enjoyment

And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

God loves it when we find joy in life. He is the Giver of all good things. And this wisdom from God’s Word is commendable and to be put into practice. God wants us to enjoy our lives! And what brings delight to us will also bring delight to Him.

Now to be clear, there is a difference between everlasting joy as God has made it for us to experience, and brief sinful pleasures. And there is a pure delight in God and His world that is vastly different than selfish pursuit of a sinful passion. The best way to see this is in the area of sex, where sexual expression between a husband and wife can be this amazing pure joy given by God, but seeking pleasure selfishly or beyond marriage through sex brings only temporary pleasure and ultimately disappointing heartache and pain.

Other life pleasures can be celebrated in God’s design. We have the capacity to thoroughly enjoy food and drink, socializing and entertainment, music and culture, nature and beauty, all within the balance of love and the worship of our Creator. He has given us lots of pleasures to enjoy wholeheartedly as His gifts to us, even in a tough, less-then-perfect world marred as a result of sin’s curse. We have such an enormous capacity for joy! We should experience it.

Personally, I choose joy. I find it in conversations with people. I find it in a mountain view... on a beach at sunset... in a stream releasing a healthy fish... or in the sheer quiet enjoyment of a good book by a warm fire. It is known most in the joy of sins forgiven and life set free in Jesus. Joy is God’s gift and I will celebrate it in worship of the One Who gave it!

#trending

Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

Ecclesiastes 7:17-18

The warning here is that two lifestyle choices tend to burn a person out. To give in to all of one’s deepest wicked desires is a path to destruction. To foolishly live by one’s own principles outside the wisdom of God’s truth is another path to a short life. It is best to avoid these selfish choices. Instead, the promise here is that the fear of God steers a person clear of unproductive, selfish burnout.

If ever there is a time to heed the wisdom of Solomon on this matter it is now. King Solomon literally pleased every desire conceivable, and he found them all unfulfilling. And we can get caught in the same lie today. The planet reels from billions of people on a foolish path to self-seeking flameout! And the speed with which these kinds of things sweep across human society is breathtaking. Social media trends roll across the globe in worldwide waves in under an hour. The newest and latest gimmick can be here and gone in under a week. News cycles on major stories used to last for days. Now they last under a few hours before the next thing captures short attention spans. People with the weirdest wickedness can gather in online communities rolling their foolishness together in a false sense of empowerment.

And the call to be one who fears God is still the best balance to all this. Solomon’s quiet call to wisdom in submission to God can carry us beyond this high speed internet version of the rat race. The gospel of Jesus Christ is still the only life-giving way to find true personal satisfaction, community, and peace.

perfect Christmas gift

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17

In all my years of journaling through the Bible, I can’t believe I’ve never paused to journal on this passage, but here I am, reflecting on John 3:16, on Christmas Eve, 2019. It seems the perfect timing. I am always blessed in worship during Advent. The time of anticipation for Christmas, combined with the hope in the gospel proclaimed in the birth of Jesus are wonderful worship, whether in a church service with God’s people, or in private quiet times.

Yet this reminder in the gospel of John could be no more powerful. That baby born in Bethlehem that shepherds visited, angels proclaimed, and wise men sought, was God’s way of invading our broken world to fix it all. He was a gift of God’s love for the world... the perfect gift. He was the Giver of eternal life in a world dark with death.

And Jesus did not come to tell us how bad we are! He didn’t come to march us all to Hell without our suppers. Jesus came to save, and the hope of salvation is not restricted... “the world might be saved through him.” God loves every soul on the planet in the saving work of Jesus. He came to live, to die, and to beat death in an empty tomb... for all of us! God blessed us everyone! Now to worship and to share the joy of the hope of the gospel in a Merry Christmas.

questions

For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 6:12

From childhood

     I have asked them

     struggling with wanting to know

     curious how things work

     needing desperately to know why

And sometimes people had answers

to the curiosity...

     told me how the sky is blue

     told me how planes fly

     told me where babies come from

But deeper questions were mutually puzzling

even to those who had some answers...

     why do we die?

     what is evil?

     where did we come from?

And in those deeper questions which sometimes

still echo in my soul, I turn to God for answers.

Only God knows...

     How am I redeemed by Jesus?

     Where will my life end up?

     How will all evil be ended?

     When will questions cease?

  

restoring worship

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”

John 2:15-16

That sweet little baby lying in the manger? He grew up to be this guy! The way in which worship motivated Jesus was a lot different from what we might see in a house of worship today! Jesus saw the awful way in which people were profiting and abusing the poor in the name of God’s worship and He could not let it stand.

Sacrificial animals that were inferior to the standard of the law were being sold at high profits. Money changers were ripping off people who could only pay temple fees in Hebrew shekels, reaping enormous transaction fees from traveling pilgrims with foreign currency. Those who sold pigeons, the cheapest sacrifice available for the very poorest of the poor peasants, were chastised for their calloused capitalism.

There was a rebel streak in Jesus when it came to standing against sin that was entrenched in false worship and sanctimony. A whip and an intense, muscular action drove Jesus to restore the heart of worship in the temple. A cross and nails drove Him to do the same for our hearts at Calvary so our lives could now be the temple of God.

old fool

Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.

Ecclesiastes 4:13

True confession: one of my very real fears in life as I age is that I will become old and foolish like this king that Solomon knew. He thought he no longer needed advice or the help of others in order to live life and rule well. He grew increasingly internalized. That’s a big problem.

There is wisdom in community. There is strength to be found in the advice of godly friends and counselors whose insights and perspectives help move me beyond my warped and limited understandings. I may have lots of experience, but that doesn’t mean I know it all, or that I am making the best choices. I may be blessed to advise other people, but that doesn’t mean I am above the need to seek advice. It is not good for a person to live alone.

It is an honor to be at the stage in my life where many people seek my thoughts, insights, and counsel. But it is extremely foolish for me to think I do not need to do the same. And it is an affront to God for me to foolishly believe a younger person cannot be used by Him to grow me more into the image of Christ. 

Lord,

My sin nature bends me to selfish foolishness. It always has done so and it will still be there as I age. Keep me in Your community. Grow me more like Jesus through the interactive glorious wisdom of Your Word, Your Spirit’s leading, and Your people, the Church of Jesus Christ. I want to complete my race in wisdom and reward, not foolishness and regret.

Amen

faith works

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works...

James 2:22

It is clear from the careful teaching of James that faith and action both must be together and found in a believer’s life. I do not work to earn my salvation. That comes by faith in Christ alone. But faith that is real will be accompanied by good works that follow in the natural outcome of saving faith. A faith that does not do something after belief is not true faith and is a foreign concept in the New Testament.

