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Category: Daily Devotionals
A Map Of ‘Down’
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. Psalm 36:1-4
How does the way of the wicked unfold? There is an evolution. Anyone who treasures wisdom and carefully watches the lives of others play out can see the progression. It’s sobering. I have seen these stages materialize in myself and I see this same sequence in others, Christians included. Here’s the map downward into wickedness.
- It starts with no fear of God. While ‘fear’ often means ‘reverence’ in scripture, that is not the word meaning here. This time, ‘fear’ means ‘terror.’ If I see no present evidence of a God who holds me accountable for my sin, I might assume He won’t. Biblical warnings are ignored and, worse yet, ridiculed. Terror of God is absent and therefore sin is conceived without any fear of consequences.
- Then, I’m driven to flatter myself. Privately, I think I’m a great person and a snob is born. Publicly, I may even boast about it. When God gives a platform, never should it birth a bragger. Unfortunately, I know a pastor who tells his people often how brilliant his professors said he was in college. He even goes so far as to say that he was encouraged to go to an Ivy League school to pursue an intellectual field instead of the pastorate. What he does not see is that his choice to continually flatter himself is described in Psalm 36.
- When I become a bragger, a general bent toward deceit follows next. I’ll think nothing of telling one-person one thing and someone else something differently entirely. My guiding paradigm will be whatever makes me look good to protect my reputation. If I’m a leader, everything beneath me implodes.
- Lastly, wisdom erodes. In the first stages, wisdom can appear to be present but eventually, my conscience sears. The cycle of sin and the resulting stronghold in my life turns me into a foolish person who runs her world recklessly.
I do not know if you find yourself in this progression. At times, I have. I was careless with my sin. I made poor choices with the awareness that all I had to do was tell God I’m sorry. I took advantage of His grace and I possessed a lazy view of His justice. As a rule, I want to be able to see myself at the beginning of this journey downward, humble myself before an all powerful and merciful God, and make a course correction.
I see the map. The way down is not abstract because You laid it all out for me. Pave my way with warning signs if I start down the wrong path. In Jesus name, Amen
When He Doesn’t Fix It!
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2
When a mother weans her child, she has to deny him what he wants and then comfort him when he realizes he can’t have it. She weans him because it is necessary for his growth into a new phase of life. She appears cruel to the child yet he turns to her for consolation. She loves him so she persists in the training but also weeps at the pain she is causing.
So it is with God. He weans me off things that are not good for me. He often withholds healing for a greater good that remains a mystery. He delays deliverance for reasons I might never know. The life of faith is not the stuff of Pollyanna. It is not for the fainthearted.
So when things don’t feel right, when my heart is churning, when I’m tired of waiting, when my old wounds don’t appear to be any less severe, when I’m sick of myself, when I want what I want, when I dig deeply to try to will my soul to be quiet to no avail, it takes grace beyond what I can manufacture to run to the One who could fix everything that plagues me ~ but doesn’t. I could be tormented about why He restrains Himself, why He withholds, why I continue to live in the period of the ‘not yet’, but right now ~ I need Him to comfort me.
There are periods in every life where answers aren’t provided. What can be counted on are everlasting arms. In this time of great uncertainty, a time when God is comforting instead of fixing, He can be trusted. Comfort is available. The song of the One who rocks us as children can still be heard.
Your grace carries me through to glory. Amen
The P.S. of Paul’s Letter
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve. Romans 16:17-18
I’m sure you can relate to this. You’re on the phone with a friend and just when it’s time to hang up, your friend says, “Oh, one more thing!” Sometimes, that additional thought was simmering all along and ended up being the point of the call.
I remember one occasion when I was visiting someone. We had said our goodbyes. I was in my car, backing out of the driveway, when in the rear view mirror I saw her running down her driveway after me. “There’s something I’ve been too scared to tell you the whole time you’ve been here but I can’t let you drive away without speaking it.” I pulled in, parked, and we sat in the car to talk another hour.
This is tone of the important p.s. in Paul’s long letter. He has said his goodbyes. He has reviewed faces, carved out last words, and just as he’s ready to say farewell, he stops to change gears entirely. What is so important? The matter of bad doctrine seeping into their midst.
What’s so dangerous about that! Isn’t it usually over minor issues? That’s naïve if that’s what I believe. Here’s the thing. The Word of God is the Word of Jesus. Anything that is added or distorted is no longer the words of Jesus. Whose words are they? Who would want to twist, distort, minimize, and mislead? Our enemy. He is subtle and works through the sinful appetites of men through their cravings for power, control, respect, or wealth. Adjust a small preposition in a sentence and the whole meaning changes.
Paul is parental. He sees the faces of these loved ones and is suddenly afraid for the potential that exists for bad doctrine; the kind that might begin small and lead them away from their secure position as a much-loved son or daughter of God. Peter was also parental and warned his loved ones of the same thing. “Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” What is the security he speaks of? Knowing who my God is and knowing that I can trust Him no matter what. Bad doctrine always erodes trust and causes me to back up.
