July 1
“He [The Lord] said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”” (Exodus 15:26, NLT)
Did you know that in God’s eyes, there is a direct correlation between being faithful and being healthy?
That is not to say that if you are sick, you are not faithful. Jesus proved that thinking wrong in John 9:1-3. Rather, the scripture for today reveals that the Lord caused diseases to infest the Egyptians when Israel suffered in Egypt. These diseases were the direct result of the sinfulness and evil set against Israel by the Egyptians. In the same manner, today’s scripture also reveals that IF the Israelites “listen carefully to the voice of the Lord”, “do what is right in God’s sight”, and “obey God’s commands”, no diseases would be sent from God to these faithful ones (Exodus 15:26). Taken in context, this scripture displays a direct connection between the diseases of the sinful Egyptians in the days of Moses and the healing of the Israelites who obeyed the will of the Lord in that same era.
Delving more deeply into this scripture, you can see that there are times when the Lord will send diseases upon a land or people depending on their faithfulness. Those living in that land who practice evil will be inflicted with disease sent from God. Those living in that land who obey the commandments and the will of God will receive healing. Why? The scripture above ends with the answer: “I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
This scripture does not say that every illness or sickness or disease in the world is caused by God. It does not support any theories that every child who has cancer or mother who suffers from COVID-19 is a sinful person. This scripture does not even suggest that all sickness is sent by God and all healing is only a result of faithfulness. If that were true, faithful people could not die while living faithfully. NO! But this scripture does make clear two things of great importance. First, sinning against God leads to sickness and disease. A life that is worldly, a person who lives in sin, a nation that promotes evil are all liable to feel the wrath of God. Diseases sent from God will break out among the sinful. Second, “the Lord is the one who heals you”. The adage is true that physicians treat illness, but the Lord heals it.
Based on this scripture there are two courses of action required of you. First, you need to obey the will of God by keeping faithful to God’s commandment. This involves “listening carefully to the voice of the Lord you God” (Exodus 15:26a). It also involves “doing what is right in God’s sight” (Exodus 15:26b). Obeying the Lord while listening to HIS voice will keep you on the right track to a healthy lifestyle. Sinning against God will lead you toward disease. Just think of all the consequences of a sinful lifestyle. Adultery can bring AIDS, sexual diseases, and heartbreak. Stealing and fraud can cause all manner of anxiety and stress. Many sins bring depression. To have the best chance of healthiness in this life, be faithful! Second, one other course of action is needed. You need to lean on God for your healing. This scripture makes crystal clear that God is your healer. Many people today rely on medicine and doctors for healing, while excluding God’s healing. As if the pharmaceutical industry does not profit from treating illness? Pills may treat illness. God heals it. If you rely more on physicians and pills to keep your body healthy, while not listening to the voice of God, it is only a matter of time before disease takes you over and you die long before your time.
The famous Christian author Stormie Omartian wrote this about her childhood home: “I was raised by a mentally ill mother who was very abusive and kept me locked in a closet for much of my early childhood. My dad was gone a lot working long hard hours just to eke out a living. When he was home, he was exhausted and passive and, although he was a kind person, I didn’t feel he was there for me as a protector from my mother. As a result, I grew up with a lot of depression, fear, anxiety, anger, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, futility, and rejection. By the time I was in my twenties, I was still locked in a closet emotionally.” Despite the odds, Stormie’s beauty and personality brought her great success in music and television. However, with that success came even more suffering. Stormie drank to excess, used illicit drugs, delved into Eastern religions, and found herself in unhealthy relationships. Nothing seemed to bring Stormie lasting joy or meaning or peace. Then, Stormie found Jesus.
As her life was falling apart, Stormie met with a friend and her pastor. There, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She began to study deeply the truths of the Bible. She prayed fervently. She worshipped regularly. After a complete change in her lifestyle and healing took hold, Stormie wrote a series of books on prayer. She has spoken to thousands about her faith, her healing, and her love for the Lord.
What would have happened to Stormie if she had not listened to God’s voice? She would probably say she was doomed to a life of shallow joys and shattered dreams and illness and an early death. But through salvation in Christ, Stormie has found health and wholeness and healing and grace and so much more!
Based on the scripture for today, I urge you to obey the voice of the Lord. Follow God’s commandments faithfully. Look for God’s healing through grace. Keep your life free from sin and evil. Surround yourself with godly people. Live a healthy lifestyle filled with God-given foods and drinks. Lean on God in prayer. Let God heal you until the day HE takes you home to Heaven. There is a direct correlation between being faithful and being healthy. Let God teach you the way to healing.
That is not to say that if you are sick, you are not faithful. Jesus proved that thinking wrong in John 9:1-3. Rather, the scripture for today reveals that the Lord caused diseases to infest the Egyptians when Israel suffered in Egypt. These diseases were the direct result of the sinfulness and evil set against Israel by the Egyptians. In the same manner, today’s scripture also reveals that IF the Israelites “listen carefully to the voice of the Lord”, “do what is right in God’s sight”, and “obey God’s commands”, no diseases would be sent from God to these faithful ones (Exodus 15:26). Taken in context, this scripture displays a direct connection between the diseases of the sinful Egyptians in the days of Moses and the healing of the Israelites who obeyed the will of the Lord in that same era.
Delving more deeply into this scripture, you can see that there are times when the Lord will send diseases upon a land or people depending on their faithfulness. Those living in that land who practice evil will be inflicted with disease sent from God. Those living in that land who obey the commandments and the will of God will receive healing. Why? The scripture above ends with the answer: “I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
This scripture does not say that every illness or sickness or disease in the world is caused by God. It does not support any theories that every child who has cancer or mother who suffers from COVID-19 is a sinful person. This scripture does not even suggest that all sickness is sent by God and all healing is only a result of faithfulness. If that were true, faithful people could not die while living faithfully. NO! But this scripture does make clear two things of great importance. First, sinning against God leads to sickness and disease. A life that is worldly, a person who lives in sin, a nation that promotes evil are all liable to feel the wrath of God. Diseases sent from God will break out among the sinful. Second, “the Lord is the one who heals you”. The adage is true that physicians treat illness, but the Lord heals it.
Based on this scripture there are two courses of action required of you. First, you need to obey the will of God by keeping faithful to God’s commandment. This involves “listening carefully to the voice of the Lord you God” (Exodus 15:26a). It also involves “doing what is right in God’s sight” (Exodus 15:26b). Obeying the Lord while listening to HIS voice will keep you on the right track to a healthy lifestyle. Sinning against God will lead you toward disease. Just think of all the consequences of a sinful lifestyle. Adultery can bring AIDS, sexual diseases, and heartbreak. Stealing and fraud can cause all manner of anxiety and stress. Many sins bring depression. To have the best chance of healthiness in this life, be faithful! Second, one other course of action is needed. You need to lean on God for your healing. This scripture makes crystal clear that God is your healer. Many people today rely on medicine and doctors for healing, while excluding God’s healing. As if the pharmaceutical industry does not profit from treating illness? Pills may treat illness. God heals it. If you rely more on physicians and pills to keep your body healthy, while not listening to the voice of God, it is only a matter of time before disease takes you over and you die long before your time.
The famous Christian author Stormie Omartian wrote this about her childhood home: “I was raised by a mentally ill mother who was very abusive and kept me locked in a closet for much of my early childhood. My dad was gone a lot working long hard hours just to eke out a living. When he was home, he was exhausted and passive and, although he was a kind person, I didn’t feel he was there for me as a protector from my mother. As a result, I grew up with a lot of depression, fear, anxiety, anger, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, futility, and rejection. By the time I was in my twenties, I was still locked in a closet emotionally.” Despite the odds, Stormie’s beauty and personality brought her great success in music and television. However, with that success came even more suffering. Stormie drank to excess, used illicit drugs, delved into Eastern religions, and found herself in unhealthy relationships. Nothing seemed to bring Stormie lasting joy or meaning or peace. Then, Stormie found Jesus.
As her life was falling apart, Stormie met with a friend and her pastor. There, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She began to study deeply the truths of the Bible. She prayed fervently. She worshipped regularly. After a complete change in her lifestyle and healing took hold, Stormie wrote a series of books on prayer. She has spoken to thousands about her faith, her healing, and her love for the Lord.
What would have happened to Stormie if she had not listened to God’s voice? She would probably say she was doomed to a life of shallow joys and shattered dreams and illness and an early death. But through salvation in Christ, Stormie has found health and wholeness and healing and grace and so much more!
Based on the scripture for today, I urge you to obey the voice of the Lord. Follow God’s commandments faithfully. Look for God’s healing through grace. Keep your life free from sin and evil. Surround yourself with godly people. Live a healthy lifestyle filled with God-given foods and drinks. Lean on God in prayer. Let God heal you until the day HE takes you home to Heaven. There is a direct correlation between being faithful and being healthy. Let God teach you the way to healing.
July 3
“Because he [God] bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2, NLT)
Psalm 116 begins with words of assurance given by someone who has known that God hears prayers. In the very first words of this psalm, this is explained in beautiful prose: “I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.” (Psalm 116:1). These words were included in the Bible not only because the person felt a strong feeling toward God, not only because prayers were answered, but because it shows God’s character as one who hears the prayers offered by the faithful servant. It’s not enough just to know about God. When you experience God’s presence through a wonderful answer to prayer, the response by God brings awe and praise and joy to mind and heart and soul.
As I was sitting in a diner some years ago, I noticed across the room two women sitting in a booth together. One was talking incessantly. She talked about the weather, a friend who betrayed her, and a situation in her hometown. She gossiped about a nosy neighbor and a lying friend. On and on the one woman jabbered. The other woman sat in silence. Every now and then she would look at the other woman and smile, but often, she would just look out the window at the passing traffic. I could tell that the woman looking out the window was not really listening, not really present in the conversation.
Sometimes, people think God is the same way. God is alive and present in the world but doesn’t really listen to the prayers of the faithful. They might think that though we pour out our hearts in prayers of mercy and petition, God has better things to do than listen to our trivial thoughts. Like the woman in the booth who wasn’t really listening to the conversation, some people feel God isn’t an active participant in the lives of everyday people. To the writer of Psalm 116, this is definitely NOT the case. The author of this psalm knows from experience that the Lord has not only heard his voice but has responded! God not only listened but acted! The response of the author in this psalm is a deep love of God (Psalm 116:1) and a desire to pray “as long as he has breath” (Psalm 116:2)!
Psalm 116:2 assures the person seeking God that the Holy One “bends down to listen”. God is an active participant in prayer. Knowing this for certain, the author goes on to state that he “will pray as long as he has breath” (Psalm 116:2b). Because of God’s willingness to hear the prayers and supplications of those who come to God with a genuine heart, every person should do the same. Every person should pray as long as he or she has breath to the God who actively participates in prayer and acts upon those supplications.
I want you to notice that the author of the scripture for today desires to pray without ceasing, praying “as long as he has breath”. Other verses in the Bible encourage this same behavior of constant prayer. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that believers should “pray without ceasing” and “give thanks in all circumstances”. Philippians 4:6 encourages you to “pray about everything” while giving thanks to God. Jesus taught that those who trust in God should “always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1). These scriptures all come to the same conclusion: pray constantly. But how do you do that? What words should you use? Should you fold your hands? Should you be alone? Should you talk out loud? How does God want us to pray “without ceasing”?
In the book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado addressed this very issue. He wrote:
“Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff (double that number in my case), and a whopping five years standing in various lines.
Why don’t you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as “Thank you, Father,” “Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,” “You are my resting place, Jesus” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts” (as written in Grace for the Moment, p. 207).
In following the intent of today’s scripture, I encourage you to follow the advice in today’s scripture. I encourage you to try to pray “as long as you have breath”. I challenge you to pray without ceasing while giving thanks to God! If you are watching the awesome beauty of the fireworks on the 4th of July, look to heaven and say words of thanks to God! While sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to be called, close your eyes and open your heart to the Lord! When going for a walk, recite words of scripture and tell the Lord what is on your mind. Stop your yard work for one moment and look up toward Heaven and share some of your thoughts and feelings with the Holy One! Wherever you are, in whatever situation, just pray!
A young woman was driving on the highway far from home when she came across an accident. Two cars had collided on a slippery bend in the road. Passing the scene carefully, the woman spoke out loud, “Lord, please help them in this, their time of need. Let them feel your presence!”
An older man was standing in his yard, resting from raking the leaves, when he noticed a young woman in tears walking past on the sidewalk. He closed his eyes and asked God to be with her. Then, feeling as if God wanted him to do something, the man said, “Are you all right, miss?” She wiped away her tears and said, “Oh, I’m all right, thanks!”. She tried to sound cheery, but the older man knew better. He responded in kind, “Well, I’ll say a prayer for you anyway as I work out here.” The woman immediately burst into tears and hugged him, then hurried off down the sidewalk. The older man kept his promise. He closed his eyes right then and there and prayed for God’s grace to be upon the woman.
There are so many chances in each day to talk with God!
In the next twenty-four hours, you will have hundreds of opportunities to talk with your Lord. And, HE will be listening! HE will want to hear your voice and desires to love you through your present trials. As long as you have breath, take the time to engage in prayer. You will never regret it.