There is much that could be said about this truth. But really it is about the need for much to be done with this truth. Faith that trusts in Christ alone begins to live in a way that Christ lives. We look like Jesus in what we do. This is shown by caring for others in need (James 2:14-16). It is shown in active friendship and walking with God (James 2:23). It is shown in sincere and risky hospitality (James 2:25). Faith must show in our actions. We do something in the change that the gospel brings.

Father,

Help me to walk with You today, to pay attention to the ways that faith changes me and calls me to live like Jesus. Make my eyes open to opportunities for my faith to care for others. I want to do what faith believes. Make me see, and follow through, with ways my faith will work.... for Your praise and glory!

Amen

Precious Lamb of God

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

John 1:35-37

Jesus was the Lamb of God, meant to come to this world as a willing sacrifice for all sin. John the Baptist knew this with confidence. And when the time came, John the Baptist gladly pointed his own followers to Jesus, encouraging them to enter into a life of following the Lamb of God. John’s entire life focus was to prepare people for the ministry of this saving Messiah and to see the Lamb of God found by His people. 

Just as these two disciples gave themselves to following the Lamb of God, so do Christians follow Jesus today. He is first our Savior. He is first and foremost the forgiver and the forgiveness of our awful sin. He is always our Redeemer. He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.

We are right now eight days from Christmas as I write this reflection. And even as I repulse from the overt commercialism and layers of secular tradition, I stop to marvel that the newborn cradled in a feeding trough was there because Lambs are born in stables. And as the Lamb of God, Jesus came to take away the sin of the world. 

“Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.”

gospel motivated help and holiness

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27

Christian faith is much more than just a “personal belief system”... even if contemporary pressure wants to minimize it to this. As James emphasizes: Faith does something. Faith produces good in the person who believes in Jesus, and then that person produces good among the people around them.

The book of James is probably the oldest books of the New Testament. As such it gives us a glimpse into the first priorities of the fledgling Christian church. And the church was committed to living a faith that made not only a “personal”, spiritual difference, but a physical, societal difference. Followers of Jesus genuinely cared for people.

In this verse this kind of “working faith” was visible in two ways: active help and active holiness. The help was directed in loving physical, financial, and personal care for the forgotten people of the First Century social structure: widows and orphans. The Christian Church cared about people that the rest of the world marginalized. Visiting orphans and widows meant providing in every way, engaging in their lives, making them part of the Christian family when they had no family. This was gospel love in action.

The holiness part of the equation was more inward, but not exclusively. Its motivation came from a desire to “do the word and not just hear it”. This was also a radical and deliberate action. Christians who were devoted to loving the unloved kept themselves from the calloused, selfish, unholy preoccupation with the stuff of this earth. And that priority kept them in gospel holiness and gospel help. We still need these attitudes among us to lead to these actions today.

good and perfect gift giver

Every good gift 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 1:17

This passage comes on the heels of some of the clearest New Testament teaching on how Christians can thrive in difficulty and survive temptations. God is faithful. He will bless us as we stay steadfast under trial (James 1:12). And if we succumb to temptation, it comes from our own desires gone bad, not from God, and even then God is faithful to forgive us if we fall (James 1:13-15; 4:8, 5:16).

And God brings good gifts, even in trial, and even after our failures. His light shines on us constantly, unlike the shifting sun and moon that rise and set, God’s light and love are always upon us. He thus brings every perfect fit at any time, all the time, at the perfect time, for His glory and our good. Faith trusts God for this. Faith is rewarded in His light.

O Lord,

The gift I need is Your perfect gift. And the finest perfect gift is Jesus. Thank You that in Him I am forgiven. Thank You that He carried my sorrows so that I might trust You in difficult moments. Thank You that You are unchanging in Your light and love for me.

Amen

souls redeemed by Jesus

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:11-13

Jesus came to this earth, a baby born to Jewish village folks, in poverty and obscurity, to bring deliverance not only to Israel, but to us all. And even though His people Israel rejected Him, Jesus still delivered them and all among Jews and Gentiles all over the world who receive Him as Savior. Belief in His name, in His saving work, makes anyone a child of God, born anew as a soul redeemed by Jesus, the only Savior.

That’s what I celebrate most at Christmas... that Jesus has saved. And that Jesus has saved me... an improbable child of God now whose Scots Irish/German/Native American ancestry puts him far away from any known Jewish roots. But I am one for whom the Messiah was born, lived, died and rose again. I am one of millions of souls redeemed by Jesus and I know this salvation by receiving and believing in Christ alone.

The gospel is the glory of Christmas. A baby born in nowhere to nobody important become the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Savior of the world!

disciple-maker, disciple-blesser

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

Luke 24:51

As Jesus was leaving this earth, ascending into heaven, His hands were lifted up in blessing over His disciples. The last thing they witnessed their Master do was an act of blessing upon them. For each of them, as they remembered Jesus, they would hold this in their mind’s eye as a vivid memory of His blessing. He was leaving all the work, all His work, of spreading the gospel to the whole world to them. And He did so confidently, with approving arms that gave blessing to each of them. This led to worship and joy, even in the absence of Jesus (see Luke 24:52-53)

Jesus, the Master disciple-maker, knew the power of blessing. He infused His men with confidence, joy, and worshipful hearts by blessing them. And if I too am called to make disciples, then I must also became a disciple-blesser. I must affirm the powerful, redeeming work of Jesus in those I am called to serve and follow Jesus with every day. Disciples who live under Jesus’ blessing will thrive in good times and in difficult days.

It is easy to point out what is bad in this world. It is easy to keeping focusing on the mistakes that people make. But disciple making works with broken people as they are to get them beyond their hang ups. We certainly don’t tolerate willful sin or direct disobedience to Jesus. But we also must celebrate the way that God displays His power in broken vessels like us for His glory. There is power in blessing. And words of blessing create grace-filled, gracious disciples.

content with what you have

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

So every year at this time my heart is exposed to a deluge of materialism. Gift giving at Christmas is a great and noble tradition. But unfortunately intense marketing and financial strain now come with the tradition every year. In American, millions of dollars in consumer debt will be racked up over the next couple of weeks in pursuit of the perfect gift.

But a heart free from the love of money and living in Christ’s kingdom can celebrate Advent without this strain. Let the constant commercial jingle bells ring... we have known the greatest gift of all — eternal, abundant life in Jesus. And hearts that love Him will not be lulled into debt and greed by the siren song of money. Why? They have the God of the Universe always with them. No sum of wealth may equal that kind of rich life!

