August 1
“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14–17, NLT)
A long time ago, someone asked Ann Landers if there was one topic she received more letters about than any other. Thinking for a moment, she answered: "Fear."
Fear is not unusual for people. Fear has kept the human race alive since its inception. Fear causes adrenaline to course through your veins, enabling the "fight or flight syndrome". It helps your body to run faster and your injuries to heal more quickly. But fear is also dangerous. It can paralyze you into inaction. It can cause you to make mistakes and lose your cool. An irrational fear or "phobia" can cause you to fear something that is not very dangerous or unlikely to hurt you. For example, a person with arachnophobia fears that any spider may touch them. Spiders touching them seldom will harm them. Imagine if a person with arachnophobia tried to never have a spider touch them the rest of their life. They might never go outside again, never go out on a date….never see fireworks….be afraid to drive a car… be afraid to go for a walk. A fear could stop you from enjoying or even living life.
The scripture for today from Hebrews talks about Satan's manipulation of the human fear of death. Hebrews 2 alludes to the fact that human beings "made of flesh and blood" will die (Hebrews 2:14). This same scripture claims that Jesus became flesh and blood so that by dying he could break the "power of the devil over death." (Hebrews 2:14). The Son of God did this to set you free from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). By Jesus' faithful death AND resurrection, God showed you that a human could overcome the grasp and fear of death through faith in God. Thus, Satan should no longer manipulate and control humans through the fear of death.
Still, out of the many "fears" in life, the fear of death still controls many people. Satan will use this against you. Out of the fear of death, Satan might manipulate you into throwing money into a cure if you get cancer. As you pour thousands or even millions of dollars into fancy or experimental medicines, you may not realize that they may only add days or weeks to your life. I once knew a man who figured that the last two weeks of his life cost his insurance company $400,000 or something like $28,000/day. As he lived his last hours, he wondered to himself if this was sinful. That money could have fed a lot of homeless people or helped a lot of those who didn't have medical insurance.
It's not just through medicines and miracle cures that Satan plays with your life and death. The devil loves to get you to buy into the latest fad for physical fitness or follow the newest hype about a diet. How many people do you know who follow a diet or exercise regimen to the letter to live longer, but don't have a prayer life or can't spend time or money on God? The fear of death and desire to prolong life has led many people away from faith and into spiritual ruin.
For years, if you traveled through Nevada's Amargosa Desert, there was a stop along the way with an old pump known to old-timers. If you stopped there, you would notice the old pump with faded paint with a baking-powder-can wired to it. On that baking-powder-can was a note that said: "This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll git all you can hold."" (Keith Miller and Bruce Parson, The Edge of Adventure)
A person traveling in that desert and needing water might, out of the fear of death, grasp for that bottle of water under the white rock to drink. That water is a sure thing. The promise of water from the underground well is not. But if the traveler takes the water from the bottle, he may run short. Also, every other traveler after him may never have a chance at life due to his own fear of death. His personal fear may doom every future desert traveler along that route who won't have the water to prime the pump!
Jesus already defeated Satan's power over death. Jesus also defeated Satan's manipulation over the fear of death. So, why do people continue to fear death today? It's the lack of faith, pure and simple (As Desert Pete said in the note above!). As long as people don't believe in Jesus, they cannot have faith that death is beatable and life after death is surely possible. The ONLY thing that can beat death is faith through God. Christ showed you that. There is NO other antidote known for death today.
In Hebrews 2:17, God's wisdom is made clear. God made Jesus human in every way so that you would be able to know that humans can live without fear from death. You can all find life after death with God's help. Jesus is the key! God used Jesus as the example par excellence! As He was raised from the dead, so can you be raised with Him (2 Corinthians 4:14). All you must do is follow HIS example.
Can you imagine how angry Satan must be that he can not use the fear of death to manipulate you? If you have faith and death no longer controls you, Satan has less to use against you! His weapons are limited. His power is weakened. He must find other ways to get to you. Jesus' mission to show God's power over life and death gives you ample power to not worry about death. You need only focus on following God and living your life!
Do you realizing how freeing it is not to worry about death? Do you spend enough time enjoying life? Since Jesus showed God's power over death, do you trust His example? How much? Since Satan can't manipulate you through the fear of death, what's his favorite alternate method?
August 2
“[Thus says the Lord:] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
(Isaiah 43:19–21, NIV84)
The police and fire department were stumped. Nothing was working. When the semi crashed under the railroad bridge, it wedged itself in so tightly that when they tried to back it out, the roof of the trailer only bunched up and wedged in tighter. It was caught good! Traffic was backed up. Several firefighters talked about going up on the roof and using the jaws for life on the trailer, but the load inside had shifted and was precariously balanced. They tried pulling it out with a skid loader. That didn't work. They couldn't detach the truck, because the plate was jammed. The accident was turning into a nightmare. Then, a young man said to the men in the circle discussing what to do next, "Why don't you take the air out of the tires and then pull it out?" That did the trick. It dropped the height of the truck and trailer eight inches in seconds and enabled the rescue vehicles to pull everything out. Red-faced, the captain went home that night and promised never to overlook a kid's suggestion again!
There are times when you have to look at things with new eyes. Maybe something new has to happen in order for changes to happen. If you are in a rut, a change might do you good. A new perspective might add some life to a tired manufacturing line. There are moments when it helps to take a step back and look anew at a situation. Only then might you perceive what was there waiting to be discovered all along.
It also helps to look around yourself spiritually with fresh eyes every now and then. You might see that God is trying to tell you something. God might show you something spiritually enlightening. Spiritual ruts have the nasty habit of making you expect the same old spiritual routine with God. You say your prayers. You sing our songs. You go to church. You say the "Lord's Prayer". You do the same Easter Chorus every year. Over and over, you may get in a spiritual rut going from one spiritual season to another without seeing when God might be doing something different, special, new. And by the way, every now and then, God does do something new and spectacular!
On a quiet night in a lowly stable an average young woman gave birth to a new child. Not everyone recognized it was Jesus! When Jesus did a few healings and showed great spiritual leadership in his hometown, some said, "Isn't this Mary's son?" (Mark 6:3). They wondered how anything special could come from that poor young carpenter's son. He wasn't even from a royal family! Caught up in their spiritual routine, they looked past the Son of God.
In Isaiah 43, God was heralding a special time through the prophet Isaiah. For forty years before, the people of Judah and Jerusalem had endured the suffering and loss of the Babylonian war. The Temple was destroyed. Jerusalem was in ruins. Many lives were lost. Young people were dragged off to be slaves in a foreign land. For forty years, they got used to the hardship. Then, Isaiah began to preach about God doing "a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19). The people of God will once again prosper with streams of life flowing to the desert wasteland (Isaiah 43:20-21). God was done judging the sin of the people. It was time for the people to be blessed again. Isaiah asked God's people: "Do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19). Obviously the prophet had perceived God's grace coming. The prophet saw God's blessing on its way. In the midst of the dark times of suffering, the people couldn't yet perceive it, but the prophets could. God was beginning a new era.
You may get so caught up in your busy world that you might miss those special moments that God sets before you, those moments when God does something new or special or different. They are life-changing moments. A moment like that may come when you first look into the eyes of your one true love. That moment may hit you like a ton of bricks when you feel the weight of a sin lifted in forgiveness. A gift of grace may change your whole perspective in just one moment when God turns your dark world upside down and causes beautiful holy light to shine in!
A woman I know was struggling with the death of her mother. The two were very close. When her mother died, she was in the room. She hadn't left her mother's side for days. Every care was dealt with. Every burden was shared. She only asked God for one small little gift. In the midst of her grief, she told me she wanted God to show her a little bit of HIS love shining down upon her.
The day of the funeral, she got up early and went to the grave site. Nobody was around, but it was a pretty morning. There was little wind. It was eerily quiet. In that beautiful dawn, she had a feeling. God was up to something. God was going to do a new thing. She walked around the bend in the road leading to the grave and stopped. There, not far ahead, on the dirt of her mother's grave was a fawn. It laid quietly on the cool, dewy ground as the temperature of the day heated up. The little deer saw her and didn't move. She didn't move. They looked at each other for several moments, when the deer finally got up on shaky legs and walked to the back of the cemetery into the woods bordering the town. The woman told me that she couldn't stop shaking and thinking… "How great is our God! Thank you, God! Thank you, God!"
Every now and then, God will do a "new thing" in your life. Best, you perceive it.... even look for it. If God is doing something different or special in your life, chances are you need it or God wants it. It might be both. When new spiritual events occur, people often miss them. Don't you lose sight, too! Isaiah didn't miss the "new thing" God was doing, but the Assyrians did. The Shepherds in Bethlehem didn't miss the coming of the Christ child, but Herod did. The Magi saw a new star in the East and were searching for its meaning. How many others never saw that new star in the sky proclaiming Jesus' birth? I hope you watch carefully for God's signs. I have found that when God does a "new thing", it is something you will never want to miss.
Is there something new God is trying to show you? Is there a new way of looking at things God wants you to see? Maybe the Bible doesn't speak to you at times because you look at it with tired eyes.
August 3
“What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:1–4, RSV)
Only the truest of faithful Christians can relate to what I'm saying today. Some might be offended. Still, I have to tell you the Biblically relevant, God's-honest truth.
I would not want to be God's enemy! No way. Never. Not for anything. I've seen what God can do to those who decide to fight against Him. Pharaoh lost an entire army at the Red Sea in a minute when he decided to take on God (Exodus 14). After the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and dared to put their god Dagon above the Ark, not only was their god's statue found face down the next day, a pestilence of tumors broke out among the people (1 Samuel 5). When the pride of King Nebuchadnezzar pitted him against God, God caused him to lose his mind and become very sick until he repented (Daniel 4). I have seen much more in my life with people who openly sinned against God. They, too, suffered greatly. Some suffered because of their own sinfulness when drugs or alcohol became their god of choice. It's not that God directly caused their suffering. Their sin caused their suffering. Still, they made their own decisions. They sided with the poison of choice. Any way you look at it, I would not willingly want to go against God's law. Would you?
The scripture from James written above shows how to become an enemy of God. James began the scripture by talking about those who have a "friendship (or "love" in Greek) with the world" (James 4:4). Those who are worldly tend to cause wars (James 4:1). They are passionate about things of this world, not about God (James 4:3). They "covet" things, desiring what other people have (James 4:2). When they don’t get what they want, they fight others for it. They are consumed with a lust for possessions and property of this world. They love living in this world. They have a friendship or love with this world. Thus, they have "enmity with God" (James 4:4). Enmity means "hostility" in its original language. By siding with worldly passions and lusts, friends with this world stand in opposition or "hostility" with God. By siding with the world, they become enemies of God (James 4:4).
You might wonder if you like your home, love your wife, love your friends that maybe you are in friendship with the world. By enjoying your life, does this make you an enemy of God? NO. Being joyful with God's blessings doesn't make you an enemy of God. However, when those blessings become what you live for, then they put you in direct opposition with God. Thus, when you find you love the things of this world more than God, you have sided with this world and against God. You are an enemy of God.
You are on a slippery slope when your relationships, possessions, and commitments start to control your day. When you find your calendar filled with hours upon hours of business to pay for the toys you've bought and the big house you own and the new car you had to have, be careful. You just might find that things of this world will come in competition with God. Do you think nothing of paying $20 for a night out only to regret having to give a tithe to God? Are you so in debt that you don't have the money to support a needy missionary overseas, so you can pay for those Black Friday sales you had to have? If your life is filled to the full with things and worries of this world, you may already be an enemy of God.
You don't have to hate God to become an enemy of God. You just have to be a friend of this world (or based on the Greek, "to love this world" with your whole heart) to be an enemy of God, according to James chapter 4. When you find that you are most passionate about things in your life rather than godly love or faith or God, its already too late. You are the enemy. God is already working against you.
In 1975, six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One lady, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed, "Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box." When your "whole life" can be contained in a safety deposit box, what does that say about where your loyalties lie? Whose spiritual side is she on? What does she live for?
George W. Truett, a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area.
Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, "Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it's all mine." Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, "That's all mine." Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, "They're all mine." Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, "That too is all mine."
He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing one hand on the man's shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, "How much do you have in that direction?" The man hung his head and confessed, "I never thought of that." (Our Daily Bread; October 24, 1992) That's precisely the problem with friends of this world. They don't realize that by fighting for possessions and things of this world (James 4:1), they are no longer in connection with God. In fact, they are against God. They fight for the "other side"!
You don't have to be an atheist to be against God. Christians can easily become enemies of God. All it takes is a desire to be a friend or lover of this world and its possessions. When your focus is on this world, your cares are on this life. God is no longer in charge. The bank determines your steps. Your paycheck sets your limits. Your schedule determines your free time. Your health controls the length of your workday. God is outside all the choices. Your faith is an afterthought. You are a friend of this world. You are an enemy of God.
So, are you a friend of this world or a lover of God? Do your possessions control your life or does God call the shots? How much do things of this world mean to you? If you had to go back into a burning house for a possession, what would it be? How might a friend of the world answer these questions? How might a child of God?
August 4
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. ” (Psalm 32:1–5, NASB95)
Just before the death of actor W.C. Fields, a friend visited Fields' hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible. Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, "I'm looking for loopholes." Rather than looking for forgiveness, Fields was looking for loopholes! That is so like human beings. God gives us the chance for peace and grace. We want to find out how to get around having to confess our sin!
Psalm 32 was written by David about how to receive forgiveness. The psalm begins with the statement that those whose sin is covered are "blessed" (Psalm 32:1). In order to receive this forgiveness and blessing, a person must not have a "spirit of deceit" (Psalm 32:2). This spirit of deceit is when a person wants to hide their sin from God. David mentioned in Psalm 32 about the times when he personally tried to deceive God about a sin. He got sick (his "body wasted away"), groaning from the pain. He had no "vitality", no energy, no get up and go. His strength withered away (Psalm 32:4). There was only one remedy for his illness. He had to come clean with God. He resolved to not "hide his iniquity". He confessed everything to God, and God forgave him. (Psalm 32:5). His guilt was washed away with his sin. His health improved.
I have been surprised as a pastor by how many people do not follow David's prescription for sin found here in Psalm 32. Despite the fact that David clearly found comfort and better health through confessing his sin and not keeping his mistakes "hidden" from God, many people do the opposite. They refuse to confess their sins. They hold on to their sins. The guilt festers in their minds and hearts. The regret causes illness to body and soul. People are living in the guilt of their past sin, holding on to grudges and regrets as sin eats its way into the heart. King David learned better. It is healthy and uplifting to confess one's sin and get right with God.
After a worship service one night, a man approached me after everyone had left the church. He confessed that he had cheated on his wife. He regretted it for years and was sick of carrying the guilt. He asked me what to do. First, I asked him to come to the altar and pray about it with God. Then, after the prayer of confession, I told him what he felt God now wanted him to do. He felt God telling him to tell his wife. He was afraid to do this, but ready to make it right with God. Days later, he came to me and said his wife forgave him. He told me that for the first time in years, he felt peaceful. He was shocked that God could make things so right so fast, just through a simple confession and a willingness to make things right. I asked him, "What else did you think would be required to make you feel better?"
He said with a grin, "About thirty years of hard labor!"
That show's how much weight he felt from his sin. That's how much weight was lifted with with his confession and forgiveness. To this day, husband and wife are doing just fine in their marriage, thanks to God!
If you find that your life is weighed down with cares of this world, it might be time to reevaluate. If your strength is wavering, it might be that a sin has its grasp upon you. If your health is weakening, your body might just be telling you that its time to confess something to God. Is there something you've been hiding from yourself or God? Is there a guilt weighing upon your soul? Your prescription from Psalm 32 is should help. Involves a good soul-searching confession to God, and a willingness to let God heal you from the inside out!
August 5
“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee. For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:7–16, RSV)
There are scriptures that can change your life.
A man messed up his life through the death of a friend in a car crash. He felt responsible for his friend's death, for he was driving the car. Years later, this man read Psalm 130:4-6 and he found peace through God's grace and forgiveness for the first time since the accident. A woman was raped. She too suffered for years with her hidden shame and regret. Then, she read “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, RSV) It hit her like a ton of bricks that she could be cleansed from what was done to her, no longer feeling the "dirty weight" that seemed to cling to her from that violent act. Each time she read Psalm 51, she found more hope and peace. As for me, one of those scriptures that has seriously affected my view of life is Psalm 139 written above. Because of this scripture, I can not only see how important life is for God, my views on abortion and women's rights were re-shaped because of the words contained within it.
Psalm 139 was ascribed to King David. It is believed that he wrote it at a time when he was considering his own mortality. It could have been written when Saul threatened to kill him (1 Samuel 19). It could have been written when David's first son with Bathsheba was dying just after birth (2 Samuel 12). Any way you look at it, David was in a contemplative mood when he wrote Psalm 139. He was thinking deep thoughts about the meaning of life and death and the power of God.
David began the scripture above by speaking about God's omnipresence. God can be anywhere and everywhere. David acknowledged that God's Spirit was always present (Psalm 139:7). God's Spirit was able to be in the pits of Sheol or hell (Psalm 139:8). Whether in the "depths of the sea" (Psalm 139:9) or the "darkness" (Psalm 139:12), God WILL be there watching and reaching out. As David considered where God was to be found in the universe, he then began to see how God was present with human beings from conception. God's hand is even working in the womb. God forms the "inner-most parts" of a child in the womb, "knitting together" the fetus (Psalm 139:13). God could even see the fetus before it looked like a human, when it was mere "substance" (Psalm 139:16). God "knew" who that fetus would grow up to be long before birth (Psalm 139:15)! God's power is so awesome, that from the breadth of the universe to the intricate womb, God's hand and presence are there!
In my college and seminary days, the cultural and religious battles about abortion were raging. Some advocated women's rights and promoted the right of the woman to choose what happened to her body. Others believed in the right to life for unborn children. Still others believed that abortion should be legalized in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother, or due to a genetic defect. As the moral, ethical, and religious debates raged, I looked through the pages of the Bible. I found Psalm 139. To me, this scripture clearly speaks about a child/fetus being in the womb. It mentions that God is not only involved with procreation, but God is involved in the biological process. God has a hand in your inception and gestation! God even had plans for your life, knowing what you would be like and who you would grow up to be as a person (Psalm 139:16). God didn't map out your life, as if you could make no choices and your fate was determined. Instead, God made your personality and spirit, your body and abilities. God does this all with purpose and meaning according to Psalm 139. Thus, every life in a womb is part of God's plan and hope. God is involved in that child's life from inception.
If God has a purpose for every life in a womb, should we, without thought or care, end the life of a child in the womb? I'm not talking about ending the life of a woman's egg or a man's sperm. Though it carries DNA and is alive, it is after fertilization that the life of the NEW child begins. From then on, God is knitting away, forming the life of the child. Some 60 trillion cells and 100,000 miles of nerve fiber will form. 60, 000 miles of blood vessels will develop before birth. Through it all, God has a plan for that life. Thus, it is my belief that the life of a fetus or child in the womb is extremely precious and should be considered blessed. Women who are pregnant should have special protections. Extra care should be given them. Their physical labors should be eased during this time to help the child grow healthy. Women should watch what they eat and drink, refraining from whatever may hurt the child. God is hard at work in the body of that mother in the miracle of life!
Some have advocated calling the child in the womb a "fetus" so that it's easier to consider abortion an option. I don't care if we call the child a fetus, but I do care if we use abortion as an option for birth control. If a person sees that child/fetus in the womb as simply a "growth" or "big tumor", they do not understand God's purpose in Psalm 139. That fetus is not just a lump of cells, it is a precious child to God. To end that life, a person must knowingly end a life that God is making in the womb of the mother. To end a life is considered "murder" in the Bible and "Thou shalt not kill" applies (Exodus 20:13). Abortion, unless done with godly intent, is a form of murder.
In cases of where the child has died in the mother's womb, even though the child is removed through an abortion-type procedure of a sort (D&C Procedure for example), there is no murder involved. You can't murder someone who is already dead. In the case of the pregnancy that will kill the mother due to a medical emergency, an abortion-type procedure may be called for to save that mother (in my estimation). Otherwise, you will murder the mother. It is God's intent to save the mother from death. Still, the aborted child should be mourned, for a death is involved. In my personal opinion, the murder here is a necessity, just as if a soldier had to kill another soldier. But, anyway you look at it, whenever a child dies in the womb, it is an end to the miracle of God's "knitting together" a life in the mother. It may or may not be murder, though in most cases today the sixth commandment is broken. Abortion ends a life. Abortion should never be something you do to save face, hide a sinful relationship, or as a form of birth control. These forms of abortion objectify the life of a child, and see the life in the womb as "not worth it". Would God ever consider any life "not worth it"?
I believe it is wrong to consider anyone who has had an abortion to be beyond redemption or God's grace. Do not forget that God used a few murderers for important God-given roles in our faith. Moses killed an Egyptian before God called him to lead the people in the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 2:14). King David also ordered Uriah to be murdered to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). The Apostle Paul was even involved in the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1). Murder is a sin that must be confessed and offered up to God's mercy and grace. In the same way, those who are involved in the choice and work of abortion must also confess their involvement and offer up their sin to God. They need God more than ever.
Based on this scripture, abortion as a form of birth control is entirely sinful. It ends a life. It stops God's work in the womb. It can also damage the womb and threaten the life of the mother (recent articles about the frequency of emergency calls for women suffering strokes and other complications from abortions are now coming to light). Psalm 139 was NOT written to determine the sinfulness of abortion. It should be used as a way of saying that women who are pregnant are very important and precious to God's work. Being a mother is a seriously faithful endeavor. Motherhood should never be entered into lightly. Those who have gone through abortions will need your help later, when the loss of an innocent life comes back to haunt them.
In the end, this psalm sees life in the womb as very important to God. The choices we make, with respect to what happens in the womb, are very important and precious to God. Psalm 139 doesn't set aside rules as to who is going to heaven and hell depending on their choices about abortion. Psalm 139 does tell each of us that what goes on in the womb is more than biology. The womb is holy to God.
August 6
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5, NIV84)
It is rare that I include only a verse or two in the reading for the day. However, today's scripture packs a lot of information and godly advice into one small sentence. It is worth considering in context, but it stands on its own as a very wise way to live.
The book of Proverbs is full of "wise sayings" meant to teach young and old alike how to live a godly life. It's advice is very "down to earth". The book was meant to give instruction, moral direction, and guidance. For centuries, youth were taught to study the words of Proverbs. In some cases, they were even required to memorize its pages. Because of advice like that found in today's verse, many have adapted sayings from Proverbs to situations in modern life. Today's verse lends itself easily to that purpose.
The verse above from Proverbs 21 has two sets of opposites. This is not an uncommon method of teaching rules in this biblical book. Where there are opposites, there are usually two diametrically opposed poles as in bad and good, rich and poor, old and young, etc. In this verse, the first set of opposites is "diligent" and "haste". The "diligent" make plans. They look to the future, seeking to overcome any potential obstacles. The diligent person is patient and calculating, taking into account what might go right and wrong. That's why they make plans. They want to succeed.
The person who is in "haste" often makes decisions "on the fly". He or she doesn't make plans, but instead reacts to the situation. Instead of looking to the future and perceiving and possible problems, the "hasty" person makes quick decisions. His or her work is fast, but not necessarily careful. Are you one to be patient and diligent or hasty and quick? Do you tend to make plans or do things "on the fly"? The scripture sees one as bad and one as good. That's made obvious with the next pair of opposites.
As we continue on through this verse, the next polar opposites present themselves. The wise plans of the diligent person tend to lead to "profit". The hasty plans of the hurried lead to "poverty". The bias of the writer of this verse shows that where hasty thinking on the fly produces quick results, the results will be hurried and questionable. If the person does this frequently, it will end in poverty. Without making plans, the hasty person can fail to see the flaws in his or her decisions. Moods and emotions may easily sway the hasty decision-maker. The hasty person is easier to manipulate and thus control. That is why they end up in poverty. If they rush through an important life decision, they may not see the pitfalls or dangers that lie ahead. Do you ever make "hasty" decisions? Have you ever regretted a decision you made too quickly? Are you prone to disregard planning in the heat of the moment? "Poverty" is the threat to the "hasty" person in life.
The "diligent" person, patiently planning for contingencies, is seen as the person who will likely succeed. He or she will profit by making plans and looking at the whole picture. This person will not be easily swayed in the heat of the moment or through get-rich-quick schemes. Seeing through the hype, this person will look at the long-term scenarios before making a decision. Usually patient and calculating, this person will often succeed in life, making a profit from his or her careful planning. Is there a plan you need to make in your life? Are you patient and diligent in your decision-making?
There is one thing about advice or adages: you can take them too far. A woman may be so afraid to make a mistake that when patiently planning for the future, she might never be able to make a decision when it comes time to do so. She will fail in that moment. On the other hand, a man might make a great decision on the fly and buy into a stock whose price is changing rapidly. Before the moment passes, he quickly makes a decision and thus makes a killing on the stock market. Though making a hasty decision, if he had taken the time to plan all the contingencies of his purchase, he would never have been able to make a "diligent" decision in time.
Though there are limits to this type of wisdom literature, for the most part this scripture rings true. If you are too hasty, you will pay for it. If you are diligent with your plans, you will often succeed. This won't work in every scenario, but it works often enough to make you think. The one thing I haven't mentioned is that God puts a scripture like this in our Bible to make you stop and reevaluate your decisions. Why are you buying this or that? Who are you trying to impress? What is the motivation for your decision? God cares about your choices. God wants you to succeed. God knows that every now and then you need to think through why you do what you do. It may make the difference between success and failure, even spiritually.
August 7
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.””
(Acts 12:5–11, NIV84)
The scripture for today describes Peter's miraculous escape from prison. Not long after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, King Herod came after the disciples to shut them up. The disciples had been preaching that Jesus was resurrected. Herod would have none of it. Herod's soldiers captured several Christian leaders. Acts 12:2 mentions that the disciple James was killed by the sword. Herod had the same thing in mind when Peter was captured. As Peter awaited his fate the night before his trial, an angel came to him in prison (Acts 12:5). While many of the Christians were praying for Peter's release, God had sent an angel to accomplish just that! The angel appeared during the dead of night, while Peter was "sleeping between two soldiers" (Acts 12:6)! That's how badly Herod wanted Peter to die… he forced two soldiers to guard Peter around the clock! When the angel appeared, the soldiers did not wake up. Peter's chains fell to the ground (Acts 12:7). After Peter dressed, he followed the angel out of the prison. The escape went so smoothly, so miraculously, Peter thought it was a dream (Acts 12:9)! It was only when Peter was outside the prison that he "came to himself" and realized how his escape was real (Acts 12:11).
The angel in this story had great power and ability. Looking closely, the angel performed several inhuman acts with seeming superpowers! The angel got into the prison without being seen. The angel caused the chains to fall off of Peter's hands without even touching the locks. The soldiers who slept right at Peter's side never woke up, even when angelic light filled the cell (Acts 12:7). The angel escorted Peter out of the prison and lead him a block away without a single person seeing any of the escape! Peter even had time to get dressed and throw on a mantle (Acts 12:8). The captors had no power over the angel. Prison walls could not restrain the angel. Peter was in perfectly safe hands!
Throughout the Bible, angels performed such miraculous deeds. An angel protected the Israelites during the Exodus (Exodus 23:20). An angel called Gideon to be God's judge and prophet during the war with the Midianites (Judges 6:11). An angel fed Elijah when he was hungry and seeking God in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:5-7). An angel informed Joseph that Mary was pregnant and that Joseph should marry her right away (Matthew 1:20). Angels watched over Jesus while he fasted in the wilderness for forty days (Matthew 4:11). There are literally dozens of cases in scripture where angels fulfilled God's work, watching over and caring for the faithful. What happened to Peter in Acts 12 was not a surprise. When God had a mission, angels often were sent to complete it.
In 2001, a member of my church shared with me with an unusual event. She was at the hospital caring for her husband who was dying. Often, she arrived in the morning and left late in the evening. She made sure he was comfortable. She watched over his medications. She held his hand. After doing this for weeks, she grew tired. Unable to cope with the grief and responsibility one day, she went to the chapel to pray. She asked God for help. Little did she know, she would get that help right quickly!
A short while later, a nurse came into the hospital room. She comforted this hurting wife. While with the nurse, the wife felt such peace and encouragement. Before leaving, the nurse even prayed with her. Feeling much better as the day wore on, this wife decided to thank the nurse. She went to the main desk and asked for the nurse by name. They said there was no nurse with that name. The wife described the nurse. None of the other nurses knew who she was. Later, during prayer, she realized that God had sent an angel. She was sure of it. To this day, she is very thankful for the presence of the one she calls "my hospital angel". This same type of event has occurred several times while I was a pastor. What surprised me most was that each of the people who met an angel was very down to earth. Not a one was prone to exaggerating or even embellishing!
Angels have been greatly respected for thousands of years. Their presence at the perfect time has inspired many. Their ability to comfort and protect is legendary. God does great work through them.
However, there are those who make a big mistake with angels. They tend to deify them. They even worship them. This is nothing new. Colossians 2:18 mentions that ancient Christians and Jews made the mistake of worshipping angels. In every generation, there comes a temptation to worship these powerful creatures, when we really should worship the God who sends them. I know of Roman Catholics who have mistakenly prayed to the archangels, not to God. There are Protestant women who believe they are "protected" when they put an angel pin on their lapel. I once met a woman who collected angel statuettes, believing that she was safe with them in her home. All true Christians know better than to worship the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). You should never place angels in the place of God.
Angels are God's representatives and messengers. They protect and care for those who love God. Their presence brings comfort and hope in the midst of suffering and death. Angels bring fear to those who are sinful. Angels can bring death to the unfaithful. That's why when Jesus was born, the angels had to tell the shepherds not to be afraid of their power (Luke 2:9,10). I believe that angels are "among us". They walk in and out of this life. Hebrews 13:2 warns that some stranger you meet might be an angel in disguise. If you are faithful, God's angels are a strong protection for you. They are in your corner. Don't be surprised if God sends one to help you. Have you ever encountered one? Do you ever think to ask God for rescue and deliverance? You never know. In the years ahead when life ties you in knots, an angel might just be there to loosen those chains!
August 8
[Jesus said:] "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26, NRSV)
I would not want to go back to High School today. There are just too many influences and pressures upon young men and women today. Cyber-bullying has created an atmosphere in many schools where young people are vilified by a group of fellow teens. Even when doing nothing wrong, friends can turn into enemies by a carefully worded or placed email, tweet, or message. Embarrassing pictures can find their way online and spread like wildfire through the iphones of teens. Social media sites have enabled bullies to move from playgrounds and schoolyards to online hangouts and chat rooms. Is it no surprise that more than 1 in 4 girls in High School need antidepressants? Suicides among teens have climbed 30% between 2002 and 2014 (only 12 years). The pressure on young people today is significant. They need our support and care. They need to be reminded that God is with them.
Caroline was one of those pressured teenagers. She was raised in a Christian home and always loved visiting church camp. Her pastor described her as "a strong force for good" among her peers. Caroline was pretty and bubbly. At school, she was a class officer and student athlete. Her favorite sport was tennis. While on the outside Caroline seemed to have it together, in her thoughts she was often full of nervous fear. When a friend said something critical about her, she took it personally. She would beat herself up in various ways to compensate. If just one friend was upset at her, she would have a terrible day filled with drama at home. If one negative comment was left by a teacher on her homework, Caroline would be almost inconsolable. She was not only a perfectionist, she NEEDED to be loved by everybody. She was unable to handle criticism or failure. For years, she kept up this facade of having it together. Inside, her emotional and spiritual stability crumbled with time and conflict. It all came to a head when she was 17. She didn't get into Harvard and her boyfriend left her all in the same week. The seeming failures and rejections put her over the edge. By the time her parents figured out all that had happened, Caroline was in a psychiatric ward in the hospital and highly suicidal. In that lock-down unit, she finally faced her demons. Her enemy was this perfectionistic need to be loved by everyone. It was killing her. Thankfully, she worked through the illness. She's much happier today.
Caroline is not alone. Many Christians also deal with this pathological need to be loved by everybody! Moses was hated for a time by his brother and sister (Numbers 12). John the Baptist was put to death for telling the truth (Matthew 14:4). Jesus was hated by the Jewish authorities (John 15:25). Why is it that people who study scripture think they should be universally loved and supported? If they rejected Jesus and the prophets, there will be those who reject you, too. It is "normal" for a faithful person to be disliked by some people because of their faith. In the scripture above, Jesus states that you should worry if "all speak well of you". If everyone likes you, something is spiritually wrong in your life!
According to Jesus, "false prophets" are universally liked by the leadership (see scripture above). Often, false prophets in history were known to say what people wanted to hear, mold their prophecies into what was socially accepted, or preach what kept them in the good graces of kings and authorities. False prophets were not above "whitewashing" the scriptures or preaching. The prophet Ezekiel soundly criticized the false prophets of his day for "whitewashing" their words, saying that God saw "peace" where there was no peace (Ezekiel 13:10). Ezekiel reported that God was upset with the sin in the land of Judah. Because of this, war and suffering were coming. The false prophets said there would be peace and good times ahead! Within a few years, Babylon crushed Jerusalem and thousands died or were forced into slavery. Who was right? Ezekiel. Who was liked? The false prophets who said only what the rulers wanted to hear!
