Category: Daily Devotionals

. . while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

Every day, I hope for things, from the mundane to the critical.  Each reminds me that this world is so flawed, broken, in desperate need of saving.  Here are some examples we can all relate to. 

I hope for insurance to work out for an upcoming medical procedure. 

I hope to find a repairman who can come and fix a malfunctioning dishwasher. 

I hope to find common ground in an argument I’m having with a friend.

I hope to find a medicine or natural supplement to manage pain. 

I hope for a broken relationship to be reconciled.

I hope for personal victory regarding a life-long stronghold. 

Once we start listing things, it’s easy to create a list that is pages long. 

And so today, we wait for the hope of Jesus’ appearing.  With Him comes the healing of all things, the end of everything that frustrates, or even worse, torments.  But the greatest hope to be satisfied is the longing to see the One who is Perfect Love.  We can finally put a face to, what has only been, our heart’s experience of a Savior.  We cannot picture nor paint His face.  Ah, but soon!  Our spiritual incapacities are only for now.

Jesus is anxious to come and since He doesn’t know the time or the hour He will be sent to rapture us, I can picture Him asking His Father repeatedly.  “Now can I go?”  His desire to be with us is stronger than any desire we may have to see Him appear.  His love is more powerful than ours, purer than ours, far more unconditional than ours.  The ache He must feel to bring about that moment when the trumpet sounds cannot possibly be understood by us.  He’s known us from before the foundation of the world.  We’ve known him only decades.  He knows what awaits us.  We only know in part.  He can look into the future and see happy reunions of friends and family.  We can only wonder at the joy.

 We wait for Hope.  Hope is deferred but it’s guaranteed. 

I keep looking for a break in the clouds. Amen

It [lavish grace] teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:12

You’ve joined a group of friends for lunch.  The conversation turns to a book one of them has read.  There is encouragement for everyone else to read it because ‘it’s so good!’  But when you hear the title, you realize it’s not something you can read because of your love for Jesus.  At this point, you have a choice.  You can say nothing.  You can be vocal on your disapproval of the content.  Or, if asked, you can say that you don’t want to engage with it because you know it would hurt your relationship with God.   

I’ve spoken to others, many times, in a way that falls in the second category.  The spirit of judgement begs me to speak up in order to elevate myself and to make others feel dirty.  The temptation to be ‘above the rest’ is a hard one to resist.  I’ve got to remember that when I state my convictions, void of any mention of my love for Jesus, I repel others. 

In the previous verse, Paul reminded Titus that the ‘grace of God appeared’ in the person of Christ. It’s that stooping of Christ to be tender to me that teaches me to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passion.  Any self-control I have is not because of an extraneous code of convictions. Abstaining is not because of a set of rules.  It’s my response to a collection of personal experiences with Jesus where He intersected my life with outrageous acts of grace.  He stooped, called my name, lifted my head, and offered something priceless.  

The lump in my throat still exists and continues to shape every decision I make.  A life changed by the kindness of God, in Christ, is the one that draws others.  A rigid rule-keeper does not an evangelist make!

Oh, the temptation to be a Pharisee.  I’ve done it, and I still do it.  I will review your lavish graces for yet another day.  Amen

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  Titus 2:11

When a person is endowed with an abundance of one thing, we say that they are ‘peace personified’.  Or ‘talent personified.’  Jesus was, and is, ‘grace personified.’

Jesus was the fullness of God, the God-man, and was personified by much more than grace. 

Isaiah said, “Arise, shine; for they light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  Jesus is light personified.  He is also glory personified. 

Malachi said, “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.”  Jesus is righteousness personified.

A person who is gracious is, of himself, gracious.  It doesn’t depend on the behavior of the person who will receive it.  Grace is self-motivated.  Grace must express itself because it is generated, and then overflows, from the giver’s heart.  Grace aches to communicate, then stoop to bend over someone, to lavish unexpected tenderness. 

The most beautiful gifts of grace always surprise.  They can’t be guessed ahead of time.  The very nature of them is to leave the person who receives it speechless. 