Lord Jesus, 

Thanks for being with Your people always... to the end of the age. You will never forsake us. Money will disappoint. The love of this world’s goods will enslave us with debt, maintenance, and deterioration. But you have set us free to worship You with hearts liberated by the contentment that You offer us. Thanks that I may find my soul’s peace, security, and sustenance in You.

Amen

Discipline

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:7

A loving Father’s hand

administers discipline

so I might understand

how to live as His son.

Though not easy to accept

this kind of family love

is not what I expect

as I receive trouble from above.

But my Father cares

that I mature and grow

so no discipline is spared

as His concern I know.

A loving Father’s hand

brings me good discipline

and now I understand

I can live more like His Son.

worthless pursuit

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Isaiah 55:2

It is easy to get caught in the philosophical trap of chasing worthless pursuits. The appeals from the world, the flesh, and the devil are strong. American culture is particularly emphatic, selling college education, career success, home ownership and the “good life” at every turn while hiding the personal costs of burn out, debt, dissatisfaction, and constant maintenance from view until the longing heart is ensnared in the trap. Things will never satisfy.

Yet God in mercy and grace offers abundant life in Christ to those who apply themselves to hear His call in the gospel. We can have peace in Jesus. We can be content under His provision and care. We can delight in a continual feast of God’s goodness. And there are no hidden fees, pains, enslavement, or decaying depreciations!

Who would not want to live this life once they knew this was the experience? Why would I compare myself to those trapped in the rat race? And why would I not join in this invitation from God to share with others this same compelling offer of abundant life?

Chris Taylor captures the pain of worthless pursuit:

Lyrics:

I’ve spent years and years and years…
Chasing the wind out of my very own sails
Time and time again…
I’ve lost the inspiration that got me here

What is worth the life and the living…
The pain of loss- is it worth the giving?
From the moment of our birth…
it’s a worthless pursuit…
of things on the earth

Over and over again…
I’ve worked my fingers all the way to the bone
Possessing the things I don’t need…
I live in a big house but I feel so alone

All that toil and all that grief…
all this gain but still no peace
dust turns into dirt…
the worthless pursuit…
of things on the earth

I’m on my way…
to the end of the world
All along the way…
it’s money that rules…
the kings and fools

I’m on my way…
to the end of the world…
the end of the world!

I had some money for a little while…
Left holes in my pockets and a long paper trail
Everyone’s searching for the meaning of life –
Everyone’s got their own story to tell

All our searching, all our finding…
all our conscience still reminding
We wear it like a shirt…
the worthless pursuit of things on the earth

Still not satisfied… still not satisfied
Still not satisfied… still not satisfied
Still not satisfied… still not satisfied
Still not satisfied… still not satisfied
Are you… are you satisfied?

justice and integrity

Evil men do not understand justice,

but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

Proverbs 28:5-6

Two character traits are exhibited in these proverbs that are growing thin in today’s culture: justice and integrity. I have watched it happen over my lifetime. Truth has become malleable as our culture has abandoned Judeo-Christian foundations in favor of post-modern individualism. The result is that justice is now seen as nothing more than a way to affirm personal freedom. People are excited about living how they want to live, without any moral constraint, as long as they are happy. But if that life violates a biblical standard there is absolutely no mercy for those who might point it out. “Justice” as it is now defined, then turns against God, and is no longer true justice from God.

Integrity is also personal silly putty in the hands of this generation. The current thinking goes like this: Right is what is right for me, as long as there is no law against it or it doesn’t hurt anybody. And if I have to lie or manipulate the facts to get where I want to be in life, there is really “no harm/no foul”. Truth is what I make it. Media is all about interpretation, not fact, and this goes for alternative media as well as for the traditional sources of news. Thus the rise of fake news. Our society has chosen to make up integrity as it goes. It often creates a narrative to support a particular agenda... and there are more agendas than can be counted!

So... in this chaos I will choose to allow God to continue to inform justice in His Word and will wait for Him to sovereignly dispense it. And I would rather be poor with honesty and integrity as my deeply valued commodities, than wealthy under the burden of lies and deceptions. This is the freedom God gives and I trust Him so I might live freely in my soul.

what faith understands

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Hebrews 11:3

Faith understands the reality that God is intimately involved in HOW the universe exists and WHO we are. He made all that we can experience by the power of His spoken Word. He made all the things that compose what we are and what we will be. By faith I understand this universe is made by God. This powerful truth is foundational. It brings purpose and peace: purpose... because God is my Creator and I answer to Him... peace... because I understand by faith how my life is to be lived for God’s glory.

Thank You, Lord, for the purpose for which all things exist: Your everlasting praise and worship. And as I live as Your creation, I want to give You that glory. Sunday worship with Your saints is one small part of that. You also are worshiped in my work. You are worshiped as I wander through this world, hiking trails, wading rivers, marveling at stars, and praising Your awesome power.

Thank You, Lord, for the peace I have, resting in You as my Creator, following Jesus as my Savior, seeking to show Your love and care for people around me. And Thank You that I have peace in Christ through the cross. It grows deeper in me daily.

Amen

mercy and gratitude

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Luke 24:34

To pray for your own executioners as you hang in the humiliating agony of crucifixion seems the greatest mercy. It is superhuman, beyond the capacity of a person to give that kind of grace. But God does it. And Jesus prayed for forgiving mercy to fall on those who callously led Him up Golgotha, who nailed Him to a cross, and who cruelly gambled dismissively for his only earthly possessions, the clothes He wore, as Jesus was dying right in front of them. Even the cruelest human actions can be redeemed in the mercy of Jesus.

As onlookers scoffed and joked as His execution, the sign above Jesus silently spoke the truth: This is the King of the Jews. And as many mocked Him for claiming to be the Messiah, He slowly accomplished the work of redemption that only He, as the true and holy King could do. Nobody there understood what was happening. But mercy fell on humanity with each drop of Jesus’ blood.

As I contemplate the things for which I am truly thankful, this is at the top, the center, and the circle of them all! The grace of my Savior, His love at the cross, His mercy to all sinners, is the greatest gift in my life. It is at the core of my life. It takes rule over the kingdom of my heart. The cross of Jesus Christ is the source of all my gratitude, and the life of my resurrected Savior is my life and joy!

once for all forever

But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 9:26b

Jesus has done what no one else can do. He has given Himself for the sins of all the world, dying on the cross to pay sin’s price for all humanity. He gave Himself as the final sacrifice. He ended the need for an altar at the temple upon which the countless animal sacrifices had to be made to temporarily forgive sin. Through Christ I am made new. In Christ I am forgiven. And that happened once for all... forever.

This is the point of the gospel story. In Jesus we have our only Savior. Through His sacrifice we are forgiven forever. In His resurrection is our confidence in eternal life. And in Jesus there is a full life to be lived in this world. The gospel gives us so much!