When you believe in God and live out your faith truthfully, there will be those who don't like you because of it. You might be dubbed as "preachy". You might be looked down upon for not being "politically correct". Friends might desert you for being a "Jesus freak". If you remain a virgin, classmates may make fun of you. If you don't use drugs, friends might not want to go out with you. Remaining faithful to God WILL make you disliked by some people. WOE to you if everyone likes you (Luke 6:26)! It shows you aren't living out a true faith.
Being a true Christian means being willing to be disliked because of your faith. It means you choose to love God more than the accolades and praises of all others. A true Christian is not worried about being perfect nor being liked by everyone. A true follower of Christ seeks to be faithful to God in all circumstances. Though some may dislike you, the truly faithful are DEEPLY LOVED by God. They may be ridiculed and put down by acquaintances, but God considers them precious and even is proud of them. In Job 1, God points out to Satan how proud HE is of Job's faith. Even when Job's friends were critical of his faith, Job remained true to God. God strengthened Job in the end, blessing his faith and perseverance (Job 42). God was highly critical of Job's friends.
When (not if) you find yourself disliked because of a true faith in God, don't let it get to you. Don't let it change you. If you are doing what God in Christ called you to do, you are in the best of hands. The eyes of the Lord are upon you. Are you perfectionistic? Do you melt with conflict? Are you insecure in your faith? Hold on to God. Learn that God doesn't want you to be friends with everybody, liked by all, the most popular. Those are what the world wants. God wants you to be one of those rare, true, faithful, loving, trustworthy souls who makes a huge and wonderful difference in this world. ….. whether others see it or not!
August 9
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1–2, NIV84)
Have you ever fasted before a blood test? Have you ever run out of something to drink on a hot day? Do you remember what it was like when you came out of surgery and were told not to drink or eat anything, but instead chew some ice? When you are denied fluids for a while, your body lets you know it. Without enough water on a hot day, your throat will dry up and feel restricted. The more you deny your body something to drink, the more your body will suffer. You can go without food for days or weeks. Water, however, is a requirement every day if possible. You can only survive without water for a few days before your body will shut itself down. Without water, everything hurts. To compensate for a lack of fluid, your body will pull water from your spine and your internal organs. Your blood will even thicken without adequate water. In every way, you will feel the effects of water loss. Your body was meant to drink regularly.
Spiritually, you were meant to "drink" God's presence as well. If you have a connection with God, you will spiritually hunger and thirst for God. When prayers go unanswered for a short while, you will feel the loss. When you do not pray, spiritually you will feel the effects. If you do not read scripture and meditate on God's Word, over time your spiritual life will begin to parch. Even your physical body will react. Stress will increase. Anxiety will crop up during hectic moments. Cares and worries from that day will creep into your mind and cause you to replay conversations and occurrences in your mind over and over as you try to sleep. Like a physical body that will gravitate toward disease and illness without enough clean water, your soul will also move toward spiritual illness when you neglect a relationship with God. Not long after spiritual illness, your body and mind will suffer the effects as well. Your soul was meant for regular spiritual nourishment.
Spiritual nourishment is seen clearly in the opening lines of Psalm 42. The first verse talks about a deer that "pants for streams of water". Can you picture that? A panting deer walks through the woods, searching for water, needing to drink. The deer smells the air, its nose searching for the scent of water. It's ears twitch as it listens not only for predators, but for the sound of a river or stream. The deer is not on a hunt for food, but for water. It is thirsty. Like that thirsty deer pants for a stream of water, Psalm 42 notes that the soul "pants for God" (Psalm 42:1). The soul needs God. The soul longs for God. A deer will search endlessly for water until it finds some. The soul can also feel empty and needy, "thirsting" for the presence of God.
Did you notice that the deer in this scripture doesn't just search for water, it searches for "streams of water" (Psalm 42:1)? Do you know why? Running water, like that in a stream, tended to be more pure and less laden with disease in ancient times. Moving water wouldn't stagnate or hold impurities like a pond or lake. Moving water was more healthy and had less chance of disease in biblical times. The deer knows about the freshness of flowing water. That's why it searches for "streams of water", not "ponds of water". Spiritually, this relates perfectly. The soul doesn't like to be fed the same stagnated information over and over. It seeks pure wisdom from the Heavenly Father. If you feed the soul with repetitive and spiritless worship or preaching, after a while it will feel like you don't even worship at all. If you pray the same prayers day after day, the soul might desire a new and different, more healthy connection with God. Like the deer longs for flowing water, the soul longs for a sermon that is "moving" or a song that "moves you". The soul needs fresh connections with God.
When was the last time you had a fresh connection with God? Like a cool glass of water on a hot day, a deep abiding connection with God can freshen your soul and invigorate your morning. Have there been times lately when you "thirsted" for God's presence? Is your soul well-watered?
Recently, I was told about an issue between a husband and wife in 1972. Despite being a marital problem, I laughed to myself to the point of tears! George loved country music. In 1972, he went to the store and bought an AM/FM radio and brought it home. He placed it in his kitchen on top of the refrigerator, opened up the antenna, tuned it to his favorite channel, and then took off the tuning knob so nobody would change the channel. Whenever he was in the kitchen area, helping with the dishes or the cooking, he would turn on the radio. What George didn't think too much about, was that his wife Betty did not particularly like country music. Between 1972 and 1981, George went through 15 radios in the kitchen. For years later, he thought there was an electrical short in the kitchen wiring, because his radios would stop working after a while. It wasn't until 2016 that George found out that he didn't have a problem with the kitchen wiring. He had a problem with Betty. She got so sick of the same old music, that being unable to change the channel, she would "accidentally" drop the radio in the dishwater now and then when George was not around. She hoped George would take the hint. Instead, George just bought another radio. In the end, Betty bought him a radio for his basement workshop. It was a beauty. She presented it to him at Christmas in 1981, and he's enjoyed it ever since. Betty finally confessed the "Radio Era" with George last year when he decided to put a TV in the kitchen!
George thought it was just great to play one radio station in the kitchen for the rest of his life. It wouldn't do for Betty. For most of us, listening to the same spiritual songs or hearing the same passionless sermon week after week doesn't keep the spiritual blood flowing! After a while, you can thirst for more! My hope is that when your spiritual life becomes like a worn-out record that you try to rekindle your relationship with God. Find a new channel. Seek a new stream. Our scripture for today asks the perfect question for moments such as these: "Where can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:2). Seek God. Look for HIS presence again. Find that flowing stream! What might that entail today?
August 10
“That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’ ” Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:7–13, NLT)
Recently, I was working on a project in my home. There was a stripped screw hole in a piece of wood. The screw would no longer hold. The best way to repair it was to mix up some epoxy and fill the damaged hole. Then, I would drill out a new hole and replace the screw. I mixed up some 5-minute epoxy and was just about to fill the hole when my dog began to throw up. Wanting to get her outside immediately, I left the work area and took her outside for just a minute. Well, that minute turned into five minutes. By the time I got back to the work area, the epoxy had hardened up just enough that I could not use it to fill the hole. The epoxy was useless in its condition. I had to mix up a new batch of epoxy and start over from scratch. Later that day, I read the scripture above and it got me thinking. I remember the epoxy hardening to the point it was worthless for the job at hand and wondered how many people become worthless spiritually because they have a hardened heart. I decided to take a second look at scripture to see what God had to say about hardened hearts.
Over and over in the book of Exodus, Pharaoh's heart hardened against the Hebrew slaves. When the Hebrews prospered in the land, Pharaoh began to kill off the first-born sons of the slaves (Exodus 1:16). In response, Moses was sent by God to free the slaves. When Moses and Aaron first met with Pharaoh to issue God's command, Exodus 7:13 says that "Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord said…" From then on, Pharaoh's heart grew more and more hardened against the Hebrews, Moses, and God. Fifteen times in the book of Exodus, the Bible mentions Pharaoh's heart being hardened to the point that God caused the plagues of Egypt, the death of the first-born of the Egyptians, and the loss of Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea. A hardened heart led to Pharaoh's greatest failures.
The hardened heart is a condition of sinfulness. When it occurs, the person will not listen to reason, to the Lord, nor do what is right by God. A hardened heart, like that hardened epoxy in my work area, can no longer do what is needed. God cannot do anything to help the person with a hardened heart unless his or her heart softens again. In most cases, the person is destined for permanent damage in his or her relationship with God. Like I could do nothing with that hardened epoxy, God can do nothing to help that person whose heart has been permanently hardened by sin.
Hebrews 3 touches on this subject. It calls upon the faithful never to harden their hearts and "rebel" against God (Hebrews 3:8). It urges the true Christian not to "test" God as did Israel in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:8-9). Like Pharaoh, whenever Israel hardened their hearts against God, they refused to listen to God's voice (Hebrews 3:7, 9). Not listening to God is one sign of a hardened heart. Lacking faith in God is another sign (Hebrews 3:12). The third sign of a hardened heart is "falling away from God", where your relationship with God grows cold (Hebrews 3:12). The final sign of the hardened heart in our reading for today is when you are deceived by sin (Hebrews 3:13). The inevitable result of a hardened heart is "evil" (Hebrews 3:12). If your heart is hardened long enough, it will ultimately destroy not only your relationship with God but can easily destroy your world. This happened to Pharaoh at the Red Sea and to Israel in the wilderness. It can happen to you.
In the late 1980's, I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in St. Louis. Part of my work involved visiting a locked ward. In that restricted section of the hospital, suicidal and homicidal patients were kept. Those who could not be trusted in society were housed. Addicts and psychopaths were also found among the patients there. Some in that hospital would never be allowed freedom in society again. I met John at that hospital. Ten years before John ended up there, he developed a fondness for the drug scene. He experimented with a number of drugs, even mixing them with alcohol. Within a few years of his drug use, he developed an addiction. That led him to stealing in order to pay for his drug addiction. He stole from his mother, his wife, his employer. He could not be trusted to bring home his paycheck to help the family. Every few months, he would disappear for days on a binge of drinking and drug use. Vowing never to do it again, he came back home to his wife and child. However, he found it hard to control his addiction. Soon, he would be back at it again, with a vengeance.
Therapy, support groups, and his home church helped for a while. Pretty soon, he had burned all his bridges. His wife left him. He lost his home and lived on the streets and with fellow "users". When I met John at the hospital, he told me, "My life is over. I can't live without the drugs anymore. I can't undo what I've done. I hate myself. I hate my life. I have nothing to live for." I never found out what happened to John, but I do know that he had wrecked every relationship in his life. His heart was hardened against God, against his family, and even against himself. One of his last statements to me was: "Even God can't reach me." God could have helped John, but John wouldn't/couldn't let God do it. That is the greatest single symptom of a hardened heart.
Over and over, God tried to stop Pharaoh from hardening his heart. When Israel sinned in the wilderness, Moses tried to reach them. The harder your heart gets, the more you just don't listen. When you do something wrong, you'll try to hide it from God. When you sin, you will feel uncomfortable in church or praying. The more it happens in your life, the closer you get to a hardened heart. Then, you ignore God's voice, rebel against God's commands, and soon reject grace, forgiveness, and salvation. What can start with just a little sin can blossom over time into something that wrecks your relationship with God.
I have found several things that stop a heart from hardening. Believing in our God who is stronger than your sin must come first. Confessing your sin is absolutely necessary. Repenting and changing your ways help you soften up. Grace, forgiveness and love are like balm to the hardened heart. They soften the heart and soul, and bring peace to the mind. Helping others adds icing to the cake! Never underestimate the power of faith, confession, repentance, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love in this process. God's voice is offering them to you even now. That's how much you mean to HIM. How can you soften that heart of yours today? Who needs softening around you? What is the the voice of God urging you to do?
August 11
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
(James 1:5–8, NASB95)
In 2014, one of my favorite comedians died. His name was John Pinette. He was a kind and gentle soul who laughed at himself as much as he laughed at the humorous situations in life. In one of his routines, he talked about how people go into McDonald's to buy a meal (See on Youtube under his name!). Pinette would get so frustrated at those who would take several minutes to place their order. As he said, "They haven't changed the menu in years! How hard is it to just say "I'll have a number one!"?" He griped about people who ask how big a small drink is. To help, he'd just say, "It's small!" He laughed about parents who let their kids decide what to eat from the Menu, who took two or three minutes to just order a Kid's Meal without onions. Whenever he saw a person who took forever to order, he would comment to himself, "Why can't they just GET OUT OF THE LINE!" He tapped into what we all feel when watching a person who is indecisive make a choice. So often, they waver, hem and haw, waffling between their choices. It's not only frustrating for us to watch, its even frustrating for God!
In the book of James, we are taught about God's frustration with those who doubt God's providence. God refuses to help them. Until they take a stand in faith, God will not answer their prayer. James 1:5 teaches that a person who "lacks wisdom" should pray to God for that gift. Upon hearing his prayer and noting the request in faith, God would grant him the gift of wisdom "generously" and forthrightly ("without reproach"). However, James cautioned: "he must ask in faith without ANY doubting" (James 1:6). Doubting God's providence was enough to stop God's gift from being granted. Doubting was seen as akin to "waves" or "surf" being blown around by the wind. As the wave action is unpredictable due to the influence of the wind, the person who doubts is unpredictable. You never know which side of the fence they are on. God does not see them as faithful believers. They "ought not to expect to receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:8).
The young man looked at her alone at the table on the other side of the restaurant. He had seen her before. Through a friend who worked at the restaurant, he found out her name was Tiffany. She was beautiful to his eyes. Over the past several weeks, he tried to get up the courage to ask her out. Doubt crept into his mind. "What if she says no?" "Does she like me, too?" He never saw any other guys at her table. She always ate alone. Was today the day, he would finally ask her out on a date? He sat nervously stewing. His hands started the sweat. His heart beat faster. Then, he said to himself, "Maybe tomorrow." Three days later, she came in with her new boyfriend. His heart was broken. Why didn't he speak to her? Then, he spied a young lady joining the two. She was alone. She was pretty! Should he ask her out? Thus, the cycle of doubt was repeated over and over and over.
Doubts can so easily keep you from moving on in your life. Doubting your resume is well-written, you may be afraid to send it out, remaining in the same dead-end job. Harboring doubt in your future, you might refrain from asking your one true love to marry you. Lacking some spine, you question if you should support your friend who was hurt wrongfully. Doubts can steal your motivation, curb your enthusiasm, and drown your hopes. They prey on your fears and insecurities. Can you picture the little league player at his first game ever? He is up to bat, but afraid to take a swing, doubting his abilities. What do you think will happen?
Overcoming doubt is crucial to every Christian life. That takes faith. If a little league batter has no confidence that he will hit the ball, he will never take that swing. If he has faith that he can hit the ball, he will take a swing! Faith overcomes doubt. Fears and insecurities add to doubt. At some point in your life, you are going to have to decide whether to side with doubt and fear or with faith and courage. That decision is crucial not only to your future, but your relationship with God.
In the scripture above, James says that those who doubt are "unstable in all their ways" (James 1:8). I checked with many versions of the Bible, and most interpreted that the doubter was "unstable" in this verse. Upon examining the Greek, the word "unstable" became more clear. The Greek word means "fickle". It can also mean "restless". I find this very interesting. In essence, the person who doubts not only will have problems making a decision, taking a stand, and having faith. This person will also end up "restless". When you have problems making a decision, you are constantly burdened with "what ifs". Doubt increases the questions in life that only faith can answer. Until you deal with doubt, you will find your life more uncertain. Doubts may even make your sleep less "restful". The real remedy for doubt is faith in God with trust in HIS guidance.
Are there doubts creeping into your heart lately? Do doubts cause you to be restless or your sleep to be disturbed? How good are you at making decisions? What are the fears which feed your doubt? Answering these questions is hugely important. Having faith is even more important. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself, "Just how much do your really trust God to come through?"
August 12
“After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38–42, NRSV)
Most people who read this scripture above from the gospel of John focus on Jesus' body being prepared for burial. A scholar might spend hours focusing on why Jesus' body was bathed in myrrh and aloes or the importance of burial cloths in ancient times (John 19:39). Historically-minded readers may relate Jesus' burial to Herod's burial, for example. Some scholars point to Jesus being buried in a new tomb and relate it to the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 (John 19:41). I want to focus on the two men who took care of Jesus' body after the crucifixion: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. By looking more closely at their presence, I have seen something in the scripture that may relate well to you.
There are some big similarities between Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Both men were followers of Jesus behind the scenes. Both men were Jewish authority figures (Luke 23:50; Luke 7:50). Both men sought out Jesus. Both were religious Jews, well respected by others. Luke 23:50 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was "a good and righteous man". Luke also mentions that Joseph did not agree with the decision to crucify Jesus. His faith in God was growing because of Jesus (Luke 23:51). The Gospel of John adds two further details about Joseph in our scripture for today. When Jesus died, Joseph was a disciple of Jesus. Also, his discipleship was "a secret", for "fear of the Jews" (John 19:38). Joseph was one of those disciples who worked in the background. He might have been afraid of conflict or fearful of the reprisal of Jewish authorities for his faith in Jesus. Nicodemus also was one of those followers of Jesus who was also at the periphery. In John 3, Nicodemus came to Jesus "by night" to learn about being "born again" (John 3:2). Nicodemus was also a righteous man. He did not like that Jesus was being condemned by the Jewish authorities without a fair hearing (John 7:50). There is one final major distinguishing similarity between both men. It becomes crystal clear in the scripture for today. When Jesus died, both men came out of the shadows and took care of Jesus' crucified body, no longer fearing what others might think. Jesus' death forced them to decide whether to remain secret followers or come forward in faith. Both chose to officially take a stand and show respect for Jesus in the end. They publicly stood up for Jesus, thus fulfilling the prophecies of His burial (Isaiah 53:9). At a time when the twelve disciples went into hiding, these two stepped in and took care of everything for Jesus.
I learned a long time ago that some of the greatest workers for the faith are those who worked quietly and efficiently behind the scenes. They did not do things in the church to get accolades from others. Not seeking personal glory, they put the focus on God and humbly served others. Often, their work went unnoticed. Their faith didn't seem to stand out. That doesn't mean they aren't great examples of faith.
In my second church, I needed help with youth ministry. Our youth groups were growing, and I struggled to do all the work in the church while nurturing the youth programs. There just weren't enough hours in the day! As I struggled with the many burdens of a growing ministry, I prayed to God for help. One day, I felt called to ask a young couple for help. When I first thought of them, I was not sure they would be good for heading up the youth programs. They attended worship every Sunday, but they never took positions of leadership. They were warm and friendly, but not leadership material. God, however, had different ideas about this couple. With God's urging, I visited their home. We talked. They agreed to help lead our youth ministry program. In the years following, the youth program increased beautifully. I never had to worry about drama or political machinations in the youth ministry. The husband ended up serving as an ordained youth minister in other places as they moved through life. He is a missionary overseas today. I had no idea that this quiet, unassuming family had such potential, at first. God taught me differently. It is often the trusted people behind the scenes who get the job done who are often the best candidates for leadership in God's plans; people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
In every church, there are often the "popular" people who get called on for recognition and leadership. They tend to get the accolades and respect. But often, behind the scenes, are others who get the job done in a different way. They are people who have a deep faith and can be counted on when the chips are down. They will come through when God has a big need. Ready to step in when God has a plan, they are not ones to cause problems and political repercussions in the church. They do their work for God, not for personal glory. God sees their humble but deep faith. God recognizes their potential.
Can God count on you when the chips are down? Would you have visited Jesus by night or by day? Do you have a fear of what others think? How you answer these questions may determine what kind of leader you are. Are you brash like Peter or quietly respectful like Joseph of Arimathea? After studying Joseph and Nicodemus, I am left with one final question in response to their commitment. Do you follow through, even when others may not?
August 13
“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:20–23, NLT)
Sins large and small carry a penalty. They exact a toll upon your life. Each time you sin, you will pay for it one way or another. The sooner you realize that, the more apt you are to confess that sin to God and free yourself from sin's effects.
Joe had developed a habit. Upon coming home from work, he would pour himself a drink and sit at his favorite chair in the den. He would unwind. It felt good. He didn't like to be bothered with things during that "down time". His wife knew better than interrupt it! The kids knew to stay away. Later, at supper, Joe would come out of the den and do work around the house or talk to his kids about their day. After years of this structuring of his day, Joe learned that this "down time" grew more important in his life. When stress from his job followed him home, he'd stay in the den longer and drink two or three drinks instead of just one. On a really bad day at work, he would take three or four drinks and just sleep through supper. But what started out as a way to unwind after work, began to eat away at Joe's health. The habit was moving to addiction. His family noticed his absence at more and more meals. Joe's wife felt a distance developing between them. Arguments occurred more frequently.
After a particularly difficult week of work, Joe took a lot of "down time". He drank too much, grew too angry, and was difficult to deal with. When he came to supper one night, his youngest daughter noticed his drunkenness and said, "Gee Dad, drink much?" He was so angry at her forthright statement that he shoved her hard, knocking her backwards. She and her chair fell together. As she laid on the floor crying, he said, "Serves you right!"
The next day, Joe left for work early. He didn't want to see the bruise on his youngest daughter. He was too ashamed to face his family. His habit had come home to roost. His drinking was getting out of control. His daughter was right, and he hated himself for it. A few weeks later, at a Christmas Eve service, Joe vowed to change his ways. Instead of drinking during his down time, he picked up his Bible and began to read it. Some days, he would pray. After a month, he bought a book of Daily Devotions. He read from that every day during his "down time". Six months later, Joe had fallen asleep in his chair reading his devotions when his youngest daughter slipped into the den. She curled up to her dad and whispered in his ear as he awoke, "I sure like my new daddy better!" On his bad days, Joe remembers that moment. He cherishes it. He smiles whenever he thinks about it.
Joe's "down time" with alcohol was his sin. Feeling that alcohol would help him cope with stress better than prayer or time with God was another sin. The anger that grew out of his excessive drinking was a third sin. What had started as a way to unwind led to a series of sins in Joe's life. The wages of sin were mounting. His body and family life paid for those sins. He didn't eat well when he skipped supper because of his drinking. His anger caused dysfunctions in the family as his stress poured out upon their lives. Joe's "down time" with God was different. His stress seemed to ease just as well as with the alcohol, maybe better. He wasn't angry. He ate better. He felt better. Worship on Sunday each week brought him peace, instead of guilt. "Down time" with alcohol had been killing him. "Down time" with God was blessing him.
The scripture for today from Paul's letter to the Romans speaks directly to anyone in Joe's situation. Paul was writing to the Romans in chapter 7 about sin and its effects. In the verses above, Paul wrote that past sins caused the faithful to be "ashamed" (Romans 7:21). Sin causes regrets. Sin has power over you (Romans 7:22). When you are free of sin and right with God, you will ultimately be rewarded with "eternal life" (Romans 7:22). While sin has its hold on you, it can only bring "death" (Romans 6:23). When the last scripture comments that the "wages of sin is death", it means that sin will always be something you pay for, one way or another. Where faith in God blesses you with eternal life, sin costs you with its deadly consequences.
Every sin in your life carries consequences. Every sin will have negative, deadly effects. The love of alcohol will damage your brain cells and can cause strokes. The fear of failure will cause you to overcompensate by being perfectionistic or overly harsh on yourself. It can cause depression and anxiety. Committing adultery may bring you a high for a short while. It will damage your marriage and all the relationships you hold most dear. Selfishness might bring more possessions in your life. It will hurt your friendships, however. Every sin has "wages" that you will pay for committing it. That's what Romans 7 teaches. That's why you need to refrain from sin. That's why you need forgiveness and grace.
What sin do you still "pay for"? How much have you paid in your life for your sins? What sin is behind something damaging in your life right now? While you are praying to God today, you may want to thank HIM for forgiveness, grace, mercy, and eternal life. Without God, your life would ONLY consist of paying for sins over and over, even eternally. God has better plans for you. Are you on board with that?
August 14
“‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”” (Revelation 3:19–22, NASB95)
Artist Warner Sallman studied the works of a number of his predecessors. He then painted prints based on the themes of these older artists but advanced the depth of their meaning. An example of this is his famous painting "Christ at Heart's Door". Sallman knew of an older oil painting based on Revelation 3:20 done by William Holman Hunt called "The Light of the World". Sallman crafted his own version of Hunt's work, but included special imagery that greatly enhanced its meaning to all who saw it. When I was young, I saw this painting. I didn't think it was anything special until a person sought to explain the imagery in this painting to me.
In the painting, Jesus is standing at a door knocking. The door is analogous to the entrance to a person's heart. Jesus desires to come in to the person's heart, life, and home. There are some elements of imagery that add to the meaning of this painting. There is a grill on the door showing that the home is dark within. This emphasizes that as long as Jesus stands outside a person's heart, there is darkness within. There are thistles in the brush just outside the door. These display the sin that has grown around the heart that Jesus wishes to save. Jesus carries no light, but a light shines from His own heart. This shows Jesus as the "light of the world" (John 8:12) who comes to bring heavenly light into your life. My favorite part of this painting is that there is no door knob, no way for Jesus to enter the heart. The only way the Son of God will get in is by the person opening the door from within. You have to be the one to let Jesus in your heart and life. He doesn't force his way upon you. You need to accept His light, His presence, His forgiveness and grace in your heart. It's all up to you.
Revelation is a book of visions of the Apostle John of Patmos. While imprisoned on the island of Patmos because of his faith in Jesus, John was given a series of visions of the future (Revelation 1:9). God asked John to write the visions down and pass them on to seven Christian Churches in the area of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:10). One of those churches about to receive the visions was the Christian church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14). That church was full of lukewarm Christians, who were not filled with much passion for God (Revelation 3:16). They were lacking Spirit and a deep love of God. In our scripture for today, God warned them to be more "zealous" and full of passion for the gospel (Revelation 3:19). They were told to "repent" of their sinfulness and return to the Lord. John of Patmos then reminded the Laodicean Christians that Jesus was standing at the door to their church and knocking, hoping they would open up to HIM. Jesus promised: "if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me". Jesus then mentioned that He sits at the throne in Heaven with God the Father (Revelation 3:21). Anyone who faithfully opens up to Jesus when he knocks, seeking forgiveness and grace, will have access to heaven.
In John's vision, Jesus clearly leaves it up to the church to change their ways. He will not force their repentance. They must chose to open up when Jesus knocks. If you look at the meaning of this vision, you can see that the access to forgiveness, heaven, and grace are held by God. Through repentance and God's subsequent presence in a persons life, the person has access to God in Heaven. God makes the offer. It's up to the church and individual to open up and accept what God has to offer.
If you think about the meaning of Revelation 3, the decision to get right with God is up to you. You must choose to repent and start the process of getting right with God. God makes the offer. God shows the way. You, however, need to take the first steps in the process. You have to repent and open up to God in Christ. So often, people feel estranged from God not because God doesn’t want to be in their life. They are separated from God by their own sin. They decide to keep God out. They refuse to repent or open up to God through Christ. It's a prideful thing. God makes the offer. They reject that offer. Their life is forever shrouded in darkness, in a heart devoid of Spirit and passion. Is it no wonder many churches today are struggling? When you refuse to open up to God, God can't pour out the blessings to you!
A young lady asked to see me for counseling. I could see the worry lines on her face. She seemed restless and distant in the weeks before our meeting. During that counseling session, she told me about a sin she had committed against her grandmother. She had stolen some money from her. After her grandmother died, there was no way to repay that debt, clear the sin. I mentioned to her that God is greater than life or death. She would need to make it right not with her grandmother, but with the God who now held her grandmother's life in HIS holy hands. She asked what was needed. I told her we could go to the altar together where she would pray with me and ask God for forgiveness and grace. If she was honest with God, the grace and healing would flow. I can't forget her response to me: "That's it? That's all I need to do? I think I should have to pay more. Should I give all the money I stole to the church or something? Shouldn't this hurt?" Why is it so hard to believe that forgiveness and grace from God are gifts, not burdens? Why had she fought so long against making things right with God and her grandmother's memory? In response to the joy she felt in the weeks thereafter, she set aside time and money to help some needy kids. She wanted them to feel the warmth she now felt from the freedom and light that came into her heart when she let Jesus come in and forgive her for a lifelong debt.
Jesus could have asked for thousands of dollars or hard punishment in order to have your sins forgiven. He could have forced His way into your heart without your consent. Our loving God doesn't work that way. At times, you may have to atone for your sin, making things right after your error. But God isn't wanting your money or your pain in order to pay for every sin. God just wants repentance with faith. Jesus wants you to let HIM into your heart and life. You won't regret it. It will really feel good to make things right.
God is offering grace and forgiveness to you today. Jesus wants you to open up to HIM. Will your heart ever remain closed? Is there a part of your life where you refuse to let Jesus come in? Is there a sin for which you refuse to repent? You will never be able to truly love life or love others until you feel the love of God. That won't happen unless you open up to HIM. Let God hear about your deepest fears and desires. Give God a chance to heal your broken heart. Jesus is knocking. Are you going to answer the door to your heart? What do you think HE will He say when you open the door to your heart right now? Pray and find out!
August 15
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the Lord was standing by.” (Zechariah 3:1–5, RSV)
Her tears tore at my heart. I saw the look of hurt in her eyes. I could hear the emotional pain in her words as she spoke with a shaky voice but with determination. Tonya had been sexually abused. A relative had perpetrated the evil deeds. He had manipulated her before she was old enough to even understand how wrong it was. Late one night, many years later, she came to me for help. She could no longer hide the lies in her heart. The pain was getting to be too much. The past was haunting her relationships, feeding her insecurities. We worked through it together. God healed her heart, causing true love to shine in those dark memories of her past.
Before she came into my office, she seemed so burdened. She said how the abuse made her feel "dirty" and "ashamed". Many others have told me of their sins using such terms. They too have felt "dirty", "unclean", "stained" by the sins of their past. Like Tonya, wise men and women have sought to be "washed by the blood of the Lamb of God" (Revelation 7:14). King David described forgiveness as being "washed whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). David knew of the "stain" of sin. That is why he asked God to create in him a "clean heart" (Psalm 51:10). I've known people who had one night stands and felt so ashamed and dirty that they showered for an hour, scouring every inch of their body in an attempt to get clean from the sinful act. But no matter how many times you shower with water, you cannot clean your heart and soul of the stain of sin. Only God can do that.
Zechariah the prophet spoke for God during a time when sin had darkened all the land. Israel and Judah had sinned against God. War and exile were the inevitable result. God's judgment fell upon the people. Those were dark times. In the midst of the darkness, Satan was having a ball. In Zechariah 3, Satan came to gloat before God. Satan was making fun of God's children, mocking God's choice to love Israel and Judah. Zechariah had a vision of Joshua the High Priest standing before God and Satan. Joshua's clothes were "filthy" (Zechariah 3:3). His clothes were an outward sign of the stain of sin upon the people of God. Satan stood ready to "accuse" Joshua of being part of a sinful nation (Zechariah 3:1). God refused to let Satan mock Joshua. Instead, God's angel fulfilled God's desire. The angel commanded, "Remove the filthy garments from him" (Zechariah 3:4). The angel then said, "Behold I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you in rich garments" (Zechariah 3:4). Clean clothes were put on Joshua as a symbol of the forgiveness God had granted to Israel and Judah. The stain of sin had left Joshua's presence. Satan could do nothing to stop it.
In this vision, Satan gloated about the sin of the people of God. He stood ready to "accuse" them before God. Satan wanted to play up their sin. Instead, God forgave it. That's one thing about Satan, he loves it when your life has a lot of spiritually "dirty" messes, with the "stains" of sin.
Pete is a good cop. He cares about the people in his town. He does not like it when people take advantage or hurt others. With a smile to "the good folks" of his hometown, and a scowl toward the "perps", Pete spends most of his days at crime scenes, places of death, drug houses, and lock-ups. When he comes home, he wants to forget about the "messes" he had to deal with that day. The first thing he does when he comes home EVERY day, is take a shower to get the smells off his body. He puts his uniform in the hamper to be washed. He doesn't want the reminders of the day to linger in his home, his refuge. He tries to keep his family life free from the messy scenes he experienced at work. Pete feels like most of us. We don't like to bring "crap" home, to stink up one's home life or one's family. It helps us to feel sane. It helps us cope.
Sin and failure and messes of this life can easily stain us spiritually. Is it no surprise that one of the Beatitudes says, "Blessed are the PURE in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). Revelation 15:6 says that the angels wear robes of "pure bright linen". The armies of God in Revelation are adorned in pure white. Even their horses are "pure white" and clean (Revelation 19:14). The streets in Heaven are also adorned in "pure gold". Purity is a symbol of godliness. Stains are a symbol of sinfulness. Zechariah 3 shows us this clearly. God's forgiveness cleanses body and soul from the "filth" of sin (Zechariah 3:4-5). In Zechariah, the Hebrew word used to describe sin ("filth") is related to the word for "dung" or "excrement". Sin is the "crap" we get ourselves into! (So sorry for the image!).