As I was sitting in a diner some years ago, I noticed across the room two women sitting in a booth together. One was talking incessantly. She talked about the weather, a friend who betrayed her, and a situation in her hometown. She gossiped about a nosy neighbor and a lying friend. On and on the one woman jabbered. The other woman sat in silence. Every now and then she would look at the other woman and smile, but often, she would just look out the window at the passing traffic. I could tell that the woman looking out the window was not really listening, not really present in the conversation.
Sometimes, people think God is the same way. God is alive and present in the world but doesn’t really listen to the prayers of the faithful. They might think that though we pour out our hearts in prayers of mercy and petition, God has better things to do than listen to our trivial thoughts. Like the woman in the booth who wasn’t really listening to the conversation, some people feel God isn’t an active participant in the lives of everyday people. To the writer of Psalm 116, this is definitely NOT the case. The author of this psalm knows from experience that the Lord has not only heard his voice but has responded! God not only listened but acted! The response of the author in this psalm is a deep love of God (Psalm 116:1) and a desire to pray “as long as he has breath” (Psalm 116:2)!
Psalm 116:2 assures the person seeking God that the Holy One “bends down to listen”. God is an active participant in prayer. Knowing this for certain, the author goes on to state that he “will pray as long as he has breath” (Psalm 116:2b). Because of God’s willingness to hear the prayers and supplications of those who come to God with a genuine heart, every person should do the same. Every person should pray as long as he or she has breath to the God who actively participates in prayer and acts upon those supplications.
I want you to notice that the author of the scripture for today desires to pray without ceasing, praying “as long as he has breath”. Other verses in the Bible encourage this same behavior of constant prayer. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that believers should “pray without ceasing” and “give thanks in all circumstances”. Philippians 4:6 encourages you to “pray about everything” while giving thanks to God. Jesus taught that those who trust in God should “always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1). These scriptures all come to the same conclusion: pray constantly. But how do you do that? What words should you use? Should you fold your hands? Should you be alone? Should you talk out loud? How does God want us to pray “without ceasing”?
In the book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado addressed this very issue. He wrote:
“Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff (double that number in my case), and a whopping five years standing in various lines.
Why don’t you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as “Thank you, Father,” “Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,” “You are my resting place, Jesus” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts” (as written in Grace for the Moment, p. 207).
In following the intent of today’s scripture, I encourage you to follow the advice in today’s scripture. I encourage you to try to pray “as long as you have breath”. I challenge you to pray without ceasing while giving thanks to God! If you are watching the awesome beauty of the fireworks on the 4th of July, look to heaven and say words of thanks to God! While sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to be called, close your eyes and open your heart to the Lord! When going for a walk, recite words of scripture and tell the Lord what is on your mind. Stop your yard work for one moment and look up toward Heaven and share some of your thoughts and feelings with the Holy One! Wherever you are, in whatever situation, just pray!
A young woman was driving on the highway far from home when she came across an accident. Two cars had collided on a slippery bend in the road. Passing the scene carefully, the woman spoke out loud, “Lord, please help them in this, their time of need. Let them feel your presence!”
An older man was standing in his yard, resting from raking the leaves, when he noticed a young woman in tears walking past on the sidewalk. He closed his eyes and asked God to be with her. Then, feeling as if God wanted him to do something, the man said, “Are you all right, miss?” She wiped away her tears and said, “Oh, I’m all right, thanks!”. She tried to sound cheery, but the older man knew better. He responded in kind, “Well, I’ll say a prayer for you anyway as I work out here.” The woman immediately burst into tears and hugged him, then hurried off down the sidewalk. The older man kept his promise. He closed his eyes right then and there and prayed for God’s grace to be upon the woman.
There are so many chances in each day to talk with God!
In the next twenty-four hours, you will have hundreds of opportunities to talk with your Lord. And, HE will be listening! HE will want to hear your voice and desires to love you through your present trials. As long as you have breath, take the time to engage in prayer. You will never regret it.
July 5
“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
(Romans 8:2, NLT)
(Romans 8:2, NLT)
The United States celebrates its doctrine of freedom on the 4th of July. All over the country, there are signs and symbols of freedom. Pictures of the “Liberty” Bell are displayed. Fireworks add to the celebrations. Stories of the Declaration of “Independence” are circulated. The media adds pictures of gun-toting Revolutionary War soldiers and displays the colors of the flag. National pride is deemed worthy. The slogan “Let Freedom Ring!” is displayed on banners. Yet, while the country claims how free it is politically, there are so many, many signs that people in this country are not free. They are bound by sin. They are manipulated by evil intentions. They are captured by ideals that are promoted by politicians, touted by celebrities, and reinforced by social stigmas. How can you be a free person in America today when your leaders have sought to control you with social media, manipulate the news with ideological agendas, and promote ideals that are anti-God? There is a way… but it takes Jesus.
When the United States was founded, the nation desired freedom from the tyranny of England. Slogans like, “No taxation without representation” were shouted in order to explain how England desired to subjugate the original colonies. For many in that era, freedom meant separation from England. However, there were others who knew well that this country needed God in order to really know what freedom was like. That is why the Declaration of Independence begins with a nod to God as the source of freedom: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In essence, the authors of the Declaration of Independence knew that this nation would never experience freedom without a knowledge of and respect for GOD, the Creator!
The scripture for today also links freedom with God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:2, Paul wrote that those who truly “belong” to Christ Jesus are given “the power of the life-giving Spirit”. That Holy Spirit “freed you from the power of sin that leads to death”. Taken in context, the Holy Spirit, which is sent when you truly believe in Jesus, frees you from sin. When this happens, you learn the truth. You live your life in respect for God. You are trustworthy and moral. You are righteous before God. Your relationship with God causes you to live a faithful life. Living faithfully, you are no longer a slave to the power of sin. You are free to experience life in all its wholeness and joy.
A bar in Northern Indiana held a special Fourth of July celebration each year. On that day, the owners cooked up brats and hotdogs. They catered in snacks and finger food. They placed special prices on their liquor. Then, at dusk, everyone got to watch the fireworks outside the bar windows. A few patrons had celebrated their Fourth of July at that bar for decades.
One man sat at on a stool in that bar. He had attended the Fourth of July celebration at that bar for maybe a dozen years. As the fireworks blasted away, he said to the man next to him, “It sure is nice to be free!” The man next to him responded, “So true.” The man who said, “It sure is nice to be free!”, lived a rough life. While on that day he celebrated his “freedom”, deep down he knew that freedom was missing from his life. He was a former Army specialist. He served two tours overseas. He still had nightmares now and then, though they were receding. He was addicted to alcohol. He had many regrets. Most of his days were spent recovering from drinking, going out to his favorite bars, and working to support his lifestyle. While he thought himself “free”, he really was not free to live his life. He was a slave to alcohol. He suffered because of the hold of past memories that fueled his nightmares. He woke up many mornings in sweat or with vomit on his pillow. Does it sound like he is truly free?
The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Bible agree that a person is not free without a relationship with the Creator. As the scripture for today makes clear, only when a person is freed from sin by the power of God will he or she truly experience freedom. Otherwise, sin will enslave you. Regrets will haunt you. Grace will elude you. Sadness will envelop you. Unresolved issues will eat at your peace.
Jesus said that His followers would “know the truth, and that truth would set them free” (John 8:32). If sin has taken hold in your life, chances are you believe a lie. That lie is keeping you from being free. If sin has corrupted your thinking, its hold is forcing you to have self-destructive thoughts. If depression has you living under a cloud of negativity, it will force you to see the negative in most every waking moment. How can you experience freedom when constrained and enslaved by sinful thoughts and passions?
I want you to be free! I want our country to experience true freedom! That will not come as long as people are deluded by sinful thoughts and manipulated through evil intentions. Accepting Jesus Christ, confessing one’s sin, and receiving grace are the beginning of truth and freedom. Living in Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit can keep a person free from enslavement to sin!
If you truly want to “Let Freedom Ring”, acknowledge Jesus as your Savior, turn away from any sin that seeks to control you, and let the Holy Spirit fill you fully so that you may live in righteousness. Wouldn’t life in this world be more beautiful if everyone experienced true freedom?
When the United States was founded, the nation desired freedom from the tyranny of England. Slogans like, “No taxation without representation” were shouted in order to explain how England desired to subjugate the original colonies. For many in that era, freedom meant separation from England. However, there were others who knew well that this country needed God in order to really know what freedom was like. That is why the Declaration of Independence begins with a nod to God as the source of freedom: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In essence, the authors of the Declaration of Independence knew that this nation would never experience freedom without a knowledge of and respect for GOD, the Creator!
The scripture for today also links freedom with God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:2, Paul wrote that those who truly “belong” to Christ Jesus are given “the power of the life-giving Spirit”. That Holy Spirit “freed you from the power of sin that leads to death”. Taken in context, the Holy Spirit, which is sent when you truly believe in Jesus, frees you from sin. When this happens, you learn the truth. You live your life in respect for God. You are trustworthy and moral. You are righteous before God. Your relationship with God causes you to live a faithful life. Living faithfully, you are no longer a slave to the power of sin. You are free to experience life in all its wholeness and joy.
A bar in Northern Indiana held a special Fourth of July celebration each year. On that day, the owners cooked up brats and hotdogs. They catered in snacks and finger food. They placed special prices on their liquor. Then, at dusk, everyone got to watch the fireworks outside the bar windows. A few patrons had celebrated their Fourth of July at that bar for decades.
One man sat at on a stool in that bar. He had attended the Fourth of July celebration at that bar for maybe a dozen years. As the fireworks blasted away, he said to the man next to him, “It sure is nice to be free!” The man next to him responded, “So true.” The man who said, “It sure is nice to be free!”, lived a rough life. While on that day he celebrated his “freedom”, deep down he knew that freedom was missing from his life. He was a former Army specialist. He served two tours overseas. He still had nightmares now and then, though they were receding. He was addicted to alcohol. He had many regrets. Most of his days were spent recovering from drinking, going out to his favorite bars, and working to support his lifestyle. While he thought himself “free”, he really was not free to live his life. He was a slave to alcohol. He suffered because of the hold of past memories that fueled his nightmares. He woke up many mornings in sweat or with vomit on his pillow. Does it sound like he is truly free?
The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Bible agree that a person is not free without a relationship with the Creator. As the scripture for today makes clear, only when a person is freed from sin by the power of God will he or she truly experience freedom. Otherwise, sin will enslave you. Regrets will haunt you. Grace will elude you. Sadness will envelop you. Unresolved issues will eat at your peace.
Jesus said that His followers would “know the truth, and that truth would set them free” (John 8:32). If sin has taken hold in your life, chances are you believe a lie. That lie is keeping you from being free. If sin has corrupted your thinking, its hold is forcing you to have self-destructive thoughts. If depression has you living under a cloud of negativity, it will force you to see the negative in most every waking moment. How can you experience freedom when constrained and enslaved by sinful thoughts and passions?
I want you to be free! I want our country to experience true freedom! That will not come as long as people are deluded by sinful thoughts and manipulated through evil intentions. Accepting Jesus Christ, confessing one’s sin, and receiving grace are the beginning of truth and freedom. Living in Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit can keep a person free from enslavement to sin!
If you truly want to “Let Freedom Ring”, acknowledge Jesus as your Savior, turn away from any sin that seeks to control you, and let the Holy Spirit fill you fully so that you may live in righteousness. Wouldn’t life in this world be more beautiful if everyone experienced true freedom?
July 8
“And in the fourth watch of the night he [Jesus] came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”” (Matthew 14:25–27, ESV)
So often, we mistake things God is doing for something else. When God does something special, one person calls it a coincidence while another calls it good luck. God makes a miracle of healing happen and a person without spiritual insight thanks a doctor or modern medicine. A person left adrift on the sea is spared, even though there were hundreds of ways for the person to die. A newspaper calls it a miracle without giving God any credit. A family member calls the man a strong survivor and chalks it up to the man’s inner strength, without even considering that God had a hand in his being spared.
There are so many times people in this world don’t see God, mistake a turn of events as blind luck, or see a blessing as something earned or deserved. God performs miracles constantly and people do not have the spiritual insight nor perspective to see the work of God as anything other than a worldly event. After a good turn of events, a superstitious woman might chalk the thing up to good karma, owe it to the horoscope of the day, or believe her stars aligned perfectly. A man wins a special event and gives credence to his “lucky shirt” for the good fortune. He does not even perceive that God caused the win to occur that day for a special reason.
Even in scripture, there are times when godly people missed God’s intervention. Take for example the scripture reading for today’s meditation. In it, the disciples are caught battling a storm all night. Then, long into the night, almost nearing daybreak, they see something eerie. The disciples looked over the rough seas and saw what appeared to be Jesus walking on the sea toward them. Matthew 14:26 mentions that the disciples “were terrified”, thinking they were seeing “a ghost”! Only a few moments later when they heard Jesus say “It is I. Have no fear!” did they realize the Savior had arrived (Matthew 14:27). How could they mistake Jesus for a ghost?