Lord Jesus.

Thank You for coming into this world to die once for all to put away sin by Your holy sacrifice. I worship You this morning. I believe in Your great power to save, trusting only You to have dealt forever with my sin. And I will enjoy forever life with You.

Amen

Shepherd of the stars

Lift up your eyes on high and see:

who created these?

He who brings out their host by number,

calling them all by name;

by the greatness of his might

and because he is strong in power,

not one is missing.

Isaiah 40:26

The poetry from Isaiah the prophet calls us to witness the creative and sustaining power of God by observing the night sky. It is a glorious call to worship. As I write this reflection in the pre-dawn, the last of the brightest stars are winking out with the coming of the sunrise. A crescent moon is veiled in the wisp of a cloud. And I stand, feet on this earth, eyes gazing past an atmosphere God made to sustain His world, and pondering the glory of what God created above me... a glory so much lesser than God’s own glory, but so enthralling!

The poetry Isaiah proclaims pictures God bringing out the starry hosts of the night like a shepherd leading His flock. Indeed, the universe is God’s flock. Each galaxy, composed of billions of suns, with perhaps as many planets and moons and other wonders human eyes have never seen, each of these is herded into place by God’s hand... submissive to His will... displaying His power... multiplied exponentially across the heavens wherever our telescopes can point.

Lord,

If You shepherd the stars, You can shepherd my heart. I wish to shine out Your praise and glory where You have placed me. Lead me as You will.

Amen

my thankful prayer

The living, the living, he thanks you,

as I do this day;

the father makes known to the children

your faithfulness.

Isaiah 38:19

I strangely identify with Hezekiah’s grateful prayer as I reflect on this last year. It sort of sets the stage a week early for what Thanksgiving ought to be next week... and I pray...

You are good, Lord, and You are faithful. I’ve come through a time of confusion... a time of loss... a time of frustration... a time of coming to the end of my self... a time of feeling like all the things that I love most are falling apart. And You, O God, are faithful to me!

Thank You for the clarity that Your Word, Your people, and Your presence have brought to me. I praise You that in understanding the gift of change You have given me, You have also helped me know You more, dear Lord! And my frustrations have led to repentance as Your wisdom has given direction. And now I am again assured that my affections cannot be on the blessings You give, but rather must be upon You, O my Lord, as the great BLESSER of my life.

I pray You will help me make this known among the people that I love the most. I pray that the hearts of my family can rejoice someday as I now do.

Amen

Jesus is better.

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

Hebrews 8:6

Jesus brings what is better. His promises are better because He has provided once-for-all forgiveness, sent directly from the Father, and He perfectly fulfilled all that the Father had for Him. We can trust what Jesus said and did.

The sacrifice of Jesus is better. Before Jesus came, the levítical system under Moses with the Aaronic priesthood constantly offered incomplete atonement for sin at an altar made as a copy of what was to come. Jesus’ death on the cross perfectly satisfied the wrath of God against all our sin and never needs repeating.

The covenant Jesus made is better. The Law was given by God to Moses and it constantly reminded those under it of their incapacity for righteousness. But the new covenant made by the blood of Jesus was given so that we are seen in Christ as clothed in the righteousness of our great Savior. No more are we constantly reminded of our inability. We live in the enabling righteousness of Christ.

Christians rejoice! Jesus is better! He is your Savior! He is Your hope. He is your eternal promise. He is your righteousness.

Don’t gloat.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

lest the Lord see it and be displeased,

and turn away his anger from him.

Proverbs 24:17-18

Wisdom calls for mourning over the devastation done by sin, even if the painful discipline falls on a perceived enemy. We should not rejoice in the fall of those who may have opposed us. Why? We are sinners deserving swift justice as well. It is an affront to the mercy of God to gloat and rejoice at another person’s humiliating stumble. Gracious people grieve over the consequences of sin and realize that God’s grace alone is the only thing that saves them from being in the same place.

I admit that my darker self wants to gloat when someone who has hurt me in life is then hurt in their life. I have to fight the secret desire to high-five myself and then find someone, anyone, to share my joy with... ecstatic that the tide has turned against an enemy. I need to see this twisted thinking for what it is: self-promoting self-righteousness. My sin looks like this: I think I am the better person. I see my actions vindicated, not because Christ saved me from sin, but because I want to stand tall and look good, like I am the victor in the boxing ring and my enemy is a foe I somehow vanquished with a knockout punch. And I believe this attitude totally displeases God.

Lord,

You do not delight in punishing sinners. And there is nothing good in me worth my self-vindicating pride. Forgive my willingness to readily gloat over an enemy’s downfall. Keep me grieving over the results of all sin, and always aware of my own heart.

Amen

great grace and mercy

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

blessed are all those who wait for him.

Isaiah 30:18

This little bit of poetic encouragement introduces a section of Isaiah’s prophecies where hope and restoration are the theme. This comes as God decrees fierce judgment against the citizens of Jerusalem in particular as they have disobeyed and broken their covenant with Him. This would occur because the nation was unwilling to return to God at His tender call to repentance (see Isaiah 30:15). But even with a certain and unstoppable judgment, God promises renewal because His judgment would lead them to sincere revival of obedience and confession of sin.

God doesn’t long to judge, He longs to be gracious. He doesn’t exalt himself in bringing ruin, but in showing mercy. He wants His justice to prevail, and ultimately, even after times where His judgment must fall (because He is perfectly just), mercy and grace still beautifully result (because He is perfectly loving and gracious). This was true of Israel’s captivity and their ultimate freedom and restoration back to their homeland.

This is also true when captive sinners are freed and restored by Christ to be fit for an eternal home with Him! Jesus takes our judgment and in the ultimate display of God’s mercy and grace, we are forgiven as we believe and confess, are made righteous in Christ, and then blessed by Him to enter into new life as God’s sons and daughters! God exalts Himself to show us mercy. We are unworthy of it, but God is great and to be praised!

level and plumb

And I will make justice the line,

and righteousness the plumb line;

Isaiah 28:17a

Building willy nilly

with no purpose or plan

makes no sense

and would not stand

We clear the site

we level the ground

we square it up

so structure is sound

God does the same

to rebuild a life

with level line and plumb

He starts out right

The level line as a guide

is the justice decreed in God’s Word

the plumb to keep it straight

is  righteousness given by the Lord

And with level and line

God remodels lives for His glory

the gospel of Jesus Christ

is His foundational story

The Lord holds the level

the Lord holds the plumb

my life’s measured by justice

and in righteousness it is done

God sees... and that is reward enough.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

Hebrews 6:10

Salvation in Jesus’ transforming work in those who believe the gospel is shown by their actions which show love for God and His people. The author of Hebrews encourages his original readers that the “things that belong to salvation” are evidenced in them by this: They labor in their faith. They love God. They serve the saints in the Body of Christ. And God never misses this truth about them. It might go unseen by some, ignored, or despised by the world around them, but God saw it.

