March 1
“For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!”
(Psalm 95:7, NRSV)
(Psalm 95:7, NRSV)
In the book of Hebrews, the author cautions the reader to remember that “God spoke through the prophets” (Hebrews 1:1) and God spoke through His Son, Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). There are many instances in the Bible of God speaking to Moses, Elijah, Samuel, David, Peter, Paul, and many more. The Bible is considered the “Word” of God, because in it is contained a compendium of many stories and eyewitness testimonies of God’s speaking, working, warning, protecting, and teaching. Since creation, when God spoke to Adam and Eve, God has been speaking to people. According to all these sources, me included, God’s speaks. The question for today is: “Do you listen to God’s voice?”
A couple of years ago, a man told me of a problem he was having. I offered a few questions about what he felt. Then, I asked him if he had talked to God about it in prayer. He said he had. I then asked, “So, what is God saying to you now?” He looked at me in surprise. He believed his prayers were said to God so that he (and not God) could work it out. He never thought that in prayer God would actually be speaking back. He and I talked about the many ways God’s voice comes through in prayer, reading scripture, and in everyday conversations. I mentioned how the prophets and apostles and many others heard the voice of God and spoke it (see Hebrews 1:1, Acts 3:21, etc). I challenged him to pray a little differently the next week, asking for God’s voice to be heard. The man mentioned that the more he prayed, the clearer things got. He also said that people began saying things about his problem without any prompting, and he knew it was God speaking to him directly. In his prayers, he tried to listen more. He found that in times of listening, he was able to feel God directing him, almost as if God’s voice was inaudible but perceivable. I knew exactly what he meant. I have experienced this, too. Have you?
Why would Psalm 95:7 beg that the reader “listen to God’s voice” if God isn’t speaking!!!!??? To the writer, it is obvious that God speaks. What the author is seeing as just as important is whether the reader is listening. You need to listen for God’s voice. Then, you need to obey it. In every case in the Bible, God spoke to help, correct, encourage, teach, create, or warn. Always, God’s words were critical for the believer. Without God’s voice, the faithful would struggle to do the right thing at the right time. With God’s voice, everything seems to work out. Do you see why it is imperative that you listen for God’s voice?
Dallas Willard wrote about ten ways in which to hear the voice of God better in his work Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God. In that work, he stressed that God wants a relationship with you. God wants to speak with you. You can’t force God to speak, but when God is speaking it is crucial you are listening. It will help to listen if you have a righteous mind, if you read the Bible seeking God’s voice to speak anew through it, and if you are humble. God will speak to you in many forms, from a nudge during a sermon to a word that comes out of nowhere or through the voice of a friend whom God prompts to say the right thing at the right time. It’s important that you recognize God’s voice in the voice of another, in the Bible, in your prayers, in your day. The closer you get with God, the more you will recognize God’s voice in the same way that a newborn can recognize the voice if her mother. Finally, Professor Willard urges you to take time not to just speak in prayer, but to listen for God’s voice. So often, the reason we don’t hear God’s voice is because we aren’t listening for it or seeking it.
“O that today you would listen to HIS voice!” (Psalm 95:7).
Has God been speaking, and you aren’t listening? Has God spoken, and you won’t obey? When was the last time you definitely heard God's voice?
A couple of years ago, a man told me of a problem he was having. I offered a few questions about what he felt. Then, I asked him if he had talked to God about it in prayer. He said he had. I then asked, “So, what is God saying to you now?” He looked at me in surprise. He believed his prayers were said to God so that he (and not God) could work it out. He never thought that in prayer God would actually be speaking back. He and I talked about the many ways God’s voice comes through in prayer, reading scripture, and in everyday conversations. I mentioned how the prophets and apostles and many others heard the voice of God and spoke it (see Hebrews 1:1, Acts 3:21, etc). I challenged him to pray a little differently the next week, asking for God’s voice to be heard. The man mentioned that the more he prayed, the clearer things got. He also said that people began saying things about his problem without any prompting, and he knew it was God speaking to him directly. In his prayers, he tried to listen more. He found that in times of listening, he was able to feel God directing him, almost as if God’s voice was inaudible but perceivable. I knew exactly what he meant. I have experienced this, too. Have you?
Why would Psalm 95:7 beg that the reader “listen to God’s voice” if God isn’t speaking!!!!??? To the writer, it is obvious that God speaks. What the author is seeing as just as important is whether the reader is listening. You need to listen for God’s voice. Then, you need to obey it. In every case in the Bible, God spoke to help, correct, encourage, teach, create, or warn. Always, God’s words were critical for the believer. Without God’s voice, the faithful would struggle to do the right thing at the right time. With God’s voice, everything seems to work out. Do you see why it is imperative that you listen for God’s voice?
Dallas Willard wrote about ten ways in which to hear the voice of God better in his work Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God. In that work, he stressed that God wants a relationship with you. God wants to speak with you. You can’t force God to speak, but when God is speaking it is crucial you are listening. It will help to listen if you have a righteous mind, if you read the Bible seeking God’s voice to speak anew through it, and if you are humble. God will speak to you in many forms, from a nudge during a sermon to a word that comes out of nowhere or through the voice of a friend whom God prompts to say the right thing at the right time. It’s important that you recognize God’s voice in the voice of another, in the Bible, in your prayers, in your day. The closer you get with God, the more you will recognize God’s voice in the same way that a newborn can recognize the voice if her mother. Finally, Professor Willard urges you to take time not to just speak in prayer, but to listen for God’s voice. So often, the reason we don’t hear God’s voice is because we aren’t listening for it or seeking it.
“O that today you would listen to HIS voice!” (Psalm 95:7).
Has God been speaking, and you aren’t listening? Has God spoken, and you won’t obey? When was the last time you definitely heard God's voice?
March 2
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” (Psalm 121:1–5, ESV)
Some commentators have called Psalm 121 the Protection Psalm. Others have noted that this psalm clarifies God as the Protector of God’s people. Most versions of the Bible use the word “keeper” (Psalm 121:5) in this psalm to describe God. I think "protector" is absolutely the meaning of “keeper” in these verses.
If you read closely, the character of God as a "protector" is made perfectly clear. “Help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2). Thus, God is ready to bring help when you need it. God does not “slumber” (Psalm 121:3). God does not sleep. (Psalm 121:4). God is on watch. God watches over your safety and your care.
When you are worried or facing terrible odds, it’s nice to know that God is your protector, watching over you. Great comfort is found in knowing that a God who never sleeps is watching your back! No spiritual demon will be able to sneak up and attack you. God will see the evil coming. God desires to protect you during spiritual warfare. Evil may desire to hurt you, but God will be your protector.
When I grew up and lasting until today, the slogan of Allstate Insurance has been: “You’re in good hands with Allstate”. It’s nice to know that insurance can step in and give you a hand in life when there is a death or an accident, but I’d rather be in God’s hands than in Allstate’s hands! I’d rather God watch over and protect me than Allstate Insurance be there with some money after an accident. God may choose to protect me from even having that accident! God is my protector! I’m glad to be in HIS hands!
Just because God is your protector, your keeper, one who watches over you; does not mean that you won’t fail or have accidents or have setbacks. Some of those failures or obstacles may be sent by God in order to protect you even more! So often, people see setbacks or obstacles as God not working. Most don’t realize that those difficult moments might be exactly what God wants and needs for you at the time.
A very good friend of mine had thirty-four back surgeries. Due to job-related damage to his spine, he was constantly having surgeries to help a degenerative condition. Often, he is in pain, unable to enjoy the basics of life. He had to give up his job. There were many things he couldn’t do with his family. Years ago, I asked him how he dealt with the setbacks. I’ll never forget his response: “Before my back surgeries, I was free-wheeling through life. I didn’t know God. I didn’t understand grace or forgiveness or joy like I do now. I don’t look back at all the surgeries. I’m thankful that I have found God along the way. Now, being disabled, I have time to read my Bible and go out and visit and pray with others.” True to his statement, this man opened his home to all the pastors of his community. He offered them a place to study the Bible and just talk about their struggles. I found his home a great source of help and healing whenever I visited. We often prayed together. I cherish our talks and what I learned from him about God.
Some may see this man and all his surgeries as proof that God doesn’t care or isn’t real. How can there be a loving and powerful God if one his followers has suffered so? But, if you ask this man, he believes God has rescued him and gotten very close to him precisely through his pains. He is extremely thankful that along the way, he discovered a powerful, loving, divine protector. He can’t wait to meet God in Heaven!
God desires to protect you. Sometimes, God will not protect you from obstacles and pains that you need to work through in order to be more faithful. God will be there for you, but not protect you from growing, learning, or finding Him. Take courage in the fact that God protects you. Trust that when you need Him, He will be there. You are NEVER alone or abandoned! God always has a protective eye upon you!
If you read closely, the character of God as a "protector" is made perfectly clear. “Help comes from the Lord” (Psalm 121:2). Thus, God is ready to bring help when you need it. God does not “slumber” (Psalm 121:3). God does not sleep. (Psalm 121:4). God is on watch. God watches over your safety and your care.
When you are worried or facing terrible odds, it’s nice to know that God is your protector, watching over you. Great comfort is found in knowing that a God who never sleeps is watching your back! No spiritual demon will be able to sneak up and attack you. God will see the evil coming. God desires to protect you during spiritual warfare. Evil may desire to hurt you, but God will be your protector.
When I grew up and lasting until today, the slogan of Allstate Insurance has been: “You’re in good hands with Allstate”. It’s nice to know that insurance can step in and give you a hand in life when there is a death or an accident, but I’d rather be in God’s hands than in Allstate’s hands! I’d rather God watch over and protect me than Allstate Insurance be there with some money after an accident. God may choose to protect me from even having that accident! God is my protector! I’m glad to be in HIS hands!
Just because God is your protector, your keeper, one who watches over you; does not mean that you won’t fail or have accidents or have setbacks. Some of those failures or obstacles may be sent by God in order to protect you even more! So often, people see setbacks or obstacles as God not working. Most don’t realize that those difficult moments might be exactly what God wants and needs for you at the time.
A very good friend of mine had thirty-four back surgeries. Due to job-related damage to his spine, he was constantly having surgeries to help a degenerative condition. Often, he is in pain, unable to enjoy the basics of life. He had to give up his job. There were many things he couldn’t do with his family. Years ago, I asked him how he dealt with the setbacks. I’ll never forget his response: “Before my back surgeries, I was free-wheeling through life. I didn’t know God. I didn’t understand grace or forgiveness or joy like I do now. I don’t look back at all the surgeries. I’m thankful that I have found God along the way. Now, being disabled, I have time to read my Bible and go out and visit and pray with others.” True to his statement, this man opened his home to all the pastors of his community. He offered them a place to study the Bible and just talk about their struggles. I found his home a great source of help and healing whenever I visited. We often prayed together. I cherish our talks and what I learned from him about God.
Some may see this man and all his surgeries as proof that God doesn’t care or isn’t real. How can there be a loving and powerful God if one his followers has suffered so? But, if you ask this man, he believes God has rescued him and gotten very close to him precisely through his pains. He is extremely thankful that along the way, he discovered a powerful, loving, divine protector. He can’t wait to meet God in Heaven!
God desires to protect you. Sometimes, God will not protect you from obstacles and pains that you need to work through in order to be more faithful. God will be there for you, but not protect you from growing, learning, or finding Him. Take courage in the fact that God protects you. Trust that when you need Him, He will be there. You are NEVER alone or abandoned! God always has a protective eye upon you!
March 3
““Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”” (Romans 3:14, NLT)
Many things in life occur in a form of progression or regression. One thing leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to another. You might find yourself asking, “How did this happen?” or “How did I get here in my life?”. The answer usually involves a progression or regression of things. You may get to the point of having an addiction by first choosing to drink. Then, ignoring your emotional pain, you drink more to forget. Then, you drink because your body craves it. Then, you hide alcohol because you can’t live without it. The alcoholism started with one drink, then was made stronger in your life by using more drinks to self-medicate your pain. As this process continues, you succumb to an addiction. This series of events whereby things fall apart is a regression. Most things in life that are bad for you, including sin, start off as something small but regress (if unchecked) into something that wrecks your life.
Bad and good things in life often have a form of progression or regression. By choosing to read your Bible every day of Lent, you might find yourself continuing to read the Bible long after. By starting that diet, you may find yourself eating better and then feeling better. Each is a progression. Each makes progress. Spiritual progressions are good in that you experience spiritual growth throughout. Spiritual regressions are periods in which sin grows stronger and stronger and then takes hold of your life. A common spiritual regression starts off with a small sin, which then leads to a bigger sin and then a huge mistake. When you find yourself sinning, you might choose to find God, seek repentance, and then grow in the faith. This is a spiritual progression. How have you seen spiritual progressions or regressions affecting your life? Which has been more common?
Hebrews 5:11-14 contains a spiritual regression condemned by God. It also shows the spiritual progression that should occur in a righteous life. The author of Hebrews notes the start of the spiritual regression of his readers. The beginning of the spiritual regression occurred with the faithful becoming “dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). Being dull of hearing means you aren’t listening to God’s voice or God’s command. You tune out God. You decide to ignore God’s Spirit as it pushes you to come closer to God. As a result of being “dull of hearing”, the original readers of Hebrews started to ignore God’s ways. Instead of growing in the faith, they remained spiritually weak and childish. Instead of growing into teachers of the faith, they needed to be taught again the “basic principles” of faith (Hebrews 5:12). They failed the first time around. The author notes that instead of growing from spiritual food, the people of his day were still spiritual babies. They were still on “milk, not solid food”. They were spiritually immature. As the regression continued, they became unable to “distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Thus, they devolved into people who practiced evil and thought it good. The sins piled up.
When Carlos and Misty first visited me, I noticed the tension between them. Often, one or the other would roll his or her eyes as the other spoke. They were quick to throw barbs, and this often led to arguments and yelling. In order to help them, I had to look at the spiritual and familial regressions that led to this point.
Through months of counseling, we worked our way back to the original causes. They bought a house that was beyond their means just after their wedding. The pressure of the extra-large payments led to tension. After Misty got pregnant, the birth of a child added to the financial stress that they were experiencing. To help, Misty went back to work earlier than she wished. Then, she felt guilt at not spending time with her newborn son as he spent hours in daycare while she worked. Because of her having to go to work so soon after her son’s birth, she blamed Carlos for their lack of money and income and financial stress. She believed that if he made more money, they wouldn’t have problems. What she didn’t realize was that she wanted the bigger house to begin with. The first barb sent by Misty to Carlos came on a day she was tired. This led to more barbs. Then, Carlos started going out with friends more often to get away from Misty’s “attitude”. To compensate, Misty cut him off sexually because she became more tired from the stress of raising a young son alone. This pushed Carlos away even more, and he began to drink often. This led to fights and arguments and more money problems. Then, they started seeing me. Do you see the spiritual and familial regressions here? How would you do counseling with them? How might you, with God’s help, help them to find spiritual progression at this point?
I won’t go into all the details, but let me tell you that Carlos and Misty are fine today. Their marriage is strong and healthy. It took a long time, but their faith and their love for each other helped them to work things out with me. God healed their division and helped them to progress further.
In life, you will experience periods of progression and regression. Very seldom does life just stand still in status quo. Great spiritual learning can occur in both progression and regression. Ultimately, God expects spiritual progression will win out. In your life, is this true? So far in your life, are you growing spiritually, or has a sin or spiritual apathy held you back? Lately, do you find yourself needing spiritual milk or spiritual food? Remember, spiritual regression taken to its end will cause you to be unable “to distinguish good from evil”. It will cause you to reject God. Do you ever want to end up that way, with sins controlling your life? If not, spiritual progression is the answer. Learn from God how to grow in the faith. Read God’s word and understand God more deeply. Trust in God and let your relationship blossom. You will love it. I promise!
Bad and good things in life often have a form of progression or regression. By choosing to read your Bible every day of Lent, you might find yourself continuing to read the Bible long after. By starting that diet, you may find yourself eating better and then feeling better. Each is a progression. Each makes progress. Spiritual progressions are good in that you experience spiritual growth throughout. Spiritual regressions are periods in which sin grows stronger and stronger and then takes hold of your life. A common spiritual regression starts off with a small sin, which then leads to a bigger sin and then a huge mistake. When you find yourself sinning, you might choose to find God, seek repentance, and then grow in the faith. This is a spiritual progression. How have you seen spiritual progressions or regressions affecting your life? Which has been more common?
Hebrews 5:11-14 contains a spiritual regression condemned by God. It also shows the spiritual progression that should occur in a righteous life. The author of Hebrews notes the start of the spiritual regression of his readers. The beginning of the spiritual regression occurred with the faithful becoming “dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). Being dull of hearing means you aren’t listening to God’s voice or God’s command. You tune out God. You decide to ignore God’s Spirit as it pushes you to come closer to God. As a result of being “dull of hearing”, the original readers of Hebrews started to ignore God’s ways. Instead of growing in the faith, they remained spiritually weak and childish. Instead of growing into teachers of the faith, they needed to be taught again the “basic principles” of faith (Hebrews 5:12). They failed the first time around. The author notes that instead of growing from spiritual food, the people of his day were still spiritual babies. They were still on “milk, not solid food”. They were spiritually immature. As the regression continued, they became unable to “distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Thus, they devolved into people who practiced evil and thought it good. The sins piled up.
When Carlos and Misty first visited me, I noticed the tension between them. Often, one or the other would roll his or her eyes as the other spoke. They were quick to throw barbs, and this often led to arguments and yelling. In order to help them, I had to look at the spiritual and familial regressions that led to this point.
Through months of counseling, we worked our way back to the original causes. They bought a house that was beyond their means just after their wedding. The pressure of the extra-large payments led to tension. After Misty got pregnant, the birth of a child added to the financial stress that they were experiencing. To help, Misty went back to work earlier than she wished. Then, she felt guilt at not spending time with her newborn son as he spent hours in daycare while she worked. Because of her having to go to work so soon after her son’s birth, she blamed Carlos for their lack of money and income and financial stress. She believed that if he made more money, they wouldn’t have problems. What she didn’t realize was that she wanted the bigger house to begin with. The first barb sent by Misty to Carlos came on a day she was tired. This led to more barbs. Then, Carlos started going out with friends more often to get away from Misty’s “attitude”. To compensate, Misty cut him off sexually because she became more tired from the stress of raising a young son alone. This pushed Carlos away even more, and he began to drink often. This led to fights and arguments and more money problems. Then, they started seeing me. Do you see the spiritual and familial regressions here? How would you do counseling with them? How might you, with God’s help, help them to find spiritual progression at this point?
I won’t go into all the details, but let me tell you that Carlos and Misty are fine today. Their marriage is strong and healthy. It took a long time, but their faith and their love for each other helped them to work things out with me. God healed their division and helped them to progress further.
In life, you will experience periods of progression and regression. Very seldom does life just stand still in status quo. Great spiritual learning can occur in both progression and regression. Ultimately, God expects spiritual progression will win out. In your life, is this true? So far in your life, are you growing spiritually, or has a sin or spiritual apathy held you back? Lately, do you find yourself needing spiritual milk or spiritual food? Remember, spiritual regression taken to its end will cause you to be unable “to distinguish good from evil”. It will cause you to reject God. Do you ever want to end up that way, with sins controlling your life? If not, spiritual progression is the answer. Learn from God how to grow in the faith. Read God’s word and understand God more deeply. Trust in God and let your relationship blossom. You will love it. I promise!
March 4
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:6–9, NIV)
The above scripture from the book of Proverbs, a book of wisdom, is a warning. On the surface, it is highly critical of the “sluggard” or lazy person. However, looking deeper it also carries a warning to those who are spiritually lazy. Both types of people are warned in these verses that God has given the ant as an example of how to live a faithful life. Neither of these two types of people (the lazy or spiritually lazy) are living a fruitful life that God honors.
When I met Charlie, he was quite the worker. He was seldom at home, because he had two jobs. As we talked at a wedding, Charlie mentioned how proud he was at having two jobs. I asked him how he held down two jobs and cared for his family as well. Wasn’t it difficult to accomplish everything? He told me that he loved his jobs. He works hard. His wife takes care of things at home. He brings in the money, while she takes care of everything else. Then, sheepishly, he told me, “And on Sunday, I deserve a day of rest as the good book says. I take off every Sunday and sleep in all morning.” Many red flags shot up the more he talked.
Charlie seemed like a hard worker because he had two jobs. In actuality, he left every other decision in the family up to his wife. He worked long hours, but she took care of most of his responsibilities in life. Charlie also had no time for God. He either worked or took Sundays off. Charlie’s mother and father praised their “hard-working son”. I worried that his attitudes and beliefs were sorely lacking. He put too much pressure on his wife to take care of both children. He didn’t take time for doctor’s appointments when the kids were sick or visit his children’s school programs; he had to work. Yes, he brought in decent money for the family. But hard-working Charlie was lazy in two ways. First, he didn’t want to worry about his responsibilities in life. He saw that as his wife’s duty. Second, Charlie was spiritually lazy. He felt that if he held down two jobs, he could get out of all his obligations to everyone, including God. His wife always came to church toting the kids without him.
There are many ways to be lazy or spiritually lazy in life. There are lots of opportunities for both. Not wanting to put in an ounce of energy to help at work, a lazy person might say, “That’s not in my job description” to get out of helping at work. Being lazy, a person might forego personal hygiene, keep a bedroom that looks like a pig sty, or constantly be running late. Laziness might cause you to forego maintenance chores, consistently sleep in late, or make others help you when you leave things until the last moment. A person might even get married so that the spouse can “take care” of him or her for better or worse, richer or poorer, til death do they part! Being spiritually lazy, a person would rather sleep in than go to worship, watch a football game instead of helping out a needy family, or find excuses to get out of doing a fair share at church. Usually, the spiritually lazy don’t make time to study scripture, are too tired to pray, and seldom volunteer to help. I hope none of these describes you.
The warning to “sluggards” in Proverbs 6 is God’s way of saying that laziness has no part in the Christian faith. There are always things a person can do to help. Don’t neglect doing things in your life out of pure laziness. Certainly, this doesn’t mean a true Christian should be a spiritual or worldly workaholic. That is not God’s goal. But, lazy people don’t realize that often others are left to do their work. God even must find others to fill in when the spiritually lazy bring up their excuses. How would you feel if whenever you had a need, people gave you excuses and the runaround? How frustrating might that be?
In this scripture from Proverbs for today, God uses the ant as an example for life. The whole ant colony all pitches in to gather food. Together, the ants gather food when it is in abundance ("harvest") in a plan to save the colony during lean times. Shouldn’t it be the same in life? Lazy people often don’t realize that their laziness shows when they don’t see good work as precious to the plan of God. Spiritual laziness is even an affront to God! Isn’t life short enough? Why throw away your chances to do wonderful things?
Have you been a little lazy lately? Are you letting some things slide that God doesn't want you to? Do you react to things because you are lazy, or take the time to plan and gather what you will need in the future like the ant? Taking time for yourself is important. Being lazy is a whole other thing!
When I met Charlie, he was quite the worker. He was seldom at home, because he had two jobs. As we talked at a wedding, Charlie mentioned how proud he was at having two jobs. I asked him how he held down two jobs and cared for his family as well. Wasn’t it difficult to accomplish everything? He told me that he loved his jobs. He works hard. His wife takes care of things at home. He brings in the money, while she takes care of everything else. Then, sheepishly, he told me, “And on Sunday, I deserve a day of rest as the good book says. I take off every Sunday and sleep in all morning.” Many red flags shot up the more he talked.
