August 2
“Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!””
(Numbers 14:4, NLT)
(Numbers 14:4, NLT)

The above scripture is not only shocking, but very revealing. It contains words which talk of plots and overthrows. Who did these people plot against? They plotted against God's plan. What did they want to do? “Choose a new leader”, get rid of Moses, and “go back to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). This one verse contains a lot of very important information. For context, let’s look at where it is in the Bible. This scripture comes at a time when the plagues of Egypt had already occurred. God had already parted the Red Sea and saved the people from the Egyptian army and Pharaoh’s wrath. The Ten Commandments had already been given on Mt. Sinai. The people were already given the hope of the Promised Land. Then, they crossed the wilderness. And when the going got tough, the chosen people were sick of God’s plan. They wanted to “go back to Egypt”.
Every now and then, Christians lose their faith. There are those who stray from God’s will. There are people who lose their way. Some choose to love the world more than God. Some reject God’s law. Some give up on organized religion. Some choose to “go their own way”, giving up a church and worship and practicing their faith. Some just get tired of living a righteous life and want to let loose and sow some wild oats. Has there ever been a time when you wanted to “go back to Egypt”? Was there a season when following God or remaining faithful became difficult or painful? How did you respond? Were you tempted to just give up your faith and enjoy the secular world for a while? While traveling through a “wilderness period” of your life, are you tempted with certain sins? Going back to Egypt would have resulted in the re-enslavement of the Israelites who lived through this period with Moses. Some people feel more comfortable as slaves to certain sins than free in Christ.
When Phillip left home for college, he encountered a whole new world. He was no longer under the thumb of his parents. If he wanted to sleep in, he could easily do that. If a party looked interesting, he might just chuck his responsibilities and have fun. With his newfound freedom at college, Phillip experimented with drugs. He dabbled in ecstasy and cocaine and marijuana, even tried LSD and heroin. He got drunk when he felt like it. He enjoyed his freedom greatly. However, that freedom came with a cost. His grades suffered from all the partying and drug use. After two years, Phillip had to drop out of college due to a failing grade point average minimum required for his degree.
After leaving college, Phillip tried several different jobs, but found he was best at construction. He enjoyed building with his hands. He worked long hours. He did well. He made decent money. After several years, he started his own construction business. Then, he got married. He built a big house and filled it with several children. Despite all his success, Phillip missed his freedom. The more he succeeded at work and at home, the more he felt consumed by his responsibilities. He longed for the freedom of his college days. On his fortieth birthday, he went out and bought some LSD and cocaine. He could afford it. He spent the weekend getting trashed. Over the next months, Phillip went through a mid-life crisis. He regretted having so many responsibilities in his life. He began to use drugs more and more frequently. He was late getting into the office much more often. He spent less time with his family. He went out and “hit the bars” with his friends.
Two years later, Phillip’s life had changed greatly. He and his wife were having marital problems and were separated. His business was taking a hit from a downturn in the economy and because his personal issues were interfering with his decision-making. His son began to have problems in High School. Getting hit with all these events at once, Phillip found himself at a decision point in his life…. would he just walk away from all the responsibilities or would he just suck it up? I would advocate that Phillip seek help from God. Instead, tired from the rat race, Phillip took on a partner at work. He also divorced his wife and took on a lover. He was less stressed, but at times he agonized that his kids viewed him as a deadbeat dad. When I met Phillip, he regretted the choices he made during this part of his life. He felt himself a failure and was deeply depressed. Despite being well-off, he wasn’t happy.
Like Phillip, there will come a time in your life when you may want to toss all the responsibilities. If you do this to get closer to God and to make better choices, this reorganization of your priorities will be a blessing. If, however, you just want to chuck the faith and revert to a time before you knew God, you will suffer in the process. You can’t go back to Egypt (allegorically of course!) without paying a big price. You may be tempted to do it, but it won’t end well.
The people of Israel who plotted against Moses and chose to go against God did not succeed in life. They all died in the wilderness. God stopped protecting and helping those who gave up their faith. Many suffered health problems. Those who remained faithful did not have it easy. However, in the end, the faithful ones did have the love of God ever-present. The most faithful among them reached the promised land. There, the descendants of these faithful ones built the Temple in Jerusalem and became a beacon of hope for the world.
Every generation of Christian, including you, will all have to make conscious decisions at "wilderness moments" to either hold fast to God to go back to sinful ways. You will need to decide whether to remain close to God or to “eat and drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). I guarantee you that “going back to Egypt” may sound like a viable option during difficult moments, but running back to Egypt will never bring you happiness. If you choose to give up on God, you will regret it sooner or later. Then, the grace of God will be your only hope… if you ever do come to your senses……
Every now and then, Christians lose their faith. There are those who stray from God’s will. There are people who lose their way. Some choose to love the world more than God. Some reject God’s law. Some give up on organized religion. Some choose to “go their own way”, giving up a church and worship and practicing their faith. Some just get tired of living a righteous life and want to let loose and sow some wild oats. Has there ever been a time when you wanted to “go back to Egypt”? Was there a season when following God or remaining faithful became difficult or painful? How did you respond? Were you tempted to just give up your faith and enjoy the secular world for a while? While traveling through a “wilderness period” of your life, are you tempted with certain sins? Going back to Egypt would have resulted in the re-enslavement of the Israelites who lived through this period with Moses. Some people feel more comfortable as slaves to certain sins than free in Christ.
When Phillip left home for college, he encountered a whole new world. He was no longer under the thumb of his parents. If he wanted to sleep in, he could easily do that. If a party looked interesting, he might just chuck his responsibilities and have fun. With his newfound freedom at college, Phillip experimented with drugs. He dabbled in ecstasy and cocaine and marijuana, even tried LSD and heroin. He got drunk when he felt like it. He enjoyed his freedom greatly. However, that freedom came with a cost. His grades suffered from all the partying and drug use. After two years, Phillip had to drop out of college due to a failing grade point average minimum required for his degree.
After leaving college, Phillip tried several different jobs, but found he was best at construction. He enjoyed building with his hands. He worked long hours. He did well. He made decent money. After several years, he started his own construction business. Then, he got married. He built a big house and filled it with several children. Despite all his success, Phillip missed his freedom. The more he succeeded at work and at home, the more he felt consumed by his responsibilities. He longed for the freedom of his college days. On his fortieth birthday, he went out and bought some LSD and cocaine. He could afford it. He spent the weekend getting trashed. Over the next months, Phillip went through a mid-life crisis. He regretted having so many responsibilities in his life. He began to use drugs more and more frequently. He was late getting into the office much more often. He spent less time with his family. He went out and “hit the bars” with his friends.
Two years later, Phillip’s life had changed greatly. He and his wife were having marital problems and were separated. His business was taking a hit from a downturn in the economy and because his personal issues were interfering with his decision-making. His son began to have problems in High School. Getting hit with all these events at once, Phillip found himself at a decision point in his life…. would he just walk away from all the responsibilities or would he just suck it up? I would advocate that Phillip seek help from God. Instead, tired from the rat race, Phillip took on a partner at work. He also divorced his wife and took on a lover. He was less stressed, but at times he agonized that his kids viewed him as a deadbeat dad. When I met Phillip, he regretted the choices he made during this part of his life. He felt himself a failure and was deeply depressed. Despite being well-off, he wasn’t happy.
Like Phillip, there will come a time in your life when you may want to toss all the responsibilities. If you do this to get closer to God and to make better choices, this reorganization of your priorities will be a blessing. If, however, you just want to chuck the faith and revert to a time before you knew God, you will suffer in the process. You can’t go back to Egypt (allegorically of course!) without paying a big price. You may be tempted to do it, but it won’t end well.
The people of Israel who plotted against Moses and chose to go against God did not succeed in life. They all died in the wilderness. God stopped protecting and helping those who gave up their faith. Many suffered health problems. Those who remained faithful did not have it easy. However, in the end, the faithful ones did have the love of God ever-present. The most faithful among them reached the promised land. There, the descendants of these faithful ones built the Temple in Jerusalem and became a beacon of hope for the world.
Every generation of Christian, including you, will all have to make conscious decisions at "wilderness moments" to either hold fast to God to go back to sinful ways. You will need to decide whether to remain close to God or to “eat and drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). I guarantee you that “going back to Egypt” may sound like a viable option during difficult moments, but running back to Egypt will never bring you happiness. If you choose to give up on God, you will regret it sooner or later. Then, the grace of God will be your only hope… if you ever do come to your senses……
August 3
“... Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.” (Numbers 17:5, NLT)

The words above from the book of Numbers relate God’s frustration against the people of Israel. During their time in the wilderness, many times they resorted to grumbling and “complaining”, or “murmuring” against God or Moses. When the food didn’t come fast enough, they complained. When the food wasn’t good enough, they complained. When the going became difficult in the rugged landscape, they complained. When they didn’t like things that Moses relayed from God, they complained. Several times during the wilderness trek, the Israelites were punished by God for their murmuring, complaining, and grumbling. In the scripture for today, God chose a leader to help Moses to end the complaining of the people of Israel once and for all.
I believe that the scripture for today exemplifies that complaining and grumbling unfaithfully toward God OR God’s messenger will result in God’s chastisement or punishment. It’s not that you shouldn’t complain now and then. However, when your complaints occur frequently because you are acting spoiled or selfish or childish toward God or God’s plan or God’s messenger, it may move God to come down harshly upon you. I have seen this occur several times in my ministry to great effect.
In one of the churches I served, there was a woman of strong disposition. Though a good worker, she was very strong-willed. If things didn’t go her way, she became a bully. When she wanted something in the church, she pushed buttons until she got her way. She was a force to be reckoned with. When “Sanctity of Life” Sunday occurred one year, I was given free inserts for the bulletin. The inserts relayed stories of women whose lives were changed wonderfully by the birth of their children, even after difficult pregnancies. I included the encouraging inserts in the bulletin on Sanctity of Life Sunday.
On the Monday following the service, that strong-willed woman was in my office yelling: “Who put that terrible insert in the bulletin!” When she found out I had authorized it, she lambasted me for spending money on such a stupid insert. When she found out that the inserts were free, she complained that I shouldn’t be allowed to pick the inserts myself as she didn’t like their message. When I told her that pastors have always approved the inserts for the last 150 years, she threatened to take that decision away from me and have her committee do it instead. Later, I found out that this woman had had an abortion and hated anything even sounding like pro-life. In the following months, she went to every church group, committee, and meeting and told people how I had done something wrong or made bad choices or couldn’t be trusted. I had done nothing wrong, but that didn’t stop her complaining and fussing to manipulate the situation.
Over the next five years, a number of things happened in that church. The church became a battleground. There were arguments breaking out in meetings. Different groups in the church began to form to take sides on every matter. I was forced to resign. They lost their youth leaders. The youth group lost multiple leaders and most of its members. A young adult Bible Study group folded. The woman who had threatened me became more and more vocal and political and angry. Three years after she threatened me, she was dead. I heard her husband never came to church again because he constantly complained that all church did was “made people angry and wreck marriages”. That was revealing!
Grumbling, complaining, or murmuring may start off as a selfish response to a hardship or problem. However, when it morphs into a selfish response for not getting your way, it will affect your body and mind, your family and your church. Its effects will ripple out into many different places and cause negativity and anger to grow and flourish. Our country is even experiencing this right now in what some have dubbed “the culture wars”. Trolls have become common on the internet. Antifa mobs have beaten and hospitalized people. Cyberbullies have caused tremendous psychological harm to those who were shunned by certain groups. In many cases, death threats are not uncommon outcomes.
Don’t for even a second think that grumbling, complaining, or murmuring have no ill-effects. God knows they can be dangerous things if they go on too long or are used as weapons. God clamped down on murmuring, and even punished those who took their complaints too far. Israel’s murmurings against Moses were considered an affront to God. When the grumbling went on too long, God responded at first with stern warnings, and then with punishment.
Don’t go too long in any period of discontent in your life. If grumbling and complaining become too frequent, they not only can affect you physically, they will in time damage your relationship with God. That’s why the Apostle Paul taught the Philippian church about the importance of “being content at all times” (Philippians 4:11). The writer of Hebrews wrote that all people of God should “be content with what they have” (Hebrews 13:5). Grumbling, complaining, and murmuring are signs of discontent that are physically and spiritually dangerous if left to fester.
Is there an area of your life where you are too prone to grumble? Are you like Creature in Harry Potter films, always grumbling under your breath about something? Do you like to complain? Do you protest a little too much when you don’t get your way? Be careful with your complaining. If your complaining ever becomes too frequent, it can be a sure sign of a damaged heart and soul.
I believe that the scripture for today exemplifies that complaining and grumbling unfaithfully toward God OR God’s messenger will result in God’s chastisement or punishment. It’s not that you shouldn’t complain now and then. However, when your complaints occur frequently because you are acting spoiled or selfish or childish toward God or God’s plan or God’s messenger, it may move God to come down harshly upon you. I have seen this occur several times in my ministry to great effect.
In one of the churches I served, there was a woman of strong disposition. Though a good worker, she was very strong-willed. If things didn’t go her way, she became a bully. When she wanted something in the church, she pushed buttons until she got her way. She was a force to be reckoned with. When “Sanctity of Life” Sunday occurred one year, I was given free inserts for the bulletin. The inserts relayed stories of women whose lives were changed wonderfully by the birth of their children, even after difficult pregnancies. I included the encouraging inserts in the bulletin on Sanctity of Life Sunday.
On the Monday following the service, that strong-willed woman was in my office yelling: “Who put that terrible insert in the bulletin!” When she found out I had authorized it, she lambasted me for spending money on such a stupid insert. When she found out that the inserts were free, she complained that I shouldn’t be allowed to pick the inserts myself as she didn’t like their message. When I told her that pastors have always approved the inserts for the last 150 years, she threatened to take that decision away from me and have her committee do it instead. Later, I found out that this woman had had an abortion and hated anything even sounding like pro-life. In the following months, she went to every church group, committee, and meeting and told people how I had done something wrong or made bad choices or couldn’t be trusted. I had done nothing wrong, but that didn’t stop her complaining and fussing to manipulate the situation.
Over the next five years, a number of things happened in that church. The church became a battleground. There were arguments breaking out in meetings. Different groups in the church began to form to take sides on every matter. I was forced to resign. They lost their youth leaders. The youth group lost multiple leaders and most of its members. A young adult Bible Study group folded. The woman who had threatened me became more and more vocal and political and angry. Three years after she threatened me, she was dead. I heard her husband never came to church again because he constantly complained that all church did was “made people angry and wreck marriages”. That was revealing!
Grumbling, complaining, or murmuring may start off as a selfish response to a hardship or problem. However, when it morphs into a selfish response for not getting your way, it will affect your body and mind, your family and your church. Its effects will ripple out into many different places and cause negativity and anger to grow and flourish. Our country is even experiencing this right now in what some have dubbed “the culture wars”. Trolls have become common on the internet. Antifa mobs have beaten and hospitalized people. Cyberbullies have caused tremendous psychological harm to those who were shunned by certain groups. In many cases, death threats are not uncommon outcomes.
Don’t for even a second think that grumbling, complaining, or murmuring have no ill-effects. God knows they can be dangerous things if they go on too long or are used as weapons. God clamped down on murmuring, and even punished those who took their complaints too far. Israel’s murmurings against Moses were considered an affront to God. When the grumbling went on too long, God responded at first with stern warnings, and then with punishment.
Don’t go too long in any period of discontent in your life. If grumbling and complaining become too frequent, they not only can affect you physically, they will in time damage your relationship with God. That’s why the Apostle Paul taught the Philippian church about the importance of “being content at all times” (Philippians 4:11). The writer of Hebrews wrote that all people of God should “be content with what they have” (Hebrews 13:5). Grumbling, complaining, and murmuring are signs of discontent that are physically and spiritually dangerous if left to fester.
Is there an area of your life where you are too prone to grumble? Are you like Creature in Harry Potter films, always grumbling under your breath about something? Do you like to complain? Do you protest a little too much when you don’t get your way? Be careful with your complaining. If your complaining ever becomes too frequent, it can be a sure sign of a damaged heart and soul.
August 5
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:11, ESV)