This is why, as Paul reminds us elsewhere, our labor is not in vain in the Lord. Men may not see it. Men may gauge our actions or motives wrongly. Even other Christians may not recognize it in each other. But we aren’t serving for human applause or the recognition of our peers. We answer to God, Who knows our hearts.

Today, Lord, I pray that I will be looking only for Your eyes to see what I do. I wish to work, in the gospel, for the glory of Your name, out of love for You. I wish to serve Your saints with the hands You have set apart to minister my Savior’s touch. And help me to reject men-pleasing... to let Your Spirit and Word permeate my heart to purge out selfish motives, so that which goes with salvation, goes with me.

Amen

Put achievement in perspective at the cross.

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

Luke 22:24

We see the disciples launch into selfish, childish arguments over their “greatness” and we shake our heads. How could they do this? This is the night of the last supper. Literally in a few hours Jesus would be hanging on a cross to die to prove them all wrong. Yet we can easily do the same things when we look at our own hearts and away from our Lord. As context for this argument, Jesus had just dropped a truth bomb on His disciples: one of them would betray Him to death. This led to them immediately going “shields up” and boasting of their greatness to one another, proving that each of them did not get what Jesus was really saying. He was focused on His coming sacrifice. They were focused on their own reputations and achievements.

Christianity is organized around following a Savior Who humbled Himself in obedience to the Father. He came to serve. Jesus rebukes His disciples with this reminder: “I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). Arguments of greatness do not honor our Servant Savior...

...Neither do achievement based corporate structures that honor and applaud human effort. Jesus did not hand out “Disciple of the Month” awards. I cringe because at one point in ministry I actually did that very thing! No, Jesus kept serving and carefully calling His boastful pride-driven disciples to do the same thing He did... serve. Pride in ourselves is divisive. Humbly submitting to our Great Servant Savior together is what unifies. He is among us as the One Who serves. And we should be one in Him by doing the same thing.

two reasons to trust Jesus

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 4:14

This verse encourages us to hold strongly to our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. And the reasons why we should do this? There are two: First, Jesus is our great high priest. Second, Jesus is the Son of God. Knowing Who Jesus is helps us stay strong in our commitment to believe and follow Him.

Jesus is our great high priest. This takes some placement in biblical history for us to truly appreciate. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, only the high priest could offer the sacrifice for the yearly Day of Atonement sacrifice, and even then, he was a sinner himself. That sacrifice was only temporary... pointing to a need for a perfect high priest to eventually offer a perfect, once-fo-all sacrifice. Jesus is that perfect priest. And in a magnificent surprise, Jesus is also the perfect sacrifice, which makes Him now the great high priest. I believe only Jesus could perfectly offer His life to die for my sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is God in the flesh, sent from the Father. He is the One that the Father has pronounced well-pleasing. His life pleased God the Father. His death appeased the Father. His resurrection proves that He fulfilled our salvation and He is now ascended to the the throne of God where He sits at the Father’s right hand. And it is Jesus, the Son of God, my great high priest, Whom I worship this day!

the better outcome

To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Proverbs 21:3

God was more concerned that Israel live in the outcomes of the Law that He gave them then that they ritually go through religious motions. The goal of being His people under the Law was for them to do righteous actions and show forth justice in their dealings with people. In the end, those who truly love God will live out His righteousness and love justice. The right will prevail and the wrong shall fail.

How much more is this true for Christians alive today who do not need to ever offer sacrifice since it has “once-for-all” been given by Jesus at the cross? God is most concerned that those forgiven by Jesus not live like they must prove themselves or self-atone. Rather, we have in Jesus, His righteousness appeasing our judgment. We can then live rightly in the world, displaying God’s mercy and working for His justice in an unjust and sin-warped society. The solutions are found in Jesus and His people ought to be leading the way against true social injustices that are an affront to the design of God!

I am moved, because the church should be the last place any injustice should be ever be found. But sadly, we are not like that at all. Sundays find Christians disfigured and fragmented... preferentially segregated by race, social status, age, and gender. We have missed the wisdom of justice and must remind ourselves not to give in to our sinful, selfish view of what we find comfortable. Unity and justice are more acceptable than any of our paltry religious traditions and preferences!

waiting isn’t fun

Do not say, “I will repay evil”;

wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Proverbs 20:22

It is so easy to rush to my own defense... to be easily hurt in an offense and seek to justify myself. It is simple to dismiss criticism as unfounded and to seek to get back at perceived attackers. It is hard to contemplate that I too have a sin-warped perspective on my own life and actions and that God might be using a tough situation to help me grow more like Jesus in my suffering for His glory. Jesus was misunderstood. Jesus was accused falsely. Jesus was criticized. Jesus was treated wrongly. He simply spoke and lived the truth anyway and entrusted Himself to the will of God the Father.

Trusting God is the way to counteract my rash tendency toward quick self-defense. And I know Tom Petty wasn’t thinking of Christ’s delivering power when he wrote it... but the poetry rings true: “the waiting is the hardest part... you take it on faith... you take it to the heart...” The promise in this proverb is that if I move beyond my selfish perspective and trust in God Who truly knows my heart, God will bring deliverance in His way, in His time, for His glory. My soul should rest not in my self justification, but in the grace of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

So bad times do come. Sinners misunderstand one another. People do each other wrong. And in that experience, I will be called to first remind myself to wait on God’s promise to deliver.

Perfect.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Hebrews 2:10

Jesus, the perfect God, the perfect man, the perfect sacrifice was shown to be perfect in suffering for our sins. For the glory of God for whom and by whom this universe in which we live exists, Jesus was made the perfect sacrifice for sins so that we might now be brought, by faith, into God’s family as His children. Those who have trusted in Jesus, the perfect founder of salvation, will be received into this family by His perfect work.

I am not perfect. Jesus is perfect. I could not completely make amends for my sin before a holy God. Jesus did so perfectly. I am not worthy to be called a child of God. But I can be adopted into God’s household by the perfect merits of the Son of God. I would never by made perfect by even an eternity of my own suffering. But Jesus perfectly suffered the wrath of God so that I might know the daily beauty of the grace of God.

Lord,

You saw fit to send Your Son in perfection to heal my imperfections. You founded my salvation in His perfect sacrifice. I will praise You today that I cannot be good enough but instead trust in the complete, perfect forgiveness given by Jesus.