Charlie seemed like a hard worker because he had two jobs. In actuality, he left every other decision in the family up to his wife. He worked long hours, but she took care of most of his responsibilities in life. Charlie also had no time for God. He either worked or took Sundays off. Charlie’s mother and father praised their “hard-working son”. I worried that his attitudes and beliefs were sorely lacking. He put too much pressure on his wife to take care of both children. He didn’t take time for doctor’s appointments when the kids were sick or visit his children’s school programs; he had to work. Yes, he brought in decent money for the family. But hard-working Charlie was lazy in two ways. First, he didn’t want to worry about his responsibilities in life. He saw that as his wife’s duty. Second, Charlie was spiritually lazy. He felt that if he held down two jobs, he could get out of all his obligations to everyone, including God. His wife always came to church toting the kids without him.
There are many ways to be lazy or spiritually lazy in life. There are lots of opportunities for both. Not wanting to put in an ounce of energy to help at work, a lazy person might say, “That’s not in my job description” to get out of helping at work. Being lazy, a person might forego personal hygiene, keep a bedroom that looks like a pig sty, or constantly be running late. Laziness might cause you to forego maintenance chores, consistently sleep in late, or make others help you when you leave things until the last moment. A person might even get married so that the spouse can “take care” of him or her for better or worse, richer or poorer, til death do they part! Being spiritually lazy, a person would rather sleep in than go to worship, watch a football game instead of helping out a needy family, or find excuses to get out of doing a fair share at church. Usually, the spiritually lazy don’t make time to study scripture, are too tired to pray, and seldom volunteer to help. I hope none of these describes you.
The warning to “sluggards” in Proverbs 6 is God’s way of saying that laziness has no part in the Christian faith. There are always things a person can do to help. Don’t neglect doing things in your life out of pure laziness. Certainly, this doesn’t mean a true Christian should be a spiritual or worldly workaholic. That is not God’s goal. But, lazy people don’t realize that often others are left to do their work. God even must find others to fill in when the spiritually lazy bring up their excuses. How would you feel if whenever you had a need, people gave you excuses and the runaround? How frustrating might that be?
In this scripture from Proverbs for today, God uses the ant as an example for life. The whole ant colony all pitches in to gather food. Together, the ants gather food when it is in abundance ("harvest") in a plan to save the colony during lean times. Shouldn’t it be the same in life? Lazy people often don’t realize that their laziness shows when they don’t see good work as precious to the plan of God. Spiritual laziness is even an affront to God! Isn’t life short enough? Why throw away your chances to do wonderful things?
Have you been a little lazy lately? Are you letting some things slide that God doesn't want you to? Do you react to things because you are lazy, or take the time to plan and gather what you will need in the future like the ant? Taking time for yourself is important. Being lazy is a whole other thing!
March 5
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16–17, RSV)
Many things change in life. You may change your mind. The seasons change. The world adapts to new technologies. New nations and political groups come and go. Throughout a life, a person may change many things multiple times. He may like beets as a child, but loath them as an adult. A woman may change her hairstyle to reflect changing styles. A man’s dress clothes or work clothes may change depending on the current job or need. You might even describe living on the earth as living in constant change. Animals and people adapt to their environment, changing with the times and seasons. Sometimes, a change is nice. A vacation can be a wonderful escape from normal. A new exercise program can revitalize your health. Sometimes, changes will hurt. After having a heart attack, a man has to change his eating for the rest of his life. In order to cope after an auto accident, a woman might have to take pain medicines for a long time. Change is inevitable when it comes to everything in the universe, except to one life. God doesn’t change with the winds, the seasons, the times. God may respond to a human endeavor differently from one era to another, but the motive and purpose of God stays the same. The reasoning and understanding of God remain constant.
Can you imagine if God changed the rules and requirements for getting to Heaven on a whim? What would life be like if God suddenly said that the “old” ten commandments are going to be replaced with ten new ones. Can you imagine God saying, “Sending Jesus was a mistake. Now, I’m going to send someone else.” The world would be in chaos. In Greek religious thought before the time of Jesus, having gods that made decisions by whim and out of capriciousness was the norm. Unpredictable gods would make one decision in one moment and change the next. The Greek gods were fickle. Greek religious thought in response was often filled with chaos and change, with people wanting to “placate” the gods or earn their favor in the moment. Because the minds of the gods could change, the people sought to manipulate the Greek (and Roman) gods in their favor.
Our God is very different. As spoken of in the scripture above, with our God there is “no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17).” God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We often don’t realize how important it is that God’s ideas and rules and commands and expectations stay the same with time. God may utilize different methods and people, but the character of God remains the same. This means that God can not be manipulated to favor one human being over another. God’s ways and purpose can be understood. They are reasonable, understandable, enduring.
Carrie and Dave had a daughter that was highly impressionable during her latter teen years. As Elizabeth matured in high school, her parents noticed the changes. Sometimes, they couldn’t understand them. At one point, she loved one boy band. She had posters up in her room from her favorite album. Then, six months later, the poster was gone, and the band was seen as “dated”. During her sophomore year, she liked boys. Then, during the spring of her junior year, she promised never to date a boy again for the rest of her life. Her hair changed with every season, or so it seemed. Friends also came and went. Carrie and Dave had a hard time relating to Elizabeth, because her moods and expectations and values and dress changed so quickly and completely that they could hardly keep up. Their relationship with Elizabeth was constantly strained by this moodiness and the life-altering changes that went along with them. It was hard to relate to Elizabeth during this period of her life.
Can you imagine if God went through moodiness and changes constantly? Like Carrie and Dave had a difficult time relating to their daughter during all the chaos of her life, a God who constantly changes would damage spiritual relationships and cause spiritual chaos. Thankfully, our God isn’t that way. God’s core values and character remain the same.
As fads and beliefs change in the world today, people are looking to change your view of God. Fifty years ago, people said that God hates homosexuality. Now, in the news people proclaim that God loves homosexuality. Some people today claim that God loves sinners. Others today claim that God accepts you who no matter who you are, no matter what your beliefs or sins. A lot of chaos in the meaning of Christian faithfulness occurs because people want to manipulate your beliefs to suit the times and their agendas. What is taught as sin in one place is allowed in another. The character of God seems to change as people manipulate the view to suit their own purposes. Liberal pastors proclaim a liberal god. Conservative pastors promote a conservative god. Catholic priests proclaim a Catholic Jesus. Protestant pastors preach about a Protestant God. Most people want a god that will suit their needs instead of learning about who God really is. The character and beliefs of God haven’t changed. If you hear about God being different today, chances are you are listening to a person who wants to manipulate your belief system.
If you want to get to know the real God, the Bible is as relevant today as it ever was. Since God doesn’t change, God’s message remains the same. God continues to seek and save the lost. God loves the sinner, but not the sin. God the Father sent Jesus not to condemn the world, but to save it from sin and corruption. Faith still means a lot. Hope is eternal. Love is the foundational aspect of God’s character (1 John 4:8).
To follow God faithfully, God won’t change to adapt to you. You need to change your life to follow Him. “Do not be deceived” (James 1:16). Don’t let the world play with your faith. Don’t follow fads of belief. Seek out the true God. God knows what you need long before you need it. God knows best how to love you. God is waiting for you to come around and be more like Him in character and beliefs. God wants you to learn that sin will only damage your life. It may seem tempting, but sin’s allure will not last. God’s love for you will stand the test of time. But, will your love for God remain forever? Is there an area of your life that continues to reflect something other than the enduring and eternal character of God?
Can you imagine if God changed the rules and requirements for getting to Heaven on a whim? What would life be like if God suddenly said that the “old” ten commandments are going to be replaced with ten new ones. Can you imagine God saying, “Sending Jesus was a mistake. Now, I’m going to send someone else.” The world would be in chaos. In Greek religious thought before the time of Jesus, having gods that made decisions by whim and out of capriciousness was the norm. Unpredictable gods would make one decision in one moment and change the next. The Greek gods were fickle. Greek religious thought in response was often filled with chaos and change, with people wanting to “placate” the gods or earn their favor in the moment. Because the minds of the gods could change, the people sought to manipulate the Greek (and Roman) gods in their favor.
Our God is very different. As spoken of in the scripture above, with our God there is “no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17).” God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We often don’t realize how important it is that God’s ideas and rules and commands and expectations stay the same with time. God may utilize different methods and people, but the character of God remains the same. This means that God can not be manipulated to favor one human being over another. God’s ways and purpose can be understood. They are reasonable, understandable, enduring.
Carrie and Dave had a daughter that was highly impressionable during her latter teen years. As Elizabeth matured in high school, her parents noticed the changes. Sometimes, they couldn’t understand them. At one point, she loved one boy band. She had posters up in her room from her favorite album. Then, six months later, the poster was gone, and the band was seen as “dated”. During her sophomore year, she liked boys. Then, during the spring of her junior year, she promised never to date a boy again for the rest of her life. Her hair changed with every season, or so it seemed. Friends also came and went. Carrie and Dave had a hard time relating to Elizabeth, because her moods and expectations and values and dress changed so quickly and completely that they could hardly keep up. Their relationship with Elizabeth was constantly strained by this moodiness and the life-altering changes that went along with them. It was hard to relate to Elizabeth during this period of her life.
Can you imagine if God went through moodiness and changes constantly? Like Carrie and Dave had a difficult time relating to their daughter during all the chaos of her life, a God who constantly changes would damage spiritual relationships and cause spiritual chaos. Thankfully, our God isn’t that way. God’s core values and character remain the same.
As fads and beliefs change in the world today, people are looking to change your view of God. Fifty years ago, people said that God hates homosexuality. Now, in the news people proclaim that God loves homosexuality. Some people today claim that God loves sinners. Others today claim that God accepts you who no matter who you are, no matter what your beliefs or sins. A lot of chaos in the meaning of Christian faithfulness occurs because people want to manipulate your beliefs to suit the times and their agendas. What is taught as sin in one place is allowed in another. The character of God seems to change as people manipulate the view to suit their own purposes. Liberal pastors proclaim a liberal god. Conservative pastors promote a conservative god. Catholic priests proclaim a Catholic Jesus. Protestant pastors preach about a Protestant God. Most people want a god that will suit their needs instead of learning about who God really is. The character and beliefs of God haven’t changed. If you hear about God being different today, chances are you are listening to a person who wants to manipulate your belief system.
If you want to get to know the real God, the Bible is as relevant today as it ever was. Since God doesn’t change, God’s message remains the same. God continues to seek and save the lost. God loves the sinner, but not the sin. God the Father sent Jesus not to condemn the world, but to save it from sin and corruption. Faith still means a lot. Hope is eternal. Love is the foundational aspect of God’s character (1 John 4:8).
To follow God faithfully, God won’t change to adapt to you. You need to change your life to follow Him. “Do not be deceived” (James 1:16). Don’t let the world play with your faith. Don’t follow fads of belief. Seek out the true God. God knows what you need long before you need it. God knows best how to love you. God is waiting for you to come around and be more like Him in character and beliefs. God wants you to learn that sin will only damage your life. It may seem tempting, but sin’s allure will not last. God’s love for you will stand the test of time. But, will your love for God remain forever? Is there an area of your life that continues to reflect something other than the enduring and eternal character of God?
March 6
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
(Hebrews 10:24, NIV84)
(Hebrews 10:24, NIV84)
Having a lone Christian in isolation is not easy. It is a difficult life. Even Jesus knew this, for He sent the disciples out on missions two by two (Mark 6:7). The apostle Paul often traveled with Luke, John-Mark, and others. As faithful people of God, it is normal and beneficial that we should lean upon one another. Living in isolation as a Christian drains your spiritual strength and stamina. You won’t learn as much about the faith. You won’t be able to share your spiritual insights and reflections. You will have nobody with whom to study scripture. It is a lonely spiritual existence.
I have found that faithful people are very, very good at pushing one another to higher spiritual levels. A Sunday School teacher can expertly guide her students in understanding a scripture. A spiritual mentor can teach you how to pray. A seminary professor can open up a student to see new insights in a scriptural text or educate that student on how to do marriage counseling effectively. There are some things you can learn from reading or studying a book. Many more things can be gleaned when studying with a mentor, teacher, pastor, professor, or good friend. Good Christian friends will often spur one another to be even better. A husband and wife who are both Christian make a great pair to stand by each other in life. They can counsel each other, pray with and for one another, and spur one another to do better.
In the scripture reading above, Christians were taught to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). The way that the Greek word for “spur” is used in this sentence, it implies that faithful people must learn how to “sharpen” or “hone” the spiritual effectiveness of those around them. They must encourage, incite, and press others of the faith to commit to good works. They must remind all to love one another. Jesus “spurred” His disciples often, teaching them with parables and reminding them to “love one another”. He was constantly teaching, reproving, encouraging, and challenging. In emulation, we are to help one another to love others and God more faithfully. When a faithful person close to you gets upset or angry, a gentle reminder to love others is good for the soul. Urging others in your church to help a mission project may inspire those who do little to accomplish much and feel the spiritual uplift of helping the needy. Good and faithful Christians are good at sharpening the spiritual abilities of those around them. They not only practice love but teach it. They constantly are found enriching the lives of others through good works.
Are you known for pushing others to be more loving and more faithful? Upon seeing your works or hearing your words, are others encouraged to do better or help more?
A Christian woman I know teaches night classes to help those who need some extra help with schooling. She doesn’t let anyone fall through the cracks. An older woman friend visits shut-ins in her church and watches over their care. Two other women and several older gentlemen take meals to the elderly who struggle to get groceries. A man in my last church helped a disabled woman and her family by building a ramp for her wheelchair so she could get outside. Before that, she was unable to leave the house. A young woman in my first church organized the kids in her church every Christmas. They would visit and sing for those who lost a loved one recently. I know literally thousands of ways that Christians around me have reached out, loved, shared, and done so much more in Jesus’ name.
This scripture from Hebrews sets a challenge before you. How can you do more for Jesus this week? Who needs to see your good deeds? How can you spur on others around you to be more faithful or to reach out more effectively in honor of God? How can you bless God and others this year?
I have found that faithful people are very, very good at pushing one another to higher spiritual levels. A Sunday School teacher can expertly guide her students in understanding a scripture. A spiritual mentor can teach you how to pray. A seminary professor can open up a student to see new insights in a scriptural text or educate that student on how to do marriage counseling effectively. There are some things you can learn from reading or studying a book. Many more things can be gleaned when studying with a mentor, teacher, pastor, professor, or good friend. Good Christian friends will often spur one another to be even better. A husband and wife who are both Christian make a great pair to stand by each other in life. They can counsel each other, pray with and for one another, and spur one another to do better.
In the scripture reading above, Christians were taught to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). The way that the Greek word for “spur” is used in this sentence, it implies that faithful people must learn how to “sharpen” or “hone” the spiritual effectiveness of those around them. They must encourage, incite, and press others of the faith to commit to good works. They must remind all to love one another. Jesus “spurred” His disciples often, teaching them with parables and reminding them to “love one another”. He was constantly teaching, reproving, encouraging, and challenging. In emulation, we are to help one another to love others and God more faithfully. When a faithful person close to you gets upset or angry, a gentle reminder to love others is good for the soul. Urging others in your church to help a mission project may inspire those who do little to accomplish much and feel the spiritual uplift of helping the needy. Good and faithful Christians are good at sharpening the spiritual abilities of those around them. They not only practice love but teach it. They constantly are found enriching the lives of others through good works.
Are you known for pushing others to be more loving and more faithful? Upon seeing your works or hearing your words, are others encouraged to do better or help more?
A Christian woman I know teaches night classes to help those who need some extra help with schooling. She doesn’t let anyone fall through the cracks. An older woman friend visits shut-ins in her church and watches over their care. Two other women and several older gentlemen take meals to the elderly who struggle to get groceries. A man in my last church helped a disabled woman and her family by building a ramp for her wheelchair so she could get outside. Before that, she was unable to leave the house. A young woman in my first church organized the kids in her church every Christmas. They would visit and sing for those who lost a loved one recently. I know literally thousands of ways that Christians around me have reached out, loved, shared, and done so much more in Jesus’ name.
This scripture from Hebrews sets a challenge before you. How can you do more for Jesus this week? Who needs to see your good deeds? How can you spur on others around you to be more faithful or to reach out more effectively in honor of God? How can you bless God and others this year?
March 7
“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:15, ESV)
(1 Thessalonians 5:15, ESV)
You may not believe what I’m going to relay to you today, but the story is absolutely true. I was a witness to these events. I was there.
A pastor friend of mine found out that a member of the congregation was hurting. He took time from his busy schedule to stop in and visit. After the visit, the pastor went on with his day. A few months later, the pastor was shocked to find out that not only had his visit to the man been made public, but their entire discussion via email had also been made public. The man was deeply hurt and quit the church. The pastor was accused of breaking trust by going public with things that were said in confidence. The pastor was dragged in before a committee. There, different members of the church said they had proof of the pastor sharing confidences. During the weeks following as the pastor was reeling from the information, he realized that someone was monitoring his email and sharing confidential information with others in the church. After calling in the police, it was found that the pastor’s email was hacked by a member of the church who was very powerful. He had hired a hacker to break into the pastor’s email and steal the information. The police couldn’t do anything, because the pastor’s email account was paid for by the church. In the end, it was confirmed that the reason that the member did this was to get even with the pastor for something the pastor had said. After suffering public humiliation and threats, the pastor resigned.
It is amazing to me the distance that people will go to get even. When a person’s feelings are hurt, or they feel threatened (even if for no reason), they will often lash out without care for the one they are hurting. I have seen people who were supposedly Christian destroy the life of another. I’ve known situations where a person was murdered over an argument about a pair of shoes, where a person was publicly humiliated for political gain, and where people spread rumors in order to destroy a reputation. People who act faithful, but who are not, are capable of doing great evil. Worldly people who have little or no conscience are not above stepping all over the life of another. Returning “evil for evil” is more common than you know.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:15, the Apostle Paul tells the church to see to it that “NO ONE repays ANYONE evil for evil”. Even if you have just cause to hurt someone, you are not to repay one evil act with another. You are not to get even. You are not to respond by doing evil to another person yourself, even if nobody would know. Romans 12:19 says “NEVER to avenge yourself”. Even though you think it might be good to see a bad person suffer, God is the ultimate judge. You are not to be judge and jury and avenge someone whom you think has wronged you. EVER! God will take care of the getting even. God will correct all wrongs, guaranteed. You may think about, even dream about, hurting someone who did you wrong. If you give in to this hatred, it will be seen as evil before God. Then, not only did the person do evil, now you will be liable for judgment because you did evil, too! Don’t let the sin of another take root in your life so that you then become a sinner in response. Don’t sink to their level. This does not mean that if you have legal recourse, you should ignore it. Just remember to do the right thing, not the evil thing.
Paul mentions in the verse for today that you should “seek to do good”. Where the world is good at doing evil, you need to be excellent at doing good. Where those with little or no faith may resort to evil tactics, your job is to “do good”. Choosing not to do evil is a way you can show God that Jesus means more to you than the evil that was done to you or your reputation.
Not giving in to your anger may be the most difficult thing you ever do in your life. Not hurting someone who has hurt you (or someone you love) is supremely challenging. But living with the desire to do evil to a person who wronged you will take years off your life. It will eat at your soul. It will consume you from the inside out. It could end up costing you even your relationship with God. How much is a relationship with God worth to you? Can God count on you to do good even in the face of evil?
A pastor friend of mine found out that a member of the congregation was hurting. He took time from his busy schedule to stop in and visit. After the visit, the pastor went on with his day. A few months later, the pastor was shocked to find out that not only had his visit to the man been made public, but their entire discussion via email had also been made public. The man was deeply hurt and quit the church. The pastor was accused of breaking trust by going public with things that were said in confidence. The pastor was dragged in before a committee. There, different members of the church said they had proof of the pastor sharing confidences. During the weeks following as the pastor was reeling from the information, he realized that someone was monitoring his email and sharing confidential information with others in the church. After calling in the police, it was found that the pastor’s email was hacked by a member of the church who was very powerful. He had hired a hacker to break into the pastor’s email and steal the information. The police couldn’t do anything, because the pastor’s email account was paid for by the church. In the end, it was confirmed that the reason that the member did this was to get even with the pastor for something the pastor had said. After suffering public humiliation and threats, the pastor resigned.
It is amazing to me the distance that people will go to get even. When a person’s feelings are hurt, or they feel threatened (even if for no reason), they will often lash out without care for the one they are hurting. I have seen people who were supposedly Christian destroy the life of another. I’ve known situations where a person was murdered over an argument about a pair of shoes, where a person was publicly humiliated for political gain, and where people spread rumors in order to destroy a reputation. People who act faithful, but who are not, are capable of doing great evil. Worldly people who have little or no conscience are not above stepping all over the life of another. Returning “evil for evil” is more common than you know.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:15, the Apostle Paul tells the church to see to it that “NO ONE repays ANYONE evil for evil”. Even if you have just cause to hurt someone, you are not to repay one evil act with another. You are not to get even. You are not to respond by doing evil to another person yourself, even if nobody would know. Romans 12:19 says “NEVER to avenge yourself”. Even though you think it might be good to see a bad person suffer, God is the ultimate judge. You are not to be judge and jury and avenge someone whom you think has wronged you. EVER! God will take care of the getting even. God will correct all wrongs, guaranteed. You may think about, even dream about, hurting someone who did you wrong. If you give in to this hatred, it will be seen as evil before God. Then, not only did the person do evil, now you will be liable for judgment because you did evil, too! Don’t let the sin of another take root in your life so that you then become a sinner in response. Don’t sink to their level. This does not mean that if you have legal recourse, you should ignore it. Just remember to do the right thing, not the evil thing.
Paul mentions in the verse for today that you should “seek to do good”. Where the world is good at doing evil, you need to be excellent at doing good. Where those with little or no faith may resort to evil tactics, your job is to “do good”. Choosing not to do evil is a way you can show God that Jesus means more to you than the evil that was done to you or your reputation.
Not giving in to your anger may be the most difficult thing you ever do in your life. Not hurting someone who has hurt you (or someone you love) is supremely challenging. But living with the desire to do evil to a person who wronged you will take years off your life. It will eat at your soul. It will consume you from the inside out. It could end up costing you even your relationship with God. How much is a relationship with God worth to you? Can God count on you to do good even in the face of evil?
March 8
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them.” (Luke 17:26–27, NRSV)
Norma ate her breakfast while she fumed with anger. Her husband had started an argument every day the past week. Each one seemed out of character for him. Usually Jim was a sweet, lovable guy. He was caring and warm. But, in the past month, he seemed more agitated and angry. Norma tried to piece together what she did to deserve the latest argument but could not fathom any answers. When Jim woke up a few moments later, Norma lit into him, yelling and cussing because of the argument the day before. Jim was taken aback by the tone of her voice. She yelled for twenty minutes at him, while he just stood there and let her vent. For weeks after that, Norma made sure to play passive-aggressive games. She would ignore him. If he talked to her, she would feign like she didn’t hear him. She cut off all sex. She did not hug him or put her arm around him. She was fuming inside.