And important postscript to any conversation.
One bad doctrine, Lord. Like – You could disown me and I could lose my salvation – and I’ll live in fear. So, please set off alarms so that I am not fooled in this age of deception. Amen
Can I Predict Someone’s Response?
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:6
Intimacy means that I will probably have an idea of how someone I’m close to will react to something ahead of time. I’ll know if he will like this or hate that. Or, if he will be angry over one thing and deeply moved by something else. There are no shortcuts to knowing a person that well, either. Time and investment are required.
Ron and I have been married for 47 years. Yesterday, I walked in the kitchen and said, “Let’s talk about next Christmas.” He chuckled and guessed a couple of reasons I might want to bring up the topic. I laughed. He could have easily been right about any of them but this time, he wasn’t. My point is, there is nothing like longevity in a relationship.
Do I know God that well? I should. Wisdom and knowledge are promised to me. It’s a kind of spiritual osmosis because Wisdom lives inside of me. And if I’ve spent enough time hanging out with Him, getting to know what He loves and hates, becoming acquainted with what makes him angry or sad, familiarizing myself with what kind of person He blesses and whom He shuns, I should also be able to predict pretty accurately what He thinks about a certain situation. Not only do I have history to lean on, or the Word to refer to, but I have His Holy Spirit inside of me emitting His feelings. The latter is not talked about enough.
Have you ever felt God’s sadness over someone lost? Have you felt His disappointment at the news of a failed marriage? Have you felt His grief, even anger, when a church has grown cold? I believe that I should pray more, “Lord, let me feel what You feel about this.
After a long life with Jesus, there should be a certain amount of predictability. Time and investment affords that.
Every time I discern Your heart and Your thoughts, stability graces my life. Amen
Staking a Claim Over My Property
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. Isaiah 65:16
God never meant for me to be passive about my faith. He has made promises but I must make them mine by walking them out. There will be times that promises appear to be in threat so I must rise up to fight the fight. There will be giants in my Canaan. A life of faith does not mean a life of perpetual resting. I must expect battles and get engaged. I must know when to fight and when to rest. Both are critical.
Being an ambassador of God on this earth means ruling on behalf of the kingdom who commissioned me. Though earth is not my home, I’m sent here to represent my King and bring the laws of His kingdom to earth. This is a cooperative effort. As I rule and do my part, God has my back. As I stand in His promises, He fulfills them. That’s why Moses was told to raise the rod over the Red Sea. That’s why Joshua and the Israelites were told to march around the walls of Jericho. They did their part and God brought the victory.
God gave Abram a blessing. He promised him land in every direction his eyes can see and offspring greater than the sands of the sea. But it didn’t come to pass without Abram’s involvement. He was told to walk the length and breadth of the land – personally staking his claim.
Walking out God’s promises is to be my way of life. When my children’s future appears to be tenuous, I get on my knees and stake my claim on God’s promises for them. When the ministry is under spiritual attack, I go to a day of fasting and re-claim the promises surrounding my calling. When my home is under attack; when anger, anxiety or depression swirl, when equipment begins to malfunction, when sleep is robbed, when people begin to act out without a cause, I do what Abram did. I walk the lines of my property and sing. I also take my “I Am” sheet with me (it is offered below as a free download) and read it as I walk. The victory is mine as God engages with my faith walk.
Giants in the land were never there to cause me to faint. They were there to teach me to live and fight for faith.
Too many obstacles? I used to just abdicate. Thank you for teaching me how to fight and for giving victory after victory. As the stakes get higher, give me the grace to walk with more boldness. In Jesus name, Amen
Living Life In The ‘Not Yet’
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. Isaiah 40:30
In WWII, Japan surrendered to American forces and yet the news of the surrender took weeks and months to reach isolated Japanese garrisons. Soldiers continued to fight. Men continued to die. Those who were ignorant of Japan’s surrender were caught in the ‘not yet’.
I have often been confused by the promises of God. He is my healer. Does that mean that I will never know a sick period? He is my deliverer. Does that mean that I will never know a season of oppression? He is the God who avenges. Does that mean that He will settle all scores on the heels of wrongdoing? He is my strength. Does that mean that I will never languish in seasons of weakness? He is my shield. Does that mean that I will never be wounded by fiery arrows? He is my comfort. Does that mean that I will never feel alone or forsaken? I can get tripped up when I’m in a prolonged ‘not yet’ period.
Solomon said it another way in his well-known discourse. “There is an appointed time for everything. A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up.” Ecclesiastes 3
Without listening to God, I cannot guess which season I am in. I can easily become an agent that works against God’s purposes. I’ll try to preserve what God is dismantling. I’ll try to bring something to a close when it’s ready to be launched into a new fruitfulness. I’ll comfort when I should exhort. The Christian life is a faith-walk and we live against the backdrop of human need and impaired spiritual vision.
Lord, you strengthen the fiber of my faith in the ‘not yet’. I ‘know that I know’ that You will fulfill every promise when the time is right. Amen
Does He Speak My Name?
