks the question, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” hoping for the answer, “You, O Queen, are fairer than Snow White.”

This kind of jealousy has plagued the human race far before this Snow White story—published by Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm and his brother, Wilhelm Carl Grimm—ever appeared in print. In fact, the first murder in the Bible concerns two brothers vying over which of their sacrifices should receive the most favor from God (please see Genesis 4).

We find this temptation to murder, even if only hidden in the hearts of men and women, throughout history. When Saul served as king of Israel and heard the crowds shouting that “Saul has killed his thousands and David his ten thousands,” Saul set in motion the murderous plots to rid the world of this rival (please see 1 Samuel 18).

In the Christmas story, the Magi had followed the star they had seen in the sky. They had come to Jerusalem seeking the new King of Israel. Thinking that the present king might know the whereabouts of this future ruler, they stopped in the city to visit Herod and ask for a specific route.

I like the way that Angela Hunt, in her The Nativity Story, portrays the encounter between the Magi and the evil King Herod. Of course, we can’t know exactly the conversation and further discussions of the men from the East. But, Hunt’s description gives us a mental picture of the encounters. This comes from the story after their visit to the Christ Child. ¹

As it turned out, murderous Herod, after learning the biblical prophecy of a child, probably under two years old, had all the babies that age murdered in Bethlehem. Fortunately, as directed by God, Joseph, Mary, and the young child Jesus, had escaped to Egypt.

This sin of murderous jealousy, this wanting to be rid of our enemies, comes at us in so many tempting ways, even some that sound practically reasonable to us in our minds. Why not try to get rid of that school principal who constantly gives us a hard time? Why not get rid of my boss, in order to explain why I should get that achievement award above others? Why not exaggerate the troubles I’ve had from this or that person, so that I can look better in the eyes of my friends?

The Bible also has plenty of men and women who, because of their supernatural life of grace through Christ, have taken the route of humility, obedience, and submission to unfair suffering. John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man to ever live, came introducing our Lord. John the Baptist lived humbly and prepared the people for the Greater One, Jesus. John the Baptist spoke the words, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

During this Christmas season, let us contrast these two men and their reaction to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: Herod on one hand—jealous, unhappy, murderous—and John the Baptist on the other hand—humble, obedient and submissive. How would our Lord have us live in our time, so that others see Him above our selfishness?

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1 Hunt, Angela. The Nativity Story. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006. Pp.177-178.

—Posted: Monday, December 21, 2020

 

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Revealed

The verb “reveal” comes from the Latin word revelar meaning “to unveil.” It also means “to uncover” or “to make something that has been hidden known,” and also “to make a display of something.”

Certainly, God revealed Himself in a more understandable manner through the coming of the Babe in Bethlehem. Indicative of the blackness of the spiritual world, because of the silence of God’s prophets for 400 years, the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ came in the dark of night.

According to Luke 2, the shepherds—a rag-tag bunch of smelly animal herders—were the first to hear the announcement of the birth. On a dark hillside, it was revealed to them that a Savior had been born who would save them and save all mankind.

To accompany this revelation, the glory of the Lord came and shone from the heavens, accompanied by an enormous host of angels. God was revealing Himself to the world in a way that He had never done before.

We read in Daniel 2:28 that:

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, God revealed Himself to His people. In Jesus’ final hours, before He gave His life to pay the penalty for the sins of the world, in a prayer to His Father, Jesus told God that He had brought Him glory by completing His work and by revealing God to those to whom He was given.

The revelation of God’s means of salvation had come to Jesus’ followers through His preaching and teaching ministry, and through the use of the Old Testament Scriptures, many of which He openly displayed as never before.

It certainly stands to reason that the last Book of the Bible—the Book of Revelation—is named for the opening of our eyes to the future. To most of us, the mysteries of God’s plan do not stand out clearly, but are revealed as if behind a veil.

Yet, we have enough light to know that this same Jesus still has more to reveal to His people. We know from God’s written Word that Jesus will come back for His people, and will reveal Himself fully to us in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

During this Season of Advent, let us open our hearts, our minds, and our eyes to see all that our Lord wishes to reveal to us now. May we spend time in His presence, looking at the promises of His written Word and seeking Him.

Let us also pray that He would use us to help reveal His glory to the dark world around us. We can pray this verse from an Advent hymn: ¹

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1 Weissel, Georg. “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates.” Hymn in the Public Domain.

—Posted: Monday, December 14, 2020

 

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What If...?

Fears come to all of us. For this reason, Joseph and Mary certainly must have had tremendous apprehension after both of them had visitations from the angel of the Lord. They no doubt felt, in the depths of their spirits, one of the most common thoughts that we have as humans: “What if…?”

Joseph must have considered:

Teen-age Mary must have questioned many things and wondered:

Vaneetha Risner, in her book, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, develops this theme in one of the chapters. She reminds us: ¹

In the development of her book chapter, Risner wonders if instead of asking: “What if…?” we should declare: ”Even if…” because we can be assured God will be there with us. As a positive example of this, she uses the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were not guaranteed deliverance from the fiery furnace.

Faced with imminent death, just before King Nebuchadnezzar sentence them to be placed into the fiery furnace, these three men replied to the King, as recorded in Daniel 3:17-18:

Risner sums up their change of thinking with these words: ²

Job came to a similar conclusion. In Job 13:15, the Patriarch states about God:

We get a hint that the virgin Mary must have had this mindset, too. Though she didn’t share the words “What if…?” or “Even if…,” she did express her faith by speaking to the angel these words recorded in Luke 1:38:

As we live through frightening days and we ponder scary thoughts, we hear within our minds, these words:

May we stretch our faith in His power and love by holding very tightly to His mercy and grace. Amen.

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1 Risner, Vaneetha Rendall. The Scars that Have Shaped Me. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Desiring God, 2016. Pp. 115-116.

2 Ibid. p. 118.

—Posted: Monday, December 7, 2020

 

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Everlasting Abba

What’s in a name? In the Bible, names take on a specific meaning for the individual. A person’s name offered a unique label for the person to whom it was given. This is much more true for the names given by God for Himself. The lovely name, “Abba,” holds a special place in Scripture as one of the very few Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic terms that scholars have not translated for us into English.

In 21st century Israel, the appellation “Abba” still holds much the same place as it did in ancient usage. This directly relates in the same way as the word “Daddy” does in our current American milieu. Little ones in ancient times also related to their fathers in this familiar way.

However, in New Testament times when referring to their fathers, the term “Abba” was used by adults equally as much as the term was used by children. In the spiritual world, the term “Abba” contained the sense of God as the Holy One, Revealer of Mysteries, Creator, and more, yet one who had a relationship with a devoted, obedient son or daughter. Thus, “Abba” became a more grown-up term of deep respect and honor with the affection of a personal relationship added into the meaning.

In her book, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, Vaneetha Rendall Risner¹ writes a chapter titled: “How to Pray When Life Falls Apart.” In this chapter, she looks at Jesus in His most agonizing moments and the way He teaches us to pray in our worst dilemmas. She quotes the verse from Mark 14:36:

Here Jesus used the most intimate of familiar names for His Heavenly Father and called Him “Abba.” In this one word, Jesus testified, not only of His love for the Father, but of the love the Father had for Him.

When we come to God in prayer during our times of greatest anguish and pain, using the name, “Abba” for our Father reminds us of the relationship we have with Him as His dearly loved children. During these times of difficulty and distress, we need that relationship the most.

In many cases, fear accompanies the days when we experience trouble. In Romans 8:15, the Apostle Paul reminds Christians of an important fact:

In our pain, we must go to God. If we hold an intimate relationship with Him, we have every right to call Him “Abba.” Remember, that even Jesus, in His fear and agony, needed His “Abba,” too.

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1 Risner, Vaneetha Rendall, The Scars That Have Shaped Me. Minneapolis: Desiring God, 2016. Pp.57-58.

—Posted: Monday, November 30, 2020

 

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Built for Thanksgiving

In downtown Dallas, Texas, we can see a beautiful area named Thanksgiving Square. It has an interesting history:

While we rejoice in the beauty of the architecture and the exquisite design of mosaics, stained glass, engraving, and graphic art of such a structure, we recognize that God looks at each of us and searches for the exquisite beauty of what He has made in us through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. He planned and fashioned our bodies as temples of His Spirit. He asks us, through the lips of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:19:

He reminds us that our lives were built for the purpose of worshiping Him. In Romans 12:1 we read these words of the Apostle Paul:

God looks for the work of His artistry in us. He looks for His sparkling glory in our countenances. He looks for the jewels of His carving. He looks for the engraving of His written Word on our hearts. He looks for the music of our praise. And, He looks for the ringing tones of His joy over us.

When we live our lives devoted to Him, giving ourselves to service and to continual thanksgiving, He uses us as a beautiful monument of His workmanship. Let us enjoy this time of national Thanksgiving by lifting our hearts and hands in gratitude to God for all that He has done in and through us. Let us thank Him for bringing us this far by faith. And, let us thank Him for His promises to love and keep us to the end. Hallelujah!

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1 from the website of the Thanks-Giving Foundation, Dallas, TX

—Posted: Monday, November 23, 2020

 

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Meditate

When we counsel fellow believers to spend time each day reading Scripture, we often use the additional encouragement to “meditate” on God’s written Word. Have you ever wondered what we mean by the word “meditate”?

The dictionary defines the word “meditate” as follows:

So, when we encourage a fellow believer to spend time each day reading, studying, and meditating on God’s written Word, we intend to encourage that one to not only read very carefully and study intently the Scriptural text, we also seek to motivate that one to think deeply about what God desires to communicate with us through the text He has inspired the various biblical writers to share with us.

The Puritan writer, George Swinnock, has written often about the subject of what it means to “meditate.” For example, drawing from just one passage in the somewhat exhaustive five volume collection of Swinnock’s writings, we find this helpful passage: ¹

As we move through the days ahead, let us determine to set aside time to read, study, and meditate on God’s precious written Word. As we allow the words of our God to wash over our beings, we will arise from our time with Him with minds and hearts refreshed and renewed.

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1 Swinnock, George. Works of George Swinnock. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1992. Volume 1, Pp. 111-117.

—Posted: Monday, November 16, 2020

 

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Re-formation

Please look carefully at the photograph that begins this blog post. Notice the strength, skill, delicacy, and purposefulness that flows from the hands of the potter.

The potter must feel free when creating this art to know that if the pot comes out wrong, the potter can re-form it by simply adding a little water and starting over. However, the time to reshape and change the final look of the object does have a limit. Once the pot’s clay hardens, re-forming the pot becomes almost impossible.

The Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah used the image of the potter and the clay that God gave the potter from the ground as a narrative to warn the nation of Israel about the danger prescribed by their hardened and rebellious hearts. The Lord literally cried out to His people to allow Him to re-form them as He pleased, in order to make them a nation He could use for His glory.

If you use your English dictionary to look up the meaning of the word “reform,” you will find descriptive words like:

How does a potter take a clay object and re-form it? First, and most importantly, the clay must remain soft and pliable. To correct the flaws in a piece of pottery, the potter can rub out the mistakes. The potter can even change the object for a use other than the use the potter first intended. This formation takes place within the potter’s hands. But, to truly form clay into something wholly worthwhile, it most often takes an artistic and a creative touch by someone who takes special care.

If the clay pot hardens before the process has finished, the potter can no longer re-form it. Instead the potter has to break it into pieces and begin again with a new slab of workable clay.

Similarly, the Prophet Jeremiah knew the hardness of the hearts of the people. In Chapter 19 of the book that bears Jeremiah’s name, the Lord tells him to use as an illustration a new clay jar. God instructs Jeremiah to break it into pieces while the people watch. And then, warn them that He will smash the nation of Israel in such a way that it can’t be repaired.

As followers of Jesus, God serves the role of our Potter. We become the clay in His creative and artistic hand. If we allow Him to hold us lovingly in His hands and to mold us into whatever shape He desires, God can more readily use us for His divine purposes.

But, in contrast, if we allow our hearts to harden and if we turn away from the Potter, He can only use us if He first breaks us. How much more easily the course of our lives will go, if we willingly allow the re-forming process by our Potter, the Great Artist.

