Category: Daily Devotionals

What’s The Good News In This?

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In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. Hebrews 1:2

Jesus has been made heir of all things – which means that He has been made heir to everything on earth as well as everything in the galaxies and beyond.  And why shouldn’t He own it?  He created it. 

Those who possess wealth and power evoke an awe among the inhabitants of the earth.  Someone may be the richest man in the United States, or in England, or in China but when they die, they will leave it all.  And how puny is their estate when their influence is exercised over just a country or hemisphere.  They cannot rule the heavens nor did they have any part in speaking over empty space to create something.  

I am one of many who got up very early to watch the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  It was pomp and circumstance at its finest.  Yet, how insignificant was it in contrast to our King Jesus sitting on His throne.  And wasn’t the pageantry dull compared to what it will be like at the future wedding feast of the Lamb.

God the Father said of His Son, Jesus, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession” Psalm 2:7-8 Jesus doesn’t just own land masses.  He owns humanity too, through His willingness to die to pay our ransom.  Though we are created beings, we were mutinous in our allegiance and became captives of His enemy.  At what great cost He made it possible for us to return home.  

I remember today that the One who is over all things has the power to keep His promises. No one can assure me of something that they don’t own or control.  Jesus has the power and authority to bring about each and every promise He has made. No matter how big or small, it’s not the slightest bit difficult.

I don’t feel that I need more good news than this but there is more.  Hebrews 2 will go on to announce that as His daughter, I am a joint-heir with Jesus.  What Jesus owns, He will share with me.  It’s really outrageous.  I am not powerful.  I am not a Creator.  I am not omnipotent.  I am not dazzling with glory.  I am a pauper made rich by the love of my Savior.  He is extravagant in what He chooses to give – whether forgiveness, abundant life, or the treasures of heaven. 

What can I say, Jesus?  No one gives more than You. I’ll never understand Your love.  Amen

In Person Always Trumps Second Hand

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IN PERSON ALWAYS TRUMPS SECOND HAND

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.   Hebrews 1:1a

How many times, prior to meeting someone, has an acquaintance assured me that I would just love this person – in person.  They told stories and anecdotes about them, even telling stories about their bold exploits for the kingdom.  At the end of all these descriptors, I felt like I kind of knew the person but nothing could have really prepared me for how I would experience them in person.  Sitting in someone’s presence was far more powerful than hearing about them second hand. It wasn’t that they were mis-represented but stories were limited in their impact.

Throughout the Old Testament, prophets experienced God in various ways.  Dreams, visions, and even God’s voice in the wind, revealed pieces of Him as Yahweh but there was no complete picture because the revelations were partial.  Until Jesus came, no one had ever been with God.  When Jesus said that He and His Father were one in the same, He was assuring those around Him that they were experiencing God in the flesh.  Finally, there was a first-hand knowledge, an up close and personal encounter. 

Not all of who God is was revealed in Jesus.  The apostle John told us that there was no way an infinite number of books could tell the stories revolving around the life of Jesus.  They would remain a mystery until the day you and I no longer ‘see in part but, instead, stand in His presence for ourselves.  Mystery will vanish and His glory will be on full display.  With glorified bodies, we will have the capacity to behold Him.  For mortal flesh, it is too much.

In the next verses and chapters in Hebrews, you and I will experience Jesus in a new and deeper way.  The implications of His life and what His incarnation meant will be showcased through new phrases and words that can take our faith to higher levels of confidence.  I am praying that we will trust Him more, believe fully that we are forgiven, be assured that He lives now to pray for us, and find a new kind of grit for living in faith instead of sojourning in the land of unbelief.

Holy Spirit, don’t let us miss anything.  Please.  Amen

Why Hebrews Stands Out From All Others

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Introduction

Embarking on Hebrews at the beginning of this New Year invokes the memory of tackling Romans in 2010.  God had clearly spoken to me at a Desiring God Conference in Minneapolis about stepping up to teach a book with theological substance, a book that would cause me to think as well as feel.  It took a year to go verse by verse.  I discovered that I loved a book that had previously intimidated me.    