Many years ago, I flew to Colorado to perform a 2 ½ hour concert.  It was not in a church but in a rented hotel ballroom for a specific group function.  I didn’t feel well on the flight there and it worsened as the day progressed.  By 2:00, I was lying on my bed in my hotel room, with a 102-degree fever and raspy voice.  The stress an artist feels over having to cancel their engagement last minute cannot be exaggerated.  And, the stress they inflict on the hosting organization to figure out what they’re going to do cannot be exaggerated either.  Tensions run high and grace is often absent.  I was surprised, and deeply moved, by the response I received from those who had invited me.  They were ‘grace personified’ that day.  Their initial response was not panic, though I’m sure they were feeling it.  What overflowed immediately was concern for my physical comfort and healing ~ along with a concern for the guilt I was feeling.  As it turned out, they sent a team up to pray for me and I was temporarily healed enough to perform.  But I will never forget the gift of grace and what that felt like in a situation where grace was rarely extended. 

The rest of today, I am going to reflect on the gifts of grace I’ve received from God’s hand that left me stunned; those moments when I knew He had stooped, and bent over, to pour out something undeserved.  Starting with the gracious gifts of His sacrifice, undeserved forgiveness, and the rights of adoption, I will move to the personalized expressions of His grace poured out over these many years.  I hope to be surprised by stunning moments I had overlooked and failed to recognize as direct, divine interventions.  Would you join me in this beautiful exercise today?

You’ve been gracious when we believed You weren’t even there.  Show us.  Amen

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. Titus 2:9-10

On the surface, this scripture seems logical enough.  Perhaps that’s because we’re not slaves and not in touch with the issues that might plague them ~ inequity and injustice. 

But there’s a way to bring it home in 2021 so that we might enter into the text.  We may not be slaves, but we are subject to various kinds of authorities.  When those at the top are righteous, the struggles are minimal.  When the authority figures are abusive, the spiritual gymnastics required through Titus’ teaching come quickly into focus.

The inequity of the ‘haves and have nots’ is difficult if not grounded in the love of God.  The wealthy rule over those who have much less.  Many (though not all) of the rich inherited their money and don’t have to work as hard as the people who work for them.)  Think about a slave who caters to the whim of his master, making his life easy, while he does all the work.  He makes the owner prosperous while he continues to profit nothing except room and board.  In this environment, a carnal nature is set on fire.  Resentment grows, and in cases of abuse, vows of revenge are made in secret.  

The ideas presented by Paul to Titus turn the hearts and minds of a slave upside down.  While he may try to please his master out of fear, Jesus would have him please his master out of his love for God.  While he might not dare talk back to his master for fear of a violent reprisal, Jesus would have him defer out of respect for God’s ultimate authority.  While he may try to prove his trustworthiness to his master for self-gain, Jesus would have him earn his master’s trust because God is honored through his submission.  Ultimately, the message is that it’s no longer about the slave and the good/evil heart of the master.  It’s about whether the slave makes Jesus attractive.

Today, there are crooked people in authority as well as some righteous ones.  (Parents, community leaders, church leaders, local police forces, and government officials.)  This is where it hits home for us.  What do we do when faced with injustice, when asked to serve those who don’t deserve our respect?  Taking to Facebook, or to the pulpit, to express vitriol amongst our friends, is not the response that makes the Gospel attractive.  We are called to obey, treat them with respect, pray for them, and defer for the sake of our love for God.  What if we, under their authority, are asked to do something unbiblical?  We don’t take up arms in the form of civil unrest or purge our rage through digital editorials.  We obey God and follow His lead out of humble conviction – without rancor and a spirit of rebellion.

This is not easy for us, nor was it for slaves.  Bring this home, Holy Spirit, to our places of struggle today.  Amen

In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.  Titus 2:7-8

Titus has a hard calling.  He’s the senior teaching pastor and overseer to the collection of churches on Crete.  He’s preaching to his own hometown people.  He’s choosing a precious few to be elders while passing over most.  He’s confronting sinful behavior and exposing wrong doctrine.  Is he encouraged to be as Jesus was in the temple, using whips to drive out money changers?  Not according to the picture Paul paints here. He is told to present Himself with integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech. 