People make mistakes all the time. Even those who know God make mistakes. Even spiritually, they mistake the action of God for something else. They should know better but they miss the point of God’s action. When Jesus walked on the water to the disciples, He came to save them. The disciples had fought rough seas all night. They were exhausted. They were filled with fear already from fighting the wind and waves. Death seemed imminent. Then, Jesus came to save them. And what do they do? They mistake Jesus for a ghost!
If you read between the lines of this scripture, you might see that that when the disciples were filled with the strong emotion of fear, they mistook Jesus for a ghost. As often happens, emotions like fear and worry and love and lust and greed cause people to mistake God’s works each and every day. The stronger the emotion, the more you miss seeing the work of God’s hand. The more you are caught up in the moment, the more of God’s works will elude your spiritual insight. All in all, emotions can easily blind your spiritual “eyes”, keeping you from seeing God’s hand and hearing God’s voice.
It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.
But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life. Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. for nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. In Captain Eddie’s own words, “Cherry,” that was the B-17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, “read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off.”
Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking...”Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food...if I could catch it.”
And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it.
And now you also know...that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset...on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast...you could see an old man walking...white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls...to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle...like manna in the wilderness. (“The Old Man and the Gulls” from Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, 1977, quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, pp. 79-80)
The disciples mistook Jesus for a ghost. Eddie Rickenbacker did not mistake that sea gull for the blessing that it was. He knew it was a miracle that the gull landed on their boat. He knew it was a gift from God. Some people have a spiritual insight to see God’s handiwork. Some are so filled with emotions that they misinterpret the blessing or the miracle or the hand of God.
I wonder how much you’ll see with your spiritual “eyes” in the next few days. I wonder if you’ll notice God’s big and little miracles or blessings. I wonder if you’ll give credit for God’s saving grace.
There are so many times people in this world don’t see God, mistake a turn of events as blind luck, or see a blessing as something earned or deserved. God performs miracles constantly and people do not have the spiritual insight nor perspective to see the work of God as anything other than a worldly event. After a good turn of events, a superstitious woman might chalk the thing up to good karma, owe it to the horoscope of the day, or believe her stars aligned perfectly. A man wins a special event and gives credence to his “lucky shirt” for the good fortune. He does not even perceive that God caused the win to occur that day for a special reason.
Even in scripture, there are times when godly people missed God’s intervention. Take for example the scripture reading for today’s meditation. In it, the disciples are caught battling a storm all night. Then, long into the night, almost nearing daybreak, they see something eerie. The disciples looked over the rough seas and saw what appeared to be Jesus walking on the sea toward them. Matthew 14:26 mentions that the disciples “were terrified”, thinking they were seeing “a ghost”! Only a few moments later when they heard Jesus say “It is I. Have no fear!” did they realize the Savior had arrived (Matthew 14:27). How could they mistake Jesus for a ghost?
People make mistakes all the time. Even those who know God make mistakes. Even spiritually, they mistake the action of God for something else. They should know better but they miss the point of God’s action. When Jesus walked on the water to the disciples, He came to save them. The disciples had fought rough seas all night. They were exhausted. They were filled with fear already from fighting the wind and waves. Death seemed imminent. Then, Jesus came to save them. And what do they do? They mistake Jesus for a ghost!
If you read between the lines of this scripture, you might see that that when the disciples were filled with the strong emotion of fear, they mistook Jesus for a ghost. As often happens, emotions like fear and worry and love and lust and greed cause people to mistake God’s works each and every day. The stronger the emotion, the more you miss seeing the work of God’s hand. The more you are caught up in the moment, the more of God’s works will elude your spiritual insight. All in all, emotions can easily blind your spiritual “eyes”, keeping you from seeing God’s hand and hearing God’s voice.
It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.
But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life. Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. for nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. In Captain Eddie’s own words, “Cherry,” that was the B-17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, “read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off.”
Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking...”Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food...if I could catch it.”
And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it.
And now you also know...that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset...on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast...you could see an old man walking...white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls...to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle...like manna in the wilderness. (“The Old Man and the Gulls” from Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, 1977, quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, pp. 79-80)
The disciples mistook Jesus for a ghost. Eddie Rickenbacker did not mistake that sea gull for the blessing that it was. He knew it was a miracle that the gull landed on their boat. He knew it was a gift from God. Some people have a spiritual insight to see God’s handiwork. Some are so filled with emotions that they misinterpret the blessing or the miracle or the hand of God.
I wonder how much you’ll see with your spiritual “eyes” in the next few days. I wonder if you’ll notice God’s big and little miracles or blessings. I wonder if you’ll give credit for God’s saving grace.
July 11
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”
(1 John 2:15, NLT)
(1 John 2:15, NLT)
These three people have something in common. Can you figure out what it is?
Jerry worked hard all his life. He was known to be a shrewd businessman and a wise discerner of trends. Before computers became popular, Jerry already bought stock in Apple. By the time companies were buying web sites, Jerry already owned several. Following the horrors of 9/11/2001, Jerry was well positioned in the stock market. He did well during the economic downturn that followed. However, when Jerry got cancer several years ago, he decided to travel to a special treatment facility in Europe. There, he spent more than $5 million dollars on a long-shot possible cure. When the cancer did not go into remission, he had no heirs to bequeath his wealth. He spent the last six months of his life burning through his great resources. Friends said he used to burn $100 bills for fun, spend $25,000 per night for a place to stay in Fiji. It is said that at a card game, he bet $100,000 per hand just to have the thrill of possibly winning against some other fat cat gamblers. By the time he died, he had less than $2 million to his name. Sources close to Jerry say that he gave away the $2 million dollars to the 100 sex workers he liked the most upon his death.
At the other end of the spectrum, Danny died a poor man. He was so poor that his family had to chip in to pay for funeral expenses. He didn’t have a funeral because his family didn’t want to pay for one. Danny was not a good-for-nothing bum who leeched off his family and friends. On the contrary, Danny had lived on his own since he was sixteen. He was a soldier in Vietnam. He worked for thirty years as a construction worker and security guard. However, Danny burned through his money quickly. He ran up huge gambling debts. He was known to save all year for one big trip to Vegas. There, he stayed at the swankiest hotels and played his favorite poker game for $500 a hand. Danny never had time for a family or for kids. He thought about getting married but never really fell in love. However, he just cherished winning at the casino. It gave him a high that lasted for a long time. Danny’s friends would say that he had a story about many famous people he sat next to or across the poker table. He gambled with Hollywood stars, pro basketball players, several famous politicians, one president, and the list went on and on. People used to sit with Danny for hours at his favorite restaurant while Danny regaled them with stories of his poker bets and famous poker players.
Karen was a beloved mother and friend. She was a frequent churchgoer who had a lot for baking pies for those who lost a loved one and wrote beautiful prayers for her friends. When Karen turned twenty, she married her college sweetheart. When she turned twenty-three, she had her first child. All in all, Karen and Dave had six kids. They lived in a well- kept home complete with two dogs and a white picket fence. However, when Karen turned thirty-seven, her life was turned upside down. Returning from picking up the children from summer camp, Dave was t-boned in a serious auto accident. He and all the children died in a horrific fire that engulfed their car. After the accident, Karen was inconsolable. She refused to have a funeral for the family. She could not face up to what happened. So torturous were her days that she drank herself into oblivion most days and then committed suicide two years after the car accident. In a letter found at her side, Karen admitted that without her family there was no reason for her to go on living.
What do all three of these people have in common? One was religious. Two were not. One was a gambler, one was rich, and one had a somewhat normal life until the accident. They seem to come from different socio-economic groups. They did not live in the same town. You might contend that they were from different worlds, and you’d be right for the most part. However, all three shared one aspect spoken about in the scripture for today. They all had a love for this world that they could not live without. One could not live without his money and refused to die without taking as much as he could with him. Another could not live without his gambling habit. He died poor because he could not give up his addiction. Karen, though religious, could not live without her family. They were her reason for living. Their loss gave depression a chance to steal away Karen’s desire to live. Even though she was a churchgoer, it was her family that she cherished the most and could not bear a life without sharing. God came in a close second place. The prophet Job, who lost almost all his children in a freak accident, chose to keep God a priority. Karen chose otherwise.
The scripture for today warns that you should “not love this world nor the things it offers you.” For many, many people this is a very difficult thing to do. They love their wealth, family, power, status, or privilege. They love their portfolios and relationships more than just about anything else. God is either a second thought, in second place, or far down the line in their values and commitments. How many people committed suicide in the 1920’s rather than live without their money through the Great Depression? How many Japanese people threw themselves off the cliffs rather than face the loss of Iwo Jima to the Americans in 1945? Suicide rates today are on the rise. Alcoholism and addictions are tearing apart families. Narcissism is becoming rampant, especially in social media. Churches are adopting worldly values and ideologies, even incorporating them into worship. On and on, people love things of this world and refuse to lose anything along the way. They have worshipped the things of this world and neglected any call from God. In doing so, their attitude has doomed any relationship with God and soured their hopes of eternal life with a loving Savior.
In a reflection upon today’s verse, John MacArthur wrote:
“Genuine believers love God and reject the world and all its philosophies.
When someone becomes a Christian, he acquires a new set of goals and motivations; the world and its lusts no longer attract but repel him. He no longer loves “the world, nor the things in the world” (v. 15). At times he may be lured into worldly pursuits, but he is doing not what he loves but what he hates (cf. Rom. 7:15). That’s because new life in Christ gives the believer a love for God and the things of God.
Jesus said those who follow Him are not of the world, just as He was not of the world. We still move about in it to do His will, but we are not of it. That’s why Jesus specifically asked the Father to keep us from the evil one (John 17:14–16). We’re vulnerable to being sucked into this evil world’s system now and then, but our love is toward God. That love is what will redirect our focus toward heavenly priorities.
Do you reject the world and its false religions, damning ideologies, and godless pursuits? Instead, do you love God, His truth, His kingdom, and all that He stands for? If you reject the world and its devilish desires, that is a strong indication you have new life in Christ.” (Strength for Today).
Ask God to reveal to today you if some part of you clings to this world. Then, sever those connections. It may sting for a short time, but you will gain so much more by the way of righteous values, graceful priorities, a deep love of God and others, and eternal joy.
Jerry worked hard all his life. He was known to be a shrewd businessman and a wise discerner of trends. Before computers became popular, Jerry already bought stock in Apple. By the time companies were buying web sites, Jerry already owned several. Following the horrors of 9/11/2001, Jerry was well positioned in the stock market. He did well during the economic downturn that followed. However, when Jerry got cancer several years ago, he decided to travel to a special treatment facility in Europe. There, he spent more than $5 million dollars on a long-shot possible cure. When the cancer did not go into remission, he had no heirs to bequeath his wealth. He spent the last six months of his life burning through his great resources. Friends said he used to burn $100 bills for fun, spend $25,000 per night for a place to stay in Fiji. It is said that at a card game, he bet $100,000 per hand just to have the thrill of possibly winning against some other fat cat gamblers. By the time he died, he had less than $2 million to his name. Sources close to Jerry say that he gave away the $2 million dollars to the 100 sex workers he liked the most upon his death.
At the other end of the spectrum, Danny died a poor man. He was so poor that his family had to chip in to pay for funeral expenses. He didn’t have a funeral because his family didn’t want to pay for one. Danny was not a good-for-nothing bum who leeched off his family and friends. On the contrary, Danny had lived on his own since he was sixteen. He was a soldier in Vietnam. He worked for thirty years as a construction worker and security guard. However, Danny burned through his money quickly. He ran up huge gambling debts. He was known to save all year for one big trip to Vegas. There, he stayed at the swankiest hotels and played his favorite poker game for $500 a hand. Danny never had time for a family or for kids. He thought about getting married but never really fell in love. However, he just cherished winning at the casino. It gave him a high that lasted for a long time. Danny’s friends would say that he had a story about many famous people he sat next to or across the poker table. He gambled with Hollywood stars, pro basketball players, several famous politicians, one president, and the list went on and on. People used to sit with Danny for hours at his favorite restaurant while Danny regaled them with stories of his poker bets and famous poker players.
Karen was a beloved mother and friend. She was a frequent churchgoer who had a lot for baking pies for those who lost a loved one and wrote beautiful prayers for her friends. When Karen turned twenty, she married her college sweetheart. When she turned twenty-three, she had her first child. All in all, Karen and Dave had six kids. They lived in a well- kept home complete with two dogs and a white picket fence. However, when Karen turned thirty-seven, her life was turned upside down. Returning from picking up the children from summer camp, Dave was t-boned in a serious auto accident. He and all the children died in a horrific fire that engulfed their car. After the accident, Karen was inconsolable. She refused to have a funeral for the family. She could not face up to what happened. So torturous were her days that she drank herself into oblivion most days and then committed suicide two years after the car accident. In a letter found at her side, Karen admitted that without her family there was no reason for her to go on living.