The scripture above should sound familiar. It is part of the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” Today’s verse expounds on that command. You are to “rest on the seventh day”, the Sabbath Day. Sabbath and rest go together. God took one day to rest during creation. That day is memorialized on the Sabbath every week. If God took a rest, it’s not because the omnipotent God was tired or weak. So, why did God do it? For you! God knew you would need a rest. God knew how often you’d need to rest. God set aside one day a week for you to worship and be holy before the Almighty. You need it!
Rest is hard for some people to learn. It is something that many people count a failure. In these days of “always-on” electronics and being on call 24/7, people have found it difficult to simply rest. Max Lucado wrote about being unable to rest…. “When I was ten years old, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons.… Spending thirty minutes every afternoon tethered to a piano bench was a torture.…
Some of the music, though, I learned to enjoy. I hammered the staccatos. I belabored the crescendos.… But there was one instruction in the music I could never obey to my teacher’s satisfaction. The rest. The zigzagged command to do nothing. What sense does that make? Why sit at the piano and pause when you can pound?
“Because,” my teacher patiently explained, “music is always sweeter after a rest.”
It didn’t make sense to me at age ten. But now, a few decades later, the words ring with wisdom—divine wisdom.” (p. 282, Grace for the Moment)
Some people never fully understand or appreciate the divine wisdom of “holy rest”. Even when worshiping, their minds are going a mile-a-minute. When they should be contentedly listening for God’s “still-small voice” in prayer, they are filling the silence with words. How well do you handle rest?
Recently, I spoke with a Christian friend who was going through a difficult time in life. He was having marriage problems, troubles at work, and health issues. Things seemed to be coming at him from all directions. He went to his doctor for help and received one medicine to help him focus, another medicine to give him energy to handle the overwhelming challenges thrust upon him, and a third medicine to help him sleep at night. As he was relaying all this information, I grew disheartened. He was trusting the medicine to solve all his problems. I finally said to him, “When do you let your soul catch up with your body? When do you just sit down and be quiet with God? Do you let the stress go to God?” He looked at me like I was crazy. His way of dealing with challenges in life was to get extra medicine. My thought that he may need to let some things go and be quiet with God seemed utterly foreign and absurd to his way of thinking.
God knew you would need a day of holy rest. According to the scripture for today, everything and everyone in creation needs it! “The earth, the sea, and all that is in them” need to rest (Exodus 20:11). Medicines can sometimes take away your pain or bring you some amount of relaxation, but they can never initiate “holy rest”. They can never give you a total peace with being in God’s arms. This is something you must strive for and pursue. It is something you have to consciously work at to achieve. Holy rest is necessary for your life. Without it, things will go wrong.
I have met many, many people who thought other commandments were absolutely critical in life. We should not murder, steal, or commit adultery for example. I find it rather interesting that when people read the fourth commandment charging them to “holy rest”, they see this commandment as optional or less relevant. Why would God give us a commandment that was optional or irrelevant? Holy rest is crucial to a healthy faith life. It is necessary for creation. It is something for which the soul is starving. How often do you take a true holy rest?
Holy rest on a sabbath day is not made perfect by the absence of work or just being lazy. It involves taking time for God and letting go of the busy-ness of life. Holy rest implies God’s presence in the endeavor. People who don’t know God don’t know what its like to have a “holy rest”. They may sleep in or go on vacation, but they never experience holy rest. You may take a day off, do some “re-creation”, without ever knowing holy rest. Holy rest occurs when you set aside all your daily work and spend time with God and godly pursuits. It will usually involve prayer and praise and worship and a break from everyday life. Be honest, when was the last time you had holy rest? Is your soul tired and weary? How about some holy rest? Do you find life overwhelming? Begin some holy rest. Do you always have to be so hurried or harried? Take some holy rest.
Let go of your burdens for one day each week and rest in the arms of the Lord. Do it for your God, who made the heavens and earth.... and you!
Rest is hard for some people to learn. It is something that many people count a failure. In these days of “always-on” electronics and being on call 24/7, people have found it difficult to simply rest. Max Lucado wrote about being unable to rest…. “When I was ten years old, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons.… Spending thirty minutes every afternoon tethered to a piano bench was a torture.…
Some of the music, though, I learned to enjoy. I hammered the staccatos. I belabored the crescendos.… But there was one instruction in the music I could never obey to my teacher’s satisfaction. The rest. The zigzagged command to do nothing. What sense does that make? Why sit at the piano and pause when you can pound?
“Because,” my teacher patiently explained, “music is always sweeter after a rest.”
It didn’t make sense to me at age ten. But now, a few decades later, the words ring with wisdom—divine wisdom.” (p. 282, Grace for the Moment)
Some people never fully understand or appreciate the divine wisdom of “holy rest”. Even when worshiping, their minds are going a mile-a-minute. When they should be contentedly listening for God’s “still-small voice” in prayer, they are filling the silence with words. How well do you handle rest?
Recently, I spoke with a Christian friend who was going through a difficult time in life. He was having marriage problems, troubles at work, and health issues. Things seemed to be coming at him from all directions. He went to his doctor for help and received one medicine to help him focus, another medicine to give him energy to handle the overwhelming challenges thrust upon him, and a third medicine to help him sleep at night. As he was relaying all this information, I grew disheartened. He was trusting the medicine to solve all his problems. I finally said to him, “When do you let your soul catch up with your body? When do you just sit down and be quiet with God? Do you let the stress go to God?” He looked at me like I was crazy. His way of dealing with challenges in life was to get extra medicine. My thought that he may need to let some things go and be quiet with God seemed utterly foreign and absurd to his way of thinking.
God knew you would need a day of holy rest. According to the scripture for today, everything and everyone in creation needs it! “The earth, the sea, and all that is in them” need to rest (Exodus 20:11). Medicines can sometimes take away your pain or bring you some amount of relaxation, but they can never initiate “holy rest”. They can never give you a total peace with being in God’s arms. This is something you must strive for and pursue. It is something you have to consciously work at to achieve. Holy rest is necessary for your life. Without it, things will go wrong.
I have met many, many people who thought other commandments were absolutely critical in life. We should not murder, steal, or commit adultery for example. I find it rather interesting that when people read the fourth commandment charging them to “holy rest”, they see this commandment as optional or less relevant. Why would God give us a commandment that was optional or irrelevant? Holy rest is crucial to a healthy faith life. It is necessary for creation. It is something for which the soul is starving. How often do you take a true holy rest?
Holy rest on a sabbath day is not made perfect by the absence of work or just being lazy. It involves taking time for God and letting go of the busy-ness of life. Holy rest implies God’s presence in the endeavor. People who don’t know God don’t know what its like to have a “holy rest”. They may sleep in or go on vacation, but they never experience holy rest. You may take a day off, do some “re-creation”, without ever knowing holy rest. Holy rest occurs when you set aside all your daily work and spend time with God and godly pursuits. It will usually involve prayer and praise and worship and a break from everyday life. Be honest, when was the last time you had holy rest? Is your soul tired and weary? How about some holy rest? Do you find life overwhelming? Begin some holy rest. Do you always have to be so hurried or harried? Take some holy rest.
Let go of your burdens for one day each week and rest in the arms of the Lord. Do it for your God, who made the heavens and earth.... and you!
August 7
“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8–9, NLT)

There will be days when your view of God will dim. You may find yourself in the middle of a crisis and unable to see God’s presence near you. Your loss of spiritual connection might occur because of depression. It might feel that God is absent when you’ve lost someone close and are grieving. During moments like these, God's presence might feel elusive. You might not see evidence of God in your day. Your faith might ebb, and you will wonder, “I can’t see God. Is God still close to me? Does God care?”
“Some years ago, a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of the mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen and selfish.
The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on God’s majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross.” (Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment, p. 289)
Losing sight of God’s presence in your life can make you feel alone, unloved, despondent. That feeling of overwhelming emptiness can suck the life out of your days. Like those mountain climbers in the story above, when you can’t see your goal, the trek becomes more difficult. Spiritually, when you can’t see God’s place in your life or feel the joy of knowing you are heaven-bound; life can be filled with dark places and lonely spaces. You might feel lost as well as alone.
Hebrews 6:19 calls hope in Jesus and in His resurrection “a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul”. Knowing Jesus, you always have hope in God’s sustenance and providence. God can always reach out into your life and do wonders. However, when God or Heaven get shrouded in doubt and uncertainty, it is easy to slip into depression or sadness, self-loathing or doubt. In those moments, it is important that you seek God. Look for God with all your heart. Read about God in scripture. Pray, asking for God’s presence to be made clearer. Reach out to those who have a strong faith and ask for help. You will again see God. It’s only a matter of time.
In the scripture for today, Peter rejoices with his Christian readers. Though Peter himself was an eyewitness to the risen Jesus, many of Peter’s readers had never seen Jesus alive or resurrected. As Peter thought about this, he penned the words for today: “You love Him (Jesus), even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him” (1 Peter 1:8). Peter goes on to say that not only does he “rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy”, but he believes that this kind of faith in Jesus will result in a reward. Peter is sure that those who trust in Jesus, even when they can’t see the fullness of His glory, will receive a salvation for their souls because of this true faith (1 Peter 1:9). If you have faith in Christ long enough, it will be rewarded. God will bless your search, when true faith is involved.
Though constantly suffering from physical problems, I was able to do some amazing things. When I lived in North Carolina, I worked for months to go on a charity bike ride of forty miles. Most people will never be able to bike that far. In my younger years, I rode well over one hundred miles. But, as I grew older and my physical disability grew worse, I had to give up many things. I could no longer play tennis. I gave up basketball. I walked less and less. However, I found that for many years, I still could ride a bike. My neurosurgeon told me to ride as long as I could. He then warned me, “When you stop riding, I fear your days are numbered and you will soon be in a hospital bed for the rest of your life.” To help me keep my promise to this doctor to remain on my bike as long as possible, I set goals. When living in North Carolina, a charity bike ride was one of my goals. It was a tough goal, but I was determined to do it.
I trained for months, riding my bike in all kinds of weather. I started at four miles, then five, then six, then more. After months, I was up to bicycling twenty-two miles. It was the best I could do for training. I wondered if I’d make the forty-mile trek, though I’d be able to stop every ten miles to rest for a few minutes. It helped knowing my sponsors were highly supportive of my attempt.
When the day of the ride came, I started off with over two hundred riders. At the first checkpoint, most of them were still on their bikes. By the twenty-mile mark, we’d lost a dozen or so riders. I remember passing one guy at mile twenty-nine who was struggling. I told him that we could do it! He looked doubtful but decided to ride behind me. We struggled but tried to encourage one another. Then, a young woman joined us. She had strong legs. We both followed her for ten miles. With only one mile to go, us two older men were struggling. I wanted badly to quit. However, I didn’t. All three of us crossed the finish line together. It was a day I will never forget. It was beautiful.
Later, the man who completed the tour with me said, “I wouldn’t have made it without you. Thanks.” I responded with the same. Both of us found the courage to keep going by working together.
It’s sometimes hard to make it in life when you can’t feel God’s presence beside you. When God’s Holy Spirit feels absent, it can make life’s journey difficult. In moments like that, have faith that you’ll see God again soon. That’s why it’s called “faith”. You need to keep trusting in God, even when God doesn’t feel present around you. God is there. You just can’t see Him well at times.
When God doesn’t feel present and life gets difficult, God will often put another person beside you to lean on during the journey. God will beat down an obstacle or minimize the pain somehow. Look for these signs of God’s presence. They will all help until you see God again. And then, your faith will be rewarded as promised.
Have you seen God working in your life lately? Good! It may be that you will be the perfect companion for someone who is struggling with faith. Have you lost sight of God and find your faith is wavering? Read scripture. Read a good book about God’s providence. Look for a person sent by God to lean on. Look for signs of God’s presence. Look for little ways that God eases the journey. Get excited about Heaven. You do know that Heaven will be your ultimate reward someday, right? Have some faith, will ya!
“Some years ago, a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of the mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen and selfish.
The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on God’s majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross.” (Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment, p. 289)
Losing sight of God’s presence in your life can make you feel alone, unloved, despondent. That feeling of overwhelming emptiness can suck the life out of your days. Like those mountain climbers in the story above, when you can’t see your goal, the trek becomes more difficult. Spiritually, when you can’t see God’s place in your life or feel the joy of knowing you are heaven-bound; life can be filled with dark places and lonely spaces. You might feel lost as well as alone.
Hebrews 6:19 calls hope in Jesus and in His resurrection “a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul”. Knowing Jesus, you always have hope in God’s sustenance and providence. God can always reach out into your life and do wonders. However, when God or Heaven get shrouded in doubt and uncertainty, it is easy to slip into depression or sadness, self-loathing or doubt. In those moments, it is important that you seek God. Look for God with all your heart. Read about God in scripture. Pray, asking for God’s presence to be made clearer. Reach out to those who have a strong faith and ask for help. You will again see God. It’s only a matter of time.
In the scripture for today, Peter rejoices with his Christian readers. Though Peter himself was an eyewitness to the risen Jesus, many of Peter’s readers had never seen Jesus alive or resurrected. As Peter thought about this, he penned the words for today: “You love Him (Jesus), even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him” (1 Peter 1:8). Peter goes on to say that not only does he “rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy”, but he believes that this kind of faith in Jesus will result in a reward. Peter is sure that those who trust in Jesus, even when they can’t see the fullness of His glory, will receive a salvation for their souls because of this true faith (1 Peter 1:9). If you have faith in Christ long enough, it will be rewarded. God will bless your search, when true faith is involved.
Though constantly suffering from physical problems, I was able to do some amazing things. When I lived in North Carolina, I worked for months to go on a charity bike ride of forty miles. Most people will never be able to bike that far. In my younger years, I rode well over one hundred miles. But, as I grew older and my physical disability grew worse, I had to give up many things. I could no longer play tennis. I gave up basketball. I walked less and less. However, I found that for many years, I still could ride a bike. My neurosurgeon told me to ride as long as I could. He then warned me, “When you stop riding, I fear your days are numbered and you will soon be in a hospital bed for the rest of your life.” To help me keep my promise to this doctor to remain on my bike as long as possible, I set goals. When living in North Carolina, a charity bike ride was one of my goals. It was a tough goal, but I was determined to do it.
I trained for months, riding my bike in all kinds of weather. I started at four miles, then five, then six, then more. After months, I was up to bicycling twenty-two miles. It was the best I could do for training. I wondered if I’d make the forty-mile trek, though I’d be able to stop every ten miles to rest for a few minutes. It helped knowing my sponsors were highly supportive of my attempt.
When the day of the ride came, I started off with over two hundred riders. At the first checkpoint, most of them were still on their bikes. By the twenty-mile mark, we’d lost a dozen or so riders. I remember passing one guy at mile twenty-nine who was struggling. I told him that we could do it! He looked doubtful but decided to ride behind me. We struggled but tried to encourage one another. Then, a young woman joined us. She had strong legs. We both followed her for ten miles. With only one mile to go, us two older men were struggling. I wanted badly to quit. However, I didn’t. All three of us crossed the finish line together. It was a day I will never forget. It was beautiful.
Later, the man who completed the tour with me said, “I wouldn’t have made it without you. Thanks.” I responded with the same. Both of us found the courage to keep going by working together.
It’s sometimes hard to make it in life when you can’t feel God’s presence beside you. When God’s Holy Spirit feels absent, it can make life’s journey difficult. In moments like that, have faith that you’ll see God again soon. That’s why it’s called “faith”. You need to keep trusting in God, even when God doesn’t feel present around you. God is there. You just can’t see Him well at times.
When God doesn’t feel present and life gets difficult, God will often put another person beside you to lean on during the journey. God will beat down an obstacle or minimize the pain somehow. Look for these signs of God’s presence. They will all help until you see God again. And then, your faith will be rewarded as promised.
Have you seen God working in your life lately? Good! It may be that you will be the perfect companion for someone who is struggling with faith. Have you lost sight of God and find your faith is wavering? Read scripture. Read a good book about God’s providence. Look for a person sent by God to lean on. Look for signs of God’s presence. Look for little ways that God eases the journey. Get excited about Heaven. You do know that Heaven will be your ultimate reward someday, right? Have some faith, will ya!
August 9
“For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.” (Hebrews 4:2, NIV84)