It will work against him to try to be the life of the party. He can’t have a huge ego, striving to be the center of attention.  He cannot be a jokester, nor a storyteller who embellishes content for greater affect.  He cannot be more famous for witty one-liners than for sincere and profound revelation of the scriptures.   

He must be known for integrity, not one who works the crowd.  He must be sincere and trustworthy, not charismatic for the purpose of glorifying himself.  He must be persuasive and clearly Spirit-driven, not smooth and manipulative.  I’ve known bible teachers who possessed little charisma off the platform but were dynamic while they were teaching! They were awkward and tongue-tied one-on-one but had been eloquent with the scriptures earlier before the crowd.  They were clearly Spirit-anointed, empowered outside of themselves for their most holy calling.  

All of this points to a greater context where God’s people are told to speak with truth and grace.  We are to be gracious truth-tellers, like Jesus.  He is the one who said to an angry mob, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” John 8:46  His love and grace are His hallmarks, even while defending His Father’s glory.  I believe it was David Platt who, when speaking of living in a way where grace and truth are perfectly balanced, said that ‘we should expose sin – but always with tears in our eyes.’  Sound words, serious posture, pure motives. The heart of the Father is seen in the lives of such servants. 

When I consider what I must do to be loved and accepted by people, I’ve stepped outside Your will and people won’t trust me.  Show me where I need to course correct.  Amen

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Titus 2:4-5

Something tragic happens when these beautiful attributes get turned upside down.  When women fail to love their husbands and children, when they are erratic, wild, and out of control, when they neglect their home, when they are unkind, and when they rise to usurp authority outside of God’s order, the outcome is this ~ people spurn the scriptures.  Why would this be the result?

When I say one thing and behave in an opposite way, I am called a hypocrite.  The Word of God becomes a joke.  Unbelievers will conclude that it has no power, that it’s not to be taken seriously.  If I am someone who claims to love Jesus, yet do not follow His teachings, then how real can my faith be?  Many unbelievers are looking for reasons to reject Christ and how tragic when I become the stumbling block they seek. 

‘Malign’ is a strong word.  It goes far beyond unbelievers thinking badly of the Word of God.  To malign the scriptures is to be vicious and hostile.  The foundation of enmity between them and God is already in place by the god of this world.  It doesn’t take much of a spark for the flames of antagonism toward Jesus to spread like wildfire. 

Islam is the fasting growing religion in the world.  It is estimated that by the year 2060, it will have overtaken Christianity in vast numbers.  There are many reasons for this, but one is quite sobering.  It is their love and devotion to the Koran.  It permeates their lives and shapes every choice.  Tragically, we see this even when radicalized.  

The answer to all of this is not for believers, for me, to strive to be kind, self-controlled, one who respects authority, etc.  That would be behavior modification.  The only witness of the life-changing power of Christ is a changed life from the inside out.  Passionate love for Jesus will only be evident as the life of His Spirit lives through me, as the fruits of His Spirit overtake my own soul.  My talk of a kind Savior will ring true if I am kind.  My talk of a humble, suffering servant will only ring true if I am humble and willing to serve when there’s nothing in it for me.  Jesus laid down all self-interest, all autonomy, to do the will of His Father.  When I do the same, I am not a martyr.  I am a credible disciple.     

I am a grateful sinner, saved by grace.  I worship you with my life.  Amen

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Titus 2:4-5

It’s much easier to figure out what love, self-control, and kindness looks like but quite another thing to figure out ‘subjection’.  Biblical submission has been skewed through erroneous teaching. 

Submission is to play out the roles God gave Adam and Eve.  Created in His image, they were equal in dignity, worth, and creative power.  Their mandate was to take care of the beautiful world they’d been given.  Then, God more clearly defined their roles based on their uniqueness.  Eve was called a helper, an ‘Ezer’ in Hebrew.  Helper did not mean that Eve was diminished in significance or equality.  ‘Ezer’ is what God calls Himself when He says that He is our ‘helper’.  God helps us out of His strength, not His weakness.  As a wife, I ‘help’ from a position of strength, from my God-given ability to complement my husband’s giftings.  My husband is the one, however, is to lead – knowing that God ultimately holds him responsible for his marriage and family. 

