August 31, 2024
1 Peter 3:10-11 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it”
Here in 1 Peter 3, we have God’s recipe on how to have a happy life and good days. One of the recommendations is to look for ways to have peace and pursue that pattern of life. Peace is one of the marks of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in a believer’s life. When we bear the fruit of peace, we are well-pleasing to our God and on our way live with joy. All around us, the world is continually at work to rob us of God’s gift of peace. A few years ago, I became aware I was a news junkie because all day I was reading the news, watching the news, and listening to news radio stations in the car. Over time, I hadn’t realized how angry a person I had become. I was blaming politicians, upset at government policies, arguing with people about politics and programs, wishing ill on certain leaders, and all the time it was things I had no control over. Sometimes, it may not even have been the truth but just someone’s interpretation. Every evening, there were the newscasters on TV, looking into the camera, stone-faced and concerned telling how bad things are in the community, nation, and world. One day, my wife and I decided to turn it all off and start listening to a Bible study while we ate dinner. We decided to only catch up on some news now and then but not make it a daily diet. We started concentrating on praying for our family, reaching out to people who needed some encouragement, and following the things of peace. This one change has made a radical difference in our home and our frame of mind. We also decided to limit our time with problem-causing, trouble-making people and avoid them whenever we can. Those who are always angry about something and complaining about everything. These are people you can spend your entire life and resources trying to help but they are addicted to misery and refuse to choose any other way but to remain miserable and then pile their misery on everyone they can. We will pray for them, but until they decide to walk in faith and be thankful for the Lord and His blessings, we have no common ground. The Lord has not called us to bathe in their poison. Simple steps like these and others, have put us on a path towards great peace. My wife ordered a big mural of Psalms 118:24,” This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”, and hung it on the bedroom wall. Every day, we wake up, look at it, and make the choice that we will follow peace.
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August 30, 2024
Romans 15:3-4 “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”
This looks back to Psalms 69:7, “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.” The scope of it is twofold. First, it is Jesus Christ representing God the Father and taking upon Himself, all the reproaches meaning the insults and the anger towards God. When they beat the Savior, spit on Him, and blasphemed His name, they were acting out their disgust for God. Christ openly declared His oneness with God and His actions, words, and miracles proved to them He was Deity. When they crucified their King, they were committing the worst possible act of hatred towards God. They Killed His Son. Remember the Lord’s parable in Matthew 21:38, “But when the husbandmen (The Jews, in particular, the religious leaders) saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.” Jesus bore God’s reproach. Secondly, it is a matter of His suffering that when this world reproaches us, he has already borne the pain and sorrow of that reproach in our place. Like Christ, we also represent God on this earth and the world still hates the True and Living God. The scriptures tell us here that what was written about this was written so we would have comfort and patience when the reproaches of this world are directed toward us. When others point to us, mock us, and insult us because we follow Christ and we receive their reproach as a badge of honor for His name’s sake, it takes away their power. Jesus has already born that shame and we stand with Him, redeemed and thankful to be identified with Christ. Our prayer can be that when times of persecution come, we will keep our eyes on Jesus and thank Him that He has already been mocked, insulted, and provoked in our place. We can praise Him that He has already said that because the world hated Him they will hate us. Today’s verses close with the promise of hope and that hope comes from the scriptures. We know God’s Word is being fulfilled in us.