What do all three of these people have in common? One was religious. Two were not. One was a gambler, one was rich, and one had a somewhat normal life until the accident. They seem to come from different socio-economic groups. They did not live in the same town. You might contend that they were from different worlds, and you’d be right for the most part. However, all three shared one aspect spoken about in the scripture for today. They all had a love for this world that they could not live without. One could not live without his money and refused to die without taking as much as he could with him. Another could not live without his gambling habit. He died poor because he could not give up his addiction. Karen, though religious, could not live without her family. They were her reason for living. Their loss gave depression a chance to steal away Karen’s desire to live. Even though she was a churchgoer, it was her family that she cherished the most and could not bear a life without sharing. God came in a close second place. The prophet Job, who lost almost all his children in a freak accident, chose to keep God a priority. Karen chose otherwise.
The scripture for today warns that you should “not love this world nor the things it offers you.” For many, many people this is a very difficult thing to do. They love their wealth, family, power, status, or privilege. They love their portfolios and relationships more than just about anything else. God is either a second thought, in second place, or far down the line in their values and commitments. How many people committed suicide in the 1920’s rather than live without their money through the Great Depression? How many Japanese people threw themselves off the cliffs rather than face the loss of Iwo Jima to the Americans in 1945? Suicide rates today are on the rise. Alcoholism and addictions are tearing apart families. Narcissism is becoming rampant, especially in social media. Churches are adopting worldly values and ideologies, even incorporating them into worship. On and on, people love things of this world and refuse to lose anything along the way. They have worshipped the things of this world and neglected any call from God. In doing so, their attitude has doomed any relationship with God and soured their hopes of eternal life with a loving Savior.
In a reflection upon today’s verse, John MacArthur wrote:
“Genuine believers love God and reject the world and all its philosophies.
When someone becomes a Christian, he acquires a new set of goals and motivations; the world and its lusts no longer attract but repel him. He no longer loves “the world, nor the things in the world” (v. 15). At times he may be lured into worldly pursuits, but he is doing not what he loves but what he hates (cf. Rom. 7:15). That’s because new life in Christ gives the believer a love for God and the things of God.
Jesus said those who follow Him are not of the world, just as He was not of the world. We still move about in it to do His will, but we are not of it. That’s why Jesus specifically asked the Father to keep us from the evil one (John 17:14–16). We’re vulnerable to being sucked into this evil world’s system now and then, but our love is toward God. That love is what will redirect our focus toward heavenly priorities.
Do you reject the world and its false religions, damning ideologies, and godless pursuits? Instead, do you love God, His truth, His kingdom, and all that He stands for? If you reject the world and its devilish desires, that is a strong indication you have new life in Christ.” (Strength for Today).
Ask God to reveal to today you if some part of you clings to this world. Then, sever those connections. It may sting for a short time, but you will gain so much more by the way of righteous values, graceful priorities, a deep love of God and others, and eternal joy.
July 13
““Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.” (2 Chronicles 32:7–8, NLT)
A wise man, looking back on his life, once commented; “Life is a series of battles. When born, you battle to survive. When young, you battle to learn, to grow, to thrive. When in middle age, you strive to reproduce, to raise your young, to keep your family safe, to build a home. Some may even enter the battlefield as a soldier and fight another. When you are older and feebler, you battle against disease and the difficulties of aging. Even in the last moments of your life, you battle death. Life is a series of battles… some intense, some in your mind, some in your body, some in your world.”
Spiritually, the same occurs. There will be spiritual battles that you face from the moment you are born until the moment you die. These battles may not be as apparent to you, but they will affect your life in the greatest of ways. Some who lose spiritual battles end up with lifelong addictions. Those who are losing spiritual battles may live with greed, overeat, deal with anxiety, or have psychological traumas and illnesses. Spiritual battles not only affect the body but ultimately affect the soul. Some who lose spiritual battles end up with a soul that is shriveled up and dead. Others who win spiritual battles will end up knowing forgiveness, grace, true joy, and a “peace that the world cannot give” (John 14:27). Spiritual battles affect the mind in great and powerful ways. A person who is losing a spiritual battle may slip into a deep depression or become suicidal. A person who is winning a spiritual battle by the grace of God will feel a deep sense of closeness to God in Christ, feel healing and hope and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
There was an old saying common among soldiers of World War 2: “There are no atheists in foxholes”. They were not using this expression to say that an atheist can never be found in the theater of war. Rather, they were commenting on the fact that many people in war found that the only one they could rely on for anything enduring is God. I find it very interesting that military battles often make a soldier confront his spiritual side. Some people caught on a worldly battlefield will look to God for deliverance. In the same way, spiritual battles have a way of causing humans to seek out God. Don’t underestimate the power of a battle in your life to not only define you but to point you to God. That is why people who face great difficulties in life often can be some of the most intensely spiritual of souls.
Some of the most famous people of the Bible dealt with great difficulties, challenges, and battles. Job fought with Satan, and almost all his children to an early death. Jeremiah was placed in chains and forced to march off to Egypt. King David faced war, threats of death from King Saul, and even an uprising led by his own son. He, too, lived with multiple deaths of those close to him. Joseph faced slavery. Ruth dealt with the death of her husband and the loss of her home. Esther lived in exile. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace of fire and expected to die but lived. The disciples faced death on a boat caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Peter and Paul were thrown into prison. On and on, the people in the Bible faced tremendous challenges and battles. The main difference between Biblical heroes versus the Biblical villains is that Biblical heroes not only found God in their life battles; they trusted completely in God’s salvation and providence.
In the scripture for today found in 2 Chronicles 32, King Hezekiah of Judah faces a great enemy in Assyria. At the time this was written, Assyria was a world power with vast and powerful armies. Even the great kingdoms of Egypt feared Assyria greatly and lost to Assyria multiple times in battle. At the time of King Hezekiah, Assyria came to attack Jerusalem. Everyone involved knew that the Assyrian armies not only had surrounded Jerusalem but had many more troops and much advanced technology. What the Assyrian armies did not have was a trust and love of our God. As the day of battle between the Judeans and Assyrians came close, the people of Jerusalem were frightened. In 2 Chronicles 32: 7-8, King Hezekiah of Judah gives the people hope with these words: “Don’t be afraid or discouraged… there is a far greater power on our side…they are merely men….We have the Lord God to fight our battles for us!” Not long after these words were spoken, a great pestilence struck the Assyrian armies. Scripture records that angels utterly decimated the Assyrian army. They never conquered Jerusalem.
Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem were up against terrible odds. Their chance of victory was almost nothing. Yet, they had God on their side, and they won on the day of battle. There is no battle that the Lord cannot win. There is no adversary to compete with God Almighty.
If you are a servant of God and a believer in Jesus, you are on God’s side. Whether you are facing small or large battles right now in your life, God is with you. You will not fight alone! There is no battle God cannot win. However, you will need to be in the fight in order to win. You need to face your demons in order to be healed. You need to remain strong and courageous in the spiritual fight. King Hezekiah knew that the people of Jerusalem needed to be spiritually strong in order to win on the battlefield in that day.
What battles are you facing in this period of your life? Is there a fight looming? If God is with you in this fight, you have the backing of the greatest power in the universe and beyond. As Hezekiah said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged… we have the Lord God to fight our battles for us!” Shore up your spiritual strength with prayer. Be a true servant of the Lord. Trust in God throughout your fights. Lean on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction. God will see you through to where you need to be.
Spiritually, the same occurs. There will be spiritual battles that you face from the moment you are born until the moment you die. These battles may not be as apparent to you, but they will affect your life in the greatest of ways. Some who lose spiritual battles end up with lifelong addictions. Those who are losing spiritual battles may live with greed, overeat, deal with anxiety, or have psychological traumas and illnesses. Spiritual battles not only affect the body but ultimately affect the soul. Some who lose spiritual battles end up with a soul that is shriveled up and dead. Others who win spiritual battles will end up knowing forgiveness, grace, true joy, and a “peace that the world cannot give” (John 14:27). Spiritual battles affect the mind in great and powerful ways. A person who is losing a spiritual battle may slip into a deep depression or become suicidal. A person who is winning a spiritual battle by the grace of God will feel a deep sense of closeness to God in Christ, feel healing and hope and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
There was an old saying common among soldiers of World War 2: “There are no atheists in foxholes”. They were not using this expression to say that an atheist can never be found in the theater of war. Rather, they were commenting on the fact that many people in war found that the only one they could rely on for anything enduring is God. I find it very interesting that military battles often make a soldier confront his spiritual side. Some people caught on a worldly battlefield will look to God for deliverance. In the same way, spiritual battles have a way of causing humans to seek out God. Don’t underestimate the power of a battle in your life to not only define you but to point you to God. That is why people who face great difficulties in life often can be some of the most intensely spiritual of souls.
Some of the most famous people of the Bible dealt with great difficulties, challenges, and battles. Job fought with Satan, and almost all his children to an early death. Jeremiah was placed in chains and forced to march off to Egypt. King David faced war, threats of death from King Saul, and even an uprising led by his own son. He, too, lived with multiple deaths of those close to him. Joseph faced slavery. Ruth dealt with the death of her husband and the loss of her home. Esther lived in exile. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace of fire and expected to die but lived. The disciples faced death on a boat caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Peter and Paul were thrown into prison. On and on, the people in the Bible faced tremendous challenges and battles. The main difference between Biblical heroes versus the Biblical villains is that Biblical heroes not only found God in their life battles; they trusted completely in God’s salvation and providence.
In the scripture for today found in 2 Chronicles 32, King Hezekiah of Judah faces a great enemy in Assyria. At the time this was written, Assyria was a world power with vast and powerful armies. Even the great kingdoms of Egypt feared Assyria greatly and lost to Assyria multiple times in battle. At the time of King Hezekiah, Assyria came to attack Jerusalem. Everyone involved knew that the Assyrian armies not only had surrounded Jerusalem but had many more troops and much advanced technology. What the Assyrian armies did not have was a trust and love of our God. As the day of battle between the Judeans and Assyrians came close, the people of Jerusalem were frightened. In 2 Chronicles 32: 7-8, King Hezekiah of Judah gives the people hope with these words: “Don’t be afraid or discouraged… there is a far greater power on our side…they are merely men….We have the Lord God to fight our battles for us!” Not long after these words were spoken, a great pestilence struck the Assyrian armies. Scripture records that angels utterly decimated the Assyrian army. They never conquered Jerusalem.
Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem were up against terrible odds. Their chance of victory was almost nothing. Yet, they had God on their side, and they won on the day of battle. There is no battle that the Lord cannot win. There is no adversary to compete with God Almighty.
If you are a servant of God and a believer in Jesus, you are on God’s side. Whether you are facing small or large battles right now in your life, God is with you. You will not fight alone! There is no battle God cannot win. However, you will need to be in the fight in order to win. You need to face your demons in order to be healed. You need to remain strong and courageous in the spiritual fight. King Hezekiah knew that the people of Jerusalem needed to be spiritually strong in order to win on the battlefield in that day.
What battles are you facing in this period of your life? Is there a fight looming? If God is with you in this fight, you have the backing of the greatest power in the universe and beyond. As Hezekiah said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged… we have the Lord God to fight our battles for us!” Shore up your spiritual strength with prayer. Be a true servant of the Lord. Trust in God throughout your fights. Lean on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction. God will see you through to where you need to be.
July 15
“O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention.” (Proverbs 8:5, RSV)
A day trader in stocks had done very well for himself. To make good choices in the stock market, he diligently and thoroughly studied the companies in which he traded stocks frequently. He knew the quality of the products made by that company. He had followed the careers of the leaders in the company. He often poured over the company earnings reports and brochures. He scoured news sources for all the information he could gather. His earnings and future depended on his accurate assessment of the stock market.
On a Thursday morning, the day trader’s best friend paid a visit to the office. As the two were talking, the day trader saw a small blurb of news come across his computer screen. That blurb mentioned an article concerning a new product being debuted at a company. A few minutes later, the day trader noticed a small rise in the stock price. His eyes grew large, and he said to his best friend, “Do you see that small rise in the stock price? Something important is happening in that company today. As he focused like a laser on the stock price levels, the day trader immediately typed some things in on his computer and said to his best friend, “I just purchased ten thousand shares of that stock. Now, pay attention. In the next hour, as we talk the stock price will go up. I just know it. I’ve been waiting for this to happen!” Sure to his word, twenty minutes later the stock price of that very company rose seventy-five cents per share. The two reacted with joy that the day trader made $7500 in less than an hour by paying close attention to stock market fluctuations.
By keeping laser-focused on a specific area of the stock market, that day trader was able not only to make a living but a healthy profit. He was highly successful in discerning the movements of certain stocks. Paying close attention to his area of expertise kept that day trader well apprised of what was going on not only in the company but what was going on in the stock market.
I only wish that more people would pay close attention to the movements of the Holy Spirit and things of a spiritual nature. As the day trader was wildly successful due to paying close attention to the stock market, those who are close to God can see many important aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Paying close attention to spiritual aspects of your life, to the meaning of scripture for your situation, and to the world around you are all critical if you want to understand the direction of God’s work.
For sixteen years, Thomas brought his family to church. He had a strong faith in God and wanted his children to know the Bible and be introduced to God. Thomas’ wife was also a firm believer in the saving grace of God and the redemption that came with Jesus on the cross. The whole family were active participants in their church. Thomas enjoyed the men’s Bible Study group. His wife was active in Sunday School and Christian Education programs. His children were ever-present in Sunday School classes and youth mission programs.