Amen

wisdom in community

Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Proverbs 19:20

Every Christian must grow and live in community. We need each other. By God’s design we interact in a way where we can give and receive advice, care, and even correcting insights from one another. We just need to empower each other to do this as we trust that God knows what He is doing in placing people in our lives.

Just yesterday I enjoyed the value of this truth. People turn to me, as their pastor, for advice. It is one of the great joys of ministry to care for people by counseling them from scripture, in prayer, by mutual conversation. And God even brings people into my day with a word of instruction, caution, and encouragement that I know is meant for me. It is a joy to talk things out, with ears to hear words that might be hard for the person to say, and hearts that mutually care for each other. And if the words have a tinge of rebuke, that is coming from God, I will listen and accept that God in His mercy is helping me to find a place to grow in the community of the church. 

To find peace, resolution, and comfort in Christ as Christians settle any misunderstandings and disagreements is wonderful. Lord knows, it is absolutely horrible when we DON’T talk about these things! But the gospel lives when we will give and receive advice and instruction from God’s Word, with God’s people, for God’s glory.

Lord,

I will listen to the people that You bring into my days. Where I can offer Your Word’s wisdom I will. Where I need to hear from them in order to grow in wisdom, I will. Thank You for gospel community!

Amen

the greatest wealth

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

Proverbs 19:1

Character is the greatest wealth in the world. It cannot be bought or sold at any price in any market of exchange. Integrity and a solid reputation will take a person farther in life toward true respect, contentment, and eternal peace than all the riches one could dream of possessing. Give me character over career success. Give me character over the chattel of this world. Give me character over class status.

And the beauty of the new birth that accompanies salvation by belief in the gospel is that all things are made new. We are given a new nature, the power to understand the Word of God, the companion of the Holy Spirit to guide us and the company of other Christians so that the best possible character can be made anew in us. In Jesus I can walk in integrity and avoid all the foolishness and crooked outcomes that sin does in this world.

Lord,

Please keep doing Your saving and redeeming work in me. I want to be a man who walks in the integrity You give to me. If it is all that I leave this world with, it will be more than enough. Purge me from my crooked speech and foolish ways by the work of Your Spirit and the power of the wisdom of Your Word! 

Amen

a glorious, visible Savior

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...

Hebrews 1:3

Three truths about Who Jesus is come powerfully from this verse. First, Jesus is the glorious God. The radiance of the glory of God is seen in Him. Do I want to know God in His glory? All I need to do is to read the gospels, see what Jesus said and did, and bear witness to the glory of God on earth.

Second, Jesus is the visible God. The hardest part of faith is believing the unseen. Yet in history, in the real person of Jesus, God lived and walked among us. Want it see God? Just read the gospels and follow along as Jesus walks, talks, eats, drinks, and lives and loves sinners. His life is the life of God made visible.

Not only is Jesus the glorious God and the visible God, but He is also the salvation of God. In Jesus, a holy sinless sacrifice was made that purified all sin for all time. His sacrifice is complete. His holy work is done. He redeems us completely and so satisfied the demand for justice upon sin that He now sits at the exalted right hand of the Father. Jesus is our Savior and Lord.

Brother in Hard Times

A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

I was there with you when you found the truth that saved you. We rejoiced.

I am here with you as you grow in the truth that challenges you. We grow together.

I am right beside you walking in the light... turning from wrong with you... obeying our Lord.

I am your brother, committed to Christ Who is our Savior... in the strongest family.

I will be there with you when hard times come and you feel overwhelmed. I am adversity’s brother.

I will be right beside you, born of the battle, facing the fire fight... caring for you.

I will trust God with you when life gets unbearable and we will be strong. We will rejoice.

relational accountants

Whoever covers an offense seeks love,

but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

Proverbs 17:9

Here is a warning as to the dangers of using offenses as a way to leverage control of relationships. I believe that most human beings are all pretty good relational accountants. We keep mental and emotional books on people that we perceive as hurtful to us. And we also keep records on the people we feel we “owe” in some way... or people with whom we want to buy favor. And great relational damage gets done when we “collect” on an offensive debt by bad-mouthing to others someone we believe has hurt us. We do great injustices in this way.

This is why gossip, slander, and reputation-bashing are all sins from which Christians must repent. And we must guard our motives. Sharing an offense thinly disguised as a “prayer concern” only makes us more guilty of separating and fracturing relationships. We must repent of our book-keeping ways!

This proverb encourages a better way for us: overlook an offense... seek to forgive an office through loving, biblical reconciliation. Love is the motive behind forgiveness. Selfishness is the heart behind gossip. How we need, as Christians, to model the forgiving reconciliation of Jesus! When we do so, we fulfill His command to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus Himself loves us!

dealing with dividers

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Titus 3:10-11

Christ’s church is not to be a place of divisive quarrel and constant agitation. Divisive people who will not repent of their selfish and petty arguments are not to be allowed to disrupt the unity of the Body. Paul places divisiveness on the list of sins for which loving confrontation and church discipline must be practiced. A divisive individual is lovingly admonished, first by one, then by a group of concerned believers seeking to restore the person. If they remain divisive, they are disfellowshipped in their lack of repentance.

What constitutes this divisive sin? Paul tells Titus such a person “stirs up division”. They appear to delight in getting to “stir the stick”, in trolling other believers to get a negative reaction, in creating fights among believers in churches. This can be over doctrinal or practical issues. The sad results of such divisiveness is that these troublemaking people create even more people who become divisive, and the church boils with controversy if it is allowed to continue uncorrected. And a church full of bitter, fighting, divisive people is not a taste of heaven on earth making the gospel message appealing. It is quite the opposite, a caldron of hellfire for any who will not take sides in the divisions.

The counterbalance to this scenario is found in Titus 3:8 — Christians doing good work in the world that is excellent and profitable to the good of the gospel and the people who know them. Divisions are just the opposite of this desired impact. No wonder Jesus prayed that unity would mark the gathered experiences of His disciples (see John 17:11). Jesus brings people together. The devil divides.

most valuable

How much better to get wisdom than gold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 16:16

I need wisdom all day long. It is more important than any possession, any goal, and any other activity. I need God to inform my thoughts, my attitudes, my choices, and my actions with the wisdom of His Word because I do really dumb things when I don’t care about His wisdom. I am convinced that the most important time of my day is right now... with open Bible, journal, and pen in hand... I start thinking hard about what God says in the Bible and why it is important for me to believe it. The value of this to my life is priceless!

I would not even begin to call myself wise, but I do treasure the wisdom in scripture. I do not understand many things, but through faith in Christ and the confidence found in God’s Word, I will trust what God says even when life has me totally perplexed! And that encourages faith for times when I do not understand what God is doing. Faith is a kind of understanding beyond my own understanding. And it too is priceless to me.