In your life, you might find that you have created a few "messes" than need cleaning. It's not just in spring that cleaning needs to happen in your life! You might feel the need to clean up a few things in your life every now and then when things get spiritually messy. God likes those times. Satan hates them. My hope for you today is that you clean up one of those spiritual messes that clings to you. Get rid of that sin that clings to you like dirt. Seek God's grace. Ask for God's help. Enjoy the results. Am I the only one who enjoys the smell of a clean house?
August 16
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.”
(Romans 7:21, RSV)
One of the basic tenets of Spiritual Warfare is that evil and good are battling it out in the world. People are caught in this spiritual battle. The sides have been drawn. Satan is on the side of evil. God is on the side of good. Temptations and testings in life will prove which side you are on. The choices you make in this spiritual fight will determine your place in the battle.
The New Testament makes clear that there is a Spiritual Warfare going on around us. 1 Peter 2:11 talks about the spiritual fight for the human soul. Ephesians 6:12 explains that in spiritual warfare we "are not contending against flesh and blood but against the principalities… and powers …and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness". The book of Revelation talks about major spiritual battles going on in Heaven while historical wars are being fought on earth (Revelation 12:7). Romans 7 describes the spiritual battle that rages in a person's soul. Paul wrote in this chapter that "the evil I do not want is what I do" (Romans 7:19). With these words, Paul saw that good and evil were at war in his decision-making. This leads us to the scripture for today. Paul said that when he wants to do what is right, "evil lies close at hand". Right or good competes in life against wrong and evil. By saying "evil lies close at hand", Paul shows that evil is always lurking to hurt, manipulate, and wreck a person's life. Sometimes, when you choose to do a good thing, you may even desire a bad thing at the same time. On the other hand, what may look like a good choice in the end might only produce evil. Evil is always ready to strike you, and you may not see it coming.
Karen's daughter, Cindy, is a standout volleyball player on the High School Varsity team. Cindy is a great spiker. She is tall and lanky. When she jumps, she can easily blast up over the net to block a shot or spike the ball downward with great force against the opposing team. While a champion in her sport, Cindy has problems with other girls at school. In particular, Heather regularly teases Cindy because of her height. Heather was known to call Cindy "Bean-pole" in front of others, because of Cindy's height and "lankiness". This made Cindy feel ashamed of her body. Her poor self-image also caused Cindy to skip school dances and programs. After one particular week of harassment, Karen wanted desperately to go to the school and personally make Heather's life a living hell. Karen wanted to protect her daughter. The mama bear in Karen was kicking up. Evil thoughts were coming out. Karen wanted to hurt Heather somehow. She wanted to shut her up.
Karen's mind is thus being forced into a spiritual battle. She wavers between good and evil. Desiring to protect her child, she wants harm to come on the one she envisions is causing her daughter problems. What Karen needs to see is that Heather's taunts might be something God uses for good in Cindy's life. If Cindy can overcome her own insecurities about her body brought on by Heather's taunts, she will be much more able to feel good about herself and handle challenges to her self-image in college and later in life. If Karen steps in now, she may stunt her daughter's own spiritual growth around the issues of appearance and popularity and self-image. I know its hard to watch your own child hurt, but sometimes that is what God can use to strengthen that child spiritually. The spiritual fight between good and evil choices is front and center in both Karen's and Cindy's life right now.
When a person is critical, your first thought may be defensive in nature. You will want to fight that person instead of listening. That criticism might be true. It might be something God wants you to hear. It also might be something God wants you to reject forcefully! With evil lying "close at hand", you might be tempted to attack that person who is criticizing you. You might be tempted to hit back just as hard without realizing that to do so may be returning evil for evil. But, wouldn't that just make you evil, too?
It is difficult to do what is right, or even perceive the right thing to do, when evil thoughts and people surround you. You might get so caught up in a difference of opinion that your only wish in that moment is to hurt the other person verbally. While wanting to do good, evil lies close at hand. Emotions and feelings will manipulate you. Life's messes can blur what is right and wrong. Evil is always one choice you can make. You may want to do good, but evil might be the outcome of your action.
The scripture for today is truthfully a warning by the Apostle Paul. When life becomes messy, beware of evil choices that can sound so good in the spur of the moment. Not thinking, you might do something that inevitably causes evil where you desired there to be only good. A good person can cause evil results with a poor choice. Let this scripture serve to warn you to be very careful when you are caught up in something. The evil choice you make right now might come back home to roost later. You are God's child. You need to look past the obvious to the spiritual battles raging around you. Your choice affects God's spiritual warfare against evil. Choose wisely.
August 17
“Like a gold ring in a swine’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.”
(Proverbs 11:22, RSV)
I was raised to respect women. That meant opening a door for a woman, never hitting a woman, and showing great respect to mothers and grandmothers. My life has been greatly blessed by godly women. My favorite teacher of all time was a woman who gracefully taught me the value of good learning. When I lived in inner-city St. Louis, the woman next door said, "You and I have to look out for each other, so I'll watch your back if you watch mine". I felt great comfort in her friendship and in those words. When I was suffering from terrible back pains, a woman in our church helped my family care for me. She was always there when we needed her. My mother and grandmother always made sure I felt welcome at home and at church. I always knew there was a place in the pew next to them just waiting for me on any given Sunday, no matter what.
Proverbs 31 describes the importance of a godly woman. A godly woman "works with willing hands" (Proverbs 31:13). She provides food for her family and is shrewd in her business dealings (Proverbs 31:15-19). She watches over the poor and needy in her community (Proverbs 15:20). She is wise and kind (Proverbs 31:26). The Bible is also clear that this type of godly woman deserves our "praise" (Proverbs 31:30). A man would be blessed to marry one of these godly women (Proverbs 31:11). I have found that women who follow this Biblical prescription for life have a beauty and grace that is such a gift to all those who know them.
Sadly, godly women are disappearing. Violence, feminism, wealth, culture, politics, and evil have combined to destroy the godly women in society. More and more, they are greatly missed. If this continues, our world is going to suffer greatly. As these godly women go missing, children and families, husbands and communities will all suffer. God intended godly women to provide the loving and giving backbone to the family unit. Without their presence, dysfunction and social discord will prevail.
The scripture for today written above concerns the beauty of a woman. It is full of contradictions. Most notably, it mentions a pig with a gold nose ring. What is that about? A pig shouldn't be found with golden adornment. It just isn't right! In the same way, this scripture says something else is just not right: a beautiful woman without discretion! You don't want to see a pig adorned with gold jewelry playing in the mud! In the same way, a beautiful woman who is tasteless just seems wrong. Like gold on a pig is a waste of precious metal, a beautiful woman who has no sense is a waste of beauty!
Talk about contradictions: in our world today, beautiful women who have no sense are praised! This goes directly against scripture. Where the Bible believes beauty is wasted on a woman with no "discretion", the world tells women that they don't need to concern themselves with such biblical norms. They should just be themselves, have things their way, do whatever they want to do. Can you imagine teaching this to children? Yet, in many ways that's precisely what our world tells women today. This philosophy goes directly against Proverbs 31 and Proverbs 11.
If you look at what Hollywood and media portray as great shows for women, you might get this feeling that their view of women is very different from yours. And you'd be right. The beauty pageant show "Toddlers and Tiaras" reinforces the errant view that beauty is the most important trait of a young lady. Did you know that some of the child contestants have already had Botox injections? As one of the highest rated shows for women in years, the "Sex and the City" series portrayed women as fiercely independent, sexually promiscuous, boisterous, and angry. Samantha, one of the women in the show, called herself "try-sexual" because she loved to try anything sexual at least once. In a poll in 2012, "Desperate Housewives" was the number one women's comedy TV show. It portrayed the wives as embroiled in affairs, tiffs, financial difficulties, and plenty of gossip. Divorce, revenge, manipulation, and sexual issues were common and frequent. Put together, the view of womanhood prevalent in these shows is highly amoral. Does it sound like Proverbs 31 to you?
On my first day at Seminary, I noticed a classmate walking toward the educational building behind me. She was very pretty and had a nice smile. Being a respectful gentleman as my mother taught me, I opened the door for her. Immediately her smile left and her attitude changed. She said to me, "Never ever do that again!" I learned very quickly that many of my women classmates did not believe Proverbs 31 applied to women today. Most felt it was outdated or quaint. I do not believe God would agree. Why is it in scripture? If women today do not learn to define their roles in society through Biblical norms, modern society will be glad to define it for them. If the TV shows most popular in polls of women are any indication, the roles society desires for women will all end in divorce, broken marriages, venereal disease, and depression. God does not want it that way.
Proverbs 11:22 is God's way to tell women that beauty must accompany tact, discretion, intelligence, respect, and discernment. Otherwise, women will end up no better for society than pigs with nose rings. Can you believe how graphic this scripture is?
Do you think society today promotes or encourages women without "discretion"? How might you show godly respect to women in your life? How might you be more godly yourself? Are there any contradictions in your faith life that might stick out like a swine with a gold nose ring?
August 18
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:22–24, NIV84)
"Pop Psychology" occurs when a person who knows a little bit about psychology makes evaluations based on whatever fad or fact or feeling crosses his or her path. It is perpetrated by those who read or watch media and make psychological determinations based on their limited learning. Based on this definition, I think there is such a thing as "Pop Theology". Pop Theology occurs when people of limited knowledge of God and/or the Bible interpret scripture or the faith based on what is popular in the public sphere. The scripture above is one example of a biblical teaching that is constantly butchered in Pop Theology. Today, we are going to look at how this scripture, properly interpreted, ABSOLUTELY applies to you.
Pop Theology wrongly interprets the scripture above in a couple of common ways. Some people suggest that this scripture means all Christians should sell everything they have and give it all away to the poor. This is a wrong interpretation. Jesus suggested the "man of great wealth" in scripture (Luke 18:23) give away his riches to the poor, because his riches were what was keeping him from God's Kingdom. Obviously, he loved his riches. He was unwilling to give them up to follow Jesus! But Jesus would not advocate all people give up all their possessions. This is the only man in scripture Jesus asked to give away all his possessions. Jesus knew what sin had a hold on him: coveting. The man coveted his wealth. Certainly, he placed his wealth above his faith in Jesus, for he was sad to give it up. The second way Pop Theology gets this scripture wrong is by suggesting that rich people can't get into heaven. When Jesus says, "It is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to gain entrance into heaven…" (Luke 18:25), these interpreters determine Jesus must be saying it is impossible for a rich man to go to Heaven. What they forget is that King David, Solomon, King Hezekiah, Jacob, Joseph and many others of the Old Testament were very wealthy in their day. To say it is impossible for a rich man to go to heaven is thus to exclude these rich men. Again, I believe this is in error. Let's look at what Jesus is saying in context and determine what HE wants us to know.
Jesus was speaking to a rich man in the scripture above. This rich "ruler" had asked Jesus how to attain "eternal life" (Luke 18:18). He cared what Jesus thought and taught. He sought out Jesus. He was seeking to be a true believer. Luke explains that this ruler was a very devout Jew, following the commandments since childhood (Luke 18:21). Now, we get to the scripture for today. Jesus began by saying, "You still lack one thing….". Jesus must have been impressed by this man who ONLY had ONE faithful shortcoming. How many do you have? This guy only had one thing keeping him from heaven: his wealth. He loved his wealth a little too much. So, Jesus asked him to give up his wealth and follow. We are never told in scripture if the man ultimately gave up what he had. What we are told is that when Jesus asked him to give up his wealth to the poor, the man was "sad". Based on this, we can determine that the ruler's happiness was determined by his wealth. With wealth, he wasn't sad. Thinking about giving up his wealth made him sad. This ruler's one weakness was his wealth.
The one and only weakness keeping this man from enjoying a future in heaven was his wealth. With you, it might be something else. It might be alcohol, or your home, your health or your love of possessions. What is your weakness? What would you NOT give up to follow Jesus if He asked? That's the meaning of this scripture. To truly follow Jesus with your whole heart means that you have to be ready to give up anything HE asks, including your life (Mark 8:35-37).
You might think you are ready to give up any possession for your faith, but it might not even be a possession God wants from you. God knows what your sticking points are, what you grasp onto; what you would find hard to give up. Sadly, based on Pop Theology, most of us think Jesus would want us to give up possessions or money only. This is also a wrong interpretation. It might be that Jesus would ask you to give up your selfish ways. Jesus might ask you to forgive yourself, let go of your anger, or give up your big ego. He might ask you to give up a drug, an addiction, or a sin you commit over and over. One way or another, whatever Jesus asks you to give up is something that is keeping you from heaven. It must go.
Today, I want you to consider what God may be wanting you to give up to follow HIM. If Jesus were to visit you today, what might HE want you to offer up? Would it be a possession, an attitude, a sin, a habit, or what else? At various times in life, Jesus may need you to give up different things to show your faith. What couldn't you give up to follow Jesus right now? That's what is keeping you from heaven.
If you every hold on to an attitude or possession too tightly, watch for God to challenge you. Nothing can come between you and Jesus; you and eternal life. Jesus may want one thing from you, but something completely different from another person… whatever is "too important" in a person's life. To believe with your whole heart means you need to faithfully let go of what captivates you so you can hold on to God in Christ more tightly.
Is there something that needs to be given away, let go of, or offered up from your life today? Chances are that God is talking to you even now in the back of your mind about what that might be. Right?
August 19
“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.” (Psalm 7:14–16, NLT)
A man was shooting a video for YouTube. He was a trapper. In the video, he displayed how to bait a trap for foxes. He expounded on where and why he set the traps as he did. He planted an attractant around the trap. Not wanting the trap to be seen by the fox, he covered it with leaves. Then, he stood in front of the trap and explained for the audience what types of animals are best caught in traps. As he talked, he lost his balance. Being on uneven ground, he fell backward into his own trap. In the video, you can hear the loud "snap" as the trap grabbed hold of his behind. I bet that hurt! One person wrote in a comment that he was "out-foxed" by his own trap! (Go ahead and groan!)
What I find most interesting is how often people are caught in traps of their own making. In a sense, they lay the trap for someone else, then fall for the trap themselves. There are drug dealers who have ended up dying from an overdose of drugs, and bar owners who have became alcoholics. I recently heard of a police sting operation in which a police officer from a neighboring town was caught seeing a prostitute. An electrician who installed his own security system was caught in an affair by his wife, who used the security footage as proof. The system was so new, he forgot about it until his wife showed him the video. Spiritually, you can also fall into traps of your own making.
In the scripture for today from Psalm 7, the author David is making a point about wicked people. He noted in this psalm that wicked people can devise evil plans. These plans are "pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies." (Psalm 7:14) In the Bible, the words wicked and evil are often linked. Psalm 7, 28, 34, 140 and 141 all make this connection. Proverbs 4:14, 6:18, and 12:26 and many more references expand this connection. Hundreds of times in scripture, the wicked make evil plans, perform evil deeds, or cause evil to occur. Our scripture for today mentions one thing about the evil plans of the wicked… they often backfire (Psalm 7:16). The trap they lay for others becomes a trap that catches them (Psalm 7:15). An example of this is when a young woman lies in order to deceive her parents. Those lies can easily come back to haunt her.
Charlene told a lie to her parents in order to sneak out one night to a party. She told her parents that she was staying overnight with her best friend Karen. Instead, she planned on sneaking to a party where her new boyfriend Jared would be waiting for her. Everything seemed to work out perfectly. She left "for Karen's house" at seven in the evening. She even called her parents several times "from Karen's house" on her cell phone. Karen was in on the whole thing. The two were inseparable.
Charlene stayed by Jared's side at the party the entire night, later falling asleep with him in one of the bedrooms. The next day, she was late for class and the school called her parents. Her parents called Karen's home and Karen's mother assured them that Charlene had not been there the night before. When the truth came out, Karen's mother forbade her daughter from ever being with Charlene again. Charlene's parents found out about the web of lies that Charlene had carefully crafted for them and forced her to wear a GPS tracker. They no longer trusted her. They also forbade her from being with Jared. In the end, the web of lies cost Charlene the respect of her parents, the comfort of her best friend and boyfriend, and the loss of her freedom. Charlene wasn't necessarily evil or wicked when she devised her web of lies. She was, however, trapped by her own deception and suffered in many ways because of her own plans.
There are many spiritual traps that can easily ensnare you. Some of them are traps of your own making. These traps can backfire. They can hurt you. When you make plans to hurt someone, it can come back to hurt you. When you are angry, that anger directed at another can cause you to have problems sleeping or listening. Did you know that those who are angry at another person for a long time will actually cause psychological damage to their own mind and physical damage to their own heart? A common cause of death for an angry person is a heart attack! (See http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/rein-in-rage-anger-heart-disease#1) Some sins bring on traps of their own. The sin that you aim at another can actually come back to harm you.
Have you learned yet that sins can backfire? Is there a sin that has come back to haunt you? Have you ever fallen into a trap of your own making? The greatest problem I have seen with spiritual traps is that you can easily be ensnared by them without even knowing it. God needs you to spiritually see clearly. Today's meditation will help if you really take the time to perceive its depth.
August 20
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT)
Twenty years ago, I was at a gathering of pastors. It was an informal educational setting, which gave us a good chance to talk and share as well as learn. Each day, after seminars and meetings, the pastors would gather around coffee urns and bagels, to discuss life and ministry. At the time, I was in a spiritual rut and was looking for something to inspire my prayer time. I asked several of these pastors what scriptures they had read lately that gave them food for thought. One pastor said he was reading a daily devotional each morning before prayer. Another said he was studying the gospel of John by reading a commentary on that book. A third said he was reading a novel about a missionary to a foreign tribe. What surprised me was that while the pastors were reading about the Bible or studying books that referenced the Bible, none of them were actually reading the Bible! When the gathering ended, I discovered that my own spiritual rut would be helped by going back and re-reading one of the gospels, plumbing its spiritual depths.
Scripture is a great teacher. It contains the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). There is nothing that can replace it in a person's spiritual life. Contained therein are centuries of wisdom, prophecy, and learning by those who discovered God at work and wrote about it. By delving into its pages, you will not only learn about God but be given insights into God's purpose for your life. The Bible contains first-person knowledge and references to God's presence and purpose. Reading it gives you direct access to those who met God, worked for God, or were inspired by God. Reading scripture also gives you inspiration from God HIMSELF.
Hebrews 4:12 is a scripture of great importance. For years, I thought it so inspiring that I memorized each word. This verse acknowledges that scripture or the "word of God" is "alive and powerful". What does it mean that a writing is "alive"? By scripture being "alive", I am convinced that it carries a "life of its own". It can speak to you in different situations in different ways. You can find new inferences to your life even while reading a familiar story. It whispers to your heart and mind. It touches your life. If you look at the last few sentences of mine, you can see that scripture can speak, talk, and touch your life. It can influence your decisions. It thus seems to have a life of its own. Scripture is alive and powerful.
This verse says the word of God is "sharper than a two-edged sword". Thus it can cut to your soul. It can wage battle in your soul or mind. Allegorically, it can cut your heart, split open your mind exposing your thoughts, and separate out for you what is good and evil, righteous and irreverent. Like a sword in battle may pierce "bone and marrow", the scriptures can pierce into a person's spiritual fights. A scripture can be driven deep into a heart and show what is true about one's inner self. Scripture has the unique ability to "expose our innermost thoughts and desires" in a spiritual way. It can flay you, causing hurt and pain. The Holy Spirit can use scripture to separate your thoughts into a clear right and wrong, bringing with it judgment or redemption.
Like a worm can burrow into the ground, an "ear worm" is a song or a saying that plays over and over in your mind. It burrows its way into your thoughts and comes back to you in quiet moments. An "ear worm" might be a song you hear on the radio driving to work that you are humming several hours later during your coffee break. Scripture has a way of burrowing its way into your mind and heart in like manner. You can read a verse of the Bible and soon it has burrowed its way into the thoughts of your day. Someone may say something that triggers you to remember the scripture. An advertisement may cause you to remember that scripture or give it a different meaning.
Two hundred years after the death of the great conqueror Charlemagne, his tomb was reopened by King Otto III. King Otto highly respected Charlemagne and wanted to emulate his great deeds. The tomb of Charlemagne had deteriorated, and Otto wanted to build a more ornate and durable tomb and monument to the great leader. When they opened the tomb, a number of the workmen and the King were startled by what they found. The body of Charlemagne was in a sitting position. He was clothed in the most elaborate of kingly garments, with a scepter in his bony hand. On his knee lay the Holy Scriptures, with a cold, lifeless finger pointing to Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The workmen and King Otto were so moved by the sight and the scripture that many of them would quote that scripture over and over to friends and family. It was widely used at the time to talk about the importance of a person's days and the nurturing of the soul. Leaders used it as a motto for their life's work.
In the beginning of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle mentioned how the Holy Spirit can use scripture to bring spiritual passion and power to the believer (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Acts 28:25 mentions that Holy Spirit influenced not only the Prophet Isaiah to speak to the people of Judah, but caused the words of Isaiah to be shared through the Word of God. Acts 10:44 noted the connection between speaking the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When God's word was spoken, the Holy Spirit entered those who wanted to believe. Before his death, Jesus mentioned that the Holy Spirit would cause His disciples to remember His words and actions (John 14:26). By the Holy Spirit's influence, the gospels were thus shared and written. From the beginning of time, scriptures relayed the stories and actions of God. But, they also had the ability to do more. By the Spirit's direct action these written words carried the power to transform people all on their own. That's why the Old Testament is often quoted by people in the New Testament.
In your spiritual life, let the scripture mold you. Let those scriptures that are "alive and active" open you up to God's Spirit. Don't just read things about the Bible. Read the Bible itself. I write these daily meditations from scripture because God's word has not only inspired me, it helped shape who I am (2 Timothy 3:16). God's word will speak to you. God will use it to reach out to you. God's word will pierce that heart of yours. God will use His word to spark your mind and soften your heart if you only listen to it and reflect upon it. You never know when one small verse of the Bible will spark a lifelong passion for the presence of God!
August 21
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20, NIV84)
After Jesus was resurrected, He visited His disciples several times to pass on final bits of wisdom and to share in their joy at His new life. At one of those meetings with His disciples, Jesus said the words above. Though Jesus was leaving to rule from Heaven with God the Father, He also wanted the disciples to know that He was "with them always" (Matthew 28:20). Though destined for Heaven, Jesus was to be very present with His followers here on earth. I'm not sure many Christians realize how much comfort and assurance these words bring.
I walked into Children's Hospital, seeking a very sick young man. He had been diagnosed with cancer. Being nine-years-old is tough enough, but cancer made his days pretty ugly. He was poked, prodded, tied to an IV, and kept from home. His meals were highly controlled, his whole world highly sanitized. I hadn't seen him in several days. I was looking forward to praying with him. He was a positive, upbeat kid who seemed to really enjoy life. Sometimes, I felt he ministered to me as much as I ministered to him!
As I walked into his room, I could tell he was not feeling well. There were dark rings around his eyes, and his whole demeanor simply drooped with fatigue. I said to him, "I'm so sorry its been three days since I've seen you. I wish I could have been here with you." He gave a weak smile and said to me, "That's OK, Pastor Dave. Jesus has been here with me." I had said to him when I left the last time how God loves us and is with us. I mentioned how Jesus was "with us always" (Matthew 28:20), especially when we are hurting. This young boy was reminding me that he heard my words and even felt Jesus' presence. I could tell it brought him comfort to have God present in that room. It was also comforting for me to be reminded that even when I couldn't be there, God certainly was there!
I find great peace knowing God is with me. How about you? Do you realize God is with you, even in your darkest moments? You are not alone. When you were crying, God was there. On the day your car broke down, God was with you in the rain. As you burned with fever, God was there. That time you couldn't find the right words to say, God was there. Do you know what it's like to never be alone in life? Of course you do; you are a person of true faith or you wouldn't be reading this meditation!
On the day of her divorce, I was with her. Connie's husband had cheated on her and left her for a younger woman. The shock of the adultery and divorce caused Connie to seek out God. She started to come to church again. When the divorce was finalized, she came into my office to talk. Walking into my office, she broke down and said, "I feel so ashamed. I feel so alone." It was the perfect opportunity for me to share with her about the God who loved her so much, HE was present in her life at this very moment. Despite the pain, I asked her to seek His presence and look for signs of His love. She left my office hopeful. She was not alone. God was with her. She began to feel His touch.
In Matthew 28, Jesus told his disciples that with God's presence, they should not fear to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). People needed to be "baptized" in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." They needed to be "taught" to "obey" God's command and voice (Matthew 28:19). The world needed to know about Jesus' authority over life and death (Matthew 28:18). Jesus would personally be with His disciples throughout the journey. God's eye would be upon them.
Even now, God's eye is upon you. God is watching over you. Do you feel God's presence in your life? In your days of decision, God will help you. When you are down, God's hope will be offered. At times when your health is faltering, God's Spirit will strengthen you or bring you courage to face the illness. While God is with you, you should feel Him. You should sense His presence, feel His grace. Do you? Or has something clouded your spiritual senses? Let God's arms enfold you, His voice calm you, His peace comfort your mind. It's not just you who made promises in your spiritual life. God made promises, too! One of those promises is that God will be with you ALWAYS! Emmanuel! (Matthew 1:23). The meaning of that word is not that God may be with us, but God IS with us. Enjoy God being with you today!
August 22
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27–28, NASB95)
Those who are true Christians enter into a new relationship with one another and with God upon their acceptance of Jesus Christ. When you repent and offer your life up to God and make promises to follow our Lord Jesus, you enter a new family. God becomes your "Father in Heaven". Others in the faith become your brothers and sisters. Your status changes to being a "child of God" (John 1:12). As a part of the family in Christ, you view others in the faith not as acquaintances, but fellow family members in the faith.
Many people have not learned of the history of priests during World War 2. The German Gestapo frequently harassed and persecuted priests captured during the war. Torture was not uncommon. Maximillian Kolbe was an ordained Franciscan Priest who suffered greatly during the war. Being a kind-hearted man, he was known to help refugees and Jews fleeing from "death squads" and German Gestapo informers. Some accounts say he hid more than 2000 people fleeing for their lives. By May of 1941, he was arrested and put into Auschwitz Concentration Camp. There he suffered among thousands of those who were considered enemies of the Nazi State.
While in Auschwitz, Kolbe continued to serve others as a priest. He heard confessions. He prayed with the suffering. For his acts, he was beaten and abused on multiple occasions. When three other prisoners escaped from Auschwitz, the camp commandant ordered ten men to die in retaliation. One of the men who was selected to die was Franciszek Gajowniczek. When he learned of his selection to be starved to death as an example to the other prisoners, he cried out: "My wife! My children!" While the Nazi leadership didn't care about who he left behind, Father Kolbe did. He volunteered to take the man's place. He was confined to a barracks and with nine other men. They were given no food or water. According to an eye witness, Father Kolbe lead the group in prayers daily. He gave comfort to the men. When he was the last one alive, the commandant ordered him given a lethal injection, because he wasn't dying fast enough. Father Kolbe died in moments.
Maximillian Kolbe considered himself part of a family in Christ. When people of faith suffered, he suffered with them. When one was forced to die, he took his place. Father Kolbe considered his life of service and his death in love as part of being one in the family of Christ. We people of faith are in this together. We are children of God and "one in Christ" (Galatians 3:28).
Galatians 3:28-29 makes clear the relationship we have with others in the faith. When baptized, true Christians become one in Christ (John 17:23). We are equal members of the family. There is no longer a distinction between being a "Jew" or "Greek" or any other nationality (Galatians 3:28). You are no longer known by your nationality or citizenship; you are just part of the family of God. Men and women stand equally before God (Galatians 3:29). It's not that men and women aren't different due to their sex, but they are equal in worth before the eyes of God. Where some religions and nationalities see women as inferior, God sees equal worth in both men and women of faith. In the Christian family, all are equal in the sight of God.
The world does not see things this way. Worldly people make distinctions between who is superior and who is inferior. Racists believe one race is superior to another. Many feminists view women's rights and issues as more important than the rights of all. Many democrats and republicans view the other group as unintelligent, inferior. They often throw out derogatory statements at each other, seeking to make the other out to be racist, sexist, nationalistic, misogynistic, etc. Where God's children are to be equal, many worldly groups seek to elevate themselves above others. It's all sinful to some extent, for true people of faith are all equal in worth from the sight of God.
1 John 4:21 is clear that if we love God, we need to love a brother (or sister) in the faith. "Anyone that says 'I love God' and hates his brother is a liar" (1 John 4:20). When you enter into the family of God and become a child of God, you are to look out for your family in the faith. You should see them as equals in the sight of God. Being family of God, you treat them with love and respect.
When Christians become worldly, they often lose their ability to treat others as equal before God. These worldly Christians place themselves outside of the family of God. They are "Christian" in name only. Often, you will observe ungodly actions from these worldly Christians. They will treat others in the faith poorly. They will make distinctions with others. They will have friends and enemies in the church. They will cause dissensions among the faithful (1 Corinthians 1:10-11). Church arguments and fights are the result of their worldly point of view.
Our nation and world are completely divided today as a result of sinfulness. Racism, sexism, nationalism, and every other "ism" are signs of the division among worldly people. True people of faith may be criticized by the world for not taking sides in these culture wars or for taking the "wrong" side. Don't get caught up in these worldly fights. You are to follow God's command. You are a person of "love and justice" (Micah 6:8). You treat others as God would treat you. You forgive, where worldly people hold grudges. You do not show partiality, where the world is full of classes and status symbols, "haves" and "have-nots" (Luke 20:21). With brothers and sisters of faith, you show love. With the suffering, you show mercy. The world may give you "hell" for doing this. God will grant you heaven.
I have been called racist, sexist, and every other name by worldly people. I don't let it get to me. What I care most about is what God calls me. Today, he calls me "His child". I love being a part of HIS family! How do you treat "family in Christ"? Are people in your church divisive or merciful and loving? Are you good at bringing out the anger in others, or the love? As a brother in Christ, I am telling you that this matters greatly to God, our Father in Heaven.
August 23
“Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:25–26, RSV)
Have you ever had a panic attack? Do you know what one is? A panic attack is defined as a "sudden and acute and disabling form of anxiety or fear". It hits you like a ton of bricks. To some, it feels like a heart attack and your chest hurts. You might find it hard to breathe or double over in pain. Your heart will race and you will probably sweat like a pig! Your mind will be unable to settle down, and you will be unable to control your thoughts. Anxiety-inducing chemicals will course through your body. A feeling of "fight or flight" will overtake you. However, you can't have a panic attack if you have no anxiety or fear. You won't have an anxiety attack if your mind is at peace and your body is at rest.
In Proverbs 3:25-26, the author (presumably Solomon) reminds the faithful not to fear "sudden panic". When others are falling apart and people are running around all stressed out, you are to remain calm in the "confidence of the Lord" (Proverbs 3:26). When the lives of the wicked are "ruined" or destroyed, you will not be in a panic. The wicked may suffer, but you can simply hold on to the power and protection of God Almighty.
Terrorism seeks to instill in people an irrational fear and crippling anxiety. Those who are in the "confidence of the Lord" will not be moved. They will continue on with their lives, knowing that God is ultimately in control. Terrorists like it when the media goes into a frenzy following a suicide bombing or a random car attack on innocent pedestrians. The terrorists enjoy when people fear them, when news reporters rush to the scenes of devastation. It makes them seem powerful, when they are really cowards attacking the innocent.
For over thirty years, Gary W. Small has studied the mass panic and hysteria that overtakes a crowd of people put in difficult situations. He has found that "fear and anxiety can spread from person to person like a contagious disease. When people are predisposed to overreact to any fearful stimulus, mass hysteria can instantaneously take over a crowd." As a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCLA in California, he advocates that community and governmental organizations need to give direction for people who are at risk of hysteria. He pushes for the news media and social media to stop sensationalizing their stories. He thinks truth and knowledge are great ways to combat social hysteria, social anxiety, and social phobias. The only thing he didn't mention in the article I reference below (and probably is forbidden to do so) is that people should give up their anxiety and fear by putting their confidence in God and God's protection. (see https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/23/terrorism-mass-hysteria-panic-science/) If you believe in God, why go around in a panic when God is in control?
Luke 2:24 says that when God is pleased with you, there is peace in your life. Romans 5:1 says true faith brings peace to the follower of God in Christ. In Philippians 4:6, Paul mentioned that Christians should have "no anxiety about anything". The apostle John said that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). All these verses, along with thousands others, should teach you that uncontrolled anxiety and fear bring the opposite of peace and calm into your life. God brings peace to the truly faithful. As the scripture above from Proverbs concludes, your confidence in God means you won't panic at the first sign of trouble.
How well do you handle stressful days? Are you prone to panic when trouble comes? How can panic help your relationship with God? Deal with your fears and anxieties. Place them before the throne of God. Don't be controlled by them. Let God be your strength and refuge in ALL times of trouble (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1).
August 24
“Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:20–21, NKJV)
"I hate his guts, I really do!" That was how Rachel felt about her ex-husband who had cheated on her. After a very tumultuous marriage, they had divorced after only four years. Rachel would often describe her years of marriage as the "longest four years of my life". What had started off as a dreamy love affair and a memorable wedding on a beach at St. John's in the Virgin Islands ended in a bitter divorce. To say Rachel harbored hate for her husband was an understatement. She loathed his very presence. After the divorce, if she found something of his in their house, it was thrown out or burned. When she saw his friends, she would tell them how he was a terrible husband. She enjoyed hurting him. It was one of the few things that made her feel better.