Two months later, Norma and Jim were in the doctor’s office. The doctor had finished the tests and it was found out that Jim had a brain tumor. A surgery was immediately scheduled to remove the tumor. The doctor looked at Norma and Jim and said, “Didn’t you notice any of the symptoms? Norma, didn’t Jim’s personality change? With this type of tumor, you will often notice the changes in personality before you notice some of the physical symptoms.” At that point, Norma turned white. Jim looked at her with questioning eyes. Norma realized in that moment that all the arguments they had in previous months were caused by Jim’s tumor. It wasn’t Jim who was causing their stresses in the marriage including the arguments and yelling. It was the tumor’s fault. At that moment, a huge wave of guilt rushed over Norma. She realized that she could lose her husband in this surgery and her response to his illness had been to yell, scream, cut him off from sex, show dissatisfaction, and withhold love. Outside, she remained calm. Inside, she was crushed. Only a few tears escaped so that the outside world could see a hint of her deep emotional pain.
Before illness or cancer is found, often there are symptoms or signs of disease. A lump on the breast, an uncharacteristic headache or numbness, blacking out, blood in the urine… these and many more symptoms are signs that the body tells you when something may be wrong. You might tend to miss the small signs. Some people ignore the big signs, reasoning them away. A man who has chest pains, shortness of breath, pain shooting down one arm, and sweating should head to the hospital immediately. They are all signs of a possible heart attack. One eye that responds to light differently than another with numbness in the face may be a sign of a stroke. That person should also seek medical attention. They are physical signs. Sadly, people ignore them or just hope they go away.
In the world, there are also spiritual signs that will show up now and then. Most people overlook or ignore these signs as well. Some hope they will go away. Even when these signs may point to a dangerous situation, people tend to ignore the spiritual hints God puts along the way. How about you? Are you perceptive of spiritual signs, or do you have to be hit over the head to see them? God sends signs as a warning or to signal a direction or a change for you. Are you too busy, too self-absorbed, too caught up in your emotions to see them? Do you miss them until its too late?
Jesus spoke in Luke 17 about the people in the days before the great flood. He mentioned that “until the day Noah entered the ark” and the “flood destroyed” all the people, there were warning signs sent by God (Luke 17:27). The people missed God’s warnings. Because of that, they ate and drank and got married and led their lives until the waters wiped them all away. Noah saw the signs God gave. The others didn’t even look. Noah lived. The others died.
I guarantee you that before God does big things in your life, there will be warning signs. If there is something serious going on spiritually around you, you will see things. God will show you things. God will want you to know.
Yesterday morning, I got up at an unusual time. I felt “off”. I knew something wasn’t right. Most people would be thinking… “Gee, I’m feeling different today.” Not me. I knew God was warning me. I have felt that feeling before many times. I wrote the meditation for yesterday all the while praying and asking God for more information. I knew something was either going to happen or happening. I examined my past weeks. I pondered. I prayed. I asked if there was something to see. I got a few hints. I reexamined in previous days all the interactions I had. Then, I began to see all the warning signs. Several hours later, our family was notified of the death of a loved one. Her time of suffering was exactly during the hours I felt off. I knew it was coming. God was warning me of the impending death.
I’ve experienced this hundreds of times in my life. When I am well attuned to God’s hints, I will notice things others miss. I will feel God’s tug upon my heart. God’s Spirit in me will pique my interest. I have learned to automatically go on alert, listening for God’s voice, seeking God’s signs. Unless you have experienced this level of spiritual communication, you may think I’m batty. However, I am seldom wrong. I usually sense God’s communication. I can feel God working, warning, protecting, helping, loving.
In the coming days, look for God’s signs. They will be there. I know it. I’ve experienced it. God always sends warnings to everyone, but especially to those HE loves. Most are missed. All will help. How many of them do you perceive? How many do you miss?
Two months later, Norma and Jim were in the doctor’s office. The doctor had finished the tests and it was found out that Jim had a brain tumor. A surgery was immediately scheduled to remove the tumor. The doctor looked at Norma and Jim and said, “Didn’t you notice any of the symptoms? Norma, didn’t Jim’s personality change? With this type of tumor, you will often notice the changes in personality before you notice some of the physical symptoms.” At that point, Norma turned white. Jim looked at her with questioning eyes. Norma realized in that moment that all the arguments they had in previous months were caused by Jim’s tumor. It wasn’t Jim who was causing their stresses in the marriage including the arguments and yelling. It was the tumor’s fault. At that moment, a huge wave of guilt rushed over Norma. She realized that she could lose her husband in this surgery and her response to his illness had been to yell, scream, cut him off from sex, show dissatisfaction, and withhold love. Outside, she remained calm. Inside, she was crushed. Only a few tears escaped so that the outside world could see a hint of her deep emotional pain.
Before illness or cancer is found, often there are symptoms or signs of disease. A lump on the breast, an uncharacteristic headache or numbness, blacking out, blood in the urine… these and many more symptoms are signs that the body tells you when something may be wrong. You might tend to miss the small signs. Some people ignore the big signs, reasoning them away. A man who has chest pains, shortness of breath, pain shooting down one arm, and sweating should head to the hospital immediately. They are all signs of a possible heart attack. One eye that responds to light differently than another with numbness in the face may be a sign of a stroke. That person should also seek medical attention. They are physical signs. Sadly, people ignore them or just hope they go away.
In the world, there are also spiritual signs that will show up now and then. Most people overlook or ignore these signs as well. Some hope they will go away. Even when these signs may point to a dangerous situation, people tend to ignore the spiritual hints God puts along the way. How about you? Are you perceptive of spiritual signs, or do you have to be hit over the head to see them? God sends signs as a warning or to signal a direction or a change for you. Are you too busy, too self-absorbed, too caught up in your emotions to see them? Do you miss them until its too late?
Jesus spoke in Luke 17 about the people in the days before the great flood. He mentioned that “until the day Noah entered the ark” and the “flood destroyed” all the people, there were warning signs sent by God (Luke 17:27). The people missed God’s warnings. Because of that, they ate and drank and got married and led their lives until the waters wiped them all away. Noah saw the signs God gave. The others didn’t even look. Noah lived. The others died.
I guarantee you that before God does big things in your life, there will be warning signs. If there is something serious going on spiritually around you, you will see things. God will show you things. God will want you to know.
Yesterday morning, I got up at an unusual time. I felt “off”. I knew something wasn’t right. Most people would be thinking… “Gee, I’m feeling different today.” Not me. I knew God was warning me. I have felt that feeling before many times. I wrote the meditation for yesterday all the while praying and asking God for more information. I knew something was either going to happen or happening. I examined my past weeks. I pondered. I prayed. I asked if there was something to see. I got a few hints. I reexamined in previous days all the interactions I had. Then, I began to see all the warning signs. Several hours later, our family was notified of the death of a loved one. Her time of suffering was exactly during the hours I felt off. I knew it was coming. God was warning me of the impending death.
I’ve experienced this hundreds of times in my life. When I am well attuned to God’s hints, I will notice things others miss. I will feel God’s tug upon my heart. God’s Spirit in me will pique my interest. I have learned to automatically go on alert, listening for God’s voice, seeking God’s signs. Unless you have experienced this level of spiritual communication, you may think I’m batty. However, I am seldom wrong. I usually sense God’s communication. I can feel God working, warning, protecting, helping, loving.
In the coming days, look for God’s signs. They will be there. I know it. I’ve experienced it. God always sends warnings to everyone, but especially to those HE loves. Most are missed. All will help. How many of them do you perceive? How many do you miss?
March 9
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NRSV)
When bringing the gospel to an atheist, it is often natural to use deductive reasoning or factual evidence for God in order to offer them faith. I have found that this seldom works. Most atheists have already “reasoned” that there is no god and see no proof for the existence of our God. To try to prove there is a God using the scientific method alone will fail, because the only way for any person to believe in God takes a leap of faith. Faith is believing even when not seeing. Atheists won’t believe unless they first see. Unless an atheist is willing to make that leap of faith, he or she will never believe in God.
All people make leaps of faith all the time. Most atheists refuse to acknowledge this. In a recent interview, Stephen Hawking noted his view that he believes in alien beings and believes we should search for them. He has never seen one. He has never touched one. He doesn’t have proof of any. But, he believes in them. Yet, that same Stephen Hawking does not believe in God, because he can’t see God or have proof God exists. I find it very interesting that Stephen Hawking can make a leap of faith about aliens, but not about God. This is very common among atheists today. They make leaps of faith concerning things all the time but can’t see that the same is required for belief in God.
Hebrews 11:6 states unequivocally that you cannot “please God” without faith. God doesn’t work on human terms or based on human senses. God is greater than that. The sad thing is that people won’t believe in God as if the only way to experience something is with human senses like seeing or hear, or with human reasoning as if that is an ultimately trustworthy endeavor. The FACT is that human senses can be wrong and human reasoning can be flawed. To only believe in God by human ability will fail. To believe takes faith. You have faith that even when you can’t see the sun, it is there. You have faith that even though you can’t see electrons flowing, you will put a plug in the wall and it will charge your phone. There are many things beyond human reasoning and huge numbers of things beyond the ability of our senses. God is one of those things. Faith gives us the ability to sense and trust God, even when all our other senses cannot. That’s why our scripture for today says that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). God demands you do not limit him to your rationality or your senses.
Our scripture for today also mentions that God “rewards those who seek Him.” Faith brings with it many rewards such as the ability to know God, strength in tough times, spiritual healing, mindfulness, peace in the midst of chaos, and so much more. People who have faith deal with death and tragedy better. True faith can turn the hardened criminal into a trustworthy citizen. Faith can strengthen a society greatly and lead to more stable governmental systems and social structures. Every nation that fought against faith in history has been known to become prone to war, murder its citizens, and have human rights violations. The “rewards” for faith are not only personal, they affect in a positive way every single level of human interaction.
If you look at the scripture for today closely, those who “approach” God using faith are given these “rewards”. Those who stay far away from God will not reap any of the benefits of a relationship with God. Are you one of those who has a strong faith? Do you realize the benefits of that relationship with God? Are you willing to have faith even when you can’t feel the presence of God? Do you only spend time with God when you are up to it or need it? God rewards the faithful. If you want to reap the rewards, faith can’t be a crutch or a band aid. It has to be real, constant, and deep. Then, the rewards will come with regularity. You can be sure of that. God has promised it in the scripture for today…. and God keeps HIS promises (Hebrews 10:23)!
All people make leaps of faith all the time. Most atheists refuse to acknowledge this. In a recent interview, Stephen Hawking noted his view that he believes in alien beings and believes we should search for them. He has never seen one. He has never touched one. He doesn’t have proof of any. But, he believes in them. Yet, that same Stephen Hawking does not believe in God, because he can’t see God or have proof God exists. I find it very interesting that Stephen Hawking can make a leap of faith about aliens, but not about God. This is very common among atheists today. They make leaps of faith concerning things all the time but can’t see that the same is required for belief in God.
Hebrews 11:6 states unequivocally that you cannot “please God” without faith. God doesn’t work on human terms or based on human senses. God is greater than that. The sad thing is that people won’t believe in God as if the only way to experience something is with human senses like seeing or hear, or with human reasoning as if that is an ultimately trustworthy endeavor. The FACT is that human senses can be wrong and human reasoning can be flawed. To only believe in God by human ability will fail. To believe takes faith. You have faith that even when you can’t see the sun, it is there. You have faith that even though you can’t see electrons flowing, you will put a plug in the wall and it will charge your phone. There are many things beyond human reasoning and huge numbers of things beyond the ability of our senses. God is one of those things. Faith gives us the ability to sense and trust God, even when all our other senses cannot. That’s why our scripture for today says that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). God demands you do not limit him to your rationality or your senses.
Our scripture for today also mentions that God “rewards those who seek Him.” Faith brings with it many rewards such as the ability to know God, strength in tough times, spiritual healing, mindfulness, peace in the midst of chaos, and so much more. People who have faith deal with death and tragedy better. True faith can turn the hardened criminal into a trustworthy citizen. Faith can strengthen a society greatly and lead to more stable governmental systems and social structures. Every nation that fought against faith in history has been known to become prone to war, murder its citizens, and have human rights violations. The “rewards” for faith are not only personal, they affect in a positive way every single level of human interaction.
If you look at the scripture for today closely, those who “approach” God using faith are given these “rewards”. Those who stay far away from God will not reap any of the benefits of a relationship with God. Are you one of those who has a strong faith? Do you realize the benefits of that relationship with God? Are you willing to have faith even when you can’t feel the presence of God? Do you only spend time with God when you are up to it or need it? God rewards the faithful. If you want to reap the rewards, faith can’t be a crutch or a band aid. It has to be real, constant, and deep. Then, the rewards will come with regularity. You can be sure of that. God has promised it in the scripture for today…. and God keeps HIS promises (Hebrews 10:23)!
March 10
“When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!””
(Psalm 30:6, NLT)
(Psalm 30:6, NLT)
I have included the New Living Translation of Psalm 30:6 above, because I think it puts a decidedly modern understanding of this verse. Other versions read things like, “In my prosperity, I said I should never be moved” (RSV) or ““When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”” (NIV84). All these versions show a relationship between prosperity and pride.
Many years ago, a wealthy industrialist lay on his bed sick. Despite his weakness, he had papers and manuals surrounding him on the bed. He was going to work no matter how poorly he felt. Every few minutes, he would ring a bell for a servant and ask for medicine, a drink, the doctor, or to fetch someone from his factory nearby. He was running his office from that bed.
After a week at this frantic pace, he called his doctor and said to him, “Get me well or I’ll fire you and get another doctor in here.”
“Sir, you have cancer and a bad heart. You may never be well again.”
“Pish-Posh!” said the man. “I refuse to let you tell me I’m going to die soon. I’m sick of being in this bed. You, sir, are fired.”
He hired doctor after doctor, but each one failed to get him back on his feet.
Finally, weak but with some fight in him, he called his pastor. As the two spoke, he said, “I’m not ready to die. I have too much to do. How much would it cost for God to give me more time!” The wealthy man in his delirious state actually thought he could use his wealth to continue to live and finish a few more projects. He wasn’t going to let cancer stand in his way! He was wealthy and darn it, he needed more time!
Being well-off, not having to worry about bills or food, not needing to work…. these sources of prosperity can encourage pride to take hold. I’ve seen older people who demanded to see the manager whenever they felt they were not pampered enough. I’ve seen rich people who could not be bothered with a child’s illness. The son of a millionaire friend of mine often pushed people around for fun, knowing many of his friends had parents who relied on a job with his rich father. At school, he constantly got his way. Even teachers bowed to his demands. How do you think he ended up? Sure thing, the wealth fed his pride which destroyed his life in various ways!
Psalm 30: 6 openly admits the danger of prosperity. Riches can make a person think he or she is unstoppable. Nobody and nothing can stand in his or her way. Prosperity is THE gateway drug to pridefulness. If you want your child to become prideful, throw money at him. If you want to see what pride does to a person, have your daughter win the lottery. The more secure you are in your money and wealth, the less you will feel the need to be humble. You might even see less of a need for God.
During the time of the Enron scandal two decades ago, things got ugly. The stock of Enron Company traded for $90 at one time, but by 2001 had dropped to 26 cents after bankruptcy was announced. Retirees at Enron had their pensions tied to the stock price and market worth. Some employees went from having multi-million dollar pensions to having to work low wage jobs. One person caught up in the damage was Martha.
Martha had a big retirement account. In the years before her retirement, she bought a new home and a time-share vacation townhouse, a new car and a pool for her back yard. She was set. Five years later, she was working a low wage job at a convenience store and barely making ends meet. She had lost everything in the Enron scandal. What is interesting is what Martha told her friend (who later told me). She said that when she had that big retirement account, she didn’t think about her future problems. She just thought about using money to overcome whatever problem arose. After her losses, she fretted about how to do things without any money. God became more important; worship was comforting. Martha is now in church every Sunday. Though before her “retirement”, Martha had a healthy pension. Now, she is spiritually wealthy. Despite her terrible circumstances and losses, she counts God among her best friends.
Prosperity has a way of sucking the spiritual life-blood right out of you. You tend to think “nothing can stop me now” (Psalm 30:6). You may forget that life is short, and money doesn’t buy everything. You even may forget to lean on God along the way. You might become too busy trusting in your money to put your faith in God.
Don’t let money or pride drive a stake through your spiritual heart. Learn to love and lean on God no matter your circumstances in life. Is there an area of your life where you feel a little to prideful? Are you selfish about some things? Do you fill your days with lots of things but not with time for God? Be careful you don't let pridefulness have its way with you. The end results will not be very pretty.
Many years ago, a wealthy industrialist lay on his bed sick. Despite his weakness, he had papers and manuals surrounding him on the bed. He was going to work no matter how poorly he felt. Every few minutes, he would ring a bell for a servant and ask for medicine, a drink, the doctor, or to fetch someone from his factory nearby. He was running his office from that bed.
After a week at this frantic pace, he called his doctor and said to him, “Get me well or I’ll fire you and get another doctor in here.”
“Sir, you have cancer and a bad heart. You may never be well again.”
“Pish-Posh!” said the man. “I refuse to let you tell me I’m going to die soon. I’m sick of being in this bed. You, sir, are fired.”
He hired doctor after doctor, but each one failed to get him back on his feet.
Finally, weak but with some fight in him, he called his pastor. As the two spoke, he said, “I’m not ready to die. I have too much to do. How much would it cost for God to give me more time!” The wealthy man in his delirious state actually thought he could use his wealth to continue to live and finish a few more projects. He wasn’t going to let cancer stand in his way! He was wealthy and darn it, he needed more time!
Being well-off, not having to worry about bills or food, not needing to work…. these sources of prosperity can encourage pride to take hold. I’ve seen older people who demanded to see the manager whenever they felt they were not pampered enough. I’ve seen rich people who could not be bothered with a child’s illness. The son of a millionaire friend of mine often pushed people around for fun, knowing many of his friends had parents who relied on a job with his rich father. At school, he constantly got his way. Even teachers bowed to his demands. How do you think he ended up? Sure thing, the wealth fed his pride which destroyed his life in various ways!
Psalm 30: 6 openly admits the danger of prosperity. Riches can make a person think he or she is unstoppable. Nobody and nothing can stand in his or her way. Prosperity is THE gateway drug to pridefulness. If you want your child to become prideful, throw money at him. If you want to see what pride does to a person, have your daughter win the lottery. The more secure you are in your money and wealth, the less you will feel the need to be humble. You might even see less of a need for God.
During the time of the Enron scandal two decades ago, things got ugly. The stock of Enron Company traded for $90 at one time, but by 2001 had dropped to 26 cents after bankruptcy was announced. Retirees at Enron had their pensions tied to the stock price and market worth. Some employees went from having multi-million dollar pensions to having to work low wage jobs. One person caught up in the damage was Martha.
Martha had a big retirement account. In the years before her retirement, she bought a new home and a time-share vacation townhouse, a new car and a pool for her back yard. She was set. Five years later, she was working a low wage job at a convenience store and barely making ends meet. She had lost everything in the Enron scandal. What is interesting is what Martha told her friend (who later told me). She said that when she had that big retirement account, she didn’t think about her future problems. She just thought about using money to overcome whatever problem arose. After her losses, she fretted about how to do things without any money. God became more important; worship was comforting. Martha is now in church every Sunday. Though before her “retirement”, Martha had a healthy pension. Now, she is spiritually wealthy. Despite her terrible circumstances and losses, she counts God among her best friends.
Prosperity has a way of sucking the spiritual life-blood right out of you. You tend to think “nothing can stop me now” (Psalm 30:6). You may forget that life is short, and money doesn’t buy everything. You even may forget to lean on God along the way. You might become too busy trusting in your money to put your faith in God.
Don’t let money or pride drive a stake through your spiritual heart. Learn to love and lean on God no matter your circumstances in life. Is there an area of your life where you feel a little to prideful? Are you selfish about some things? Do you fill your days with lots of things but not with time for God? Be careful you don't let pridefulness have its way with you. The end results will not be very pretty.
March 11
“Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:13, RSV)
When Josie was thirteen, friends noticed a distinct change in her. She became moody and was sometimes withdrawn. Where Josie used to be the fun girl with lots of life, she became more sullen. She began to wear dark, drab dark clothes. Her choice of music changed as well. She preferred acid rock groups that her parents called “head-banging music”. What Josie never revealed to anyone until late in her thirties was that what changed her personality was a sexual assault by her uncle. It took her twenty-five years to tell someone what happened and seek help. For twenty-five years, she suffered inside feeling broken and dirty. God changed all that for her. Let me tell you how.
Josie came to her pastor after several very heated arguments with her husband. The arguments grew more intense with time. Little things were setting Josie off, causing her to feel threatened or hurt. After talking with her pastor for a few months, she finally saw that the emotions pouring out of her were related to her sexual assault. As she and her pastor worked through her trauma and turmoil, Josie began to heal. When she realized that God had not abandoned her on the day of that assault, she began to listen to her pastor. Her pastor helped her realize that what had made her miserable in life and in marriage was her own anger and fear in response to any perceived hurt or threat. She came to see that it was time to give God all her regrets, hurts, and everything related to that sexual assault. The assault had poisoned her life long enough. She had carried the memory and damage from that sin long enough. Her uncle was the one who should pay for that sin, not her. In a prayer at the altar, she let God heal her. For the first time in decades, she felt free and peaceful and truly joyful again.
Through a sinful action, Josie’s uncle damaged Josie’s life. Through the sinful response of holding on to her anger and shame, Josie sinned as well. The complications of both sins caused psychological trauma and spiritual death in Josie. Sin is that way. When it hits, it causes suffering. If left too long to fester and grow, it will cause a person to commit other sins. Any way you look at it, sin causes little and big deaths in a person’s life. Sin can cause death to a happy future, to a marriage, to joy, to hope, to peace, to a heart or to a life. Sin and death are intimate friends.
In Romans 7, Paul admitted to sin’s potential to bring death. He wrote that “it was sin, working death in me…” (Romans 7:13) that caused him to hurt and fail. All of Romans chapter 7 is about how sin wormed its way into Paul’s life, ate at his heart, caused ache, and even separated him from God and godliness. Paul noted that even good things can be manipulated by sin to work death. Sin has that ability to twist your reality of right and wrong, good and bad, evil and good. Sin has great potential to damage and destroy. What surprises me is when people say, “It’s just a little sin, nothing much!” There is no such thing as a little sin, for sin always causes death of some sort or another to appear or take root.
It is presumed that the great Chicago fire was started by a lantern that tipped over on or near the O’Leary farm in 1871. Some say a cow accidentally knocked it over. Others think it was a few drunken gamblers who did it. What is certain is that over 300 people died and 3 square miles of the city were burned to the ground. This deadly blaze was caused by something as small as a single lantern. Sin has the same kind of effect. One sin done to you can, through anger or fear, grow into a huge problem in your marriage decades later, as in the case of Josie. Taking cocaine illegally just one time can grow into an addiction that could kill you in days to come. The love of money can blossom out of control to the point where the almighty dollar comes before family or friends or even God. A spark of jealousy can cause you to sin as you try to hurt the one you are jealous of. Hatred can grow in you so that it burns out of control. Anger can become a constant source of sadness in your life. There are so many ways sin can cause death in your life. Why let it?
Repent of any sin in your life right away. Seek forgiveness with God. If the sin seems too great for you to handle alone, talk to your pastor or a spiritual friend or a counselor. Don’t let the sin grow in your life. Don’t let your response to a sin done to you cause your own sin in response. Sin wants to have its way with you. Are you going to let it? God wants to deal with your sin and kill its effects. Do you?