Coming home from worship one Sunday in July, Thomas had a bad feeling about his neighbor. The man next door seemed off. He was walking around mumbling under his breath. He had an angry scowl on his face. Thomas knew the man to be a fellow Christian. His actions seemed not only odd but menacing. Thomas walked to the fence between their yards and asked his neighbor how things were going. The neighbor yelled an obscenity at Thomas and kept working. On and off that entire Sunday, Thomas watched over his neighbor.
Late in the day, Thomas saw his neighbor’s wife out for a walk. He stopped what he was doing and approached her. The two talked and Thomas mentioned that her husband seemed off and angry. The wife responded that she hadn’t seen him all day as he was working outside. Thomas urged her to check on her husband and let him know if everything was alright.
Three hours later, the wife next door telephoned. When Thomas answered the call, the wife filled him in on what had happened. After talking with her husband, she took him immediately to the hospital. There in the Emergency area, they found that the neighbor had suffered from a heat stroke and was even still having heart palpitations and other complications. The doctors mentioned that a few more hours outside and the man may have been brain damaged. The wife thanked Thomas profusely for the timely conversation. She even baked Thomas and his family a dozen cookies that evening.
As Thomas lay in bed that night, he thanked God for the wisdom to see what was happening with his neighbor. He praised God for calling his attention to what was happening. Thomas was grateful that he had not ignored the symptoms of his neighbor nor rejected the increased feeling of urgency that had filled his soul. Thomas knew that in a real way, God was sending him to help that neighbor.
There will be times that God will speak to you, urge you to take a certain stand or to go a different direction. At crucial moments, God will speak to your heart. The Holy Spirit may bring up red flags in a conversation or cause certain words you hear to spark a memory or make you pause. In a million different ways, God will speak to you and direct your attention. BUT WILL YOU NOTICE?
In the scripture for today from the book of Proverbs, the Wisdom of God is speaking. Out of concern for the ways of men, it gives a warning: “O foolish men, pay attention!” (Proverbs 8:5). These words are meant to help you to see that God may want you to pay attention to certain things in life in order to discern what path you should take, changes you should make, or spiritual battles that may be upon you. Proverbs 8:1 claims that at times, God’s wisdom will call out to you. It will beg you to listen. It will urge you to pay attention to something God is doing.
All too often, people do not pay attention to God’s wisdom. They don’t listen for God’s voice or perceive the leading of God’s Spirit. Angels can be sent by God to help guide you, but if you aren’t paying attention, their directions will go unnoticed. In little and big ways, God will want you to pay attention to what He is doing. Will you?
Is there something you have not been attentive to lately? Is God warning you about something? Is God trying to reach out to you with grace? Are you ignoring God’s voice or too busy to heed God’s Spirit? Is there a blessing you are missing? Is there a temptation looming large? Pay attention to God’s wisdom. Seek God’s voice. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring knowledge and discernment.
On a Thursday morning, the day trader’s best friend paid a visit to the office. As the two were talking, the day trader saw a small blurb of news come across his computer screen. That blurb mentioned an article concerning a new product being debuted at a company. A few minutes later, the day trader noticed a small rise in the stock price. His eyes grew large, and he said to his best friend, “Do you see that small rise in the stock price? Something important is happening in that company today. As he focused like a laser on the stock price levels, the day trader immediately typed some things in on his computer and said to his best friend, “I just purchased ten thousand shares of that stock. Now, pay attention. In the next hour, as we talk the stock price will go up. I just know it. I’ve been waiting for this to happen!” Sure to his word, twenty minutes later the stock price of that very company rose seventy-five cents per share. The two reacted with joy that the day trader made $7500 in less than an hour by paying close attention to stock market fluctuations.
By keeping laser-focused on a specific area of the stock market, that day trader was able not only to make a living but a healthy profit. He was highly successful in discerning the movements of certain stocks. Paying close attention to his area of expertise kept that day trader well apprised of what was going on not only in the company but what was going on in the stock market.
I only wish that more people would pay close attention to the movements of the Holy Spirit and things of a spiritual nature. As the day trader was wildly successful due to paying close attention to the stock market, those who are close to God can see many important aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Paying close attention to spiritual aspects of your life, to the meaning of scripture for your situation, and to the world around you are all critical if you want to understand the direction of God’s work.
For sixteen years, Thomas brought his family to church. He had a strong faith in God and wanted his children to know the Bible and be introduced to God. Thomas’ wife was also a firm believer in the saving grace of God and the redemption that came with Jesus on the cross. The whole family were active participants in their church. Thomas enjoyed the men’s Bible Study group. His wife was active in Sunday School and Christian Education programs. His children were ever-present in Sunday School classes and youth mission programs.
Coming home from worship one Sunday in July, Thomas had a bad feeling about his neighbor. The man next door seemed off. He was walking around mumbling under his breath. He had an angry scowl on his face. Thomas knew the man to be a fellow Christian. His actions seemed not only odd but menacing. Thomas walked to the fence between their yards and asked his neighbor how things were going. The neighbor yelled an obscenity at Thomas and kept working. On and off that entire Sunday, Thomas watched over his neighbor.
Late in the day, Thomas saw his neighbor’s wife out for a walk. He stopped what he was doing and approached her. The two talked and Thomas mentioned that her husband seemed off and angry. The wife responded that she hadn’t seen him all day as he was working outside. Thomas urged her to check on her husband and let him know if everything was alright.
Three hours later, the wife next door telephoned. When Thomas answered the call, the wife filled him in on what had happened. After talking with her husband, she took him immediately to the hospital. There in the Emergency area, they found that the neighbor had suffered from a heat stroke and was even still having heart palpitations and other complications. The doctors mentioned that a few more hours outside and the man may have been brain damaged. The wife thanked Thomas profusely for the timely conversation. She even baked Thomas and his family a dozen cookies that evening.
As Thomas lay in bed that night, he thanked God for the wisdom to see what was happening with his neighbor. He praised God for calling his attention to what was happening. Thomas was grateful that he had not ignored the symptoms of his neighbor nor rejected the increased feeling of urgency that had filled his soul. Thomas knew that in a real way, God was sending him to help that neighbor.
There will be times that God will speak to you, urge you to take a certain stand or to go a different direction. At crucial moments, God will speak to your heart. The Holy Spirit may bring up red flags in a conversation or cause certain words you hear to spark a memory or make you pause. In a million different ways, God will speak to you and direct your attention. BUT WILL YOU NOTICE?
In the scripture for today from the book of Proverbs, the Wisdom of God is speaking. Out of concern for the ways of men, it gives a warning: “O foolish men, pay attention!” (Proverbs 8:5). These words are meant to help you to see that God may want you to pay attention to certain things in life in order to discern what path you should take, changes you should make, or spiritual battles that may be upon you. Proverbs 8:1 claims that at times, God’s wisdom will call out to you. It will beg you to listen. It will urge you to pay attention to something God is doing.
All too often, people do not pay attention to God’s wisdom. They don’t listen for God’s voice or perceive the leading of God’s Spirit. Angels can be sent by God to help guide you, but if you aren’t paying attention, their directions will go unnoticed. In little and big ways, God will want you to pay attention to what He is doing. Will you?
Is there something you have not been attentive to lately? Is God warning you about something? Is God trying to reach out to you with grace? Are you ignoring God’s voice or too busy to heed God’s Spirit? Is there a blessing you are missing? Is there a temptation looming large? Pay attention to God’s wisdom. Seek God’s voice. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring knowledge and discernment.
July 18
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, RSV)
A close Christian friend of Tim Hansel was excited about his forty-year high school reunion. For months, the friend made arrangements to fly back home and see all the people he used to chum around with. He was going to introduce his old classmates to his wife and find out about their families! He couldn’t wait to find out what others had done in their absence. Tim’s friend had changed greatly. He had become a strong Christian man and dedicated his life not only to Jesus but to several missions and ministries. He was so very excited about the trip, dreaming of all the stories he would hear, the accomplishments of his friends, the way they changed the world for the better!
Here’s what Tim wrote later about his close friend’s high school reunion:
“One night before he left, he pulled out his old yearbooks, read the silly statements and the good wishes for the future that students write to each other. He wondered what ol’ Number 86 from his football team had done. He wondered if any others had encountered this Christ who had changed him so profoundly. He even tried to guess what some of his friends would look like, and what kind of jobs and families some of these special friends had.
Then, the day came to leave, and I drove them to the airport. Their energy was almost contagious. “I’ll pick you up on Sunday evening, and you can tell me all about it,” I said. “Have a great time.”
Sunday evening arrived. As I watched them get off the plane, my friend seemed almost despondent. I almost didn’t want to ask, but finally I said, “Well, how was the reunion?”
“Tim,” the man said, “it was one of the saddest experiences of my life.”
“Good grief,” I said, more than a little surprised. “What happened?”
“It wasn’t what happened but what didn’t happen. It has been forty years, forty years—and they haven’t changed. They had simply gained weight, changed clothes, gotten jobs…but they hadn’t really changed. And what I experienced was maybe one of the most tragic things I could ever imagine about life. For reasons I can’t fully understand, it seems as though some people choose not to change.”
There was a long silence as we walked back to the car. On the drive home, he turned to me and said, “I never, never want that to be said of me, Tim. Life is too precious, too sacred, too important. If you ever see me go stagnant like that, I hope you give me a quick, swift kick where I need it—for Christ’s sake. I hope you’ll love me enough to challenge me to keep growing.” (Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, pp. 54-55.)
Some people can become stagnant. They fall into a rut. They do the same things over and over. Many like the ritual of it. Others don’t care to make a difference. Some just don’t want to change a thing.
The scripture for today sees the Christian life differently. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, he wrote that after “beholding the glory of the Lord, we all are being changed into His [Jesus’] likeness from one degree or another…” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This scripture paints a picture that all Christians are changed by their belief in Christ. Over time, they want to be more holy, be agents of grace, forgive others, share their wealth, and so much more. The scripture reinforces the notion that the longer you are a true Christian, the closer to Jesus you become. And the closer to Jesus you grow, the more you want to change… to be like our Lord!
If you find that your life or your spiritual life has grown stagnant, shake things up. Have a close Christian friend give you a “kick in the pants”. Go on a retreat. Take up a new mission. Start a new Bible study. Spend more time in prayer. Just DO SOMETHING! Don’t let your faith grow old and stale.
Good changes in your relationship with Jesus often bring excitement and passion to your faith. Every now and then, you need to make some changes, alter your thinking, move away from old habits… all as Christ calls you. Like perennial flowers that periodically grow and bloom all over again, let your faith experience newness, new life, and new directions. Don’t fear change. Don’t neglect it. As Paul notes, it’s part of being faithful. It happens whenever someone gets close to Jesus!
Here’s what Tim wrote later about his close friend’s high school reunion:
“One night before he left, he pulled out his old yearbooks, read the silly statements and the good wishes for the future that students write to each other. He wondered what ol’ Number 86 from his football team had done. He wondered if any others had encountered this Christ who had changed him so profoundly. He even tried to guess what some of his friends would look like, and what kind of jobs and families some of these special friends had.
Then, the day came to leave, and I drove them to the airport. Their energy was almost contagious. “I’ll pick you up on Sunday evening, and you can tell me all about it,” I said. “Have a great time.”
Sunday evening arrived. As I watched them get off the plane, my friend seemed almost despondent. I almost didn’t want to ask, but finally I said, “Well, how was the reunion?”
“Tim,” the man said, “it was one of the saddest experiences of my life.”
“Good grief,” I said, more than a little surprised. “What happened?”
“It wasn’t what happened but what didn’t happen. It has been forty years, forty years—and they haven’t changed. They had simply gained weight, changed clothes, gotten jobs…but they hadn’t really changed. And what I experienced was maybe one of the most tragic things I could ever imagine about life. For reasons I can’t fully understand, it seems as though some people choose not to change.”
There was a long silence as we walked back to the car. On the drive home, he turned to me and said, “I never, never want that to be said of me, Tim. Life is too precious, too sacred, too important. If you ever see me go stagnant like that, I hope you give me a quick, swift kick where I need it—for Christ’s sake. I hope you’ll love me enough to challenge me to keep growing.” (Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, pp. 54-55.)
Some people can become stagnant. They fall into a rut. They do the same things over and over. Many like the ritual of it. Others don’t care to make a difference. Some just don’t want to change a thing.
The scripture for today sees the Christian life differently. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, he wrote that after “beholding the glory of the Lord, we all are being changed into His [Jesus’] likeness from one degree or another…” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This scripture paints a picture that all Christians are changed by their belief in Christ. Over time, they want to be more holy, be agents of grace, forgive others, share their wealth, and so much more. The scripture reinforces the notion that the longer you are a true Christian, the closer to Jesus you become. And the closer to Jesus you grow, the more you want to change… to be like our Lord!
If you find that your life or your spiritual life has grown stagnant, shake things up. Have a close Christian friend give you a “kick in the pants”. Go on a retreat. Take up a new mission. Start a new Bible study. Spend more time in prayer. Just DO SOMETHING! Don’t let your faith grow old and stale.