It’s called “a leap of faith” for a reason. There comes a time in your life when you have to decide if you will take that leap of faith, believe with your whole heart even if you don’t have all the answers. When a woman falls in love, she is taking a leap of faith. She cannot know 100% if her object of interest has the same feelings or what the future may hold. When a person does something new, they take a leap of faith that it will be safe. For example, a person who skydives takes a leap of faith that the parachute will open and that the physics behind that choice is sound. The person could be wrong.
So many things in life take a leap of faith. Some people make that leap. Some are too afraid to have faith. Some are overly rational, and will fight any leap of faith, and thus will limit themselves to only what they can perceive with their limited senses. Some people, after being damaged by a leap of faith in someone, will have a hard time taking a leap of faith again…. even with God. Leaps of faith are incredibly common in the world, contrary to what people of science will tell you. It takes a leap of faith to believe that breathable air is in a room. You can’t see the oxygen and nitrogen content. You can’t see noxious fumes. You don’t know if methane gas has driven out the air in a room. You assume the air in the next room is breathable. Yet, you think nothing of taking that leap of faith and going from room to room and breathing. When you drive down the road, you don’t know if you will have an accident. You can do everything in your power to protect yourself and keep your family safe, but driving a car takes a leap of faith. You don’t know if someone will fall asleep at the wheel and careen into your car, causing a head-on collision. You don’t know if the mechanic who fixed your car had a bad day and forgot to connect that brake line. You just take a leap of faith that your mechanic knows what he is doing.
When it comes to spiritual matters, people who are too afraid or are overly rational will often fail to trust in God. They will not take a leap of faith when required. Sadly, it may result in their missing out on a wonderful spiritual life.
When Summer was young, she went to a Baptist Church in the south. Her parents expected her to attend worship and Sunday School. While in High School, Summer fooled around and got pregnant. Her pastor condemned her actions and told her that she was living in sin. He used highly inflammatory language and was overly critical. It’s not that she hadn’t sinned. She knew that. It was the disgusted and demeaning way her pastor treated her that caused her to reject church and later, to separate herself from God and church people.
When Summer turned twenty-nine, she met a man for whom she fell deeply in love. He was great with her daughter. He was a great soulmate. There was one problem with him… he was a Christian from a Southern Baptist Church. He wanted to get married in his church. She didn’t want to go back to church anywhere. It caused them several discussions and arguments. Summer thought about giving up her soulmate.. that’s how much she didn’t want to be around church people or their God.
Just before breaking off their engagement, Summer decided to go to his church just once. For him. While there, she didn’t feel resentful eyes upon her. She didn’t feel judged. She felt uncomfortable, sure. But these people treated her and her daughter very well. She went a few more times. Then, one Sunday, as the pastor spoke, she felt something stirring in her heart. The sermon touched her soul. For that one brief moment, she let herself feel something. She felt something coming alive in her. Two weeks later, she took a leap of faith and asked God to come into her life. Thereafter, the differences in her were night and day. She no longer saw her husband’s faith as a problem in their relationship. Instead, it was a strength. She began to see other signs of God’s presence in her life that had been missing before. She perceived a difference in herself and in her relationships. Not long after, Summer married her soul mate. Her daughter was the maid of honor at the wedding. That leap of faith changed her, her family, and her relationships. That leap of faith changed everything.
Unless you take a leap of faith at required times, you will never understand what you might be missing. Yes, there will be times that leap will fail. Sometimes, that failure will actually be what you need! However, a true leap of complete faith in God will not fail you. Trust me on that one. I’ve seen it thousands of times before. People like Summer, who take an honest and forthright leap for God, usually become much better people. They are often the ones that become “the heart and soul of the family”. Not all Christians take true leaps of faith in God. Some go to church out of obligation. No leap of faith is required there. Some are Christians in name only… no faith is present whatsoever. True followers of Jesus know what its like to take leaps of faith. They also know the great value of making that leap for a Savior.
In our scripture for today from Hebrews, the writer laments that for some people the gospel message wasn’t enough. The gospel was “of no value to them” (Hebrews 4:2). Those people could not accept the gospel, because they could not “combine it with faith”. If you come to this web site looking for spiritual connection with God, chances are good that you have taken a leap of faith where the gospel message did touch your soul. I pray you do not give up on God, no matter what befalls you. I pray you do not become one of those shallow Christians who don’t continue to take leaps of faith with God.
Is there an area of your life where God wants you to take another leap of faith? Are you afraid to take leaps of faith due to past failures or regrets? Has your passion in God been lost to a self-centered reality in which leaps of faith are no longer present?
When was the last time you took a leap of faith for God? In the days of Hebrews, the gospel message failed to reach those who were incapable of a leap of faith. I hope you are never counted among those who fail to take leaps of faith with God. Often, its after those leaps of faith that God desires you to take that life really becomes interesting!
So many things in life take a leap of faith. Some people make that leap. Some are too afraid to have faith. Some are overly rational, and will fight any leap of faith, and thus will limit themselves to only what they can perceive with their limited senses. Some people, after being damaged by a leap of faith in someone, will have a hard time taking a leap of faith again…. even with God. Leaps of faith are incredibly common in the world, contrary to what people of science will tell you. It takes a leap of faith to believe that breathable air is in a room. You can’t see the oxygen and nitrogen content. You can’t see noxious fumes. You don’t know if methane gas has driven out the air in a room. You assume the air in the next room is breathable. Yet, you think nothing of taking that leap of faith and going from room to room and breathing. When you drive down the road, you don’t know if you will have an accident. You can do everything in your power to protect yourself and keep your family safe, but driving a car takes a leap of faith. You don’t know if someone will fall asleep at the wheel and careen into your car, causing a head-on collision. You don’t know if the mechanic who fixed your car had a bad day and forgot to connect that brake line. You just take a leap of faith that your mechanic knows what he is doing.
When it comes to spiritual matters, people who are too afraid or are overly rational will often fail to trust in God. They will not take a leap of faith when required. Sadly, it may result in their missing out on a wonderful spiritual life.
When Summer was young, she went to a Baptist Church in the south. Her parents expected her to attend worship and Sunday School. While in High School, Summer fooled around and got pregnant. Her pastor condemned her actions and told her that she was living in sin. He used highly inflammatory language and was overly critical. It’s not that she hadn’t sinned. She knew that. It was the disgusted and demeaning way her pastor treated her that caused her to reject church and later, to separate herself from God and church people.
When Summer turned twenty-nine, she met a man for whom she fell deeply in love. He was great with her daughter. He was a great soulmate. There was one problem with him… he was a Christian from a Southern Baptist Church. He wanted to get married in his church. She didn’t want to go back to church anywhere. It caused them several discussions and arguments. Summer thought about giving up her soulmate.. that’s how much she didn’t want to be around church people or their God.
Just before breaking off their engagement, Summer decided to go to his church just once. For him. While there, she didn’t feel resentful eyes upon her. She didn’t feel judged. She felt uncomfortable, sure. But these people treated her and her daughter very well. She went a few more times. Then, one Sunday, as the pastor spoke, she felt something stirring in her heart. The sermon touched her soul. For that one brief moment, she let herself feel something. She felt something coming alive in her. Two weeks later, she took a leap of faith and asked God to come into her life. Thereafter, the differences in her were night and day. She no longer saw her husband’s faith as a problem in their relationship. Instead, it was a strength. She began to see other signs of God’s presence in her life that had been missing before. She perceived a difference in herself and in her relationships. Not long after, Summer married her soul mate. Her daughter was the maid of honor at the wedding. That leap of faith changed her, her family, and her relationships. That leap of faith changed everything.
Unless you take a leap of faith at required times, you will never understand what you might be missing. Yes, there will be times that leap will fail. Sometimes, that failure will actually be what you need! However, a true leap of complete faith in God will not fail you. Trust me on that one. I’ve seen it thousands of times before. People like Summer, who take an honest and forthright leap for God, usually become much better people. They are often the ones that become “the heart and soul of the family”. Not all Christians take true leaps of faith in God. Some go to church out of obligation. No leap of faith is required there. Some are Christians in name only… no faith is present whatsoever. True followers of Jesus know what its like to take leaps of faith. They also know the great value of making that leap for a Savior.
In our scripture for today from Hebrews, the writer laments that for some people the gospel message wasn’t enough. The gospel was “of no value to them” (Hebrews 4:2). Those people could not accept the gospel, because they could not “combine it with faith”. If you come to this web site looking for spiritual connection with God, chances are good that you have taken a leap of faith where the gospel message did touch your soul. I pray you do not give up on God, no matter what befalls you. I pray you do not become one of those shallow Christians who don’t continue to take leaps of faith with God.
Is there an area of your life where God wants you to take another leap of faith? Are you afraid to take leaps of faith due to past failures or regrets? Has your passion in God been lost to a self-centered reality in which leaps of faith are no longer present?
When was the last time you took a leap of faith for God? In the days of Hebrews, the gospel message failed to reach those who were incapable of a leap of faith. I hope you are never counted among those who fail to take leaps of faith with God. Often, its after those leaps of faith that God desires you to take that life really becomes interesting!
August 11
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24, NRSV)

Psalm 139 ends with the words written above. It concludes with a test. David, who penned these words, wanted God to test him. The gist of that test would include what was in David’s heart. God was to search through David’s thoughts to see “if there was any wicked way” in him (Psalm 139:34). In response to this test, David wanted God to then lead him “in the way of understanding”. The test was a simple one. God was to look into David’s heart and test his way of thinking. It was there that God would find if and how David was really holy before God.
Your thoughts can tell a lot about who you really are at your core. They betray your innermost dialogue. They speak to your wants and needs. They reveal your inner turmoil or deepest fears. Those thoughts will ultimately work through into your heart and mind and affect what you say and do. David knew all this. Therefore, he knew that if he was to be holy before God, he needed to allow God to examine and test his innermost thoughts and self-dialogue.
You might think your thoughts are not as important as your actions. In a way, you are right. God judges you mostly based on your actions. The Ten Commandments of the Old Testament contain important laws that include actions including stealing, adultery, murder, lying, worshiping idols, swearing, worshiping on the sabbath, and honoring your parents. However, those same commandments also begin and end with commands that test your thoughts. “You shall have no other gods before me” is the first commandment. It speaks to issues of the heart. It demands that you not place your ultimate faith in anything but God Almighty. “Thou shalt not covet”, the last commandment, demands you not feel envious or jealous about what another person possesses. Both of these commandments look more toward your innermost dialogue, what lies in your heart of hearts. To be holy, the commandments teach you to be outwardly and inwardly faithful to God.
In the movie “The Return of the Jedi” (Star Wars VI), there is an interesting dialogue when young hero Luke Skywalker meets his nemesis, Darth Vader. Both have what is called, “the force”. The force enables each to peer into the heart and mind of the other. They can read thoughts. In the dialogue of this movie, Luke looks into Vader’s thoughts and then says, “Your thoughts betray you…”. In the same way that Luke saw that Vader’s thoughts were betraying him, your thoughts also tell God what is at the core of your self-dialogue. Your thoughts will confirm or betray your true motives and inspiration. They will tell what you think and reveal what you really believe. That’s why David asked God to test him by examining the thoughts in his heart. David knew that those thoughts reveal a lot about your true motives in life, what you believe, what you lie about, your true identity.
Looking closely at these verses, David had an absolute faith that God can and would test his thoughts. God has the ability to read your mind and heart and soul. God is not limited. God cannot be bamboozled. You cannot hide your real self from God. Your innermost thoughts will betray you, open you up to God, reveal your soul. So, the next time that God reads you thoughts and tests them, what will God find? How well do your thoughts confirm or betray what others see in you? If you can’t hide your thoughts from God, what do these thoughts say about your view of the world? Do you live one way and think another? You can’t hide your true self from God!
In 2016, Blair Thill penned the following words: “We all have parts of ourselves that we hide — secrets that we lock in the vault inside ourselves, and throw away the key so no one can access them. Those parts and secrets run the gamut. Sometimes you're hiding because of a systemic and societal stigma, but other times you're hiding something deeply personal that you consider shameful.
I've been down this road before, personally. Throughout high school and college, I kept a secret from practically everyone but my immediate family. Like many people, I tried convincing myself that doing so didn't affect me. I reasoned that keeping that secret didn't change who I was, so it wasn't intruding into other areas of my life.
But I realized over time that I was wrong. It undoubtedly affected my relationships, and it was eating away at my soul: Because I wasn't giving all of myself over to the people I was trying to get close to, it made it that much more difficult for others to genuinely connect with me. Every time I was reminded of my secret, I felt its full weight on my shoulders.”
What Blair so eloquently wrote reveals what everyone does at one time or another. We lock away thoughts inside ourselves. We hide our secret fears or self-loathing. The guilt or shame or resentment or anger eats away inside one’s heart and soul. Our thoughts betray us. God sees it all.
What kinds of thoughts have been eating away at you lately? Have you been overly self-critical? Does anger fester in the back of your mind? Does your faith take a back seat to some doubt or fear? Do hypocritical judgments reside often in your thoughts? Is there a bias or hatred that bubbles away? Does anxiety keep you up at night?
If you were tested or put on trial for what you thought this week, what would the jury find? What would God see?
Your thoughts can tell a lot about who you really are at your core. They betray your innermost dialogue. They speak to your wants and needs. They reveal your inner turmoil or deepest fears. Those thoughts will ultimately work through into your heart and mind and affect what you say and do. David knew all this. Therefore, he knew that if he was to be holy before God, he needed to allow God to examine and test his innermost thoughts and self-dialogue.
You might think your thoughts are not as important as your actions. In a way, you are right. God judges you mostly based on your actions. The Ten Commandments of the Old Testament contain important laws that include actions including stealing, adultery, murder, lying, worshiping idols, swearing, worshiping on the sabbath, and honoring your parents. However, those same commandments also begin and end with commands that test your thoughts. “You shall have no other gods before me” is the first commandment. It speaks to issues of the heart. It demands that you not place your ultimate faith in anything but God Almighty. “Thou shalt not covet”, the last commandment, demands you not feel envious or jealous about what another person possesses. Both of these commandments look more toward your innermost dialogue, what lies in your heart of hearts. To be holy, the commandments teach you to be outwardly and inwardly faithful to God.
In the movie “The Return of the Jedi” (Star Wars VI), there is an interesting dialogue when young hero Luke Skywalker meets his nemesis, Darth Vader. Both have what is called, “the force”. The force enables each to peer into the heart and mind of the other. They can read thoughts. In the dialogue of this movie, Luke looks into Vader’s thoughts and then says, “Your thoughts betray you…”. In the same way that Luke saw that Vader’s thoughts were betraying him, your thoughts also tell God what is at the core of your self-dialogue. Your thoughts will confirm or betray your true motives and inspiration. They will tell what you think and reveal what you really believe. That’s why David asked God to test him by examining the thoughts in his heart. David knew that those thoughts reveal a lot about your true motives in life, what you believe, what you lie about, your true identity.
Looking closely at these verses, David had an absolute faith that God can and would test his thoughts. God has the ability to read your mind and heart and soul. God is not limited. God cannot be bamboozled. You cannot hide your real self from God. Your innermost thoughts will betray you, open you up to God, reveal your soul. So, the next time that God reads you thoughts and tests them, what will God find? How well do your thoughts confirm or betray what others see in you? If you can’t hide your thoughts from God, what do these thoughts say about your view of the world? Do you live one way and think another? You can’t hide your true self from God!
In 2016, Blair Thill penned the following words: “We all have parts of ourselves that we hide — secrets that we lock in the vault inside ourselves, and throw away the key so no one can access them. Those parts and secrets run the gamut. Sometimes you're hiding because of a systemic and societal stigma, but other times you're hiding something deeply personal that you consider shameful.
I've been down this road before, personally. Throughout high school and college, I kept a secret from practically everyone but my immediate family. Like many people, I tried convincing myself that doing so didn't affect me. I reasoned that keeping that secret didn't change who I was, so it wasn't intruding into other areas of my life.
But I realized over time that I was wrong. It undoubtedly affected my relationships, and it was eating away at my soul: Because I wasn't giving all of myself over to the people I was trying to get close to, it made it that much more difficult for others to genuinely connect with me. Every time I was reminded of my secret, I felt its full weight on my shoulders.”
What Blair so eloquently wrote reveals what everyone does at one time or another. We lock away thoughts inside ourselves. We hide our secret fears or self-loathing. The guilt or shame or resentment or anger eats away inside one’s heart and soul. Our thoughts betray us. God sees it all.
What kinds of thoughts have been eating away at you lately? Have you been overly self-critical? Does anger fester in the back of your mind? Does your faith take a back seat to some doubt or fear? Do hypocritical judgments reside often in your thoughts? Is there a bias or hatred that bubbles away? Does anxiety keep you up at night?
If you were tested or put on trial for what you thought this week, what would the jury find? What would God see?
August 13
“Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” (Proverbs 12:16, NIV)