Josie came to her pastor after several very heated arguments with her husband. The arguments grew more intense with time. Little things were setting Josie off, causing her to feel threatened or hurt. After talking with her pastor for a few months, she finally saw that the emotions pouring out of her were related to her sexual assault. As she and her pastor worked through her trauma and turmoil, Josie began to heal. When she realized that God had not abandoned her on the day of that assault, she began to listen to her pastor. Her pastor helped her realize that what had made her miserable in life and in marriage was her own anger and fear in response to any perceived hurt or threat. She came to see that it was time to give God all her regrets, hurts, and everything related to that sexual assault. The assault had poisoned her life long enough. She had carried the memory and damage from that sin long enough. Her uncle was the one who should pay for that sin, not her. In a prayer at the altar, she let God heal her. For the first time in decades, she felt free and peaceful and truly joyful again.
Through a sinful action, Josie’s uncle damaged Josie’s life. Through the sinful response of holding on to her anger and shame, Josie sinned as well. The complications of both sins caused psychological trauma and spiritual death in Josie. Sin is that way. When it hits, it causes suffering. If left too long to fester and grow, it will cause a person to commit other sins. Any way you look at it, sin causes little and big deaths in a person’s life. Sin can cause death to a happy future, to a marriage, to joy, to hope, to peace, to a heart or to a life. Sin and death are intimate friends.
In Romans 7, Paul admitted to sin’s potential to bring death. He wrote that “it was sin, working death in me…” (Romans 7:13) that caused him to hurt and fail. All of Romans chapter 7 is about how sin wormed its way into Paul’s life, ate at his heart, caused ache, and even separated him from God and godliness. Paul noted that even good things can be manipulated by sin to work death. Sin has that ability to twist your reality of right and wrong, good and bad, evil and good. Sin has great potential to damage and destroy. What surprises me is when people say, “It’s just a little sin, nothing much!” There is no such thing as a little sin, for sin always causes death of some sort or another to appear or take root.
It is presumed that the great Chicago fire was started by a lantern that tipped over on or near the O’Leary farm in 1871. Some say a cow accidentally knocked it over. Others think it was a few drunken gamblers who did it. What is certain is that over 300 people died and 3 square miles of the city were burned to the ground. This deadly blaze was caused by something as small as a single lantern. Sin has the same kind of effect. One sin done to you can, through anger or fear, grow into a huge problem in your marriage decades later, as in the case of Josie. Taking cocaine illegally just one time can grow into an addiction that could kill you in days to come. The love of money can blossom out of control to the point where the almighty dollar comes before family or friends or even God. A spark of jealousy can cause you to sin as you try to hurt the one you are jealous of. Hatred can grow in you so that it burns out of control. Anger can become a constant source of sadness in your life. There are so many ways sin can cause death in your life. Why let it?
Repent of any sin in your life right away. Seek forgiveness with God. If the sin seems too great for you to handle alone, talk to your pastor or a spiritual friend or a counselor. Don’t let the sin grow in your life. Don’t let your response to a sin done to you cause your own sin in response. Sin wants to have its way with you. Are you going to let it? God wants to deal with your sin and kill its effects. Do you?
March 12
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
(Romans 5:3–5, NLT)
(Romans 5:3–5, NLT)
Any good athlete will tell you that training must be a part of your life for you to win at a sport. That training involves hours of practice in which you build endurance and strength. It may involve hours of running, stretching, weight lifting, practice sessions and more. Training is never easy. It is meant to push the body, to strengthen the muscles involved, and to give a person the agility to complete their task to the best of his or her ability. You can’t get good at a sport without training.
Spiritual training is no different. It involves hours of study, prayer, meditation and learning. It also will involve you learning to face challenges and difficulties in a different light. As the scripture above states, “when you run into problems and trials” you will need to develop spiritual “endurance” (Romans 5:3). You CANNOT grow spiritually without facing problems and trials. Most people think a good life is one that is full of no losses, trials, problems, or issues. However, people who have an easy life most often have less faith. I have found that people who have gone through big problems and trials are those who develop the greatest faith. Look at the example of Jesus. At birth, he was not born in comfort, but in a stable. Then, his parents had to flee to Egypt to save his life. He was constantly challenged by demons, religious leaders, and those who were threatened by him. Satan even singled him out for an attack in Matthew 4. During especially difficult times, Jesus retreated to pray and gather strength for more upcoming battles (like after the death of John the Baptist in Matthew 14:13 and in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:32). His connection with God the Father never wavered.
When you come into times of trial and difficulty, when the world wears you down, when things pile up and threaten to overwhelm you; it is important that you learn to lean on God even more. In doing so, you will develop greater and greater spiritual strength. You will develop spiritual endurance and character (Romans 5:3-4). Difficulties in life don’t destroy the faith of the godly, they strengthen the “endurance” (Romans 5:3), the “character” of your spiritual life (Romans 5:4), and ultimately give will give you a “hope” in God that just doesn’t quit (Romans 5:5). If you want to become ultimately connected with God, spiritual training is important. Scripture study and prayer are vital. Difficulties and trials and challenges and obstacles are where you will shine. Your faith will win through. Your relationship with God will grow exponentially.
During the period of Jewish persecution of Christians between 30 and 80 AD, the church grew greatly. Throughout the Roman persecutions of Christians from 64 AD through 313 AD, the numbers of faithful Christians in Rome grew even more. Persecution of Christians during these early years gave rise to strong Christians of great faith who were not afraid to share the faith despite the threats. Struggles, persecution, suffering and pain bring out those who have a true faith and exposes those who have a weak connection with God or no faith at all.
A good friend of mine was a teacher for many years. During her lunch break, she would pull out the Bible from her desk and read it. That Bible was worn out from all her readings, but full of notes and highlights. One day, a girl from her class came in early and talked to my friend. The two talked about many deep topics. The girl asked about her teacher’s Bible that she was reading before she came in. The teacher shared why she believed in God. Loving her teacher and her conversation, the girl went home and told her parents. The parents were so upset that a teacher would dare share her faith (they were atheists), they immediately asked the school board to fire the teacher. The Education Board put her on suspension while they reviewed the case. In the end, my friend did not lose her job, but she was threatened. Throughout it all, her faith in God shone brightly. Her belief in God grew even more. Despite the many threats and accusations, her faith was an example for many including me.
You might look at my teacher friend and decide that her reading the Bible in a school during lunch was unwise and just asking for retribution. However, through that Bible study each day, she was able to keep her spiritual strength, continue her spiritual training, and be available for any student who might want to share his or her faith with my friend. Challenges and threats to that teacher's faith only gave her more resolve, more hope, and more love for God (Romans 5:5). My world has always been blessed to have her as a true faithful friend.
Remember, problems and difficulties in life will expose if you have a real faith. They will display how much faith you have. They will serve as times to grow closer to God and for God to work powerfully in your life. The bigger the obstacle, the more your faith will grow IF you hold on tightly to God. Don’t look at times of difficulty as periods of suffering, but more so as real-world scenarios where you can show God and all others what you truly believe in and who you ultimately trust. Don’t run from problems…. see them as perfect times to let your faith in God shine brightly!
Spiritual training is no different. It involves hours of study, prayer, meditation and learning. It also will involve you learning to face challenges and difficulties in a different light. As the scripture above states, “when you run into problems and trials” you will need to develop spiritual “endurance” (Romans 5:3). You CANNOT grow spiritually without facing problems and trials. Most people think a good life is one that is full of no losses, trials, problems, or issues. However, people who have an easy life most often have less faith. I have found that people who have gone through big problems and trials are those who develop the greatest faith. Look at the example of Jesus. At birth, he was not born in comfort, but in a stable. Then, his parents had to flee to Egypt to save his life. He was constantly challenged by demons, religious leaders, and those who were threatened by him. Satan even singled him out for an attack in Matthew 4. During especially difficult times, Jesus retreated to pray and gather strength for more upcoming battles (like after the death of John the Baptist in Matthew 14:13 and in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:32). His connection with God the Father never wavered.
When you come into times of trial and difficulty, when the world wears you down, when things pile up and threaten to overwhelm you; it is important that you learn to lean on God even more. In doing so, you will develop greater and greater spiritual strength. You will develop spiritual endurance and character (Romans 5:3-4). Difficulties in life don’t destroy the faith of the godly, they strengthen the “endurance” (Romans 5:3), the “character” of your spiritual life (Romans 5:4), and ultimately give will give you a “hope” in God that just doesn’t quit (Romans 5:5). If you want to become ultimately connected with God, spiritual training is important. Scripture study and prayer are vital. Difficulties and trials and challenges and obstacles are where you will shine. Your faith will win through. Your relationship with God will grow exponentially.
During the period of Jewish persecution of Christians between 30 and 80 AD, the church grew greatly. Throughout the Roman persecutions of Christians from 64 AD through 313 AD, the numbers of faithful Christians in Rome grew even more. Persecution of Christians during these early years gave rise to strong Christians of great faith who were not afraid to share the faith despite the threats. Struggles, persecution, suffering and pain bring out those who have a true faith and exposes those who have a weak connection with God or no faith at all.
A good friend of mine was a teacher for many years. During her lunch break, she would pull out the Bible from her desk and read it. That Bible was worn out from all her readings, but full of notes and highlights. One day, a girl from her class came in early and talked to my friend. The two talked about many deep topics. The girl asked about her teacher’s Bible that she was reading before she came in. The teacher shared why she believed in God. Loving her teacher and her conversation, the girl went home and told her parents. The parents were so upset that a teacher would dare share her faith (they were atheists), they immediately asked the school board to fire the teacher. The Education Board put her on suspension while they reviewed the case. In the end, my friend did not lose her job, but she was threatened. Throughout it all, her faith in God shone brightly. Her belief in God grew even more. Despite the many threats and accusations, her faith was an example for many including me.
You might look at my teacher friend and decide that her reading the Bible in a school during lunch was unwise and just asking for retribution. However, through that Bible study each day, she was able to keep her spiritual strength, continue her spiritual training, and be available for any student who might want to share his or her faith with my friend. Challenges and threats to that teacher's faith only gave her more resolve, more hope, and more love for God (Romans 5:5). My world has always been blessed to have her as a true faithful friend.
Remember, problems and difficulties in life will expose if you have a real faith. They will display how much faith you have. They will serve as times to grow closer to God and for God to work powerfully in your life. The bigger the obstacle, the more your faith will grow IF you hold on tightly to God. Don’t look at times of difficulty as periods of suffering, but more so as real-world scenarios where you can show God and all others what you truly believe in and who you ultimately trust. Don’t run from problems…. see them as perfect times to let your faith in God shine brightly!
March 13
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” (Matthew 26:41, ESV)
When Jesus gives a warning, don’t you think all the faithful should listen? Though Jesus spoke a warning in the scripture above to His disciples Peter, James, and John; it applies powerfully to your life today.
When Jesus saw that the disciples were “sleeping on the job” in the Garden of Gethsemane, he gave them a warning to “watch and pray”. By watching, He didn’t mean to open their eyes from sleep. He wasn’t really asking them to form a security perimeter. He was openly asking them to be spiritually alert for coming events that were in play. By Jesus’ words to Judas earlier in the night, Jesus knew Judas was up to nefarious deeds. Jesus knew Judas’ soul was not in a good place. Peter also was prideful, but spiritually weak. He had a feeling His disciples would desert Him if things spun out of control. As events threatened to steamroll Jesus in that night, the disciples were found sleeping. They had no clue that powerful authorities were seeking to silence their Master.
As Judas’ bribery and scandal threatened Jesus, while the disciples enjoyed a night of celebration unwilling to notice the sinister tones in Jerusalem, Jesus gave a critical warning. After finding the disciples sleeping during that crucial night when Jesus was to be arrested and His trial was being formulated, the disciples were sleeping off a great meal. They didn't see the danger that Jesus knew was apparent. In this critical moment, Jesus warned that instead of sleeping, the disciples should “watch and pray so that they may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).
If you look closely at Jesus’ words, He laid out the necessary requirements to combat the “temptation” to do wrong. When evil lies close at hand or temptations to sin will hurt you, it is best that you “watch and pray”. Be spiritually alert. Strengthen your connection with God. Satan loves to play with the soul and future of a person who is spiritually unaware or ignorant. He will toy with you if you dare blithely go through life without a strong connection with God. Satan’s greatest ploy is temptation. God’s counter is to watch and pray. How good are you at watching and praying; being spiritually alert and connected with God? Are you easily tempted with something?
Candice loved her son, Robert, deeply. She was a good mother who had done everything in her power to give Robert the best education money could buy. She also made sure he was given lots of good opportunities to further his status. Being close to her son, she also knew his weaknesses. Robert did well in high school, was loved at his job, and was even elected as a class officer. He seemed successful at everything he tried. Even in his favorite sport, basketball, he was a standout. But in Candice’s eyes, Robert had one serious failing: Katrina. Robert was head over heals for Katrina. The two had tried dating several times, but Katrina always broke it off. When she did, Robert was crushed and sullen. When Robert was with Katrina, he could be easily swayed. She liked drugs and parties. It was a different world from Robert’s, but he would do just about anything to make Katrina happy. Candice knew that of anything in life, Katrina could bring Robert down. She was his Kryptonite. He might even throw his future away just to be with her.
Candice could see how Katrina could easily tempt Robert into doing drugs or pulling him away from his responsibilities. Candice saw Katrina as Robert’s greatest temptation. To counter Katrina’s influence, Candice tried many things. She encouraged Robert to visit some colleges with her. She tried talking to his friends. She gave subtle hints about the dangers of Katrina’s friendship. She even asked her pastor to speak with Robert about sex and drugs. The improvised session didn’t go over well with Robert. Robert was going to be tempted. Spiritual watchfulness and prayer went out the window when Katrina was around. At this point, Candice wasn't sure what to do.
Many people, like Robert, don’t see the dangers and temptations lurking. They blindly go into a situation without any due regard for the outcome. They ignore spiritual signs that sin lies close at hand. They are driven by hormones, emotions, lusts, drugs, etc. These dull their senses as the temptations line up before them. Will they fail? Probably. Why? They refuse to watch and pray. They don’t understand who and what they are up against. Like the disciples, they are spiritually asleep and unable to defend themselves from dangers so obvious to their Savior.
What temptations are your Kryptonite? Is there someone in your life who is a danger to your future? Are you unable to see the whole picture because you lack the ability to watch and pray? Are you spiritually naïve or missing spiritual changes going on around you? Jesus warned His disciples of their spiritual blindness. They didn’t listen on that fateful night. I wonder if you will listen to Jesus when an important time in your life is at hand…..
When Jesus saw that the disciples were “sleeping on the job” in the Garden of Gethsemane, he gave them a warning to “watch and pray”. By watching, He didn’t mean to open their eyes from sleep. He wasn’t really asking them to form a security perimeter. He was openly asking them to be spiritually alert for coming events that were in play. By Jesus’ words to Judas earlier in the night, Jesus knew Judas was up to nefarious deeds. Jesus knew Judas’ soul was not in a good place. Peter also was prideful, but spiritually weak. He had a feeling His disciples would desert Him if things spun out of control. As events threatened to steamroll Jesus in that night, the disciples were found sleeping. They had no clue that powerful authorities were seeking to silence their Master.
As Judas’ bribery and scandal threatened Jesus, while the disciples enjoyed a night of celebration unwilling to notice the sinister tones in Jerusalem, Jesus gave a critical warning. After finding the disciples sleeping during that crucial night when Jesus was to be arrested and His trial was being formulated, the disciples were sleeping off a great meal. They didn't see the danger that Jesus knew was apparent. In this critical moment, Jesus warned that instead of sleeping, the disciples should “watch and pray so that they may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).
If you look closely at Jesus’ words, He laid out the necessary requirements to combat the “temptation” to do wrong. When evil lies close at hand or temptations to sin will hurt you, it is best that you “watch and pray”. Be spiritually alert. Strengthen your connection with God. Satan loves to play with the soul and future of a person who is spiritually unaware or ignorant. He will toy with you if you dare blithely go through life without a strong connection with God. Satan’s greatest ploy is temptation. God’s counter is to watch and pray. How good are you at watching and praying; being spiritually alert and connected with God? Are you easily tempted with something?
Candice loved her son, Robert, deeply. She was a good mother who had done everything in her power to give Robert the best education money could buy. She also made sure he was given lots of good opportunities to further his status. Being close to her son, she also knew his weaknesses. Robert did well in high school, was loved at his job, and was even elected as a class officer. He seemed successful at everything he tried. Even in his favorite sport, basketball, he was a standout. But in Candice’s eyes, Robert had one serious failing: Katrina. Robert was head over heals for Katrina. The two had tried dating several times, but Katrina always broke it off. When she did, Robert was crushed and sullen. When Robert was with Katrina, he could be easily swayed. She liked drugs and parties. It was a different world from Robert’s, but he would do just about anything to make Katrina happy. Candice knew that of anything in life, Katrina could bring Robert down. She was his Kryptonite. He might even throw his future away just to be with her.
Candice could see how Katrina could easily tempt Robert into doing drugs or pulling him away from his responsibilities. Candice saw Katrina as Robert’s greatest temptation. To counter Katrina’s influence, Candice tried many things. She encouraged Robert to visit some colleges with her. She tried talking to his friends. She gave subtle hints about the dangers of Katrina’s friendship. She even asked her pastor to speak with Robert about sex and drugs. The improvised session didn’t go over well with Robert. Robert was going to be tempted. Spiritual watchfulness and prayer went out the window when Katrina was around. At this point, Candice wasn't sure what to do.
Many people, like Robert, don’t see the dangers and temptations lurking. They blindly go into a situation without any due regard for the outcome. They ignore spiritual signs that sin lies close at hand. They are driven by hormones, emotions, lusts, drugs, etc. These dull their senses as the temptations line up before them. Will they fail? Probably. Why? They refuse to watch and pray. They don’t understand who and what they are up against. Like the disciples, they are spiritually asleep and unable to defend themselves from dangers so obvious to their Savior.
What temptations are your Kryptonite? Is there someone in your life who is a danger to your future? Are you unable to see the whole picture because you lack the ability to watch and pray? Are you spiritually naïve or missing spiritual changes going on around you? Jesus warned His disciples of their spiritual blindness. They didn’t listen on that fateful night. I wonder if you will listen to Jesus when an important time in your life is at hand…..
March 14
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29, NKJV)
Did you notice the repeated use of the word, “ALL”, in the verse above? It should be no surprise that the Bible says you should seek God with ALL your heart and ALL your soul. This command is present in several places in the Bible in various forms. Not only does our scripture for today state this boldly, it is repeated in Deuteronomy 6:5, 11:13, 13:13, 30:6; Joshua 22:5; and many other places in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus repeated this scripture to His followers by saying they should love God with “ALL their heart, soul, mind and strength” (Luke 10:27). Some people mistakenly read these scriptures as you should love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength. They miss the point. You should love and seek God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The word “ALL” is crucial for finding and loving God.
Many people today dabble in faith. The seek God and love God halfheartedly. They don’t plan on a long-term committed relationship. When the going gets tough, they will not hold on tightly to God. You must be different, otherwise you will never have a deep and wonderful relationship with our loving God. You can’t go about it halfhearted. Just like a marriage that is begun halfhearted is doomed to fail (unless things change big time!), a halfhearted dabbling in the faith will not last. Faith takes ALL your heart and soul and mind and strength. Loving God requires ALL your commitment.
I have met many people who decided to seek God in order to decide whether to have faith in HIM. Usually, this type of person doesn’t have a healthy relationship with God. Why? Their faith is dependent on God “proving Himself”. They seek proof in God in order to give faith to God. This is backwards and won’t work. As the scripture in Deuteronomy 4:29 makes crystal clear, you need to seek God with “All your heart and All your soul” in order to find God. You can’t seek God without any faith in order to find faith. Finding God takes total commitment. If you aren’t ALL IN from the beginning, you will not find God. You might find religion, get saved, or be baptized, but you won’t be in a true relationship with God. First comes total faith, then comes the connection with God. God may reach out and touch your life to make a call upon you to come to faith, but a total faith of heart and soul and mind and strength must be your response. Spiritual dabbling never works. God expects total commitment. If you aren’t finding God or you aren’t in a strong relationship with God, chances are you are not loving God with ALL your heart and soul and mind and strength.
Recently, I read a blog about a woman who decided to take more time to read her Bible. She loved to illustrate the main theme of what she was reading in the margins of her Bible each day. This helped her to concentrate on the main message God was giving to her. She grew closer to God doing this, but then she lost interest. I’ll let her tell you in her own words….
“ I started dabbling in the bible journaling community last fall while I was on maternity leave with Kingston. Before you knew it, life took over - I lost interest and my bible sat with all my craft stuff just waiting for me to find the time and inspiration again. Unfortunately, I hate the reason that got me back into bible journaling and really spending time with the Lord. If you read my previous post, you know that CT and I experienced a miscarriage last month resulting in an immediate D&C.
What a crushing few days it was for me. I recognized I needed an outlet and something to pour myself into and that happened to be creating - in my sewing room, in my planner, in my bible. Quickly I realized how much I missed creating for the Lord and how good for the soul it is.” (http://craftingafairytale.blogspot.com)
This woman realized she was just spiritually dabbling in the illustrations that she made in her Bible. She wasn't committed to it with ALL her heart. When life got hectic, she lost focus on her time with God. After losing her child, she found interest and healing again by devoting her whole heart to the endeavor with God. She found great joy in her renewed and deeper relationship with God in Christ, but it took ALL her focus to find what her heart needed.
Don’t ever overlook the fact that a real relationship with God takes ALL your heart and mind and soul. If you find yourself lacking spiritual strength or your life is going off the rails, maybe you’ve forgotten the word “ALL” in your relationship with God. I hope you find it again!
(Below is an example of making an Bible illustration in the margins of your Bible)
Many people today dabble in faith. The seek God and love God halfheartedly. They don’t plan on a long-term committed relationship. When the going gets tough, they will not hold on tightly to God. You must be different, otherwise you will never have a deep and wonderful relationship with our loving God. You can’t go about it halfhearted. Just like a marriage that is begun halfhearted is doomed to fail (unless things change big time!), a halfhearted dabbling in the faith will not last. Faith takes ALL your heart and soul and mind and strength. Loving God requires ALL your commitment.
I have met many people who decided to seek God in order to decide whether to have faith in HIM. Usually, this type of person doesn’t have a healthy relationship with God. Why? Their faith is dependent on God “proving Himself”. They seek proof in God in order to give faith to God. This is backwards and won’t work. As the scripture in Deuteronomy 4:29 makes crystal clear, you need to seek God with “All your heart and All your soul” in order to find God. You can’t seek God without any faith in order to find faith. Finding God takes total commitment. If you aren’t ALL IN from the beginning, you will not find God. You might find religion, get saved, or be baptized, but you won’t be in a true relationship with God. First comes total faith, then comes the connection with God. God may reach out and touch your life to make a call upon you to come to faith, but a total faith of heart and soul and mind and strength must be your response. Spiritual dabbling never works. God expects total commitment. If you aren’t finding God or you aren’t in a strong relationship with God, chances are you are not loving God with ALL your heart and soul and mind and strength.
Recently, I read a blog about a woman who decided to take more time to read her Bible. She loved to illustrate the main theme of what she was reading in the margins of her Bible each day. This helped her to concentrate on the main message God was giving to her. She grew closer to God doing this, but then she lost interest. I’ll let her tell you in her own words….