I am reminded of the words to the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” by Adelaide Pollard. ¹

As you consider these thoughts I’ve shared, I invite you to please pray this prayer with me:

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1 Pollard, Adelaide. “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” A hymn in the Public Domain.

—Posted: Monday, November 9, 2020

 

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The Sharpest Knife

Do you have a favorite kitchen knife? I do. Whenever I want to make quick work of cutting through meat, or bread, or pie, or just about anything, I go to the same knife. I must always keep it sharpened for the next job I require of it.

The writer of Hebrews states that God’s word, even sharper than a scalpel, penetrates and divides the very inner workings of our body and soul. Have you ever experienced that kind of inner surgery?

I remember a few times in my life when sin clearly came into focus through the written Word of God, or from faithful preaching of that written Word. I particularly remember the actual physical reaction I experienced, knowing that I had to confess my sin, or take some other bold step that God was asking me to take. This painful process changed me and brought healing to me.

In our study of the Bible, we can see the difference the word from God made in the life of the nation of Israel. In the time of King Josiah, the king determined to purify the land and the temple and set to repairing it. In the process, one of the priests found the Book of the Law and read it to the king. Beginning in 2 Chronicles 34:19, we read these words:

Scripture tells another story of the cutting power of the word of God. All the people that had returned to Jerusalem after the exile had assembled and Ezra the scribe brought out the Book of the Law. Beginning in Nehemiah 8:5 we read the following words:

We see here some of the sharp, effective results that God’s word had in the hearts of His people. Do we still hear God’s word that way when we read and study our Bibles?

I have a feeling that in our culture, so plentiful in podcasts and TED talks and conferences with inspiring speakers, God’s favorite knife may have gotten lost in some “drawer.” Maybe God is calling us back to the sacred Book, to the pure written Word of the Lord.

Let us pray that in this day of so many voices, we begin to hear again the word that cuts to the quick, that changes lives, that excises that which only God can see. Oh, Lord, help us to find that powerful “knife” that accomplishes the work that only You can do through Your word!

—Posted: Monday, November 2, 2020

 

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Sleeping in Church

I can remember my father and other farmers who sometimes fell asleep during church services. Most people excused such behavior because these men had arisen at 5:00 a.m. and spent hours milking cows and doing other necessary chores before they rushed in, changed their clothes, and headed out the doors of their homes on the Lord’s Day.

How do you think our God reacts to see His people not only sleeping in church, but unconsciously living each day in a kind of “sleep walk”? What might God have to say to those “sleep walkers”?

The Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and warned seven prominent churches of deadly habits that would keep God from using them. Most of those churches were pretty useless for the purposes He had created them. In the case of the church in Sardis, He stated that they had a wonderful reputation of wakefulness, of life, and of vigor.

However, like the farmers in my illustration, the Sardis Christians had fallen asleep and displayed only dead works. They were seemingly asleep to what God wanted to do with them. They needed a reawakening.

This letter from John should have stirred them back to their call to effectiveness. John called them to strengthen what remained of their glorious past and to stop slipping ever closer to a deadly sleep.

I like what the Puritan, William Gurnall, wrote about this condition:¹

We get so comfortable that sleep comes easily. Yet, the “thief” is upon us. We need the wakeful, vigilant pose of Christians ready to act on behalf of the Savior in this world. God help us all!

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1 Gurnall, William (author) and Richard Rushing (editor). Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Reading. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 358.

—Posted: Monday, October 26, 2020

 

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Evaporating

I used to teach the following folk round to my third and fourth graders:

Of course, along with the music, I also had to teach some vocabulary—words that they probably had not heard. I always wondered how many of them had ever been faced with the proposition of their own deaths, and how many people that I knew actually gave it much thought.

As I have moved into retirement, I acknowledge that the prospect of death is far too real. The very idea of death fills the minds of most people with a least a little bit of horrible apprehension. The unknown nature of death tends to do that.

As Christians, I would imagine that we have far less apprehension than our non-Christian peers. We know what Jesus has said in His written Word about the fact that He has gone to prepare a place for us. (John 14:2). We also know from His “High Priestly Prayer” that He wants us to live with Him in His glory. (John 17:24). If we have a strong desire to see our Lord in the afterlife, we have a much more healthy view of physical death, especially as it draws near.

I would also imagine that both non-Christians and Christians alike have the same desires to make the most of our lives in the later years. Knowing that the days evaporate before our eyes, we want to do and continue to become that which will count.

Non-Christian people may desire to spend more time with family, or travel, or put their minds to learning new things, or experience completing the items on their “bucket lists.”

However, Christians, beyond all such similar desires, have the foremost desire to allow God to use them and to sanctify them fully, in order to prepare them to live forever in His presence. This gives us a far different set of priorities.

During this COVID-19 pandemic have you felt, like I do, that “time is a-wasting”? We know what we would like to do for God and His church, but we feel that our hands seem tied at every turn.

Let me offer some ideas for ways in which we can still make the most of the days we spend during the pandemic. Though God never tells us how long a particular trial will last—and He certainly has not let us know about the length of this pandemic—He has given us specific ways that He expects us to serve Him. For example:

Many of these activities may not appeal to our natural sense of accomplishment. But, in God’s eyes, these living acts of sharing God’s grace may hold a much more important place than we would normally give to them in our lives.

Let us remain faithful, doing those tasks nearby, searching and praying for ways in which the Lord would use us in these days. And, let us fervently pray that the Church will rise from this time of forced sleep with an energy that spurns us onward toward a much greater usefulness and power in the days to come.

—Posted: Monday, October 19, 2020

 

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At the King’s Table

During these days, we hear a lot about a peaceful “transition of power” within our own country. We also observe the destruction that happens in third-world countries when one party stages a coup to overturn an election and forecefully place their party’s chosen government in power.

As we study the Bible, we read of hundreds of transitions of kings, judges, and empires. Never was there a more unusual turnover than when King David began his rule in Jerusalem.

You may recall the stories of King Saul, David’s predecessor, who in jealous rages attempted to kill David on various occasions. Yet David, already anointed by God to serve as king, returned grace for hatred. David did this even though he had several opportunities to retaliate.

After Saul’s death and going against God’s will, Saul’s loyal army crowned his son, Ish-bosheth, king. David struggled against this opposition until God eventually gave him victory.

As newly crowned king over all of Israel, David asked this question, as recorded in 2 Samuel 9:1:

When he was told about King Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, crippled in both feet, David called him to come. Then, David said to him, as recorded in 2 Samuel 9:7:

This picture of grace should reinforce for all of us the way in which God treats us for His Son’s sake. We also have been invited to sit at His table all the rest of our lives.

When we consider God’s grace to us, we should worship Him, rejoice in His portion and in His riches that He has given us. And, we should vow to give ourselves in fealty to Him by living in grace toward others, just as He has given His grace to us.

The Puritan, George Swinnock, wrote:²

Today, let us meditate on the way God’s abundant grace allows Him to look at us. Though He may see us clearly as unlovely and poor, nevertheless He lavishly bestows us with His presence and His riches. May His kindness demonstrate to us the way in which He would have us show kindness to others.

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1 Jonathan was King Saul’s son and David’s dearest friend.

2 Swinnock, George (author) and Richard Rushing (editor). Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Reading. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 270.

—Posted: Monday, October 12, 2020

 

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Carrying His Glory

Can you imagine how Mary must have felt as she carried the baby she knew was the Son of God? What an awesome responsibility! What an awesome privilege! How carefully she must have cared for herself. With an eye to her Heavenly Father, how carefully she must have lived. How she must have constantly prayed and given herself daily to God’s loving care.

Of course, God hasn’t given us that very special kind of glory to carry within us. But, if we know Him and have experienced the incarnation of His presence in our lives, He has given us the glorious presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Do we consider often enough how this fact should impact the way we live?

As we carry His glory within us, do we consider how we take care of ourselves spiritually? Do we live with an eye to our Father, purposefully determining to walk in His ways and honor Him with our living? Do we pray, asking God to enable us to understand His work in the world and how we fit into His plan? Do we consider that carrying His glory is a high privilege, one that is above all others?

I like the way that the Apostle Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 4:7, and I appreciate the way that Eugene Peterson places the biblical text into our modern vernacular in The Message.¹

Does that give you a sense of privilege and joy? It should. God has chosen us to carry His glory and His message to this world—a world that is very much in need of Him. Let us not put this glorious light under a bushel and hide it. Let us wear the glory of God proudly and humbly. Amen!

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1 Peterson, Eugene. The Message. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2002.

—Posted: Monday, October 5, 2020

 

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Bridging the Gaps of Life

Did you ever stop to think what your life would be like without bridges? People who live near rivers, or even swamp land, would have a nearly impossible time getting to work or reaching common shopping areas without bridges. We can all be grateful for the continual burdens that bridges carry to allow us ease in our daily lives.

Have you ever become a bridge for another person? As such, you became that one’s help in crossing one of life’s gaps, or in traversing a tough spot in life, or in helping someone to move on to the other side of a difficulty.

In considering the subject of bridges, I can’t help but think of the Simon and Garfunkel lyrics from the 1960’s: ¹

Certainly, if people who likely lack an eye to pleasing our Savior can think that way about their friends, how much more should we act as willing bridges for those who need us to help carry them over the gaps to wholeness? After all, we have the example of a God who bears us through this life, and of a Savior who bridged the gap on the cross for our sins.

Sometimes, it even becomes necessary to act as an old-fashioned covered bridge for others: protecting them from the fierce winds of adversity, or from the cruel and bitter sting of sin and shame. Such people need the hospitality and healing of a safe and guarded way to bridge the gap. And, God calls us, from time to time, to offer this solace to His hurting children.

Jesus told us in John 15:13:

The next time we drive over an expansive bridge, or stop to view a covered bridge, we should remind ourselves that, just as we sometimes need bridges to arrive at our next destination, so Christ may have need for each one of us to become a bridge to help span the gap for someone else on his or her journey through life!

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1 Simon, Paul. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”, ©1969. All Rights Reserved. These lyrics remain the sole property of the copyright owners. Included here under the “Nonprofit Educational Use Provision” of Section 107 of the U. S. Copyright Act of 1976.

—Posted: Monday, September 28, 2020

 

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The Bride Awaits

Recently I received a thank-you note from a young bride for whose wedding I played the organ. She commented that everyone kept saying what a dramatic entrance she had made at the wedding. Truthfully, I did nothing out of the ordinary for her. I always prepare the bridal processional with a fanfare and with loud flourishes.

Yet, her note has me thinking about the great Wedding Supper of the Lamb mentioned in Revelation 19:6-9, from which I quoted at the beginning of this blog post.

Many times in Scripture, the Bride is regarded as the Body of Christ—the Church—prepared for her groom, Christ Himself. Such a fuss over the bride! It would seem that with Christ as the groom, the focus should be on Him. Yet here, Scripture says that she has made herself ready in fine linen, bright and clean. Nothing is spoken here about the Groom.

Psalm 45 is a wedding song. In verse 15, the bride is described as wearing gold and embroidered garments. She and her companions are:

The Prophet Isaiah refers to the Bride in Isaiah 62:5:

Something of the symbolism of Christ and His church seems to have become lost in modern wedding ceremonies. In fact, like in the wedding ceremony I referred to earlier, there was neither any prayer nor mention of Christ. No wonder this young bride was a bit surprised at her role in the wedding drama.

Oh yes, people spend the money and time to assure that the dreaming young girls expend on that perfect setting, perfect flowers, perfect decorations, perfect food and drink, and perfect bridal dress does still exist. But, the real meaning of such a wedding dress, and all the related wedding accoutrements, seems to have been lost.

Not long ago, I read of the Greek Orthodox wedding tradition that calls for the use of crowns. One of the elements of the service involves the “crowning.” During this portion of the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom receive crowns united by a ribbon. This represents their union in Christ. The priest says aloud, “Crown them with Glory and Honor.”

The crowns also symbolize the heavenly crowns we will receive when we enter paradise. The crowns serve as a reminder that marriage involves “dying to self” in the same way that we die to self so that Christ can live in us.