“Pastor Don Baker relates a story of Rev. Tom Erickson: The public Library has a system called "Dial-A-Tale." Anytime a young child wants to hear a fairy tale, he can call the number and a voice comes on reading a short fairy tale to the listening young ear. However, the number is only one digit different from Rev. Tom Erickson. Because the small fingers often make a mistake, Tom gets frequent calls from a child listening for a fairy tale. After several unsuccessful attempts to explain a wrong number to the small child, Tom felt he had only one alternative. He obtained a copy of Three Little Pigs, and set it by the phone. Now, whenever a child calls, he simply reads them the tale. A beautiful illustration of yielding personal rights. he didn't, as you might have thought, change his telephone number to avoid the "invasion of his privacy."" (SermonIllustrations.com)
Now, it would be easy for Rev. Erickson to get frustrated and annoyed at the unfortunate calls he receives from children dialing the wrong number. He could let it ruffle his feathers, but instead he sees these calls as a chance to bless a child’s day, to take a break from his many tasks to influence positively a child’s life, to give a child a safe place to hear a story. So often, when annoyances break into our busy lives, they cause irritation. It is easy to lash out at the one who dared to interrupt our important tasks. But sometimes, God breaks into your world to do precisely that! God sends little interruptions, not to annoy you but to show you something, not to irritate you but to give a different perspective to the moment. You can learn to roll with those annoyances and irritations in life, or you can lash out and respond poorly. If you are one to get frustrated and annoyed, our scripture for today is a wake-up call. It is God’s little reminder that some of the annoyances in life have a divine purpose in them.
A man named Jairus came to see Jesus. He was a powerful man, a leader in the synagogue nearby (Mark 5:22). His purpose in looking for Jesus and visiting with him was that his daughter was very sick, even to the point of death. No doubt, Jairus had tried everything he could to help his daughter. In desperation, he sought out Jesus, who was known as a great healer and prophet. After only a few moments, Jesus and the disciples left to see Jairus’ daughter. A healing was about to happen.
However, along the way, Jesus was interrupted. A woman, who had an ailment that would not heal for twelve years, saw Jesus going to Jairus’ house. She thought to herself that if she could touch Jesus, she could be healed. She too knew of Jesus’ great healing powers. She quietly walked closer and closer to Jesus, then reached out and touched him. Immediately she was healed. Jesus knew the healing had occurred and stopped the procession. He said, “Who touched me?” (Mark 5:30). Jesus wasn’t annoyed by the interruption in his trip to Jairus’ house. He was very aware of something miraculous that occurred along the way. He felt the healing by the power of the Holy Spirit. He recognized this as an important interruption to his day. Instead of getting annoyed and frustrated by the crowds and the woman who thrust herself upon Him, Jesus went with it. He sought out the woman. He wanted to see what God the Father, through the power of the Spirit, was doing in that moment.
So many people do not look for God in the midst of interruptions and annoyances. They are so busy reacting with frustration that they do not search for the divine amidst the annoyances. Rather than following the moment seeking God’s purpose in the interruption, they get bent out of shape at the intrusion in their plans for the day. How well do you handle annoyances in your life? Ever wondered if God was doing something special by breaking into your day with something seemingly innocuous?
In Proverbs 12:16, the wise author perceived a common practice among “fools”. Fools tend to “show their annoyances at once”. They get all bent out of shape and lash out when something doesn’t go their way. They let little things get to them. They can’t see beyond their own plans, their own agenda, their own business, to the deeper things in life. They lash out when a person dares to insult their intelligence or push their buttons. This scripture teaches that the wise or “prudent” person will be smart enough to overlook an insult. That person will not let others push his or her buttons, becoming annoyed at the slightest insult.
In these days when everybody seems to be taking offense, don’t let slights and insults take you away from seeing what is holy in your life. Using an interruption or annoyance, God might just be breaking through into your life with an inspiration. Be patient. When life's little annoyances intrude on your day, seek deeper spiritual meaning instead of getting upset and agitated and flustered. Sometimes, what might seem at first to be an annoyance, will in all reality be a teaching moment sent by God.
Now, it would be easy for Rev. Erickson to get frustrated and annoyed at the unfortunate calls he receives from children dialing the wrong number. He could let it ruffle his feathers, but instead he sees these calls as a chance to bless a child’s day, to take a break from his many tasks to influence positively a child’s life, to give a child a safe place to hear a story. So often, when annoyances break into our busy lives, they cause irritation. It is easy to lash out at the one who dared to interrupt our important tasks. But sometimes, God breaks into your world to do precisely that! God sends little interruptions, not to annoy you but to show you something, not to irritate you but to give a different perspective to the moment. You can learn to roll with those annoyances and irritations in life, or you can lash out and respond poorly. If you are one to get frustrated and annoyed, our scripture for today is a wake-up call. It is God’s little reminder that some of the annoyances in life have a divine purpose in them.
A man named Jairus came to see Jesus. He was a powerful man, a leader in the synagogue nearby (Mark 5:22). His purpose in looking for Jesus and visiting with him was that his daughter was very sick, even to the point of death. No doubt, Jairus had tried everything he could to help his daughter. In desperation, he sought out Jesus, who was known as a great healer and prophet. After only a few moments, Jesus and the disciples left to see Jairus’ daughter. A healing was about to happen.
However, along the way, Jesus was interrupted. A woman, who had an ailment that would not heal for twelve years, saw Jesus going to Jairus’ house. She thought to herself that if she could touch Jesus, she could be healed. She too knew of Jesus’ great healing powers. She quietly walked closer and closer to Jesus, then reached out and touched him. Immediately she was healed. Jesus knew the healing had occurred and stopped the procession. He said, “Who touched me?” (Mark 5:30). Jesus wasn’t annoyed by the interruption in his trip to Jairus’ house. He was very aware of something miraculous that occurred along the way. He felt the healing by the power of the Holy Spirit. He recognized this as an important interruption to his day. Instead of getting annoyed and frustrated by the crowds and the woman who thrust herself upon Him, Jesus went with it. He sought out the woman. He wanted to see what God the Father, through the power of the Spirit, was doing in that moment.
So many people do not look for God in the midst of interruptions and annoyances. They are so busy reacting with frustration that they do not search for the divine amidst the annoyances. Rather than following the moment seeking God’s purpose in the interruption, they get bent out of shape at the intrusion in their plans for the day. How well do you handle annoyances in your life? Ever wondered if God was doing something special by breaking into your day with something seemingly innocuous?
In Proverbs 12:16, the wise author perceived a common practice among “fools”. Fools tend to “show their annoyances at once”. They get all bent out of shape and lash out when something doesn’t go their way. They let little things get to them. They can’t see beyond their own plans, their own agenda, their own business, to the deeper things in life. They lash out when a person dares to insult their intelligence or push their buttons. This scripture teaches that the wise or “prudent” person will be smart enough to overlook an insult. That person will not let others push his or her buttons, becoming annoyed at the slightest insult.
In these days when everybody seems to be taking offense, don’t let slights and insults take you away from seeing what is holy in your life. Using an interruption or annoyance, God might just be breaking through into your life with an inspiration. Be patient. When life's little annoyances intrude on your day, seek deeper spiritual meaning instead of getting upset and agitated and flustered. Sometimes, what might seem at first to be an annoyance, will in all reality be a teaching moment sent by God.
August 15
“This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” (2 Chronicles 31:20–21, NIV)

Hezekiah, in the scripture above, is called a “good and right and faithful” man before God (2 Chronicles 31:20). He was a powerful and successful King of Judah. He was a close friend to Isaiah the prophet. He worshiped at the Temple and observed the law of God. It is also written in the scripture above that “he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly” doing what was right before God. Now, let’s look closely at his motivation. Hezekiah didn’t follow the law blindly. He worshiped the God who was behind the law. His motivation was not following rules and commands of God alone. He ultimately worshiped God first and foremost in his life.
Contrast Hezekiah with the Pharisees during New Testament times. They worshiped the law, often ignoring God. The law was their religion. It was their motivation. They assumed that if they followed the law, they would be considered righteous before God. It got to the point that the law became their main focus. They lost their connection with God, the one who gave the Law. Following the law without focusing on God will result in a skewed relationship with God. Whenever your motivation as a faithful person strays from God onto something or someone else, your relationship with God will deteriorate. Hezekiah followed the law in order to get closer to God. The pharisees followed the law in order to make themselves righteous. The motivations of each determined the outcome.
Whenever your motivation for important things in life strays from God, problems will always result. Consider the story of Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier of the 1950’s and 1960’s. “On February 11, 1962, Parade Magazine published the following brief account—itself a commentary on artificial motivation. At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, pugnacious lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch on it.
The priest took a liking to the boy, persuaded him to attend church school. This was preferable to doing household chores from which his devout parents excused him. By offering other inducements, the priest managed to teach the boy the four Gospels. In fact, he won a special prize for learning all four by heart and reciting them nonstop in church. Now, 60 years later, he still likes to recite Scriptures, but in a context that would horrify the old priest. For the prize pupil, who memorized so much of the Bible, is Nikita Khrushchev, the former Communist czar. As this anecdote illustrates, the “why” behind memorization is fully as important as the “what”. The same Nikita Khrushchev who nimbly mouthed God’s Word when a child, later declared God to be nonexistent—because his cosmonauts had not seen Him.
Khrushchev memorized the Scriptures for the candy, the rewards, the bribes, rather than for the meaning it had for his life. Artificial motivation will produce artificial results.” (from 10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
You can be faithful to something or someone other than God. You can go to church without living in a relationship with God. You can follow the church rules and consider yourself a good Christian, but you do this in vain if God isn’t the main focus of your work. A child can memorize the Ten Commandments without being true to God. An adult can win prizes for not missing a church service for a year without even knowing Jesus Christ personally. If you want to know whether people are dedicated to Jesus Christ, you need to look at their motivations. Does the person go to worship to spend time with God and God’s people, or to satisfy an habitual practice? Does a person pray the Lord’s Prayer because its printed in the worship bulletin or because the person cares about its meaning to Jesus? Do you do spiritual things out of obligation to someone or to yourself, or are you motivated by your love of God?
You will never get beyond a shallow relationship with God if your motivations are not focused in the right places. Hezekiah was motivated by a love for God. The Pharisees were motivated by a love of the law. Khrushchev was motivated by candy. What are your motivations for spiritual matters? Do you attend worship out of obligation to yourself or another or out of love for Christ? Do you give your tithe because others know how much you give, or out of the spirit of generosity inspired by a respect of God? Do you pray out of habit or guilt or to get closer to your Lord? Motivation is key. To find out how much you love God, examine yourself to find your real motivations for everything you do spiritually. Your motivations tell God so much about what you really believe.
Contrast Hezekiah with the Pharisees during New Testament times. They worshiped the law, often ignoring God. The law was their religion. It was their motivation. They assumed that if they followed the law, they would be considered righteous before God. It got to the point that the law became their main focus. They lost their connection with God, the one who gave the Law. Following the law without focusing on God will result in a skewed relationship with God. Whenever your motivation as a faithful person strays from God onto something or someone else, your relationship with God will deteriorate. Hezekiah followed the law in order to get closer to God. The pharisees followed the law in order to make themselves righteous. The motivations of each determined the outcome.
Whenever your motivation for important things in life strays from God, problems will always result. Consider the story of Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier of the 1950’s and 1960’s. “On February 11, 1962, Parade Magazine published the following brief account—itself a commentary on artificial motivation. At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, pugnacious lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch on it.
The priest took a liking to the boy, persuaded him to attend church school. This was preferable to doing household chores from which his devout parents excused him. By offering other inducements, the priest managed to teach the boy the four Gospels. In fact, he won a special prize for learning all four by heart and reciting them nonstop in church. Now, 60 years later, he still likes to recite Scriptures, but in a context that would horrify the old priest. For the prize pupil, who memorized so much of the Bible, is Nikita Khrushchev, the former Communist czar. As this anecdote illustrates, the “why” behind memorization is fully as important as the “what”. The same Nikita Khrushchev who nimbly mouthed God’s Word when a child, later declared God to be nonexistent—because his cosmonauts had not seen Him.
Khrushchev memorized the Scriptures for the candy, the rewards, the bribes, rather than for the meaning it had for his life. Artificial motivation will produce artificial results.” (from 10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
You can be faithful to something or someone other than God. You can go to church without living in a relationship with God. You can follow the church rules and consider yourself a good Christian, but you do this in vain if God isn’t the main focus of your work. A child can memorize the Ten Commandments without being true to God. An adult can win prizes for not missing a church service for a year without even knowing Jesus Christ personally. If you want to know whether people are dedicated to Jesus Christ, you need to look at their motivations. Does the person go to worship to spend time with God and God’s people, or to satisfy an habitual practice? Does a person pray the Lord’s Prayer because its printed in the worship bulletin or because the person cares about its meaning to Jesus? Do you do spiritual things out of obligation to someone or to yourself, or are you motivated by your love of God?
You will never get beyond a shallow relationship with God if your motivations are not focused in the right places. Hezekiah was motivated by a love for God. The Pharisees were motivated by a love of the law. Khrushchev was motivated by candy. What are your motivations for spiritual matters? Do you attend worship out of obligation to yourself or another or out of love for Christ? Do you give your tithe because others know how much you give, or out of the spirit of generosity inspired by a respect of God? Do you pray out of habit or guilt or to get closer to your Lord? Motivation is key. To find out how much you love God, examine yourself to find your real motivations for everything you do spiritually. Your motivations tell God so much about what you really believe.
August 16
“Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9:61–62, RSV)