Lord,

Your wisdom is the most valuable asset of any life. And however it works out, I would pray that I end up always valuing understanding and wisdom as the eternal riches I have through Christ Jesus. May Your grace through Your gospel, Your wisdom in Your Word, Your understanding by faith, always be with me!

Amen

A prayer to be thoughtful

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Proverbs 15:28

Taking the time

     to seek God’s wisdom

will bring me to

     His home and kingdom

Thinking it over

     by looking to God’s Word

will help me say

     what should always be heard

I have no answers

     coming from my own head

so I must ponder

     what Jesus has said

My first inclinations

     tend to be sinful 

but thoughtful reflection and prayer

     will deliver me from evil

Life moves so fast

     that it’s hard to truly ponder

yet I must take time

     so my feet will not wonder

Give me a heart, Lord

     that seeks You each day

so I will dwell in Your truth

     and live in Your way!

older

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Titus 2:2

From what I can tell, this verse now applies to me in my season of life. This is the standard Christ expects of me within His church. In my own church, I am an “older man”. I have adult kids. I have a mature marriage that has/is weathering life for the long haul. I am blessed to have been well discipled from my youth up, to have had lots of other men and women over my lifetime invest in me as we have invested together in helping people love and follow Jesus. I will turn 56 in about 5 weeks. And my goal in ministry is to develop new, younger leaders.

But my character expectations need to align with what Paul describes here. My reputation needs to be serious, regarded with respect, a man who is not controlled by bad or sinful impulses, possessing solid theology in what I believe. I need to be a man known for his love, for his faith, and for his passionate stability. All those character qualities challenge me to keep following Jesus, keep repenting of my sin, keep at the intake of scripture, and keep at growth in the gospel.

Lord,

I thank You for this season in my life where I need You so that I might be the kind of older man in whom You can be seen. I need Your grace and redemption. There is lots in me that should NOT be seen! Help me make You known in all You are doing in me.

Amen

the neediest neighbor

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,

but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Proverbs 14:31

My faith and theology are made quite evident in how I treat the neediest people. It is so easy to dismiss the man at the busy intersection with a cardboard sign as just another con artist. Some might be. Most are not. All are sinners in need of a Savior. The truth is there is a story... a very human story... a very God-written story... in the life of every person on the planet. To dismiss a poor person as a lazy beggar is to ultimately insult the God Who made the person and is writing their story. To ignore need is to ignore God. To turn away in disgust is to functionally believe that God messed up with His creation.

If I want to honor God, I will seek to care for those God has made. I will love the people for whom Christ died. I will honor God by helping those God may put in front of me, and though I cannot eliminate all poverty, I CAN care for the people God has created for His glory. I can care and honor God by doing so.

It is impossible for me to lift every person from a street corner by providing all they need. It is not impossible for God. My care can be used by God Who is always seeking to restore such souls. And if more Christians would care in such a way, a huge difference can be made. If we met needs and shared the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection and new life, we can help rewrite stories! God will be honored and God will bless those who truly honor Him by caring for and loving their neighbors... especially their neediest neighbors.

unceasing need for mercy

And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Luke 18:38-39

When this blind man knew that Jesus was near, he could not be stopped from crying out for Jesus to have mercy upon him and heal him. He wanted his sight restored. He believed Jesus alone could make him see. He knew Jesus was near. He would not let the cruel and uncaring crowd silence him. He begged for Jesus to show mercy and heal him. His incessant cries broke through the din of the crowd until Jesus Himself approached him, spoke with him, heard his cry for help, and mercifully gave him back his sight.

How like this blind man is every sinful soul. My soul in its natural state is as desperate as this. I need Jesus. I needed the mercy of Jesus to give me back my sight and my life. And when by faith I cried out to Him in desperate belief in the gospel, Jesus heard me, healed me, and saved me! I was that blind beggar. And in my struggles I always need my merciful Savior as my only hope.

Sin is a blinding peril. And though my world seeks to deceive those blinded by sin and self, to dissuade them to stay blind and not seek sight, the gospel speaks better to those who truly hear it. Sin is not who anyone is. It isn’t an identity or a lifestyle. It is an affront to a holy God. It is a cruel, crippling condition and a merciless master. But Jesus alone breaks that power! He sets us free! He gives sight again. Jesus has mercy!

disaster recovery

Disaster pursues sinners,

but the righteous are rewarded with good.

Proverbs 13:21

Keep the end in view. Proverbs reminds us of this simple faith fortifier all the time. Sin leads to a ruinous end for all who are selfishly deceived in it. Obeying God and seeking His righteousness is rewarded now and forever. Even though sin may seem alluring and carefree, it ends badly. And that warning should compel us to seek righteousness that only God can give us.

I wish to be led by the Spirit of God, through the wisdom of the Word of God, by faith in the completed sacrifice of the Son of God to a life fulfilling the purposes of God until I enter eternity into the home of God. Because Jesus died and rose again, I can by faith find my sins forgiven and be rewarded with His righteousness. And in following Jesus I will find good reward in my life now and for my future. Disaster overtakes sinners, but grace carries forgiven saints along in a flow of merciful care from the hand of God!

Lord,

Carry me along in Your mercy and grace. I am safe in Jesus. I am forgiven. I am declared righteous. I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness. I am a child of God in the care of my loving Savior! Forgive me when I doubt this and try to earn what You have given at great cost. May I always be grateful for Your great and free gifts that come by faith.

Amen

from bad to worse

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 3:12-13

The Christian life is not a “safe place” in the world. Jesus promised His disciples that the world would hate them because it hates Him (John 15:18). Paul taught young churches that Christians enter the kingdom of God through “many tribulations” (Acts 14:22). It isn’t easy being a follower of Jesus. It IS however filled with joy. It IS very rewarding. But we are carrying a cross... the means of our public humiliation, ridicule, and execution. And we should not expect for Christian influence to ever get easier.

Paul warned Timothy that the path for society is that all cultures will trend from bad to worse. It isn’t going to get any easier. We won’t suffer less. As society marches fiendishly forward in a headlong rush to hell, Christians will need to stay true, at the cost of increasing persecution. And we will have to fight deceptions that infiltrate the church. There will be evil people in society with influence and leadership. There will be imposters even within the church... deceiving and being deceived.