After the marriage ceremony, the crowns are typically displayed in a glass case mounted above the couple’s bed. This serves as a constant reminder of the holy state of marriage.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of the symbolism found in marriage. In his letter to the Christians gathered at Ephesus, Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25-28:

Yes, Christ has chosen to put the emphasis on the Bride. He chose her, bought her with His own blood, brought her to a relationship with Himself, and waits to present her to the Heavenly Hosts and all creation.

I wonder what the music will sound like when we are presented to Him in the Heavenly Kingdom? Will it be a dramatic processional? I would imagine it will!

God is preparing to meet us. Have we prepared to meet Him?

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1 Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.

—Posted: Monday, September 21, 2020

 

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Outflanking the Enemy

	“Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
	—2 Timothy 2:3

Most Christians don’t often consider the spiritual battle waged against them. Yes, they would say that Satan exists and prompts evil in the world. But, when it comes to understanding the ceaseless battle he wages against their lives, they usually don’t see it.

Here’s how Joni Eareckson Tada explains it:

Not only does the “rebel leader”—Satan—want to tempt us to sin, he also works hard to defeat us in our Christian walk and in our work on behalf of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Satan endeavors to discourage us and tempt us to turn back. He generally does everything he can to disrupt our lives in any way that he can. When we pray in Jesus’ name against the weapons Satan uses, we can successfully upset his battle plan—we can outflank his attack on us.

Jesus took on this enemy at the cross. As Colossians 2:15 tells us:

And with the overcoming power that Jesus gives to us, we can fight against the war that Satan will continue to instigate until Jesus comes back.

God has not left us alone to live defeated lives. Instead, He has armed His people with the weapons we need: prayer and His Word. Here’s how 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 puts it:

When we pray in Jesus’ name, we join with Him in defeating the powers and authorities of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil. He already disarmed them on the cross. But, when we pray, we appropriate that power into our own lives.

When we see evil around us and feel it coming at us from every side, we have Christ and His power as our strong defense. He gives us the opportunity to outflank the enemy and win the skirmishes. And one day, our Captain—Christ Jesus—will return to end the battle completely.

Praise His name!

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1 Tada, Joni Eareckson. Diamonds in the Dust. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2010. Devotional for April 9th.

—Posted: Monday, September 14, 2020

 

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Teamwork

You’ve probably heard this definition of a camel: “A camel is a horse built by a committee!” In some sense, that can aptly describe the way some churches function. However, from the beginning, God had plans to use many people—with different personalities, different skill sets, different talents and abilities, different perspectives, and different passions—to do His work within His Church. We all have intensely different roles, even as we retain our individuality.

In reading the account of the 1936 American Olympic crew team, I came across this quote:¹

Just as His chosen people, whom God called together to use their gifts for the building of the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) in the wilderness, He has called us and our fellow church members to work together for the building up of His Kingdom. He must have realized how difficult we would find that intention. The more individual our gifts, the harder time we have in setting aside our selfish impulses and obediently offering those gifts up to Him for the benefit of all.

The Olympic crew learned this as they practiced and rowed together.²

In rowing, as well as in giving our service to the church, we soon learn that pride, jealousy, selfishness, self-righteousness, and a host of other negative qualities simply must have no place. To have the success that our Captain desires, we must put aside our selfishness for the greater good—the good of showing forth the glory of God in our teamwork.

This concept in the New Testament uses the illustrations of a building “fit together” and of a body with various functions working together. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, the Apostle Paul writes about this, as follows:

We see here that God hasn’t gifted us for our own benefit. He gave gifts to us for the good and benefit of the whole church.

Soon, the impact on our lives of this COVID-19 Pandemic will undoubtedly end. We must ask ourselves these questions:

Let us prepare ourselves in prayer and in sincere humility solely for the purposes God has planned for us. And, let us open our eyes to see new ways He wishes to use the unique gifts He has given us.

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1 Brown, Daniel James. The Boys in the Boat. New York: Penguin Books, 2013. p. 179.

2 Ibid. p. 89.

—Posted: Monday, September 7, 2020

 

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Wishy Washy

The Prophet Elijah had the right idea. He was bold and was always prepared to speak God’s word and do God’s business.

In this story found in 1 Kings 18, from which we quote the verse at the beginning of this blog post, we read how Elijah came to the God-fearing Obadiah, servant of the evil King Ahab and Ahab’s wife Jezebel. Both Obadiah and Elijah knew that Ahab intended to kill the Lord’s prophets, in order to set up the thousand or more prophets of Baal over the people of Israel. Elijah came prepared to challenge Ahab, through Obadiah and through the test that would lead all the people to testify, “The Lord, He is God!” Elijah exemplified strength in the face of a weak and wishy-washy nation.

The people of Israel knew that they belonged to God. Down through the generations they had been taught that God had chosen them out of all the people on earth. Some Israelites even intended to worship only God. But sadly, too often good intentions go awry, causing those who think they will never fall to bitterly fail.

Peter intended to follow Jesus, said he would give his life for his Master. But, when it came to the test, Peter denied Jesus. You can read the story of Peter’s denials “before the rooster crowed” in Matthew 26:69-75.

In the Book of Romans, the powerful Apostle Paul admits to this wishy-washy attitude at work in him. We read in Romans 7:21-23:

I love the way Puritan writer Stephen Charnock puts it:¹

Like the Apostle Paul, we can thank God and fully rest our unstable nature on God’s unchangeable grace. He knows our weakness. And, when we acknowledge it like Peter did, we can know His forgiveness and His empowering boldness in the face of our inadequacy.

Like Elijah, we can know God’s power to strengthen us before incredible odds. We have hope because we have Christ! Let us bow in our weakness before our Lord Almighty and pray with words of hymn-writer Robert Robinson:²

______________________

1 Charnock, Stephen (author) and Richard Rushing, editor. Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Reading – Volume 2. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2016. p. 278.

2 Robinson, Robert. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Public Domain. Stanza three.

—Posted: Monday, August 31, 2020

 

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Disinfectant

What flies off the pharmacy and supermarket shelves faster than any other product during this pandemic? Based on panicked reports earlier in the year, we might be tempted to say paper products. But, I believe disinfectant products have probably gone faster and remain the most sought after necessities. We all want to use something that will kill 99 percent of all germs and other pathogens, thus effectively protecting us from this dreaded COVID-19 coronavirus.

Thousands of years ago in Bible times, people used salt to kill impurities and stamp out the effects of lingering poisons, particularly on food. As stated in the verse at the beginning of this blog post, Jesus used salt to illustrate the role of Christians in an ungodly culture.

We know from Scripture that every human being carries the stain of original sin into the world, inherited from Adam and passed down to us from our parents. To allow that sin to fully germinate would mean that the total depravity of human society would remain unabated. Only the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross can cleanse and purify us from our sins and transform us into a people acceptable to the holiness of God. This grants to us two important roles in life.

First of all, in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”—found in Matthew 5, 6, and 7—He tells us that we believers in Christ and in His sacrifice have a function in this world of permeating and disinfecting the culture from total ruin. Reading from Rev. Dr. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones on this subject, he writes:¹

Secondly, Christians, like salt, also possess other functions. Similar to a pleasant-smelling disinfectant in the air, and a savory shake of salt on food, God expects us to emit His winsomeness wherever we go. Also, as citizens of a particular country, we can indirectly affect the culture through our work, through our loving and caring for our neighbors, and through innumerable other ways.

Yet, in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus didn’t stop after merely telling us how He expects us to fulfill our God-given role. In the remainder of verse 13, He also shares His concern, as follows:

Would a manufacturing company that produces a disinfectant proudly put out a product that no longer had the qualities for which it was created? If the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could no longer verify that the manufacturer’s liquid would kill germs, would they allow it to advertise its benefits against this COVID-19 coronavirus?

Likewise, Jesus is concerned that His people potently serve Him as a deterrent to sin in this wicked world. If we, as His followers, look like white crystals of spiritual salt, but have no power to benefit society, we miss the mark in serving Christ. God truly expects those of us who faithfully follow His precious Son, Jesus, to serve as a disinfectant against the soul-damaging ravages of sin in our world.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones continued:²

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1 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co./Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1971. Pp. 151-158.

2 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Ibid. Pp. 151-158.

—Posted: Monday, August 24, 2020

 

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Staying in Affliction

The godly people of Israel, who had been carried off with those who had rebelled against God’s Kingdom, must have wondered what God meant for them in Babylon. They may have prayed and searched for years for their nation to give up its idols and return to the God of their history. But still, most of the people refused to obey. God carried out against them what He had promised, by way of a punishing exile to an ungodly nation far away from their homeland.

Yet, God knew His people who had remained faithful to Him. He sent His beloved prophet, Jeremiah, to them by way of a letter. In it, as recorded in Jeremiah 29: 4-7, God told them to build, and plant and settle down. Then He had Jeremiah write these words of instruction:

This seemed like a strange piece of guidance. Can you hear them questioning God’s wisdom? He was asking them to live in this strange land as a blessing to the inhabitants there. Perhaps this did sound impossibly difficult at first. But then God, speaking through Jeremiah, added this in verses 10-14.

Perhaps you are feeling that this COVID-19 Pandemic and the “captivity” you feel by staying at home rather than doing and going will never end. Yet, if we look at this time through the window of God’s dealings with Israel and His promise to His dearly loved people, we see that He will bring it all to an end in His time. He promises good to His people and He will never fail them.

It is very possible that the COVID-19 Pandemic is the least of your trials. Perhaps your own “exile” into another foreign situation weighs on you day after day.

No matter what our individual circumstances, may the admonitions of Jeremiah, and the promises God sends give us peace and purpose. May He assure us that He will cause “increase” and “prosperity” to come into our lives, and that He sees the end from the beginning far better than we could ever possibly see.

Let us all sincerely take heart. And, let us settle down and determine to do good in whatever circumstance He has placed us, as we await His blessing.

—Posted: Monday, August 17, 2020

 

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Too Close to See

We arrived very late to the movie theater and peered into the main room and found it crowded with hardly an empty seat. At last, in the dark, we stumbled on two seats together in the very front row. This newest blockbuster of a movie, Superman, portrayed a hero who was bigger than life—but no one saw him any bigger than we did! We were sitting so close that it became overwhelming. We could not see the whole screen at one time without turning our heads.

Sometimes, looking at fine works of art reminds me of that experience. If we stand too close, we may see a rich color, but we don’t see the full mosaic until we step back—way back.

Living through this COVID-19 Pandemic seems a bit like standing too close to a mosaic picture. We live every day and we begin to think that we see a beautiful color in life we’ve never observed before: maybe more time to spend with family, or more time to spend on a new hobby, or more time to pray, or more time to observe a new beauty in nature. But in these confusing days, even when we resort to doing all we can—and even when we see some promising signs that it might actually become resolved—we have no idea of the whole picture.

What if God is preparing for us a beautiful mosaic door through which He wants us to walk when this is over? We may see it as a glorious wall, but not realize it will open and present to us a new aspect of His will for our lives, or a new chapter in the life of the Church in this world. His thoughts are higher than ours. And, His thoughts always take in the whole picture.

When Ruth gave birth to her son Obed, did she have any idea that this beautiful gift to her and Boaz would become the grandfather of King David in the line of Christ, the Messiah? Of course not. God never shared that secret with her. From her vantage point, she only saw a small part of the whole story that God would unfold.

We never know what God plans. Even so, He wants for us to remain vigilant and faithful to Him, taking one day at a time until we make it through the long days of waiting for this COVID-19 Pandemic to be over.

We need to praise Him for the new doors He has already arranged to open for us. We need to thank Him for the new vistas He will allow us to eventually see. We need to determinedly trust Him to provide the very best for us, even though we don’t yet see the full picture.

—Posted: Monday, August 10, 2020

 

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Rattling Bones

Talk about bizarre! Perhaps, by the time Ezekiel had the vision of the valley of dry bones, he had experienced the Lord’s visions enough times to not completely freak out. Here he sat, among the exiles from Israel in Babylon, with a message from God and the hand of the Lord upon him. The Jews had been captive there for more than thirty years and, according to God’s timeline given to other prophets, they had forty more years left in their captivity.

The people around Ezekiel appeared as those dry bones—lifeless and ignorant of the God who was ordering their nation’s woes. Yet here, in the most forsaken place, God was giving Ezekiel a message of hope using this strange vision.