In the middle of a counseling session, a man turned to his wife and said, “I’m frustrated by your inability to be reasonable. I’m not happy in this marriage. I love you, but….” As these words poured forth, the woman held up her hand as he said, “but…”. She looked directly into his eyes and responded, “Why does your love for me always come with a “but”? Why do you say things like, “I like how you look, but…”, “I think you’re great, but…”, “You did a great job, but…”, “I love you, but…”? Why does there always have to be a “but”?”
When you put a “but” in a sentence, it implies you have a reservation. There are negatives. There is another side to the coin. If you say you love God, “but”, then you are implying to God that there are negatives to your relationship. I’ve known plenty of people who limited their relationships with “buts”. There are friends who limit the friendship to what is enjoyable. There are spouses who have limited love for one another, afraid of full commitment. People even limit their relationship with God. They think things like, “I love you God, but I can’t do this”, “I believe in you God, but I can’t tithe”, “Forgive me God, but I couldn’t help myself”. There are situations when a condition like “but” is important and useful. On the other hand, there are also moments when a “but” wrecks the whole conversation or relationship.
As an example to the point above, look at the scripture for today. While teaching, Jesus quoted a “would-be” follower who said, “I will follow you, Lord, BUT let me first say farewell to those at my home” (Luke 9:61). Jesus took the “but” in this sentence as a limitation. The person did not want to follow Jesus until he had done something “first”. Something stood in the person’s way before following Jesus. When you let something come first before God, putting conditions on the relationship, God does not take it kindly. If you will only follow Jesus if He is willing to accept your conditions, the relationship will not work. The "would-be" follower in this passage of Luke may have been sincere, but his need to go home before following Jesus set parameters to faith. Jesus wanted a total commitment by this man. Instead, Jesus got conditions and reservations.
Are there times you want to do what God tells you, BUT you have limitations or reservations? Are there times you delay doing what you know is right by God, because you have doubts? Do you hesitate to do something you know God wills out of fear or how it may look to others? It is never a good thing to put conditions in your relationship with God. No “ands, ifs, or buts” about it.
The opening years of the Civil War did not go well for the Union Army. They had several significant defeats at the Battle of Bull Run in 1861, the First Battle of Lexington in 1861, and the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. There were smaller skirmishes around these, but these big battles made the Union Army look weak and President Lincoln’s hopes for a quick end to the war look more and more in doubt. At a good number of battles in these years, Lincoln and some of his generals got very upset at losses where the Union Armies were well positioned. One time, Lincoln got so frustrated at the hesitancy and reluctance of the Union commander George McClellan, that Lincoln sent this commanding general a reprimand in one sentence: "If you don't want to use the army, I should like to borrow it for a while. Respectfully, A. Lincoln." (“Today in the Word”, July 18, 1993).
When you hesitate, put conditions on, and limit your relationship with God using “buts”, it won’t bode well. God already knows all the “buts” that could apply and is asking for your full commitment. Yes, there are times when you should stop and think about what is happening. There are situations where thoughtful wisdom is needed. However, when God wants something done now, why would you hesitate? If Jesus needs you to let something go immediately, why would you drag your feet? Jesus told the “would-be” follower in the scripture for today that “NO ONE who put his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). God, at times, wants total commitment for a task; not your doubts or restrictions.
Was there a time in your life when you hesitated and should not have? Are you dragging your feet on something that needs to be done right now? If God wants something done ASAP, what would ever make you want to wait? When several of the disciples were called to ministry by Jesus, one sentence was used in the Bible to describe their response to Jesus: “Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.” (Mark 1:18). They IMMEDIATELY left their nets… no hesitancy, no BUTS!
When you put a “but” in a sentence, it implies you have a reservation. There are negatives. There is another side to the coin. If you say you love God, “but”, then you are implying to God that there are negatives to your relationship. I’ve known plenty of people who limited their relationships with “buts”. There are friends who limit the friendship to what is enjoyable. There are spouses who have limited love for one another, afraid of full commitment. People even limit their relationship with God. They think things like, “I love you God, but I can’t do this”, “I believe in you God, but I can’t tithe”, “Forgive me God, but I couldn’t help myself”. There are situations when a condition like “but” is important and useful. On the other hand, there are also moments when a “but” wrecks the whole conversation or relationship.
As an example to the point above, look at the scripture for today. While teaching, Jesus quoted a “would-be” follower who said, “I will follow you, Lord, BUT let me first say farewell to those at my home” (Luke 9:61). Jesus took the “but” in this sentence as a limitation. The person did not want to follow Jesus until he had done something “first”. Something stood in the person’s way before following Jesus. When you let something come first before God, putting conditions on the relationship, God does not take it kindly. If you will only follow Jesus if He is willing to accept your conditions, the relationship will not work. The "would-be" follower in this passage of Luke may have been sincere, but his need to go home before following Jesus set parameters to faith. Jesus wanted a total commitment by this man. Instead, Jesus got conditions and reservations.
Are there times you want to do what God tells you, BUT you have limitations or reservations? Are there times you delay doing what you know is right by God, because you have doubts? Do you hesitate to do something you know God wills out of fear or how it may look to others? It is never a good thing to put conditions in your relationship with God. No “ands, ifs, or buts” about it.
The opening years of the Civil War did not go well for the Union Army. They had several significant defeats at the Battle of Bull Run in 1861, the First Battle of Lexington in 1861, and the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. There were smaller skirmishes around these, but these big battles made the Union Army look weak and President Lincoln’s hopes for a quick end to the war look more and more in doubt. At a good number of battles in these years, Lincoln and some of his generals got very upset at losses where the Union Armies were well positioned. One time, Lincoln got so frustrated at the hesitancy and reluctance of the Union commander George McClellan, that Lincoln sent this commanding general a reprimand in one sentence: "If you don't want to use the army, I should like to borrow it for a while. Respectfully, A. Lincoln." (“Today in the Word”, July 18, 1993).
When you hesitate, put conditions on, and limit your relationship with God using “buts”, it won’t bode well. God already knows all the “buts” that could apply and is asking for your full commitment. Yes, there are times when you should stop and think about what is happening. There are situations where thoughtful wisdom is needed. However, when God wants something done now, why would you hesitate? If Jesus needs you to let something go immediately, why would you drag your feet? Jesus told the “would-be” follower in the scripture for today that “NO ONE who put his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). God, at times, wants total commitment for a task; not your doubts or restrictions.
Was there a time in your life when you hesitated and should not have? Are you dragging your feet on something that needs to be done right now? If God wants something done ASAP, what would ever make you want to wait? When several of the disciples were called to ministry by Jesus, one sentence was used in the Bible to describe their response to Jesus: “Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.” (Mark 1:18). They IMMEDIATELY left their nets… no hesitancy, no BUTS!
August 20
Warning: If you have a "thin spiritual skin" or a chip on your shoulder, you will have problems with this meditation. Be aware that Satan can use your weakness to manipulate your understanding of the message for today. It takes a close relationship with God to comprehend the full meaning of this meditation.
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”” (Ezekiel 37:1–3, NIV84)
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”” (Ezekiel 37:1–3, NIV84)

It may be difficult to discern “spiritually stupid” statements said by Christians. Some of these statements are very common, even regularly spoken in churches. I call them “spiritually stupid”, because they go against all Christian reason and knowledge. Though sounding religious, they are not Biblical or godly. As an example, I’ve heard Christians say at funerals, “Your wife died because God wanted her home with him.” Stupid. God always wants us home with Him. This saying comes across as if God was jealous or upset that wife was here and God wanted her back in Heaven with Him. It sounds religious to some extent but isn’t quite faithful to scripture. Another common saying that sounds religious but is not faithful is often heard at weddings. I hear the phrase, “God put you together”. This may or may not be true. I’ve met many people who God didn’t put together but got married anyway. To assume that a person who is getting married was supposed to get married in God’s eyes can be far from the truth. The last time I heard this was at a wedding where the two got married because of a pregnancy. The bride was six months pregnant and showing. The pastor mentioned in the sermon how the couple was “brought there to the altar by God”. For some couples, it would be more possible that a shotgun brought them to the altar than God.
Many Christians repeat commonly heard statements about God or God’s intentions without thinking that the statements are not very faithful in the least. Oswald Chambers often wrote about deep spiritual matters. He also was a strong evangelist and Bible scholar. He penned the following words: “Can that sinner be turned into a saint? Can that twisted life be put right? There is only one answer: ‘O Lord, Thou knowest, I don’t.’ Never trample in with religious common sense and say—"Oh, yes, with a little more Bible reading and devotion and prayer, I see how it can be done.”” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections; 1986) Chambers was critical of Christians who would say that if a man put forth a little more “work” in the religious department such as Bible reading or worship attendance, he could be saved. The people who think who say such things don’t get it. You don’t “get saved” by doing a little more reading of the Bible. You can’t begin a relationship with Jesus by just attending church services more often or praying more deeply. The connection with God comes from God’s work through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s God’s action that causes the Christian faith to become real, not extra works on the part of a person. You can’t pray a person into heaven or guilt a person into becoming faithful. A relationship with God takes connection between the person and God and is initiated by God. You will never have control over who is saved. You can only point the person toward God.
The prophet Ezekiel knew wholeheartedly that only God can save the lost or cleanse the soul. No amount of prayer or worship or wishing or hoping or begging can make a person holy. In the scripture for the day, written above, God offered Ezekiel a vision. In that vision, God took Ezekiel to a large valley full of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1). The bones were probably arranged as if a large army lost a great battle in that valley. The bones of the dead littered the scene. It was a picture of great loss. Instead of people full of life and love, that valley was littered with dead bones and lifeless skeletons. By way of teaching, God said through the power of the Spirit to Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Now, Ezekiel could have spouted stupid religious sayings, but he did not. Instead he stated the spiritually significant and Biblical truth, “O Lord God, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). It was a perfect statement. Only God can save the dead and lost. Only God can redeem the soul of a person. Only God can correct the wrongs. God allows the Holy Spirit to bring healing and wholeness and spiritual power to the situation. God is in control.
Spiritually stupid statements often take the control away from God. They may sound religious, but they are not righteous. A pastor who preaches at the funeral of an atheist that “He is in heaven now” is not faithful to God. The person who says to a friend, “Do what makes you happy” may not be helping a person’s relationship with God. The well-meaning person who says, “God made you this way”, isn’t helping the person who is going down the wrong path in life. There are so many sayings and adages that sound religious but in the end are not appropriate for true faith or representative of God in that moment.
According to the scripture for today, there are things that “only God knows”. We don’t have control over those things and should not assume we have any say over those matters. There are many times when God’s Spirit will cause you to say something deeply spiritual to address a situation. Don’t hold back. Say what God wills. Just don’t stray from what is spiritually correct. Don’t mistake the spiritually correct for the politically correct. True faith does not spout religious sounding phrases or politically correct half-truths. Spiritually wise statements exhibit clear belief in the power of God and knowledge of how the true God works.
As Christian leaders become more and more secularized and political, spiritually stupid statements can even be found coming from pulpits. As Christians read less and less of the Bible, spiritually stupid statements about the faith proliferate in the pews and online. Whereas the meaning of “stupid” is “a person lacking in intelligence or common sense”, spiritual stupidity is when a person claims to be faithful but speaks words that lack godly intelligence or common Biblical sense. Anyone is capable of spiritual stupidity. Anyone. God blesses the wise, not the foolish.
Are you quick to make religious statements that make others feel better but do not point them toward God? Do you work faithfully to increase your knowledge of God? Can others see that God is in control of your life? Are you better at being politically correct that biblically correct? There are words that can make others want to know more about God. Stupid religious statements often drive people away from God.
Many Christians repeat commonly heard statements about God or God’s intentions without thinking that the statements are not very faithful in the least. Oswald Chambers often wrote about deep spiritual matters. He also was a strong evangelist and Bible scholar. He penned the following words: “Can that sinner be turned into a saint? Can that twisted life be put right? There is only one answer: ‘O Lord, Thou knowest, I don’t.’ Never trample in with religious common sense and say—"Oh, yes, with a little more Bible reading and devotion and prayer, I see how it can be done.”” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections; 1986) Chambers was critical of Christians who would say that if a man put forth a little more “work” in the religious department such as Bible reading or worship attendance, he could be saved. The people who think who say such things don’t get it. You don’t “get saved” by doing a little more reading of the Bible. You can’t begin a relationship with Jesus by just attending church services more often or praying more deeply. The connection with God comes from God’s work through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s God’s action that causes the Christian faith to become real, not extra works on the part of a person. You can’t pray a person into heaven or guilt a person into becoming faithful. A relationship with God takes connection between the person and God and is initiated by God. You will never have control over who is saved. You can only point the person toward God.
The prophet Ezekiel knew wholeheartedly that only God can save the lost or cleanse the soul. No amount of prayer or worship or wishing or hoping or begging can make a person holy. In the scripture for the day, written above, God offered Ezekiel a vision. In that vision, God took Ezekiel to a large valley full of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1). The bones were probably arranged as if a large army lost a great battle in that valley. The bones of the dead littered the scene. It was a picture of great loss. Instead of people full of life and love, that valley was littered with dead bones and lifeless skeletons. By way of teaching, God said through the power of the Spirit to Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Now, Ezekiel could have spouted stupid religious sayings, but he did not. Instead he stated the spiritually significant and Biblical truth, “O Lord God, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). It was a perfect statement. Only God can save the dead and lost. Only God can redeem the soul of a person. Only God can correct the wrongs. God allows the Holy Spirit to bring healing and wholeness and spiritual power to the situation. God is in control.
Spiritually stupid statements often take the control away from God. They may sound religious, but they are not righteous. A pastor who preaches at the funeral of an atheist that “He is in heaven now” is not faithful to God. The person who says to a friend, “Do what makes you happy” may not be helping a person’s relationship with God. The well-meaning person who says, “God made you this way”, isn’t helping the person who is going down the wrong path in life. There are so many sayings and adages that sound religious but in the end are not appropriate for true faith or representative of God in that moment.
According to the scripture for today, there are things that “only God knows”. We don’t have control over those things and should not assume we have any say over those matters. There are many times when God’s Spirit will cause you to say something deeply spiritual to address a situation. Don’t hold back. Say what God wills. Just don’t stray from what is spiritually correct. Don’t mistake the spiritually correct for the politically correct. True faith does not spout religious sounding phrases or politically correct half-truths. Spiritually wise statements exhibit clear belief in the power of God and knowledge of how the true God works.
As Christian leaders become more and more secularized and political, spiritually stupid statements can even be found coming from pulpits. As Christians read less and less of the Bible, spiritually stupid statements about the faith proliferate in the pews and online. Whereas the meaning of “stupid” is “a person lacking in intelligence or common sense”, spiritual stupidity is when a person claims to be faithful but speaks words that lack godly intelligence or common Biblical sense. Anyone is capable of spiritual stupidity. Anyone. God blesses the wise, not the foolish.
Are you quick to make religious statements that make others feel better but do not point them toward God? Do you work faithfully to increase your knowledge of God? Can others see that God is in control of your life? Are you better at being politically correct that biblically correct? There are words that can make others want to know more about God. Stupid religious statements often drive people away from God.
August 22
“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”” (Mark 6:30–31, NIV84)