Rachel doesn't realize it, but she has been "overcome with evil". She seeks to do her ex-husband harm. She lives to spout hatred his way. She loves to disrupt his life and antagonize him in every way possible. Sadly, this hatred for her husband burns so hot, it's what fuels her day. Dreaming of ways to get back at him fills much of her time. When she sleeps, she even dreams about torturing him or running him over with her car. Since the divorce, Rachel is so filled with resentment, friends avoid her. Her bitterness is so evident, she seldom gets asked out for a date. Even when she does date, the budding relationship never takes hold as her anger comes out in many and various forms. She has told her closest friend that she hates men. Since many of Rachel's friends are divorced, they support her anger and even encourage it. This life of anger eats at Rachel, but she doesn't care. I hope its not too late for her to overcome it.
Romans 12:21 encourages all faithful people to "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." When people are evil to us, we respond with goodness and mercy. An example of how to do this is supplied in the previous verse. Romans 12:20 says, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him a drink." Paul, who wrote these verses, saw these loving acts as combating evil, and even defeating it. Where most people would love to see an enemy hungry, the Apostle Paul saw that feeding a hungry enemy was the best response. To seek harm to befall an enemy was for Paul an example of worldly wisdom. It would only deepen the hatred and animosity. This would result in a "win" for evil. The Christian would be "overcome" or "defeated" by evil in this manner. The only way for a true Christian to respond to evil is to defeat it with godly goodness.
Being kind in the face of anger, good in the face of prejudice, merciful in response to hostility is a true Christians's responsibility. Jesus mentioned this attitude of grace in his statement to "turn the other cheek" and not seek vengeance when you are wronged (Matthew 5:39). In theory, this sounds nice. In practice, it may be the most difficult thing you ever do in your life.
In November of 2011, Mario Arias was murdered. When Darren Evans was sentenced to life in prison, there was someone who had already forgiven him; Mario's mother. When she spoke with him at the prison, she gave him a Bible to read. After the trial, she commented: "I have to accept his forgiveness and tell him that I forgive him too," she said. “I told him, ‘just read it [the Bible], God is good; read it every day.' It takes a lot to forgive someone for murdering your son. It takes tremendous courage and love. Mary Johnson is another mother who forgave her son's murderer. It took her twelve years, but she forgave him. Her response to the press was "I only did that [forgive], because I'm a Christian woman. In order to be forgiven, you have to forgive…." Each of these women responded to adversity, affliction, and murder with love and forgiveness. They "overcame evil with good". I wonder how you and I would do in the same circumstances?
Over and over, I've mentioned how God is in a spiritual war with Satan and evil. Part of that spiritual war concerns you. How will you fight your spiritual battles? The scripture above says to "overcome evil with good". The Greek word for "overcome" means to "defeat". If you want to drive Satan insane, just "defeat" him with good deeds of godly love. The scripture from Romans even mentions that to an enemy, returning evil with good is like "putting coals of fire over his head" (Romans 12:20). Can you imagine what Satan feels when you do that? Can you imagine how proud God would be in that moment?
So many people in this world are spiritually and morally defeated everyday by returning evil for evil. But every now and then, we are given a glimpse of a faithful person who does something good in response to being treated like trash. The act may not make the news. For God, though, it is really good news. Lately, have you been one to defeat evil with godly goodness, or have you been overcome by evil? Do you tend to get even or do you usually respond with love and kindness? It does matter.
August 25
“Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil upon their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” (Micah 2:1–2, RSV)
A company was found polluting a river with chemicals that had seeped from its own holding area. Fish were dying. It was no longer wise to eat fish caught in the river. When interviewed, the head of the company regretted the damage. Then he responded: "It's just business. We didn't mean to do it." Yeah, but you built the holding area. You damaged an entire ecosystem. It's not just business is it?
In a move of skillful entrepreneurship, one company gobbled up its rival in a leveraged buyout. Within five years, the company that was bought out was closed and its assets were liquidated. Hundreds lost their jobs. Prices at the parent company were increased to cover the cost. When the manipulation by the parent company was made public, a Public Relations Officer in the company replied to the press: "It’s the cost of doing business. It's just business." Tell that to the people who lost their jobs so that a parent company could manipulate the industry.
Martin Shkreli did something ostentatious and bold. He got Turing Pharmaceutical to raise the price of its anti-parasitic drug. In 2015, the company hiked the price of its drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill. It's not that the pill was prohibitively expensive to produce or research, it was the fact that the company could control the price of this reliable pill. People who needed the pill had no option but to pay it. The same sort of business practice occurred with the "Epi-Pen" used to give emergency injections to people who have extreme allergies. Between 2009 and 2016, the price was raised from $103 to $640 per set. The co-pay for some who used the Epi-Pen increased from $150 to $400. The cost of the drug in the pen, epinephrine, is around $8. You tell me what is going on. One person I talked to explained the price increase with these words: "It's just business!"
What you may not realize is that God has rules about business models. For example, Proverbs mentions that "false scales" used to measure out goods for sale in Old Testament times were "an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 20:23). When King Ahab got a neighbor killed in order to appropriate his land for a vineyard, God was very upset about the "deal". The prophet Elijah was sent to inform the King that he would die for his sin against Ahab and God (1 Kings 21:19). The prophet Amos notified the Israelites in his day that taking a person as a slave for the price of a pair of shoes was not only unethical, but sinful (Amos 2:6). In James 2:6-7, the business practice of manipulating a person by suing them and dragging them into court was seen as a blasphemy against God. It is clear from these and many other instances in scripture that God does not approve and even will fight against unjust and immoral business practices.
In the book of Micah, we have a similar condemnation against immoral business models. In the scripture above, Micah the prophet speaks about those who have the "power" to take away a person's livelihood (Micah 2:1). He shows contempt for those who lay in bed at night conceiving a business plan that will hurt others. He specifically mentions those who "covet fields" and then "seize them", taking away a person's income potential or inheritance (Micah 2:2). The operative word in this scripture is "covet". The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 remind us to "Not covet a neighbor's house or wife or anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17). What does it mean to covet? The word means to "desire" or "lust after" something so much so that you are willing to hurt someone to get it. You can like something a neighbor has withing sinning. But to covet it means you are willing to "seize it" (Micah 2:2), forcefully demand it, or manipulate things to get it. You don't care if you cause damage to the person who has it. You want what that other person has, so you take it, ignoring any consequences. Micah makes it clear that when you "oppress" someone to get what you want, there are consequences with God (Micah 2:2).
Some people who think "It's just business" do not realize that they may be breaking God's commandment against coveting. While making money in itself is not wrong, to manipulate a market, hurt others purposefully, to oppress another, or to damage a person's livelihood for personal or corporate gain is ungodly. It is sinful. Since God cares about how people conduct their businesses, God condemns those who "covet" in business. If profit is all you are about, God is going to come against you.
A pastor wrote recently that he was shocked at a family in his church. Initially, he was amazed at their generosity in the church and community. He asked to visit the family at their home. They invited him to come for dinner. He was thrilled at the invitation and their gracious offer. Knowing they were very successful in business, the pastor was not surprised by their big house and large estate as he drove up for the visit. What broke his heart is what he heard spoken over the meal. When he was informed about their various business ventures, he asked, "What is your goal in your various businesses?" The shocking response that he got was, "We make money… and do it as much as we can and as fast as we can." I'm not sure God would approve of that as the business motto for a faithful Christian, do you?
The prophet Micah spoke out against those who coveted money, power, or possessions. God was highly critical of their sinful personal faith made evident in their manipulative business models. Where God wants you to be giving, these Israelites were takers. While God wants you to make a living honestly, Micah's contemporaries in Israel thought nothing of seizing a person's land and destroying their way of life. How you relate to others in business and your personal life is very important to God. God cares about your view of possessions, how you conduct your finances, what kind of business your run, and what makes you tick. As you go about your work and make your financial decisions, remember that your view of right and wrong must reflect your true faith. To God, making the decision to go to worship on Sunday is as important as the decision you make in your office or place of work on Monday. To God, nothing is "just business". It's all personal.
August 26
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away…. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:10,12, ESV)
Madeline had a deadline. Her term paper was due that day. For weeks, she had procrastinated. When she should have been writing and editing the term paper, she was busy with the school play, spending time with her boyfriend, and doing other homework. She put off the assignment. She told herself she had a writer's block on the topic. Honestly, it was simple laziness. She tried to tell herself that she was best at writing when "under the gun". She had convinced herself that she did her best work at the last minute. Mostly, this was to lie to herself about her poor ability to budget her time for things that needed to get done. Instead of planning things in her life, she often just reacted to them. This inevitably led her to moments like this. It was 5 am, she had been up all night, and the paper wasn't that good. It needed more research and editing, but it was all she could do at the last minute. She hoped it would be good enough. Would it?
Many people go through life like Madeline. They do not budget their time. They complete things when they are forced by deadlines. They rush about at the last moment. They don't do jobs well; they do jobs quickly. Time pressures are constantly forcing themselves on these folks. They seem never to have enough time in a day to complete everything they have to complete. Procrastinating at work, they are constantly behind. Waiting until the last moment, they forget a necessity. Ignoring their responsibilities, they can't be trusted to get their chores done. You may be married to one of these people. While passionate, witty, and fun, they just aren't good planners. However, all of us tend to put things off. Where you should spend time completing that "Living Will", you find other things to occupy your day. Though needing to get new tires on the car, you just don't have the time to do it right now. Despite feeling that pressure in your chest, you don't want to see the doctor. We all give excuses for putting things off. Some things just can't wait.
In Psalm 90, we read about the human condition. All humans who are born will die (unless you are Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11!). You have a limited amount of days in your life. How you spend them is incredibly important to God and to those who know you. Psalm 90:10 mentions that we are blessed to live seventy or eighty years. Many do not live that long. Two verses later, the writer cautions all of us… "[Lord], teach us to number our days…". What this verse means is that it is important that we realize we have only a certain number of days until we die. We should use them well. Each one counts. If you knew today how many days of life you have left, would you live each one differently? If you truly understand how short and crucial your life is, it will give you what this scripture calls a "heart of wisdom". You are wise to make plans to complete everything God has for you to do.
Don't go through life without making plans and arrangements. Don't wait to do things God wants you to do. Ignoring God's subtle clues, you may want to rush through life without accomplishing those things God needs from you. Hurrying through your prayers, you may not hear God's voice urging you to stop by the hospital one more time, get to the doctor now, or ask forgiveness from that friend you hurt. Then, one day, your life is ending and you are left wondering why you didn't plan to do something so crucial, so necessary. In the end, you will answer to God for that omission. Are you ready to answer to HIM? It takes a "heart of wisdom" to realize that some things in life need to be planned, need your attention, or just can't wait.
One day in 1888, Alfred Nobel was shocked to see his own obituary in the newspaper. His brother had died, and a reporter mistakenly assumed it was Alfred who had died. Nonetheless, the obituary was shocking for Alfred Nobel. It mentioned how he was the "Dynamite King" who had invented the explosive that transformed the world and warfare. It explained how he had become a rich industrialist who profited from his invention. Alfred Nobel was heartsick reading the obituary. He vowed to be more than a "rich merchant of death". He set aside a large amount of money to be used for centuries to award people for accomplishments in science, medicine, chemistry, and literature. He also set aside a large sum to award those who made the world more peaceful. That is how the Nobel Peace Prize came to be: a man was forced to look at his life and decided to make a difference in the world.
Imagine if you and everyone you know decided today to make a difference for God in our world before they died! Imagine what hearts could be changed by your completing certain tasks God has for you to accomplish before you die. This scripture was placed in the Bible to give you the wisdom to plan and do things during your short life. Jesus only had 33 years to accomplish his mission. You may be given 20 or 52 or 90, but you also have some things to accomplish. When you talk with God today, ask if there are some things left for you to do. Listen for God's voice to point you to finish certain projects, accomplish certain goals, make time for certain people. You only have one life to live. Don't waste it.
August 27
“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” (Psalm 19:12–13, NLT)
Years ago, Edna told her best friend: “As we were preparing for a fishing trip, I noticed my husband looking at me lovingly.
‘What’s on your mind?' I asked.
‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘I was just thinking what great lures your earrings would make.’ ”
(p. 161, Nelson's Big Book of Laughter)
When Edna saw her husband's eyes wistfully looking at her, she thought he was longing for her. Maybe, he was thinking about her beauty! Was he thinking how pretty she was that day? Did he long to be with her that day? Instead, Edna's husband was just thinking about fishing lures. You never know what a person is thinking, no matter how long you've been married!
It is not wise to think you have a person all figured out. You can make big mistakes by believing that you know what a person is thinking. Even when it comes to sin, people can sometimes hide the worst of sins from others. Hidden sins can fool acquaintances, friends, and even loved ones. But you can't hide them from God.
Police in South Carolina got a shock in 2016 when a local real estate agent who was highly successful was found imprisoning a young woman in a shipping container on his property. She was chained up. He had killed her boyfriend. When all was said and done, they found that Todd Kohlhepp had murdered at least seven people. Police discovered that he had bought and collected a number of guns used in the crimes, despite serving time in jail during his teens for armed kidnapping and rape. Neighbors thought Kohlhepp was a stand-up guy. He was anything but that. This successful businessman had hidden a number of sins in his life. Nobody knew it until they found a poor girl chained up in his metal prison. Later, a number of bodies were discovered buried on that same property. A week before, nobody in that county assumed the man was capable of such evil. He hid it from everyone.
You never know what hidden sins are "lurking" in the hearts of people. Psalm 19:12 urges readers to consider the sins that are "lurking" in their own heart, poisoning their relationship with God. You might think it unusual to have hidden sins in a person's heart. It is not. Like people cordon off areas of conversation that they will not talk about, people can easily cordon off a section of their heart to hide things from others, themselves, even God. I've seen a number of these "lurking sins" haunt people later in life. One woman harbored hatred for her husband for twenty years after he cheated on her just once with an old flame. He asked for her forgiveness at the time. She granted it. But, she really didn't ever forgive him. This "lurking sin" came out every now and then in her angry tone, in a tear at a family gathering, or while she drank that extra glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon. One man had a "lurking sin" that would only bother him on the holidays. When just a teen, this man's father had come home drunk and in a fit of anger hit him hard enough to cause welts. The next day, his father asked why the bruise was on his back, not even remembering causing the bruise the day before while drunk. He did not say a word. To this day, when he visits his parents on Thanksgiving, he is not thankful. Inwardly, he still hates his father for his drinking and his anger. That's why he only sees his parents once or twice a year. His mother has no idea. His father can't figure out why he is so cold to them. Their son will never talk about this hidden hurt or seek reconciliation. A "lurking sin" is responsible.
Psalm 19 mentions two types of sins that the author fears will control him. One is the "deliberate sin" (Psalm 19:13). This is the sin that one does openly and it is often very public. It is a sin that is meant to cause harm. The other type of sin that the author fears is the hidden sin, the "lurking sin" (Psalm 19:12). This sin is one that is often very private, unseen. Nobody but you may even know about it. You may have it buried so deep in your heart or subconscious that you hardly know it is even there. But, it "lurks" in the heart nonetheless. You can hide it, but that doesn't mean it won't haunt you. The author of this psalm fears that one or the other type of sin will "control" him (Psalm 19:13). "Guilt" will be the inevitable result (Also, Psalm 19:13).
If you find yourself feeling guilty about something you should not be feeling guilty about, search your heart for "lurking sins". Guilt and lurking sins are often linked. Where one is, the other is usually close at hand. When you hide a sin in your heart, you may try to forget it. You might be able to keep it away from your thoughts. What you should do is confess it to God and ask for forgiveness and grace. As long as that sin is hidden in your heart, it will fester. Why not deal with it? Why hold onto it? Yet, some people inevitably do. They won't admit that sin. They won't reconcile. They have made a home for this sin deep in their heart and mind. They don't want to deal with it or face it, unless they are forced to. I hope you do live this way.
Every now and then, it is a good idea to take a spiritual inventory of your heart and soul. As Psalm 19 suggests, look for those "lurking sins". Deal with them. As for "deliberate sins", offer them up to God. Both will cause hurt, pain, shame, and guilt. They just aren't worth holding onto. You need to reconcile before they hold you hostage. I have found that "lurking sins" often give birth to big mistakes or "deliberate sins" later in life. They come back to bite you. That's why you need to clear your heart of their presence, cleanse your thoughts from their influence. Are there some "lurking sins" or "deliberate sins" affecting you today? Have they been with you for some time? Reconcile with another or God. There is no other way to feel at peace as long as they control you.
August 28
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NIV84)
Recently, I listened as a woman explained her self-image. She struggled with something that she said "all women struggle with throughout their whole lives". Being a counselor, I was intrigued. I like to know what makes people tick, how they evaluate things, how they relate their thoughts to faith. As I listened to this woman speak, she described how all women have a problem with their body and self-image. She believes that every woman dislikes at least one body part. Using cosmetics or surgeries, therapies or a certain way of dressing, all women try to hide their "physical embarrassment" from others. In her opinion, most men don't know that to compliment a woman on her looks is crucial to helping her deal with her poor body image.
For many, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 was written to help all Christians have a godly view of their body. Its words speak to the value and purpose of a person's body and how it relates to one's soul. Let's look at this vital scripture and its meaning for you today.
When Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians, he was addressing a Greek-speaking group with a different world view from our own. The people of Corinth were accustomed to statues and temples devoted to various deities in their hometown. They also were constantly exposed to cultural influences we would call "immoral" today. Near the port of Corinth was the Temple of Aphrodite. The goddess Aphrodite was revered in Greek culture as the deity most attuned to sex, procreation, beauty and pleasure. It is believed by many historians that as many as 1000 temple prostitutes in and around that temple were cavorting in honor of their goddess. Sexual sin was rampant. In the verses just before our reading for today, Paul condemned those visits to the prostitutes so public in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). He considered it a "sin against one's own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Rather than visiting the Temple of Aphrodite, the Apostle Paul wanted each Christian in Corinth to know that his or her body was a temple for God's Spirit. When it housed the Holy Spirit, it was to be considered holy (1 Corinthians 6:19). There was no need to visit a cult prostitute in Corinth to be holy to goddess Aphrodite. The Christians were already holy to God, through the presence of the Holy Spirit in their bodies. If they wanted to do something for God, they should use their body in a holy way, "honoring God with their body" (1 Corinthians 6:20). They were thus urged to put their body to godly use. They were to treat the body as Holy vessel containing God's presence. How do you treat your body? Do you treat it as a precious gift, a holy place? Do you fill it with garbage food and chemicals and preservatives? Are you disgusted when you look in the mirror each day? Do you care for your body? If God made your body a temple for HIS Holy Spirit, shouldn't you show respect to it?
A young Australian girl named Audra wanted to get into modeling. She was bright and beautiful, intelligent and resourceful. When Audra wanted something, she would work hard to get it. She was determined for a seventeen-year-old. Pursuing her interest in modeling, Audra found a web site that suggested that models should have less than thirteen percent body-fat. She researched the fastest way to lose weight and found that some models had great success from ingesting tapeworms. At first, she thought the idea disgusting. When you ingest the tapeworms, they grow in your intestines and essentially eat your food. They can grow up to ten or fifteen feet in length. After a while in your body, you can just kill them off with an anti-parasitic drug. Because this way of losing weight is seen as dangerous, Australia had banned pills with tapeworm in them. Audra found a place online selling pills filled with human feces that contained tapeworm. She bought and used the pills. She lost weight very quickly, but felt bloated. As her body-fat decreased, she was thrilled. But within months, she was in the hospital as the worms caused a blockage in her intestines. The tapeworms could have killed her. Her parents were mortified. When she got home from the hospital, her modeling friends told her how great she looked and urged her to keep taking the tapeworms. Her parents found out and forbade her from visiting those friends ever again.
Audra is a beautiful young lady. I only wish she would accept her beauty as God gave it. Instead of trying to mold her body based on an unrealistic world view seen in magazines and on the runway, I wish she would treat her body as a gift from God. I pray someday she accepts God wholly into her life. Until that day, she believes that her body needs pills filled with feces in order to look better. Is this how God would want her to treat HIS creation?
Poor self-images, peer pressures, and unrealistic views of the body found in social media drive many people to false conclusions about their body and its value. Sexual immorality is rampant in TV shows, movies, and online. As long as people continue to see their bodies not as temples for God's presence but as things to be used and manipulated, they will continue to suffer for this worldly view of beauty. God's view of beauty is very different. Your body is precious to God. You only get one. Learn to live with your body, accepting its weaknesses and strengths, working to protect it as a gift from God.
If you are a true person of faith, the Holy Spirit is in your soul. According to 1 Corinthians 6, your body houses HIS spirit. Use your body wisely. Treat it well. Respect it. No matter how it looks, it is beautiful to your MAKER. How can you treat the temple of the living God today? What would God desire for your body today? Do you have a faithful self-image? How might you help others to see their God-given beauty today?
August 29
“So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”
(1 Thessalonians 2:3–4, NLT)
In an article from psychologytoday.com, author Amy Morin explains the traits of "people-pleasers". Acknowledging that "people-pleasers" have serious self-worth issues, she details the ten most common symptoms of this type of individual:
1) You pretend to agree with everyone.
2) You feel responsible for how others feel.
3) You apologize often.
4) Your schedule gets filled with what others want you to do.
5) You can't say no.
6) You feel uncomfortable when someone is mad at you, even if you did nothing wrong.
7) You tend to act like everyone around you.
8) You need praise to feel good.
9) You go to great lengths to please someone.
10) You don't admit when your feelings are hurt.
If you think one or two of these ten "symptoms" now and then, it is not abnormal. But, when a majority of these ten define how you think most of the time, you have a problem. You are a people-pleaser. According to our scripture for today, God will have a problem with anyone who seeks to please others instead of doing what is righteous and faithful. In the end, you will have to decide whether pleasing others or pleasing God is most important to you.
Growing up with a father who was an alcoholic, Sarah knew what it was like to fear when her dad came home late. It probably meant her father was out drinking. He would probably walk in angry. Fights and arguments would inevitably ensue. The whole household would be turned upside down when Sarah's father got drunk. Sarah learned to cope with it. Most often, she would do whatever her father said just to escape the anger. If her dad wanted another beer, she'd get it. If her dad was upset, she would agree with his frustration. Sarah was the one who could talk her dad out of destroying the house in a drunken fit of rage. Her mother often praised Sarah for "saving" the family on those dark, fearful nights. Sarah was proud of this ability. What Sarah didn't realize is that she learned some bad habits from her response to her drunken father. Lately, she was often depressed. She would do anything to avoid conflict. She would do things for others out of guilt. She hardly ever said "no". She had to be "liked". Living to please others became Sarah's "modus operandi". Only recently, during counseling with her pastor, had she discovered how much this attitude was killing her and her marriage.
Living to please others will cause problems in your life. It is very difficult making sure others are happy, placating all those who are demanding, and covering up what you really feel. Seeking to please others in order to feel happy will cause untold worries and fears. You will lose much sleep wondering what others think. Often, this attitude ends with depression. Inevitably, it will cause a conflict with God.
The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that "our purpose is to please God, not people" (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Paul mentioned that when he preached, his goal was not to flatter people (1 Thessalonians 2:5). His aim was not to be lauded for his eloquent speech ( See 1 Corinthians 1:17). Paul's motivation didn't center on his receiving accolades and praise. Paul didn't want to use "impure motives" to get people to believe (1 Thessalonians 2:3). His ultimate purpose was to "please God". He wanted people to focus on the good news of Jesus Christ, not on his own wisdom or apostolic calling.
It is always dangerous to focus more on yourself than God. When you are more concerned with your image than in being true to God, watch out. You might focus your life on pleasing others in order to feel good about yourself. If you are driven to succeed in life in order to look good to others, where will your loyalties lie? You will want to please others or yourself instead of God. This can happen just as easily to pastors and church leaders as to those outside the faith.
Do you know how some animals urinate to mark their territory? I swear there are some people in churches who also like to "mark their territory" in the church. They don't mark their territory with urine. They might use manipulation, political tactics, or power plays instead. In the end, their goal is to please others and themselves. They can never please God while acting this way.
In your personal life, you will have to continually re-evaluate your motives as Paul did in our scripture today (1 Thessalonians 2:3). Are you doing something to please others? Are you saying "yes" to shut someone up? Are your leadership methods in line with godly models? Is your church full of politics or people seeking God's direction? Evaluating motives helps you to determine if you or your church are doing things to please God or for some other reason. Prayer is crucial to help you evaluate these motives. Talking with God always helps you see more clearly.
My hope is that you look at your motivations today. Why do you act the way you do? Who gets the benefit? Is God pleased at your responses? Are you running from conflict or running to God? People-pleasers may be nice, but they aren't faithful….. not to God anyway.
Below is the article by Amy Morin online….
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201708/10-signs-youre-people-pleaser
August 30
“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!”
(Psalm 27:12–14, RSV)
"Wait up!" his best friend said. He didn't want to listen. He was in a hurry to get home. He was late; it was after his curfew. Not wanting to face angry parents, he thought his best recourse would be to get home as soon as possible. Tim and his best friend Marcus had been at a party. There was a lot of beer at the gathering. Almost everyone there was underage. The night sped by, fueled with alcohol and good friends. Tim didn't realize the time until five minutes before he was supposed to be home. Since he had walked to the party from home, he had to walk back home. Tim definitely did not want to talk to his parents when he arrived. They would smell the alcohol on his breath. The best he could do was get home fast so that he could say a word to his parents and rush off to his room without any conversation. He had to get home NOW! Marcus was slowing him down as they walked the country road.
"Wait!", Marcus rasped, falling behind.
As Tim turned to tell his best friend to get a move on, he didn't see the garbage bag on the side of the road. It was too dark and he was in too much of a hurry to notice. Tripping over the bag as he walked, Tim fell headlong into a cluster of rocks. Stinging from the fall, he realized that hurrying down that road in the dark without watching where he was going was really stupid.
"Are you OK?" his best friend asked?
"I'm just fine. Maybe we should just walk a bit." Tim responded.
When Tim got home, he quietly crept in and up to his room. He had made it. Everything would be fine.
That changed the next day when Tim looked in the mirror to find he had chipped two teeth in his fall the night before. A week later, Tim's mother asked him when he had chipped his teeth. He told her he chipped his teeth as a kid years ago. She looked highly skeptical. To this day, when Tim looks in the mirror, he remembers his headlong fall, the party, hurrying home. When he looks at his yearbook picture taken the day after his fall, he also remembers that night. He hates that picture. He dislikes his stupid smile. His two chipped teeth are a constant reminder that sometimes hurrying blindly forward is just asking for trouble.
Many of us hurry through life. You might be late for an appointment. Maybe you lost track of time while talking with a friend. It might be that you were late getting up and now have to rush through traffic to get to work on time. How many times did you speed on the way to work? Ever rush through an intersection without stopping? Were you ever so harried that you forgot something on the way to an event? Hurrying through life is epidemic among many. It causes lots of problems. It can have inherent dangers. A young lady was late driving home and hurriedly typed out a text while driving. It ended up costing her life in the accident that ensued. A father hurried home. Missing a stop sign, he plowed into a school bus hurting several children. Without taking time to look both ways before he crossed the road, a young bicyclist was hit by a car broadside. He broke several bones in his body. When you hurry, when you are rushed, its all too easy to make mistakes. Sometimes, its just not worth it.
Spiritually, you probably hurry as well. Do you say quick prayers you can't even remember five minutes later? Halfway through worship, are you already wanting it to be over? Even with spiritual problems, you might hurry. Depressed, you might be tempted to take a pill and get better right away, without even seeking out the causes of the depression. When seeking God's guidance about a big decision in your life, you might want God to hurry up and give you an answer before tomorrow at 9 AM when everything comes to a head. It is so easy to rush into a problem and then want God to hurry up and fix it. When things go wrong in your life, the problem is usually not God working quickly enough. The problem is often with your impatience, hectic lifestyle, or inability to stop and think.
In Psalm 27, the author knows that in his time of trouble, God will be his protection (Psalm 27:5). When "adversaries" and "enemies" slander his good name, God will be there for him (Psalm 27:2,5, 12). The author believes God will be by his side, so he promises not be be afraid when difficult situations arise (Psalm 27:3). The Psalm ends with our scripture reading for today shown above. It ends with the author being confident that God's goodness will shine through in his darkest hour (Psalm 27:13). All he has to do is "wait upon the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). He only needs the courage and patience to let go of his anxiety and trust God to help him work it all out.
Twice in the last verse for today, the author cautions himself and you to "wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). The reason why this phrase is repeated is because waiting is crucial for God to work. Too often, you may be tempted to take things in your own hands and respond quickly or with too much emotion. Instead, you need to wait upon the Lord. When you are in a hurry to make a decision or are struggling with anger, resentment, or guilt, you might respond without thinking. It is much more beneficial to "wait for the Lord".
Hurrying drivers make bad decisions. It's only a matter of time. Hectic schedules often cause people to eat poorly. Pressed for time, you might be pressured by a salesman to make a purchase that should be put off for later. Not waiting to talk to someone, you might assume the worst. In your haste to complete a task, you might not wait for the glue to dry or the food to cook thoroughly. Where will that lead? There are many things in life that take time and patience. In your spiritual life, patience is often required to see the whole picture or for a clear understanding of your circumstances.
Has your life been a little too harried as of late? When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses, even literally? Are any of your regrets related to hasty decisions or pressured time restraints? "Waiting for the Lord" is excellent advice for everyone in modern times. But waiting on the Lord takes faith. It takes time. Do you have the willingness to "wait upon the Lord" today?
August 31
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”And when he [Jesus] had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:8–9, RSV)
In some courtrooms today, you still might hear the question: "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" The purpose of the courtroom throughout history has been to find out the truth in order to administer justice faithfully. Witnesses are often called to take the stand and tell their version of the truth. It is against the law to lie to the court. In the end, it is hoped that the truth will win out; right will triumph over wrong; good will prosper over evil.
The true and faithful Christian is not to just tell the truth in the court of law. He or she is also responsible to be a faithful witness for Christ in their world. Whether in the church or in a public gathering, before children or peers, the true Christian is expected to defend Jesus and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 1 John 3:18). In the same way that judges in a courtroom want to hear the truth from witnesses, God the Ultimate Judge wants to hear the truth from the faithful who witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are a true Christian, you are also a witness to Jesus Christ. The world needs to hear the true message of the gospel from your lips. Are you prepared to tell "God's truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"?
Recently, we've heard way too much about "fake news". Fake news can be found in many places on the internet and in store aisles, in newspapers and other media. Fake news is used to muddy the waters, twist the facts, manipulate public opinion, and promote certain political views. In many places, fake news is passed off as reality. Because of this, many people have a hard time believing what they read, what a reporter says, or what is reported by the governments of the world. Our world is hungry for the truth and there are people who don't want you to know the truth.
That's where you come in. The gospel of Jesus Christ is based on the truth. The truth about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection needs to be told. If you are a faithful person, you need to continue always to defend the truth of the gospel in the court of world opinion. Jesus needs you to take a stand and witness to His Lordship. Do you? Have you? Will you?
At a restaurant, a woman said to another woman: "My church is full of hypocrites. They talk about love, but then promote hate. They won't marry gays who obviously love each other." There was much hushed conversation about the topic thereafter. Finally, the same woman said rather loudly, "My bible talks about love and marriage. It supports gay marriage. We should do what it says." Then, there was more hushed conversation. What the two women didn't know was that seated at the table behind them in that diner was an evangelist who was soon to speak at the church to which the two belonged. After hearing their conversation, he changed his topic for one of his sermons. A few days later, he spoke about the Bible and the truth of biblical marriage. He taught how the Bible nowhere defends same-sex marriage. He mentioned various types of worldly views of sexuality versus God's view of sexuality from scripture. After worship, people filed out and greeted the evangelist. When one woman walked up, he recognized her from the restaurant. She did not recognize him. She said, "Nice talk, preacher. It was great to have you here." He knew she didn't like what he said. But he will have to answer to God one day, and he was not about to teach anything but the truth of the gospel. If nothing else, the evangelist hoped that what he taught about the truth of the bible would counter the fake news that the woman was so eloquently telling in the restaurant days before.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks the very last words of His earthly ministry. They were His last words before He was taken up to heaven. Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, calling them His "witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and to the ends of the earth." After He was gone, Jesus knew that all of His disciples throughout all generations would have to defend the gospel, the truth about Jesus' life and death, and the faith. In the present generation, you and I are disciples of Jesus Christ. We must continue to be faithful witnesses for our Lord. As a witness for Christ, your words and life are a testimony to what you believe. Our world needs to hear God's honest truth from you. Are you ready to share the truth? Until you are judged by Heaven, realize that you have the opportunity to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth here on earth. The Judge in Heaven is weighing the truth of your testimony. Can others trust what you say about Jesus? Do others even know what you believe? In the court of public opinion, are you considered a true Christian or a faker? In many ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being put on trial in the world today. God needs your testimony to defend the truth. What might you say to someone who asks you about the truth of God's word? God the Judge is watching and listening to your response… your defense… your testimony.