Hebrews can be equally daunting though I am in a different place than I was nine years ago.  I have come to know a faithful God who, through His Spirit, reveals things a little bit at a time and only as needed.  Mornings are no longer a crisis.  If I do my part and come to the throne as a beggar for truth, God will open the door wider to a world that is not perceptible unless the Spirit guides me.

Knowing the author of any book is beneficial.  With Hebrews however, we do not get to know who wrote it.  There are speculations but no proof.  He was no lightweight, however.  He was Jewish as evidenced by his references to his Jewish heritage.  He was also Greek-speaking.  Skilled with the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this would have made him a Hellenistic Jew. 

And though he was obviously an intellectual, he was not lost in his head.  He did not have a need to prove that he was brilliant.  He was a passionate intellectual.  The very reason for writing the letter dispensed with an aim to write a dispassionate discourse on sophisticated theological arguments.  The Jewish people were suffering horrific persecution and they needed courage and a reason to persevere.  It’s hard for us in the Western world, at least until now, to understand the pressures and temptations of living in the face of persecution.  (I can cave if I think I’m going to be ostracized. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be to align with Jesus if your family and friends might die because of your confession of faith.)

The persecuted Jewish people didn’t need to go to school. They needed to know that Jesus was who He said He was.  They needed to be comforted by knowing that He remained with them, through the indwelling Spirit, to hear their prayers and meet their needs. 

It is not unlike why it’s important for me to take on a book like this in this New Year.  While study is beneficial, I am not a professor with degrees behind my name.  I am a shepherd and a teacher who has been called to ministry because of a life lived with Jesus.   I need to study so that I know – that I know – in whom I have believed.  These times in our world call for a foundation of spiritual steel.  You agree?  You looking for a fresh wind?  You wondering how you’re going to deal with the complicated issues in your home, in your own heart, and in your extended family?  You second guessing your career or call to ministry?  Hebrews has something to say and is full of surprises for any one of us who need to go deeper for trust and divine wisdom.

The Days After

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THE DAYS AFTER

She gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  Luke 2:7

    The physical and emotional crash one experiences the days after any momentous event is real and often severe.  Even if the event was positive, recovery time is needed.  If the event was stressful, the exhaustion was even more of a challenge.

Having lived a lot of my life on road, I remember the trips which were difficult.  You don’t quickly forget being stranded in an airport, sleeping on the floor in the corner of a lounge, or driving hundreds of miles in the middle of the night to ensure you’ll make your next engagement on time.  Emotions are near the surface, fatigue colors everything in the dead of night.

I wonder what ‘the day after’ was like for Mary and Joseph.  They just traveled 80 miles on foot; physically demanding for anyone much less a woman at full-term pregnancy.  They said goodbye to their families in Galilee.  Did they know that they wouldn’t see them again for many years?  Were they grieving that reality as they traveled?  Finally, they arrived in Bethlehem, with Mary in final labor, only to find one inhospitable person after another.  To resign yourself to the straw floor of a barn to bring about the birth of your first child must have felt unbelievable to them, perhaps like a bad dream.

The weariness they experienced on ‘the day after’ must have been incredible.  As I remember their sacrifice, even on the days following Christmas morning, I am called to higher levels of devotion in my own spiritual life.  Many, like Mary and Joseph, have paved the road for me to follow.  I need only review their journeys.

Forgive me for any ways I have romanticized the Christmas story in order to make it more palatable.  I want to see it as it was and embrace my own call completely.  Amen

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Outside Bethlehem

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Mary stirred.  She had slept quite fitfully during the night.  She thought of her home, her comfortable bed.  The ground hadn’t been very forgiving to her aching body.  She just couldn’t get comfortable.  Joseph hadn’t slept much either, trying to do what he could to soften the place where she lay.  In the middle of the night, during the hours that seemed to last interminably, he had taken his extra tunic and rolled it into a makeshift pillow in order to add extra cushioning to Mary’s resting place.  It helped but only enough to enable her to doze.