In the beginning of Mark 6, Jesus sent the disciples out to do ministry. He sent them two by two. They preached about repentance and faith. They anointed the sick and healed people. They cast out demons (Mark 6:12-13). It is considered by many to be one of the first missionary journeys of the disciples. They were very successful. However, when they returned, they were tired. Ministry is hard. It takes a lot of prayer to deal with the stress of dealing with evil. True healing takes a strong faith and dedication to God’s will. Seeing the disciples spiritually and physically exhausted, Jesus urged them to do three things in the scripture above. He asked them to “come with Him”. He asked them to pull themselves back to “a quiet place” to recover. And, He asked them to “get some rest”.
I think it is very important for your spiritual and physical health to listen to Jesus in these verses written above. His three requests of the disciples were not only relevant to their situation. They will, at times, be relevant to your situation. The disciples had done so much work on their missionary journey and in their work for the Lord that “they didn’t even have a chance to eat” (Mark 6:31). They were hungry, tired, and worn. Have you even been exhausted, hungry, tired or worn? When life takes its toll upon you, there will be crucial moments when Jesus will have the same conditions for you as He gave to the disciples. He will need you to 1) spend time with Him, 2) in a quiet place removed from stress, while you 3) get some needed rest. So many Christians do not take the time to follow these three commands of Jesus for those disciples who are weary and hurting. Do you?
Father Jerry had been working himself to exhaustion. Being the only priest in a town of seven thousand souls, of whom half were Roman Catholic, made him feel overwhelmed. At one point he told me he felt like “a sacrificial machine”. He was performing so many sacraments, services, funerals, hospital calls, nursing home visits and more, that he was hurting deeply. His body was ragged. When I saw him last, I was shocked how much weight he lost. Since he was the only priest in the city, the church leaders and diocese kept putting off his vacations. He didn’t get a day off. Because he got no rest, Father Jerry had a breakdown. The last I heard, he had left the ministry to live with a relative.
Caroline was a committed and loving woman. She was very active in her church. She was hard-working and gifted. Despite having a difficult marriage with a husband who had serious psychological problems, she often pasted a smile on her face and went on with her daily work. Over time, her work ethic and increasing arguments at home took a toll upon her life. She and her husband yelled constantly, when they talked at all. Because of the medical bills of her husband’s illness, they were often hurting financially. The stresses ate away at her day and night. Years of these financial and psychological pressures gave rise to various illnesses. She was hit with depression. Then, she had back problems. Then, she got ulcers. The last time I saw Caroline, she had a hard time even smiling. Her joy was gone. She seldom felt peace in worship. Her prayer time was filled with too many anxieties for her to cope. She was a shell of the person she was earlier in life.
If you look at Father Jerry and Caroline, you will see commonalities. Both had a strong faith. Both were active in worship and church life. Both were very hard-working and gifted spiritually. However, both made the same mistakes. They did not follow Jesus’ commands to weary disciples. When life grew intense and stressful neither Father Jerry or Caroline followed Jesus’ words by 1) coming to Jesus by themselves, 2) taking quiet time to spend with Jesus, nor 3) getting some rest in the Lord. Neither one could take a vacation. Both loved being close to Jesus, but neither one was willing or able to get away and be with Jesus and rest in the Lord. They tried to fix and tackle every problem that came along. They worked to exhaustion and then some more. They didn’t take time to be with Jesus in a quiet place, spend time with the Lord in spiritual rest. They thought more work would fix their situation, when what was needed was some quiet time and rest with Jesus.
I find that Christians who do no follow all three of Jesus’ demands in the scripture for today are bound to fall apart either physically, emotionally, or spiritually (or all the above!). Some people take a vacation, but do not take that time to spend with Jesus. In doing so, they do not find spiritual peace. Some people spend time with Jesus in prayer but won’t fully rest in the Lord. Their physical bodies will often suffer from increased illnesses or a susceptibility to disease. Some people won’t allow themselves “quiet time” with Jesus. If you don’t remove yourself from a stressful environment to be with Jesus, you will find yourself unable to truly feel at rest in the Lord.
When life takes its toll and you are driven to exhaustion, do you follow Jesus’ commands to weary disciples as shown in these verses? Do you follow all three commands? You can NEVER find peace with the Lord if you don’t follow Jesus’ commands in these verses. Your soul needs what Jesus is teaching. Your body craves what Jesus desires in these verses. Your emotions cannot handle too much stress in the absence of a connection with your Lord. If you don’t spend critical moments with Jesus in prayer, and spend quiet time with Jesus in meditation, and take a real rest for your soul, how can you ever feel God’s comfort coming your way?
I think it is very important for your spiritual and physical health to listen to Jesus in these verses written above. His three requests of the disciples were not only relevant to their situation. They will, at times, be relevant to your situation. The disciples had done so much work on their missionary journey and in their work for the Lord that “they didn’t even have a chance to eat” (Mark 6:31). They were hungry, tired, and worn. Have you even been exhausted, hungry, tired or worn? When life takes its toll upon you, there will be crucial moments when Jesus will have the same conditions for you as He gave to the disciples. He will need you to 1) spend time with Him, 2) in a quiet place removed from stress, while you 3) get some needed rest. So many Christians do not take the time to follow these three commands of Jesus for those disciples who are weary and hurting. Do you?
Father Jerry had been working himself to exhaustion. Being the only priest in a town of seven thousand souls, of whom half were Roman Catholic, made him feel overwhelmed. At one point he told me he felt like “a sacrificial machine”. He was performing so many sacraments, services, funerals, hospital calls, nursing home visits and more, that he was hurting deeply. His body was ragged. When I saw him last, I was shocked how much weight he lost. Since he was the only priest in the city, the church leaders and diocese kept putting off his vacations. He didn’t get a day off. Because he got no rest, Father Jerry had a breakdown. The last I heard, he had left the ministry to live with a relative.
Caroline was a committed and loving woman. She was very active in her church. She was hard-working and gifted. Despite having a difficult marriage with a husband who had serious psychological problems, she often pasted a smile on her face and went on with her daily work. Over time, her work ethic and increasing arguments at home took a toll upon her life. She and her husband yelled constantly, when they talked at all. Because of the medical bills of her husband’s illness, they were often hurting financially. The stresses ate away at her day and night. Years of these financial and psychological pressures gave rise to various illnesses. She was hit with depression. Then, she had back problems. Then, she got ulcers. The last time I saw Caroline, she had a hard time even smiling. Her joy was gone. She seldom felt peace in worship. Her prayer time was filled with too many anxieties for her to cope. She was a shell of the person she was earlier in life.
If you look at Father Jerry and Caroline, you will see commonalities. Both had a strong faith. Both were active in worship and church life. Both were very hard-working and gifted spiritually. However, both made the same mistakes. They did not follow Jesus’ commands to weary disciples. When life grew intense and stressful neither Father Jerry or Caroline followed Jesus’ words by 1) coming to Jesus by themselves, 2) taking quiet time to spend with Jesus, nor 3) getting some rest in the Lord. Neither one could take a vacation. Both loved being close to Jesus, but neither one was willing or able to get away and be with Jesus and rest in the Lord. They tried to fix and tackle every problem that came along. They worked to exhaustion and then some more. They didn’t take time to be with Jesus in a quiet place, spend time with the Lord in spiritual rest. They thought more work would fix their situation, when what was needed was some quiet time and rest with Jesus.
I find that Christians who do no follow all three of Jesus’ demands in the scripture for today are bound to fall apart either physically, emotionally, or spiritually (or all the above!). Some people take a vacation, but do not take that time to spend with Jesus. In doing so, they do not find spiritual peace. Some people spend time with Jesus in prayer but won’t fully rest in the Lord. Their physical bodies will often suffer from increased illnesses or a susceptibility to disease. Some people won’t allow themselves “quiet time” with Jesus. If you don’t remove yourself from a stressful environment to be with Jesus, you will find yourself unable to truly feel at rest in the Lord.
When life takes its toll and you are driven to exhaustion, do you follow Jesus’ commands to weary disciples as shown in these verses? Do you follow all three commands? You can NEVER find peace with the Lord if you don’t follow Jesus’ commands in these verses. Your soul needs what Jesus is teaching. Your body craves what Jesus desires in these verses. Your emotions cannot handle too much stress in the absence of a connection with your Lord. If you don’t spend critical moments with Jesus in prayer, and spend quiet time with Jesus in meditation, and take a real rest for your soul, how can you ever feel God’s comfort coming your way?
August 24
“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.” (Exodus 23:2, NLT)

When I was young, it was common for children who wanted to get their way to plead their case using the following words: “But Dad! Everyone’s doing it!” There were other sayings closely aligned to this that we would throw at our parents to manipulate them: “But Charlie’s mom said it was Okay!”; “If I don’t get those clothes, I’ll never fit in!”; “Don’t you want people at school to like me?”. In thousands of little ways, children learn what buttons to push to manipulate others. And, the more adept that children get in their manipulations, the worse they tend to behave.
Children are not the only ones who try to manipulate others. Society is full of Political Action Committees, Social-Justice Warriors, Advocacy groups, political parties, Associations, and many other organizations whose sole purpose is to push an agenda to manipulate an outcome. There are many places in this world where people don’t want justice or fairness or what is right. They often want what’s best for them. Some people are willing to go a long way to bend you to their will.
“A few years ago, psychologist Ruth W. Berenda and her associates carried out an interesting experiment with teenagers designed to show how a person handled group pressure. The plan was simple. They brought groups of ten adolescents into a room for a test. Subsequently, each group of ten was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the group did not know was that nine of the others in the room had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the second-longest line.”
“Regardless of the instructions they heard, once they were all together in the group, the nine were not to vote for the longest line, but rather vote for the next to the longest line. The experiment began with nine teenagers voting for the wrong line. The stooge would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up with the group. The instructions were repeated, and the next card was raised. Time after time, the self-conscious stooge would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line, simply because he lacked the courage to challenge the group. This remarkable conformity occurred in about 75% of the cases and was true of small children and high-school students as well. Berenda concluded that, "Some people had rather be president than right," which is certainly an accurate assessment.” (Chuck Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 225)
What would get you to follow the crowd down a wrong path? Would peer pressure? Would financial pressure? Would threats of intimidation work against you? Just as children often find the best buttons to push against their parents to get their way, the world will find methods to mold and fit you into its beliefs and live in sin. Are you willing to stand up for the truth, for God, for what is right by God?
The scripture for today addresses the pressures of this world that conspire to make you side with what is wrong. It was written way back in the days of Moses but applies very adequately to today. This scripture from Exodus contains a warning to those who wanted to follow God’s law. It is a warning about justice and fairness in life as well as in a court of law. This law of God commands that you never “follow the crowd in doing wrong” (Exodus 23:2). When you are a witness in a dispute and called to testify before others, you are “not to be swayed by the crowd to twist justice”. You are to speak the truth before God and others. You are commanded by this law of God never to follow the crowd and in so doing, falsify the truth.
There are many people in the world who follow the crowd. They are swayed by polls or social media trends. They determine right and wrong not by the law of God, but by the fickle ideals of what is popular at the time. They judge good and bad by fads or by who has the most influence. Wherever right and wrong are fluid, justice cannot be upheld. Courts will be swayed by money and power and sentiment. Judges will decide base on political motivations. The law will be perverted.
How well do you stand up for God’s law and what is right in the eyes of God? Are you apt to side with whomever has the most influence? Do your words and attitudes change depending on who is listening? God expects you to know right from wrong, good from evil, faithful from faithless. If you never stand up for God’s truth and true justice, especially in the face of political and social pressures, you will never know what it really means to be a child of God.
Children are not the only ones who try to manipulate others. Society is full of Political Action Committees, Social-Justice Warriors, Advocacy groups, political parties, Associations, and many other organizations whose sole purpose is to push an agenda to manipulate an outcome. There are many places in this world where people don’t want justice or fairness or what is right. They often want what’s best for them. Some people are willing to go a long way to bend you to their will.
“A few years ago, psychologist Ruth W. Berenda and her associates carried out an interesting experiment with teenagers designed to show how a person handled group pressure. The plan was simple. They brought groups of ten adolescents into a room for a test. Subsequently, each group of ten was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the group did not know was that nine of the others in the room had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the second-longest line.”
“Regardless of the instructions they heard, once they were all together in the group, the nine were not to vote for the longest line, but rather vote for the next to the longest line. The experiment began with nine teenagers voting for the wrong line. The stooge would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up with the group. The instructions were repeated, and the next card was raised. Time after time, the self-conscious stooge would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line, simply because he lacked the courage to challenge the group. This remarkable conformity occurred in about 75% of the cases and was true of small children and high-school students as well. Berenda concluded that, "Some people had rather be president than right," which is certainly an accurate assessment.” (Chuck Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 225)
What would get you to follow the crowd down a wrong path? Would peer pressure? Would financial pressure? Would threats of intimidation work against you? Just as children often find the best buttons to push against their parents to get their way, the world will find methods to mold and fit you into its beliefs and live in sin. Are you willing to stand up for the truth, for God, for what is right by God?
The scripture for today addresses the pressures of this world that conspire to make you side with what is wrong. It was written way back in the days of Moses but applies very adequately to today. This scripture from Exodus contains a warning to those who wanted to follow God’s law. It is a warning about justice and fairness in life as well as in a court of law. This law of God commands that you never “follow the crowd in doing wrong” (Exodus 23:2). When you are a witness in a dispute and called to testify before others, you are “not to be swayed by the crowd to twist justice”. You are to speak the truth before God and others. You are commanded by this law of God never to follow the crowd and in so doing, falsify the truth.
There are many people in the world who follow the crowd. They are swayed by polls or social media trends. They determine right and wrong not by the law of God, but by the fickle ideals of what is popular at the time. They judge good and bad by fads or by who has the most influence. Wherever right and wrong are fluid, justice cannot be upheld. Courts will be swayed by money and power and sentiment. Judges will decide base on political motivations. The law will be perverted.
How well do you stand up for God’s law and what is right in the eyes of God? Are you apt to side with whomever has the most influence? Do your words and attitudes change depending on who is listening? God expects you to know right from wrong, good from evil, faithful from faithless. If you never stand up for God’s truth and true justice, especially in the face of political and social pressures, you will never know what it really means to be a child of God.
August 26
“All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again.” (Deuteronomy 17:13, NRSV)