“ I started dabbling in the bible journaling community last fall while I was on maternity leave with Kingston. Before you knew it, life took over - I lost interest and my bible sat with all my craft stuff just waiting for me to find the time and inspiration again. Unfortunately, I hate the reason that got me back into bible journaling and really spending time with the Lord. If you read my previous post, you know that CT and I experienced a miscarriage last month resulting in an immediate D&C.
What a crushing few days it was for me. I recognized I needed an outlet and something to pour myself into and that happened to be creating - in my sewing room, in my planner, in my bible. Quickly I realized how much I missed creating for the Lord and how good for the soul it is.” (http://craftingafairytale.blogspot.com)
This woman realized she was just spiritually dabbling in the illustrations that she made in her Bible. She wasn't committed to it with ALL her heart. When life got hectic, she lost focus on her time with God. After losing her child, she found interest and healing again by devoting her whole heart to the endeavor with God. She found great joy in her renewed and deeper relationship with God in Christ, but it took ALL her focus to find what her heart needed.
Don’t ever overlook the fact that a real relationship with God takes ALL your heart and mind and soul. If you find yourself lacking spiritual strength or your life is going off the rails, maybe you’ve forgotten the word “ALL” in your relationship with God. I hope you find it again!
(Below is an example of making an Bible illustration in the margins of your Bible)
March 15
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
(Romans 6:16, NLT)
(Romans 6:16, NLT)
Darcy loved social media. She had accounts on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Tumblr, and a good number of other sites. When her friends found a new site or app, she was always the first to search its depths. She had more than a thousand “friends” on the different social media sites, friends from school and friends whom she picked up online. She was constantly aware of what was popular, what her friends thought and felt, and liked the camaraderie of her social connections. Then came March 15, 2015.
On that dreadful day in March, Darcy uploaded a picture of herself onto her Facebook home page. She didn’t realize it, but in the back of the picture was a cross given to her by her grandmother hanging from a picture on the wall. Several of Darcy’s friends asked her if she was a Christian. From her rambling, you could tell she didn’t want to share much. Then, the taunts, teases and heckling started. Friends began saying how only “old people” like her grandmother believed in Christian beliefs. A few lesbian friends accused her of being misogynistic for being a Christian. More and more, her social media accounts buzzed with activity, anger, hatred, with a few trying to support Darcy and her grandmother’s gift. In the end, Darcy spent weeks trying to repair her friendships. She told people online that she gave the cross back to her grandmother. After months, Darcy’s life settled back into a slower pace again, but Darcy promised herself never to upload anything remotely Christian again.
Darcy doesn’t realize it, but not only did she reject her budding faith that day, she also became a slave to popular culture. From then on, the voices of her “friends” determined her thoughts and attitudes. Social media taught Darcy what to think, what was popular, who to dislike, and how to act. The scripture above makes clear that “you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey…”(Romans 6:16). With this scripture in mind, I wonder whom or what you obey most in your life?
If you read closely the first half of the verse above, it makes the point that each of us “choose to obey” something in life. You will make the choice of what is most important, who to trust, what ethic or voice to follow. Every single person who can make choices has the ability to choose whom to follow and what to obey. All of us follow and obey something. The infant obeys the voice of her mother. The drug addict obeys the urge of the drug. The workaholic is a slave to work. What you put first in your life is what reigns supreme. You will obey its commands. If wealth comes first, you will follow the money wherever it leads. If you are a people-pleaser, what others think will become your primary motivator. You will be a slave to the whims of what others think. Our scripture mentions that you can also be a “slave to sin”. The Apostle Paul was convinced that this “leads to death” (Romans 6:16). You can wisely choose to obey God. Paul stated that this will lead to “righteous living”.
I have found that choosing to obey God makes life a lot easier. God doesn’t change what is right and wrong as do fads, whims, society, politics, and social media. God’s expectations remain the same. The expectations of friends and family and the world changes constantly. When God comes first in my life, I’m no longer at the mercy of the manipulations of politics or agendas. I follow God’s voice, God's command, God’s word. Jesus is my Lord. No one or nothing is above Him.
Many people in our world won’t realize until it’s too late that you are a slave or servant to those things that matter most to you in life. You can follow God’s voice or the voices of your peers. You can choose to obey God or to obey another person or thing. Everyone obeys something or someone, so what or whom do you obey? What voice or urge matters most?
Today, examine your life to see what drives your decisions and motivations. Is the accumulation of wealth or financial security your prime motivator? Will the opinions of others determine your steps? What voice carries the most weight? Whom do you obey? It is very important each day that you make sure you aren’t obeying the wrong person or thing. What matters most to you?
On that dreadful day in March, Darcy uploaded a picture of herself onto her Facebook home page. She didn’t realize it, but in the back of the picture was a cross given to her by her grandmother hanging from a picture on the wall. Several of Darcy’s friends asked her if she was a Christian. From her rambling, you could tell she didn’t want to share much. Then, the taunts, teases and heckling started. Friends began saying how only “old people” like her grandmother believed in Christian beliefs. A few lesbian friends accused her of being misogynistic for being a Christian. More and more, her social media accounts buzzed with activity, anger, hatred, with a few trying to support Darcy and her grandmother’s gift. In the end, Darcy spent weeks trying to repair her friendships. She told people online that she gave the cross back to her grandmother. After months, Darcy’s life settled back into a slower pace again, but Darcy promised herself never to upload anything remotely Christian again.
Darcy doesn’t realize it, but not only did she reject her budding faith that day, she also became a slave to popular culture. From then on, the voices of her “friends” determined her thoughts and attitudes. Social media taught Darcy what to think, what was popular, who to dislike, and how to act. The scripture above makes clear that “you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey…”(Romans 6:16). With this scripture in mind, I wonder whom or what you obey most in your life?
If you read closely the first half of the verse above, it makes the point that each of us “choose to obey” something in life. You will make the choice of what is most important, who to trust, what ethic or voice to follow. Every single person who can make choices has the ability to choose whom to follow and what to obey. All of us follow and obey something. The infant obeys the voice of her mother. The drug addict obeys the urge of the drug. The workaholic is a slave to work. What you put first in your life is what reigns supreme. You will obey its commands. If wealth comes first, you will follow the money wherever it leads. If you are a people-pleaser, what others think will become your primary motivator. You will be a slave to the whims of what others think. Our scripture mentions that you can also be a “slave to sin”. The Apostle Paul was convinced that this “leads to death” (Romans 6:16). You can wisely choose to obey God. Paul stated that this will lead to “righteous living”.
I have found that choosing to obey God makes life a lot easier. God doesn’t change what is right and wrong as do fads, whims, society, politics, and social media. God’s expectations remain the same. The expectations of friends and family and the world changes constantly. When God comes first in my life, I’m no longer at the mercy of the manipulations of politics or agendas. I follow God’s voice, God's command, God’s word. Jesus is my Lord. No one or nothing is above Him.
Many people in our world won’t realize until it’s too late that you are a slave or servant to those things that matter most to you in life. You can follow God’s voice or the voices of your peers. You can choose to obey God or to obey another person or thing. Everyone obeys something or someone, so what or whom do you obey? What voice or urge matters most?
Today, examine your life to see what drives your decisions and motivations. Is the accumulation of wealth or financial security your prime motivator? Will the opinions of others determine your steps? What voice carries the most weight? Whom do you obey? It is very important each day that you make sure you aren’t obeying the wrong person or thing. What matters most to you?
March 16
“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””
(Hebrews 13:6, ESV)
(Hebrews 13:6, ESV)
There she was on the road in the middle of nowhere, the car not starting. Driving along at 55 mph, the car just stopped working, the engine didn’t even sputter. It just died. She coasted to the side of the road and said to herself, “Now what do I do?”.
Gathering her thoughts, she raised the hood. At least it was a nice summer day with the sun shining brightly and the temperatures not too hot… yet. With no cell phone, she had to decide what to do. Her first thought was to say a short prayer, which she did. Then, she looked around the engine compartment for a loose wire or something that was smoking. Nothing. Just then, she heard a distant rumble. It was a big Harley coming down the road. “Thanks, God!” she sputtered out loud. “Now I’m afraid, too!” The very second she said it, she regretted the words. She had asked God for help. Maybe this gang-type guy on the motorcycle was God’s help.
The motorcyclist stopped and asked if she needed help. She said, "Maybe!" Laura mentioned that she remembered her husband telling her about an electronic control part in the car that kept failing. He once showed her how to put it in, since the car had electrical problems. Now, where did he keep that extra control unit? After a short time, she found the part in the trunk and put it in. The whole while, the man kept her company and offered to help. She even smiled to herself when he said, “Gee lady, you actually can put in an electronic control unit yourself?” She could! After replacing the part, the car started. She thanked the man for the company and went on her way. Later, she thought to herself, “I wonder if the motorcyclist was God’s protective angel there to keep watch over me?” For weeks she smiled to herself about that. For months after, she gave a special prayer of thanks to God for watching over her.
The scripture above mentions how we can have “confidence” in the Lord’s character as a “helper”. God helps people all the time. God is a loving God. Helping is part of God’s fundamental stance in life. God loves to help. In Hebrews 13:6, we are told clearly that God is not only a helper, but we should not fear when we need God’s help. We should have confidence that God will help. Somehow, God will find a way to help. You remain faithful; God remains helpful! When you have a car breakdown, know that God will watch over you. If your life takes a financial hit, God will be working out things in the background. We never know how, when, or why God will help. But, we can have confidence that God will help in some way.
Integral to the DNA of true Christians is the desire to be helpers as well. Emulating God, faithful people will seek ways to help when they are able. Every faithful person I know will bend over backward to get help to someone with a true need. God taught us to do that. You are one of God’s helpers, are you not?
Throughout scripture God’s helping efforts are noted over and over. God sent angels to help the Israelites in the wilderness, Elijah near Beer-Sheba (1 Kings 19), and Joseph in Matthew 2. When the giant, Goliath, threatened the men of Judah; God sent a young shepherd boy named David to slay him in battle (1 Samuel 17). After Peter was imprisoned, an angel freed him in the middle of the night. When Paul was shipwrecked, God protected his life and those with him (Acts 27). Over and over in scripture, God helps the faithful. God even found ways to help the unfaithful as an act of grace and mercy. Helping is intrinsic to the heart of God.
Since God is a great helper, and you are a true child of God; who can you help in God’s honor? Who could benefit from your care today? Don’t be surprised if God sends the right person to help you. Watch for the moment when you are the one needed to help another. Helping is what God does. Offering help is what God expects of every faithful soul. Don’t force your help upon another. Don’t help by enabling. Just help where God wills it. Count it a joy when you can help in the name of God (James 1:2)!
Gathering her thoughts, she raised the hood. At least it was a nice summer day with the sun shining brightly and the temperatures not too hot… yet. With no cell phone, she had to decide what to do. Her first thought was to say a short prayer, which she did. Then, she looked around the engine compartment for a loose wire or something that was smoking. Nothing. Just then, she heard a distant rumble. It was a big Harley coming down the road. “Thanks, God!” she sputtered out loud. “Now I’m afraid, too!” The very second she said it, she regretted the words. She had asked God for help. Maybe this gang-type guy on the motorcycle was God’s help.
The motorcyclist stopped and asked if she needed help. She said, "Maybe!" Laura mentioned that she remembered her husband telling her about an electronic control part in the car that kept failing. He once showed her how to put it in, since the car had electrical problems. Now, where did he keep that extra control unit? After a short time, she found the part in the trunk and put it in. The whole while, the man kept her company and offered to help. She even smiled to herself when he said, “Gee lady, you actually can put in an electronic control unit yourself?” She could! After replacing the part, the car started. She thanked the man for the company and went on her way. Later, she thought to herself, “I wonder if the motorcyclist was God’s protective angel there to keep watch over me?” For weeks she smiled to herself about that. For months after, she gave a special prayer of thanks to God for watching over her.
The scripture above mentions how we can have “confidence” in the Lord’s character as a “helper”. God helps people all the time. God is a loving God. Helping is part of God’s fundamental stance in life. God loves to help. In Hebrews 13:6, we are told clearly that God is not only a helper, but we should not fear when we need God’s help. We should have confidence that God will help. Somehow, God will find a way to help. You remain faithful; God remains helpful! When you have a car breakdown, know that God will watch over you. If your life takes a financial hit, God will be working out things in the background. We never know how, when, or why God will help. But, we can have confidence that God will help in some way.
Integral to the DNA of true Christians is the desire to be helpers as well. Emulating God, faithful people will seek ways to help when they are able. Every faithful person I know will bend over backward to get help to someone with a true need. God taught us to do that. You are one of God’s helpers, are you not?
Throughout scripture God’s helping efforts are noted over and over. God sent angels to help the Israelites in the wilderness, Elijah near Beer-Sheba (1 Kings 19), and Joseph in Matthew 2. When the giant, Goliath, threatened the men of Judah; God sent a young shepherd boy named David to slay him in battle (1 Samuel 17). After Peter was imprisoned, an angel freed him in the middle of the night. When Paul was shipwrecked, God protected his life and those with him (Acts 27). Over and over in scripture, God helps the faithful. God even found ways to help the unfaithful as an act of grace and mercy. Helping is intrinsic to the heart of God.
Since God is a great helper, and you are a true child of God; who can you help in God’s honor? Who could benefit from your care today? Don’t be surprised if God sends the right person to help you. Watch for the moment when you are the one needed to help another. Helping is what God does. Offering help is what God expects of every faithful soul. Don’t force your help upon another. Don’t help by enabling. Just help where God wills it. Count it a joy when you can help in the name of God (James 1:2)!
March 17
“Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”
(Galatians 2:10, ESV)
(Galatians 2:10, ESV)
A few years ago, someone asked Pope Francis how choose his name. He told the story of his being in the enclave while choosing the new pope. As Pope Francis, whose former name was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, received the seventy-seven votes needed to become pope, Cardinal Hummes who was next to him, hugged him while saying, “Don’t forget the poor”. For this reason, it struck Bergoglio that he should choose his future papal name to be aligned with the man who most signified a love for the poor: St. Francis of Assisi. Bergoglio choose the name Pope Francis as an honor to St. Francis and in trust that he would remember the poor while in office.
When becoming wealthy or successful, it is not uncommon for the powerful to “forget where they came from” or forget the poor. I have read dozens of stories of those who became senators and left for Washington, DC only to cast aside their political promises and no longer care for those who are hurting. They were so busy rubbing shoulders with the powerful that they had no time to care for the downtrodden. This has happened in history to many of the powerful. From popes and pastors to politicians and government officials to police and firefighters and generals. Many, many have climbed the ladder of success on the backs of the poor and needy. They had forgotten to serve.
I find that the truly faithful are those who never forget the needy. They always do as the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 2:10, our scripture for today. They “remember the poor”. Paul mentions in this verse that he was “eager” to help the poor. He cared about their humble existence and suffering. Jesus was widely known for the same. In Luke 6:20, Jesus called the poor “blessed”. He believed God watched over the poor in a special way. 1 Samuel 2:8 adamantly states that God “raises the poor from the dust” and “the needy from the ash heap.” Deuteronomy 24:14-15 contains the warning that if the poor are oppressed, God will hold it against those who cause it. Psalm 14:6 declares that our Lord is a “refuge for the poor”. God is always watching over them, protecting them, listening for their cries, avenging those who oppress them. God has a spectacular love for the poor and needy.
In the scripture for today, Paul’s eagerness to help the poor was a sign of his character. The Apostle Paul believed that those who loved God did so by respecting and looking out for the poor. How well have you done this in your life? Are you known for your generosity? Are there poor people who have been helped by your care? Are you poor? Do you know that God blesses those who are in true need?
Whenever you have a love for God, God will in turn send the truly needy to you for help. A good friend of mine grew up literally “dirt poor”. His first home could be described as a shack. It had a dirt floor that just couldn’t be cleaned. Years later, due to unusual circumstances, he became rather wealthy. When I got to know him, he was already well off. What I loved to hear were the stories of his sharing. One day while on vacation, he spotted a family that needed help. He paid them to come work for him for the week, and then found the father a good job. In another case, he helped an immigrant family to find a safe home. Later in his life, he and a friend would often check on needy families near his home and advocate for their situation. He told me one time, “I love to help poor people. I could have been just like them. I love it when God shows me someone to help!” You could see the gleam in his eye as he relayed this information.
In modern times, its difficult at times to see who is truly poor and who is not. Some who feel entitled will tell their stories of woe, only to complain and yell when they don’t get what they want. Those who are truly in need sometimes aren’t noticed because those who are poor by choice are constantly trying to manipulate the system. It is crucial that you seek to help the “truly poor”. God is counting on you for that mission work.
Today, listen again to Paul’s eagerness to “remember the poor”. Recommit yourself to helping those who are truly in need. God will notice your sharing and love. God will bless you. God will bless the life of the poor as well as those who watch over them.
When becoming wealthy or successful, it is not uncommon for the powerful to “forget where they came from” or forget the poor. I have read dozens of stories of those who became senators and left for Washington, DC only to cast aside their political promises and no longer care for those who are hurting. They were so busy rubbing shoulders with the powerful that they had no time to care for the downtrodden. This has happened in history to many of the powerful. From popes and pastors to politicians and government officials to police and firefighters and generals. Many, many have climbed the ladder of success on the backs of the poor and needy. They had forgotten to serve.
I find that the truly faithful are those who never forget the needy. They always do as the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 2:10, our scripture for today. They “remember the poor”. Paul mentions in this verse that he was “eager” to help the poor. He cared about their humble existence and suffering. Jesus was widely known for the same. In Luke 6:20, Jesus called the poor “blessed”. He believed God watched over the poor in a special way. 1 Samuel 2:8 adamantly states that God “raises the poor from the dust” and “the needy from the ash heap.” Deuteronomy 24:14-15 contains the warning that if the poor are oppressed, God will hold it against those who cause it. Psalm 14:6 declares that our Lord is a “refuge for the poor”. God is always watching over them, protecting them, listening for their cries, avenging those who oppress them. God has a spectacular love for the poor and needy.
In the scripture for today, Paul’s eagerness to help the poor was a sign of his character. The Apostle Paul believed that those who loved God did so by respecting and looking out for the poor. How well have you done this in your life? Are you known for your generosity? Are there poor people who have been helped by your care? Are you poor? Do you know that God blesses those who are in true need?
Whenever you have a love for God, God will in turn send the truly needy to you for help. A good friend of mine grew up literally “dirt poor”. His first home could be described as a shack. It had a dirt floor that just couldn’t be cleaned. Years later, due to unusual circumstances, he became rather wealthy. When I got to know him, he was already well off. What I loved to hear were the stories of his sharing. One day while on vacation, he spotted a family that needed help. He paid them to come work for him for the week, and then found the father a good job. In another case, he helped an immigrant family to find a safe home. Later in his life, he and a friend would often check on needy families near his home and advocate for their situation. He told me one time, “I love to help poor people. I could have been just like them. I love it when God shows me someone to help!” You could see the gleam in his eye as he relayed this information.
In modern times, its difficult at times to see who is truly poor and who is not. Some who feel entitled will tell their stories of woe, only to complain and yell when they don’t get what they want. Those who are truly in need sometimes aren’t noticed because those who are poor by choice are constantly trying to manipulate the system. It is crucial that you seek to help the “truly poor”. God is counting on you for that mission work.
Today, listen again to Paul’s eagerness to “remember the poor”. Recommit yourself to helping those who are truly in need. God will notice your sharing and love. God will bless you. God will bless the life of the poor as well as those who watch over them.
March 18
"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT)
Stan was being watched by the undercover officer. The officer knew this guy still had some good in him. He was more innocent than the rest of his biker pals. Being related to one of the long-timers, he was taken into the group with little fanfare. The young man wore the colors of the group but was not a violent sort like the rest of his gang. He seemed to have a decent heart. After the murder of a rider in a rival motorcycle gang took place, the undercover officer had this young man arrested on a minor charge. When he was taken into the interrogation room, a detective urged him to confess who had murdered the guy from the other gang. At first, the young man kept quiet. He didn’t say a word. But, slowly, he began to show guilt and remorse. The detective kept pushing, questioning. Finally, a few small words caused the man to give up what he knew. The detective said to the man, “Come clean, Stan. You don’t need to carry around the guilt of knowing that one of your brothers murdered somebody.”. After the words sank in, Stan told the officers what he knew. It wasn’t a member of his gang who had murdered the man, it was a member of the rival gang. Stan was afraid to say what he knew, to break the code of silence by talking to the police. Still, he felt such guilt knowing that anyone was going to get away with murder. The moments after Stan came clean with the knowledge, he actually felt better. He got it off his chest. In the coming months, Stan left the biker group and traveled across the country to stay with his grandmother. He started a new life in Minnesota. He started over. The move probably saved his life.
Every now and then, your life can become tainted with the sin of something wrong. It might be a bad habit or a bad thought. There might be a situation you’ve gotten yourself into. Financial mistakes may heighten the stress or be the last straw. Regret and worry may accompany your grief. No matter how the taint of sin occurred, you are left with a stain upon your heart and soul. The sin has caused you to feel wrong inside. When you talk to God, you sense a wall of sin blocking you from enjoying the presence of God. Bad feelings well up in you. Something is wrong in your heart. Then a scripture like today’s is heard. It urges you to “cleanse yourself from everything that can defile your body or spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). The words bring ache in your mind and soul. You know you have to “come clean”. It’s the only way to feel right again.
Many people go through life with a stain upon their soul and regret in the heart. They have done something wrong, failed at an endeavor, sinned without thought of consequences. The stain that is left behind makes you feel dirty or defiled, separated from God, or full of regret. The only real course of action is for you to “come clean”. As this verse teaches, you must “work toward complete holiness” in order to show respect for God. The work this verse speaks of is to “cleanse” your heart and soul and mind. You get rid of anything that is “defiling your body or spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). You need to come clean, to give it to God, to let it go to God. Repentance and atonement are ways to make things right. You need forgiveness and peace. Anything else will not let the healing begin.
In the next days until Easter, see if you need to “clean up your act” before God. Is there something in your life that is not quite right? Is there a thought or memory that should be given to God, a regret that needs to be made right? The scripture for today is saying that out of the fear or respect of God, you need to cleanse yourself of anything that has made you unclean before God. You need to step up and let it go to God. You need to seek repentance and give up its control over your life. There is no other way to feel truly whole again.
God desires you to feel at peace. Sin takes peace away. It defiles you. It stains your heart and soul. Will you come clean with God? Is there something that is keeping you from complete trust in God? God wants to bring healing and wholeness back in your life. What is holding you back?
Every now and then, your life can become tainted with the sin of something wrong. It might be a bad habit or a bad thought. There might be a situation you’ve gotten yourself into. Financial mistakes may heighten the stress or be the last straw. Regret and worry may accompany your grief. No matter how the taint of sin occurred, you are left with a stain upon your heart and soul. The sin has caused you to feel wrong inside. When you talk to God, you sense a wall of sin blocking you from enjoying the presence of God. Bad feelings well up in you. Something is wrong in your heart. Then a scripture like today’s is heard. It urges you to “cleanse yourself from everything that can defile your body or spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). The words bring ache in your mind and soul. You know you have to “come clean”. It’s the only way to feel right again.