“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14–17, NLT)
A long time ago, someone asked Ann Landers if there was one topic she received more letters about than any other. Thinking for a moment, she answered: "Fear."
Fear is not unusual for people. Fear has kept the human race alive since its inception. Fear causes adrenaline to course through your veins, enabling the "fight or flight syndrome". It helps your body to run faster and your injuries to heal more quickly. But fear is also dangerous. It can paralyze you into inaction. It can cause you to make mistakes and lose your cool. An irrational fear or "phobia" can cause you to fear something that is not very dangerous or unlikely to hurt you. For example, a person with arachnophobia fears that any spider may touch them. Spiders touching them seldom will harm them. Imagine if a person with arachnophobia tried to never have a spider touch them the rest of their life. They might never go outside again, never go out on a date….never see fireworks….be afraid to drive a car… be afraid to go for a walk. A fear could stop you from enjoying or even living life.
The scripture for today from Hebrews talks about Satan's manipulation of the human fear of death. Hebrews 2 alludes to the fact that human beings "made of flesh and blood" will die (Hebrews 2:14). This same scripture claims that Jesus became flesh and blood so that by dying he could break the "power of the devil over death." (Hebrews 2:14). The Son of God did this to set you free from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). By Jesus' faithful death AND resurrection, God showed you that a human could overcome the grasp and fear of death through faith in God. Thus, Satan should no longer manipulate and control humans through the fear of death.
Still, out of the many "fears" in life, the fear of death still controls many people. Satan will use this against you. Out of the fear of death, Satan might manipulate you into throwing money into a cure if you get cancer. As you pour thousands or even millions of dollars into fancy or experimental medicines, you may not realize that they may only add days or weeks to your life. I once knew a man who figured that the last two weeks of his life cost his insurance company $400,000 or something like $28,000/day. As he lived his last hours, he wondered to himself if this was sinful. That money could have fed a lot of homeless people or helped a lot of those who didn't have medical insurance.
It's not just through medicines and miracle cures that Satan plays with your life and death. The devil loves to get you to buy into the latest fad for physical fitness or follow the newest hype about a diet. How many people do you know who follow a diet or exercise regimen to the letter to live longer, but don't have a prayer life or can't spend time or money on God? The fear of death and desire to prolong life has led many people away from faith and into spiritual ruin.
For years, if you traveled through Nevada's Amargosa Desert, there was a stop along the way with an old pump known to old-timers. If you stopped there, you would notice the old pump with faded paint with a baking-powder-can wired to it. On that baking-powder-can was a note that said: "This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll git all you can hold."" (Keith Miller and Bruce Parson, The Edge of Adventure)
A person traveling in that desert and needing water might, out of the fear of death, grasp for that bottle of water under the white rock to drink. That water is a sure thing. The promise of water from the underground well is not. But if the traveler takes the water from the bottle, he may run short. Also, every other traveler after him may never have a chance at life due to his own fear of death. His personal fear may doom every future desert traveler along that route who won't have the water to prime the pump!
Jesus already defeated Satan's power over death. Jesus also defeated Satan's manipulation over the fear of death. So, why do people continue to fear death today? It's the lack of faith, pure and simple (As Desert Pete said in the note above!). As long as people don't believe in Jesus, they cannot have faith that death is beatable and life after death is surely possible. The ONLY thing that can beat death is faith through God. Christ showed you that. There is NO other antidote known for death today.
In Hebrews 2:17, God's wisdom is made clear. God made Jesus human in every way so that you would be able to know that humans can live without fear from death. You can all find life after death with God's help. Jesus is the key! God used Jesus as the example par excellence! As He was raised from the dead, so can you be raised with Him (2 Corinthians 4:14). All you must do is follow HIS example.
Can you imagine how angry Satan must be that he can not use the fear of death to manipulate you? If you have faith and death no longer controls you, Satan has less to use against you! His weapons are limited. His power is weakened. He must find other ways to get to you. Jesus' mission to show God's power over life and death gives you ample power to not worry about death. You need only focus on following God and living your life!
Do you realizing how freeing it is not to worry about death? Do you spend enough time enjoying life? Since Jesus showed God's power over death, do you trust His example? How much? Since Satan can't manipulate you through the fear of death, what's his favorite alternate method?
August 2
“[Thus says the Lord:] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
(Isaiah 43:19–21, NIV84)
The police and fire department were stumped. Nothing was working. When the semi crashed under the railroad bridge, it wedged itself in so tightly that when they tried to back it out, the roof of the trailer only bunched up and wedged in tighter. It was caught good! Traffic was backed up. Several firefighters talked about going up on the roof and using the jaws for life on the trailer, but the load inside had shifted and was precariously balanced. They tried pulling it out with a skid loader. That didn't work. They couldn't detach the truck, because the plate was jammed. The accident was turning into a nightmare. Then, a young man said to the men in the circle discussing what to do next, "Why don't you take the air out of the tires and then pull it out?" That did the trick. It dropped the height of the truck and trailer eight inches in seconds and enabled the rescue vehicles to pull everything out. Red-faced, the captain went home that night and promised never to overlook a kid's suggestion again!
There are times when you have to look at things with new eyes. Maybe something new has to happen in order for changes to happen. If you are in a rut, a change might do you good. A new perspective might add some life to a tired manufacturing line. There are moments when it helps to take a step back and look anew at a situation. Only then might you perceive what was there waiting to be discovered all along.
It also helps to look around yourself spiritually with fresh eyes every now and then. You might see that God is trying to tell you something. God might show you something spiritually enlightening. Spiritual ruts have the nasty habit of making you expect the same old spiritual routine with God. You say your prayers. You sing our songs. You go to church. You say the "Lord's Prayer". You do the same Easter Chorus every year. Over and over, you may get in a spiritual rut going from one spiritual season to another without seeing when God might be doing something different, special, new. And by the way, every now and then, God does do something new and spectacular!
On a quiet night in a lowly stable an average young woman gave birth to a new child. Not everyone recognized it was Jesus! When Jesus did a few healings and showed great spiritual leadership in his hometown, some said, "Isn't this Mary's son?" (Mark 6:3). They wondered how anything special could come from that poor young carpenter's son. He wasn't even from a royal family! Caught up in their spiritual routine, they looked past the Son of God.
In Isaiah 43, God was heralding a special time through the prophet Isaiah. For forty years before, the people of Judah and Jerusalem had endured the suffering and loss of the Babylonian war. The Temple was destroyed. Jerusalem was in ruins. Many lives were lost. Young people were dragged off to be slaves in a foreign land. For forty years, they got used to the hardship. Then, Isaiah began to preach about God doing "a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19). The people of God will once again prosper with streams of life flowing to the desert wasteland (Isaiah 43:20-21). God was done judging the sin of the people. It was time for the people to be blessed again. Isaiah asked God's people: "Do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19). Obviously the prophet had perceived God's grace coming. The prophet saw God's blessing on its way. In the midst of the dark times of suffering, the people couldn't yet perceive it, but the prophets could. God was beginning a new era.
You may get so caught up in your busy world that you might miss those special moments that God sets before you, those moments when God does something new or special or different. They are life-changing moments. A moment like that may come when you first look into the eyes of your one true love. That moment may hit you like a ton of bricks when you feel the weight of a sin lifted in forgiveness. A gift of grace may change your whole perspective in just one moment when God turns your dark world upside down and causes beautiful holy light to shine in!
A woman I know was struggling with the death of her mother. The two were very close. When her mother died, she was in the room. She hadn't left her mother's side for days. Every care was dealt with. Every burden was shared. She only asked God for one small little gift. In the midst of her grief, she told me she wanted God to show her a little bit of HIS love shining down upon her.
The day of the funeral, she got up early and went to the grave site. Nobody was around, but it was a pretty morning. There was little wind. It was eerily quiet. In that beautiful dawn, she had a feeling. God was up to something. God was going to do a new thing. She walked around the bend in the road leading to the grave and stopped. There, not far ahead, on the dirt of her mother's grave was a fawn. It laid quietly on the cool, dewy ground as the temperature of the day heated up. The little deer saw her and didn't move. She didn't move. They looked at each other for several moments, when the deer finally got up on shaky legs and walked to the back of the cemetery into the woods bordering the town. The woman told me that she couldn't stop shaking and thinking… "How great is our God! Thank you, God! Thank you, God!"
Every now and then, God will do a "new thing" in your life. Best, you perceive it.... even look for it. If God is doing something different or special in your life, chances are you need it or God wants it. It might be both. When new spiritual events occur, people often miss them. Don't you lose sight, too! Isaiah didn't miss the "new thing" God was doing, but the Assyrians did. The Shepherds in Bethlehem didn't miss the coming of the Christ child, but Herod did. The Magi saw a new star in the East and were searching for its meaning. How many others never saw that new star in the sky proclaiming Jesus' birth? I hope you watch carefully for God's signs. I have found that when God does a "new thing", it is something you will never want to miss.
Is there something new God is trying to show you? Is there a new way of looking at things God wants you to see? Maybe the Bible doesn't speak to you at times because you look at it with tired eyes.
August 3
“What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:1–4, RSV)
Only the truest of faithful Christians can relate to what I'm saying today. Some might be offended. Still, I have to tell you the Biblically relevant, God's-honest truth.
I would not want to be God's enemy! No way. Never. Not for anything. I've seen what God can do to those who decide to fight against Him. Pharaoh lost an entire army at the Red Sea in a minute when he decided to take on God (Exodus 14). After the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and dared to put their god Dagon above the Ark, not only was their god's statue found face down the next day, a pestilence of tumors broke out among the people (1 Samuel 5). When the pride of King Nebuchadnezzar pitted him against God, God caused him to lose his mind and become very sick until he repented (Daniel 4). I have seen much more in my life with people who openly sinned against God. They, too, suffered greatly. Some suffered because of their own sinfulness when drugs or alcohol became their god of choice. It's not that God directly caused their suffering. Their sin caused their suffering. Still, they made their own decisions. They sided with the poison of choice. Any way you look at it, I would not willingly want to go against God's law. Would you?
The scripture from James written above shows how to become an enemy of God. James began the scripture by talking about those who have a "friendship (or "love" in Greek) with the world" (James 4:4). Those who are worldly tend to cause wars (James 4:1). They are passionate about things of this world, not about God (James 4:3). They "covet" things, desiring what other people have (James 4:2). When they don’t get what they want, they fight others for it. They are consumed with a lust for possessions and property of this world. They love living in this world. They have a friendship or love with this world. Thus, they have "enmity with God" (James 4:4). Enmity means "hostility" in its original language. By siding with worldly passions and lusts, friends with this world stand in opposition or "hostility" with God. By siding with the world, they become enemies of God (James 4:4).
You might wonder if you like your home, love your wife, love your friends that maybe you are in friendship with the world. By enjoying your life, does this make you an enemy of God? NO. Being joyful with God's blessings doesn't make you an enemy of God. However, when those blessings become what you live for, then they put you in direct opposition with God. Thus, when you find you love the things of this world more than God, you have sided with this world and against God. You are an enemy of God.
You are on a slippery slope when your relationships, possessions, and commitments start to control your day. When you find your calendar filled with hours upon hours of business to pay for the toys you've bought and the big house you own and the new car you had to have, be careful. You just might find that things of this world will come in competition with God. Do you think nothing of paying $20 for a night out only to regret having to give a tithe to God? Are you so in debt that you don't have the money to support a needy missionary overseas, so you can pay for those Black Friday sales you had to have? If your life is filled to the full with things and worries of this world, you may already be an enemy of God.
You don't have to hate God to become an enemy of God. You just have to be a friend of this world (or based on the Greek, "to love this world" with your whole heart) to be an enemy of God, according to James chapter 4. When you find that you are most passionate about things in your life rather than godly love or faith or God, its already too late. You are the enemy. God is already working against you.
In 1975, six armed gunmen broke into the deposit boxes in a London bank and stole valuables worth more than $7 million. One lady, whose jewelry was appraised at $500,000, wailed, "Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box." When your "whole life" can be contained in a safety deposit box, what does that say about where your loyalties lie? Whose spiritual side is she on? What does she live for?
George W. Truett, a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area.
Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, "Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it's all mine." Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, "That's all mine." Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, "They're all mine." Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, "That too is all mine."
He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing one hand on the man's shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, "How much do you have in that direction?" The man hung his head and confessed, "I never thought of that." (Our Daily Bread; October 24, 1992) That's precisely the problem with friends of this world. They don't realize that by fighting for possessions and things of this world (James 4:1), they are no longer in connection with God. In fact, they are against God. They fight for the "other side"!
You don't have to be an atheist to be against God. Christians can easily become enemies of God. All it takes is a desire to be a friend or lover of this world and its possessions. When your focus is on this world, your cares are on this life. God is no longer in charge. The bank determines your steps. Your paycheck sets your limits. Your schedule determines your free time. Your health controls the length of your workday. God is outside all the choices. Your faith is an afterthought. You are a friend of this world. You are an enemy of God.
So, are you a friend of this world or a lover of God? Do your possessions control your life or does God call the shots? How much do things of this world mean to you? If you had to go back into a burning house for a possession, what would it be? How might a friend of the world answer these questions? How might a child of God?
August 4
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. ” (Psalm 32:1–5, NASB95)
Just before the death of actor W.C. Fields, a friend visited Fields' hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible. Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, "I'm looking for loopholes." Rather than looking for forgiveness, Fields was looking for loopholes! That is so like human beings. God gives us the chance for peace and grace. We want to find out how to get around having to confess our sin!
Psalm 32 was written by David about how to receive forgiveness. The psalm begins with the statement that those whose sin is covered are "blessed" (Psalm 32:1). In order to receive this forgiveness and blessing, a person must not have a "spirit of deceit" (Psalm 32:2). This spirit of deceit is when a person wants to hide their sin from God. David mentioned in Psalm 32 about the times when he personally tried to deceive God about a sin. He got sick (his "body wasted away"), groaning from the pain. He had no "vitality", no energy, no get up and go. His strength withered away (Psalm 32:4). There was only one remedy for his illness. He had to come clean with God. He resolved to not "hide his iniquity". He confessed everything to God, and God forgave him. (Psalm 32:5). His guilt was washed away with his sin. His health improved.
I have been surprised as a pastor by how many people do not follow David's prescription for sin found here in Psalm 32. Despite the fact that David clearly found comfort and better health through confessing his sin and not keeping his mistakes "hidden" from God, many people do the opposite. They refuse to confess their sins. They hold on to their sins. The guilt festers in their minds and hearts. The regret causes illness to body and soul. People are living in the guilt of their past sin, holding on to grudges and regrets as sin eats its way into the heart. King David learned better. It is healthy and uplifting to confess one's sin and get right with God.
After a worship service one night, a man approached me after everyone had left the church. He confessed that he had cheated on his wife. He regretted it for years and was sick of carrying the guilt. He asked me what to do. First, I asked him to come to the altar and pray about it with God. Then, after the prayer of confession, I told him what he felt God now wanted him to do. He felt God telling him to tell his wife. He was afraid to do this, but ready to make it right with God. Days later, he came to me and said his wife forgave him. He told me that for the first time in years, he felt peaceful. He was shocked that God could make things so right so fast, just through a simple confession and a willingness to make things right. I asked him, "What else did you think would be required to make you feel better?"
He said with a grin, "About thirty years of hard labor!"
That show's how much weight he felt from his sin. That's how much weight was lifted with with his confession and forgiveness. To this day, husband and wife are doing just fine in their marriage, thanks to God!
If you find that your life is weighed down with cares of this world, it might be time to reevaluate. If your strength is wavering, it might be that a sin has its grasp upon you. If your health is weakening, your body might just be telling you that its time to confess something to God. Is there something you've been hiding from yourself or God? Is there a guilt weighing upon your soul? Your prescription from Psalm 32 is should help. Involves a good soul-searching confession to God, and a willingness to let God heal you from the inside out!
August 5
“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee. For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:7–16, RSV)
There are scriptures that can change your life.
A man messed up his life through the death of a friend in a car crash. He felt responsible for his friend's death, for he was driving the car. Years later, this man read Psalm 130:4-6 and he found peace through God's grace and forgiveness for the first time since the accident. A woman was raped. She too suffered for years with her hidden shame and regret. Then, she read “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, RSV) It hit her like a ton of bricks that she could be cleansed from what was done to her, no longer feeling the "dirty weight" that seemed to cling to her from that violent act. Each time she read Psalm 51, she found more hope and peace. As for me, one of those scriptures that has seriously affected my view of life is Psalm 139 written above. Because of this scripture, I can not only see how important life is for God, my views on abortion and women's rights were re-shaped because of the words contained within it.
Psalm 139 was ascribed to King David. It is believed that he wrote it at a time when he was considering his own mortality. It could have been written when Saul threatened to kill him (1 Samuel 19). It could have been written when David's first son with Bathsheba was dying just after birth (2 Samuel 12). Any way you look at it, David was in a contemplative mood when he wrote Psalm 139. He was thinking deep thoughts about the meaning of life and death and the power of God.
David began the scripture above by speaking about God's omnipresence. God can be anywhere and everywhere. David acknowledged that God's Spirit was always present (Psalm 139:7). God's Spirit was able to be in the pits of Sheol or hell (Psalm 139:8). Whether in the "depths of the sea" (Psalm 139:9) or the "darkness" (Psalm 139:12), God WILL be there watching and reaching out. As David considered where God was to be found in the universe, he then began to see how God was present with human beings from conception. God's hand is even working in the womb. God forms the "inner-most parts" of a child in the womb, "knitting together" the fetus (Psalm 139:13). God could even see the fetus before it looked like a human, when it was mere "substance" (Psalm 139:16). God "knew" who that fetus would grow up to be long before birth (Psalm 139:15)! God's power is so awesome, that from the breadth of the universe to the intricate womb, God's hand and presence are there!
In my college and seminary days, the cultural and religious battles about abortion were raging. Some advocated women's rights and promoted the right of the woman to choose what happened to her body. Others believed in the right to life for unborn children. Still others believed that abortion should be legalized in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother, or due to a genetic defect. As the moral, ethical, and religious debates raged, I looked through the pages of the Bible. I found Psalm 139. To me, this scripture clearly speaks about a child/fetus being in the womb. It mentions that God is not only involved with procreation, but God is involved in the biological process. God has a hand in your inception and gestation! God even had plans for your life, knowing what you would be like and who you would grow up to be as a person (Psalm 139:16). God didn't map out your life, as if you could make no choices and your fate was determined. Instead, God made your personality and spirit, your body and abilities. God does this all with purpose and meaning according to Psalm 139. Thus, every life in a womb is part of God's plan and hope. God is involved in that child's life from inception.
If God has a purpose for every life in a womb, should we, without thought or care, end the life of a child in the womb? I'm not talking about ending the life of a woman's egg or a man's sperm. Though it carries DNA and is alive, it is after fertilization that the life of the NEW child begins. From then on, God is knitting away, forming the life of the child. Some 60 trillion cells and 100,000 miles of nerve fiber will form. 60, 000 miles of blood vessels will develop before birth. Through it all, God has a plan for that life. Thus, it is my belief that the life of a fetus or child in the womb is extremely precious and should be considered blessed. Women who are pregnant should have special protections. Extra care should be given them. Their physical labors should be eased during this time to help the child grow healthy. Women should watch what they eat and drink, refraining from whatever may hurt the child. God is hard at work in the body of that mother in the miracle of life!
Some have advocated calling the child in the womb a "fetus" so that it's easier to consider abortion an option. I don't care if we call the child a fetus, but I do care if we use abortion as an option for birth control. If a person sees that child/fetus in the womb as simply a "growth" or "big tumor", they do not understand God's purpose in Psalm 139. That fetus is not just a lump of cells, it is a precious child to God. To end that life, a person must knowingly end a life that God is making in the womb of the mother. To end a life is considered "murder" in the Bible and "Thou shalt not kill" applies (Exodus 20:13). Abortion, unless done with godly intent, is a form of murder.
In cases of where the child has died in the mother's womb, even though the child is removed through an abortion-type procedure of a sort (D&C Procedure for example), there is no murder involved. You can't murder someone who is already dead. In the case of the pregnancy that will kill the mother due to a medical emergency, an abortion-type procedure may be called for to save that mother (in my estimation). Otherwise, you will murder the mother. It is God's intent to save the mother from death. Still, the aborted child should be mourned, for a death is involved. In my personal opinion, the murder here is a necessity, just as if a soldier had to kill another soldier. But, anyway you look at it, whenever a child dies in the womb, it is an end to the miracle of God's "knitting together" a life in the mother. It may or may not be murder, though in most cases today the sixth commandment is broken. Abortion ends a life. Abortion should never be something you do to save face, hide a sinful relationship, or as a form of birth control. These forms of abortion objectify the life of a child, and see the life in the womb as "not worth it". Would God ever consider any life "not worth it"?
I believe it is wrong to consider anyone who has had an abortion to be beyond redemption or God's grace. Do not forget that God used a few murderers for important God-given roles in our faith. Moses killed an Egyptian before God called him to lead the people in the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 2:14). King David also ordered Uriah to be murdered to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). The Apostle Paul was even involved in the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1). Murder is a sin that must be confessed and offered up to God's mercy and grace. In the same way, those who are involved in the choice and work of abortion must also confess their involvement and offer up their sin to God. They need God more than ever.
Based on this scripture, abortion as a form of birth control is entirely sinful. It ends a life. It stops God's work in the womb. It can also damage the womb and threaten the life of the mother (recent articles about the frequency of emergency calls for women suffering strokes and other complications from abortions are now coming to light). Psalm 139 was NOT written to determine the sinfulness of abortion. It should be used as a way of saying that women who are pregnant are very important and precious to God's work. Being a mother is a seriously faithful endeavor. Motherhood should never be entered into lightly. Those who have gone through abortions will need your help later, when the loss of an innocent life comes back to haunt them.
In the end, this psalm sees life in the womb as very important to God. The choices we make, with respect to what happens in the womb, are very important and precious to God. Psalm 139 doesn't set aside rules as to who is going to heaven and hell depending on their choices about abortion. Psalm 139 does tell each of us that what goes on in the womb is more than biology. The womb is holy to God.
August 6
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5, NIV84)
It is rare that I include only a verse or two in the reading for the day. However, today's scripture packs a lot of information and godly advice into one small sentence. It is worth considering in context, but it stands on its own as a very wise way to live.
The book of Proverbs is full of "wise sayings" meant to teach young and old alike how to live a godly life. It's advice is very "down to earth". The book was meant to give instruction, moral direction, and guidance. For centuries, youth were taught to study the words of Proverbs. In some cases, they were even required to memorize its pages. Because of advice like that found in today's verse, many have adapted sayings from Proverbs to situations in modern life. Today's verse lends itself easily to that purpose.
The verse above from Proverbs 21 has two sets of opposites. This is not an uncommon method of teaching rules in this biblical book. Where there are opposites, there are usually two diametrically opposed poles as in bad and good, rich and poor, old and young, etc. In this verse, the first set of opposites is "diligent" and "haste". The "diligent" make plans. They look to the future, seeking to overcome any potential obstacles. The diligent person is patient and calculating, taking into account what might go right and wrong. That's why they make plans. They want to succeed.
The person who is in "haste" often makes decisions "on the fly". He or she doesn't make plans, but instead reacts to the situation. Instead of looking to the future and perceiving and possible problems, the "hasty" person makes quick decisions. His or her work is fast, but not necessarily careful. Are you one to be patient and diligent or hasty and quick? Do you tend to make plans or do things "on the fly"? The scripture sees one as bad and one as good. That's made obvious with the next pair of opposites.
As we continue on through this verse, the next polar opposites present themselves. The wise plans of the diligent person tend to lead to "profit". The hasty plans of the hurried lead to "poverty". The bias of the writer of this verse shows that where hasty thinking on the fly produces quick results, the results will be hurried and questionable. If the person does this frequently, it will end in poverty. Without making plans, the hasty person can fail to see the flaws in his or her decisions. Moods and emotions may easily sway the hasty decision-maker. The hasty person is easier to manipulate and thus control. That is why they end up in poverty. If they rush through an important life decision, they may not see the pitfalls or dangers that lie ahead. Do you ever make "hasty" decisions? Have you ever regretted a decision you made too quickly? Are you prone to disregard planning in the heat of the moment? "Poverty" is the threat to the "hasty" person in life.
The "diligent" person, patiently planning for contingencies, is seen as the person who will likely succeed. He or she will profit by making plans and looking at the whole picture. This person will not be easily swayed in the heat of the moment or through get-rich-quick schemes. Seeing through the hype, this person will look at the long-term scenarios before making a decision. Usually patient and calculating, this person will often succeed in life, making a profit from his or her careful planning. Is there a plan you need to make in your life? Are you patient and diligent in your decision-making?
There is one thing about advice or adages: you can take them too far. A woman may be so afraid to make a mistake that when patiently planning for the future, she might never be able to make a decision when it comes time to do so. She will fail in that moment. On the other hand, a man might make a great decision on the fly and buy into a stock whose price is changing rapidly. Before the moment passes, he quickly makes a decision and thus makes a killing on the stock market. Though making a hasty decision, if he had taken the time to plan all the contingencies of his purchase, he would never have been able to make a "diligent" decision in time.
Though there are limits to this type of wisdom literature, for the most part this scripture rings true. If you are too hasty, you will pay for it. If you are diligent with your plans, you will often succeed. This won't work in every scenario, but it works often enough to make you think. The one thing I haven't mentioned is that God puts a scripture like this in our Bible to make you stop and reevaluate your decisions. Why are you buying this or that? Who are you trying to impress? What is the motivation for your decision? God cares about your choices. God wants you to succeed. God knows that every now and then you need to think through why you do what you do. It may make the difference between success and failure, even spiritually.
August 7
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.””
(Acts 12:5–11, NIV84)
The scripture for today describes Peter's miraculous escape from prison. Not long after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, King Herod came after the disciples to shut them up. The disciples had been preaching that Jesus was resurrected. Herod would have none of it. Herod's soldiers captured several Christian leaders. Acts 12:2 mentions that the disciple James was killed by the sword. Herod had the same thing in mind when Peter was captured. As Peter awaited his fate the night before his trial, an angel came to him in prison (Acts 12:5). While many of the Christians were praying for Peter's release, God had sent an angel to accomplish just that! The angel appeared during the dead of night, while Peter was "sleeping between two soldiers" (Acts 12:6)! That's how badly Herod wanted Peter to die… he forced two soldiers to guard Peter around the clock! When the angel appeared, the soldiers did not wake up. Peter's chains fell to the ground (Acts 12:7). After Peter dressed, he followed the angel out of the prison. The escape went so smoothly, so miraculously, Peter thought it was a dream (Acts 12:9)! It was only when Peter was outside the prison that he "came to himself" and realized how his escape was real (Acts 12:11).
The angel in this story had great power and ability. Looking closely, the angel performed several inhuman acts with seeming superpowers! The angel got into the prison without being seen. The angel caused the chains to fall off of Peter's hands without even touching the locks. The soldiers who slept right at Peter's side never woke up, even when angelic light filled the cell (Acts 12:7). The angel escorted Peter out of the prison and lead him a block away without a single person seeing any of the escape! Peter even had time to get dressed and throw on a mantle (Acts 12:8). The captors had no power over the angel. Prison walls could not restrain the angel. Peter was in perfectly safe hands!
Throughout the Bible, angels performed such miraculous deeds. An angel protected the Israelites during the Exodus (Exodus 23:20). An angel called Gideon to be God's judge and prophet during the war with the Midianites (Judges 6:11). An angel fed Elijah when he was hungry and seeking God in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:5-7). An angel informed Joseph that Mary was pregnant and that Joseph should marry her right away (Matthew 1:20). Angels watched over Jesus while he fasted in the wilderness for forty days (Matthew 4:11). There are literally dozens of cases in scripture where angels fulfilled God's work, watching over and caring for the faithful. What happened to Peter in Acts 12 was not a surprise. When God had a mission, angels often were sent to complete it.
In 2001, a member of my church shared with me with an unusual event. She was at the hospital caring for her husband who was dying. Often, she arrived in the morning and left late in the evening. She made sure he was comfortable. She watched over his medications. She held his hand. After doing this for weeks, she grew tired. Unable to cope with the grief and responsibility one day, she went to the chapel to pray. She asked God for help. Little did she know, she would get that help right quickly!
A short while later, a nurse came into the hospital room. She comforted this hurting wife. While with the nurse, the wife felt such peace and encouragement. Before leaving, the nurse even prayed with her. Feeling much better as the day wore on, this wife decided to thank the nurse. She went to the main desk and asked for the nurse by name. They said there was no nurse with that name. The wife described the nurse. None of the other nurses knew who she was. Later, during prayer, she realized that God had sent an angel. She was sure of it. To this day, she is very thankful for the presence of the one she calls "my hospital angel". This same type of event has occurred several times while I was a pastor. What surprised me most was that each of the people who met an angel was very down to earth. Not a one was prone to exaggerating or even embellishing!
Angels have been greatly respected for thousands of years. Their presence at the perfect time has inspired many. Their ability to comfort and protect is legendary. God does great work through them.
However, there are those who make a big mistake with angels. They tend to deify them. They even worship them. This is nothing new. Colossians 2:18 mentions that ancient Christians and Jews made the mistake of worshipping angels. In every generation, there comes a temptation to worship these powerful creatures, when we really should worship the God who sends them. I know of Roman Catholics who have mistakenly prayed to the archangels, not to God. There are Protestant women who believe they are "protected" when they put an angel pin on their lapel. I once met a woman who collected angel statuettes, believing that she was safe with them in her home. All true Christians know better than to worship the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). You should never place angels in the place of God.
Angels are God's representatives and messengers. They protect and care for those who love God. Their presence brings comfort and hope in the midst of suffering and death. Angels bring fear to those who are sinful. Angels can bring death to the unfaithful. That's why when Jesus was born, the angels had to tell the shepherds not to be afraid of their power (Luke 2:9,10). I believe that angels are "among us". They walk in and out of this life. Hebrews 13:2 warns that some stranger you meet might be an angel in disguise. If you are faithful, God's angels are a strong protection for you. They are in your corner. Don't be surprised if God sends one to help you. Have you ever encountered one? Do you ever think to ask God for rescue and deliverance? You never know. In the years ahead when life ties you in knots, an angel might just be there to loosen those chains!
August 8
[Jesus said:] "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26, NRSV)
I would not want to go back to High School today. There are just too many influences and pressures upon young men and women today. Cyber-bullying has created an atmosphere in many schools where young people are vilified by a group of fellow teens. Even when doing nothing wrong, friends can turn into enemies by a carefully worded or placed email, tweet, or message. Embarrassing pictures can find their way online and spread like wildfire through the iphones of teens. Social media sites have enabled bullies to move from playgrounds and schoolyards to online hangouts and chat rooms. Is it no surprise that more than 1 in 4 girls in High School need antidepressants? Suicides among teens have climbed 30% between 2002 and 2014 (only 12 years). The pressure on young people today is significant. They need our support and care. They need to be reminded that God is with them.
Caroline was one of those pressured teenagers. She was raised in a Christian home and always loved visiting church camp. Her pastor described her as "a strong force for good" among her peers. Caroline was pretty and bubbly. At school, she was a class officer and student athlete. Her favorite sport was tennis. While on the outside Caroline seemed to have it together, in her thoughts she was often full of nervous fear. When a friend said something critical about her, she took it personally. She would beat herself up in various ways to compensate. If just one friend was upset at her, she would have a terrible day filled with drama at home. If one negative comment was left by a teacher on her homework, Caroline would be almost inconsolable. She was not only a perfectionist, she NEEDED to be loved by everybody. She was unable to handle criticism or failure. For years, she kept up this facade of having it together. Inside, her emotional and spiritual stability crumbled with time and conflict. It all came to a head when she was 17. She didn't get into Harvard and her boyfriend left her all in the same week. The seeming failures and rejections put her over the edge. By the time her parents figured out all that had happened, Caroline was in a psychiatric ward in the hospital and highly suicidal. In that lock-down unit, she finally faced her demons. Her enemy was this perfectionistic need to be loved by everyone. It was killing her. Thankfully, she worked through the illness. She's much happier today.
Caroline is not alone. Many Christians also deal with this pathological need to be loved by everybody! Moses was hated for a time by his brother and sister (Numbers 12). John the Baptist was put to death for telling the truth (Matthew 14:4). Jesus was hated by the Jewish authorities (John 15:25). Why is it that people who study scripture think they should be universally loved and supported? If they rejected Jesus and the prophets, there will be those who reject you, too. It is "normal" for a faithful person to be disliked by some people because of their faith. In the scripture above, Jesus states that you should worry if "all speak well of you". If everyone likes you, something is spiritually wrong in your life!
According to Jesus, "false prophets" are universally liked by the leadership (see scripture above). Often, false prophets in history were known to say what people wanted to hear, mold their prophecies into what was socially accepted, or preach what kept them in the good graces of kings and authorities. False prophets were not above "whitewashing" the scriptures or preaching. The prophet Ezekiel soundly criticized the false prophets of his day for "whitewashing" their words, saying that God saw "peace" where there was no peace (Ezekiel 13:10). Ezekiel reported that God was upset with the sin in the land of Judah. Because of this, war and suffering were coming. The false prophets said there would be peace and good times ahead! Within a few years, Babylon crushed Jerusalem and thousands died or were forced into slavery. Who was right? Ezekiel. Who was liked? The false prophets who said only what the rulers wanted to hear!