“I know this isn’t very comfortable,” he whispered in her ear.  “I’m sorry.”  She nodded, touched by his kindness.  He continued.  “By tonight, we’ll be in Bethlehem and surely we will be sleeping at an Inn.”  With the hope of that in sight, Mary closed her eyes again.  Joseph wondered about the day ahead.  They still had miles to go and he could tell that the time of the baby’s birth was near.  He felt alone and weighed down with the responsibility for their safety.  He prayed silently, “Jehovah, God of our fathers, have mercy on us.  Bring us safely to this new place.  We know no one.  I don’t have this all figured out.  Mary is trusting me and I’m trusting you!  Let your presence move with us over these next hours.”  He had a choice.  He could rise early in the morning, faith in place, or nurse his fears and worry instead of sleep.  He took a deep breath, reviewed the stories of his ancestral fathers, and trusted God.

It might have appeared to Joseph that they were alone.   But, God was the Father, just out of sight, ensuring the safe arrival of the Promise. The redemptive plans of God, from before time, were about to break open upon Earth.  

We Each Carry Divinity

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WE EACH HOUSE DIVINITY

She was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:18

I wish I could go back about two thousand years and be Mary’s friend.  For now I can only guess what she might have spoken to her unborn child and also to the Father of her child.  It’s one thing to carry the baby of the one you love, but quite another to carry the baby of the One you worship!  Was her relationship with God heart-oriented before he chose her to birth his Son?  If not, carrying Immanuel certainly revolutionized the dynamics of their relationship.

It is the handiwork of God that forms all children in the womb, but how much more was God invested in the prenatal development of his Son?  What did Mary feel during those nine months?  Did her worship deepen?  What did she say to Jesus as she placed her hand over her womb?  Might we have heard her whisper toward heaven, “I can’t believe I’m carrying your child!”

Today each of us carries the Spirit of God inside.  He moved in at our conversion.  His growth is either encouraged or stunted, according to how well we nurture that new life within us.  Are we consistently aware of his presence?  Are we in awe of the privilege of being chosen to house divinity?  Do we whisper words of affection to the Spirit’s life inside?  “I can’t believe you have chosen to live in me!”

Don’t let me lose the wonder of your intimacy with me, Lord.  Amen

How Zeal Can Repel

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The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory.  John 1:14

We know that passion can fuel dangerous causes but it can also advance the kingdom of God. Take a look at this recent video in which a group of Christians in China receive their first Bible.   http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0FECC1NU

Am I surprised?  I shouldn’t be.  Once I embrace Jesus, will I not embrace His Words?  Will they not precious to me?  Will I not be challenged to love what He loves?  Will I not grow a distaste for the things He hates?

If I find myself today to be lukewarm, a condition which God detests, I will also discover that I am void of passion.  I’ve lost it somewhere and must figure out where, and why.  In the meantime, there is little more dangerous to my soul than hanging around others who are also lukewarm. Once the Spirit of God revives me, I’ll begin to second guess myself and feel like a freak for caring so deeply about what they so easily dismiss.

If dispassionate Christians comprise the hub of my fellowship, I will attempt to share the most beautiful and personal things of the Spirit with others who squirm to confirm them.  My zeal makes them uncomfortable and when my stories fall flat, I will be undone. The next time around, I will reign in my emotions because I know that to fit in, my fire needs to be repressed.

I’ve asked myself this question today.  If the Scriptures were taken from me, would I be as upset – on the continuum – as those Chinese Christians are joyful?   Do my friends resemble this particular body of believers?  If so, our fellowship is contagious and combustible.  If not, perhaps it’s time to change spiritual company.

I’ll never leave the company of those who are on the move for Your kingdom.  I’ll never settle for less than fellowship with passionate worshipers.  Amen

What’s Your ‘Census’?