Ezekiel, the obedient prophet, did as God commanded. In response to the vision, Ezekiel preached to these dry, lifeless bones. Surprisingly, he heard the sound of the rattling skeletons and saw them come together and reconnect with flesh surrounding them.

Next, God commanded Ezekiel to preach to the wind and ask for breath to come again and revive those dead bones. In obedience, Ezekiel did as God asked. As he watched, Ezekiel saw a huge army of people and he heard them confessing that they were dry and without hope. God responded by bringing a message of hope to all of them, by promising that, with His Spirit upon them, they would live and go back to their own land!

What hope this must have brought the prophet and, as he recounted his vision, to the people! God had not forgotten them. In fact, He acted in their behalf to restore them to life.

Sometimes, when we look at our country in the midst of this pandemic and with the political and cultural unrest all around us, it must feel like we lie in a valley full of dry bones. Can God cause us to live again? What must we do to see that happen? Like Israel, we need to confess that we lie dead without hope and without obedience to the living God.

But, not only does our culture look dry, dead, and useless. Oftentimes, we also look at our churches and see that they carry on without the “life” of the Holy Spirit moving them and giving them health and strength to serve God. We ask, “Can these bones live again?” Once again, can we stand like a mighty army and with renewed energy serve Him? In Robert Coleman’s book on revival from the 1960’s, he writes:¹

The church uses the term “revival” as “the return of something to its true nature and purpose.” Certainly, dry bones need to form skeletons, and skeletons need not only flesh and blood, but life breathed in, as God did when He created Adam. From Coleman again:²

Hence, the word to the prophet in Ezekiel 37:5 refers to this kind of reviving power:

Let us listen for the rattling of the bones. As it did at Pentecost, let us pray to see the wind of the Holy Spirit come into our own dry existence, into the life of our churches, and into our lifeless culture. Then, may the Holy Spirit’s power within us and our churches accomplish all that God wants to accomplish, to the glory of His Holy Name!

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1 Coleman, Robert E. Dry Bones Can Live Again. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1969. Pp. 7-8.

2 Ibid. Pp. 11-12.

—Posted: Monday, August 3, 2020

 

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Scraps and Second Chances

I love the way old things can become new and useful again—like scrap quilts, for example. I admire the artistry and creativity put into sewing a beautiful quilt out of scraps of material that individually are hardly large enough to be used for anything else.

Suddenly the old collection of dress fabrics, or Father’s ties, or Mother’s aprons takes on a whole new life and usefulness with years more of service. You might say that those scraps have become redeemed from the stash.

Think of God as our Redeemer, our Savior, the One who makes new that which was old.

In Jeremiah 31:31, He promised a new covenant with the House of Israel. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul reminds us that:

Likewise, God has promised a New Heaven and a New Earth, saying in Revelation 21:5:

Throughout the Bible, we read stories of saints who have become redeemed from their past sins to serve God again.

We each may know people in our own lives to whom God has given a second chance. Most often, these people, knowing the mercy and forgiveness of God, go on to serve Him with even more vigor than before. They have a testimony of God’s redeeming grace—His ability to rescue, repair, renew, and repurpose.

Perhaps you, too, have offended against God’s holy will, have disobeyed, or have disregarded Him. He waits to redeem your life and restore you, too. Please take note of Psalm 103:1-5:

—Posted: Monday, July 27, 2020

 

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Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that the seasons of our earthly life lie between “a time to be born” and “a time to die.” Yet, we know from the same chapter that “God has set eternity in our hearts” and that we have a hard time understanding what God does from beginning to end.

Anyone living through this 21st century COVID-19 Pandemic can agree with this lack of understanding. One day, we seem to have a handle on the virus and we learn to live with it. The next day, we hear that the virus has sprung up in a place unknown to us, setting us back in our plans.

When we look over the seasons of our earthly lives, we see seasons that contained wonderful joy and fulfillment only to dissolve into tragedy and loss in nearly the next moment of time. We prefer the times of planting and laughing, of dancing and loving, but God uses all the seasons to accomplish His work in us and in the world.

Perhaps you can think of childhood times, so long and wonderful, or of the early days of your marriage when you shared day-after-day of happiness and delight. It was easy to praise God then and easy to see His tender love and care.

Yet, from experience in the winter seasons of life, we have come to recognize the loving work of God through hardship and confusion, as well. And, we have learned to trust Him that all things will work together in His holy timing, even this horrible Pandemic.

The hardest part comes when we learn that we haven’t been invited into the planning and that we have no say in the broad picture. Just before Jesus went into heaven, Scripture records in Acts 1:7 that He said:

Jesus said He would come back to get His church. But, we obviously would not share in the timing of that event. We see, all too well, that “He is God and we are not!”

So, what should we do in every situation of trial and trouble? In that same passage from the Book of Acts that I mentioned above, Jesus told the disciples that they would be His witnesses all over the world with the power He would give from His Holy Spirit. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul wrote to Timothy that, in season and out of season—when it was convenient and when it was not—Timothy was to:

In this time of great uncertainty, God expects us to trust Him, to know that our times are in His hands. We are to continue His work of spreading the Gospel and blessing others. We can pray with David from Psalm 31:14-19 when he faced the uncertainty of living in the presence of enemies:

Then we can conclude our prayer by hearing David’s words from Psalm 31:23-24:

—Posted: Monday, July 20, 2020

 

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Tracking in Mud

Nothing makes a mom crazier than having an unaware dog or unaware child with muddy feet run across her newly mopped floor. You can just hear her shout: “Stop! Stop! Stop! You’re tracking in mud! Take off your shoes!”

Have you ever spent time in prayer when you suddenly got interrupted by something or someone? And, before you could get back to prayer, you realized that you had already said or done something for which you needed forgiveness. Our feet get muddy so quickly that we barely notice. We easily become as unaware as that dog or child running over mom’s clean floor.

After the Passover Meal, on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He began washing the feet of His disciples. When He came to Simon Peter, Peter objected to Jesus’ work. John 13:8-10 records what happened next:

What did Jesus mean?

It seems that those who had been baptized into Christ—had accepted the washing He gives to make them new creatures in Him—didn’t really need to continually come back for a thorough cleansing. In contrast however, Jesus realized that feet, in open sandals that walk the dusty roads of Palestine, get muddy over and over again.

We need this same spiritual cleansing today. We go to places we shouldn’t go. We step on others’ feelings. We wander away into enemy territory. We run after things that we don’t need. All our wanderings often act like quicksand to pull us down. We even suffer wounds to our spiritual feet that need cleaning and binding up.

No wonder, in Exodus 3:5, God told Moses to take off his muddy sandals. Like Moses, we need to realize that when we come before God to talk with Him in prayer, our muddy shoes carry the smell of sin. Jesus may not want any part of us at that moment. But, He never turns us away. He merely asks us to allow Him to wash our feet. When we do, we become accepted by Him and enabled by Him to wash others’ feet—to treat them as God has treated us—and to share fellowship with Him.

Like the hymn reminds us, we are “prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love.”¹ How marvelous it is that Jesus, even before He took our sins to the cross, reminded us, through this incident with His disciples, that our feet get dirty more often than we realize.

Daily, we personally need to take account of our sin and submit to the washing before we enter His holy presence. Likewise, when our church congregations come together in His presence, we corporately need to take account of our corporate sin by the “Confession” and receive God’s blessing through the “Assurance of Pardon.” In so doing, we remember that we need the “washing” by the hands of our Savior. Jesus wants to use us with clean shoes and feet!

______________________

1 Robinson, Robert. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Public domain.

—Posted: Monday, July 13, 2020

 

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Unusual Kindness

A person doesn’t forget an unusual kindness done for him or her. The missionary Paul, on his way to prison in Rome, spent three months of his journey on the island of Malta because the ship that took him shipwrecked there. Paul either journaled about, or merely remembered, the extraordinary way the strangers on that island greeted this dirty, water-logged group of men. Oh, the kindness!

When Corrie ten Boom recalled the days after her release from the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp¹ at the end of World War II, she specifically remembered the nurse who led her down gleaming corridors into a room with a steaming bathtub. She stated that nothing ever felt as good as that bath. She also commented on the bed with sheets and how she could not get enough of running her hands over them, as they soothed her swollen feet. Oh, the kindness!

A missionary, Gracia Burnham, had much the same reaction after spending a year running, hiding, sleeping on the ground, and watching her husband die in the wet jungles of the Philippines.² In her vivid remembrance, she too recalled the spotless sheets and the comfortable mattress. She compared them to the terrifying nights she had spent in the open. Oh, the kindness!

When we imagine this kind of treatment by strangers, especially for those who have lived through horrific circumstances, we realize that the Gift of Kindness comes as a remnant of the image of God in human form. Jesus, too—God incarnate—shows us kindness. His kindness is always beyond our need. His kindness is always beyond our deserving. His kindness always changes us.

Romans 2:4 asks:

Imagine the Apostle Paul, or Corrie ten Boom, or Gracia Burnham turning down the kindness shown to them! God’s purposes through His kindness lead us to repentance for our “old rags.” His kindness offers us fresh, new garments in which He invites us to live. Isaiah 61:3 expresses His kindness this way:

Yes! It is so very true that, in His loving kindness, God has a “garment of praise” for us in exchange for the garment of a faint spirit—that is, a spirit of despair. Oh, the kindness!

First of all then, let us praise God for His kindnesses to us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. These gifts of kindnesses to us should be remembered and told, when we share our stories with others. Secondly, we need to recall the kindnesses that others have shown us—the kindnesses that have led to effect good outcomes in our lives. Thirdly, as carriers of His image, let us show the same kind of transforming kindnesses to others around us.

Let us continually ask ourselves: “This day, to whom is God asking us to bless with unusual kindness?”

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1 Ten Boom, Corrie with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The Hiding Place. Old Tappan NJ: Revell Company, 1971. p. 228.

2 Burnham, Gracia with Dean Merrill. In the Presence of My Enemies. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Book Publishers, Inc., 2010. Amazon Kindle location: 4309.

—Posted: Monday, July 6, 2020

 

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Sharing the Keys

Do you remember, perhaps many years ago when you had just earned your driver’s license, how very grown up you felt? You likely felt care-free and in charge. Whenever your dad or mom handed you the keys to the family car, you knew you were trusted with great responsibility. You knew that you now must be especially careful because of the tremendous confidence your parent had placed in you.

To those us whom God has called to Himself and redeemed through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, God has handed us the “keys” to His Kingdom. One of those keys He has given us is His precious Name that He has given us to use in prayer.

I like what Andrew Murray wrote in his little book, With Christ in the School of Prayer:¹

When I took my father’s car out for a drive or to attend a meeting, I knew that nearly everyone in our small town knew to whom that car belonged. Would I want people to see me driving recklessly, or parking in a no-parking zone, or parking in front of an establishment my father himself wouldn’t frequent? Of course not!

Again, here’s Andrew Murray:¹

If my father needed a part for a broken piece of farm equipment, since I was his oldest child, he would often ask me to go to town for that part. Since we lived several miles from town, it would have been useless for him to have asked me and not allowed me the use of his car. Likewise, Jesus gives us His work to do in the world. When He ascended to heaven, He equipped us with His Holy Spirit and the power of prayer, using His Name, to do His work.

Once my father asked me to go on an errand, I never decided to take his car and, rather than doing that errand, chose instead to hang out with my friends. No! I knew the purpose for which I had been given the keys. Likewise, we should clearly know the purposes for which God has given us His Name. We need to stay in constant touch with our Father and, relying on the Holy Spirit, ascertain truthfully His will in our prayers. The more we understand God’s purposes, the more readily we will pray for that which He wills.

Let us intentionally remember the responsibility of “the keys” that God has given us. And, let us take that memory to heart every time we go to God in prayer. We should ask ourselves:

As God’s grown up children, we need to understand the grave nature of prayer. And, we must use that power to do His work in the world to the glory of His matchless Name.

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1 Murray, Andrew. With Christ in the School of Prayer. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming Revell Co., 1953. Pp. 133-134.