When you believe in God and live out your faith truthfully, there will be those who don't like you because of it. You might be dubbed as "preachy". You might be looked down upon for not being "politically correct". Friends might desert you for being a "Jesus freak". If you remain a virgin, classmates may make fun of you. If you don't use drugs, friends might not want to go out with you. Remaining faithful to God WILL make you disliked by some people. WOE to you if everyone likes you (Luke 6:26)! It shows you aren't living out a true faith.
Being a true Christian means being willing to be disliked because of your faith. It means you choose to love God more than the accolades and praises of all others. A true Christian is not worried about being perfect nor being liked by everyone. A true follower of Christ seeks to be faithful to God in all circumstances. Though some may dislike you, the truly faithful are DEEPLY LOVED by God. They may be ridiculed and put down by acquaintances, but God considers them precious and even is proud of them. In Job 1, God points out to Satan how proud HE is of Job's faith. Even when Job's friends were critical of his faith, Job remained true to God. God strengthened Job in the end, blessing his faith and perseverance (Job 42). God was highly critical of Job's friends.
When (not if) you find yourself disliked because of a true faith in God, don't let it get to you. Don't let it change you. If you are doing what God in Christ called you to do, you are in the best of hands. The eyes of the Lord are upon you. Are you perfectionistic? Do you melt with conflict? Are you insecure in your faith? Hold on to God. Learn that God doesn't want you to be friends with everybody, liked by all, the most popular. Those are what the world wants. God wants you to be one of those rare, true, faithful, loving, trustworthy souls who makes a huge and wonderful difference in this world. ….. whether others see it or not!
August 9
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1–2, NIV84)
Have you ever fasted before a blood test? Have you ever run out of something to drink on a hot day? Do you remember what it was like when you came out of surgery and were told not to drink or eat anything, but instead chew some ice? When you are denied fluids for a while, your body lets you know it. Without enough water on a hot day, your throat will dry up and feel restricted. The more you deny your body something to drink, the more your body will suffer. You can go without food for days or weeks. Water, however, is a requirement every day if possible. You can only survive without water for a few days before your body will shut itself down. Without water, everything hurts. To compensate for a lack of fluid, your body will pull water from your spine and your internal organs. Your blood will even thicken without adequate water. In every way, you will feel the effects of water loss. Your body was meant to drink regularly.
Spiritually, you were meant to "drink" God's presence as well. If you have a connection with God, you will spiritually hunger and thirst for God. When prayers go unanswered for a short while, you will feel the loss. When you do not pray, spiritually you will feel the effects. If you do not read scripture and meditate on God's Word, over time your spiritual life will begin to parch. Even your physical body will react. Stress will increase. Anxiety will crop up during hectic moments. Cares and worries from that day will creep into your mind and cause you to replay conversations and occurrences in your mind over and over as you try to sleep. Like a physical body that will gravitate toward disease and illness without enough clean water, your soul will also move toward spiritual illness when you neglect a relationship with God. Not long after spiritual illness, your body and mind will suffer the effects as well. Your soul was meant for regular spiritual nourishment.
Spiritual nourishment is seen clearly in the opening lines of Psalm 42. The first verse talks about a deer that "pants for streams of water". Can you picture that? A panting deer walks through the woods, searching for water, needing to drink. The deer smells the air, its nose searching for the scent of water. It's ears twitch as it listens not only for predators, but for the sound of a river or stream. The deer is not on a hunt for food, but for water. It is thirsty. Like that thirsty deer pants for a stream of water, Psalm 42 notes that the soul "pants for God" (Psalm 42:1). The soul needs God. The soul longs for God. A deer will search endlessly for water until it finds some. The soul can also feel empty and needy, "thirsting" for the presence of God.
Did you notice that the deer in this scripture doesn't just search for water, it searches for "streams of water" (Psalm 42:1)? Do you know why? Running water, like that in a stream, tended to be more pure and less laden with disease in ancient times. Moving water wouldn't stagnate or hold impurities like a pond or lake. Moving water was more healthy and had less chance of disease in biblical times. The deer knows about the freshness of flowing water. That's why it searches for "streams of water", not "ponds of water". Spiritually, this relates perfectly. The soul doesn't like to be fed the same stagnated information over and over. It seeks pure wisdom from the Heavenly Father. If you feed the soul with repetitive and spiritless worship or preaching, after a while it will feel like you don't even worship at all. If you pray the same prayers day after day, the soul might desire a new and different, more healthy connection with God. Like the deer longs for flowing water, the soul longs for a sermon that is "moving" or a song that "moves you". The soul needs fresh connections with God.
When was the last time you had a fresh connection with God? Like a cool glass of water on a hot day, a deep abiding connection with God can freshen your soul and invigorate your morning. Have there been times lately when you "thirsted" for God's presence? Is your soul well-watered?
Recently, I was told about an issue between a husband and wife in 1972. Despite being a marital problem, I laughed to myself to the point of tears! George loved country music. In 1972, he went to the store and bought an AM/FM radio and brought it home. He placed it in his kitchen on top of the refrigerator, opened up the antenna, tuned it to his favorite channel, and then took off the tuning knob so nobody would change the channel. Whenever he was in the kitchen area, helping with the dishes or the cooking, he would turn on the radio. What George didn't think too much about, was that his wife Betty did not particularly like country music. Between 1972 and 1981, George went through 15 radios in the kitchen. For years later, he thought there was an electrical short in the kitchen wiring, because his radios would stop working after a while. It wasn't until 2016 that George found out that he didn't have a problem with the kitchen wiring. He had a problem with Betty. She got so sick of the same old music, that being unable to change the channel, she would "accidentally" drop the radio in the dishwater now and then when George was not around. She hoped George would take the hint. Instead, George just bought another radio. In the end, Betty bought him a radio for his basement workshop. It was a beauty. She presented it to him at Christmas in 1981, and he's enjoyed it ever since. Betty finally confessed the "Radio Era" with George last year when he decided to put a TV in the kitchen!
George thought it was just great to play one radio station in the kitchen for the rest of his life. It wouldn't do for Betty. For most of us, listening to the same spiritual songs or hearing the same passionless sermon week after week doesn't keep the spiritual blood flowing! After a while, you can thirst for more! My hope is that when your spiritual life becomes like a worn-out record that you try to rekindle your relationship with God. Find a new channel. Seek a new stream. Our scripture for today asks the perfect question for moments such as these: "Where can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:2). Seek God. Look for HIS presence again. Find that flowing stream! What might that entail today?
August 10
“That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’ ” Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:7–13, NLT)
Recently, I was working on a project in my home. There was a stripped screw hole in a piece of wood. The screw would no longer hold. The best way to repair it was to mix up some epoxy and fill the damaged hole. Then, I would drill out a new hole and replace the screw. I mixed up some 5-minute epoxy and was just about to fill the hole when my dog began to throw up. Wanting to get her outside immediately, I left the work area and took her outside for just a minute. Well, that minute turned into five minutes. By the time I got back to the work area, the epoxy had hardened up just enough that I could not use it to fill the hole. The epoxy was useless in its condition. I had to mix up a new batch of epoxy and start over from scratch. Later that day, I read the scripture above and it got me thinking. I remember the epoxy hardening to the point it was worthless for the job at hand and wondered how many people become worthless spiritually because they have a hardened heart. I decided to take a second look at scripture to see what God had to say about hardened hearts.
Over and over in the book of Exodus, Pharaoh's heart hardened against the Hebrew slaves. When the Hebrews prospered in the land, Pharaoh began to kill off the first-born sons of the slaves (Exodus 1:16). In response, Moses was sent by God to free the slaves. When Moses and Aaron first met with Pharaoh to issue God's command, Exodus 7:13 says that "Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord said…" From then on, Pharaoh's heart grew more and more hardened against the Hebrews, Moses, and God. Fifteen times in the book of Exodus, the Bible mentions Pharaoh's heart being hardened to the point that God caused the plagues of Egypt, the death of the first-born of the Egyptians, and the loss of Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea. A hardened heart led to Pharaoh's greatest failures.
The hardened heart is a condition of sinfulness. When it occurs, the person will not listen to reason, to the Lord, nor do what is right by God. A hardened heart, like that hardened epoxy in my work area, can no longer do what is needed. God cannot do anything to help the person with a hardened heart unless his or her heart softens again. In most cases, the person is destined for permanent damage in his or her relationship with God. Like I could do nothing with that hardened epoxy, God can do nothing to help that person whose heart has been permanently hardened by sin.
Hebrews 3 touches on this subject. It calls upon the faithful never to harden their hearts and "rebel" against God (Hebrews 3:8). It urges the true Christian not to "test" God as did Israel in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:8-9). Like Pharaoh, whenever Israel hardened their hearts against God, they refused to listen to God's voice (Hebrews 3:7, 9). Not listening to God is one sign of a hardened heart. Lacking faith in God is another sign (Hebrews 3:12). The third sign of a hardened heart is "falling away from God", where your relationship with God grows cold (Hebrews 3:12). The final sign of the hardened heart in our reading for today is when you are deceived by sin (Hebrews 3:13). The inevitable result of a hardened heart is "evil" (Hebrews 3:12). If your heart is hardened long enough, it will ultimately destroy not only your relationship with God but can easily destroy your world. This happened to Pharaoh at the Red Sea and to Israel in the wilderness. It can happen to you.
In the late 1980's, I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in St. Louis. Part of my work involved visiting a locked ward. In that restricted section of the hospital, suicidal and homicidal patients were kept. Those who could not be trusted in society were housed. Addicts and psychopaths were also found among the patients there. Some in that hospital would never be allowed freedom in society again. I met John at that hospital. Ten years before John ended up there, he developed a fondness for the drug scene. He experimented with a number of drugs, even mixing them with alcohol. Within a few years of his drug use, he developed an addiction. That led him to stealing in order to pay for his drug addiction. He stole from his mother, his wife, his employer. He could not be trusted to bring home his paycheck to help the family. Every few months, he would disappear for days on a binge of drinking and drug use. Vowing never to do it again, he came back home to his wife and child. However, he found it hard to control his addiction. Soon, he would be back at it again, with a vengeance.
Therapy, support groups, and his home church helped for a while. Pretty soon, he had burned all his bridges. His wife left him. He lost his home and lived on the streets and with fellow "users". When I met John at the hospital, he told me, "My life is over. I can't live without the drugs anymore. I can't undo what I've done. I hate myself. I hate my life. I have nothing to live for." I never found out what happened to John, but I do know that he had wrecked every relationship in his life. His heart was hardened against God, against his family, and even against himself. One of his last statements to me was: "Even God can't reach me." God could have helped John, but John wouldn't/couldn't let God do it. That is the greatest single symptom of a hardened heart.
Over and over, God tried to stop Pharaoh from hardening his heart. When Israel sinned in the wilderness, Moses tried to reach them. The harder your heart gets, the more you just don't listen. When you do something wrong, you'll try to hide it from God. When you sin, you will feel uncomfortable in church or praying. The more it happens in your life, the closer you get to a hardened heart. Then, you ignore God's voice, rebel against God's commands, and soon reject grace, forgiveness, and salvation. What can start with just a little sin can blossom over time into something that wrecks your relationship with God.
I have found several things that stop a heart from hardening. Believing in our God who is stronger than your sin must come first. Confessing your sin is absolutely necessary. Repenting and changing your ways help you soften up. Grace, forgiveness and love are like balm to the hardened heart. They soften the heart and soul, and bring peace to the mind. Helping others adds icing to the cake! Never underestimate the power of faith, confession, repentance, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love in this process. God's voice is offering them to you even now. That's how much you mean to HIM. How can you soften that heart of yours today? Who needs softening around you? What is the the voice of God urging you to do?
August 11
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
(James 1:5–8, NASB95)
In 2014, one of my favorite comedians died. His name was John Pinette. He was a kind and gentle soul who laughed at himself as much as he laughed at the humorous situations in life. In one of his routines, he talked about how people go into McDonald's to buy a meal (See on Youtube under his name!). Pinette would get so frustrated at those who would take several minutes to place their order. As he said, "They haven't changed the menu in years! How hard is it to just say "I'll have a number one!"?" He griped about people who ask how big a small drink is. To help, he'd just say, "It's small!" He laughed about parents who let their kids decide what to eat from the Menu, who took two or three minutes to just order a Kid's Meal without onions. Whenever he saw a person who took forever to order, he would comment to himself, "Why can't they just GET OUT OF THE LINE!" He tapped into what we all feel when watching a person who is indecisive make a choice. So often, they waver, hem and haw, waffling between their choices. It's not only frustrating for us to watch, its even frustrating for God!
In the book of James, we are taught about God's frustration with those who doubt God's providence. God refuses to help them. Until they take a stand in faith, God will not answer their prayer. James 1:5 teaches that a person who "lacks wisdom" should pray to God for that gift. Upon hearing his prayer and noting the request in faith, God would grant him the gift of wisdom "generously" and forthrightly ("without reproach"). However, James cautioned: "he must ask in faith without ANY doubting" (James 1:6). Doubting God's providence was enough to stop God's gift from being granted. Doubting was seen as akin to "waves" or "surf" being blown around by the wind. As the wave action is unpredictable due to the influence of the wind, the person who doubts is unpredictable. You never know which side of the fence they are on. God does not see them as faithful believers. They "ought not to expect to receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:8).
The young man looked at her alone at the table on the other side of the restaurant. He had seen her before. Through a friend who worked at the restaurant, he found out her name was Tiffany. She was beautiful to his eyes. Over the past several weeks, he tried to get up the courage to ask her out. Doubt crept into his mind. "What if she says no?" "Does she like me, too?" He never saw any other guys at her table. She always ate alone. Was today the day, he would finally ask her out on a date? He sat nervously stewing. His hands started the sweat. His heart beat faster. Then, he said to himself, "Maybe tomorrow." Three days later, she came in with her new boyfriend. His heart was broken. Why didn't he speak to her? Then, he spied a young lady joining the two. She was alone. She was pretty! Should he ask her out? Thus, the cycle of doubt was repeated over and over and over.
Doubts can so easily keep you from moving on in your life. Doubting your resume is well-written, you may be afraid to send it out, remaining in the same dead-end job. Harboring doubt in your future, you might refrain from asking your one true love to marry you. Lacking some spine, you question if you should support your friend who was hurt wrongfully. Doubts can steal your motivation, curb your enthusiasm, and drown your hopes. They prey on your fears and insecurities. Can you picture the little league player at his first game ever? He is up to bat, but afraid to take a swing, doubting his abilities. What do you think will happen?
Overcoming doubt is crucial to every Christian life. That takes faith. If a little league batter has no confidence that he will hit the ball, he will never take that swing. If he has faith that he can hit the ball, he will take a swing! Faith overcomes doubt. Fears and insecurities add to doubt. At some point in your life, you are going to have to decide whether to side with doubt and fear or with faith and courage. That decision is crucial not only to your future, but your relationship with God.
In the scripture above, James says that those who doubt are "unstable in all their ways" (James 1:8). I checked with many versions of the Bible, and most interpreted that the doubter was "unstable" in this verse. Upon examining the Greek, the word "unstable" became more clear. The Greek word means "fickle". It can also mean "restless". I find this very interesting. In essence, the person who doubts not only will have problems making a decision, taking a stand, and having faith. This person will also end up "restless". When you have problems making a decision, you are constantly burdened with "what ifs". Doubt increases the questions in life that only faith can answer. Until you deal with doubt, you will find your life more uncertain. Doubts may even make your sleep less "restful". The real remedy for doubt is faith in God with trust in HIS guidance.
Are there doubts creeping into your heart lately? Do doubts cause you to be restless or your sleep to be disturbed? How good are you at making decisions? What are the fears which feed your doubt? Answering these questions is hugely important. Having faith is even more important. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself, "Just how much do your really trust God to come through?"
August 12
“After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38–42, NRSV)
Most people who read this scripture above from the gospel of John focus on Jesus' body being prepared for burial. A scholar might spend hours focusing on why Jesus' body was bathed in myrrh and aloes or the importance of burial cloths in ancient times (John 19:39). Historically-minded readers may relate Jesus' burial to Herod's burial, for example. Some scholars point to Jesus being buried in a new tomb and relate it to the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 (John 19:41). I want to focus on the two men who took care of Jesus' body after the crucifixion: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. By looking more closely at their presence, I have seen something in the scripture that may relate well to you.
There are some big similarities between Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Both men were followers of Jesus behind the scenes. Both men were Jewish authority figures (Luke 23:50; Luke 7:50). Both men sought out Jesus. Both were religious Jews, well respected by others. Luke 23:50 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was "a good and righteous man". Luke also mentions that Joseph did not agree with the decision to crucify Jesus. His faith in God was growing because of Jesus (Luke 23:51). The Gospel of John adds two further details about Joseph in our scripture for today. When Jesus died, Joseph was a disciple of Jesus. Also, his discipleship was "a secret", for "fear of the Jews" (John 19:38). Joseph was one of those disciples who worked in the background. He might have been afraid of conflict or fearful of the reprisal of Jewish authorities for his faith in Jesus. Nicodemus also was one of those followers of Jesus who was also at the periphery. In John 3, Nicodemus came to Jesus "by night" to learn about being "born again" (John 3:2). Nicodemus was also a righteous man. He did not like that Jesus was being condemned by the Jewish authorities without a fair hearing (John 7:50). There is one final major distinguishing similarity between both men. It becomes crystal clear in the scripture for today. When Jesus died, both men came out of the shadows and took care of Jesus' crucified body, no longer fearing what others might think. Jesus' death forced them to decide whether to remain secret followers or come forward in faith. Both chose to officially take a stand and show respect for Jesus in the end. They publicly stood up for Jesus, thus fulfilling the prophecies of His burial (Isaiah 53:9). At a time when the twelve disciples went into hiding, these two stepped in and took care of everything for Jesus.
I learned a long time ago that some of the greatest workers for the faith are those who worked quietly and efficiently behind the scenes. They did not do things in the church to get accolades from others. Not seeking personal glory, they put the focus on God and humbly served others. Often, their work went unnoticed. Their faith didn't seem to stand out. That doesn't mean they aren't great examples of faith.
In my second church, I needed help with youth ministry. Our youth groups were growing, and I struggled to do all the work in the church while nurturing the youth programs. There just weren't enough hours in the day! As I struggled with the many burdens of a growing ministry, I prayed to God for help. One day, I felt called to ask a young couple for help. When I first thought of them, I was not sure they would be good for heading up the youth programs. They attended worship every Sunday, but they never took positions of leadership. They were warm and friendly, but not leadership material. God, however, had different ideas about this couple. With God's urging, I visited their home. We talked. They agreed to help lead our youth ministry program. In the years following, the youth program increased beautifully. I never had to worry about drama or political machinations in the youth ministry. The husband ended up serving as an ordained youth minister in other places as they moved through life. He is a missionary overseas today. I had no idea that this quiet, unassuming family had such potential, at first. God taught me differently. It is often the trusted people behind the scenes who get the job done who are often the best candidates for leadership in God's plans; people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
In every church, there are often the "popular" people who get called on for recognition and leadership. They tend to get the accolades and respect. But often, behind the scenes, are others who get the job done in a different way. They are people who have a deep faith and can be counted on when the chips are down. They will come through when God has a big need. Ready to step in when God has a plan, they are not ones to cause problems and political repercussions in the church. They do their work for God, not for personal glory. God sees their humble but deep faith. God recognizes their potential.
Can God count on you when the chips are down? Would you have visited Jesus by night or by day? Do you have a fear of what others think? How you answer these questions may determine what kind of leader you are. Are you brash like Peter or quietly respectful like Joseph of Arimathea? After studying Joseph and Nicodemus, I am left with one final question in response to their commitment. Do you follow through, even when others may not?
August 13
“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:20–23, NLT)
Sins large and small carry a penalty. They exact a toll upon your life. Each time you sin, you will pay for it one way or another. The sooner you realize that, the more apt you are to confess that sin to God and free yourself from sin's effects.
Joe had developed a habit. Upon coming home from work, he would pour himself a drink and sit at his favorite chair in the den. He would unwind. It felt good. He didn't like to be bothered with things during that "down time". His wife knew better than interrupt it! The kids knew to stay away. Later, at supper, Joe would come out of the den and do work around the house or talk to his kids about their day. After years of this structuring of his day, Joe learned that this "down time" grew more important in his life. When stress from his job followed him home, he'd stay in the den longer and drink two or three drinks instead of just one. On a really bad day at work, he would take three or four drinks and just sleep through supper. But what started out as a way to unwind after work, began to eat away at Joe's health. The habit was moving to addiction. His family noticed his absence at more and more meals. Joe's wife felt a distance developing between them. Arguments occurred more frequently.
After a particularly difficult week of work, Joe took a lot of "down time". He drank too much, grew too angry, and was difficult to deal with. When he came to supper one night, his youngest daughter noticed his drunkenness and said, "Gee Dad, drink much?" He was so angry at her forthright statement that he shoved her hard, knocking her backwards. She and her chair fell together. As she laid on the floor crying, he said, "Serves you right!"
The next day, Joe left for work early. He didn't want to see the bruise on his youngest daughter. He was too ashamed to face his family. His habit had come home to roost. His drinking was getting out of control. His daughter was right, and he hated himself for it. A few weeks later, at a Christmas Eve service, Joe vowed to change his ways. Instead of drinking during his down time, he picked up his Bible and began to read it. Some days, he would pray. After a month, he bought a book of Daily Devotions. He read from that every day during his "down time". Six months later, Joe had fallen asleep in his chair reading his devotions when his youngest daughter slipped into the den. She curled up to her dad and whispered in his ear as he awoke, "I sure like my new daddy better!" On his bad days, Joe remembers that moment. He cherishes it. He smiles whenever he thinks about it.
Joe's "down time" with alcohol was his sin. Feeling that alcohol would help him cope with stress better than prayer or time with God was another sin. The anger that grew out of his excessive drinking was a third sin. What had started as a way to unwind led to a series of sins in Joe's life. The wages of sin were mounting. His body and family life paid for those sins. He didn't eat well when he skipped supper because of his drinking. His anger caused dysfunctions in the family as his stress poured out upon their lives. Joe's "down time" with God was different. His stress seemed to ease just as well as with the alcohol, maybe better. He wasn't angry. He ate better. He felt better. Worship on Sunday each week brought him peace, instead of guilt. "Down time" with alcohol had been killing him. "Down time" with God was blessing him.
The scripture for today from Paul's letter to the Romans speaks directly to anyone in Joe's situation. Paul was writing to the Romans in chapter 7 about sin and its effects. In the verses above, Paul wrote that past sins caused the faithful to be "ashamed" (Romans 7:21). Sin causes regrets. Sin has power over you (Romans 7:22). When you are free of sin and right with God, you will ultimately be rewarded with "eternal life" (Romans 7:22). While sin has its hold on you, it can only bring "death" (Romans 6:23). When the last scripture comments that the "wages of sin is death", it means that sin will always be something you pay for, one way or another. Where faith in God blesses you with eternal life, sin costs you with its deadly consequences.
Every sin in your life carries consequences. Every sin will have negative, deadly effects. The love of alcohol will damage your brain cells and can cause strokes. The fear of failure will cause you to overcompensate by being perfectionistic or overly harsh on yourself. It can cause depression and anxiety. Committing adultery may bring you a high for a short while. It will damage your marriage and all the relationships you hold most dear. Selfishness might bring more possessions in your life. It will hurt your friendships, however. Every sin has "wages" that you will pay for committing it. That's what Romans 7 teaches. That's why you need to refrain from sin. That's why you need forgiveness and grace.
What sin do you still "pay for"? How much have you paid in your life for your sins? What sin is behind something damaging in your life right now? While you are praying to God today, you may want to thank HIM for forgiveness, grace, mercy, and eternal life. Without God, your life would ONLY consist of paying for sins over and over, even eternally. God has better plans for you. Are you on board with that?
August 14
“‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”” (Revelation 3:19–22, NASB95)
Artist Warner Sallman studied the works of a number of his predecessors. He then painted prints based on the themes of these older artists but advanced the depth of their meaning. An example of this is his famous painting "Christ at Heart's Door". Sallman knew of an older oil painting based on Revelation 3:20 done by William Holman Hunt called "The Light of the World". Sallman crafted his own version of Hunt's work, but included special imagery that greatly enhanced its meaning to all who saw it. When I was young, I saw this painting. I didn't think it was anything special until a person sought to explain the imagery in this painting to me.
In the painting, Jesus is standing at a door knocking. The door is analogous to the entrance to a person's heart. Jesus desires to come in to the person's heart, life, and home. There are some elements of imagery that add to the meaning of this painting. There is a grill on the door showing that the home is dark within. This emphasizes that as long as Jesus stands outside a person's heart, there is darkness within. There are thistles in the brush just outside the door. These display the sin that has grown around the heart that Jesus wishes to save. Jesus carries no light, but a light shines from His own heart. This shows Jesus as the "light of the world" (John 8:12) who comes to bring heavenly light into your life. My favorite part of this painting is that there is no door knob, no way for Jesus to enter the heart. The only way the Son of God will get in is by the person opening the door from within. You have to be the one to let Jesus in your heart and life. He doesn't force his way upon you. You need to accept His light, His presence, His forgiveness and grace in your heart. It's all up to you.
Revelation is a book of visions of the Apostle John of Patmos. While imprisoned on the island of Patmos because of his faith in Jesus, John was given a series of visions of the future (Revelation 1:9). God asked John to write the visions down and pass them on to seven Christian Churches in the area of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:10). One of those churches about to receive the visions was the Christian church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14). That church was full of lukewarm Christians, who were not filled with much passion for God (Revelation 3:16). They were lacking Spirit and a deep love of God. In our scripture for today, God warned them to be more "zealous" and full of passion for the gospel (Revelation 3:19). They were told to "repent" of their sinfulness and return to the Lord. John of Patmos then reminded the Laodicean Christians that Jesus was standing at the door to their church and knocking, hoping they would open up to HIM. Jesus promised: "if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me". Jesus then mentioned that He sits at the throne in Heaven with God the Father (Revelation 3:21). Anyone who faithfully opens up to Jesus when he knocks, seeking forgiveness and grace, will have access to heaven.
In John's vision, Jesus clearly leaves it up to the church to change their ways. He will not force their repentance. They must chose to open up when Jesus knocks. If you look at the meaning of this vision, you can see that the access to forgiveness, heaven, and grace are held by God. Through repentance and God's subsequent presence in a persons life, the person has access to God in Heaven. God makes the offer. It's up to the church and individual to open up and accept what God has to offer.
If you think about the meaning of Revelation 3, the decision to get right with God is up to you. You must choose to repent and start the process of getting right with God. God makes the offer. God shows the way. You, however, need to take the first steps in the process. You have to repent and open up to God in Christ. So often, people feel estranged from God not because God doesn’t want to be in their life. They are separated from God by their own sin. They decide to keep God out. They refuse to repent or open up to God through Christ. It's a prideful thing. God makes the offer. They reject that offer. Their life is forever shrouded in darkness, in a heart devoid of Spirit and passion. Is it no wonder many churches today are struggling? When you refuse to open up to God, God can't pour out the blessings to you!
A young lady asked to see me for counseling. I could see the worry lines on her face. She seemed restless and distant in the weeks before our meeting. During that counseling session, she told me about a sin she had committed against her grandmother. She had stolen some money from her. After her grandmother died, there was no way to repay that debt, clear the sin. I mentioned to her that God is greater than life or death. She would need to make it right not with her grandmother, but with the God who now held her grandmother's life in HIS holy hands. She asked what was needed. I told her we could go to the altar together where she would pray with me and ask God for forgiveness and grace. If she was honest with God, the grace and healing would flow. I can't forget her response to me: "That's it? That's all I need to do? I think I should have to pay more. Should I give all the money I stole to the church or something? Shouldn't this hurt?" Why is it so hard to believe that forgiveness and grace from God are gifts, not burdens? Why had she fought so long against making things right with God and her grandmother's memory? In response to the joy she felt in the weeks thereafter, she set aside time and money to help some needy kids. She wanted them to feel the warmth she now felt from the freedom and light that came into her heart when she let Jesus come in and forgive her for a lifelong debt.
Jesus could have asked for thousands of dollars or hard punishment in order to have your sins forgiven. He could have forced His way into your heart without your consent. Our loving God doesn't work that way. At times, you may have to atone for your sin, making things right after your error. But God isn't wanting your money or your pain in order to pay for every sin. God just wants repentance with faith. Jesus wants you to let HIM into your heart and life. You won't regret it. It will really feel good to make things right.
God is offering grace and forgiveness to you today. Jesus wants you to open up to HIM. Will your heart ever remain closed? Is there a part of your life where you refuse to let Jesus come in? Is there a sin for which you refuse to repent? You will never be able to truly love life or love others until you feel the love of God. That won't happen unless you open up to HIM. Let God hear about your deepest fears and desires. Give God a chance to heal your broken heart. Jesus is knocking. Are you going to answer the door to your heart? What do you think HE will He say when you open the door to your heart right now? Pray and find out!
August 15
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the Lord was standing by.” (Zechariah 3:1–5, RSV)
Her tears tore at my heart. I saw the look of hurt in her eyes. I could hear the emotional pain in her words as she spoke with a shaky voice but with determination. Tonya had been sexually abused. A relative had perpetrated the evil deeds. He had manipulated her before she was old enough to even understand how wrong it was. Late one night, many years later, she came to me for help. She could no longer hide the lies in her heart. The pain was getting to be too much. The past was haunting her relationships, feeding her insecurities. We worked through it together. God healed her heart, causing true love to shine in those dark memories of her past.
Before she came into my office, she seemed so burdened. She said how the abuse made her feel "dirty" and "ashamed". Many others have told me of their sins using such terms. They too have felt "dirty", "unclean", "stained" by the sins of their past. Like Tonya, wise men and women have sought to be "washed by the blood of the Lamb of God" (Revelation 7:14). King David described forgiveness as being "washed whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). David knew of the "stain" of sin. That is why he asked God to create in him a "clean heart" (Psalm 51:10). I've known people who had one night stands and felt so ashamed and dirty that they showered for an hour, scouring every inch of their body in an attempt to get clean from the sinful act. But no matter how many times you shower with water, you cannot clean your heart and soul of the stain of sin. Only God can do that.
Zechariah the prophet spoke for God during a time when sin had darkened all the land. Israel and Judah had sinned against God. War and exile were the inevitable result. God's judgment fell upon the people. Those were dark times. In the midst of the darkness, Satan was having a ball. In Zechariah 3, Satan came to gloat before God. Satan was making fun of God's children, mocking God's choice to love Israel and Judah. Zechariah had a vision of Joshua the High Priest standing before God and Satan. Joshua's clothes were "filthy" (Zechariah 3:3). His clothes were an outward sign of the stain of sin upon the people of God. Satan stood ready to "accuse" Joshua of being part of a sinful nation (Zechariah 3:1). God refused to let Satan mock Joshua. Instead, God's angel fulfilled God's desire. The angel commanded, "Remove the filthy garments from him" (Zechariah 3:4). The angel then said, "Behold I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you in rich garments" (Zechariah 3:4). Clean clothes were put on Joshua as a symbol of the forgiveness God had granted to Israel and Judah. The stain of sin had left Joshua's presence. Satan could do nothing to stop it.
In this vision, Satan gloated about the sin of the people of God. He stood ready to "accuse" them before God. Satan wanted to play up their sin. Instead, God forgave it. That's one thing about Satan, he loves it when your life has a lot of spiritually "dirty" messes, with the "stains" of sin.
Pete is a good cop. He cares about the people in his town. He does not like it when people take advantage or hurt others. With a smile to "the good folks" of his hometown, and a scowl toward the "perps", Pete spends most of his days at crime scenes, places of death, drug houses, and lock-ups. When he comes home, he wants to forget about the "messes" he had to deal with that day. The first thing he does when he comes home EVERY day, is take a shower to get the smells off his body. He puts his uniform in the hamper to be washed. He doesn't want the reminders of the day to linger in his home, his refuge. He tries to keep his family life free from the messy scenes he experienced at work. Pete feels like most of us. We don't like to bring "crap" home, to stink up one's home life or one's family. It helps us to feel sane. It helps us cope.
Sin and failure and messes of this life can easily stain us spiritually. Is it no surprise that one of the Beatitudes says, "Blessed are the PURE in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). Revelation 15:6 says that the angels wear robes of "pure bright linen". The armies of God in Revelation are adorned in pure white. Even their horses are "pure white" and clean (Revelation 19:14). The streets in Heaven are also adorned in "pure gold". Purity is a symbol of godliness. Stains are a symbol of sinfulness. Zechariah 3 shows us this clearly. God's forgiveness cleanses body and soul from the "filth" of sin (Zechariah 3:4-5). In Zechariah, the Hebrew word used to describe sin ("filth") is related to the word for "dung" or "excrement". Sin is the "crap" we get ourselves into! (So sorry for the image!).