Many people go through life with a stain upon their soul and regret in the heart. They have done something wrong, failed at an endeavor, sinned without thought of consequences. The stain that is left behind makes you feel dirty or defiled, separated from God, or full of regret. The only real course of action is for you to “come clean”. As this verse teaches, you must “work toward complete holiness” in order to show respect for God. The work this verse speaks of is to “cleanse” your heart and soul and mind. You get rid of anything that is “defiling your body or spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1). You need to come clean, to give it to God, to let it go to God. Repentance and atonement are ways to make things right. You need forgiveness and peace. Anything else will not let the healing begin.
In the next days until Easter, see if you need to “clean up your act” before God. Is there something in your life that is not quite right? Is there a thought or memory that should be given to God, a regret that needs to be made right? The scripture for today is saying that out of the fear or respect of God, you need to cleanse yourself of anything that has made you unclean before God. You need to step up and let it go to God. You need to seek repentance and give up its control over your life. There is no other way to feel truly whole again.
God desires you to feel at peace. Sin takes peace away. It defiles you. It stains your heart and soul. Will you come clean with God? Is there something that is keeping you from complete trust in God? God wants to bring healing and wholeness back in your life. What is holding you back?
March 19
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:10–11, RSV)
For centuries, pastors and priests often extolled the virtues of doing a good day’s work, especially in difficult times. Some people advocated the same virtue using the phrase “busy-ness is next to godliness”. Priests would urge members who had sinned to work through their rosaries, say prayers, atone for their sin. Pastors would urge members who had lost a loved one to keep busy so as not to slip into depression. For more than a century, Christian leaders who espoused the connection between staying busy, using your hands for good, and healing were criticized. Many medical doctors often criticized this motivation to keep the hurting busy as cruel punishment for someone who was hurting. They argued that the hurting person needed anti-depressants, not a push to do work. When Christian doctors in the centuries past urged women to knit in order to work off their anxiety, feminists decried this as sexist and misogynist.
Now, a Neuroscientist from the University of Richmond has proven that there is a distinct connection between staying busy and healing. She has studied chemicals in the brain and found what she calls “behaviorceuticals”. She mentioned that “when we move and when we engage in activities, we change the neurochemistry of our brain in ways that a drug can change the neurochemistry of our brain..” She noted the connection between staying active and helping the brain to “get a grip”, heal, or find peace. Her work discovered that desk jobs do not get you the same level of satisfaction that working with your hands can give you. As an example of a person who has found the connection between working with your hands and healing your soul, Matthew B. Crawford wrote a book called Shop Class as Soulcraft to describe the healthy freeing that comes from keeping busy using your hands. He quit a stressful job for woodworking and has found a lot of peace in doing his work with lumber. A well-written article describing this topic is found below.
Despite the criticisms of many in the scientific community for more than a century, the scripture from Proverbs 6:10-11 seems perfectly applicable to your life today. It mentions that being lazy through extra sleep and a “folding of the hands to rest” can not only make you poor, but put you in want. Your body needs sleep, yes. But your body needs activity in order to work through situations in life. Your mind needs physical stimuli in order to function well, especially when you are hurting. Depressed people are known for sleeping away their time. It usually doesn’t help to sleep twelve hours a day for an extended time. What does help depression and brings healing is to stay active and productive. Cleaning is good for the soul! Keeping fit is good for body and soul. Remaining active as long as possible brings great benefits not just to the body, but to the brain and heart and soul.
It does not surprise me that much of science today supports a lot of what God has taught us in the Bible. When science is critical of things in the Bible, its nice to know that God was right and that most often science has to catch up to the reality that God already knows. Our scripture from Proverbs took 1800 years for scientists to prove correct. I hope it doesn’t take a few thousand for the world to realize that Jesus was truly the Son of God!
As you go through your day, look to see how staying active and busy can help your body and soul. How can you “do” something to help God work in and through you?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/handiwork-how-busy-hands-can-alter-our-brain-chemistry/.
Now, a Neuroscientist from the University of Richmond has proven that there is a distinct connection between staying busy and healing. She has studied chemicals in the brain and found what she calls “behaviorceuticals”. She mentioned that “when we move and when we engage in activities, we change the neurochemistry of our brain in ways that a drug can change the neurochemistry of our brain..” She noted the connection between staying active and helping the brain to “get a grip”, heal, or find peace. Her work discovered that desk jobs do not get you the same level of satisfaction that working with your hands can give you. As an example of a person who has found the connection between working with your hands and healing your soul, Matthew B. Crawford wrote a book called Shop Class as Soulcraft to describe the healthy freeing that comes from keeping busy using your hands. He quit a stressful job for woodworking and has found a lot of peace in doing his work with lumber. A well-written article describing this topic is found below.
Despite the criticisms of many in the scientific community for more than a century, the scripture from Proverbs 6:10-11 seems perfectly applicable to your life today. It mentions that being lazy through extra sleep and a “folding of the hands to rest” can not only make you poor, but put you in want. Your body needs sleep, yes. But your body needs activity in order to work through situations in life. Your mind needs physical stimuli in order to function well, especially when you are hurting. Depressed people are known for sleeping away their time. It usually doesn’t help to sleep twelve hours a day for an extended time. What does help depression and brings healing is to stay active and productive. Cleaning is good for the soul! Keeping fit is good for body and soul. Remaining active as long as possible brings great benefits not just to the body, but to the brain and heart and soul.
It does not surprise me that much of science today supports a lot of what God has taught us in the Bible. When science is critical of things in the Bible, its nice to know that God was right and that most often science has to catch up to the reality that God already knows. Our scripture from Proverbs took 1800 years for scientists to prove correct. I hope it doesn’t take a few thousand for the world to realize that Jesus was truly the Son of God!
As you go through your day, look to see how staying active and busy can help your body and soul. How can you “do” something to help God work in and through you?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/handiwork-how-busy-hands-can-alter-our-brain-chemistry/.
March 20
“Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.” (Mark 1:23–26, NIV84)
Over the years, I’ve been confounded by those who believe there are no evil spirits in the world. I have felt these evil spirits. I have seen the evidence of their presence. I have seen lives destroyed by their destructiveness. There are even Christians who do not believe in evil spirits in our world, though Jesus clearly had His battles with them. I just don’t get how people can ignore the reality of evil.
When I was in seminary, a police department representative contacted me through a close friend. They wanted to know what to do about a particularly dangerous individual. The case file was passed on to me. The police friend wanted my opinion on if I thought the person was psychologically ill or demon-possessed. I was shocked that they actually considered a person to have a demon possession. You just don’t hear about a government entity willing to admit to such a thing. However, I read the file. I did believe the person was both psychotic and possessed by a demon. What caught my attention most was when a priest arrived to visit the prisoner. The prisoner kept trying to spit on the priest, and then went into fits. Previously, the prisoner would hiss and fall back when encountering a cross or Bible. There were other evidences of the presence of an evil spirit in the person. Last I heard, the person was placed into a psychiatric hospital. Some wanted the priest to perform an exorcism, but the authorities would not allow it.
For centuries, there have been notable examples and evidence of evil spirits. Most major and minor religions believe in demonic activity and/or demonic possession of individuals. Jesus dealt with His share of evil spirits. Paul, Peter, and other Christian leaders did as well. The Roman Catholic church has for more than a thousand years trained specialists to combat demon possession. Psychiatric and psychological professionals don’t like to talk about these cases, even when they are real. They try to say demonic-types of behavior are due to brain abnormalities, problems with body chemistry, or psychotic disorders. However, I’ve personally known cases where all the drugs in the world didn’t stop the demonic activity in and around a person infected by an evil spirit. In fact, for me the sign of an evil spirit is demonic activity not only in a person but around one. Possessed people often have highly destructive spiritual phenomenon associated with their spiritual illness.
Several books have been written about a Roman Catholic couple named Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were often sought out to help against demonic forces and evil spirits. Many priests and professionals who worked closely with the Warrens believed in their abilities. For decades, this couple taught how to fight against demonic possession, called in priests to help fight evil spirits, and were on the forefront of fighting evil spiritual phenomenon. Several books were written by, with, or about them to explain their work. What I find most interesting is that long before I knew about the Warrens, I found out that the evil spirits I encountered had almost identical characteristics to those the Warrens documented. I have met several people (clergy and laity) who faced evil spirits or demonic forces. It is shocking to me how similar were our experiences.
In the first chapter of the gospel of Mark, Jesus faced one of many suffering with an evil spirit. When Jesus confronted a man in Capernaum, the evil spirit in him recognized Jesus immediately. The spirit was fearful, saying, “Jesus will you destroy us! I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24). From my own experience with evil spirits, I too have seen that they are frightened by Jesus and truly faithful followers of Christ. If you aren’t protected by God’s Holy Spirit, you have a lot to fear. Evil spirits are highly dangerous, especially to the unfaithful and the half-committed Christian. But to the person filled with God’s Spirit, you are protected (1 John 5:18). Even then, it takes a very faithful person to take on an evil spirit.
Jesus realized that the only way for a person who is filled with an evil spirit to be healed was for the evil to be forced to leave the individual. In Capernaum, Jesus demanded that the evil spirit come out of the man, and the spirit left the man as he shook violently and shrieked (Mark 1:25,26). As long as evil persists in and around a person, they will never find healing. However, it doesn’t just take an evil spirit for a person to be self-destructive. Sin in your life can cause the same sort of damage. Is it no surprise that sin and evil are closely associated in the Bible? (see Isaiah 3:9)
In the coming days, keep your home filled with prayer; your soul filled with God’s Spirit. Don’t let sin worm its way into your life. Stand with Jesus against evil and sin in our world. Help me to free others from the torments that destroy their lives! God is our help and protection in this spiritual endeavor. Evil flees from the presence of Christ. Sin encourages the production of evil. Do you understand what I’m writing here?
When I was in seminary, a police department representative contacted me through a close friend. They wanted to know what to do about a particularly dangerous individual. The case file was passed on to me. The police friend wanted my opinion on if I thought the person was psychologically ill or demon-possessed. I was shocked that they actually considered a person to have a demon possession. You just don’t hear about a government entity willing to admit to such a thing. However, I read the file. I did believe the person was both psychotic and possessed by a demon. What caught my attention most was when a priest arrived to visit the prisoner. The prisoner kept trying to spit on the priest, and then went into fits. Previously, the prisoner would hiss and fall back when encountering a cross or Bible. There were other evidences of the presence of an evil spirit in the person. Last I heard, the person was placed into a psychiatric hospital. Some wanted the priest to perform an exorcism, but the authorities would not allow it.
For centuries, there have been notable examples and evidence of evil spirits. Most major and minor religions believe in demonic activity and/or demonic possession of individuals. Jesus dealt with His share of evil spirits. Paul, Peter, and other Christian leaders did as well. The Roman Catholic church has for more than a thousand years trained specialists to combat demon possession. Psychiatric and psychological professionals don’t like to talk about these cases, even when they are real. They try to say demonic-types of behavior are due to brain abnormalities, problems with body chemistry, or psychotic disorders. However, I’ve personally known cases where all the drugs in the world didn’t stop the demonic activity in and around a person infected by an evil spirit. In fact, for me the sign of an evil spirit is demonic activity not only in a person but around one. Possessed people often have highly destructive spiritual phenomenon associated with their spiritual illness.
Several books have been written about a Roman Catholic couple named Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were often sought out to help against demonic forces and evil spirits. Many priests and professionals who worked closely with the Warrens believed in their abilities. For decades, this couple taught how to fight against demonic possession, called in priests to help fight evil spirits, and were on the forefront of fighting evil spiritual phenomenon. Several books were written by, with, or about them to explain their work. What I find most interesting is that long before I knew about the Warrens, I found out that the evil spirits I encountered had almost identical characteristics to those the Warrens documented. I have met several people (clergy and laity) who faced evil spirits or demonic forces. It is shocking to me how similar were our experiences.
In the first chapter of the gospel of Mark, Jesus faced one of many suffering with an evil spirit. When Jesus confronted a man in Capernaum, the evil spirit in him recognized Jesus immediately. The spirit was fearful, saying, “Jesus will you destroy us! I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24). From my own experience with evil spirits, I too have seen that they are frightened by Jesus and truly faithful followers of Christ. If you aren’t protected by God’s Holy Spirit, you have a lot to fear. Evil spirits are highly dangerous, especially to the unfaithful and the half-committed Christian. But to the person filled with God’s Spirit, you are protected (1 John 5:18). Even then, it takes a very faithful person to take on an evil spirit.
Jesus realized that the only way for a person who is filled with an evil spirit to be healed was for the evil to be forced to leave the individual. In Capernaum, Jesus demanded that the evil spirit come out of the man, and the spirit left the man as he shook violently and shrieked (Mark 1:25,26). As long as evil persists in and around a person, they will never find healing. However, it doesn’t just take an evil spirit for a person to be self-destructive. Sin in your life can cause the same sort of damage. Is it no surprise that sin and evil are closely associated in the Bible? (see Isaiah 3:9)
In the coming days, keep your home filled with prayer; your soul filled with God’s Spirit. Don’t let sin worm its way into your life. Stand with Jesus against evil and sin in our world. Help me to free others from the torments that destroy their lives! God is our help and protection in this spiritual endeavor. Evil flees from the presence of Christ. Sin encourages the production of evil. Do you understand what I’m writing here?
March 21
“The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:16–17, RSV)
There are two main elements to the scripture above. One element is directed at those who do evil or “evildoers”. The other element is directed at those who are righteous. These two scriptures see these two groups as complete opposites of one another. An evildoer cannot be righteous, and a righteous person does not do evil. God’s response to each group is also opposite. God opposes the evildoers, seeking to “cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). On the other hand, God not only hears the cries of the righteous, but “delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17). Essentially, God desires evildoers to be blotted from respect in history, while God seeks to help the righteous when they need it. God’s response to these two groups shows whom God blesses and whom God curses.
Karen grew up a faithful young lady. When I met her, she had just finished her first year in college. She was beautiful in appearance and in her soul. But, I sensed a spiritual darkness in her. Something was wrong in her soul. Most people couldn’t tell, but to me something felt off. Have you ever felt that way spiritually?
After working side by side with Karen at a mission for a few days, I began to see the cracks in her facade. She was hiding something that to me was killing her inside. After she began to trust me, I noticed that she started to spend more time with me. Then, one day when we were working alone, she confessed that she messed up her life. Karen had a strong connection with God in High School, but she also had a “fun side” that got her into trouble. She had attended a party ten months earlier and while drunk, left with a guy she barely knew. She had sex with him and woke up terribly sick after her one-night-stand. After weeks of hiding her shame, she started to put her life back together. She felt dirty, cheap, used, and regretful. During the months after that shameful night, she stopped going to worship and meeting with her Bible Study group. Her life settled into a rhythm of classes, studies, and college life. God was put on the back burner.
Looking back at those eight months before she came back to God, Karen noted that her life had become shallow and meaningless. She had started to drink and use drugs. She floated away from God. But, the more she went against God, the more difficult and restless her life became. God started to go against her, desiring her to repent and make things right. She began to hate herself. Her eating patterns changed. Her weight began to balloon. She began to purge after meals. Bulimia settled in. She was becoming self-destructive, and God was turning against her sinful life.
When I met with Karen at that mission, she had just come back to God two months previously. We talked, shared, and she finally finished letting go of her past sinful year. She continued to reconnect with God in an even more beautiful way. Everything seemed to flow much more smoothly for her after that. Three years later, she fell in love and married a great guy. Last I heard, she was a Sunday School teacher, youth leader, and very active in mission work.
God can’t stand to see sin take over in the life of those He loves. To fight sin, he may have to go against you, making things hard to deal with. God does NOT enjoy this. God wants to show love and mercy, grace and peace. If you are unwilling to let God forgive your sin, God will fight you. If you are on a destructive path, unwilling to reject your greatest sin, God will do everything to oppose you. This scripture promises this very thing. God hates evil. God loves you. Don’t let evil take hold. God’s way brings peace. Doing evil deeds or rejecting forgiveness only brings destruction and pain and hurt.
So many go through life without having that connection with our God, who “delivers” the righteous “from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17). God wants desperately to deliver you, help you, listen for your cries. Doing evil will make that all stop, for God only seeks to help the righteous. You must follow one path or another in life. Will you be righteous, or will you do evil? Very few people land in-between. Still, God only “hears” and “delivers” the righteous. Backsliders, evildoers, atheists, God-haters, or those who have given up on showing respect for God are all outside God's help. All it takes for you to turn from evil and become one of the righteous whom God helps from all their troubles is to repent and change your allegiance. Turn your life over to God. Let God forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Do that, and you will find everything in your life gets better in time. Why? God will watch over you when you commit fully to HIM. It’s a promise of this scripture. Enjoy that promise!
Karen grew up a faithful young lady. When I met her, she had just finished her first year in college. She was beautiful in appearance and in her soul. But, I sensed a spiritual darkness in her. Something was wrong in her soul. Most people couldn’t tell, but to me something felt off. Have you ever felt that way spiritually?
After working side by side with Karen at a mission for a few days, I began to see the cracks in her facade. She was hiding something that to me was killing her inside. After she began to trust me, I noticed that she started to spend more time with me. Then, one day when we were working alone, she confessed that she messed up her life. Karen had a strong connection with God in High School, but she also had a “fun side” that got her into trouble. She had attended a party ten months earlier and while drunk, left with a guy she barely knew. She had sex with him and woke up terribly sick after her one-night-stand. After weeks of hiding her shame, she started to put her life back together. She felt dirty, cheap, used, and regretful. During the months after that shameful night, she stopped going to worship and meeting with her Bible Study group. Her life settled into a rhythm of classes, studies, and college life. God was put on the back burner.
Looking back at those eight months before she came back to God, Karen noted that her life had become shallow and meaningless. She had started to drink and use drugs. She floated away from God. But, the more she went against God, the more difficult and restless her life became. God started to go against her, desiring her to repent and make things right. She began to hate herself. Her eating patterns changed. Her weight began to balloon. She began to purge after meals. Bulimia settled in. She was becoming self-destructive, and God was turning against her sinful life.
When I met with Karen at that mission, she had just come back to God two months previously. We talked, shared, and she finally finished letting go of her past sinful year. She continued to reconnect with God in an even more beautiful way. Everything seemed to flow much more smoothly for her after that. Three years later, she fell in love and married a great guy. Last I heard, she was a Sunday School teacher, youth leader, and very active in mission work.
God can’t stand to see sin take over in the life of those He loves. To fight sin, he may have to go against you, making things hard to deal with. God does NOT enjoy this. God wants to show love and mercy, grace and peace. If you are unwilling to let God forgive your sin, God will fight you. If you are on a destructive path, unwilling to reject your greatest sin, God will do everything to oppose you. This scripture promises this very thing. God hates evil. God loves you. Don’t let evil take hold. God’s way brings peace. Doing evil deeds or rejecting forgiveness only brings destruction and pain and hurt.
So many go through life without having that connection with our God, who “delivers” the righteous “from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17). God wants desperately to deliver you, help you, listen for your cries. Doing evil will make that all stop, for God only seeks to help the righteous. You must follow one path or another in life. Will you be righteous, or will you do evil? Very few people land in-between. Still, God only “hears” and “delivers” the righteous. Backsliders, evildoers, atheists, God-haters, or those who have given up on showing respect for God are all outside God's help. All it takes for you to turn from evil and become one of the righteous whom God helps from all their troubles is to repent and change your allegiance. Turn your life over to God. Let God forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Do that, and you will find everything in your life gets better in time. Why? God will watch over you when you commit fully to HIM. It’s a promise of this scripture. Enjoy that promise!
March 22
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11, NIV)
It is one thing to read your Bible. Sometimes, I enjoy just seeing the familiar words. It is another thing entirely to study the Bible. Through studying and reflection and meditation, you can get a much deeper look into the character and plan of God. You might encounter greater insights or see a scripture as illuminating your own situation. The Holy Spirit will usually infuse your study of scripture with direction and reveal things to you that you never saw before. Reading your Bible is great! Studying God’s Word is even better!
The above scripture is one verse from the travels of the Apostle Paul through regions of present day Greece. It was called Asia Minor at the time. In around 48 AD, when this scripture occurred, Paul was traveling through the town of Beroea. There were Jews in that area who had come to listen to Paul speak in their synagogue. When they heard him speak of Jesus and the gospel, “they received the message with great eagerness” (Acts 17:11). They were so excited about what they had learned that they all began to “examine” the scriptures “to see if what Paul said was true.” These Jews weren’t just people who knew about the Bible. They saw the Bible as God’s inspired word. They didn’t just read the Bible, they studied it to confirm the prophecies of Jesus’ coming. Through their study, they were convinced that Paul was not only telling the truth, but the Messiah had come into the world in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.
When these faithful people in Beroea heard of the gospel, they immediately searched the scriptures to understand the purpose and plan of God. They wanted to confirm that Jesus was the Messiah predicted by the prophets. They believe the stories Paul told were not only true, but part of God’s new plan to send His Messiah. By studying their Bibles in depth, they were able to see more of how Jesus came to fulfill His role as the Messiah.
Lee Strobel was an atheist for many years. When he married his wife, Leslie, he knew she was a Christian. It didn’t bother him. He loved her. But when she started to take God seriously and grow closer to God, he grew frustrated at her beliefs. Seeking to prove her faith wrong, he studied the Bible looking for weaknesses and manipulations in the text. His intent was to show that the Bible was nothing more than myth, and Jesus was just a man. For two years, he did something he had never done before; he studied the Bible in depth. His intent was to prove it flawed. However, something happened to him over those two years. The more he studied God’s word, the more he saw it was true! In time, he not only became a Christian, but wrote a book entitled The Case for Christ to show others what he had learned. Studying the Bible had changed his life and his marriage and rattled his world.
If you want to grow closer to God or see more clearly what God is doing in your life, a good place to start is not by reading your Bible but by STUDYING it! Search its depths. Get a Topical Bible (or use a topical index if your Bible has one) and read about a topic that interests you. Go to a Bible Study at a church or with a group and learn how to do cross-referencing and word analysis. If you are familiar with the Bible, get Bible Study Software or take a Bible Study course. Seek out places like this web site to inspire your growth. Buy books or ebooks to help in your study. Is there a topic that interests you? It might be that God is pushing you to study a certain area of the faith for a reason! Is there a person from the Bible that intrigues you? Maybe God is using that person as an example for you to follow! The Berean Jews studied their Bible to learn more about the prophecies of Jesus. Paul studied scriptures and then quoted them in his talks, sermons, and teachings. Through the centuries, many have grown ultimately close to God through Bibles that were studied so deeply, they were worn out! I’ve had more than one Bible that was held together by duct tape!
Do you want to grow closer to God? Are you needing some answers or some direction in your life? Do some specialized Bible Study! Do something different with your faith! Have a good talk about your questions with your Pastor! Buy a better Study Bible and begin to probe its pages. Pray with a friend. Have a cup of coffee and study a favorite scripture asking God for new insight into its meaning! There are so many ways Bible Study can inspire your entire life!
The above scripture is one verse from the travels of the Apostle Paul through regions of present day Greece. It was called Asia Minor at the time. In around 48 AD, when this scripture occurred, Paul was traveling through the town of Beroea. There were Jews in that area who had come to listen to Paul speak in their synagogue. When they heard him speak of Jesus and the gospel, “they received the message with great eagerness” (Acts 17:11). They were so excited about what they had learned that they all began to “examine” the scriptures “to see if what Paul said was true.” These Jews weren’t just people who knew about the Bible. They saw the Bible as God’s inspired word. They didn’t just read the Bible, they studied it to confirm the prophecies of Jesus’ coming. Through their study, they were convinced that Paul was not only telling the truth, but the Messiah had come into the world in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.