Good changes in your relationship with Jesus often bring excitement and passion to your faith. Every now and then, you need to make some changes, alter your thinking, move away from old habits… all as Christ calls you. Like perennial flowers that periodically grow and bloom all over again, let your faith experience newness, new life, and new directions. Don’t fear change. Don’t neglect it. As Paul notes, it’s part of being faithful. It happens whenever someone gets close to Jesus!
July 20
“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
(2 Timothy 4:5, NIV)
(2 Timothy 4:5, NIV)
“Charles Bowles’s father was African; his mother was the daughter of a Revolutionary War hero. He was converted as a youth and called to the Freewill Baptist ministry. On July 24, 1816 he preached his first sermon, and his ministry soon resulted in both converts and controversy. He was a black preacher in the far north, making waves and winning souls. In Huntington, Vermont, a mob secretly plotted to attack him at his next worship service. They intended to tie him to a wooden horse and plunge him in the lake to sink or swim as he would. Bowles, however, heard of the plot.
The service began, and the mob, seated before him, awaited its signal. Bowles read Matthew 23:33— “You are nothing but snakes … ! How can you escape going to hell?” He preached with such fervor that no one dared move. He finished by saying, “I am informed there are persons here who have agreed to put me on a wooden horse, carry me to the pond, and throw me in; and now, dear creatures, I make no resistance.” But he had one request—that on the way to the lake the assembly sing hymns. “Glory be to God! Yes, we will have music. Glory to God!”
This was said with his powerful voice with such confidence in God that it went like an electric shock through the congregation, and produced an effect upon the mob that could scarcely have been equaled had a bolt from heaven fallen; so completely were they overcome, that they fell prostrate upon the floor.
Shortly afterward, the troublemakers did meet Bowles at the lake—where he plunged them into its chilly waters, baptizing them as followers of his Lord Jesus.” (Robert J. Morgan, On This Day)
In the hours before Bowles was to be drowned by the mob, do you know what he did? He prayed. While some might flee, Bowles threw his case before the throne of God, then went into the church to preach. His steadfastness in the face of persecution made all the difference in the world and no doubt saved the souls of those who would have killed him.
The scripture for today urges the faithful to “keep their heads in all situations”. Its meaning is clear but very difficult. There are times in life when you want to throw in the towel, run away rather than face a trial, get even rather than deal with difficult people. Life is never easy. For those who live faithfully, life can be tremendously stressful when evil forces threaten.
Recently, a famous public personality said that today liars often go free while those who tell the truth are persecuted, brought before the courts, threatened, and jailed. Certainly, this has been the case recently as the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have threatened and jailed and sued the whistleblowers who spoke out against the law-breaking of President Biden and his son, Hunter. So too, people in places of power have tried to block or sabotage viewings of “Sound of Freedom”, a movie that speaks out against child slavery. Faithful people constantly suffer threats, intimidation, and outright abuse and persecution. Liars, manipulators, sinners, and evil ones hide in the background and cause untold suffering to innocent souls.
I know of pastors in Africa who were murdered, their families barely making it to safety to tell the story. I have prayed with several family members living with these memories. I have close friends who are missionaries overseas who lived in constant danger from Muslim extremists. There are many stories of pastors in China who have been detained or disappeared. I have been made aware of numerous incidents of church members who were threatened by others in the church for telling the truth about a sin going on among church members. I have seen Christians stand up for the truth while being mocked in public or ridiculed in social media. I have counseled many youths who lived with horror stories of abuse, neglect, and persecution. Some of these people suffered for telling the truth. Others suffered because they publicly confessed a love of Jesus Christ. Some came from dysfunctional homes. Some had abusive family members. All sought to be faithful to God in Christ.
The scripture for today is a reminder that YOU have a “ministry” to do for Christ. Your service is watched by Heaven. Despite the obstacles in this world to the truth, to the gospel, and to faithfulness, you are called to “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist” throughout your faith journey. Stand out for Jesus. Despite the obstacles, remain faithful. Resisting evil, keep telling the truth. True faith is never easy… ever. But it is lifechanging. And the reward is a peace that passes all understanding and a joy that lives forever in the presence of the Almighty.
The service began, and the mob, seated before him, awaited its signal. Bowles read Matthew 23:33— “You are nothing but snakes … ! How can you escape going to hell?” He preached with such fervor that no one dared move. He finished by saying, “I am informed there are persons here who have agreed to put me on a wooden horse, carry me to the pond, and throw me in; and now, dear creatures, I make no resistance.” But he had one request—that on the way to the lake the assembly sing hymns. “Glory be to God! Yes, we will have music. Glory to God!”
This was said with his powerful voice with such confidence in God that it went like an electric shock through the congregation, and produced an effect upon the mob that could scarcely have been equaled had a bolt from heaven fallen; so completely were they overcome, that they fell prostrate upon the floor.
Shortly afterward, the troublemakers did meet Bowles at the lake—where he plunged them into its chilly waters, baptizing them as followers of his Lord Jesus.” (Robert J. Morgan, On This Day)
In the hours before Bowles was to be drowned by the mob, do you know what he did? He prayed. While some might flee, Bowles threw his case before the throne of God, then went into the church to preach. His steadfastness in the face of persecution made all the difference in the world and no doubt saved the souls of those who would have killed him.
The scripture for today urges the faithful to “keep their heads in all situations”. Its meaning is clear but very difficult. There are times in life when you want to throw in the towel, run away rather than face a trial, get even rather than deal with difficult people. Life is never easy. For those who live faithfully, life can be tremendously stressful when evil forces threaten.
Recently, a famous public personality said that today liars often go free while those who tell the truth are persecuted, brought before the courts, threatened, and jailed. Certainly, this has been the case recently as the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have threatened and jailed and sued the whistleblowers who spoke out against the law-breaking of President Biden and his son, Hunter. So too, people in places of power have tried to block or sabotage viewings of “Sound of Freedom”, a movie that speaks out against child slavery. Faithful people constantly suffer threats, intimidation, and outright abuse and persecution. Liars, manipulators, sinners, and evil ones hide in the background and cause untold suffering to innocent souls.
I know of pastors in Africa who were murdered, their families barely making it to safety to tell the story. I have prayed with several family members living with these memories. I have close friends who are missionaries overseas who lived in constant danger from Muslim extremists. There are many stories of pastors in China who have been detained or disappeared. I have been made aware of numerous incidents of church members who were threatened by others in the church for telling the truth about a sin going on among church members. I have seen Christians stand up for the truth while being mocked in public or ridiculed in social media. I have counseled many youths who lived with horror stories of abuse, neglect, and persecution. Some of these people suffered for telling the truth. Others suffered because they publicly confessed a love of Jesus Christ. Some came from dysfunctional homes. Some had abusive family members. All sought to be faithful to God in Christ.
The scripture for today is a reminder that YOU have a “ministry” to do for Christ. Your service is watched by Heaven. Despite the obstacles in this world to the truth, to the gospel, and to faithfulness, you are called to “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist” throughout your faith journey. Stand out for Jesus. Despite the obstacles, remain faithful. Resisting evil, keep telling the truth. True faith is never easy… ever. But it is lifechanging. And the reward is a peace that passes all understanding and a joy that lives forever in the presence of the Almighty.
July 23
““One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”
(Luke 16:10, ESV)
(Luke 16:10, ESV)
In the late 1800’s, an Evangelist preached in a large tent in Iowa. Hearing the gospel one night, a young man came forward to the altar and was considered saved. The young man hailed from a small farming community and was from a very poor family. He could not read nor write. His name was Fred.
A short time after being saved, Fred came to the Evangelist begging to work for the man. The Evangelist told him, “Fred, you could not go with us in this work. You can scarcely read. What could you do?” The man could not read the tracts given to the newly saved. He could not read scripture at the events. He couldn’t even read a map to make arrangements for the traveling missionary work the group performed. Despite the Evangelist’s comment, Fred told the man, “I could take care of the tent. I could shine your shoes. I’d do anything you need, but I feel I must go with you.” Bewildered by the faith of the man, the Evangelist decided to take him on anyway.
Fred ended up being an amazing man of faith and a very hard worker. Day after day, Fred was invaluable at doing the thousand little jobs required for a successful Evangelism event. He became the head caretaker of the meeting tent. And what came out over the years stunned all. Fred could speak to some people in the simplest but most effective of ways. His demeanor was humble and forthright. In his years with the traveling Evangelism team and by the grace of God, Fred alone was solely involved in the conversion of over 1200 people. Often, the Evangelism team would leave the tent after a late night of work seeing Fred praying with someone in the shadows. This poor, uneducated, and illiterate man was an amazing witness and evangelist for Jesus Christ, to the astonishment of many. R. A. Torrey even wrote about Fred in a 1907 compendium of Biblical Illustrations!
Fred was, as Jesus noted in our scripture for today, faithful in very little and yet faithful in much (Luke 16:10). I have found in my years of ministry that those who can be trusted to be faithful in little things are often very capable of being faithful with big works. I have also seen people who took on big jobs in the church only to fail. Why? In some of those cases, it was because their faith was not up to the task. They were not proven faithful with little things in life. So, why were they given jobs in the church requiring a big faith?
Charles was the eldest son of a pastor from a large church in Detroit. Growing up, he had a keen intelligence. He was an insightful young man. He was easy to get to know. He was fun-loving and a joy to be around. During his late teen years, a Deacon from the church told the pastor that his eldest son would make a perfect pastor. The pastor responded that Charles would not make a good pastor yet. The Deacon was shocked, thinking the pastor too hard on his son. The pastor responded, “Charles hasn’t learned to be faithful in the little things. He jumps at the chance to do big things for God but can’t be counted on to be faithful in his day-to-day tasks.” The Deacon disagreed. Discreetly, he went to Charles urging him to go into the ministry.
Over the next year, God revealed to the Deacon his mistake. Putting Charles under his wing, the Deacon put the young man in charge of a very important missionary event at the church. The event turned out to have all kinds of problems. The house that the missionaries were meant to stay was not prepared. The special diet of the sickly daughter of the missionaries was not carefully prepared and she became ill after several days. Even when the missionaries were meant to travel to several destinations, their rides were not arranged. Someone dropped the ball. A dozen different little and big responsibilities were missed by Charles. Oh, he was a gracious host. Charles was a great conversationalist. His “fun time” for the missionary family was a joy. But so many aspects of the missionary work were delayed, mishandled, and forgotten. Finally, the Deacon understood his pastor’s meaning. Charles was not good at fulfilling the many little aspects of faith required in overseeing the care of the missionaries. How could he lead a church?
In our scripture for today, Jesus not only spoke about faith. He also spoke about dishonesty. Just as a person is faithful or unfaithful, a person is either honest or dishonest. Those with true faith can be found faithful even in the little things. In similar manner, those who are dishonest in big ways are also dishonest in the little aspects of life.
I find it interesting that the Feds never found Al Capone guilty of murder or racketeering or some other big crime. Capone had done all these things and much worse. However, what the Feds did convict Al Capone of doing was tax evasion. Capone was known to commit horrible sins. However, even in the little things, Capone was dishonest. He cheated many people out of a long life through murder. AND, simultaneously, he cheated the Federal Government out of taxes. He had two sets of financial records.. one for the government and one that had the true numbers. Capone was not dishonest in one area of his life alone. He was dishonest all over the place!
The scripture for today is a clear reminder that the soul of both sinner and saint is defined by the little and big things of life. The dishonest sinner can be counted on to fail in both little and big ways. The unfaithful sinner can be counted on to fail God in little and big ways as well. Honest and faithful people are rare in this world. But one thing is sure. You can tell them apart by the way they handle the little aspects of their lives. The faithful and honest will be trustworthy in all the little ways that count. It is proof to God that they were ready for great things!
A short time after being saved, Fred came to the Evangelist begging to work for the man. The Evangelist told him, “Fred, you could not go with us in this work. You can scarcely read. What could you do?” The man could not read the tracts given to the newly saved. He could not read scripture at the events. He couldn’t even read a map to make arrangements for the traveling missionary work the group performed. Despite the Evangelist’s comment, Fred told the man, “I could take care of the tent. I could shine your shoes. I’d do anything you need, but I feel I must go with you.” Bewildered by the faith of the man, the Evangelist decided to take him on anyway.
Fred ended up being an amazing man of faith and a very hard worker. Day after day, Fred was invaluable at doing the thousand little jobs required for a successful Evangelism event. He became the head caretaker of the meeting tent. And what came out over the years stunned all. Fred could speak to some people in the simplest but most effective of ways. His demeanor was humble and forthright. In his years with the traveling Evangelism team and by the grace of God, Fred alone was solely involved in the conversion of over 1200 people. Often, the Evangelism team would leave the tent after a late night of work seeing Fred praying with someone in the shadows. This poor, uneducated, and illiterate man was an amazing witness and evangelist for Jesus Christ, to the astonishment of many. R. A. Torrey even wrote about Fred in a 1907 compendium of Biblical Illustrations!