In your life, you might find that you have created a few "messes" than need cleaning. It's not just in spring that cleaning needs to happen in your life! You might feel the need to clean up a few things in your life every now and then when things get spiritually messy. God likes those times. Satan hates them. My hope for you today is that you clean up one of those spiritual messes that clings to you. Get rid of that sin that clings to you like dirt. Seek God's grace. Ask for God's help. Enjoy the results. Am I the only one who enjoys the smell of a clean house?
August 16
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.”
(Romans 7:21, RSV)
One of the basic tenets of Spiritual Warfare is that evil and good are battling it out in the world. People are caught in this spiritual battle. The sides have been drawn. Satan is on the side of evil. God is on the side of good. Temptations and testings in life will prove which side you are on. The choices you make in this spiritual fight will determine your place in the battle.
The New Testament makes clear that there is a Spiritual Warfare going on around us. 1 Peter 2:11 talks about the spiritual fight for the human soul. Ephesians 6:12 explains that in spiritual warfare we "are not contending against flesh and blood but against the principalities… and powers …and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness". The book of Revelation talks about major spiritual battles going on in Heaven while historical wars are being fought on earth (Revelation 12:7). Romans 7 describes the spiritual battle that rages in a person's soul. Paul wrote in this chapter that "the evil I do not want is what I do" (Romans 7:19). With these words, Paul saw that good and evil were at war in his decision-making. This leads us to the scripture for today. Paul said that when he wants to do what is right, "evil lies close at hand". Right or good competes in life against wrong and evil. By saying "evil lies close at hand", Paul shows that evil is always lurking to hurt, manipulate, and wreck a person's life. Sometimes, when you choose to do a good thing, you may even desire a bad thing at the same time. On the other hand, what may look like a good choice in the end might only produce evil. Evil is always ready to strike you, and you may not see it coming.
Karen's daughter, Cindy, is a standout volleyball player on the High School Varsity team. Cindy is a great spiker. She is tall and lanky. When she jumps, she can easily blast up over the net to block a shot or spike the ball downward with great force against the opposing team. While a champion in her sport, Cindy has problems with other girls at school. In particular, Heather regularly teases Cindy because of her height. Heather was known to call Cindy "Bean-pole" in front of others, because of Cindy's height and "lankiness". This made Cindy feel ashamed of her body. Her poor self-image also caused Cindy to skip school dances and programs. After one particular week of harassment, Karen wanted desperately to go to the school and personally make Heather's life a living hell. Karen wanted to protect her daughter. The mama bear in Karen was kicking up. Evil thoughts were coming out. Karen wanted to hurt Heather somehow. She wanted to shut her up.
Karen's mind is thus being forced into a spiritual battle. She wavers between good and evil. Desiring to protect her child, she wants harm to come on the one she envisions is causing her daughter problems. What Karen needs to see is that Heather's taunts might be something God uses for good in Cindy's life. If Cindy can overcome her own insecurities about her body brought on by Heather's taunts, she will be much more able to feel good about herself and handle challenges to her self-image in college and later in life. If Karen steps in now, she may stunt her daughter's own spiritual growth around the issues of appearance and popularity and self-image. I know its hard to watch your own child hurt, but sometimes that is what God can use to strengthen that child spiritually. The spiritual fight between good and evil choices is front and center in both Karen's and Cindy's life right now.
When a person is critical, your first thought may be defensive in nature. You will want to fight that person instead of listening. That criticism might be true. It might be something God wants you to hear. It also might be something God wants you to reject forcefully! With evil lying "close at hand", you might be tempted to attack that person who is criticizing you. You might be tempted to hit back just as hard without realizing that to do so may be returning evil for evil. But, wouldn't that just make you evil, too?
It is difficult to do what is right, or even perceive the right thing to do, when evil thoughts and people surround you. You might get so caught up in a difference of opinion that your only wish in that moment is to hurt the other person verbally. While wanting to do good, evil lies close at hand. Emotions and feelings will manipulate you. Life's messes can blur what is right and wrong. Evil is always one choice you can make. You may want to do good, but evil might be the outcome of your action.
The scripture for today is truthfully a warning by the Apostle Paul. When life becomes messy, beware of evil choices that can sound so good in the spur of the moment. Not thinking, you might do something that inevitably causes evil where you desired there to be only good. A good person can cause evil results with a poor choice. Let this scripture serve to warn you to be very careful when you are caught up in something. The evil choice you make right now might come back home to roost later. You are God's child. You need to look past the obvious to the spiritual battles raging around you. Your choice affects God's spiritual warfare against evil. Choose wisely.
August 17
“Like a gold ring in a swine’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.”
(Proverbs 11:22, RSV)
I was raised to respect women. That meant opening a door for a woman, never hitting a woman, and showing great respect to mothers and grandmothers. My life has been greatly blessed by godly women. My favorite teacher of all time was a woman who gracefully taught me the value of good learning. When I lived in inner-city St. Louis, the woman next door said, "You and I have to look out for each other, so I'll watch your back if you watch mine". I felt great comfort in her friendship and in those words. When I was suffering from terrible back pains, a woman in our church helped my family care for me. She was always there when we needed her. My mother and grandmother always made sure I felt welcome at home and at church. I always knew there was a place in the pew next to them just waiting for me on any given Sunday, no matter what.
Proverbs 31 describes the importance of a godly woman. A godly woman "works with willing hands" (Proverbs 31:13). She provides food for her family and is shrewd in her business dealings (Proverbs 31:15-19). She watches over the poor and needy in her community (Proverbs 15:20). She is wise and kind (Proverbs 31:26). The Bible is also clear that this type of godly woman deserves our "praise" (Proverbs 31:30). A man would be blessed to marry one of these godly women (Proverbs 31:11). I have found that women who follow this Biblical prescription for life have a beauty and grace that is such a gift to all those who know them.
Sadly, godly women are disappearing. Violence, feminism, wealth, culture, politics, and evil have combined to destroy the godly women in society. More and more, they are greatly missed. If this continues, our world is going to suffer greatly. As these godly women go missing, children and families, husbands and communities will all suffer. God intended godly women to provide the loving and giving backbone to the family unit. Without their presence, dysfunction and social discord will prevail.
The scripture for today written above concerns the beauty of a woman. It is full of contradictions. Most notably, it mentions a pig with a gold nose ring. What is that about? A pig shouldn't be found with golden adornment. It just isn't right! In the same way, this scripture says something else is just not right: a beautiful woman without discretion! You don't want to see a pig adorned with gold jewelry playing in the mud! In the same way, a beautiful woman who is tasteless just seems wrong. Like gold on a pig is a waste of precious metal, a beautiful woman who has no sense is a waste of beauty!
Talk about contradictions: in our world today, beautiful women who have no sense are praised! This goes directly against scripture. Where the Bible believes beauty is wasted on a woman with no "discretion", the world tells women that they don't need to concern themselves with such biblical norms. They should just be themselves, have things their way, do whatever they want to do. Can you imagine teaching this to children? Yet, in many ways that's precisely what our world tells women today. This philosophy goes directly against Proverbs 31 and Proverbs 11.
If you look at what Hollywood and media portray as great shows for women, you might get this feeling that their view of women is very different from yours. And you'd be right. The beauty pageant show "Toddlers and Tiaras" reinforces the errant view that beauty is the most important trait of a young lady. Did you know that some of the child contestants have already had Botox injections? As one of the highest rated shows for women in years, the "Sex and the City" series portrayed women as fiercely independent, sexually promiscuous, boisterous, and angry. Samantha, one of the women in the show, called herself "try-sexual" because she loved to try anything sexual at least once. In a poll in 2012, "Desperate Housewives" was the number one women's comedy TV show. It portrayed the wives as embroiled in affairs, tiffs, financial difficulties, and plenty of gossip. Divorce, revenge, manipulation, and sexual issues were common and frequent. Put together, the view of womanhood prevalent in these shows is highly amoral. Does it sound like Proverbs 31 to you?
On my first day at Seminary, I noticed a classmate walking toward the educational building behind me. She was very pretty and had a nice smile. Being a respectful gentleman as my mother taught me, I opened the door for her. Immediately her smile left and her attitude changed. She said to me, "Never ever do that again!" I learned very quickly that many of my women classmates did not believe Proverbs 31 applied to women today. Most felt it was outdated or quaint. I do not believe God would agree. Why is it in scripture? If women today do not learn to define their roles in society through Biblical norms, modern society will be glad to define it for them. If the TV shows most popular in polls of women are any indication, the roles society desires for women will all end in divorce, broken marriages, venereal disease, and depression. God does not want it that way.
Proverbs 11:22 is God's way to tell women that beauty must accompany tact, discretion, intelligence, respect, and discernment. Otherwise, women will end up no better for society than pigs with nose rings. Can you believe how graphic this scripture is?
Do you think society today promotes or encourages women without "discretion"? How might you show godly respect to women in your life? How might you be more godly yourself? Are there any contradictions in your faith life that might stick out like a swine with a gold nose ring?
August 18
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:22–24, NIV84)
"Pop Psychology" occurs when a person who knows a little bit about psychology makes evaluations based on whatever fad or fact or feeling crosses his or her path. It is perpetrated by those who read or watch media and make psychological determinations based on their limited learning. Based on this definition, I think there is such a thing as "Pop Theology". Pop Theology occurs when people of limited knowledge of God and/or the Bible interpret scripture or the faith based on what is popular in the public sphere. The scripture above is one example of a biblical teaching that is constantly butchered in Pop Theology. Today, we are going to look at how this scripture, properly interpreted, ABSOLUTELY applies to you.
Pop Theology wrongly interprets the scripture above in a couple of common ways. Some people suggest that this scripture means all Christians should sell everything they have and give it all away to the poor. This is a wrong interpretation. Jesus suggested the "man of great wealth" in scripture (Luke 18:23) give away his riches to the poor, because his riches were what was keeping him from God's Kingdom. Obviously, he loved his riches. He was unwilling to give them up to follow Jesus! But Jesus would not advocate all people give up all their possessions. This is the only man in scripture Jesus asked to give away all his possessions. Jesus knew what sin had a hold on him: coveting. The man coveted his wealth. Certainly, he placed his wealth above his faith in Jesus, for he was sad to give it up. The second way Pop Theology gets this scripture wrong is by suggesting that rich people can't get into heaven. When Jesus says, "It is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to gain entrance into heaven…" (Luke 18:25), these interpreters determine Jesus must be saying it is impossible for a rich man to go to Heaven. What they forget is that King David, Solomon, King Hezekiah, Jacob, Joseph and many others of the Old Testament were very wealthy in their day. To say it is impossible for a rich man to go to heaven is thus to exclude these rich men. Again, I believe this is in error. Let's look at what Jesus is saying in context and determine what HE wants us to know.
Jesus was speaking to a rich man in the scripture above. This rich "ruler" had asked Jesus how to attain "eternal life" (Luke 18:18). He cared what Jesus thought and taught. He sought out Jesus. He was seeking to be a true believer. Luke explains that this ruler was a very devout Jew, following the commandments since childhood (Luke 18:21). Now, we get to the scripture for today. Jesus began by saying, "You still lack one thing….". Jesus must have been impressed by this man who ONLY had ONE faithful shortcoming. How many do you have? This guy only had one thing keeping him from heaven: his wealth. He loved his wealth a little too much. So, Jesus asked him to give up his wealth and follow. We are never told in scripture if the man ultimately gave up what he had. What we are told is that when Jesus asked him to give up his wealth to the poor, the man was "sad". Based on this, we can determine that the ruler's happiness was determined by his wealth. With wealth, he wasn't sad. Thinking about giving up his wealth made him sad. This ruler's one weakness was his wealth.
The one and only weakness keeping this man from enjoying a future in heaven was his wealth. With you, it might be something else. It might be alcohol, or your home, your health or your love of possessions. What is your weakness? What would you NOT give up to follow Jesus if He asked? That's the meaning of this scripture. To truly follow Jesus with your whole heart means that you have to be ready to give up anything HE asks, including your life (Mark 8:35-37).
You might think you are ready to give up any possession for your faith, but it might not even be a possession God wants from you. God knows what your sticking points are, what you grasp onto; what you would find hard to give up. Sadly, based on Pop Theology, most of us think Jesus would want us to give up possessions or money only. This is also a wrong interpretation. It might be that Jesus would ask you to give up your selfish ways. Jesus might ask you to forgive yourself, let go of your anger, or give up your big ego. He might ask you to give up a drug, an addiction, or a sin you commit over and over. One way or another, whatever Jesus asks you to give up is something that is keeping you from heaven. It must go.
Today, I want you to consider what God may be wanting you to give up to follow HIM. If Jesus were to visit you today, what might HE want you to offer up? Would it be a possession, an attitude, a sin, a habit, or what else? At various times in life, Jesus may need you to give up different things to show your faith. What couldn't you give up to follow Jesus right now? That's what is keeping you from heaven.
If you every hold on to an attitude or possession too tightly, watch for God to challenge you. Nothing can come between you and Jesus; you and eternal life. Jesus may want one thing from you, but something completely different from another person… whatever is "too important" in a person's life. To believe with your whole heart means you need to faithfully let go of what captivates you so you can hold on to God in Christ more tightly.
Is there something that needs to be given away, let go of, or offered up from your life today? Chances are that God is talking to you even now in the back of your mind about what that might be. Right?
August 19
“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.” (Psalm 7:14–16, NLT)
A man was shooting a video for YouTube. He was a trapper. In the video, he displayed how to bait a trap for foxes. He expounded on where and why he set the traps as he did. He planted an attractant around the trap. Not wanting the trap to be seen by the fox, he covered it with leaves. Then, he stood in front of the trap and explained for the audience what types of animals are best caught in traps. As he talked, he lost his balance. Being on uneven ground, he fell backward into his own trap. In the video, you can hear the loud "snap" as the trap grabbed hold of his behind. I bet that hurt! One person wrote in a comment that he was "out-foxed" by his own trap! (Go ahead and groan!)
What I find most interesting is how often people are caught in traps of their own making. In a sense, they lay the trap for someone else, then fall for the trap themselves. There are drug dealers who have ended up dying from an overdose of drugs, and bar owners who have became alcoholics. I recently heard of a police sting operation in which a police officer from a neighboring town was caught seeing a prostitute. An electrician who installed his own security system was caught in an affair by his wife, who used the security footage as proof. The system was so new, he forgot about it until his wife showed him the video. Spiritually, you can also fall into traps of your own making.
In the scripture for today from Psalm 7, the author David is making a point about wicked people. He noted in this psalm that wicked people can devise evil plans. These plans are "pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies." (Psalm 7:14) In the Bible, the words wicked and evil are often linked. Psalm 7, 28, 34, 140 and 141 all make this connection. Proverbs 4:14, 6:18, and 12:26 and many more references expand this connection. Hundreds of times in scripture, the wicked make evil plans, perform evil deeds, or cause evil to occur. Our scripture for today mentions one thing about the evil plans of the wicked… they often backfire (Psalm 7:16). The trap they lay for others becomes a trap that catches them (Psalm 7:15). An example of this is when a young woman lies in order to deceive her parents. Those lies can easily come back to haunt her.
Charlene told a lie to her parents in order to sneak out one night to a party. She told her parents that she was staying overnight with her best friend Karen. Instead, she planned on sneaking to a party where her new boyfriend Jared would be waiting for her. Everything seemed to work out perfectly. She left "for Karen's house" at seven in the evening. She even called her parents several times "from Karen's house" on her cell phone. Karen was in on the whole thing. The two were inseparable.
Charlene stayed by Jared's side at the party the entire night, later falling asleep with him in one of the bedrooms. The next day, she was late for class and the school called her parents. Her parents called Karen's home and Karen's mother assured them that Charlene had not been there the night before. When the truth came out, Karen's mother forbade her daughter from ever being with Charlene again. Charlene's parents found out about the web of lies that Charlene had carefully crafted for them and forced her to wear a GPS tracker. They no longer trusted her. They also forbade her from being with Jared. In the end, the web of lies cost Charlene the respect of her parents, the comfort of her best friend and boyfriend, and the loss of her freedom. Charlene wasn't necessarily evil or wicked when she devised her web of lies. She was, however, trapped by her own deception and suffered in many ways because of her own plans.
There are many spiritual traps that can easily ensnare you. Some of them are traps of your own making. These traps can backfire. They can hurt you. When you make plans to hurt someone, it can come back to hurt you. When you are angry, that anger directed at another can cause you to have problems sleeping or listening. Did you know that those who are angry at another person for a long time will actually cause psychological damage to their own mind and physical damage to their own heart? A common cause of death for an angry person is a heart attack! (See http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/rein-in-rage-anger-heart-disease#1) Some sins bring on traps of their own. The sin that you aim at another can actually come back to harm you.
Have you learned yet that sins can backfire? Is there a sin that has come back to haunt you? Have you ever fallen into a trap of your own making? The greatest problem I have seen with spiritual traps is that you can easily be ensnared by them without even knowing it. God needs you to spiritually see clearly. Today's meditation will help if you really take the time to perceive its depth.
August 20
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12, NLT)
Twenty years ago, I was at a gathering of pastors. It was an informal educational setting, which gave us a good chance to talk and share as well as learn. Each day, after seminars and meetings, the pastors would gather around coffee urns and bagels, to discuss life and ministry. At the time, I was in a spiritual rut and was looking for something to inspire my prayer time. I asked several of these pastors what scriptures they had read lately that gave them food for thought. One pastor said he was reading a daily devotional each morning before prayer. Another said he was studying the gospel of John by reading a commentary on that book. A third said he was reading a novel about a missionary to a foreign tribe. What surprised me was that while the pastors were reading about the Bible or studying books that referenced the Bible, none of them were actually reading the Bible! When the gathering ended, I discovered that my own spiritual rut would be helped by going back and re-reading one of the gospels, plumbing its spiritual depths.
Scripture is a great teacher. It contains the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). There is nothing that can replace it in a person's spiritual life. Contained therein are centuries of wisdom, prophecy, and learning by those who discovered God at work and wrote about it. By delving into its pages, you will not only learn about God but be given insights into God's purpose for your life. The Bible contains first-person knowledge and references to God's presence and purpose. Reading it gives you direct access to those who met God, worked for God, or were inspired by God. Reading scripture also gives you inspiration from God HIMSELF.
Hebrews 4:12 is a scripture of great importance. For years, I thought it so inspiring that I memorized each word. This verse acknowledges that scripture or the "word of God" is "alive and powerful". What does it mean that a writing is "alive"? By scripture being "alive", I am convinced that it carries a "life of its own". It can speak to you in different situations in different ways. You can find new inferences to your life even while reading a familiar story. It whispers to your heart and mind. It touches your life. If you look at the last few sentences of mine, you can see that scripture can speak, talk, and touch your life. It can influence your decisions. It thus seems to have a life of its own. Scripture is alive and powerful.
This verse says the word of God is "sharper than a two-edged sword". Thus it can cut to your soul. It can wage battle in your soul or mind. Allegorically, it can cut your heart, split open your mind exposing your thoughts, and separate out for you what is good and evil, righteous and irreverent. Like a sword in battle may pierce "bone and marrow", the scriptures can pierce into a person's spiritual fights. A scripture can be driven deep into a heart and show what is true about one's inner self. Scripture has the unique ability to "expose our innermost thoughts and desires" in a spiritual way. It can flay you, causing hurt and pain. The Holy Spirit can use scripture to separate your thoughts into a clear right and wrong, bringing with it judgment or redemption.
Like a worm can burrow into the ground, an "ear worm" is a song or a saying that plays over and over in your mind. It burrows its way into your thoughts and comes back to you in quiet moments. An "ear worm" might be a song you hear on the radio driving to work that you are humming several hours later during your coffee break. Scripture has a way of burrowing its way into your mind and heart in like manner. You can read a verse of the Bible and soon it has burrowed its way into the thoughts of your day. Someone may say something that triggers you to remember the scripture. An advertisement may cause you to remember that scripture or give it a different meaning.
Two hundred years after the death of the great conqueror Charlemagne, his tomb was reopened by King Otto III. King Otto highly respected Charlemagne and wanted to emulate his great deeds. The tomb of Charlemagne had deteriorated, and Otto wanted to build a more ornate and durable tomb and monument to the great leader. When they opened the tomb, a number of the workmen and the King were startled by what they found. The body of Charlemagne was in a sitting position. He was clothed in the most elaborate of kingly garments, with a scepter in his bony hand. On his knee lay the Holy Scriptures, with a cold, lifeless finger pointing to Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The workmen and King Otto were so moved by the sight and the scripture that many of them would quote that scripture over and over to friends and family. It was widely used at the time to talk about the importance of a person's days and the nurturing of the soul. Leaders used it as a motto for their life's work.
In the beginning of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle mentioned how the Holy Spirit can use scripture to bring spiritual passion and power to the believer (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Acts 28:25 mentions that Holy Spirit influenced not only the Prophet Isaiah to speak to the people of Judah, but caused the words of Isaiah to be shared through the Word of God. Acts 10:44 noted the connection between speaking the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When God's word was spoken, the Holy Spirit entered those who wanted to believe. Before his death, Jesus mentioned that the Holy Spirit would cause His disciples to remember His words and actions (John 14:26). By the Holy Spirit's influence, the gospels were thus shared and written. From the beginning of time, scriptures relayed the stories and actions of God. But, they also had the ability to do more. By the Spirit's direct action these written words carried the power to transform people all on their own. That's why the Old Testament is often quoted by people in the New Testament.
In your spiritual life, let the scripture mold you. Let those scriptures that are "alive and active" open you up to God's Spirit. Don't just read things about the Bible. Read the Bible itself. I write these daily meditations from scripture because God's word has not only inspired me, it helped shape who I am (2 Timothy 3:16). God's word will speak to you. God will use it to reach out to you. God's word will pierce that heart of yours. God will use His word to spark your mind and soften your heart if you only listen to it and reflect upon it. You never know when one small verse of the Bible will spark a lifelong passion for the presence of God!
August 21
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20, NIV84)
After Jesus was resurrected, He visited His disciples several times to pass on final bits of wisdom and to share in their joy at His new life. At one of those meetings with His disciples, Jesus said the words above. Though Jesus was leaving to rule from Heaven with God the Father, He also wanted the disciples to know that He was "with them always" (Matthew 28:20). Though destined for Heaven, Jesus was to be very present with His followers here on earth. I'm not sure many Christians realize how much comfort and assurance these words bring.
I walked into Children's Hospital, seeking a very sick young man. He had been diagnosed with cancer. Being nine-years-old is tough enough, but cancer made his days pretty ugly. He was poked, prodded, tied to an IV, and kept from home. His meals were highly controlled, his whole world highly sanitized. I hadn't seen him in several days. I was looking forward to praying with him. He was a positive, upbeat kid who seemed to really enjoy life. Sometimes, I felt he ministered to me as much as I ministered to him!
As I walked into his room, I could tell he was not feeling well. There were dark rings around his eyes, and his whole demeanor simply drooped with fatigue. I said to him, "I'm so sorry its been three days since I've seen you. I wish I could have been here with you." He gave a weak smile and said to me, "That's OK, Pastor Dave. Jesus has been here with me." I had said to him when I left the last time how God loves us and is with us. I mentioned how Jesus was "with us always" (Matthew 28:20), especially when we are hurting. This young boy was reminding me that he heard my words and even felt Jesus' presence. I could tell it brought him comfort to have God present in that room. It was also comforting for me to be reminded that even when I couldn't be there, God certainly was there!
I find great peace knowing God is with me. How about you? Do you realize God is with you, even in your darkest moments? You are not alone. When you were crying, God was there. On the day your car broke down, God was with you in the rain. As you burned with fever, God was there. That time you couldn't find the right words to say, God was there. Do you know what it's like to never be alone in life? Of course you do; you are a person of true faith or you wouldn't be reading this meditation!
On the day of her divorce, I was with her. Connie's husband had cheated on her and left her for a younger woman. The shock of the adultery and divorce caused Connie to seek out God. She started to come to church again. When the divorce was finalized, she came into my office to talk. Walking into my office, she broke down and said, "I feel so ashamed. I feel so alone." It was the perfect opportunity for me to share with her about the God who loved her so much, HE was present in her life at this very moment. Despite the pain, I asked her to seek His presence and look for signs of His love. She left my office hopeful. She was not alone. God was with her. She began to feel His touch.
In Matthew 28, Jesus told his disciples that with God's presence, they should not fear to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). People needed to be "baptized" in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." They needed to be "taught" to "obey" God's command and voice (Matthew 28:19). The world needed to know about Jesus' authority over life and death (Matthew 28:18). Jesus would personally be with His disciples throughout the journey. God's eye would be upon them.
Even now, God's eye is upon you. God is watching over you. Do you feel God's presence in your life? In your days of decision, God will help you. When you are down, God's hope will be offered. At times when your health is faltering, God's Spirit will strengthen you or bring you courage to face the illness. While God is with you, you should feel Him. You should sense His presence, feel His grace. Do you? Or has something clouded your spiritual senses? Let God's arms enfold you, His voice calm you, His peace comfort your mind. It's not just you who made promises in your spiritual life. God made promises, too! One of those promises is that God will be with you ALWAYS! Emmanuel! (Matthew 1:23). The meaning of that word is not that God may be with us, but God IS with us. Enjoy God being with you today!
August 22
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27–28, NASB95)
Those who are true Christians enter into a new relationship with one another and with God upon their acceptance of Jesus Christ. When you repent and offer your life up to God and make promises to follow our Lord Jesus, you enter a new family. God becomes your "Father in Heaven". Others in the faith become your brothers and sisters. Your status changes to being a "child of God" (John 1:12). As a part of the family in Christ, you view others in the faith not as acquaintances, but fellow family members in the faith.
Many people have not learned of the history of priests during World War 2. The German Gestapo frequently harassed and persecuted priests captured during the war. Torture was not uncommon. Maximillian Kolbe was an ordained Franciscan Priest who suffered greatly during the war. Being a kind-hearted man, he was known to help refugees and Jews fleeing from "death squads" and German Gestapo informers. Some accounts say he hid more than 2000 people fleeing for their lives. By May of 1941, he was arrested and put into Auschwitz Concentration Camp. There he suffered among thousands of those who were considered enemies of the Nazi State.
While in Auschwitz, Kolbe continued to serve others as a priest. He heard confessions. He prayed with the suffering. For his acts, he was beaten and abused on multiple occasions. When three other prisoners escaped from Auschwitz, the camp commandant ordered ten men to die in retaliation. One of the men who was selected to die was Franciszek Gajowniczek. When he learned of his selection to be starved to death as an example to the other prisoners, he cried out: "My wife! My children!" While the Nazi leadership didn't care about who he left behind, Father Kolbe did. He volunteered to take the man's place. He was confined to a barracks and with nine other men. They were given no food or water. According to an eye witness, Father Kolbe lead the group in prayers daily. He gave comfort to the men. When he was the last one alive, the commandant ordered him given a lethal injection, because he wasn't dying fast enough. Father Kolbe died in moments.
Maximillian Kolbe considered himself part of a family in Christ. When people of faith suffered, he suffered with them. When one was forced to die, he took his place. Father Kolbe considered his life of service and his death in love as part of being one in the family of Christ. We people of faith are in this together. We are children of God and "one in Christ" (Galatians 3:28).
Galatians 3:28-29 makes clear the relationship we have with others in the faith. When baptized, true Christians become one in Christ (John 17:23). We are equal members of the family. There is no longer a distinction between being a "Jew" or "Greek" or any other nationality (Galatians 3:28). You are no longer known by your nationality or citizenship; you are just part of the family of God. Men and women stand equally before God (Galatians 3:29). It's not that men and women aren't different due to their sex, but they are equal in worth before the eyes of God. Where some religions and nationalities see women as inferior, God sees equal worth in both men and women of faith. In the Christian family, all are equal in the sight of God.
The world does not see things this way. Worldly people make distinctions between who is superior and who is inferior. Racists believe one race is superior to another. Many feminists view women's rights and issues as more important than the rights of all. Many democrats and republicans view the other group as unintelligent, inferior. They often throw out derogatory statements at each other, seeking to make the other out to be racist, sexist, nationalistic, misogynistic, etc. Where God's children are to be equal, many worldly groups seek to elevate themselves above others. It's all sinful to some extent, for true people of faith are all equal in worth from the sight of God.
1 John 4:21 is clear that if we love God, we need to love a brother (or sister) in the faith. "Anyone that says 'I love God' and hates his brother is a liar" (1 John 4:20). When you enter into the family of God and become a child of God, you are to look out for your family in the faith. You should see them as equals in the sight of God. Being family of God, you treat them with love and respect.
When Christians become worldly, they often lose their ability to treat others as equal before God. These worldly Christians place themselves outside of the family of God. They are "Christian" in name only. Often, you will observe ungodly actions from these worldly Christians. They will treat others in the faith poorly. They will make distinctions with others. They will have friends and enemies in the church. They will cause dissensions among the faithful (1 Corinthians 1:10-11). Church arguments and fights are the result of their worldly point of view.
Our nation and world are completely divided today as a result of sinfulness. Racism, sexism, nationalism, and every other "ism" are signs of the division among worldly people. True people of faith may be criticized by the world for not taking sides in these culture wars or for taking the "wrong" side. Don't get caught up in these worldly fights. You are to follow God's command. You are a person of "love and justice" (Micah 6:8). You treat others as God would treat you. You forgive, where worldly people hold grudges. You do not show partiality, where the world is full of classes and status symbols, "haves" and "have-nots" (Luke 20:21). With brothers and sisters of faith, you show love. With the suffering, you show mercy. The world may give you "hell" for doing this. God will grant you heaven.
I have been called racist, sexist, and every other name by worldly people. I don't let it get to me. What I care most about is what God calls me. Today, he calls me "His child". I love being a part of HIS family! How do you treat "family in Christ"? Are people in your church divisive or merciful and loving? Are you good at bringing out the anger in others, or the love? As a brother in Christ, I am telling you that this matters greatly to God, our Father in Heaven.
August 23
“Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:25–26, RSV)
Have you ever had a panic attack? Do you know what one is? A panic attack is defined as a "sudden and acute and disabling form of anxiety or fear". It hits you like a ton of bricks. To some, it feels like a heart attack and your chest hurts. You might find it hard to breathe or double over in pain. Your heart will race and you will probably sweat like a pig! Your mind will be unable to settle down, and you will be unable to control your thoughts. Anxiety-inducing chemicals will course through your body. A feeling of "fight or flight" will overtake you. However, you can't have a panic attack if you have no anxiety or fear. You won't have an anxiety attack if your mind is at peace and your body is at rest.
In Proverbs 3:25-26, the author (presumably Solomon) reminds the faithful not to fear "sudden panic". When others are falling apart and people are running around all stressed out, you are to remain calm in the "confidence of the Lord" (Proverbs 3:26). When the lives of the wicked are "ruined" or destroyed, you will not be in a panic. The wicked may suffer, but you can simply hold on to the power and protection of God Almighty.
Terrorism seeks to instill in people an irrational fear and crippling anxiety. Those who are in the "confidence of the Lord" will not be moved. They will continue on with their lives, knowing that God is ultimately in control. Terrorists like it when the media goes into a frenzy following a suicide bombing or a random car attack on innocent pedestrians. The terrorists enjoy when people fear them, when news reporters rush to the scenes of devastation. It makes them seem powerful, when they are really cowards attacking the innocent.
For over thirty years, Gary W. Small has studied the mass panic and hysteria that overtakes a crowd of people put in difficult situations. He has found that "fear and anxiety can spread from person to person like a contagious disease. When people are predisposed to overreact to any fearful stimulus, mass hysteria can instantaneously take over a crowd." As a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCLA in California, he advocates that community and governmental organizations need to give direction for people who are at risk of hysteria. He pushes for the news media and social media to stop sensationalizing their stories. He thinks truth and knowledge are great ways to combat social hysteria, social anxiety, and social phobias. The only thing he didn't mention in the article I reference below (and probably is forbidden to do so) is that people should give up their anxiety and fear by putting their confidence in God and God's protection. (see https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/23/terrorism-mass-hysteria-panic-science/) If you believe in God, why go around in a panic when God is in control?
Luke 2:24 says that when God is pleased with you, there is peace in your life. Romans 5:1 says true faith brings peace to the follower of God in Christ. In Philippians 4:6, Paul mentioned that Christians should have "no anxiety about anything". The apostle John said that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). All these verses, along with thousands others, should teach you that uncontrolled anxiety and fear bring the opposite of peace and calm into your life. God brings peace to the truly faithful. As the scripture above from Proverbs concludes, your confidence in God means you won't panic at the first sign of trouble.
How well do you handle stressful days? Are you prone to panic when trouble comes? How can panic help your relationship with God? Deal with your fears and anxieties. Place them before the throne of God. Don't be controlled by them. Let God be your strength and refuge in ALL times of trouble (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1).
August 24
“Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:20–21, NKJV)
"I hate his guts, I really do!" That was how Rachel felt about her ex-husband who had cheated on her. After a very tumultuous marriage, they had divorced after only four years. Rachel would often describe her years of marriage as the "longest four years of my life". What had started off as a dreamy love affair and a memorable wedding on a beach at St. John's in the Virgin Islands ended in a bitter divorce. To say Rachel harbored hate for her husband was an understatement. She loathed his very presence. After the divorce, if she found something of his in their house, it was thrown out or burned. When she saw his friends, she would tell them how he was a terrible husband. She enjoyed hurting him. It was one of the few things that made her feel better.