While in the wilderness, traveling toward the promised land, the Israelites were given the law of God. Everything from the Ten Commandments to the Levitical laws were collated and written down. These laws told everything about how to live, how to behave, how to worship, and much more. The faith was codified for a people who had no Bible, no written history of God.
In Deuteronomy 17:8-13, there is recorded a law about how to handle murder and assault and other important sins against the law of God. In those verses, the judgement of right and wrong was to be determined by the Levitical priests. The priests were to know God and God’s law. Thus, they were to seek the facts in the case and make a righteous and fair judgment. However, there were those who self-righteously questioned the ability of the priests to make decisions in these cases. They doubted the ability of the priests to be fair or to abide by God’s law. They questioned God’s judgment on the matter. God expected the priests to follow God’s law. God expected the people to follow the judgments of the priests. To do anything else would break down the rule of law. Deuteronomy 17:10 cautions the followers of God to be “careful” to follow the judgment of the priests, who would administer God’s law in these difficult cases. Those not following God and God’s law and God’s appointed priests were considered “presumptuous”. Anyone not following the rule of God was considered “evil” (Deuteronomy 17:12). The verse above then declares that the people of God “will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again” (Deuteronomy 17:13).
According to this scripture, the “presumptuous” attitude among the sinful people was considered a danger to themselves and all of society. I want you to think deeply about this presumptuous attitude, this “sin of presumption”. The “sin of presumption” may easily poison your mind and church as easily as it poisoned the community in the days of Moses. In your heart, this sin may not occur in relation to murder or assault, but it may come in a more hidden form. Let me test you by asking a few questions. Do you make presumptions about people before you really know them? Do you presume to know better than others who are more knowledgeable than you? Do you make snap judgments about situations or people before having all the facts? The sin of presumption was dangerous in the days of Deuteronomy, but it is just as dangerous in your spiritual life today.
According to the dictionary, the definition of presumption is “an idea that is taken to be true although it is not known for certain.” When you make a presumption, you believe something to be true when it may not be. You might judge a person who looks like a criminal as a criminal. You might take a statement by your spouse to be an attack when instead it is an observation. You might believe a situation is bad for you when it is ultimately good for your soul. There are many, many ways to make presumptions. Sometimes, those presumptions can be sinful, just like your assumptions may be in error.
“A rabbi was forced by persecution to leave his homeland, according to an ancient Hebrew story, and to wander about in distant countries. His only earthly possessions, other than the clothing he wore and a copy of the Scriptures, were a lamp by which he studied and a donkey upon which he rode.
Late one evening, after a long day's journey, he came upon a small village where he sought shelter for the night. The villagers, however, turned him away. The only shelter this weary rabbi was able to find was next to a wall which surrounded a well on the outskirts of the village.
Trying to make the best of the situation, he lit his lamp and began to read from the Scriptures. Soon a violent wind arose and repeatedly blew out the lamp. Unable to read in the darkness, he reclined against the wall and tried to go to sleep. His rest was soon disturbed, however, by the nearby roar of a lion. He looked over the wall just in time to see the lion dragging his slaughtered donkey into the underbrush.
The rabbi was overwhelmed with distress, grief. and a sense of self-pity. He tried praying to God, but his prayers were hindered by the many complaints and embittered sentiments which kept going through his mind. Finally, in exhaustion, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning. upon awaking and coming from behind the shelter of the wall, he beheld a shocking sight. On the streets of the village lay the mutilated bodies of the villagers-slain by a vicious band of marauders who had descended from the hills during the night.
It was only then that the rabbi began to understand, and to put his losses in perspective. If the villagers had received him, he also would have been killed. If the wind had not repeatedly blown out his lamp, the attackers would have noticed the light and discovered him. If the lion had not killed and dragged away his donkey, its presence might have given him away.” (Al Maxey)
The Rabbi presumed that God had failed him, when in fact God had saved him. The Rabbi had assumed that his being turned away was a bad thing when it was a saving grace. When the wind kept putting out his reading light, the Rabbi saw it as a sign that he wasn’t to study the scriptures. When a lion attacked his donkey, the Rabbi figured it was a terrible setback. He was filled with self-pity and regret and frustration. He should have been filled with awe at the power and perfection of God. The sin of presumption made the Rabbi only see the bad, when in fact there were many signs of God’s Providence all around. That only became clear with the light of the next day.
Are there areas of your life in which the sin of presumption has led you down the wrong path? Have assumptions ruined your attitude until you found out the facts? Are you motivated by wrong ideas or emotional thinking instead of seeing with truthful eyes and a clear conscience? Don’t let your mind be filled with all kinds of “what-ifs” based on assumptions, presumptions, biases, and fears. Be careful of the sin of presumption. It will cause you untold worries and damage your relationship with God and others.
In Deuteronomy 17:8-13, there is recorded a law about how to handle murder and assault and other important sins against the law of God. In those verses, the judgement of right and wrong was to be determined by the Levitical priests. The priests were to know God and God’s law. Thus, they were to seek the facts in the case and make a righteous and fair judgment. However, there were those who self-righteously questioned the ability of the priests to make decisions in these cases. They doubted the ability of the priests to be fair or to abide by God’s law. They questioned God’s judgment on the matter. God expected the priests to follow God’s law. God expected the people to follow the judgments of the priests. To do anything else would break down the rule of law. Deuteronomy 17:10 cautions the followers of God to be “careful” to follow the judgment of the priests, who would administer God’s law in these difficult cases. Those not following God and God’s law and God’s appointed priests were considered “presumptuous”. Anyone not following the rule of God was considered “evil” (Deuteronomy 17:12). The verse above then declares that the people of God “will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again” (Deuteronomy 17:13).
According to this scripture, the “presumptuous” attitude among the sinful people was considered a danger to themselves and all of society. I want you to think deeply about this presumptuous attitude, this “sin of presumption”. The “sin of presumption” may easily poison your mind and church as easily as it poisoned the community in the days of Moses. In your heart, this sin may not occur in relation to murder or assault, but it may come in a more hidden form. Let me test you by asking a few questions. Do you make presumptions about people before you really know them? Do you presume to know better than others who are more knowledgeable than you? Do you make snap judgments about situations or people before having all the facts? The sin of presumption was dangerous in the days of Deuteronomy, but it is just as dangerous in your spiritual life today.
According to the dictionary, the definition of presumption is “an idea that is taken to be true although it is not known for certain.” When you make a presumption, you believe something to be true when it may not be. You might judge a person who looks like a criminal as a criminal. You might take a statement by your spouse to be an attack when instead it is an observation. You might believe a situation is bad for you when it is ultimately good for your soul. There are many, many ways to make presumptions. Sometimes, those presumptions can be sinful, just like your assumptions may be in error.
“A rabbi was forced by persecution to leave his homeland, according to an ancient Hebrew story, and to wander about in distant countries. His only earthly possessions, other than the clothing he wore and a copy of the Scriptures, were a lamp by which he studied and a donkey upon which he rode.
Late one evening, after a long day's journey, he came upon a small village where he sought shelter for the night. The villagers, however, turned him away. The only shelter this weary rabbi was able to find was next to a wall which surrounded a well on the outskirts of the village.
Trying to make the best of the situation, he lit his lamp and began to read from the Scriptures. Soon a violent wind arose and repeatedly blew out the lamp. Unable to read in the darkness, he reclined against the wall and tried to go to sleep. His rest was soon disturbed, however, by the nearby roar of a lion. He looked over the wall just in time to see the lion dragging his slaughtered donkey into the underbrush.
The rabbi was overwhelmed with distress, grief. and a sense of self-pity. He tried praying to God, but his prayers were hindered by the many complaints and embittered sentiments which kept going through his mind. Finally, in exhaustion, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning. upon awaking and coming from behind the shelter of the wall, he beheld a shocking sight. On the streets of the village lay the mutilated bodies of the villagers-slain by a vicious band of marauders who had descended from the hills during the night.
It was only then that the rabbi began to understand, and to put his losses in perspective. If the villagers had received him, he also would have been killed. If the wind had not repeatedly blown out his lamp, the attackers would have noticed the light and discovered him. If the lion had not killed and dragged away his donkey, its presence might have given him away.” (Al Maxey)
The Rabbi presumed that God had failed him, when in fact God had saved him. The Rabbi had assumed that his being turned away was a bad thing when it was a saving grace. When the wind kept putting out his reading light, the Rabbi saw it as a sign that he wasn’t to study the scriptures. When a lion attacked his donkey, the Rabbi figured it was a terrible setback. He was filled with self-pity and regret and frustration. He should have been filled with awe at the power and perfection of God. The sin of presumption made the Rabbi only see the bad, when in fact there were many signs of God’s Providence all around. That only became clear with the light of the next day.
Are there areas of your life in which the sin of presumption has led you down the wrong path? Have assumptions ruined your attitude until you found out the facts? Are you motivated by wrong ideas or emotional thinking instead of seeing with truthful eyes and a clear conscience? Don’t let your mind be filled with all kinds of “what-ifs” based on assumptions, presumptions, biases, and fears. Be careful of the sin of presumption. It will cause you untold worries and damage your relationship with God and others.
August 27
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11, ESV)

Because of the massive damage to my spine, I have places on my legs that are numb. Large portions of my lower left leg have little or no feeling. When my doctor tested my nerve response by putting a needle into my leg at various places, I still remember his shock at pushing a needle into my calf a quarter inch with no response. The nerve damage makes it so that the pain signal does not reach my brain.
With my leg so numb, I can do things others cannot. When I go outside in winter, my feet don’t get cold. I can walk in the snow, and it will not cause me any discomfort. However, I must be careful, because there is still a real danger that the snow could cause my feet to be seriously damaged, even though I can’t feel it. To be cautious, I protect my feet from the cold anyway, just to be safe.
The numbness in my feet is caused by nerves that are deadened to pain. According to the scripture for today, a person who is close to God can become deadened to sin. Just like my feet do not feel normal pain, people who are closer to God can at times not feel the prick of sin. They are deadened to the lure of specific sins. Their spiritual life and love of God makes them not desire some carnal pleasures to which others may be susceptible. You could thus say they are “dead” to these sins. They do not feel drawn to the sins. In the same way that standing in the sunshine on a cold day may make you not feel the bone-chilling cold, God’s warmth can make you feel love and no need for some worldly pleasures. However, what cannot be denied is that these worldly pleasures are always deadly. You must continue to protect yourself from their inherent dangers.
In Romans 6:11, written by the Apostle Paul, there is a clear reference to death and life. Paul penned these words to say that when you are “alive to God in Christ Jesus”, sin takes on a different tone. Its allure is less threatening. Sin’s pleasures are less attractive. If you find a particular sin to be a little too tempting, draw closer to God and the sin’s pull will be less extreme. If your mind is drawn toward the lusts of this world, use prayer and meditation and faithful friendships to keep you closer to God. If you are about to sin, throw yourself into something holy or into a mission for God. When you are most alive in Christ, sin’s temptations will be deadened. That’s why Alcoholics Anonymous has taught for many years to lean on your higher power to break the spell of addiction. God’s ability to deaden an addiction is powerful.
A soldier came home from the front lines with an addiction to alcohol. Because of it, his life went into a death spiral. His marriage suffered tremendously. His children felt uncomfortable around him. When drunk, he was self-destructive and obnoxious and denigrating. You didn’t want to be around him when he drank.
The soldier tried to break the addiction to alcohol using many methods. First, he tried going cold turkey. He sometimes went for months without a drink. However, he could only do this for so long and he would fall back into old patterns of drinking. Usually, some stress or problem would shake his life up and he would resort to drinking in order to cope. He tried other methods to stop the drinking. He saw a counselor. He tried medicines. Nothing seemed to work long-term, until he met Christ.
I was there as this soldier re-accepted Christ into his life. He realized that God was the only one who could help him to deal with the addiction and stress and pain he felt in his life. He threw himself on God’s grace. He worked through past sins. He made things right in his life. He became a great father and husband. When I saw him last, I asked how he was doing. He told me honestly that he had not been drinking since just after his re-commitment to Christ. After a bit of conversation, he confessed that though alcohol will always be a danger, most days he doesn’t crave it anymore. However, he does crave time with God. When he is too busy for prayer time, he gets anxious. When he hasn’t spent time with God for a few days, he feels disconnected with his soul. When he neglected time with his Christian friends, he missed the warmth of God’s Spirit that moved between them. The more my friend is connected to God, the more that he is deadened to the temptation of his addiction to alcohol.
Paul’s scripture for today is a reminder that a spiritual life that is alive and well is a deterrent to the power of sin. If you nourish your spiritual life and your relationship with God, you will be able to overcome great obstacles. Sin will not have such a sway over you. You will be less anxious. What might tempt others will have less pull over you.
Is there a sin in your life that seems a little too alluring? To deaden its effect, seek God. How can you draw closer to God today? Do you need to bask in the warmth of God today? What is stopping you from time for prayer and meditation? Is there a friend who keeps you grounded in the love of God? Re-commit yourself to seek God’s presence. There is so much joy and peace to experience when you are alive to God in Christ Jesus!
With my leg so numb, I can do things others cannot. When I go outside in winter, my feet don’t get cold. I can walk in the snow, and it will not cause me any discomfort. However, I must be careful, because there is still a real danger that the snow could cause my feet to be seriously damaged, even though I can’t feel it. To be cautious, I protect my feet from the cold anyway, just to be safe.
The numbness in my feet is caused by nerves that are deadened to pain. According to the scripture for today, a person who is close to God can become deadened to sin. Just like my feet do not feel normal pain, people who are closer to God can at times not feel the prick of sin. They are deadened to the lure of specific sins. Their spiritual life and love of God makes them not desire some carnal pleasures to which others may be susceptible. You could thus say they are “dead” to these sins. They do not feel drawn to the sins. In the same way that standing in the sunshine on a cold day may make you not feel the bone-chilling cold, God’s warmth can make you feel love and no need for some worldly pleasures. However, what cannot be denied is that these worldly pleasures are always deadly. You must continue to protect yourself from their inherent dangers.
In Romans 6:11, written by the Apostle Paul, there is a clear reference to death and life. Paul penned these words to say that when you are “alive to God in Christ Jesus”, sin takes on a different tone. Its allure is less threatening. Sin’s pleasures are less attractive. If you find a particular sin to be a little too tempting, draw closer to God and the sin’s pull will be less extreme. If your mind is drawn toward the lusts of this world, use prayer and meditation and faithful friendships to keep you closer to God. If you are about to sin, throw yourself into something holy or into a mission for God. When you are most alive in Christ, sin’s temptations will be deadened. That’s why Alcoholics Anonymous has taught for many years to lean on your higher power to break the spell of addiction. God’s ability to deaden an addiction is powerful.
A soldier came home from the front lines with an addiction to alcohol. Because of it, his life went into a death spiral. His marriage suffered tremendously. His children felt uncomfortable around him. When drunk, he was self-destructive and obnoxious and denigrating. You didn’t want to be around him when he drank.
The soldier tried to break the addiction to alcohol using many methods. First, he tried going cold turkey. He sometimes went for months without a drink. However, he could only do this for so long and he would fall back into old patterns of drinking. Usually, some stress or problem would shake his life up and he would resort to drinking in order to cope. He tried other methods to stop the drinking. He saw a counselor. He tried medicines. Nothing seemed to work long-term, until he met Christ.
I was there as this soldier re-accepted Christ into his life. He realized that God was the only one who could help him to deal with the addiction and stress and pain he felt in his life. He threw himself on God’s grace. He worked through past sins. He made things right in his life. He became a great father and husband. When I saw him last, I asked how he was doing. He told me honestly that he had not been drinking since just after his re-commitment to Christ. After a bit of conversation, he confessed that though alcohol will always be a danger, most days he doesn’t crave it anymore. However, he does crave time with God. When he is too busy for prayer time, he gets anxious. When he hasn’t spent time with God for a few days, he feels disconnected with his soul. When he neglected time with his Christian friends, he missed the warmth of God’s Spirit that moved between them. The more my friend is connected to God, the more that he is deadened to the temptation of his addiction to alcohol.
Paul’s scripture for today is a reminder that a spiritual life that is alive and well is a deterrent to the power of sin. If you nourish your spiritual life and your relationship with God, you will be able to overcome great obstacles. Sin will not have such a sway over you. You will be less anxious. What might tempt others will have less pull over you.
Is there a sin in your life that seems a little too alluring? To deaden its effect, seek God. How can you draw closer to God today? Do you need to bask in the warmth of God today? What is stopping you from time for prayer and meditation? Is there a friend who keeps you grounded in the love of God? Re-commit yourself to seek God’s presence. There is so much joy and peace to experience when you are alive to God in Christ Jesus!
August 29
“The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.” (Psalm 37:30–31, NIV)