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“And Joseph went up from Galilee, from Nazareth, to the city of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was with child.  And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.”  Luke 2: 4-6

Caesar Augustus gave a decree that a census was to be taken.  This law affected everyone, the rich, and the most common people in the most obscure places.  It reached Joseph and Mary at a most inopportune time, tucked away in Galilee.  We’re not told how far along Mary was in her pregnancy but I’m sure that the thought of such a trip was unwelcome, even overwhelming.  Nonetheless, this journey to Bethlehem became necessary so that they might comply with the law and register for the census.  Did they strain against such news?  I feel certain they did.  Was God in it?  Absolutely.  Hindsight proves it.  Prophetic words from ages past foretold that a Savior would arise out of Bethlehem.  God used Caesar’s mouth, a census, and a difficult journey for a pregnant woman to fulfill prophetic words.

God is in the ordinary events of my day, too.  When I am hit with unemployment, sickness, an unexpected move out-of-state, I can despair thinking that God has turned His back momentarily.  I can fear that I’m worth little, just something to be tossed around like a rag doll.  Little do I know that these events are like the ‘census’, steering me on to the next thing God has for me.  The seemingly catastrophic event is really like a rudder getting me to Bethlehem.  I can’t see it at the time but I need to remember that my trust in God need not be shaken.  Not then, not ever.

I’ll say it again, Lord.  There’s no such thing as a dead end.  I’m on your journey to blessing.  I have absolute confidence in You, God.  In Jesus name, Amen

Journal Question:  Why are you so quick to distrust God?  What is the history of your unbelief?  Name three events for which you still have no understanding.  It appears God was cruel.  What might Mary tell you today about God’s plan for your life?

When Faith Is Fragile

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And Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.  Luke 1:56

When Mary became pregnant by the Spirit of God, she picked up her things and went straight to Elizabeth’s house.  When Elizabeth saw her, she knew something momentous had taken place.  She immediately prophesied over her and provided a place for Mary to spend the most tenuous time of any woman’s pregnancy – the first trimester.

When Mary experienced the most severe symptoms of morning sickness, she was safe in Elizabeth’s care.  When Mary first deliberated the cost of carrying the son of God, she was with the one who was safe for her spiritually.  When Jesus’ life was the most fragile, his mother cared for him best by securing the best possible environment.

There can be many reasons why faith is fragile.  Symbolically, Like Mary, I can be pregnant with God’s calling on my life.  The first days and months after God has spoken to me is the most critical time to be a guardian of that ‘new thing’.  That is the time when I’m prone to question what I heard Him say.   I’m also the most vulnerable to others talking me out of it.  Until His Word is established in my heart and has fully taken root, I must be diligent to keep company with the likes of Elizabeth.  I must secure an environment of safety where His Word can be received, not questioned.

My faith can also be fragile because I’ve walked so long in the wilderness that my strength to hold on is spent.  What I once believed in the light is now a shadow in the dark.  Did Mary have a crisis of faith?  It’s hard for me to believe that she didn’t.  The spiritual mountaintop of her angelic visitation soon gave way to the pressures of being pregnant before her marriage to Joseph.  Who would believe her?  Would they stone her?  Would Joseph want a divorce?  When I step from the safety of my boat into the raging seas, proclamations of faith can disappear.  All the more reason for me to seek out an Elizabeth.  She will comfort and she will confirm God’s promises.  Is this not the very reason God sent out people in pairs?

Solomon said, “Walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.”  The ‘righteous’ does not always describe every child of God, only the one who is also able to hear and obey the voice of God no matter the cost.  This bears out with the story of Elizabeth. She was also pregnant with a child who would bring great controversy.  (John the Baptist)  Who better to nurture Mary in her most vulnerable time than another woman who was pregnant with God’s call!

I choose my company wisely and guard my heart against any whose cancer of unbelief might threaten to undermine my fragile faith.

Show me how to guard what is so precious.  Minister to me, Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name, Amen