Rachel doesn't realize it, but she has been "overcome with evil". She seeks to do her ex-husband harm. She lives to spout hatred his way. She loves to disrupt his life and antagonize him in every way possible. Sadly, this hatred for her husband burns so hot, it's what fuels her day. Dreaming of ways to get back at him fills much of her time. When she sleeps, she even dreams about torturing him or running him over with her car. Since the divorce, Rachel is so filled with resentment, friends avoid her. Her bitterness is so evident, she seldom gets asked out for a date. Even when she does date, the budding relationship never takes hold as her anger comes out in many and various forms. She has told her closest friend that she hates men. Since many of Rachel's friends are divorced, they support her anger and even encourage it. This life of anger eats at Rachel, but she doesn't care. I hope its not too late for her to overcome it.
Romans 12:21 encourages all faithful people to "not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." When people are evil to us, we respond with goodness and mercy. An example of how to do this is supplied in the previous verse. Romans 12:20 says, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him a drink." Paul, who wrote these verses, saw these loving acts as combating evil, and even defeating it. Where most people would love to see an enemy hungry, the Apostle Paul saw that feeding a hungry enemy was the best response. To seek harm to befall an enemy was for Paul an example of worldly wisdom. It would only deepen the hatred and animosity. This would result in a "win" for evil. The Christian would be "overcome" or "defeated" by evil in this manner. The only way for a true Christian to respond to evil is to defeat it with godly goodness.
Being kind in the face of anger, good in the face of prejudice, merciful in response to hostility is a true Christians's responsibility. Jesus mentioned this attitude of grace in his statement to "turn the other cheek" and not seek vengeance when you are wronged (Matthew 5:39). In theory, this sounds nice. In practice, it may be the most difficult thing you ever do in your life.
In November of 2011, Mario Arias was murdered. When Darren Evans was sentenced to life in prison, there was someone who had already forgiven him; Mario's mother. When she spoke with him at the prison, she gave him a Bible to read. After the trial, she commented: "I have to accept his forgiveness and tell him that I forgive him too," she said. “I told him, ‘just read it [the Bible], God is good; read it every day.' It takes a lot to forgive someone for murdering your son. It takes tremendous courage and love. Mary Johnson is another mother who forgave her son's murderer. It took her twelve years, but she forgave him. Her response to the press was "I only did that [forgive], because I'm a Christian woman. In order to be forgiven, you have to forgive…." Each of these women responded to adversity, affliction, and murder with love and forgiveness. They "overcame evil with good". I wonder how you and I would do in the same circumstances?
Over and over, I've mentioned how God is in a spiritual war with Satan and evil. Part of that spiritual war concerns you. How will you fight your spiritual battles? The scripture above says to "overcome evil with good". The Greek word for "overcome" means to "defeat". If you want to drive Satan insane, just "defeat" him with good deeds of godly love. The scripture from Romans even mentions that to an enemy, returning evil with good is like "putting coals of fire over his head" (Romans 12:20). Can you imagine what Satan feels when you do that? Can you imagine how proud God would be in that moment?
So many people in this world are spiritually and morally defeated everyday by returning evil for evil. But every now and then, we are given a glimpse of a faithful person who does something good in response to being treated like trash. The act may not make the news. For God, though, it is really good news. Lately, have you been one to defeat evil with godly goodness, or have you been overcome by evil? Do you tend to get even or do you usually respond with love and kindness? It does matter.
August 25
“Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil upon their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” (Micah 2:1–2, RSV)
A company was found polluting a river with chemicals that had seeped from its own holding area. Fish were dying. It was no longer wise to eat fish caught in the river. When interviewed, the head of the company regretted the damage. Then he responded: "It's just business. We didn't mean to do it." Yeah, but you built the holding area. You damaged an entire ecosystem. It's not just business is it?
In a move of skillful entrepreneurship, one company gobbled up its rival in a leveraged buyout. Within five years, the company that was bought out was closed and its assets were liquidated. Hundreds lost their jobs. Prices at the parent company were increased to cover the cost. When the manipulation by the parent company was made public, a Public Relations Officer in the company replied to the press: "It’s the cost of doing business. It's just business." Tell that to the people who lost their jobs so that a parent company could manipulate the industry.
Martin Shkreli did something ostentatious and bold. He got Turing Pharmaceutical to raise the price of its anti-parasitic drug. In 2015, the company hiked the price of its drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill. It's not that the pill was prohibitively expensive to produce or research, it was the fact that the company could control the price of this reliable pill. People who needed the pill had no option but to pay it. The same sort of business practice occurred with the "Epi-Pen" used to give emergency injections to people who have extreme allergies. Between 2009 and 2016, the price was raised from $103 to $640 per set. The co-pay for some who used the Epi-Pen increased from $150 to $400. The cost of the drug in the pen, epinephrine, is around $8. You tell me what is going on. One person I talked to explained the price increase with these words: "It's just business!"
What you may not realize is that God has rules about business models. For example, Proverbs mentions that "false scales" used to measure out goods for sale in Old Testament times were "an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 20:23). When King Ahab got a neighbor killed in order to appropriate his land for a vineyard, God was very upset about the "deal". The prophet Elijah was sent to inform the King that he would die for his sin against Ahab and God (1 Kings 21:19). The prophet Amos notified the Israelites in his day that taking a person as a slave for the price of a pair of shoes was not only unethical, but sinful (Amos 2:6). In James 2:6-7, the business practice of manipulating a person by suing them and dragging them into court was seen as a blasphemy against God. It is clear from these and many other instances in scripture that God does not approve and even will fight against unjust and immoral business practices.
In the book of Micah, we have a similar condemnation against immoral business models. In the scripture above, Micah the prophet speaks about those who have the "power" to take away a person's livelihood (Micah 2:1). He shows contempt for those who lay in bed at night conceiving a business plan that will hurt others. He specifically mentions those who "covet fields" and then "seize them", taking away a person's income potential or inheritance (Micah 2:2). The operative word in this scripture is "covet". The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 remind us to "Not covet a neighbor's house or wife or anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17). What does it mean to covet? The word means to "desire" or "lust after" something so much so that you are willing to hurt someone to get it. You can like something a neighbor has withing sinning. But to covet it means you are willing to "seize it" (Micah 2:2), forcefully demand it, or manipulate things to get it. You don't care if you cause damage to the person who has it. You want what that other person has, so you take it, ignoring any consequences. Micah makes it clear that when you "oppress" someone to get what you want, there are consequences with God (Micah 2:2).
Some people who think "It's just business" do not realize that they may be breaking God's commandment against coveting. While making money in itself is not wrong, to manipulate a market, hurt others purposefully, to oppress another, or to damage a person's livelihood for personal or corporate gain is ungodly. It is sinful. Since God cares about how people conduct their businesses, God condemns those who "covet" in business. If profit is all you are about, God is going to come against you.
A pastor wrote recently that he was shocked at a family in his church. Initially, he was amazed at their generosity in the church and community. He asked to visit the family at their home. They invited him to come for dinner. He was thrilled at the invitation and their gracious offer. Knowing they were very successful in business, the pastor was not surprised by their big house and large estate as he drove up for the visit. What broke his heart is what he heard spoken over the meal. When he was informed about their various business ventures, he asked, "What is your goal in your various businesses?" The shocking response that he got was, "We make money… and do it as much as we can and as fast as we can." I'm not sure God would approve of that as the business motto for a faithful Christian, do you?
The prophet Micah spoke out against those who coveted money, power, or possessions. God was highly critical of their sinful personal faith made evident in their manipulative business models. Where God wants you to be giving, these Israelites were takers. While God wants you to make a living honestly, Micah's contemporaries in Israel thought nothing of seizing a person's land and destroying their way of life. How you relate to others in business and your personal life is very important to God. God cares about your view of possessions, how you conduct your finances, what kind of business your run, and what makes you tick. As you go about your work and make your financial decisions, remember that your view of right and wrong must reflect your true faith. To God, making the decision to go to worship on Sunday is as important as the decision you make in your office or place of work on Monday. To God, nothing is "just business". It's all personal.
August 26
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away…. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:10,12, ESV)
Madeline had a deadline. Her term paper was due that day. For weeks, she had procrastinated. When she should have been writing and editing the term paper, she was busy with the school play, spending time with her boyfriend, and doing other homework. She put off the assignment. She told herself she had a writer's block on the topic. Honestly, it was simple laziness. She tried to tell herself that she was best at writing when "under the gun". She had convinced herself that she did her best work at the last minute. Mostly, this was to lie to herself about her poor ability to budget her time for things that needed to get done. Instead of planning things in her life, she often just reacted to them. This inevitably led her to moments like this. It was 5 am, she had been up all night, and the paper wasn't that good. It needed more research and editing, but it was all she could do at the last minute. She hoped it would be good enough. Would it?
Many people go through life like Madeline. They do not budget their time. They complete things when they are forced by deadlines. They rush about at the last moment. They don't do jobs well; they do jobs quickly. Time pressures are constantly forcing themselves on these folks. They seem never to have enough time in a day to complete everything they have to complete. Procrastinating at work, they are constantly behind. Waiting until the last moment, they forget a necessity. Ignoring their responsibilities, they can't be trusted to get their chores done. You may be married to one of these people. While passionate, witty, and fun, they just aren't good planners. However, all of us tend to put things off. Where you should spend time completing that "Living Will", you find other things to occupy your day. Though needing to get new tires on the car, you just don't have the time to do it right now. Despite feeling that pressure in your chest, you don't want to see the doctor. We all give excuses for putting things off. Some things just can't wait.
In Psalm 90, we read about the human condition. All humans who are born will die (unless you are Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11!). You have a limited amount of days in your life. How you spend them is incredibly important to God and to those who know you. Psalm 90:10 mentions that we are blessed to live seventy or eighty years. Many do not live that long. Two verses later, the writer cautions all of us… "[Lord], teach us to number our days…". What this verse means is that it is important that we realize we have only a certain number of days until we die. We should use them well. Each one counts. If you knew today how many days of life you have left, would you live each one differently? If you truly understand how short and crucial your life is, it will give you what this scripture calls a "heart of wisdom". You are wise to make plans to complete everything God has for you to do.
Don't go through life without making plans and arrangements. Don't wait to do things God wants you to do. Ignoring God's subtle clues, you may want to rush through life without accomplishing those things God needs from you. Hurrying through your prayers, you may not hear God's voice urging you to stop by the hospital one more time, get to the doctor now, or ask forgiveness from that friend you hurt. Then, one day, your life is ending and you are left wondering why you didn't plan to do something so crucial, so necessary. In the end, you will answer to God for that omission. Are you ready to answer to HIM? It takes a "heart of wisdom" to realize that some things in life need to be planned, need your attention, or just can't wait.
One day in 1888, Alfred Nobel was shocked to see his own obituary in the newspaper. His brother had died, and a reporter mistakenly assumed it was Alfred who had died. Nonetheless, the obituary was shocking for Alfred Nobel. It mentioned how he was the "Dynamite King" who had invented the explosive that transformed the world and warfare. It explained how he had become a rich industrialist who profited from his invention. Alfred Nobel was heartsick reading the obituary. He vowed to be more than a "rich merchant of death". He set aside a large amount of money to be used for centuries to award people for accomplishments in science, medicine, chemistry, and literature. He also set aside a large sum to award those who made the world more peaceful. That is how the Nobel Peace Prize came to be: a man was forced to look at his life and decided to make a difference in the world.
Imagine if you and everyone you know decided today to make a difference for God in our world before they died! Imagine what hearts could be changed by your completing certain tasks God has for you to accomplish before you die. This scripture was placed in the Bible to give you the wisdom to plan and do things during your short life. Jesus only had 33 years to accomplish his mission. You may be given 20 or 52 or 90, but you also have some things to accomplish. When you talk with God today, ask if there are some things left for you to do. Listen for God's voice to point you to finish certain projects, accomplish certain goals, make time for certain people. You only have one life to live. Don't waste it.
August 27
“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” (Psalm 19:12–13, NLT)
Years ago, Edna told her best friend: “As we were preparing for a fishing trip, I noticed my husband looking at me lovingly.
‘What’s on your mind?' I asked.
‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘I was just thinking what great lures your earrings would make.’ ”
(p. 161, Nelson's Big Book of Laughter)
When Edna saw her husband's eyes wistfully looking at her, she thought he was longing for her. Maybe, he was thinking about her beauty! Was he thinking how pretty she was that day? Did he long to be with her that day? Instead, Edna's husband was just thinking about fishing lures. You never know what a person is thinking, no matter how long you've been married!
It is not wise to think you have a person all figured out. You can make big mistakes by believing that you know what a person is thinking. Even when it comes to sin, people can sometimes hide the worst of sins from others. Hidden sins can fool acquaintances, friends, and even loved ones. But you can't hide them from God.
Police in South Carolina got a shock in 2016 when a local real estate agent who was highly successful was found imprisoning a young woman in a shipping container on his property. She was chained up. He had killed her boyfriend. When all was said and done, they found that Todd Kohlhepp had murdered at least seven people. Police discovered that he had bought and collected a number of guns used in the crimes, despite serving time in jail during his teens for armed kidnapping and rape. Neighbors thought Kohlhepp was a stand-up guy. He was anything but that. This successful businessman had hidden a number of sins in his life. Nobody knew it until they found a poor girl chained up in his metal prison. Later, a number of bodies were discovered buried on that same property. A week before, nobody in that county assumed the man was capable of such evil. He hid it from everyone.
You never know what hidden sins are "lurking" in the hearts of people. Psalm 19:12 urges readers to consider the sins that are "lurking" in their own heart, poisoning their relationship with God. You might think it unusual to have hidden sins in a person's heart. It is not. Like people cordon off areas of conversation that they will not talk about, people can easily cordon off a section of their heart to hide things from others, themselves, even God. I've seen a number of these "lurking sins" haunt people later in life. One woman harbored hatred for her husband for twenty years after he cheated on her just once with an old flame. He asked for her forgiveness at the time. She granted it. But, she really didn't ever forgive him. This "lurking sin" came out every now and then in her angry tone, in a tear at a family gathering, or while she drank that extra glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon. One man had a "lurking sin" that would only bother him on the holidays. When just a teen, this man's father had come home drunk and in a fit of anger hit him hard enough to cause welts. The next day, his father asked why the bruise was on his back, not even remembering causing the bruise the day before while drunk. He did not say a word. To this day, when he visits his parents on Thanksgiving, he is not thankful. Inwardly, he still hates his father for his drinking and his anger. That's why he only sees his parents once or twice a year. His mother has no idea. His father can't figure out why he is so cold to them. Their son will never talk about this hidden hurt or seek reconciliation. A "lurking sin" is responsible.
Psalm 19 mentions two types of sins that the author fears will control him. One is the "deliberate sin" (Psalm 19:13). This is the sin that one does openly and it is often very public. It is a sin that is meant to cause harm. The other type of sin that the author fears is the hidden sin, the "lurking sin" (Psalm 19:12). This sin is one that is often very private, unseen. Nobody but you may even know about it. You may have it buried so deep in your heart or subconscious that you hardly know it is even there. But, it "lurks" in the heart nonetheless. You can hide it, but that doesn't mean it won't haunt you. The author of this psalm fears that one or the other type of sin will "control" him (Psalm 19:13). "Guilt" will be the inevitable result (Also, Psalm 19:13).
If you find yourself feeling guilty about something you should not be feeling guilty about, search your heart for "lurking sins". Guilt and lurking sins are often linked. Where one is, the other is usually close at hand. When you hide a sin in your heart, you may try to forget it. You might be able to keep it away from your thoughts. What you should do is confess it to God and ask for forgiveness and grace. As long as that sin is hidden in your heart, it will fester. Why not deal with it? Why hold onto it? Yet, some people inevitably do. They won't admit that sin. They won't reconcile. They have made a home for this sin deep in their heart and mind. They don't want to deal with it or face it, unless they are forced to. I hope you do live this way.
Every now and then, it is a good idea to take a spiritual inventory of your heart and soul. As Psalm 19 suggests, look for those "lurking sins". Deal with them. As for "deliberate sins", offer them up to God. Both will cause hurt, pain, shame, and guilt. They just aren't worth holding onto. You need to reconcile before they hold you hostage. I have found that "lurking sins" often give birth to big mistakes or "deliberate sins" later in life. They come back to bite you. That's why you need to clear your heart of their presence, cleanse your thoughts from their influence. Are there some "lurking sins" or "deliberate sins" affecting you today? Have they been with you for some time? Reconcile with another or God. There is no other way to feel at peace as long as they control you.
August 28
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NIV84)
Recently, I listened as a woman explained her self-image. She struggled with something that she said "all women struggle with throughout their whole lives". Being a counselor, I was intrigued. I like to know what makes people tick, how they evaluate things, how they relate their thoughts to faith. As I listened to this woman speak, she described how all women have a problem with their body and self-image. She believes that every woman dislikes at least one body part. Using cosmetics or surgeries, therapies or a certain way of dressing, all women try to hide their "physical embarrassment" from others. In her opinion, most men don't know that to compliment a woman on her looks is crucial to helping her deal with her poor body image.
For many, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 was written to help all Christians have a godly view of their body. Its words speak to the value and purpose of a person's body and how it relates to one's soul. Let's look at this vital scripture and its meaning for you today.
When Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians, he was addressing a Greek-speaking group with a different world view from our own. The people of Corinth were accustomed to statues and temples devoted to various deities in their hometown. They also were constantly exposed to cultural influences we would call "immoral" today. Near the port of Corinth was the Temple of Aphrodite. The goddess Aphrodite was revered in Greek culture as the deity most attuned to sex, procreation, beauty and pleasure. It is believed by many historians that as many as 1000 temple prostitutes in and around that temple were cavorting in honor of their goddess. Sexual sin was rampant. In the verses just before our reading for today, Paul condemned those visits to the prostitutes so public in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). He considered it a "sin against one's own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Rather than visiting the Temple of Aphrodite, the Apostle Paul wanted each Christian in Corinth to know that his or her body was a temple for God's Spirit. When it housed the Holy Spirit, it was to be considered holy (1 Corinthians 6:19). There was no need to visit a cult prostitute in Corinth to be holy to goddess Aphrodite. The Christians were already holy to God, through the presence of the Holy Spirit in their bodies. If they wanted to do something for God, they should use their body in a holy way, "honoring God with their body" (1 Corinthians 6:20). They were thus urged to put their body to godly use. They were to treat the body as Holy vessel containing God's presence. How do you treat your body? Do you treat it as a precious gift, a holy place? Do you fill it with garbage food and chemicals and preservatives? Are you disgusted when you look in the mirror each day? Do you care for your body? If God made your body a temple for HIS Holy Spirit, shouldn't you show respect to it?
A young Australian girl named Audra wanted to get into modeling. She was bright and beautiful, intelligent and resourceful. When Audra wanted something, she would work hard to get it. She was determined for a seventeen-year-old. Pursuing her interest in modeling, Audra found a web site that suggested that models should have less than thirteen percent body-fat. She researched the fastest way to lose weight and found that some models had great success from ingesting tapeworms. At first, she thought the idea disgusting. When you ingest the tapeworms, they grow in your intestines and essentially eat your food. They can grow up to ten or fifteen feet in length. After a while in your body, you can just kill them off with an anti-parasitic drug. Because this way of losing weight is seen as dangerous, Australia had banned pills with tapeworm in them. Audra found a place online selling pills filled with human feces that contained tapeworm. She bought and used the pills. She lost weight very quickly, but felt bloated. As her body-fat decreased, she was thrilled. But within months, she was in the hospital as the worms caused a blockage in her intestines. The tapeworms could have killed her. Her parents were mortified. When she got home from the hospital, her modeling friends told her how great she looked and urged her to keep taking the tapeworms. Her parents found out and forbade her from visiting those friends ever again.
Audra is a beautiful young lady. I only wish she would accept her beauty as God gave it. Instead of trying to mold her body based on an unrealistic world view seen in magazines and on the runway, I wish she would treat her body as a gift from God. I pray someday she accepts God wholly into her life. Until that day, she believes that her body needs pills filled with feces in order to look better. Is this how God would want her to treat HIS creation?
Poor self-images, peer pressures, and unrealistic views of the body found in social media drive many people to false conclusions about their body and its value. Sexual immorality is rampant in TV shows, movies, and online. As long as people continue to see their bodies not as temples for God's presence but as things to be used and manipulated, they will continue to suffer for this worldly view of beauty. God's view of beauty is very different. Your body is precious to God. You only get one. Learn to live with your body, accepting its weaknesses and strengths, working to protect it as a gift from God.
If you are a true person of faith, the Holy Spirit is in your soul. According to 1 Corinthians 6, your body houses HIS spirit. Use your body wisely. Treat it well. Respect it. No matter how it looks, it is beautiful to your MAKER. How can you treat the temple of the living God today? What would God desire for your body today? Do you have a faithful self-image? How might you help others to see their God-given beauty today?
August 29
“So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”
(1 Thessalonians 2:3–4, NLT)
In an article from psychologytoday.com, author Amy Morin explains the traits of "people-pleasers". Acknowledging that "people-pleasers" have serious self-worth issues, she details the ten most common symptoms of this type of individual:
1) You pretend to agree with everyone.
2) You feel responsible for how others feel.
3) You apologize often.
4) Your schedule gets filled with what others want you to do.
5) You can't say no.
6) You feel uncomfortable when someone is mad at you, even if you did nothing wrong.
7) You tend to act like everyone around you.
8) You need praise to feel good.
9) You go to great lengths to please someone.
10) You don't admit when your feelings are hurt.
If you think one or two of these ten "symptoms" now and then, it is not abnormal. But, when a majority of these ten define how you think most of the time, you have a problem. You are a people-pleaser. According to our scripture for today, God will have a problem with anyone who seeks to please others instead of doing what is righteous and faithful. In the end, you will have to decide whether pleasing others or pleasing God is most important to you.
Growing up with a father who was an alcoholic, Sarah knew what it was like to fear when her dad came home late. It probably meant her father was out drinking. He would probably walk in angry. Fights and arguments would inevitably ensue. The whole household would be turned upside down when Sarah's father got drunk. Sarah learned to cope with it. Most often, she would do whatever her father said just to escape the anger. If her dad wanted another beer, she'd get it. If her dad was upset, she would agree with his frustration. Sarah was the one who could talk her dad out of destroying the house in a drunken fit of rage. Her mother often praised Sarah for "saving" the family on those dark, fearful nights. Sarah was proud of this ability. What Sarah didn't realize is that she learned some bad habits from her response to her drunken father. Lately, she was often depressed. She would do anything to avoid conflict. She would do things for others out of guilt. She hardly ever said "no". She had to be "liked". Living to please others became Sarah's "modus operandi". Only recently, during counseling with her pastor, had she discovered how much this attitude was killing her and her marriage.
Living to please others will cause problems in your life. It is very difficult making sure others are happy, placating all those who are demanding, and covering up what you really feel. Seeking to please others in order to feel happy will cause untold worries and fears. You will lose much sleep wondering what others think. Often, this attitude ends with depression. Inevitably, it will cause a conflict with God.
The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that "our purpose is to please God, not people" (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Paul mentioned that when he preached, his goal was not to flatter people (1 Thessalonians 2:5). His aim was not to be lauded for his eloquent speech ( See 1 Corinthians 1:17). Paul's motivation didn't center on his receiving accolades and praise. Paul didn't want to use "impure motives" to get people to believe (1 Thessalonians 2:3). His ultimate purpose was to "please God". He wanted people to focus on the good news of Jesus Christ, not on his own wisdom or apostolic calling.
It is always dangerous to focus more on yourself than God. When you are more concerned with your image than in being true to God, watch out. You might focus your life on pleasing others in order to feel good about yourself. If you are driven to succeed in life in order to look good to others, where will your loyalties lie? You will want to please others or yourself instead of God. This can happen just as easily to pastors and church leaders as to those outside the faith.
Do you know how some animals urinate to mark their territory? I swear there are some people in churches who also like to "mark their territory" in the church. They don't mark their territory with urine. They might use manipulation, political tactics, or power plays instead. In the end, their goal is to please others and themselves. They can never please God while acting this way.
In your personal life, you will have to continually re-evaluate your motives as Paul did in our scripture today (1 Thessalonians 2:3). Are you doing something to please others? Are you saying "yes" to shut someone up? Are your leadership methods in line with godly models? Is your church full of politics or people seeking God's direction? Evaluating motives helps you to determine if you or your church are doing things to please God or for some other reason. Prayer is crucial to help you evaluate these motives. Talking with God always helps you see more clearly.
My hope is that you look at your motivations today. Why do you act the way you do? Who gets the benefit? Is God pleased at your responses? Are you running from conflict or running to God? People-pleasers may be nice, but they aren't faithful….. not to God anyway.
Below is the article by Amy Morin online….
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201708/10-signs-youre-people-pleaser
August 30
“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!”
(Psalm 27:12–14, RSV)
"Wait up!" his best friend said. He didn't want to listen. He was in a hurry to get home. He was late; it was after his curfew. Not wanting to face angry parents, he thought his best recourse would be to get home as soon as possible. Tim and his best friend Marcus had been at a party. There was a lot of beer at the gathering. Almost everyone there was underage. The night sped by, fueled with alcohol and good friends. Tim didn't realize the time until five minutes before he was supposed to be home. Since he had walked to the party from home, he had to walk back home. Tim definitely did not want to talk to his parents when he arrived. They would smell the alcohol on his breath. The best he could do was get home fast so that he could say a word to his parents and rush off to his room without any conversation. He had to get home NOW! Marcus was slowing him down as they walked the country road.
"Wait!", Marcus rasped, falling behind.
As Tim turned to tell his best friend to get a move on, he didn't see the garbage bag on the side of the road. It was too dark and he was in too much of a hurry to notice. Tripping over the bag as he walked, Tim fell headlong into a cluster of rocks. Stinging from the fall, he realized that hurrying down that road in the dark without watching where he was going was really stupid.
"Are you OK?" his best friend asked?
"I'm just fine. Maybe we should just walk a bit." Tim responded.
When Tim got home, he quietly crept in and up to his room. He had made it. Everything would be fine.
That changed the next day when Tim looked in the mirror to find he had chipped two teeth in his fall the night before. A week later, Tim's mother asked him when he had chipped his teeth. He told her he chipped his teeth as a kid years ago. She looked highly skeptical. To this day, when Tim looks in the mirror, he remembers his headlong fall, the party, hurrying home. When he looks at his yearbook picture taken the day after his fall, he also remembers that night. He hates that picture. He dislikes his stupid smile. His two chipped teeth are a constant reminder that sometimes hurrying blindly forward is just asking for trouble.
Many of us hurry through life. You might be late for an appointment. Maybe you lost track of time while talking with a friend. It might be that you were late getting up and now have to rush through traffic to get to work on time. How many times did you speed on the way to work? Ever rush through an intersection without stopping? Were you ever so harried that you forgot something on the way to an event? Hurrying through life is epidemic among many. It causes lots of problems. It can have inherent dangers. A young lady was late driving home and hurriedly typed out a text while driving. It ended up costing her life in the accident that ensued. A father hurried home. Missing a stop sign, he plowed into a school bus hurting several children. Without taking time to look both ways before he crossed the road, a young bicyclist was hit by a car broadside. He broke several bones in his body. When you hurry, when you are rushed, its all too easy to make mistakes. Sometimes, its just not worth it.
Spiritually, you probably hurry as well. Do you say quick prayers you can't even remember five minutes later? Halfway through worship, are you already wanting it to be over? Even with spiritual problems, you might hurry. Depressed, you might be tempted to take a pill and get better right away, without even seeking out the causes of the depression. When seeking God's guidance about a big decision in your life, you might want God to hurry up and give you an answer before tomorrow at 9 AM when everything comes to a head. It is so easy to rush into a problem and then want God to hurry up and fix it. When things go wrong in your life, the problem is usually not God working quickly enough. The problem is often with your impatience, hectic lifestyle, or inability to stop and think.
In Psalm 27, the author knows that in his time of trouble, God will be his protection (Psalm 27:5). When "adversaries" and "enemies" slander his good name, God will be there for him (Psalm 27:2,5, 12). The author believes God will be by his side, so he promises not be be afraid when difficult situations arise (Psalm 27:3). The Psalm ends with our scripture reading for today shown above. It ends with the author being confident that God's goodness will shine through in his darkest hour (Psalm 27:13). All he has to do is "wait upon the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). He only needs the courage and patience to let go of his anxiety and trust God to help him work it all out.
Twice in the last verse for today, the author cautions himself and you to "wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). The reason why this phrase is repeated is because waiting is crucial for God to work. Too often, you may be tempted to take things in your own hands and respond quickly or with too much emotion. Instead, you need to wait upon the Lord. When you are in a hurry to make a decision or are struggling with anger, resentment, or guilt, you might respond without thinking. It is much more beneficial to "wait for the Lord".
Hurrying drivers make bad decisions. It's only a matter of time. Hectic schedules often cause people to eat poorly. Pressed for time, you might be pressured by a salesman to make a purchase that should be put off for later. Not waiting to talk to someone, you might assume the worst. In your haste to complete a task, you might not wait for the glue to dry or the food to cook thoroughly. Where will that lead? There are many things in life that take time and patience. In your spiritual life, patience is often required to see the whole picture or for a clear understanding of your circumstances.
Has your life been a little too harried as of late? When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses, even literally? Are any of your regrets related to hasty decisions or pressured time restraints? "Waiting for the Lord" is excellent advice for everyone in modern times. But waiting on the Lord takes faith. It takes time. Do you have the willingness to "wait upon the Lord" today?
August 31
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”And when he [Jesus] had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:8–9, RSV)
In some courtrooms today, you still might hear the question: "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" The purpose of the courtroom throughout history has been to find out the truth in order to administer justice faithfully. Witnesses are often called to take the stand and tell their version of the truth. It is against the law to lie to the court. In the end, it is hoped that the truth will win out; right will triumph over wrong; good will prosper over evil.
The true and faithful Christian is not to just tell the truth in the court of law. He or she is also responsible to be a faithful witness for Christ in their world. Whether in the church or in a public gathering, before children or peers, the true Christian is expected to defend Jesus and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 1 John 3:18). In the same way that judges in a courtroom want to hear the truth from witnesses, God the Ultimate Judge wants to hear the truth from the faithful who witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are a true Christian, you are also a witness to Jesus Christ. The world needs to hear the true message of the gospel from your lips. Are you prepared to tell "God's truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"?
Recently, we've heard way too much about "fake news". Fake news can be found in many places on the internet and in store aisles, in newspapers and other media. Fake news is used to muddy the waters, twist the facts, manipulate public opinion, and promote certain political views. In many places, fake news is passed off as reality. Because of this, many people have a hard time believing what they read, what a reporter says, or what is reported by the governments of the world. Our world is hungry for the truth and there are people who don't want you to know the truth.
That's where you come in. The gospel of Jesus Christ is based on the truth. The truth about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection needs to be told. If you are a faithful person, you need to continue always to defend the truth of the gospel in the court of world opinion. Jesus needs you to take a stand and witness to His Lordship. Do you? Have you? Will you?
At a restaurant, a woman said to another woman: "My church is full of hypocrites. They talk about love, but then promote hate. They won't marry gays who obviously love each other." There was much hushed conversation about the topic thereafter. Finally, the same woman said rather loudly, "My bible talks about love and marriage. It supports gay marriage. We should do what it says." Then, there was more hushed conversation. What the two women didn't know was that seated at the table behind them in that diner was an evangelist who was soon to speak at the church to which the two belonged. After hearing their conversation, he changed his topic for one of his sermons. A few days later, he spoke about the Bible and the truth of biblical marriage. He taught how the Bible nowhere defends same-sex marriage. He mentioned various types of worldly views of sexuality versus God's view of sexuality from scripture. After worship, people filed out and greeted the evangelist. When one woman walked up, he recognized her from the restaurant. She did not recognize him. She said, "Nice talk, preacher. It was great to have you here." He knew she didn't like what he said. But he will have to answer to God one day, and he was not about to teach anything but the truth of the gospel. If nothing else, the evangelist hoped that what he taught about the truth of the bible would counter the fake news that the woman was so eloquently telling in the restaurant days before.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks the very last words of His earthly ministry. They were His last words before He was taken up to heaven. Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, calling them His "witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and to the ends of the earth." After He was gone, Jesus knew that all of His disciples throughout all generations would have to defend the gospel, the truth about Jesus' life and death, and the faith. In the present generation, you and I are disciples of Jesus Christ. We must continue to be faithful witnesses for our Lord. As a witness for Christ, your words and life are a testimony to what you believe. Our world needs to hear God's honest truth from you. Are you ready to share the truth? Until you are judged by Heaven, realize that you have the opportunity to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth here on earth. The Judge in Heaven is weighing the truth of your testimony. Can others trust what you say about Jesus? Do others even know what you believe? In the court of public opinion, are you considered a true Christian or a faker? In many ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being put on trial in the world today. God needs your testimony to defend the truth. What might you say to someone who asks you about the truth of God's word? God the Judge is watching and listening to your response… your defense… your testimony.