"Falls account for nearly one-third of all non-fatal injuries in the United States. For some people, falls result in embarrassment, skinned knees or broken bones. For others, falls can signal the beginning of lifestyle changes – or even lead to death.
Every 20 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall, and many more are injured, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC data indicates:
Slips and falls are very dangerous, especially for older people. Because of this, doctors and groups have given many suggestions for safety improvements to be made around the home. There are many specialized helps you can get for your home to prevent slips and falls as well. Doctors and hospitals can prescribe walkers with wheels, walkers with seats, canes, grab railings, even fall pads for beds. Home builders can mount handholds for the bathroom and shower areas. Floor manufacturers and construction crews can put abrasive material on floors and concrete steps to help your feet find better traction. In a simple search, Amazon.com had over 10,000 different products to help people of all ages prevent slips and falls.
While our world does many, many things to help prevent slips and falls that result in broken bones or head trauma or worse, there is very little done to prevent people from spiritual or moral slips and falls. In fact, the modern world often encourages spiritual or moral failures. A study in 1989 found that teens were bombarded with more then 1200 messages about sexual infidelity each day. Television alone had on average fifteen displays or references to sexual behavior every hour. Hollywood idols constantly talk about their sexual orientation, sexual preferences, and addictions. Porn sites are some of the most common on the internet. Sports stars make national headlines with cases of domestic violence. Teen magazines promote ways to increase your attractiveness and how to handle abortions. Many state, local, and federal guidelines or laws even prohibit hospitals or doctors from letting parents know about a teen’s moral lapse, pregnancy, sexual problems, or addiction. It is hardly difficult to find information today about how to commit, hide, or get around all kinds of moral and spiritual slips and falls and failures.
Don’t you find it hypocritical that the modern world fights so hard to protect the body from slips and falls but encourages spiritual and moral slips and falls that can be just as disastrous to body and soul?
The scripture for today praises the righteous and virtuous persons of faith. It extols the “mouths of the righteous” that “utter wisdom” and “speak what is just” (Psalm 37:30). The very next verse of the Bible mentions that the faithful ones have “the law of God in their hearts”. This prevents their “feet from slipping” (Psalm 37:31). The reference to feet slipping is not meant to be a physical reference, but rather a spiritual and moral reference. In ancient times, when a person sinned, it was often thought of as a slip. When Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it was called “the Fall”. When a person blurts something wrong, it is called a “slip of the tongue”. Again, all these references talk about spiritual and moral slippages, where a person falls morally or fails to do God’s will.
Have you ever witnessed “the fall” of a person of faith? Have you ever seen a person’s feet slip into sin? According to the verses today, having God’s law in your heart can prevent you from moral and spiritual slip-ups in life. When you do not follow God’s ways, it is much easier to fall down a slippery slope of sin.
Carl worked in a hospital as an aide. It was a good job and he got to help a lot of people. He enjoyed what he did, though at times it was very physically demanding. After months on the job, Carl saw something he hadn’t noticed before. Some of the doctors and nurses put in long hours. When there were illnesses and job losses, the staff often had to fill in for those who were absent. Thrown together for many long days and/or nights, the nursing staff and doctors often found themselves attracted to each other. Like those who are thrown together in war, these good people often found themselves looking to each other for support and help. Sometimes, that nearness and the long hours encouraged affairs, adultery, and even the sharing of prescription drugs to help ease the pain. Carl told me that he saw many marriages go down the tubes by those who were in an atmosphere where work-related affairs were all too common.
When you are among certain people, you might find yourself more willing to commit a moral or spiritual sin. When filled with alcohol or drowning in grief, you are more prone to do something wrong. Stress and regrets can fuel bad choices or spur you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. In all these cases, your spiritual or moral feet may stumble or fall. After some of those falls, it may be difficult to get back up.
The scripture for today urges you to keep close to God and God’s ways in order to keep your feet from proverbial slippage. Keeping a strong connection with God can prevent you from a spiritual or moral fall. Those who do not have God in their lives are more prone to fail. They are a moral or spiritual accident waiting to happen. Don’t let that be you. Through prayer, keep close to God. Through Bible Study and meditation, keep your mind focused on God’s word. Through worship and spiritual friendships, keep one another faithful to what is right. Sometimes, all it takes is one big slip, and then……
Every 20 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall, and many more are injured, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC data indicates:
- More than one in four older adults falls every year; fewer than half tell their doctor
- 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments each year for fall injuries
- More than 800,000 patients are hospitalized each year because of injuries due to a fall, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture" (NSC.org)
Slips and falls are very dangerous, especially for older people. Because of this, doctors and groups have given many suggestions for safety improvements to be made around the home. There are many specialized helps you can get for your home to prevent slips and falls as well. Doctors and hospitals can prescribe walkers with wheels, walkers with seats, canes, grab railings, even fall pads for beds. Home builders can mount handholds for the bathroom and shower areas. Floor manufacturers and construction crews can put abrasive material on floors and concrete steps to help your feet find better traction. In a simple search, Amazon.com had over 10,000 different products to help people of all ages prevent slips and falls.
While our world does many, many things to help prevent slips and falls that result in broken bones or head trauma or worse, there is very little done to prevent people from spiritual or moral slips and falls. In fact, the modern world often encourages spiritual or moral failures. A study in 1989 found that teens were bombarded with more then 1200 messages about sexual infidelity each day. Television alone had on average fifteen displays or references to sexual behavior every hour. Hollywood idols constantly talk about their sexual orientation, sexual preferences, and addictions. Porn sites are some of the most common on the internet. Sports stars make national headlines with cases of domestic violence. Teen magazines promote ways to increase your attractiveness and how to handle abortions. Many state, local, and federal guidelines or laws even prohibit hospitals or doctors from letting parents know about a teen’s moral lapse, pregnancy, sexual problems, or addiction. It is hardly difficult to find information today about how to commit, hide, or get around all kinds of moral and spiritual slips and falls and failures.
Don’t you find it hypocritical that the modern world fights so hard to protect the body from slips and falls but encourages spiritual and moral slips and falls that can be just as disastrous to body and soul?
The scripture for today praises the righteous and virtuous persons of faith. It extols the “mouths of the righteous” that “utter wisdom” and “speak what is just” (Psalm 37:30). The very next verse of the Bible mentions that the faithful ones have “the law of God in their hearts”. This prevents their “feet from slipping” (Psalm 37:31). The reference to feet slipping is not meant to be a physical reference, but rather a spiritual and moral reference. In ancient times, when a person sinned, it was often thought of as a slip. When Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it was called “the Fall”. When a person blurts something wrong, it is called a “slip of the tongue”. Again, all these references talk about spiritual and moral slippages, where a person falls morally or fails to do God’s will.
Have you ever witnessed “the fall” of a person of faith? Have you ever seen a person’s feet slip into sin? According to the verses today, having God’s law in your heart can prevent you from moral and spiritual slip-ups in life. When you do not follow God’s ways, it is much easier to fall down a slippery slope of sin.
Carl worked in a hospital as an aide. It was a good job and he got to help a lot of people. He enjoyed what he did, though at times it was very physically demanding. After months on the job, Carl saw something he hadn’t noticed before. Some of the doctors and nurses put in long hours. When there were illnesses and job losses, the staff often had to fill in for those who were absent. Thrown together for many long days and/or nights, the nursing staff and doctors often found themselves attracted to each other. Like those who are thrown together in war, these good people often found themselves looking to each other for support and help. Sometimes, that nearness and the long hours encouraged affairs, adultery, and even the sharing of prescription drugs to help ease the pain. Carl told me that he saw many marriages go down the tubes by those who were in an atmosphere where work-related affairs were all too common.
When you are among certain people, you might find yourself more willing to commit a moral or spiritual sin. When filled with alcohol or drowning in grief, you are more prone to do something wrong. Stress and regrets can fuel bad choices or spur you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. In all these cases, your spiritual or moral feet may stumble or fall. After some of those falls, it may be difficult to get back up.
The scripture for today urges you to keep close to God and God’s ways in order to keep your feet from proverbial slippage. Keeping a strong connection with God can prevent you from a spiritual or moral fall. Those who do not have God in their lives are more prone to fail. They are a moral or spiritual accident waiting to happen. Don’t let that be you. Through prayer, keep close to God. Through Bible Study and meditation, keep your mind focused on God’s word. Through worship and spiritual friendships, keep one another faithful to what is right. Sometimes, all it takes is one big slip, and then……
August 31
“For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” (Ezekiel 36:24–27, NLT)

C. S. Lewis, the noted Christian author, wrote about a problem he had when young: “When I was a child, I often had a toothache, and I knew that if I went to my mother, she would give me something which would deaden the pain for that night and let me get to sleep. But I did not go to my mother—at least not till the pain became very bad. And the reason I did not go was this: I did not doubt she would give me the aspirin; but I knew she would also do something else. I knew she would take me to the dentist the next morning. I could not get what I wanted out of her without getting something more, which I did not want. I wanted immediate relief from my pain; but I could not get it without having my teeth set permanently right. And I knew those dentists; I knew they would start fiddling about with all sorts of other teeth which had not yet begun to ache. Our Lord is like the dentists. Dozens of people go to him to be cured of some particular sin. Well, he will cure it all right, but he will not stop there. That may be all you asked for; but if you once call him in, he will give you the full treatment.” (10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
Like C.S. Lewis needed a complete overhaul for his dental problem, there are periods of your life where God is going to need to give you the “full treatment”. This will involve more than just a few precious moments in prayer, a retreat, a service of repentance, or a day of reflection. Some spiritual things take months or years to accomplish. Deeper healing or a deeper connection with God will take time to fully change your life, your heart, or your soul. Some spiritual things can happen immediately. A sin can be forgiven in just a moment, but the spread of its damage into your heart and mind can take weeks or years to overcome. A surgery can rid you of a heart blockage in just hours, but a hardhearted individual can take years of prayer and patience until there is a softening of the walls around his or her spiritual heart. Like crops planted in the spring MUST take time to grow before harvest, you might have something in your heart or soul or mind that will take longer for it to heal or let go to God. Also, just like bodies heal at a different rate, some people take longer to spiritually heal or adapt.
In the scripture for today from the book of Ezekiel, we are introduced to God’s plan for the return of wayward Israel. The people of Israel and Judah had sinned greatly before the Lord. The sins had planted roots deep into the heart of the people. There were political shenanigans galore. The courts were corrupted. The people had begun to worship idols and foreign gods. This resulted in a total breakdown of the faith life of the people of God. The inevitable result was the period of the exile. God’s punishment was epic. The armies of the Assyrians and Babylonians would gut the land and people. To follow, there would be a period where God would cleanse the people of their sin. After this long period of cleansing, Ezekiel wrote that God would “gather the people from all the nations and bring them home again to their land” (Ezekiel 36:24). Then, God would “sprinkle them” in a symbolic cleansing ritual or baptism by rite. With that time of cleansing, the sin would be washed away, the people “would no longer worship idols”, and God would “put His Spirit in the hearts of the people” (Ezekiel 36:25). The people would need to follow God’s law and obey God’s commands (Ezekiel 36:27). The end result would be that God would “take out their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). Like a body may at times need a heart replacement to survive, the nation of Israel needed a spiritual heart replacement after the period of the Exile. This took time and effort and commitment and patience.
Some Christians fail to come closer to God because they are not patient while God brings a thorough cleansing to heart and mind. They think their closeness to God will come from one moment of sincere repentance or one altar call at a Billy Graham concert. That’s just the beginning. A long-lasting deep relationship with God or a deep cleansing or healing of the person may take much longer. It may take time and effort, many hours of prayer, a commitment to counseling or a life-change. Often, a change in a soul can occur in one moment of spiritual clarity. But, a deep cleansing of the body and mind and spirit can often take much longer. Sin’s residue and lasting effects can damage a person’s mind for decades. Though God may forgive it in an instant, sometimes the person can’t handle the change. He or she is not ready to move on from the old life of sin to the new life in Christ. Thoughts need to change. Habits need to change. Memories need to be dealt with. Mistakes and failures need work. How well do you handle the patience of a long-term change that God needs done in your life?
More than a decade ago, I knelt with a woman at the altar of our church. There, she recommitted her life to Christ. Despite her honest and true re-dedication at that altar, it took her a long time to change some things in her life. She needed to stop thinking those constant negative thoughts. She needed to deal with a sexual assault from long past. Several of her relationships had to be mended or altered. Her time for prayer needed to be increased. She needed to learn more about God’s Word in the Bible. Her conversion took a few minutes at the altar. To this day however, she is still working to cleanse her life of the temptations of past sins and forgive herself for the damage done.
Are there a few long-term thoughts you need to weed out with God’s help? Are there memories that haunt you, even now? Are you healed after that wrong done to you long ago? Some spiritual things take a full treatment. Sometimes, a deep cleansing of your soul or a full spiritual heart replacement is in order. Can you handle it? Can you be patient while God heals you?
Like C.S. Lewis needed a complete overhaul for his dental problem, there are periods of your life where God is going to need to give you the “full treatment”. This will involve more than just a few precious moments in prayer, a retreat, a service of repentance, or a day of reflection. Some spiritual things take months or years to accomplish. Deeper healing or a deeper connection with God will take time to fully change your life, your heart, or your soul. Some spiritual things can happen immediately. A sin can be forgiven in just a moment, but the spread of its damage into your heart and mind can take weeks or years to overcome. A surgery can rid you of a heart blockage in just hours, but a hardhearted individual can take years of prayer and patience until there is a softening of the walls around his or her spiritual heart. Like crops planted in the spring MUST take time to grow before harvest, you might have something in your heart or soul or mind that will take longer for it to heal or let go to God. Also, just like bodies heal at a different rate, some people take longer to spiritually heal or adapt.
In the scripture for today from the book of Ezekiel, we are introduced to God’s plan for the return of wayward Israel. The people of Israel and Judah had sinned greatly before the Lord. The sins had planted roots deep into the heart of the people. There were political shenanigans galore. The courts were corrupted. The people had begun to worship idols and foreign gods. This resulted in a total breakdown of the faith life of the people of God. The inevitable result was the period of the exile. God’s punishment was epic. The armies of the Assyrians and Babylonians would gut the land and people. To follow, there would be a period where God would cleanse the people of their sin. After this long period of cleansing, Ezekiel wrote that God would “gather the people from all the nations and bring them home again to their land” (Ezekiel 36:24). Then, God would “sprinkle them” in a symbolic cleansing ritual or baptism by rite. With that time of cleansing, the sin would be washed away, the people “would no longer worship idols”, and God would “put His Spirit in the hearts of the people” (Ezekiel 36:25). The people would need to follow God’s law and obey God’s commands (Ezekiel 36:27). The end result would be that God would “take out their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). Like a body may at times need a heart replacement to survive, the nation of Israel needed a spiritual heart replacement after the period of the Exile. This took time and effort and commitment and patience.
Some Christians fail to come closer to God because they are not patient while God brings a thorough cleansing to heart and mind. They think their closeness to God will come from one moment of sincere repentance or one altar call at a Billy Graham concert. That’s just the beginning. A long-lasting deep relationship with God or a deep cleansing or healing of the person may take much longer. It may take time and effort, many hours of prayer, a commitment to counseling or a life-change. Often, a change in a soul can occur in one moment of spiritual clarity. But, a deep cleansing of the body and mind and spirit can often take much longer. Sin’s residue and lasting effects can damage a person’s mind for decades. Though God may forgive it in an instant, sometimes the person can’t handle the change. He or she is not ready to move on from the old life of sin to the new life in Christ. Thoughts need to change. Habits need to change. Memories need to be dealt with. Mistakes and failures need work. How well do you handle the patience of a long-term change that God needs done in your life?
More than a decade ago, I knelt with a woman at the altar of our church. There, she recommitted her life to Christ. Despite her honest and true re-dedication at that altar, it took her a long time to change some things in her life. She needed to stop thinking those constant negative thoughts. She needed to deal with a sexual assault from long past. Several of her relationships had to be mended or altered. Her time for prayer needed to be increased. She needed to learn more about God’s Word in the Bible. Her conversion took a few minutes at the altar. To this day however, she is still working to cleanse her life of the temptations of past sins and forgive herself for the damage done.
Are there a few long-term thoughts you need to weed out with God’s help? Are there memories that haunt you, even now? Are you healed after that wrong done to you long ago? Some spiritual things take a full treatment. Sometimes, a deep cleansing of your soul or a full spiritual heart replacement is in order. Can you handle it? Can you be patient while God heals you?