When these faithful people in Beroea heard of the gospel, they immediately searched the scriptures to understand the purpose and plan of God. They wanted to confirm that Jesus was the Messiah predicted by the prophets. They believe the stories Paul told were not only true, but part of God’s new plan to send His Messiah. By studying their Bibles in depth, they were able to see more of how Jesus came to fulfill His role as the Messiah.
Lee Strobel was an atheist for many years. When he married his wife, Leslie, he knew she was a Christian. It didn’t bother him. He loved her. But when she started to take God seriously and grow closer to God, he grew frustrated at her beliefs. Seeking to prove her faith wrong, he studied the Bible looking for weaknesses and manipulations in the text. His intent was to show that the Bible was nothing more than myth, and Jesus was just a man. For two years, he did something he had never done before; he studied the Bible in depth. His intent was to prove it flawed. However, something happened to him over those two years. The more he studied God’s word, the more he saw it was true! In time, he not only became a Christian, but wrote a book entitled The Case for Christ to show others what he had learned. Studying the Bible had changed his life and his marriage and rattled his world.
If you want to grow closer to God or see more clearly what God is doing in your life, a good place to start is not by reading your Bible but by STUDYING it! Search its depths. Get a Topical Bible (or use a topical index if your Bible has one) and read about a topic that interests you. Go to a Bible Study at a church or with a group and learn how to do cross-referencing and word analysis. If you are familiar with the Bible, get Bible Study Software or take a Bible Study course. Seek out places like this web site to inspire your growth. Buy books or ebooks to help in your study. Is there a topic that interests you? It might be that God is pushing you to study a certain area of the faith for a reason! Is there a person from the Bible that intrigues you? Maybe God is using that person as an example for you to follow! The Berean Jews studied their Bible to learn more about the prophecies of Jesus. Paul studied scriptures and then quoted them in his talks, sermons, and teachings. Through the centuries, many have grown ultimately close to God through Bibles that were studied so deeply, they were worn out! I’ve had more than one Bible that was held together by duct tape!
Do you want to grow closer to God? Are you needing some answers or some direction in your life? Do some specialized Bible Study! Do something different with your faith! Have a good talk about your questions with your Pastor! Buy a better Study Bible and begin to probe its pages. Pray with a friend. Have a cup of coffee and study a favorite scripture asking God for new insight into its meaning! There are so many ways Bible Study can inspire your entire life!
March 24
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, RSV)
Estelle was the long-time leader of her church’s women’s group. She hadn’t missed a meeting of the group in years. The women in that church knew that Estelle would lead from the front. She was active and always present at all group functions. But rather than serve the women in the group and nurture their individual gifts and ministries, Estelle liked to be the center of attention. She was bossy. She often referred to the women’s group as “My ladies”. She jumped all over any women who took initiative. If Estelle didn’t authorize something before it was done, there would be hell to pay!
During a worship service one Sunday, the women’s group was to receive a reward for a special mission project. On that Sunday morning, Estelle was sick with the flu and had a temperature of 102 degrees. Terribly upset that she wasn’t going to be there to receive the award, Estelle called the pastor and demanded that he postpone the award ceremony. When he said he could not do it as the presenters were coming from out of town and it was too late, Estelle called every single one of the elders in the church to complain that the Pastor was doing a disservice to the whole church! For months afterward, she made the pastor’s life horrible. Five months later, the pastor began to search for another church. In turning dozens of members against the pastor out of spite, Estelle’s bitterness wrecked his ministry.
There are many “Estelles” in our world who enjoy the limelight. They like to have their “light shine before others” so that others can praise them, not God. This goes in direct opposition to our scripture for today. There, it says that you are supposed to let your faith and good works “shine” before others so that others can “give glory to your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). You are called to do good deeds so that God can get the credit and others may be helped. Sadly, there are Christians all over the world who enjoy getting the credit for themselves. They often help others so that the others owe them.
It is my firm belief that those who seek the limelight in churches are the deadliest to the church. They are often so busy trying to look good and receive their accolades that they poison the very purpose of the church. Their focus on God has been skewed. The focus has turned on themselves. If you try to give God the glory, they often will take it as a personal affront. If you try to promote the ministry in which they are involved, they will usually praise your efforts. Anything that makes them look better they deem worthy. They are lost in their pride and arrogance. They are deadly to their church.
Like a human body is made sick and could die due to a serious strain of virus, the Estelles in our world make their church spiritually sick and threaten its spiritual life. Estelles drain a church of good leaders, because people know better than to take authority away from these caustic individuals. Estelles cause damage to a church by their selfish actions wrapped up in good deeds. They often force the focus of the church’s efforts to go along with their demands. Usually, the only way for a church with a few strong Estelles in it to survive is if the Estelles are born again or they die. Otherwise, they will destroy everything they touch. God is offended by their self-righteous actions and manner.
Matthew 5:16 was part of Jesus’ greatest teaching moment, the Sermon on the Mount. Many see the topics of this educational treatise as central to a healthy spiritual life. In order for a church to grow closer to God, good deeds must accompany true faith. Your good deeds need to be focused on others, not yourself. Your good deeds need to be done to praise God, not for self-aggrandizement. God needs to be the center of your attention. God should always get the glory.
This one small verse from today has many powerful spiritual components. Its emphasis shines a light on what makes a church grow and what will bring you closer to God. If you skew any of the central elements of this verse, you will cause spiritual sickness or death in yourself or others. Do you realize how important this verse is to your world?
During a worship service one Sunday, the women’s group was to receive a reward for a special mission project. On that Sunday morning, Estelle was sick with the flu and had a temperature of 102 degrees. Terribly upset that she wasn’t going to be there to receive the award, Estelle called the pastor and demanded that he postpone the award ceremony. When he said he could not do it as the presenters were coming from out of town and it was too late, Estelle called every single one of the elders in the church to complain that the Pastor was doing a disservice to the whole church! For months afterward, she made the pastor’s life horrible. Five months later, the pastor began to search for another church. In turning dozens of members against the pastor out of spite, Estelle’s bitterness wrecked his ministry.
There are many “Estelles” in our world who enjoy the limelight. They like to have their “light shine before others” so that others can praise them, not God. This goes in direct opposition to our scripture for today. There, it says that you are supposed to let your faith and good works “shine” before others so that others can “give glory to your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). You are called to do good deeds so that God can get the credit and others may be helped. Sadly, there are Christians all over the world who enjoy getting the credit for themselves. They often help others so that the others owe them.
It is my firm belief that those who seek the limelight in churches are the deadliest to the church. They are often so busy trying to look good and receive their accolades that they poison the very purpose of the church. Their focus on God has been skewed. The focus has turned on themselves. If you try to give God the glory, they often will take it as a personal affront. If you try to promote the ministry in which they are involved, they will usually praise your efforts. Anything that makes them look better they deem worthy. They are lost in their pride and arrogance. They are deadly to their church.
Like a human body is made sick and could die due to a serious strain of virus, the Estelles in our world make their church spiritually sick and threaten its spiritual life. Estelles drain a church of good leaders, because people know better than to take authority away from these caustic individuals. Estelles cause damage to a church by their selfish actions wrapped up in good deeds. They often force the focus of the church’s efforts to go along with their demands. Usually, the only way for a church with a few strong Estelles in it to survive is if the Estelles are born again or they die. Otherwise, they will destroy everything they touch. God is offended by their self-righteous actions and manner.
Matthew 5:16 was part of Jesus’ greatest teaching moment, the Sermon on the Mount. Many see the topics of this educational treatise as central to a healthy spiritual life. In order for a church to grow closer to God, good deeds must accompany true faith. Your good deeds need to be focused on others, not yourself. Your good deeds need to be done to praise God, not for self-aggrandizement. God needs to be the center of your attention. God should always get the glory.
This one small verse from today has many powerful spiritual components. Its emphasis shines a light on what makes a church grow and what will bring you closer to God. If you skew any of the central elements of this verse, you will cause spiritual sickness or death in yourself or others. Do you realize how important this verse is to your world?
March 25
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”” (John 16:33, ESV)
When you can read the New Testament in its original language, it sometimes will speak to you differently than when you read the English. This occurred this morning when I read the above verse. Jesus spoke the words above. He was talking to his disciples about bringing peace and “overcoming the world” (John 16:33). Jesus was describing his work to overcome the world’s “tribulation”. For many years, I have used the word “tribulation”, but until today, I didn’t realize what it meant until I read the Greek translation of the Bible. There, the word “tribulation” is the English translation of the Greek word which means a “constricting, pressing affliction”. The Greek word used also means to rub, press, or squash. If you can picture it, the word tribulation means to essentially hold you by the neck and constrict your breathing and the flow of blood to your brain. It is meant to cause suffering and oppression. The word tribulation is thus meant to display a choking of the Christian by the evil, tempting, oppressive sinfulness of this world. Jesus wanted to overcome that kind of oppression of evil upon you!
In the scripture above, Jesus sought the opposite of this sinful, stifling, crushing feeling upon the soul of the Christian. His salvation was meant to bring “peace” into your world. Where tribulation is crushing, peace is freeing. Where tribulation brings oppression, the peace God gives brings liberation. Where sinful tribulation chokes off your joy of life, peace lets you enjoy the beautiful grace and forgiveness that God brings. Don’t you see? Tribulation is the opposite of peace. If you experience spiritual oppression and a choking of your soul, tribulation is in effect. The only remedy for this is Jesus and His kind of peace!
After seeing too many good football players succumb to a self-destructive death spiral when addicted to drugs, coach Erik Russell of Georgia Southern College felt he had to teach his players how dangerous drugs were. Then, he had an idea. The story is now told that Coach Erik arranged for a couple of good ol' country boys to burst into a routine team meeting and throw a writhing, hissing, six-foot-long rattlesnake onto a table in front of the squad. "Everyone screamed and scattered," Russell recalls. "I told them, 'When cocaine comes into a room, you're not nearly as apt to leave as when that rattlesnake comes in. But they'll both kill you!'"
Mojave, Tiger, and Speckled Rattlesnakes kill through the injection of neurotoxins when they bite. The venom attacks the respiratory system and can cause respiratory arrest. The victim suffocates to death. Though death by rattlesnake among humans is rare, the the above symptoms often occur, including increased heart rate and respiratory problems.
Tribulation is essentially the rattlesnake neurotoxin of the spiritual life. Instead of causing breathing problems and respiratory arrest, it causes a constriction of the loving connection with God. It can take hold and cause spiritual death in any individual. It is spiritually deadly. Playing around with sin, getting comfortable with sinfulness is like playing with a rattlesnake. One bite of the rattlesnake causes respiratory tribulation. One big bite of sin can cause spiritual tribulation. Do you get it?
My hope for today is that you realize the dangers of playing with sin. The world and its sin causes tribulation by pressing in on you, oppressing you, pulling you down, causing suffering. The only remedy is the peace of Christ which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7, John 14:27). Whenever you start to feel the soul-crushing hatred of this world pressing down upon you soul, the only place you will ever find true relief is in the love of God in Christ. God’s peace can ease the soul, free the heart, ease the mind, and bring a “breath” of fresh air into a beaten-up soul!
In the scripture above, Jesus sought the opposite of this sinful, stifling, crushing feeling upon the soul of the Christian. His salvation was meant to bring “peace” into your world. Where tribulation is crushing, peace is freeing. Where tribulation brings oppression, the peace God gives brings liberation. Where sinful tribulation chokes off your joy of life, peace lets you enjoy the beautiful grace and forgiveness that God brings. Don’t you see? Tribulation is the opposite of peace. If you experience spiritual oppression and a choking of your soul, tribulation is in effect. The only remedy for this is Jesus and His kind of peace!
After seeing too many good football players succumb to a self-destructive death spiral when addicted to drugs, coach Erik Russell of Georgia Southern College felt he had to teach his players how dangerous drugs were. Then, he had an idea. The story is now told that Coach Erik arranged for a couple of good ol' country boys to burst into a routine team meeting and throw a writhing, hissing, six-foot-long rattlesnake onto a table in front of the squad. "Everyone screamed and scattered," Russell recalls. "I told them, 'When cocaine comes into a room, you're not nearly as apt to leave as when that rattlesnake comes in. But they'll both kill you!'"
Mojave, Tiger, and Speckled Rattlesnakes kill through the injection of neurotoxins when they bite. The venom attacks the respiratory system and can cause respiratory arrest. The victim suffocates to death. Though death by rattlesnake among humans is rare, the the above symptoms often occur, including increased heart rate and respiratory problems.
Tribulation is essentially the rattlesnake neurotoxin of the spiritual life. Instead of causing breathing problems and respiratory arrest, it causes a constriction of the loving connection with God. It can take hold and cause spiritual death in any individual. It is spiritually deadly. Playing around with sin, getting comfortable with sinfulness is like playing with a rattlesnake. One bite of the rattlesnake causes respiratory tribulation. One big bite of sin can cause spiritual tribulation. Do you get it?
My hope for today is that you realize the dangers of playing with sin. The world and its sin causes tribulation by pressing in on you, oppressing you, pulling you down, causing suffering. The only remedy is the peace of Christ which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7, John 14:27). Whenever you start to feel the soul-crushing hatred of this world pressing down upon you soul, the only place you will ever find true relief is in the love of God in Christ. God’s peace can ease the soul, free the heart, ease the mind, and bring a “breath” of fresh air into a beaten-up soul!
March 26
“Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:7, NKJV)
Actor Mark Wahlberg grew up in a rough area of Boston. He got involved with gangs. As a teenager, he was eventually arrested multiple times. He went to jail for assaulting two people. After meeting with his priest ten years ago, he decided to put away his wild life and embrace his faith. He was urged to do what was right. He did so. Since then, he has been very successful in his movie career and in the music world. Though his felony conviction remains on his permanent record, he has learned to put his past in God’s hands. In an interview, he said, “You have to go and ask for forgiveness and it wasn't until I really started doing good and doing right by other people, as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go away.” (Wikipedia). Trying unsuccessfully to get his felony conviction pardoned, he is still reminded in interviews and in print of his sinful past. Happily, he has found great peace with God and forgiving grace.
When people are young, they can make great mistakes that they carry with them in life. One woman I know cannot let go of a car accident that took a young woman’s life. Another gentleman lives with the pain of an addiction. A soldier friend of mine can’t forget the people lost during a firefight in Iraq. Many people go to bed at night unable to escape a sinful past, unable to forget a nightmare from a past sin, or find it difficult to live with a bad memory or failure.
The scripture above was written by David. He asked God to “not remember the sins of his youth” (Psalm 25:7). David had certainly messed up his life. He got another man’s wife pregnant. He fooled around. He manipulated events to get an innocent man killed. He covered up his crimes. He fought and killed and suffered in the wilderness. He failed God. Those sins of his past haunted him. In this Psalm, David asked for God’s mercy to shine through so that those past sins would not define him.
Have you done something in your past the continues to haunt your soul? Do you wish God would remember you, but ignore your sinful past? Are there people around who like to remind you of past failures or problems, mistakes or sins? Are you still paying for your past? Do you beat yourself up for mistakes of the past? David knew that God was merciful, full of goodness and forgiveness. When you became “right” with God, God forgave you. If God forgave your past transgressions, shouldn’t you?
Vindictive people like to bring up your past failures in order to put you down or to increase their own stature. Jealous or hateful people might like to watch you squirm whenever your past is revealed. If you truly love God, you must forgive yourself for mistakes of your past. When you repent of them to God, they become God’s property. These past sins aren’t meant to control your future and beat you up every day. You should not let others use your past sins to manipulate you. If God has forgiven you, you are right before God’s eyes. If you’ve repented of your past, there is no need to dwell on past mistakes. You can remember not to make those same mistakes again, but you should not let those past mistakes define you in the present.
David knew that God was gracious enough to look past the sins of his youth. Are you? If you have let past sins go to God, it is important you leave them with God. Forgiven sins were never meant to be a stone around your neck to drown you in their memory. When you repent and are forgiven, the shame and guilt of past sin is removed. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You start over with God. Get it?
When people are young, they can make great mistakes that they carry with them in life. One woman I know cannot let go of a car accident that took a young woman’s life. Another gentleman lives with the pain of an addiction. A soldier friend of mine can’t forget the people lost during a firefight in Iraq. Many people go to bed at night unable to escape a sinful past, unable to forget a nightmare from a past sin, or find it difficult to live with a bad memory or failure.
The scripture above was written by David. He asked God to “not remember the sins of his youth” (Psalm 25:7). David had certainly messed up his life. He got another man’s wife pregnant. He fooled around. He manipulated events to get an innocent man killed. He covered up his crimes. He fought and killed and suffered in the wilderness. He failed God. Those sins of his past haunted him. In this Psalm, David asked for God’s mercy to shine through so that those past sins would not define him.
Have you done something in your past the continues to haunt your soul? Do you wish God would remember you, but ignore your sinful past? Are there people around who like to remind you of past failures or problems, mistakes or sins? Are you still paying for your past? Do you beat yourself up for mistakes of the past? David knew that God was merciful, full of goodness and forgiveness. When you became “right” with God, God forgave you. If God forgave your past transgressions, shouldn’t you?
Vindictive people like to bring up your past failures in order to put you down or to increase their own stature. Jealous or hateful people might like to watch you squirm whenever your past is revealed. If you truly love God, you must forgive yourself for mistakes of your past. When you repent of them to God, they become God’s property. These past sins aren’t meant to control your future and beat you up every day. You should not let others use your past sins to manipulate you. If God has forgiven you, you are right before God’s eyes. If you’ve repented of your past, there is no need to dwell on past mistakes. You can remember not to make those same mistakes again, but you should not let those past mistakes define you in the present.
David knew that God was gracious enough to look past the sins of his youth. Are you? If you have let past sins go to God, it is important you leave them with God. Forgiven sins were never meant to be a stone around your neck to drown you in their memory. When you repent and are forgiven, the shame and guilt of past sin is removed. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You start over with God. Get it?
March 27
“But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”
(Matthew 26:56, NRSV)
(Matthew 26:56, NRSV)
When Jesus was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was all seen beforehand by the prophets. His capture had “taken place so that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” (Matthew 26:56). Isaiah 53 told of a suffering servant of God who would be led away and suffer like a lamb sent to slaughter. Psalm 22 tells of a faithful man who is mocked, suffers, and is forsaken. Jesus even quoted its words on the cross. In Matthew 17:22, Jesus predicted he would be taken away and killed. While in the upper room just hours before, Jesus predicted he would be betrayed (Matthew 26:21). Many scriptures pointed to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The prophets predicted Jesus’ coming. Jesus predicted his own betrayal and death. Still, when the disciples came to that terrible moment, all they could do was flee. They should have been prepared for that moment. Instead, out of fear, they fled away into the night.
You may know a day of reckoning or a bad day is coming. You can try to prepare yourself for that day. Still, you may find yourself filled with fear and wanting to run away. Even when you know you need to be strong, you may find yourself weak and afraid. You might desert a friend. You might run away from your problems. You might find yourself responding in the very same manner as did the disciples when Jesus was captured in that Garden long ago.
It is a natural tendency for people to want to run away from terrible moments, problems, trials, and pain. Even when we know we should not, we are sorely tempted to do so. Even when we know its right to stand up and face the consequences, we might hide instead. Even when God wants us to be strong and stand firm in the faith, it is not uncommon for people to fail in that fateful moment.
When the soldiers came for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples’ response was to run. When Adam and Eve sinned and then heard God in the Garden of Eden, they fled and hid. Sometimes fleeing is all you can do in the face of persecution. However, even when you should face that fateful day, people can sometimes lose the ability and courage to do so. The disciples were warned that the day of betrayal and trial was coming. They didn’t want to face it. In the moment of decision, they fled. In your own day of decision, will you flee? When God needs you to stand with someone, will you find an excuse not to make it? Out of fear, is there something or someone you are running from even now? Does God want you to flee, or does God want you to stay?
One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!"
Are you a big sissy about some things? Do you ever let fear get control over you? The disciples failed Jesus in the same way. I would love for you to have courage to face your fears. I would love for you to stand for the truth when it is dangerous to do so. I wish you would have the kind of heart that would not desert Jesus in the moment of trial. Will you dare have such courage?
It is comforting to know that Jesus did forgive his disciples for their lack of faith and courage. He came to them multiple times after his resurrection. He sent the Holy Spirit to bolster their courage to face their trials. He was with them. He did not desert them. Jesus knew what it was like to be deserted. He faced his trials unafraid. When everyone wants to desert you, Jesus will be there. You can count on Him. He knows what its like. He knows what you need.
You may know a day of reckoning or a bad day is coming. You can try to prepare yourself for that day. Still, you may find yourself filled with fear and wanting to run away. Even when you know you need to be strong, you may find yourself weak and afraid. You might desert a friend. You might run away from your problems. You might find yourself responding in the very same manner as did the disciples when Jesus was captured in that Garden long ago.
It is a natural tendency for people to want to run away from terrible moments, problems, trials, and pain. Even when we know we should not, we are sorely tempted to do so. Even when we know its right to stand up and face the consequences, we might hide instead. Even when God wants us to be strong and stand firm in the faith, it is not uncommon for people to fail in that fateful moment.
When the soldiers came for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples’ response was to run. When Adam and Eve sinned and then heard God in the Garden of Eden, they fled and hid. Sometimes fleeing is all you can do in the face of persecution. However, even when you should face that fateful day, people can sometimes lose the ability and courage to do so. The disciples were warned that the day of betrayal and trial was coming. They didn’t want to face it. In the moment of decision, they fled. In your own day of decision, will you flee? When God needs you to stand with someone, will you find an excuse not to make it? Out of fear, is there something or someone you are running from even now? Does God want you to flee, or does God want you to stay?
One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!"
Are you a big sissy about some things? Do you ever let fear get control over you? The disciples failed Jesus in the same way. I would love for you to have courage to face your fears. I would love for you to stand for the truth when it is dangerous to do so. I wish you would have the kind of heart that would not desert Jesus in the moment of trial. Will you dare have such courage?
It is comforting to know that Jesus did forgive his disciples for their lack of faith and courage. He came to them multiple times after his resurrection. He sent the Holy Spirit to bolster their courage to face their trials. He was with them. He did not desert them. Jesus knew what it was like to be deserted. He faced his trials unafraid. When everyone wants to desert you, Jesus will be there. You can count on Him. He knows what its like. He knows what you need.
March 28
“…and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:27, NASB95)
Satan promises the best but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.” - Thomas Brooks
You may not realize it, but there are things in your life and things in your personality and things in your mind that can easily give the Devil an “opportunity” to get at you. They are your spiritual weaknesses. They are the tendencies that push you to sin. Most people watch out for sin without realizing that these spiritual weaknesses make them open to sin. These spiritual weaknesses will play with your mind and make a sin look ever so tantalizing. One part of growing strong in the faith is realizing what your own spiritual weaknesses are so that the Devil cannot use them against you. You should learn to guard yourself from them and put up walls to protect yourself from any manipulations in that area.
When I was in a car dealership, I wandered over to look at the shiny new cars. They looked so nice on the showroom floor. They were beautifully waxed and detailed. Everything about them was seemingly perfect. I knew I’d never have these cars. I can’t afford them. I just like to look.