Jesus modeled what submission looks like when He did not cling to His equality with God, but voluntarily emptied Himself to become a suffering servant.  Never do we read that God demanded this of Jesus; Jesus offered it up.  If a husband demands submission, he is not like God!  In my years of travel, I have experienced this distortion in many marriages.  During my visit to one home in particular, the husband snapped his fingers at his wife whenever he wanted something.  “I want iced tea.”  “Get me another serving of dessert.”  In fact, her nickname was wife-y.  I never heard him call her by her name. 

God made it clear that marriage is not an abuse of power.  Men must act like Jesus in the marriage, loving as a servant, loving in such a sacrificial way that he gives his life for his bride. This was on full display when He washed the disciples’ feet.  They called Him ‘Lord’, but He served them.

Husbands are not to use their authority to please themselves.  As a bible teacher to women, I’ve heard horrendous stories of spousal abuse.  Husbands have asked their wives to do perverse things – even to the point of taking other lovers, engaging in porn, etc.  One woman told me that her husband suggested they become part of the ‘swinger’ lifestyle.  This is not headship. 

In a marriage where both people honor God with their lives, there is a beautiful partnership of respect, each loving the other more than themselves, each wanting to give, to please, and to serve.  But in troubled marriages, one thing must be kept in mind.  A believing wife serves God first. Everything that is asked of her must be prayed over.  If it is God-honoring, she can voluntarily offer it as unto Jesus, just as Jesus voluntarily offered it unto His Father.  If it is not God-honoring, she remembers that she fears no man. She fears God and His authority trumps all others.  

Father, be a ‘helper’ to those who have lost all self-worth to rise up to see the great value You bestow.  Be a ‘helper’ to those who are confused under unrighteous leadership, to be able to discern Your mind.  Reform our marriages to conform to the mystery of Your will.  Amen

… [older women] not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Titus 1:3b

An older woman of God is one who doesn’t slander and is also one who is not addicted to wine.  The first makes her mean and the second puts her under the control of something other than the Spirit of God. 

Slanderers. They attack, they disparage, they belittle, they are critical, they blame, they love mudslinging, they nit-pick, they fault-find, and they vilify.  Know anyone like that?  Maybe you grew up with a slanderer for a parent or you are married to one.  It’s hard to hold your head up when you can do almost nothing right.  It takes years to hear the voice of Jesus as He begs to correct your self-identity.  Paul tells Titus that an older woman who slanders is unfit for mentoring.  She cannot have a positive impact on someone younger and less mature in her faith.

The insidious damage done by slanderers is the message they convey while they disparage others.  The message is ~ I focus on the flaws of others and, sooner or later, I will focus on yours.  The trust relationship is destroyed.  The younger woman knows that she is no longer in safe hands, and in her immaturity, she might have trouble distinguishing between this older critical person and the person of Jesus.  Oh, the damage done!

An older woman addicted to wine will not be dependably stable.  She may be warm one day and testy the next.  Alcohol, or the lack of, controls her moods.  I grew up with two uncles who were alcoholics.  We visited them once a year but every time we did, I went in their house with a knot in my stomach.  I never knew if they would be surly or friendly.  It was usually the first.

The insidious damage done by someone addicted to wine (or anything else) is that she teaches that Jesus isn’t enough.  Her actions beg to prove that she must have her ‘drug of choice’ to exist.  How can she speak of the power of the Gospel then?  Her life provides a double message.

A slanderer does not love.  Her protégé cannot trust her. 

An addict cannot control herself.  Her protégé cannot relax around her.

Jesus, You were loving.  You were also self-controlled.  If I am to teach others about you, I must be like You.  Amen

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live.  Titus 2:3a

Older women.  I am one!  And I am to have a kingdom impact on younger women. That only happens if I live reverently.  To be ‘reverent’ means that I live in awe of God and it shows in everything I do.  The problem is that the word reverent conjures up a picture of someone mostly quiet, hands folded, and removed from real life.  That’s not it at all.  