—Posted: Monday, June 29, 2020

 

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Widely Separated

I like the story of Nehemiah. He had leadership capabilities, though he had spent his time in Persia as cupbearer for the king. He had an important role in keeping the king safe. But, God had better things for him and used his reputation with the king for the greater purpose of gaining permission to return to Jerusalem for a new project.

As Nehemiah prayed, planned, and began the great work of rebuilding the ruined walls of Jerusalem, he gathered hundreds of people around him to help. The people spread out all around the city. Widely separated from each other, they toiled determinedly to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

That plan worked well at first. But not too long after, the Jews faced great opposition from surrounding tribes and their leaders. In spite of this opposition, Nehemiah knew that God had called him and his people to this work. So, Nehemiah arranged to keep them safe from their enemies, even as the building progressed.

What a resolute leader! Nehemiah not only saw God’s plan for Jerusalem and his role in it, he also had the kind of courage and spiritual discernment to recognize the strength of his enemies.

In our present day, what can we learn from this story? We surely also feel “widely separated” from those in our church bodies. Has God called us to a work for Him? We would all surely say that He has. If we have a wise pastoral staff, a discerning lay leadership, and an ambitious church membership, praise God for that! Many cannot say the same.

As we celebrate the talents and abilities that God has given our churches, we must also recognize the nearness of our enemies and the cleverness of their plans against us. I’m not so much talking about enemies outside the doors of our churches, such as our political leaders, various secular groups and institutions, and the large crowds of people aligned against the cause of Christ—although their actions should create in us a watchfulness, as we exist within this changing culture. I am much more concerned about the spiritual battles that go on, in subtle and dangerous ways, within the minds and hearts of our fellow believers, including myself.

God has not left us in a weak position—one in which we have no power against the enemy. Just as Nehemiah knew that his people needed to be vigilant and prepared against the onslaught of opposing forces, so we should keep our weapons of prayer and our knowledge of Scripture at the ready for every attack on the fellowship of believers to which God has called us.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, the Apostle Paul warns us of the battle. He tells the Ephesians to put on the full armor of God and stand against the devil’s schemes. In the day of Nehemiah, those schemes would have stopped the rebuilding of the wall and sent Nehemiah packing back to Persia.

We need to continue to ask ourselves: “In the coming days, what do we believe God wants our churches to build?” Once we determine our goal, can we say: “It is worth the work and the battle”?

In these days, has God given the Church a mission among the confused, hurting, angry, and weary in our culture? I would suggest that we need to not only take up the work of spreading the Gospel. We also need, at the same time, to engage in the work of a battle against evil influences.

God has called us to pray in faith and in the power given to us by His Holy Spirit, standing in His Name and with His mighty power. When we hear the trumpet call to assemble, let us come alongside each other once again—remembering how God so graciously called and empowered Nehemiah and those who worked with him—and know the powerful work of prayer together against the opposition forces. With our minds and hearts set in a single direction, we can move forward and accomplish the task before us.

May God strengthen His church for this hour!

—Posted: Monday, June 22, 2020

 

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Wake Up!

Does your church need a new alarm clock? Does mine? Have we become so accustomed to dozing that we think we can live in our present culture just as we always have? What do you see as the biggest challenges to our faith and practice? Do we have the strength for a struggle we didn’t see coming? Do we even see the dangers of sin in us and in our culture, as we stare with drowsy eyes? Do we see the lostness? The despair?

When we look at the churches across our world today, we often hear about vibrant places across the globe where God is doing amazing things in and through His people. Unfortunately, many we would look at in our own land may appear awake, but they are merely sleep-walking. Surely, Jesus, our Bridegroom, would say to us, “Wake up!”

Even one of the churches in the Apostle John’s time had fallen into the sleep-walking pattern. When he wrote letters to seven of the congregations in his time, he told the church in Sardis that their heavy-eyed, lethargic patterns would lead to death—unless they would repent and wake up.

We know from Scripture that sleep in a Christian, and in a Christian church, can lead to death. As Puritan writer William Gurnall writes: ¹

We need to awaken to the sin that is silently creeping into our lives and into our churches. We need to awaken to the needs God wants us to see in the world around us. And, we need to awaken to the ways God wants to use us. When we sleep, our enemy Satan can come in unawares and take advantage of us. We can be near spiritual death and not know it.

Will Jesus find us awake when He comes back? If He visited us today, would He find us sleeping or wide awake?

Will you please join me in this prayer: ²

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1 From “The Christian in Complete Armour” by William Gurnall, as quoted in Rushing, Richard, editor. Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 358.

2 From Wilson, Shirley W. “Re”wording Our Prayers for Spiritual Change. Erie, PA: Wilson Publishing, 2011. p. 7.

—Posted: Monday, June 15, 2020

 

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Wrestling

I know very little about the sport of wrestling. I do know, however, that wrestlers struggle from beginning to end. In another sport, as when a basketball team has 30 points more than the opponent, wrestlers can’t ever say, “OK. I’m ahead now, so the rest should be easy.” Until the very end of the match, wrestling requires persistence, perseverance, use of every muscle, and the application of every tactic that a wrestler knows.

In Genesis 32:24-32 we read the story of Jacob, terrified of the danger that lay ahead for its effect on him and his family. First, Jacob prayed and asked God to protect him and his family. Then, he strategized a way to approach his estranged brother, Esau, with humility, represented by various gifts borne by Jacob’s servants.

The text then tells us that having sent his servants and family on ahead, Jacob remained where he was, waiting on an answer to his prayer. The answer came in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, Jacob found himself wrestling with a man that he later learned was actually an angel of God. They wrestled all night in answer to Jacob’s prayer. In fact, even after daybreak came and the angel suggested they end the struggle, Jacob said to him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Jacob wouldn’t stop until his adversary dislocated Jacob’s hip. Jacob strained every muscle until he received the blessing for which he had prayed.

In a New Testament passage found in Luke 18:1-8, Jesus took up a similar theme. He told the parable of a woman who kept coming to a judge who could care less about her case. She bothered him and struggled against his apathy until he gave in and gave her the justice for which she was asking.

The accounts of these kinds of prayer strengthens our faith and encourages us that in our persistence we, too, will receive victory from God in response to our prayers. God, unlike the apathetic judge, is not unjust, nor bothered by our persistence in coming to Him in prayer. But, sometimes, God withholds His blessing until we learn to how to wrestle with all that constrains us.

Andrew Murray, in his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer, dedicates a chapter to this parable of the Persistent Widow. He writes the following:¹

When we compare this kind of waiting to wrestling, we begin to see how we need the exercise of the struggle, the straining of every muscle, and the perseverance of all our human modalities—heart, soul, mind, and strength—to win the victory.

When we pray, we often must wait for an answer much longer than we at first expected. But, in response, we must take Jesus’s admonition to “pray and not give up!” If we do, He will come and will come “quickly” in accordance with His perfect will for us.

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1 Murray, Andrew. With Christ in the School of Prayer, Old Tappan N.J.: Fleming Revell Company, 1953. Pp.88-89.

—Posted: Monday, June 8, 2020

 

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"Crib-Note Christians"

The graduate student with whom I was walking to the library to work on a project we had just been assigned bragged, “I hardly ever made it to the library as an undergrad.” To me, that seemed like an atrocious comment because the internet was barely accessible at the time. But, I suppose some could “get by” reading CliffsNotes^®1 and studying off other people’s work.

Enhanced Box Meals, a cookbook which takes a “mix,” or prepared box dinner, may give semi-cooks ideas for meals and desserts. But, using this trick rarely fools anyone into believing the meal was “made from scratch.”

Similarly, a piano instructional method learned on-line just doesn’t come close to teaching a “wanna-be musician” how to use good technique and offer sight reading experience. Proper technique and an exposure to the many pieces that make up an appropriate repertoire takes in-person learning methods and critiques.

Into this category of relying on “Crib-Notes,” I would also place what some call the “two-fers”—those individuals who only attend church on Christmas and Easter. They would rarely be called “disciples” by anyone who knows Christ’s expectations, as clearly expressed in His written Word. Somehow, the “fun” of going to church on big Sundays, wearing new clothes, sitting with family members before a big meal, and claiming membership in a church when one writes his or her obituary seems like enough. They have believed the lie that merely “identifying” with a local church in some way makes them upstanding Christians.

Instead, we know that following Christ does, indeed, extract a price from all who are serious about their faith. Life in Him carries suffering and sometimes death. In Nazi Germany, faithful Lutheran minister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, author of the famous book, The Cost of Discipleship, was hanged for his opposition to Hitler’s policies of euthanasia and torture of the Jews. Bonhoeffer wrote:

These words form quite a contrast to those “Crib-Note Christians,” who take the easy way out and smugly and self-righteously do as little as possible to serve God and their fellow humans. True discipleship is costly.

And, even if we attend worship services every Sunday, each day we weakly struggle to live as Christ has asked us to live. We realize that, the longer we go onward in the Christian life, we do not have the strength, the wisdom, the grace, the love, or anything else to make a faithful life on our own. We need the daily “feeding” that takes place when we pour over God’s written Word and seek His will. Whenever we try to serve Christ on our own, we open ourselves up to the charge of also becoming “Crib-Note Christians.”

Anne Cetas, the managing editor of Our Daily Bread, writes this: ²

Lord, please have mercy on all of us “Crib-Note Christians”!

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1 The term CliffsNotes® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The use of this term within this blog post is not intended to imply any connection, any endorsement, or any involvement whatsoever with the content of this blog post by the trademark holder. More information is available at the following: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/discover-about

2 Cetas, Anne. “A Convenient Christianity” appearing in Our Daily Bread Devotional Journal. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Radio Bible Class Ministries, 2010. Devotional for November 29th.

—Posted: Monday, June 1, 2020

 

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In Unison

Harmony—voices on two or more blending pitches—can thrill us with its beauty. What does it take to sing in harmony well? Each person must have enough confidence in his or her own ability to commit to notes that others around may not be singing. Attention to each other makes harmony singing possible. Listening, in order to blend the sounds, takes much practice. It is interesting to note that singing rounds in elementary school introduced many of us to harmony singing.

In contrast, singing in unison has a power that singing in harmony does not. Just as unison speech seems more powerful to us and even gives us the ability to hear the words more plainly, to truly sound like one voice, people have significant power when they sing in unison. While singing in unison, the weak and under-confident vocalists get a boost from the group and become encouraged to sing out. Those listening to unison singing can clearly hear the notes and text coming toward them in a strong manner.

I like the story found in 2 Chronicles 5, where the ark was brought into the newly built temple on the dedication day. What a day of rejoicing this was. The Scripture passage from verses 12-14 reveals what happened. Just imagine this:

What power that music must have had in uniting the people of God. Likewise, the singing in our churches should sound out that strongly, whether we sing in harmony or in unison. Others, who hear our singing, should clearly be moved by the power of the Holy Spirit. And, God should unmistakably hear the glory given to Him through the singing.

Our pastor likes to say—and I agree—that when we gather as a congregation of God to worship, the Holy Spirit is “thickest”—that’s the power of unison singing. Our singing, our prayers, and our careful attention to preaching all pierce their way into our ears, minds, and hearts. No one should leave church the same way he or she came into the church. The more we live and worship in unison, the stronger our witness will be to the world!

—Posted: Monday, May 25, 2020

 

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We’re Too Smart

You’ve heard them—the talking heads on television telling about the scientific breakthroughs and solid progress that they see streaming forth and conquering COVID-19. We hear how the “greatest nation in the world” with the “greatest scientific minds” will have a cure in no time at all. I don’t disagree that we live in the greatest nation and have the best minds, but, the boasting and reliance on these assessments causes me concern.

After discussing with some people the fact that, in early 1918, a great uncle of mine died during Army basic training in World War I, they queried if he had the H1N1 virus pandemic known as the “Spanish Flu.” The family has always asserted, and even his death certificate stated, that he died of pneumonia. I wonder though?

In a podcast from “Defense One Radio,”¹ I heard this information:

In fact, these 1918 “modern” researchers were looking through their microscopes for germs—that is, for bacteria. Viruses were not even discovered and seen under a microscope until 1933. The idea that modern science could conquer anything, could keep the country safe, could stop a “war” of this kind, proved that this so-called Spanish Flu would not “yield” to a human’s expertise.