At the next car over was a man and his wife. He was looking at a very nice new truck. The two were talking quietly, almost arguing. Then, the salesman walked over and started in, like a shark circling a sick albacore tuna. After a few minutes, the salesman knew the man was the one who wanted the truck, why he wanted a new truck, and figured out how much they could afford. He set the terms by sharing how low the monthly payments would be over seven years. He told the man how smart he was to pick that model, stroking his pride. He asked the man to picture himself able to carry heavy loads, packing up the family for a vacation, etc. In watching this man, I began to wonder if this man was a bipolar and in a manic stage. This meant he was vulnerable to spending beyond his means. People with this psychological weakness can be easily swayed when in their manic phase. They will go to a store to buy a hammer and come home with the entire tool set, because it was on sale and looked so shiny. Wisely, the man brought his wife along. I think she was his “conscience”. She was there to protect him from the wiles of the salesman. I could tell she was losing the fight. The salesman made everything sound too good.
As they asked for time to talk alone, the salesman went back to his desk and watched. Naughty me, I wanted to help even the playing field. I walked over near them and said, “I sure like this car, but when I figure in just the monthly payment, I could buy a new engine for my old car every four months. Getting one of these things is like having another child to feed for seven years. I’m not sure I could afford it. I decided I’m going to force myself to take one month to really examine if I really need so much debt.” I could tell my words hit home. The woman smiled back. The man went back to thinking. They left without buying the truck. The salesman never knew what hit him.
I don’t like it when someone who is really good at picking out a person’s weaknesses uses that against them. Satan is one who does that. He probes and probes for any spiritual weakness and then uses it against you. For some people, a psychological or physical weakness can be their undoing. Addicts can be swayed with a drug or alcohol. Spenders tend not to look at the long-term costs of their purchase. Lazy people will do and buy things so they can be lazy. These are all weaknesses. Spiritual weaknesses often occur because of these human tendencies. A person might become spiritually lazy and skip studying the Bible. A Pastor might be so busy that he ignores his prayer life when stressed. Being insecure, a sexual assault victim might be afraid to gather spiritual mentors and friends. When feelings are hurt at church, a person might choose to quit going to worship altogether. All these will cause spiritual weaknesses that Satan can then exploit. Satan is always looking for ways to get the upper hand over you.
What are your spiritual weaknesses? How can you protect yourself from their inherent dangers? The scripture for today from Ephesians reminds us never to “give the devil an opportunity.” If you give Satan an inch, he will try to find a way to beat you up for a mile. If you let him see a weakness, he will stalk you like a lion stalks a wounded gazelle (1 Peter 5:8). Knowing your spiritual weaknesses can protect you in the long run. God will help you find them. God’s Word can teach you how to protect yourself from their damage. A good spiritual mentor, a strong faithful friend, a pastor, or a priest can help find those weaknesses that can give the devil a foothold or opportunity. But, are you willing to look for them?
You may not realize it, but there are things in your life and things in your personality and things in your mind that can easily give the Devil an “opportunity” to get at you. They are your spiritual weaknesses. They are the tendencies that push you to sin. Most people watch out for sin without realizing that these spiritual weaknesses make them open to sin. These spiritual weaknesses will play with your mind and make a sin look ever so tantalizing. One part of growing strong in the faith is realizing what your own spiritual weaknesses are so that the Devil cannot use them against you. You should learn to guard yourself from them and put up walls to protect yourself from any manipulations in that area.
When I was in a car dealership, I wandered over to look at the shiny new cars. They looked so nice on the showroom floor. They were beautifully waxed and detailed. Everything about them was seemingly perfect. I knew I’d never have these cars. I can’t afford them. I just like to look.
At the next car over was a man and his wife. He was looking at a very nice new truck. The two were talking quietly, almost arguing. Then, the salesman walked over and started in, like a shark circling a sick albacore tuna. After a few minutes, the salesman knew the man was the one who wanted the truck, why he wanted a new truck, and figured out how much they could afford. He set the terms by sharing how low the monthly payments would be over seven years. He told the man how smart he was to pick that model, stroking his pride. He asked the man to picture himself able to carry heavy loads, packing up the family for a vacation, etc. In watching this man, I began to wonder if this man was a bipolar and in a manic stage. This meant he was vulnerable to spending beyond his means. People with this psychological weakness can be easily swayed when in their manic phase. They will go to a store to buy a hammer and come home with the entire tool set, because it was on sale and looked so shiny. Wisely, the man brought his wife along. I think she was his “conscience”. She was there to protect him from the wiles of the salesman. I could tell she was losing the fight. The salesman made everything sound too good.
As they asked for time to talk alone, the salesman went back to his desk and watched. Naughty me, I wanted to help even the playing field. I walked over near them and said, “I sure like this car, but when I figure in just the monthly payment, I could buy a new engine for my old car every four months. Getting one of these things is like having another child to feed for seven years. I’m not sure I could afford it. I decided I’m going to force myself to take one month to really examine if I really need so much debt.” I could tell my words hit home. The woman smiled back. The man went back to thinking. They left without buying the truck. The salesman never knew what hit him.
I don’t like it when someone who is really good at picking out a person’s weaknesses uses that against them. Satan is one who does that. He probes and probes for any spiritual weakness and then uses it against you. For some people, a psychological or physical weakness can be their undoing. Addicts can be swayed with a drug or alcohol. Spenders tend not to look at the long-term costs of their purchase. Lazy people will do and buy things so they can be lazy. These are all weaknesses. Spiritual weaknesses often occur because of these human tendencies. A person might become spiritually lazy and skip studying the Bible. A Pastor might be so busy that he ignores his prayer life when stressed. Being insecure, a sexual assault victim might be afraid to gather spiritual mentors and friends. When feelings are hurt at church, a person might choose to quit going to worship altogether. All these will cause spiritual weaknesses that Satan can then exploit. Satan is always looking for ways to get the upper hand over you.
What are your spiritual weaknesses? How can you protect yourself from their inherent dangers? The scripture for today from Ephesians reminds us never to “give the devil an opportunity.” If you give Satan an inch, he will try to find a way to beat you up for a mile. If you let him see a weakness, he will stalk you like a lion stalks a wounded gazelle (1 Peter 5:8). Knowing your spiritual weaknesses can protect you in the long run. God will help you find them. God’s Word can teach you how to protect yourself from their damage. A good spiritual mentor, a strong faithful friend, a pastor, or a priest can help find those weaknesses that can give the devil a foothold or opportunity. But, are you willing to look for them?
March 29
“When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:15–17, RSV)
I have met many Christians who make a mistake in their understanding of God. This mistake is underwritten by the error of pastors who do not tell the truth about God and the Bible. This error is preached and taught in many churches today, even though it is a lie. Let me pass on to you the truth of the matter: God can and does purposefully not listen to prayers or accept the worship of some people. No matter how loud they are, how religious they seem to be, how many offerings they give, or how long they have belonged to a church, there may come a time when God refuses to listen to their prayers or pay attention to their needs. I hope this never occurs to you.
The pastor stood in the pulpit and said, “God always hears your prayers. God always listens and is ready to answer those prayers.” I wanted to stand up and shout that this pastor either didn’t know God or doesn’t read her Bible. What she is preaching is an absolute, unadulterated lie. I know why she does it. She wants to comfort her people. Sometimes, God will not want to comfort people. At moments of deep sinfulness, God will want them uncomfortable. Until they repent, God will not only shake up their world, but God will turn HIS back on those who would live in sin. I have met dozens of pastors who refused to believe this , even though it is not only Biblical, it forms the basis of our scripture for today.
In the days of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had sinned greatly. They had rejected God, caused oppression and injustice to occur throughout the land, and failed to repent of their sin. Isaiah 1: 17 mentions these grievous sins when it urges the people to “remove the evil of their doings from before the eyes of God.” The people were commanded to quit their evil deeds, “correct oppression, defend the fatherless and plead for the widow”. This demand of God shows that widows and orphans were neglected in the land. They were suffering. Oppression of the poor and needy and hurting had most likely grown common. Murder was not uncommon ("their hands were full of blood" - Isaiah 1:15). God wanted real justice in the land, not courts where people could trample over the lives of others. The wealthy and powerful were taking advantage. The court system could be manipulated. God was sick of it.
In response to all the sin in the land, God said that when the sinful people worshiped or prayed, God would not listen. God would “hide his eyes” and cease to watch over the sinful worshipers. Contrary to what some preach today (especially some liberal preachers and priests), there can come a time when God does not listen to the prayers of a sinful soul. God won’t even pay attention when the sinful worship (Isaiah 1:11). In Isaiah's time, the sacrifices of the people in the temple were ignored by God. Their worship was in vain. God didn’t pay attention to any of it. Why? Sin had gripped the people. They were sinning one day and going to worship the next without any thought of repentance or living faithfully. If you become a hypocrite in the way you live, there may come a time when God will stop listening to your prayers or blessing your worship. You can practice your “religion” all your want, but God will not take notice. Until you begin to live right and atone for your sin, God will not watch over you. Isaiah 1:16 mentions this when God commands the sinful in Isaiah’s day to “Wash themselves” and “make themselves clean”. Until they corrected their sinful lifestyle, God would not be near.
Some people believe that no matter what they do in life, God will be there and ready to bless them. That is not true. There may come a time when God will turn against them. You can’t live a life of sin and expect God to only bless you all the time. You can’t sin repeatedly without God noticing your hypocrisy. Jesus saw this among the Pharisees in his day. They came to the synagogue to worship and could spout many verses of scripture, but their hearts were far from faithful. They were not right before God. In one moment, they would act religiously in the temple, and in the next moment they would seek ways to taunt and murder Jesus.
God will stop listening to the person who chooses to be sinful and rejects true faith. He may practice religion, but he will not be right before God. This doesn’t mean that if you commit an act of sin, God will hurriedly stop caring about you. I believe when sins take hold and you begin to live a sinful life, God will sooner or later turn HIS back upon you (there is a difference between "a sin" and being "sinFUL"). God will gladly come back if you truly repent and reject your sinfulness. But until you make this right with God, God will not heed your prayers or bless your worship.
Don’t let sins wreck your relationship with God. Make things right with God and enjoy the benefits of true faith every day! Let God see your righteous living. Watch HIM bless your truthful heart. Keep your life faithful, not sinful, before God. Repent whenever you sin. Protect your faith. Share God's love. Then, God will indeed hear your prayers and bless your worship. Then, and only then, can you count on HIM always.
The pastor stood in the pulpit and said, “God always hears your prayers. God always listens and is ready to answer those prayers.” I wanted to stand up and shout that this pastor either didn’t know God or doesn’t read her Bible. What she is preaching is an absolute, unadulterated lie. I know why she does it. She wants to comfort her people. Sometimes, God will not want to comfort people. At moments of deep sinfulness, God will want them uncomfortable. Until they repent, God will not only shake up their world, but God will turn HIS back on those who would live in sin. I have met dozens of pastors who refused to believe this , even though it is not only Biblical, it forms the basis of our scripture for today.
In the days of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had sinned greatly. They had rejected God, caused oppression and injustice to occur throughout the land, and failed to repent of their sin. Isaiah 1: 17 mentions these grievous sins when it urges the people to “remove the evil of their doings from before the eyes of God.” The people were commanded to quit their evil deeds, “correct oppression, defend the fatherless and plead for the widow”. This demand of God shows that widows and orphans were neglected in the land. They were suffering. Oppression of the poor and needy and hurting had most likely grown common. Murder was not uncommon ("their hands were full of blood" - Isaiah 1:15). God wanted real justice in the land, not courts where people could trample over the lives of others. The wealthy and powerful were taking advantage. The court system could be manipulated. God was sick of it.
In response to all the sin in the land, God said that when the sinful people worshiped or prayed, God would not listen. God would “hide his eyes” and cease to watch over the sinful worshipers. Contrary to what some preach today (especially some liberal preachers and priests), there can come a time when God does not listen to the prayers of a sinful soul. God won’t even pay attention when the sinful worship (Isaiah 1:11). In Isaiah's time, the sacrifices of the people in the temple were ignored by God. Their worship was in vain. God didn’t pay attention to any of it. Why? Sin had gripped the people. They were sinning one day and going to worship the next without any thought of repentance or living faithfully. If you become a hypocrite in the way you live, there may come a time when God will stop listening to your prayers or blessing your worship. You can practice your “religion” all your want, but God will not take notice. Until you begin to live right and atone for your sin, God will not watch over you. Isaiah 1:16 mentions this when God commands the sinful in Isaiah’s day to “Wash themselves” and “make themselves clean”. Until they corrected their sinful lifestyle, God would not be near.
Some people believe that no matter what they do in life, God will be there and ready to bless them. That is not true. There may come a time when God will turn against them. You can’t live a life of sin and expect God to only bless you all the time. You can’t sin repeatedly without God noticing your hypocrisy. Jesus saw this among the Pharisees in his day. They came to the synagogue to worship and could spout many verses of scripture, but their hearts were far from faithful. They were not right before God. In one moment, they would act religiously in the temple, and in the next moment they would seek ways to taunt and murder Jesus.
God will stop listening to the person who chooses to be sinful and rejects true faith. He may practice religion, but he will not be right before God. This doesn’t mean that if you commit an act of sin, God will hurriedly stop caring about you. I believe when sins take hold and you begin to live a sinful life, God will sooner or later turn HIS back upon you (there is a difference between "a sin" and being "sinFUL"). God will gladly come back if you truly repent and reject your sinfulness. But until you make this right with God, God will not heed your prayers or bless your worship.
Don’t let sins wreck your relationship with God. Make things right with God and enjoy the benefits of true faith every day! Let God see your righteous living. Watch HIM bless your truthful heart. Keep your life faithful, not sinful, before God. Repent whenever you sin. Protect your faith. Share God's love. Then, God will indeed hear your prayers and bless your worship. Then, and only then, can you count on HIM always.
March 30
“When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and shall deliver your bread again by weight; and you shall eat, and not be satisfied.” (Leviticus 26:26, RSV)
“Though many of us have seen pictures of a huge eagle's nest high in the branches of a tree or in the crag of a cliff, few of us have gotten a glimpse inside. When a mother eagle builds her nest she starts with thorns, broken branches, sharp rocks, and a number of other items that seem entirely unsuitable for the project. But then, she lines the nest with a thick padding of wool, feathers, and fur from animals she has killed, making it soft and comfortable for the eggs. By the time the growing birds reach flying age, the comfort of the nest and the luxury of free meals make them quite reluctant to leave. That's when the mother eagle begins "stirring up the nest." With her strong talons she begins pulling up the thick carpet of fur and feathers, bringing the sharp rocks and branches to the surface. As more of the bedding gets plucked up, the nest becomes more uncomfortable for the young eagles. Eventually, this and other urgings prompt the growing eagles to leave their once-comfortable abode and move on to more mature behavior.” (Today in the Word, June 11, 1989).
As the eagle nestlings are made uncomfortable in their nest in order that they may fly off and begin their next phase in life, God can sometimes make things uncomfortable for you so that you change or move on. God may see something that doesn’t belong or something that isn’t good for you and make you feel uncomfortable until you get rid of it. It may be that you have a bad habit in your life that worries you. Don’t be surprised if its side effects bother you. It may be God’s way of saying you need to shed the habit. There are many scriptures that talk about God bringing “comfort” to God’s people (Isaiah 40:1, Psalm 23:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:16). However, the scripture for today is a reminder that God can sometimes cause discomfort to come into your life. This discomfort is part of God’s plan to push you to change, do something different, or move on.
During the book of Leviticus, the people of Israel were still living in the wilderness. They had not yet reached the promised land. While in the wilderness, the people received the Ten Commandments, were fed manna by God, and learned about the law from Moses. The entire book of Leviticus is dedicated to the laws of how to follow God. In Luke 26, God mentions that when the people “walk contrary” to God’s law (Leviticus 26:23), God will respond by making them “eat and not be satisfied” (Leviticus 26:26). No matter how much they eat, even having ten women at one time making bread for them, they will not feel satisfied and full. God will bring discomfort and discontent upon them until they change their ways.
If you encounter a time in your life when things get uncomfortable, make sure it isn’t God making you feel “off”. Are you are doing something unholy in your life that God wants you to reject? It might be that a sin has taken root and you are paying the consequences. God wants that sin gone. Will you do it? God is a great God of comfort, bringing comfort to the affliction of many. But, when sin sets in, God can easily make you uncomfortable and discontented. I have also seen where God can make you feel uncomfortable when HE wants a change of pace or for you to adjust something. During those moments, find out what God is saying. Find what needs to be changed. Discern if a sin has taken root and discipline it out of your life. As long as you “walk contrary” to God’s will, you will never feel right. You will feel ill-at-ease. You will lack peace. When God wants a change, will you have the character and faith to accomplish the change or reject the sin?
As the eagle nestlings are made uncomfortable in their nest in order that they may fly off and begin their next phase in life, God can sometimes make things uncomfortable for you so that you change or move on. God may see something that doesn’t belong or something that isn’t good for you and make you feel uncomfortable until you get rid of it. It may be that you have a bad habit in your life that worries you. Don’t be surprised if its side effects bother you. It may be God’s way of saying you need to shed the habit. There are many scriptures that talk about God bringing “comfort” to God’s people (Isaiah 40:1, Psalm 23:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:16). However, the scripture for today is a reminder that God can sometimes cause discomfort to come into your life. This discomfort is part of God’s plan to push you to change, do something different, or move on.
During the book of Leviticus, the people of Israel were still living in the wilderness. They had not yet reached the promised land. While in the wilderness, the people received the Ten Commandments, were fed manna by God, and learned about the law from Moses. The entire book of Leviticus is dedicated to the laws of how to follow God. In Luke 26, God mentions that when the people “walk contrary” to God’s law (Leviticus 26:23), God will respond by making them “eat and not be satisfied” (Leviticus 26:26). No matter how much they eat, even having ten women at one time making bread for them, they will not feel satisfied and full. God will bring discomfort and discontent upon them until they change their ways.
If you encounter a time in your life when things get uncomfortable, make sure it isn’t God making you feel “off”. Are you are doing something unholy in your life that God wants you to reject? It might be that a sin has taken root and you are paying the consequences. God wants that sin gone. Will you do it? God is a great God of comfort, bringing comfort to the affliction of many. But, when sin sets in, God can easily make you uncomfortable and discontented. I have also seen where God can make you feel uncomfortable when HE wants a change of pace or for you to adjust something. During those moments, find out what God is saying. Find what needs to be changed. Discern if a sin has taken root and discipline it out of your life. As long as you “walk contrary” to God’s will, you will never feel right. You will feel ill-at-ease. You will lack peace. When God wants a change, will you have the character and faith to accomplish the change or reject the sin?
March 31
“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28–29, ESV)
A long while ago, I met a man in a psychiatric hospital. He was in a locked ward of the hospital. After lewd public behavior, he threatened and beat those who attempted to get him to a hospital. He was psychotic at the time, and highly reactive with bouts of anger. The voices and images in his head caused him to speak to others who weren’t there and ramble on as though invisible souls around him were listening. After receiving medicine, he began to recover. He was soon able to separate the voices in his head from reality. He became much calmer and was enjoyable to talk with. He told me something that was very philosophical, but true, when we met. He said, “My past haunts me. It follows me wherever I go. Everything I’ve done wrong seems to be a weight I must carry.”
Like this man in the hospital, does your past haunt you? Does it weigh you down and follow you?
In John 5, Jesus talked about what happens after death. In John 5:28, he taught that those who are dead will, on the Day of Judgment, hear Jesus’ voice and come out of the tombs. The voice of Christ will usher in that fateful day. Jesus will begin the process of separating good and evil people. This verse says “all” who are in the tombs will be risen to judgment. In the very next verse, we learn that the “good” shall rise to a “resurrection of life”. The “evil” shall inherit a “resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29). Taken at face value, we are left to understand by these verses that what you do in life does indeed follow you into eternal life. Your past will either bless you or curse you on Judgment Day. Your choices right now will help determine whether you see eternal life or eternal suffering.
If you had to make the decision yourself at this moment, would Christ know you and invite you into eternal life, or do you fear eternal judgment?
How you live your life, right now, will determine your future. It will bless or curse you down the line. If you repent, turn from evil, accept Jesus as your Savior in faith, your future will look a lot different than if you choose to reject God in Christ. I’ve known alcoholics who accepted Christ, cleaned up, and lived fruitful lives. I’ve known those who were incarcerated who chose to follow Christ. Their lives went down a very holy path. Hardened criminals have became preachers, self-destructive adults became elders, and brawlers decided to change their ways and became people who you could count on in bad times.
Beginning right now, you can change your future. By doing what is required by God, you can begin the first day of a future that will end up in Heaven. OR you can reject God and do evil today and this will be your first day of a future that ends up in Hell. You make the choice. The choice will follow you, haunt you, bless you, hallow you, determine your steps. Every day, by your choices, you determine where your future will be. Every day, you choose to do good or evil. One way or another, you will choose to follow Jesus or to reject your faith. I wonder what you will do.
This week, we celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that reminds us that God has ultimate power over life and death. God will raise up the faithful. God will condemn the guilty. If you have chosen God, you have a lot to celebrate! Your future is in heaven. If you have rejected God’s ways, you have the chance to make everything right again. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Will you follow Him wherever He leads, even to forever?
Like this man in the hospital, does your past haunt you? Does it weigh you down and follow you?
In John 5, Jesus talked about what happens after death. In John 5:28, he taught that those who are dead will, on the Day of Judgment, hear Jesus’ voice and come out of the tombs. The voice of Christ will usher in that fateful day. Jesus will begin the process of separating good and evil people. This verse says “all” who are in the tombs will be risen to judgment. In the very next verse, we learn that the “good” shall rise to a “resurrection of life”. The “evil” shall inherit a “resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29). Taken at face value, we are left to understand by these verses that what you do in life does indeed follow you into eternal life. Your past will either bless you or curse you on Judgment Day. Your choices right now will help determine whether you see eternal life or eternal suffering.
If you had to make the decision yourself at this moment, would Christ know you and invite you into eternal life, or do you fear eternal judgment?
How you live your life, right now, will determine your future. It will bless or curse you down the line. If you repent, turn from evil, accept Jesus as your Savior in faith, your future will look a lot different than if you choose to reject God in Christ. I’ve known alcoholics who accepted Christ, cleaned up, and lived fruitful lives. I’ve known those who were incarcerated who chose to follow Christ. Their lives went down a very holy path. Hardened criminals have became preachers, self-destructive adults became elders, and brawlers decided to change their ways and became people who you could count on in bad times.
Beginning right now, you can change your future. By doing what is required by God, you can begin the first day of a future that will end up in Heaven. OR you can reject God and do evil today and this will be your first day of a future that ends up in Hell. You make the choice. The choice will follow you, haunt you, bless you, hallow you, determine your steps. Every day, by your choices, you determine where your future will be. Every day, you choose to do good or evil. One way or another, you will choose to follow Jesus or to reject your faith. I wonder what you will do.
This week, we celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that reminds us that God has ultimate power over life and death. God will raise up the faithful. God will condemn the guilty. If you have chosen God, you have a lot to celebrate! Your future is in heaven. If you have rejected God’s ways, you have the chance to make everything right again. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Will you follow Him wherever He leads, even to forever?