Fred was, as Jesus noted in our scripture for today, faithful in very little and yet faithful in much (Luke 16:10). I have found in my years of ministry that those who can be trusted to be faithful in little things are often very capable of being faithful with big works. I have also seen people who took on big jobs in the church only to fail. Why? In some of those cases, it was because their faith was not up to the task. They were not proven faithful with little things in life. So, why were they given jobs in the church requiring a big faith?
Charles was the eldest son of a pastor from a large church in Detroit. Growing up, he had a keen intelligence. He was an insightful young man. He was easy to get to know. He was fun-loving and a joy to be around. During his late teen years, a Deacon from the church told the pastor that his eldest son would make a perfect pastor. The pastor responded that Charles would not make a good pastor yet. The Deacon was shocked, thinking the pastor too hard on his son. The pastor responded, “Charles hasn’t learned to be faithful in the little things. He jumps at the chance to do big things for God but can’t be counted on to be faithful in his day-to-day tasks.” The Deacon disagreed. Discreetly, he went to Charles urging him to go into the ministry.
Over the next year, God revealed to the Deacon his mistake. Putting Charles under his wing, the Deacon put the young man in charge of a very important missionary event at the church. The event turned out to have all kinds of problems. The house that the missionaries were meant to stay was not prepared. The special diet of the sickly daughter of the missionaries was not carefully prepared and she became ill after several days. Even when the missionaries were meant to travel to several destinations, their rides were not arranged. Someone dropped the ball. A dozen different little and big responsibilities were missed by Charles. Oh, he was a gracious host. Charles was a great conversationalist. His “fun time” for the missionary family was a joy. But so many aspects of the missionary work were delayed, mishandled, and forgotten. Finally, the Deacon understood his pastor’s meaning. Charles was not good at fulfilling the many little aspects of faith required in overseeing the care of the missionaries. How could he lead a church?
In our scripture for today, Jesus not only spoke about faith. He also spoke about dishonesty. Just as a person is faithful or unfaithful, a person is either honest or dishonest. Those with true faith can be found faithful even in the little things. In similar manner, those who are dishonest in big ways are also dishonest in the little aspects of life.
I find it interesting that the Feds never found Al Capone guilty of murder or racketeering or some other big crime. Capone had done all these things and much worse. However, what the Feds did convict Al Capone of doing was tax evasion. Capone was known to commit horrible sins. However, even in the little things, Capone was dishonest. He cheated many people out of a long life through murder. AND, simultaneously, he cheated the Federal Government out of taxes. He had two sets of financial records.. one for the government and one that had the true numbers. Capone was not dishonest in one area of his life alone. He was dishonest all over the place!
The scripture for today is a clear reminder that the soul of both sinner and saint is defined by the little and big things of life. The dishonest sinner can be counted on to fail in both little and big ways. The unfaithful sinner can be counted on to fail God in little and big ways as well. Honest and faithful people are rare in this world. But one thing is sure. You can tell them apart by the way they handle the little aspects of their lives. The faithful and honest will be trustworthy in all the little ways that count. It is proof to God that they were ready for great things!
July 27
“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.” (Psalm 20:7–8, NLT)
Every now and then, I get criticism from other Christians about my sermons, my Bible Studies, my web site, or my speech. One of the criticisms that comes up frequently is that my Bible Studies and meditations do not do enough justice for one political cause or another. Among these criticisms is the notion that I should be more positive about the Republican or Democratic parties. Democrats suggest my sermons and meditations are not liberal enough. Republicans argue that I’m not more critical of worldly Democratic policies. Some people overseas have been critical that I don’t attack the United States policies enough. Several have argued that I need to address this or that political hot topic important somewhere in the world. What most of these critics don’t understand is that my call by God is not to just do political and social commentary and criticism. My call by God is to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28). My sermons and meditations endeavor to increase faithful biblical knowledge and wisdom and understanding. My purpose is to introduce and support people in their relationship to and mission for Almighty God.
The scripture for today actually contains a warning for those who put their trust in governments, political parties, political action groups, and such. To begin, this scripture claims that “nations boast of their chariots and horses” (Psalm 20:7a). Political and social groups love to boast of their clout, their outreach, their just policies, and superior programs. However, all are human based. All political and social groups use worldly power tactics to push an agenda. In contrast, “we boast in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 20:7b). Where human groups are manipulated by polls, trends, and the whims of human insight, the faithful know to trust in God’s wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The scripture for today ends with the warning, “nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20:8).
During the 1960’s, Angela lived in California. She considered herself a feminist, who was politically enlightened and part of the counterculture. Angela was very active in anti-war rallies in the United States. Though raised a Christian, she also traveled to Thailand to study Zen Buddhism. For almost ten years, she went to her home church but often performed Zen meditation and practices on her own. When the Vietnam war ended, Angela marched for immigrant rights. She left her home church, disgusted by their lack of concern for immigrants, and joined a more liberal church. Five years later, she met her husband, Jack. Angela and Jack had one child. After their little girl was born with a medical condition, Angela and Jack became involved in a group that supported children like their daughter. Soon after, they joined a different church that had an outreach program to support children’s health issues.
By the time Angela was forty-five and her daughter left for college, Angela looked back on her life. She had been a member of seven different churches in her lifetime. Each church had its own strengths and weaknesses. Mostly, Angela became aware that the churches she attended were usually supportive of one of her issues or policies or political stances. Angela was disgusted that no Christian church was good enough to support all of her causes and beliefs. Because of this, she stopped going to church altogether. To this day, she hasn’t been back.
Angela still hasn’t figured out that its not that all these churches she attended have flaws and a limited mindset or theology. Angela is going to church to support one cause or another. She is using the church as a platform to promote her changing agendas. That’s why she feels more comfortable changing churches as her focus on social and political issues change with time. Angela is completely clueless to the fact that she sees her church as a social group that should support her changing moods and causes. She is not going to a church to worship God and learn about God’s ways. She is attending a church in order to promote her own agendas and beliefs. For Angela, the church is supposed to be an extension of her own beliefs. It’s actually the opposite. Angela is supposed to be an extension of God’s agenda. Angela is meant to promote God’s plans and purposes, not her own. That’s why she has never really fit in for long in any church.
It is all too easy for the church and church people to get caught up in changing the world and influencing people. However, the church was not meant for that as its goal. Instead, the church was to be a place of worship and the adoration of God in Christ Jesus. It was meant to be a place filled with the Holy Spirit and directed to God’s work. Missions of the church aren’t supposed to be extensions of human projects and motivations but God-inspired. Are you a Christian to fulfill your own needs or to be a servant of God in Christ?
During the 4th century, the Latin church fought internally over whether to keep Roman politics out of the decisions of God’s church. During the 1500’s, worshippers in England were very much divided on whether the King was the leader of the church and responsible for faithful theology or if God-ordained clergy would keep the church free from political manipulation. In Germany during the 1930’s and 1940’s, there were great upheavals in the Christian churches over Nazi party loyalties and political stances taken by church leaders. In that same era, Roman Catholics questioned the actions of the pope in relationship to National Socialist challenges to godly rule.
History is full of examples in which worldly political groups and issues fought to influence and control God’s church. You can bet that political and social groups are trying to capture and manipulate your soul, even today. Be wary of those inside and outside the church who seek for you to identify with a worldly cause or issue or party. God’s plans may align with a certain group or issue or policy once in a while but that DOES NOT ever mean that God aligns with worldly methods or purposes. As a faithful follower of Jesus, you need to sort out God’s plan for your life. As a part of that, this web site will always seek not to promote a political or social agenda. This web site and my meditations and studies endeavor to show you faithful biblical knowledge so you can determine God’s call upon your own life!
Do you know any people like Angela, who see the church as a platform for their own favorite issues? Have you seen how political groups and social opinions have sought to infiltrate the church and your soul? It is not easy to have a right relationship with God when the world is constantly attempting to infiltrate and manipulate your soul, is it?
The scripture for today actually contains a warning for those who put their trust in governments, political parties, political action groups, and such. To begin, this scripture claims that “nations boast of their chariots and horses” (Psalm 20:7a). Political and social groups love to boast of their clout, their outreach, their just policies, and superior programs. However, all are human based. All political and social groups use worldly power tactics to push an agenda. In contrast, “we boast in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 20:7b). Where human groups are manipulated by polls, trends, and the whims of human insight, the faithful know to trust in God’s wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The scripture for today ends with the warning, “nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20:8).
During the 1960’s, Angela lived in California. She considered herself a feminist, who was politically enlightened and part of the counterculture. Angela was very active in anti-war rallies in the United States. Though raised a Christian, she also traveled to Thailand to study Zen Buddhism. For almost ten years, she went to her home church but often performed Zen meditation and practices on her own. When the Vietnam war ended, Angela marched for immigrant rights. She left her home church, disgusted by their lack of concern for immigrants, and joined a more liberal church. Five years later, she met her husband, Jack. Angela and Jack had one child. After their little girl was born with a medical condition, Angela and Jack became involved in a group that supported children like their daughter. Soon after, they joined a different church that had an outreach program to support children’s health issues.
By the time Angela was forty-five and her daughter left for college, Angela looked back on her life. She had been a member of seven different churches in her lifetime. Each church had its own strengths and weaknesses. Mostly, Angela became aware that the churches she attended were usually supportive of one of her issues or policies or political stances. Angela was disgusted that no Christian church was good enough to support all of her causes and beliefs. Because of this, she stopped going to church altogether. To this day, she hasn’t been back.
Angela still hasn’t figured out that its not that all these churches she attended have flaws and a limited mindset or theology. Angela is going to church to support one cause or another. She is using the church as a platform to promote her changing agendas. That’s why she feels more comfortable changing churches as her focus on social and political issues change with time. Angela is completely clueless to the fact that she sees her church as a social group that should support her changing moods and causes. She is not going to a church to worship God and learn about God’s ways. She is attending a church in order to promote her own agendas and beliefs. For Angela, the church is supposed to be an extension of her own beliefs. It’s actually the opposite. Angela is supposed to be an extension of God’s agenda. Angela is meant to promote God’s plans and purposes, not her own. That’s why she has never really fit in for long in any church.
It is all too easy for the church and church people to get caught up in changing the world and influencing people. However, the church was not meant for that as its goal. Instead, the church was to be a place of worship and the adoration of God in Christ Jesus. It was meant to be a place filled with the Holy Spirit and directed to God’s work. Missions of the church aren’t supposed to be extensions of human projects and motivations but God-inspired. Are you a Christian to fulfill your own needs or to be a servant of God in Christ?
During the 4th century, the Latin church fought internally over whether to keep Roman politics out of the decisions of God’s church. During the 1500’s, worshippers in England were very much divided on whether the King was the leader of the church and responsible for faithful theology or if God-ordained clergy would keep the church free from political manipulation. In Germany during the 1930’s and 1940’s, there were great upheavals in the Christian churches over Nazi party loyalties and political stances taken by church leaders. In that same era, Roman Catholics questioned the actions of the pope in relationship to National Socialist challenges to godly rule.
History is full of examples in which worldly political groups and issues fought to influence and control God’s church. You can bet that political and social groups are trying to capture and manipulate your soul, even today. Be wary of those inside and outside the church who seek for you to identify with a worldly cause or issue or party. God’s plans may align with a certain group or issue or policy once in a while but that DOES NOT ever mean that God aligns with worldly methods or purposes. As a faithful follower of Jesus, you need to sort out God’s plan for your life. As a part of that, this web site will always seek not to promote a political or social agenda. This web site and my meditations and studies endeavor to show you faithful biblical knowledge so you can determine God’s call upon your own life!
Do you know any people like Angela, who see the church as a platform for their own favorite issues? Have you seen how political groups and social opinions have sought to infiltrate the church and your soul? It is not easy to have a right relationship with God when the world is constantly attempting to infiltrate and manipulate your soul, is it?
July 29
“The LORD is slow to anger, yet great in power, and the LORD never leaves the guilty unpunished.” (Nahum 1:3, NAB)
Few people have read from the Old Testament book of Nahum. For some, it reads too much like deep prophetic literature. For others, it is too dry an account of the sayings of the prophet. However, this book contains some valuable snippets of wisdom that God gave to Judah long ago. Those words of wisdom will even speak to you today!
At the time of the prophet Nahum, Assyria was a world power. The leaders of Assyria controlled neighboring nations, manipulated others, and threatened even more. Their armies were ferocious in battle and seldom defeated. When the Assyrian leaders dealt with Judah, they treated the country as if it were a slave state. They demanded compensations that were more like extortion. They expected Judah to side with them in battle, especially against the likes of Egypt. They made other demands as well. At one point under the prophet Jonah, the Ninevites of Assyria were slated by God for great punishment. Wisely, they repented of their evil deeds. However, a little over a century later when Nahum was a leading prophet of Judah, the Assyrian leaders in Nineveh were back to their evil intentions. The people of Judah were getting tired of being pillaged and plundered by the likes of Assyria. They cried out to God for help and retribution against Assyria. God heard their cries. Through the prophet Nahum, God told the people how “the Lord is slow to anger” but “never leaves the guilty go unpunished…” (Nahum 1:3). Punishment was coming for Assyria. God was going to accomplish it.