I certainly pray that our 21st century researchers and doctors will find a vaccine in record time for this present COVID-19 pandemic. However, as a Christian, I know that human wisdom has a limit. What haven’t we discovered yet? Humans only know as much as our Sovereign God reveals to them. Again and again in Scripture, we read that God is a jealous God. He will have no other god before Him—including the “god” of human knowledge.

Every time I hear that our leaders have stopped for prayer, or asked for the nation to pray, my heart thrills. Bowing in prayer symbolizes our neediness before a powerful God. I continue to pray that these same leaders will actually rely on the living God and not on the keenness of humans’ minds to bring an answer to this deadly disease.

We need to heed the advice of the writer of Proverbs 3:5-6, when he wrote about God and urged us to:

Then, when this COVID-19 pandemic no longer poses the threat it now does, we can quote the Non Nobis, Domine from Psalm 115:1:

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1 Podcast—“Defense One Radio”: The 1918 Flu and the U.S. Military. Episode 66, April 11, 2020.

—Posted: Monday, May 18, 2020

 

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Our Ezer

Do you remember the Carole King hit song from the late 1960s, “You’ve Got a Friend”? If you do, you may also remember the refrain:

That song always reminds me of Psalm 18:6, when David retold that:

Following that statement. David tells how God literally dropped everything, shook the earth, parted the heavens and came down, thundered, scattered enemies, and reached down to him. Now, that’s a Friend!

In studying the story of Eve,¹ I learned the Hebrew word, Ezer, which means “help.” This broad term refers to military strength, too. And, it carries the qualities of “protection” and “defense.” In Genesis 2:18, we read:

Those of us who grew up with the King James Version of the Bible remember the word “help meet” used in place of the phrase “helper suitable for him.” For centuries, the word seemed restricted to the marriage relationship. It seemed to suggest that a women’s place strictly belonged with home and family, and away from other stronger, more capable missions, like those missions God had given man to carry out.

In my study, I read that the word Ezer occurs 21 times in the Old Testament and only two of those refer to women. Three times, the word refers to military powers that Israel called upon. The other 16 times, the word refers to our God as Israel’s Helper.

You can even find the word Ezer as part of names in the Old Testament that point to strength. Consider these names: Eben-ezer, Moses’ son Eli-ezer, one of David’s warriors, Abi-ezer. And, during New Testament times, a contemporary of Jesus named, Rabbi Eli-ezer.

Not only does this explanation help our understanding of women’s role as elevated and the other half of a polarity with men, but it gives us an accurate picture of our great God. God is our Ezer.

How wonderful to recall the verse in Psalm 46:1:

We can count on God at all times. As Hebrews 4:16 in the Amplified Bible tells us, at the right time:

God shows us that, as our Ezer, He knows how to come to us at the right time, how to fight for us, how to stand with us, and how to show us the way we can help others with the same strength and purpose that He supplies.

Let’s determine this day, and every day, to be strong in the Lord and serve Him by helping others as He has helped us!

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1 James, Carolyn Custis. Lost Women of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2005. Pp. 35, 36, 233.

—Posted: Monday, May 11, 2020

 

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Distilled

It occurs to me that God is in the distilling business. He looks for a final product that He has boiled down, made sweet, and fashioned as useful. He wants to bring out the essence of His work in and through us. This process, stated in religious language, is called “sanctification.” It begins the moment we acknowledge that God has called us to Himself and redeemed us through Christ’s sacrifice. This process of sanctification only ends when our earthly life ends and we graduate to spend eternity in heaven.

As a teacher, I practiced the distilling process every time I presented a lesson to my students. I certainly never taught my second graders about thirds and fifths, and chord progressions—lessons I learned in college music theory class. I distilled what I knew down to “so-mi” patterns and “so-do” endings for them to use in their reading of simple songs.

Along the pathway of sanctification, God brings us through a rigorous distilling process. He guides us through fiery trials that help us see Him and His will more clearly. Each trial distills us, in order that we may live purer lives, and so that we may discard the foolish things we so long thought were important. The contaminants and impurities have to go, to allow us to become more like our Savior.

When we arrive at old age, God expects that we will pass the knowledge of His goodness and power on to the next generation. Psalm 71, a prayer from the heart of an older person, recalls youth and a lifelong knowledge of God’s ways. This Psalm asks God for His ability to: “declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” He recalls the trials: “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again.” The Psalmist promises to: “shout for joy” and to: “tell of [God’s] righteous acts all day long.”

When we reach a certain age, we have a lot to distill from the experiences of our lives. Consider daily, the lessons you have learned through God’s distillation process. Take note of what the fire has boiled away and what He has for you to share with others about His goodness to you.

You might find that keeping a journal would help you to recall God’s work in you, the Scripture passages that He has taught you through personal experience, the prayers He has answered and through which He has shown you His love and mercy.

What distilled product has God brought forth from you?

—Posted: Monday, May 4, 2020

 

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Plowing

I remember how my father loved to prepare the ground and plant his fields in the spring. He was probably the happiest doing these tasks from the seat of his tractor than doing just about anything else. All farmers, whether using oxen, or horses, or air conditioned tractors know the process well that leads to growth and production from this annual task.

The Bible contains many illustrations from the themes of sowing and reaping. We often hear quoted Galatians 6:7: “A man reaps what he sows.” Jesus told a whole parable on the process of growing seeds into healthy plants. In Mark 4:1-20, He likened people to one of four types of soil—two of which Jeremiah references in the verse at the beginning of this blog post.

One type of soil develops over time and through the repeated trampling of feet and wagons over a footpath. The soil becomes so hard that anyone trying to plant there would have to “break up” that soil in order to grow anything. The other type of soil needs the uprooting of thorns, in order not to choke the seed the farmer intends to plant.

In these days when we have more time than usual to meditate on God’s ways with us, His methods, His desires, I believe we should consider how He wants to prepare us for the days ahead. He wants to make us and our churches more productive than they have been. The footpaths have become like stone with the habitual trampling, often unthinkingly, of His good grace.

The thorns God warns us of must illustrate the sins that grow with a mind of their own and take over our patterns of life, and even our Christian duties. In self-will and self-righteousness and pride, we easily allow our thoughts and actions to choke out the life of the written Word of God, the calling of God’s Holy Spirit, our prayer lives, and any godly desires we may have once held.

If our lives and our churches emerge from this current COVID-19 pandemic more fruitful than they have been, we must take our Lord’s admonishment: “Break up the unplowed ground.” Dig below the surface and renew a fertile life of faith and practice. “Do not sow among thorns.” Get rid of the sin into which we so easily fall. In the future, do not continue trying to live with one foot in sin and one foot in the Kingdom of God.

In the Mark 4 parable, Jesus speaks of the soil He desires. He wants us to plant in “good soil”—soil in which we hear the written Word, accept it, and produce a large crop.

Crops, once planted, need sunlight and water. Often, the truest brokenness of heart soil and adequate preparation for a plenteous crop comes by way of tears and a humble heart. I like the way Psalm 126:4-6 states it:

—Posted: Monday, April 27, 2020

 

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Scaling a Wall

David was a warrior king. Much of the imagery of his Psalms reveals battle terminology. Even the Psalm from which the verse is quoted at the beginning of this blog post uses the terms “fortress,” “shield,” “stronghold,” “arrows,” “enemies,” “attacks,” and “victories.” In verse 39, David writes:

However, verse 29, at the beginning of this blog post, has somewhat stymied me. And, I have yet to find any reference to this verse among my ample commentaries.

Yet, when we read the stories of Jesus, after He victoriously defeated the enemy death in His resurrection, we come upon John 20:26, which states:

Jesus didn’t run through a barricade, or scale a wall. But, He did something equally as miraculous. He seemed to have walked through a shut and locked door. Why did John record that information? Perhaps to show us that nothing in our physical world can stop Jesus’ power from penetrating and reaching us.

Does Jesus still do this kind of miracle today? I believe that He does. We can relate to this verse in the Psalms in relation to what God can do in answer to our prayers. We can’t walk through doors, or barricades, nor scale walls. But, we can see Him do this for us through the power of prayer.

In the Bible, prayer is often compared to a battle. Genesis 32:24 relates the story of Jacob who, alone in the wilderness and in danger from the fury of Esau, “wrestled with ‘a man’ until daybreak.” Jacob later learned that this was the angel of God. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul likens our struggle to a wrestling match with rulers, authorities, principalities, and dark forces of evil.

I believe that when we plead for others in prayer, God can reach through barricades and over walls in order to move those forces put up by man and by the Evil One to ruin us and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Can God reach into a prison cell in Turkey, or Iran, or Kenya to rescue His children caught there? We have certainly heard witness to these kinds of divine liberations.

Christians who have prayed in faith for people caught in these kinds of situations, and who have seen God release them in miraculous ways, can give testimony to the power of God to break into places too difficult for any of us to penetrate. This Easter season—as we sing with those around the world: “Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son!”—may we truly believe and use the weapons of prayer to do impossible things in Christ’s name.

—Posted: Monday, April 20, 2020

 

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Resurrection Power

The victim has become the Victor! The condemned has become the Conqueror! The meek has become the Strong! Let all the world see our powerful God: Vanquisher, Hero, King of Kings! We use this kind of language when we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, well we should. Even our language fails in its attempt to exclaim the magnificence of the One who acts as the Death of Death!

How often in Scripture, from the beginning in the Book of Genesis all the way to the Book of Revelation, do we witness the Sovereign Power of our Living God?

The Resurrection story of Jesus should not have surprised His followers. His God, the God of Abraham; the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; the God of all those for whom Jesus performed miracles; and so many more, acted on that first Easter morning, as He had throughout history. He has always acted to rescue His chosen people, even from our fiercest enemy, Death.

When we pray according to His will, we should believe this One of whom we ask favors. He, the God of the impossible, waits to do wonderful things for us, even using a world-wide pandemic to accomplish His mysterious and powerful will.

This Season of Eastertide, when recounting the powerful story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, let us remember that He has given us that power to use for His purposes through prayer. What a privilege to share His power to bring about His holy will in our world. He wants to overrule the powers of death in our lives and bring about new life! He wants all people everywhere to know Him. The Apostle Paul, writing in Philippians 2:8-11, admonishes us to exalt Jesus:

—Posted: Monday, April 13, 2020

 

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Passion Week

As we begin this Passion Week, may we experience a deep gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us. The entirety of His death on the cross was motivated by his “com-passion” (with passion). He saw the darkness of people’s minds and their refusal to see and hear the message he shared with them. As He approached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday morning, He wept over Jerusalem. Scripture records this striking event in Luke 19:41-42:

Then again, as the Scripture verses at the beginning of this blog post state, even while on His way that Palm Sunday, amidst the large crowd, He listened to the cries for mercy from two blind men. Hearing their requests, Jesus had compassion on them, and healed them.

In the Old Testament, “compassion” was symbolized by the Mercy Seat within the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. Once a year, the High Priest entered this sacred place to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the Jewish people.

The Mercy Seat—the “hilasterion”—indicated to the people of God that He fully sympathized with their sin, their pain, and their sorrows. An English translation of the New Testament Greek text found in Romans 3:25 reads as follows:¹

The moment Jesus took His last breath, Scripture records that the veil in the Temple was torn in two. That which had previously been available only to the priests—and only under special ceremonial rules—was now available to all people.

Because of Jesus’ death, we all now have access to the Mercy Seat. The mercy and love of God, through Christ, is now available to all those whom God calls to Himself. He means for all those He calls to enter His divine Presence and cry out for His mercy to be poured out on us.

In these days of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), if you will, imagine that we, His people, crowd around Him as He enters the city this Palm Sunday. What should we cry for, if not for His mercy?

In reading an on-line devotional, I came upon this prayer and thought it fitting for us to pray during this time. I urge each of us to pray this prayer, over and often, during the days of this “Com-Passion Week.”²

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1 Quoted by Beth Moore in Moore, Beth. A Woman’s Heart. Nashville, TN: LifeWay Press, 1995. p. 181.

2 Krammes, Barry. Biola University On-line Lenten Devotional. La Mirada, CA: Biola University Center for Christianity Culture and the Arts, 2020.