Jesus was fun.  Jesus was an engaging storyteller.  Jesus was provocative.  Jesus knew how to ask heart-stopping questions.  Jesus was magnetic.  People couldn’t stay away from him, whether seekers or critics.  He was anything but stuffy.  That should be me – if Jesus lives large in me.

One thing that prohibits chances for older women to influence younger women is the compartmentalizing that happens inside churches.  Similar age groups meet as a group.  There are senior adult Sunday school classes and senior adult fellowship times.  There are newly married classes, a place for young parents to interact, and singles form yet another fellowship.  Unless there are intentional mentoring programs, opportunities for different generations to meet together are absent. 

This world provides little direction and little hope for a better future.  Younger women have private fears about what kind of a life their children will have as adults.  They don’t know how to prepare them for what’s ahead.  Girls in high school and college are confused by societal chaos and ache for engagement and direction.  It is a gift when I give a younger woman Spirit-filled conversation.  How lifechanging when I learn their names, ask them questions, make note of their answers, and refer back to them the next time I see them.  They won’t expect me to remember their children’s names or ages.  They’ve learned to expect shallow conversations that are soon forgotten. 

If I live in awe of God, I am a safe refuge for a younger person.  They will feel the stability in my circle of Light.  They will find rest under my branches.  They will breathe deeply of the wisdom available to them.  Quite frankly, our connection will be lifesaving.  This is God’s plan. 

Younger women won’t be able to tell much unless I show interest and open the doors of engagement.  Light my path and let me live outside myself.  Amen

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.  Titus 1:2

I know a lot of men who are temperate and worthy of respect.  They are good to other people and are good fathers and husbands.  I know even more who are self-controlled and infinitely patient.  All these traits can be cultivated in us whether Christian or non-Christian.  But then the list of qualifications Paul lists for elders gets steep. 

He must be ‘sound in faith, in love and in endurance.’ No matter how intense his own personal trials are, his faith will not waver.  He is sound in his knowledge of God and steady to trust His promises.  No matter how many times he hears others talk of their trials, he can be depended upon for a response that reflects unshakeable trust in God.  Putting platitudes aside, he weighs in with answers that have substance and credibility because of his life-long walk of faith. 

Think of your steepest problem right now.  Is it a relationship that is stuck?  Is it your health?  Is it a set of circumstances that, when grouped together, point to a disastrous outcome?  Think of how much you churn inside about it.  Think of what the thought of it, right now, does to your spirit.

What if a man of God, the kind I’ve just described, invited you to open up and share your burden?  He would be a great listener.  He would not be distracted, giving you undivided attention, with his face open and eager to hear whatever you’d like to say.  He would be relaxed and would not rush you to condense and conclude your story.  You’d empty your heart and afterward, you’d await his response.  You’d hold your breath, wondering if you would hear Romans 8:28, but instead, you’d hear soft assurances that God can be trusted.  He’d tell you a story or two of his own, reminding you that God is unchanging and gracious, no matter how difficult the path.  He’d wisely ask you a few questions that would cause you to dig deeply for an answer.  You’d gain an expanded perspective of your burdens and realize that you are not really hemmed in like you thought.

He’d offer to pray for you and would take his time.  He’d talk to Jesus in a way that revealed he’s really been listening.  He’d ask Jesus to pour out His love in practical ways that would let you know you are not forgotten.  And the best part is ~ after the ‘amen’ ~ he’d offer you a listening ear whenever you might need him again. 

You have just met a man who is sound in faith, love, and endurance.  This kind of person is not fashioned overnight.  He’s been seasoned by life, by living through sorrows and mountaintop experiences.  He’s faced a myriad of moments where he stood in faith for his own places of unbelief. 

These men are rare but I can think of some and am grateful to say that I have.  It would have been easier if Paul would have said ~ ‘Find someone with intermittent faith, conditional love, and one who is likely to quit.’  The pool of possibilities would have opened wide.

The call to develop these sterling qualities is upon me too, Lord.  Keep me steady.  Amen