There is a prescribed path that withstands this decay. It means two commitments rule us: 1) Stay faithful to the good faith we learned from God’s Word and those who mentored us in it’s truth (2 Timothy 3:14-15). 2) Proclaim it and equip other disciples through the Word so that they may do good works in an evil age (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The sacred writings are our only sure source as things go from bad to worse. God’s truth will hold our hearts and lives steady as we see all around us people giving in to deceptions that destroy and sadly compel some to defect.

persist in prayer

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1

Some of the most difficult work in spiritual growth and maturity is found in prayer. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow to remind us that prayer must be constant. We must keep at it just as the widow refused to stop bringing her injustice before the judge who was reluctant to move her up the docket. Her constant requests eventually got her hearing. So we must often keep praying and asking God for the same things over and over... day after day... sometimes year after long hard year.

It isn’t because God is distracted or unconcerned that we pray so persistently and wait so long. The reasons why we must not lose heart in prayer are many. Here are just three that come to mind from my experience:

1) We battle sin in our own hearts and easily succumb to giving up. We must constantly fight the battle to stay at prayer with persistence.

2) We live in a complex world of sinners whose sinful choices and actions complicate relationships and life situations. It is easy for us to give up because the matter seems insurmountable for which we need to be praying.

3) We are bound by time and feel the urgency of ticking clocks in our mortality. And God is living from the perspective of eternity. We give up praying sometimes because we cannot adjust to God’s cosmic scale of good work that He is bringing about all things for our good and His glory.

Lord,

I want to be persistent in faithful prayer. There are situations I’ve been praying for that are ongoing... for years... with nothing seeming to change. I confess I get disheartened by these expectations too easily! Forgive my lack of faith and persistence! I will take Your courage to not lose heart in mind as I pray. Help me to persist in prayer.

Amen

God ordained work

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Proverbs 12:11

God has created the means for people to provide for themselves. It’s called “hard work.” Those who do so for the glory of God, who apply themselves to what God provides as labor for an honest living have their needs supplied. It’s great to work. Work has always been God’s design for us. Work is what God did when He created the universe. God worked, He enjoyed the goodness of His work, then he rested from it. And He created Adam and Even to work the garden that God himself had planted. Work isn’t a curse... it is a blessing.

But temptations abound for an “easier way”. Those are all bound to be “worthless pursuits” as this proverb reminds us. We expend energy and resources that could have enhanced our work on things that distract and never truly provide. Some people do this all their lives, always shunning work for some hope for “easy money”. They are known as failures. This proverb basically says they aren’t very smart.

Work is good. Hard work is rewarding when it is accepted as God’s provision for us and done with a thankful heart for His worship. And though this life involves labor, there are cycles of sabbath for restful worship as well. God will take care of us through His means given to each of us... which is in some way “working our own land”.

no shortcuts

No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

2 Timothy 2:4-6

Paul presses into Timothy three pictures of endurance in the face of suffering as he urges the young man to lead a church well. Timothy is to submit to His Lord Jesus like a soldier in the chain of command seeks to please and follow the orders of his commanding officer. He is to run like a trained athlete to win the race by the rules lest he be disqualified. He is to work hard, toiling consistently in the background, like a patient farmer who enjoys his harvest in due season. Single-minded submission, commitment to specific ways of service, and hard work that waits for the result are all components of ministry that is well done. 

So many church leaders want shortcuts and instant success. What else can explain the embarrassing glut of “how to” books, videos, and consultants available to pastors and church leaders? Publishing houses market strategies, programs, a stable of media star training gurus, all promising success and turnkey ministry for a price. My email box overflows with the over-hyped advertising.

Lord,

You deserve the best I can give You. There are no shortcuts for soldiers, athletes, or farmers. There are no easy street answers in the ministry of the gospel. May I submit to Your authority as I serve You alone. May I run well by Your rules to win the race. May I work hard, unseen, faithful... tilling, sowing, tending, and reaping until You bring the regular harvest.

Amen

a righteousness better than riches

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:4

An unfathomable wealth of righteousness has been given when Christ’s perfect holiness covered my sin. And that is what saves me from God’s wrath. I do not face hell in judgment. I am delivered by Jesus. Nothing makes eternity fearful, for Jesus is my Savior!

No amount of worldly wealth can procure this hope. No success... no acclaim... no high capacity achievement... no grappling to the top of a career pyramid. All of these are powerless to save from the perfect justice of a holy God. None can make me pure in His sight. Only the perfect righteousness of the Son of God can satisfy. Thankfully, it is freely offered in love by God to all who will turn from sin, in sorrow repent, and in grateful joy receive Christ’s forgiveness believing His death on the cross took their punishment and trusting His resurrection for new life that will last forever. In Jesus we are delivered from death!

Jesus,

I thank You for Your perfect life and Your perfect sacrifice. You died my punishing death so that I might believe and find Your righteousness delivering me on the day of wrath! That is the greatest part of my life, the richest treasure I know.

Amen

what to want

What the wicked dreads will come upon him,

but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

Proverbs 10:24

I want to want what is right. That is what it means to be a righteous man. I can do what “looks right” with totally wrong motives. I can do wrong, thinking that I have the right reasons. But if I do the right things starting with wanting the right things, the promise of this proverb can be true of me.

I want to want what is right. And the only way I know to do this is to 1) pray for God to show me what to want... 2) read His Word to find what are the right things to want... & 3) allow God’s Spirit to work in me so that I want what God wants as I am transformed. When those things happen I can enjoy the blessing that “the desire of the righteous will be granted.”

Lord,

Help me to sort through the competing desires of my heart. By wearing “gospel glasses” help me see what I want that isn’t what You want. I pray that Your Spirit will nudge me to repent of selfish, sinful, or lazy wants. And I ask for wisdom from scripture to direct my desires to be righteous.

Amen

We are all wealth managers.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:18-19

Wealthy people and wealthy nations have a chance to do some of the most God-honoring, kingdom-expanding good things in this world. If (and this is a BIG “IF”) they will take a perspective on their resources that is eternal. Timothy again is given instruction by Paul to teach wealthy people well, and it seems the church in Ephesus had the means to share resources for the advance of the gospel. They were were a well-to-do congregation.

The eternal perspective that we should have about our stuff is five-fold: 1) We must see all the money and resources we have as the means to do what pleases God. That is why they were given to us. Any American above the poverty line is blessed to do this. 2) We must convert assets to good works. Money will burn come Judgment Day... but good works will go into eternity. 3) We must be generous. Don’t hold back! Bless others by giving abundantly, joyfully, with grace... not begrudgingly with a mere pittance. 4) We must be ready to give. This involves planning and strategy as well as having a means to be spontaneous. Without the plans, the tendency is to sinfully hoard or selfishly squander. 5) We must invest in eternity where the joyful interest earned compounds forever. We must see that as the goal of our life investment. We will find true life in this life and beyond when our viewpoint extends into eternity.