—Posted: Monday, April 6, 2020

 

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Thoughts from the Cave

When we read Psalm 57, we can hear the desperation in King David’s voice. He cries out to God from his hiding place in a cave.

Once again, the murderous King Saul had threatened David’s life. David has fled to the interior of a cave for protection. As we read Scripture, it seems that David did a lot of hiding from danger. He hid constantly from King Saul, who jealously and constantly hunted David down during the seven years after Samuel anointed David to become the next king of Israel. Later in David’s life, his own son, Absalom, hunted David down because Absalom had designs on the throne.

These caves in Canaan, that David knew so well, became his “go-to” spots whenever he felt unsafe and afraid. Yet, we also see, again and again in the Psalms, that David refers to God as his refuge. In Psalm 57, David describes those chasing him as lions, ravenous beasts with teeth like spears and arrows.

David often uses the image of the wings of God covering him like a mother bird does her babies, and like the mighty eagle shelters her newborns. In Psalm 91:4, we read:

In Psalm 57, David reveals that he knew specific hindrances to his feet that might trip him, namely a net and a pit. In this particular moment in our lives, we can relate to that image, too. Because we must shelter in place and maintain social distancing, right now our feet can’t go where we might wish they could take us. David was stuck in a cave, just like we are now stuck in our homes.

In spite of the circumstances, David has confidence in God. And, David illustrates his confidence when he commits himself with the words “I will” four times. He promises that he will:

We can act on these same promises. What if we reflected on hymns that we know and either sing or listen to those that offer us hope and faith during this time? Even though we may not need to arise in the morning as early as we would have if we were going to our places of employment, in the early morning, we can still make it a priority to meet God in His written Word and in prayer.

We may struggle with praising the Lord among the nations. Nevertheless, thousands of people around the world are suffering from COVID-19 and many thousand more must risk their own health by caring for those who are sick. Pray for leaders around the world and scientists working to stop this plague.

Certainly, we can determine that, once we congregate again in our churches, we will sing and praise the God in whom we took refuge. And, maybe we need to correct our previous lax attendance.

Finally, in the two refrains of Psalm 57, found in verses 5 and 11, we read these words:

We know that God sovereignly rules over this wide world and is not surprised by anything about this human suffering in countless countries of the world. Therefore, let us pray that in all places, all over the earth, God’s glory will shine forth and that He will be exalted. His purposes in this COVID-19 pandemic surely are wider than we can imagine.

Though, for now, we use our homes as caves of safety, we can be confident today and always in our God. For He remains our eternal and sure refuge!

—Posted: Monday, March 30, 2020

 

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Uncharted

Joshua had become the new leader of the Israelite nation, overseeing approximately two million people. Although he had served as Moses’ aide for 40 years, Joshua nevertheless faced many new challenges. No longer did he have to maintain the pattern that these people had followed for all these years of traveling. He now received from God the directive to move them from their wanderings in the wilderness into the Promised Land.

Joshua, sensing the hand of Almighty God upon him for this task, listened carefully to God’s instructions, obeyed the preparations given, and trusted God to lead him and his people along the pathway that God Himself had provided.

The first challenge facing this new leader came on the morning that the whole company set out. He arose early and went to the edge of the Jordan where he instructed the entire population to camp for three days. We don’t know what they did during these three days, but we can imagine that the leaders prepared themselves and the people with much prayer and waited for God to reveal His miraculous hand upon them.

Following these three days, the leaders gave all the people the instructions for moving forward. They were told to follow their spiritual leaders, the priests and Levites, who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant, God’s sign that He lived among them. This command was followed with the words, recorded in Joshua 3:4:

Next, Joshua asked the people to consecrate themselves in preparation for the Lord doing amazing things for them. If we study the story, we know that they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground into the land promised to them—a miraculous phenomenon not unlike the crossing of the Red Sea at the beginning of their journey, now so many years ago.

They had never been this way before, but neither had Joshua their leader. God had astounding reasons for the way that He had led these people. Instead of traveling on the western side of the Jordan, as other travelers would do, God led them to the place of impossibility. Yet, He exposed His purpose in Joshua 4:24:

But, what about today? In these uncharted days for America, our spiritual leaders, like Joshua, have never led their people into a place like this. Nor have we, as a people, ever been here before either. We can decide to criticize and worry over what we should do, or we can do those same things that the Israelites were instructed to do.

Namely, we can spend a time of waiting and praying to God for His direction. In those prayers, we should lift up our spiritual leaders, asking God to direct them toward the specific things they need to do. Secondly, we should follow the suggestions, instructions, and guidance of our leaders. Then, we should move forward in faith, knowing God will lead us in order to accomplish the purpose of showing those around us, and the whole world, our Mighty God, His majesty, and His overwhelming power. He desires that the whole world come to search for Him and fear Him. He has said in Isaiah 45:22-24:

—Posted: Monday, March 23, 2020

 

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Stillness in Panic

Hand wringing! Worry! Panic buying! Panic selling that crashes the stock market! Fleeing! All these and many more reactions fill the news in light of the COVID-19 virus.

Though many of us probably will stay healthy throughout this pandemic, we will still suffer the insecurity, the disruption, and the confusion of these days. As Christians, tied to the Rock that is Christ Jesus, we can rest in the assurance that God has this situation well in hand! Nothing surprises Him. In fact, He allows events like this to cause the world to look up, to acknowledge that people do not control things, that despite our great advances in science and technology, He alone still reigns over us as the Sovereign God of the universe.

His word to us in Psalm 46:10 in the KJV tells us:

This time should bring us to stillness before Him, to peace with the assurance that He ever and always has us in His hands and can take care of us.

Dr. Shirley Mullen, the President of my alma mater, Houghton College, in releasing an announcement of their closures and responses to this pandemic, wrote these words:²

Indeed—unseen signs of grace. Let’s all look for them, take opportunities to share Christ’s love with others who may wonder if the world is falling apart, and above all, know that our Heavenly Father, the God of the Hosts of Heaven and Earth always provides His loving care of His world.

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1 Taylor, Kenneth N. The Living Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1971. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Mullen, Shirley. Coming to Terms with COVID-19 Houghton, NY: Houghton College Press, March 13, 2020.

—Posted: Monday, March 16, 2020

 

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Dismembered

Ann Voskamp, in her little book of poetic essays, Be the Gift, writes a lot about brokenness, as it has to do with our individual lives and as a people of God collectively. She says:¹

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and Paul wrote about it in his letter to the Corinthian church, they spoke about Jesus’ broken body. The whole thrust of Paul’s writing here concerns the church as the broken body of Christ. We all have broken lives pulled apart by sin, selfishness, hurting, and the misunderstanding of each other.

Especially during this Season of Lent, we need to consider deeply the body of Christ with whom we share this sacramental meal. We belong to each other.

I see my sister down the row in church. She is elderly, wearing tattered clothing, but alive in her love for Christ. I see my brothers sitting across the aisle. They are smart-looking in their business suits, but they are also struggling with broken and sinful habits. I see children growing up in a culture ever anxious to pollute their innocent minds and pull their spiritual arms and legs from them in an effort to own them, absorb them, and turn them away from a relationship with God. We come, a dismembered people, to the Lord’s table.

Jesus wants us to see the selfless, tortured mind and body that He gave for us. He wants to remind us that He longs for us to be that kind of broken for our brothers and sisters in Christ. He wants to see us re-joined together—“re-membered,” if you will—healed, complete in Him, and completing each other, as we join hearts, minds, and hands and follow Him.

Ann Voskamp, again:²

And sometimes, we must simply absorb the pain of living in a body with sinful members, like our very own. We simply need to forgive and bear the burden. Karen Mains refers to a quote she once read:³

This seems far easier said than done. But, such a mindset is required if we are to allow the Body of Christ to function with all its members intact. As we struggle to bring the broken pieces together in a healthy whole, may we see the model of oneness in Him that our Lord gave us in the reminder of the Lord’s Supper: whenever we eat it, whenever we drink it!

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1 Voskamp, Ann. Be the Gift. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2017. p. 118.

2 Ibid. p. 6.

3 Mains, Karen Burton. The Key to a Loving Heart. Elgin, IL: David C. Cook Publishing Company, 1979. p. 81.

—Posted: Monday, March 9, 2020

 

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GPS

“Turn around! Go back!” she emphatically commanded.

I was driving in a locale where I had never driven before. I thought I had correctly followed the directions I had been given. But, before I went miles out of my way, frustrating myself, and making myself late for the conference, the voice of the Global Positioning System (GPS) Satellite Navigation System’s voice interrupted my directional plans and set me right back on the right track.

In His great mercy and grace, God has given Christians an automatic navigational voice, too, in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit, living in our presence at all times, speaks to us when we are headed in the wrong direction. It might be easier for us if the Holy Spirit chose to speak using voice commands we could actually hear. But I wonder, would we really listen any more closely? In order to take full advantage of the Spirit’s leading, we must really want to hear His guidance.

Instead of saying “Go back!” the Holy Spirit says the word, “Repent!” which effectively means the same thing. Instead of using an audible voice, the Spirit speaks using Scripture, our time spent in silent prayer, a preacher’s sermon, a sense of a cold heart, and other means to get our attention and urge us to stop, turn around, and go back.

In the Book of Revelation, God sent John to warn seven prominent new churches of their sin, and their need to take drastic action. To four of them, He uses the specific instruction: “Repent!” In the verse quoted at the beginning of this blog post, through John, God tells them to go back to doing the things they did at the beginning, when they were young and passionate about their love for Him—like a giddy teen with his or her first love.

If we don’t obey the “holy GPS warning,” we will easily fall into the bondage of sin and the chains of our enemy, Satan, who wants to devour us, to pull us away from Christ, to blind us, enslave us, and destroy us.

Here’s how Charles H. Spurgeon put it:¹

God remembers our eager faith, our hearts’ cries to serve Him, our zeal for His people and for His house. He looks for us to return there again. “Go back! Turn around!” and we will find Him waiting!

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1 Spurgeon, Charles H. Faith’s Checkbook. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. Devotional for May 5th.

—Posted: Monday, March 2, 2020

 

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Manifold

Someone once told me that the word “manifold” in the Bible means “many-colored.” Having never studied Hebrew or Greek, I can only take his word for it. The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, defines the word manifold as: “marked by diversity or variety… a whole that consist of many diverse elements.”

In some translations of the verse at the beginning of this blog post, “temptations” is rendered as “trials.” Who hasn’t spent time “in heaviness through various trials?”

As you observe your own trials and then look at those of others, you realize that trials never seem exactly the same from person to person. However, the antidotes God gives for our trials also come in a variety of solutions.

In 1 Peter 4:10 we are told to minister to one another with the manifold grace of God. How comforting to know that we can meet manifold trials with God’s manifold grace. If we need financial help, God can meet that need through His grace. If we need wisdom, He can give us that through His grace. If we need strength and peace, He has all manner of such qualities to give us through His grace.

Jesus, in His teaching in the “Sermon on the Mount” (see Matthew 7:7-11), told His disciples to ask, seek and knock for those things which we need. He went on to say:

How wonderful to understand that our God knows each of us individually, knows our trials, and has the ability to meet each one! He has a variety of solutions for us. In His love, He wants us to see His manifold—even “many colored”—grace that He lavishes on us as His children: manifold grace for manifold trials.

Praise Him for His excellent goodness!

—Posted: Monday, February 24, 2020

 

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Stone Soup

During the years of my public-school teaching, one year I had my third graders put on a musical play based on the legend of Stone Soup. This old story has been told in various cultures and in various renditions.

In our particular play, three soldiers returning from war stumbled into a village they had visited before the war where they had found the villagers happy and generous. But now, these people suffered from poverty and heartless selfishness brought on by war and had no food or lodging to share with these men.

Through a stroke of creative thinking, one of the soldiers asked for a stone with which to make a special soup. The puzzled villagers filled a caldron with water, placed a stone in the caldron, and set the caldron on a fire. Once the “soup” was hot, the soldiers asked them to taste it.

One of the peasants tasted the stone soup and decided it needed an onion. That villager went quickly home and brought back an onion and put it into the soup.