There are people and groups and nations that think that they can badger and steal and lie and trample upon the lives of others. Many are under the impression that there is no God who can strike back at them for their evil deeds. How wrong they are. They may run under the radar, hide behind dirty business deals, or manipulate the truth… but God knows. And God will be coming for them. Because, as the scripture for today states outright, “The Lord NEVER leaves the guilty unpunished”.
In the meditational book, Embracing Eternity, the authors looked at Nahum 1:3 and had this to convey:
“LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS seem fair. There are times when it seems like some people get away with anything and everything. They’ve learned how to work the system, so they cheat and steal and lie and never seem to get caught.
Our family lost a great deal of money to such a person just a few years ago. We invested in a man’s company only to find out a short time later that his entire business was a scam. Without warning, his doors closed, and the money suddenly disappeared. Along with hundreds of other investors, we were left in shock, wondering how it could have happened. The man was brought under investigation, and within weeks his fraud became apparent, yet there was little we could do. Even the courts seemed helpless against his evasive tactics. Throughout the whole legal process, he lived like a king, though his lawyers claimed he had no income and no net worth. He bought new cars, threw parties for his friends in his million-dollar home, and took his family on cruises. All the while we saw decent people, who had lost much of their retirement to his sham, struggle daily just to pay their bills. Nothing about it seemed fair.
At times like these we wonder, Why doesn’t God do something about it? We know he could, yet he lets it go on.
And what was Nahum’s message? That God may be slow to anger, but he always settles accounts. The wicked may have their day, but God will have the final word. And when he does, his judgment will be decisive and severe.
That’s a comforting thought to those who try hard to stay in God’s will and do the right thing. To those of us who daily try to please God by having an obedient spirit and a contrite heart but who seem to get trampled on by the evil Assyrians of the world. But to those who cheat and steal and lie—those who live like they can’t get caught—it’s a sobering bit of truth to assimilate.” (Tim LaHaye, p. 219)
If you are one who has done wrong, know that God’s judgment is coming for you. If you have truly repented of any evil deed and are forgiven, you are greatly blessed. God’s wrath has been averted. You can count of God being fair in HIS dealings. You can be sure that God will balance all accounts in one way or another. The innocent will be blessed. The guilty will be punished. The righteous will see heaven. The evil will see hell. Your job is not to play God in determining what should be done. God will make it right if you know what I mean!
At the time of the prophet Nahum, Assyria was a world power. The leaders of Assyria controlled neighboring nations, manipulated others, and threatened even more. Their armies were ferocious in battle and seldom defeated. When the Assyrian leaders dealt with Judah, they treated the country as if it were a slave state. They demanded compensations that were more like extortion. They expected Judah to side with them in battle, especially against the likes of Egypt. They made other demands as well. At one point under the prophet Jonah, the Ninevites of Assyria were slated by God for great punishment. Wisely, they repented of their evil deeds. However, a little over a century later when Nahum was a leading prophet of Judah, the Assyrian leaders in Nineveh were back to their evil intentions. The people of Judah were getting tired of being pillaged and plundered by the likes of Assyria. They cried out to God for help and retribution against Assyria. God heard their cries. Through the prophet Nahum, God told the people how “the Lord is slow to anger” but “never leaves the guilty go unpunished…” (Nahum 1:3). Punishment was coming for Assyria. God was going to accomplish it.
There are people and groups and nations that think that they can badger and steal and lie and trample upon the lives of others. Many are under the impression that there is no God who can strike back at them for their evil deeds. How wrong they are. They may run under the radar, hide behind dirty business deals, or manipulate the truth… but God knows. And God will be coming for them. Because, as the scripture for today states outright, “The Lord NEVER leaves the guilty unpunished”.
In the meditational book, Embracing Eternity, the authors looked at Nahum 1:3 and had this to convey:
“LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS seem fair. There are times when it seems like some people get away with anything and everything. They’ve learned how to work the system, so they cheat and steal and lie and never seem to get caught.
Our family lost a great deal of money to such a person just a few years ago. We invested in a man’s company only to find out a short time later that his entire business was a scam. Without warning, his doors closed, and the money suddenly disappeared. Along with hundreds of other investors, we were left in shock, wondering how it could have happened. The man was brought under investigation, and within weeks his fraud became apparent, yet there was little we could do. Even the courts seemed helpless against his evasive tactics. Throughout the whole legal process, he lived like a king, though his lawyers claimed he had no income and no net worth. He bought new cars, threw parties for his friends in his million-dollar home, and took his family on cruises. All the while we saw decent people, who had lost much of their retirement to his sham, struggle daily just to pay their bills. Nothing about it seemed fair.
At times like these we wonder, Why doesn’t God do something about it? We know he could, yet he lets it go on.
And what was Nahum’s message? That God may be slow to anger, but he always settles accounts. The wicked may have their day, but God will have the final word. And when he does, his judgment will be decisive and severe.
That’s a comforting thought to those who try hard to stay in God’s will and do the right thing. To those of us who daily try to please God by having an obedient spirit and a contrite heart but who seem to get trampled on by the evil Assyrians of the world. But to those who cheat and steal and lie—those who live like they can’t get caught—it’s a sobering bit of truth to assimilate.” (Tim LaHaye, p. 219)
If you are one who has done wrong, know that God’s judgment is coming for you. If you have truly repented of any evil deed and are forgiven, you are greatly blessed. God’s wrath has been averted. You can count of God being fair in HIS dealings. You can be sure that God will balance all accounts in one way or another. The innocent will be blessed. The guilty will be punished. The righteous will see heaven. The evil will see hell. Your job is not to play God in determining what should be done. God will make it right if you know what I mean!
July 31
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12, ESV)
Sadly, it seems that one of the surest ways to know if you are being faithful to God in your words and actions is determined by persecution. If the love of God shines through in your words and actions, it will cause people to hate you. The truth you tell will become loathsome to some of those around you. True faith will always involve persecution. Worldly people don’t want to hear the truth. Sinful people don’t want to know of God’s judgment. Evil people don’t want their crimes against humanity and God to follow them for all eternity. Unfaithful people will always try to shut you up if you speak the truth and are faithful to Jesus.
Today’s scripture exposes the facts. Jesus calls you “blessed” when you are “reviled” and “persecuted” on HIS account (Matthew 5:11). People will knowingly or unknowingly “utter all kinds of evil against you falsely” when you stand for Jesus. However, the presence of persecution and the attacks by evil ones against your faith are proof of your love for Jesus. Your acts and words of righteousness are noticed by God. That is why Jesus concluded His words for today by saying, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12). As an example of true faithfulness, Jesus explained that even “the prophets who were before you” were persecuted for their faith (Matthew 5:12b).
“Because devout readers think of the biblical writers as heroes of the faith, they sometimes overlook the fact that in their own day many of these writers were despised, treated as outsiders, viewed with contempt. Of course, some who contributed to the canon of Scripture grew rich or famous or both: Solomon comes to mind. Some who were powerful at one point in their life faced extraordinary difficulties and malice at other points: one thinks of David. But many of the prophets were despised; some of them lost their lives. As the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11–12).”(D. A. Carson, For the Love of God, p. 237)
Jeremiah was placed into stocks for offering up God’s word. Uriah, the prophet, was murdered for telling God’s truth. Amos was shunned by the powerful and wealthy. James was stoned. Peter was crucified upside down. The list goes on and on. The lives of the faithful were filled with stories of how when they shared God’s word and told the truth, they were persecuted, tortured, and/or murdered.
What makes you think you will be lauded and loved and cherished for speaking God’s truth?
I can tell you the names of dozens and dozens of faithful people who endured hardship and hatred for speaking God’s truth in love. There’s the woman who stood up to abuse by her husband only to be shunned publicly by his wealthy relatives. Then, there’s the man who spoke out publicly about a powerful businessman in his town who was cheating his customers and committing fraud. The honest man was sued by the wealthy businessman until he barely had enough money to put food on the table. How about the young woman from St. Louis who came forward to religious leaders about her pastor’s multiple affairs in the congregation? She was called a liar by church members and silenced by a lawyer from the denomination. A pastor and his wife endured public humiliation when members of their own congregation spread lies about the pastor’s “adulterous affair with a woman in the congregation”. In reality, the pastor was actually counseling the young woman to make things right with God. There was no affair. However, several nasty members of that church made up stories of adultery to get rid of the good pastor.
I have met good Christian men who told the truth only to be hated by family and friends. I have witnessed pastors stand up for what is right only to be silenced by autocratic “higher-ups”. How about the faithful wife who was divorced by her “Christian” husband and forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to get any compensation in the ensuing divorce. Often, when people do what is right by God, they suffer unholy consequences.
Some faithful people have taken the unholy stance of keeping quiet when wrongs are done. Even when God tells them to speak the truth in love, they remain silent. Why? They fear persecution. Even though the scripture for today explains Jesus’ stance that telling God’s truth is worthy of persecution, they will not stand up for righteousness. Instead, they cower in obscurity.
I would love to say that your faith will bring you all sunshine and no problems. It would be so nice to give you the belief that faithfulness is always rewarded, and the truth always wins out. Sadly, our world is filled with evil people and sinful intentions. Bad people like to silence the truth. They will seek to silence you. They don’t want to hear what God says. They don’t want to be reminded of the consequences of sin or the depth of God’s justice.
Jesus paid with his life to bring you God’s word and God’s truth. Few will respond to Jesus’ sacrifice by sharing the gospel and speaking God’s truth. However, you will know the faithful by their persecution for sharing the gospel and telling God’s truth, just as Jesus predicted.
How far are you willing to go to share God’s word and speak God’s truth?
Today’s scripture exposes the facts. Jesus calls you “blessed” when you are “reviled” and “persecuted” on HIS account (Matthew 5:11). People will knowingly or unknowingly “utter all kinds of evil against you falsely” when you stand for Jesus. However, the presence of persecution and the attacks by evil ones against your faith are proof of your love for Jesus. Your acts and words of righteousness are noticed by God. That is why Jesus concluded His words for today by saying, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Matthew 5:12). As an example of true faithfulness, Jesus explained that even “the prophets who were before you” were persecuted for their faith (Matthew 5:12b).
“Because devout readers think of the biblical writers as heroes of the faith, they sometimes overlook the fact that in their own day many of these writers were despised, treated as outsiders, viewed with contempt. Of course, some who contributed to the canon of Scripture grew rich or famous or both: Solomon comes to mind. Some who were powerful at one point in their life faced extraordinary difficulties and malice at other points: one thinks of David. But many of the prophets were despised; some of them lost their lives. As the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11–12).”(D. A. Carson, For the Love of God, p. 237)
Jeremiah was placed into stocks for offering up God’s word. Uriah, the prophet, was murdered for telling God’s truth. Amos was shunned by the powerful and wealthy. James was stoned. Peter was crucified upside down. The list goes on and on. The lives of the faithful were filled with stories of how when they shared God’s word and told the truth, they were persecuted, tortured, and/or murdered.
What makes you think you will be lauded and loved and cherished for speaking God’s truth?
I can tell you the names of dozens and dozens of faithful people who endured hardship and hatred for speaking God’s truth in love. There’s the woman who stood up to abuse by her husband only to be shunned publicly by his wealthy relatives. Then, there’s the man who spoke out publicly about a powerful businessman in his town who was cheating his customers and committing fraud. The honest man was sued by the wealthy businessman until he barely had enough money to put food on the table. How about the young woman from St. Louis who came forward to religious leaders about her pastor’s multiple affairs in the congregation? She was called a liar by church members and silenced by a lawyer from the denomination. A pastor and his wife endured public humiliation when members of their own congregation spread lies about the pastor’s “adulterous affair with a woman in the congregation”. In reality, the pastor was actually counseling the young woman to make things right with God. There was no affair. However, several nasty members of that church made up stories of adultery to get rid of the good pastor.
I have met good Christian men who told the truth only to be hated by family and friends. I have witnessed pastors stand up for what is right only to be silenced by autocratic “higher-ups”. How about the faithful wife who was divorced by her “Christian” husband and forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to get any compensation in the ensuing divorce. Often, when people do what is right by God, they suffer unholy consequences.
Some faithful people have taken the unholy stance of keeping quiet when wrongs are done. Even when God tells them to speak the truth in love, they remain silent. Why? They fear persecution. Even though the scripture for today explains Jesus’ stance that telling God’s truth is worthy of persecution, they will not stand up for righteousness. Instead, they cower in obscurity.
I would love to say that your faith will bring you all sunshine and no problems. It would be so nice to give you the belief that faithfulness is always rewarded, and the truth always wins out. Sadly, our world is filled with evil people and sinful intentions. Bad people like to silence the truth. They will seek to silence you. They don’t want to hear what God says. They don’t want to be reminded of the consequences of sin or the depth of God’s justice.
Jesus paid with his life to bring you God’s word and God’s truth. Few will respond to Jesus’ sacrifice by sharing the gospel and speaking God’s truth. However, you will know the faithful by their persecution for sharing the gospel and telling God’s truth, just as Jesus predicted.
How far are you willing to go to share God’s word and speak God’s truth?