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
How receptive are you to a generic invitation? “Hey, a bunch of us are going hiking. Anyone want to come?” The invitation is not personal and you might decide that it doesn’t matter all that much if you go. After all, it was a group invite.
It feels entirely different when you see a letter addressed to you or hear your name being called from down the street. And isn’t it life-altering when you hear your name being whispered tenderly by someone who loves you?
God is a personal God. He not only died for me, personally, but He called me to Him by speaking my name. Some believers have heard it audibly; others felt it in their spirit. I have heard God speak my name in a dream, but that is all.
In Bible narratives, when God wanted to make sure someone heard Him, He often spoke their name twice. He did this to seven different people.
“Abraham, Abraham!” ~ When Abraham was about to kill Isaac.
“Jacob, Jacob!” ~ When God announced to Jacob that Joseph wasn’t dead.
“Moses, Moses!” ~ When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush.
“Samuel, Samuel!” ~ When, in Samuel’s childhood, God woke him up at night.
“Martha, Martha!” ~ When Jesus told her she was worried about too many things.
“Simon, Simon!” ~ When Jesus told Peter that Peter would deny him.
“Saul, Saul!” ~ When Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus.
And once, when His pain was at its highest threshold, Jesus spoke His Father’s name twice. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Does God still call our name? Yes. Through His Spirit. When I seek God for a word, then feel the weight of a scripture, my name is on God’s lips. When I sit in a church service and feel like the message is just for me, when I feel my heart burning and bursting within me, my name is on God’s lips. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice and they follow me.” The call and the messages from the Counselor who leads us home are always personal.
You personalize your Word, everyday. Thank you. Amen
Waiting and Longing
Yahweh, we have awaited you – for your name and your memorial, with longing of soul. Isaiah 26:8
What does it mean to tell God – ‘We have waited for you – for your name and your memorial’? It means that we’re waiting to see evidence of the meaning of God’s name. I look toward Him expectantly because I’m familiar with the many signatures that describe His character and personality. When I wait well, I have assurance that God’s names will be validated, yet again, as He brings His promises to pass.
The circumstances vary.
- I can be waiting for evidence that God sees me – and when that occurs, I’ll know that El Roi has arrived.
- I can be waiting for a display of God’s power – and when I see evidence of His might, I’ll know that Elohim has arrived.
- I can be waiting for provisions – and when they come, I’ll know that Jehovah Jireh has arrived.
- Whether I’m waiting for healing, guidance from a shepherd, or Alpha and Omega to bookend the ages with His judgements, I await a God who is defined by His many names. With so much talk these days about having a ‘brand’, each name is part of God’s collective ‘brand.’
Out of all God’s names, who is it you are waiting for? Maybe you are hanging on by a thread. Review the times God revealed Himself by that name to those who have gone before you. You are bonded to them, to your family of spiritual bloodline. See how they waited and how God made Himself known. While He might not have answered as quickly as they might have liked, when He did come shining through, I suspect that the time felt just right.
After Lazarus’ resurrection, I doubt that Mary and Martha believed that Jesus should have come three days sooner. They knew that they would have missed a miracle – seeing their brother walk out of the grave. As Jesus’ disciples took off Lazarus’ graveclothes, the women knew that the ‘Resurrection and the Life’ had arrived.
I take my place among those who will make your name famous. I long for your arrival. Amen
How Creatively God Keeps a Promise
And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:5
God makes His child many, many promises. As long as my heart is sensitive toward sin and I’m quick to repent after falling on my face, the blessing of God is on my life. But living without sin is not a pre-requisite. Who can do that? Instead, God asks me to live a cross centered life characterized by daily repentance and daily grace.
Jacob and his sons sinned greatly at Shechem. Their murderous rage took the lives of many innocent men. God appeared, gave new orders, and Jacob quickly made a course correction for his family. The fallout of his sin did complicate the picture though. They had been known as a peace loving people; a tribe of shepherds. Heathen nations had not seen them as dangerous. That all changed with their latest rampage. They were now considered a viable threat.
God still kept His promise of protection to the sons of Abraham. He sent a wave of panic to all the inhabitants of foreign cities. The fear was so severe that no one even entertained the thought of attacking Jacob’s tribe. God stepped up to define the psyche of alien peoples.
Sometimes I can panic when I feel my future is being decided by unbelievers. I can wrongly assume that my life is held in their reckless hands. Not true. God has pre-ordained a path for me. Nothing and no one can keep me from my calling. When needed, He intervenes on my behalf to change their mind about me. A God that powerful is my advocate!
To be under this kind of protection, what do I need to do? Make sure I am not reckless with sin. I can easily become a prey to my enemies; physical and spiritual.
Ah, but when I follow Jesus with good faith intentions, how creatively He looks after me. The steps of a righteous man are made securely.
I have seen you change people’s hearts a full 180 degrees over matters great and small. How great you are. How small I am. Amen
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