Another peasant tasted the soup and decided it would taste much better if it had a carrot. That peasant went quickly home and brought back a carrot, which he put into the soup.

Still another peasant tasted the soup and declared that the soup needed some herbs. So, that peasant went quickly home and brought back some herbs, which she quickly put into the soup.

One by one, the villagers added various ingredients that they felt the soup needed until their individual efforts all merged and produced a succulent broth that became a meal for everyone present. They ate, sang, and spent the day rejoicing and bringing back to their small town the happiness it had once known. The Stone Soup story teaches the moral that when people each give what they have, all of them can then enjoy a magnificent supply of wonderful things.

In Scripture, we read of several places where God asked people to give what they had, even from the depth of their poverty. As a result, God used what they gave with miraculous results.

1 Kings 17:7-17 provides an account of a widow in Zarephath whom God sent Elijah to visit when he, too, needed food. The widow, obedient to Elijah’s request for bread, had only a handful of flour and a little oil, but she gave it to feed Elijah because she believed he spoke to her about the true God. This Bible account goes on to tell how, after she obeyed, the jar of flour was not used up, nor the jug of oil. She had every bit of flour and oil that she needed to feed herself and her household for many days.

Similarly in the New Testament story of the Marriage at Cana from John 2:1-11, Jesus showed His power to spare the bridegroom great embarrassment by turning six stone jars of water into delicious wine. In this story, we see the point of Jesus’ miracles when, in John 2:11, the Scripture states:

Remember the boy who came to listen to Jesus with the five thousand others? Jesus saw that these people, too, needed food with no supply. This story, recorded in John 6:1-14, shows us again how His miracle of taking the boy’s five small loaves and two small fish, gave witness to His power among the people.

In these three Bible stories, we find the same happy ingredients:

The bottom line  for all these, as in the story of Stone Soup, resulted in gladness and rejoicing.

Most of us have experienced a poverty of some kind, whether spiritual, financial, or material. Sometimes, God asks of us the last bit of strength we have so that He can make it into a glowing example of His power and grace. At other times, He may ask of us service for which we do not naturally feel suited. Still other times, He may ask us to give to Him from our nearly exhausted resources in order to accomplish His purposes.

God wants us all to render praise to Him and experience the joy that comes from obediently giving Him all that we have. Oftentimes, such an action on our part allows others to rejoice in God’s goodness to us, and we’re as happy as though we discovered the secret recipe to Stone Soup!

—Posted: Monday, February 17, 2020

 

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The Dog House

When I was growing up, on the kitchen wall of our house, we had a carved wooden plague. This plague had the image of a very cute doghouse. To the side, six little wooden doggies hung from hooks. Each doggie had a label with the name of one of our family members. From time to time in order to poke fun at each other, we would place each other in the doghouse. For example, my mom would sometimes get her doggie hung in the doghouse for not making my father’s favorite kind of pie often enough.

I think many families don’t have the kind of loving, fun relationships we enjoyed. Today, society might label such families as dysfunctional. In some, a family member must earn love. In others, members have learned how to manipulate each other to get his or her own way. Some have perfectionist expectations that children, or spouses, can never reach. Still others have a workaholic parent whose time for the family gets stolen by “more important matters.”

We can also look at our society and say that, in many ways, it has become dysfunctional, too. We could say that the traits of greed, selfishness, and power have taken over our love for country and each other.

What about the church? Can a church body carry dysfunctional characteristics, as well?

I think the Apostle Paul nailed some of those dysfunctional characteristics in his writing we call the “Love Chapter,” found in 1 Corinthians 13. Paul has just spent the first twelve chapters speaking of factions, status-seeking behaviors, jealousy, and various disagreements over who might have the greatest gifts. He takes a turn in Chapter 13, when he examines the characteristics that counter all the negative examples he has just given in the previous chapters.

Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of the hypercritical spirit, or the dysfunctional spirit within the church.¹

But, the Apostle Paul here admonishes us. We should not live with this kind of spirit in the church. Recently I read these words by Lisa Igram of Biola University:²

When compared to our culture and to the dysfunctional families that comprise our culture, our church—as a part of the Body of Christ—should live in a radically different way. The Gospel of Christ, lived out in our gathering together, should shout loudly to the world around us, pointing always to our loving and forgiving Lord.

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1 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971. Vol. 2, p. 167.

2 Igram, Lisa. The Advent Project. La Mirada, CA: Biola University Center for Christianity Culture and the Arts, December 28, 2019.

—Posted: Monday, February 10, 2020

 

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Madame Worry

You’ve met her. You could very well know her as the most domineering person in your life. “Madame Worry” loves to talk. She has an active imagination and creatively tells you about all kinds of terrible eventualities. She has a powerful knack for exaggeration and a natural tendency to take over your life. To recognize her, you only have to hear the words, “Yes, but…” or “What about…?”

Jesus directly alluded to “Madame Worry” in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:25-33, four times Jesus says, “Do not worry.” He uses the conditions of nakedness, hunger, and thirst as His illustration of circumstances. Yet, we could add any number of personal incidents in which a person quite naturally worries.

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, famous Welsh Evangelical who served for many years as pastor of Westminster Chapel in London, speaks of “Madame Worry” as a separate and distinct person from the things we worry about. God can relieve us of these burdens. But, she continues to hold on to us, to bring up something new, or something we’ve placed on the “back burner” for awhile. He writes that in “Madame Worry” herself lies the worst and most persistent problem. When she has a grip on us, she never lets go.¹

Jesus taught that He will provide daily bread, just as He provided daily manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. To solve the problem of worry, we must trust Him.

According to Philippians 4:6-7, God intends to garrison our hearts and minds with His peace. This is the deadly antidote to the intrusive words of “Madame Worry.” If we pray and present our requests to God, He will give us that peace.

Perhaps we need to learn to talk back to “Madame Worry” and determine not to remain intimidated by her seemingly reasonable and sometimes compelling arguments. In the war against this satanic force, we have the “Sword of the Spirit” that the Apostle Paul writes about in Ephesians 6:17. That “Sword” is made strong and sharp by God’s written Word.

We must believe that God knows about “Madame Worry.” He knows what an influence she has on all of us. And, He wants us to know that she is no match for His powerful peace, love, strength, and provision.

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1 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971. Vol. 2, Pp. 148-150, 154.

—Posted: February 3, 2020

 

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The Outskirts

If I were to take you to my hometown and leave you on the outskirts—say, a couple of miles from the center of town—you would see houses far apart, large, meticulously groomed lawns, barns and cows, a decorative windmill or two, and, in the summer, clothes blowing from lines stretched across backyards. Based on your observation of what I’ve described, what would you know about the town? You would rightly say that here you will enter a simple and proud farming community, perhaps of Dutch heritage.

If you came within a couple of miles of the city limits where I live now, you would see some abandoned factories, signs of boats and marine life, homes close together, and a thriving number of small shops and attractive plazas, doctor’s offices, traffic signals, and fire hydrants. Likely you would say you are about to enter a small city with a history of manufacturing, perhaps experiencing a renaissance of business and recreational life, with a location near a water port.

In general terms, the outskirts tell us what we will see if we more deeply examine the core. When we think of this in terms of Scripture, I like what Eugene Peterson says:¹

I see this in larger terms when I study Psalm 19. Here we observe, in the first six verses, how the creation “pours forth” its speech to the whole world, declaring the glory of God and the work of His hands. You might say that here we read about the outskirts of God’s person. We see His wisdom, creativity, power, and careful preparation for His living creatures.

When we read further, in verses seven through eleven, we begin to see the core of our God’s person, as He proclaims Himself to us in His written Word. Here, we see His perfection, His righteousness, His joy, His light, His endurance, and the introduction of His revelation to each of us personally.

Do the “outskirts” that we looked at in the first six verses lead us to think of someone different than we see in His revealed written Word? Not at all. These verses are like the “thunder” of His power after the “whisper” of His first approach to us.

Has God brought you to see the “outskirts” of His goodness? Keeping moving through His written Word until you begin to see the larger truths of who He is and hear the thunder of His powerful voice calling you to know Him better. Our God is faithful and delights to have us find Him through the wisdom and lovingkindness of His ways!

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1 Peterson, Eugene H. Praying with the Psalms. San Francisco, CA: Harper-Collins Publishing Company, 1993. Entry for December 26.

—Posted: January 27, 2020

 

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Daddy’s Girl

I probably did not even know what calling someone “Daddy’s girl” meant. But, looking back, I can see that the moniker fit me. From spending time in the barn with my farmer dad, to riding the work horses, to gathering eggs from the hens, to riding through the woods collecting sap for maple syrup, and to the “tickle torture” on the couch, I knew my father loved having me around.

We see this kind of love from the father of a newborn baby.

If someone looking at a child can say, “It is evident that her father loves her,” then certainly, when people see us and the blessing of God’s presence in our lives, they should be able to say the same thing about God’s relationship with us.

God’s written Word refers to us as the “apple of God’s eye” (Psalm 17:8). He, who planned for us long before He created the world, has provided for us a beautiful world in which to live. After we disappointed Him by disobediently putting up the sinful barrier between us, He made a way to sacrifice His Son to bring us back into fellowship.

Let’s rejoice in God’s presence today and thank Him that He has created us and blessed us with such lavish love. And, let’s be glad that He delights in knowing us, really knowing us.

______________________

1 LaGrone, Jessica; Andy Nixon; Rob Renfroe; Ed Robb. Under Wraps. Nashville, TN: Abington Press, 2014. Pp. 91, 92.

2 Ibid.

—Posted: Monday, January 20, 2020

 

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The Bow

Noah and his family must have felt terrified once they left the ark and, for the first time, saw storm clouds begin to form in the sky. In their experience, clouds meant devastation, loss, and probably provoked in them intense fear.

God had seen what His clouds had brought upon the earth. He had spared just this one family of godly people and a select number of animals. He wanted His creation to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that, above all, He is faithful and interested in having an everlasting relationship with mankind, not in causing their destruction.

God created something new after the flood. Never before had mankind seen such a spectacular sight in the heavens as the rainbow. This massive curve of refracted light meant promise, protection, and covenant between God and His creation. What an assurance this sign must have been to Noah and his family. As they gazed at the rainbow, they had a visible sign that God had spoken and He would keep His word.

Why the symbol of the bow? We can only speculate on God’s reasonings because we cannot know the true depth of His great wisdom and love that oversee all that He does. But, we can speculate a bit, in light of our knowledge of Him. Charles Spurgeon comments in this way:¹

When clouds form over our lives, we must remember the rainbow. It never appears without the clouds. And, just when we need to know that God sees and remembers us, He will show us a sign of His love and faithfulness.

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1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, reprinted 1982, Public Domain. p. 16.

—Posted: Monday, January 13, 2020

 

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Stability

I can think of no better way to begin a new year and a new decade than with the words of Psalm 90. This Psalm is a prayer of Moses, as he saw the wanderings, the weaknesses, and the uncertainty of the pathway ahead in the wilderness of Sinai. We can rest and rejoice in the foundation of our God, His eternality, and His ability to keep His people in the protection of His divine Presence.

In this prayer, Moses admits the frailty of humans and their need of God’s love in their fleeting lifetimes. The verbs drive the prayer along.

In Psalm 90:5, Moses cries, “Teach us.” In verse 13, he begs for God’s compassion. In verse 14, he asks that God satisfy us with Himself. In verse 15, He prays for God to make the people glad in light of all they have suffered. In verse 17, He pleads for God’s favor to rest on His people and finally that God would establish the work of their hands.

What a wonderful prayer on which to meditate as we begin another year. How can we but know success in following our God when we humbly ask for those same things that Moses asked for in his prayer?

My beautiful sister painted Psalm 90:1 on the wall over our front door to remind anyone who entered that brick and mortar won’t last. And, that our homes, like Moses’ dwelling places, serve as fleeting places of rest. Only God’s everlasting care will keep us—not only through this decade, but through all generations. What a powerful thought!

After the heart of Moses, A. W. Tozer prayed these words.¹ Perhaps, following Tozer’s example, you can write your own prayer based on Moses’ words:

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1 Tozer, Aiden Wilson. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1961. p. 49.

—Posted: Monday, January 6, 2020