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August 29, 2024
Psalms 119:67 “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word”
This verse raises a question if God loves us so much and proved it by the sacrifice of Jesus, why does He sometimes allow us to suffer? The Bible tells us that the Lord has appointed us to afflictions in 1 Thessalonians 3:3, ”That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.” It looks deep within our nature and reveals that unless we go through some trials, we never mature, and never learn to trust completely in our God. The strange truth about us is that in times of great blessings, we often get spiritually lazy, complacent, and take our blessings for granted. But our greatest times of prayer, the times we learn to trust in our God with child-like faith, are the times we are in trials, times when we are afflicted. Today’s verse shows a before and after picture of a believer. Before God allowed affliction, we often strayed from our steadfastness. We didn’t have the fervor and zeal to adamantly pursue the things of God. But when the afflictions came, we turned to God with our whole hearts and began to cry out for help. We began to search His Word for assurance and hope and when we found scriptural truth that aligned with our situation, we followed God’s Word faithfully. We become stronger Christians, better people, and we have a clearer view of eternity. This is why the Bible says in Romans 5:3-5, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Afflictions produce the fruit in us that nothing else can. And learning these things the hard way is what makes them stick with us. Hebrews 5:8 is a good verse to contemplate on these things: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Though Jesus was God, the scriptures are telling us His obedience was perfected through His suffering. When we, by faith, see our times of affliction as a way God makes us more like Jesus, then our tribulations become a blessing, a season of glory because we know when we come through them, our life will be better.
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August 28, 2024
Psalms 121:3 “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber”
God is in complete control over His creation and He is carefully watching over us. We sometimes describe God’s control using the word sovereign, a word that speaks of power. When we say God is the Sovereign Ruler over all things, it means there is no limit to His power and abilities. It might not seem like that at times but that’s because we can’t see the entire span of what He is doing. In this verse, His Word to us is that He will not allow our foot to be moved. The meaning of the Hebrew word “moved” here is a picture of someone stumbling, staggering, and falling down. It speaks to us of our safety in the hands of God. He holds us steady and secure and is where we get the image from the old hymn, “Leaning on The Everlasting Arms”. In times when we feel like we cannot stand anymore, that we’re about to crumble under the weight of our burdens, the Lord will pick us up and carry us. When life is like walking in slick mud as the old saying, “One step forward and two steps back”, and we can’t seem to make any progress towards our goals or where we believe we need to be, the Lord’s strong arms of mercy and grace will move us forward. He gives us the strength to get out of the ruts we get stuck in and puts our feet on solid ground. The second part of this verse, “He that keepeth thee will not slumber”, speaks to God’s eternal faithfulness. We can rest without fear, trusting that all will be well because God never sleeps. When Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal, he mocked them by saying that perhaps their god was asleep and that’s why he wasn’t answering them. Our God is faithful and true. His eyes are always upon us and His ears are always listening to us when we call. We can take comfort in the words of Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Since the beginning of creation, God has faithfully kept His universe working as He planned. And we who trust His promises can testify that every day, every hour He has been, and will forever be, faithful to us. Our God will never fail.
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August 27, 2024
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee”
The Apostle Paul was suffering from some malady he called, ” a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me”. We don’t know what it was, and many people have tried to guess, but the Bible says he asked the Lord three times to remove the problem but the Lord would not and gave him the answer above. It’s as if God was saying, “You’re going to have to get tough and deal with this suffering but I’m going to help you with it”. This was not just a storm of life or a trial. It wasn’t a season of uncomfortable circumstances that the Lord allowed to strengthen Paul or help him grow in his faith. It was an affliction that God decided would be permanent because it served an important purpose for Paul. It kept him humble and without it, his heart could become swelled with pride because of all the blessings God was pouring on him and he could fail the task God had given him. In Paul’s words in verse 7, “lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations.” Sometimes, the Lord does not give us the answers we want to hear. What’s important in the case of Paul, this is the last time he mentioned the problem and he went on to fulfill his destiny as God had purposed. We have to make our minds up that even when the Lord does not answer our prayers the way we want, we’re going to stand strong in the faith and be sure that just because He didn’t answer the way we wanted, He is working all things for our good. God never ignores us, blows us off, or decides He doesn’t want to help us. In Paul’s case, there was a higher need for Paul than just getting rid of his thorn in the flesh. He was ordained to write much of the New Testament and start several churches, and he was God’s messenger to explain the major doctrines of salvation through Jesus Christ. His thorn in the flesh helped him pen the Words of God that have been read and heard by untold millions through the centuries. I’m quite sure that now, as he rests in the presence of the Lord, Paul is glad for the thorn in the flesh that helped him finish the mission God called him for here on earth.
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August 26, 2024
Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”
If, in the past nearly 4 years you have read any of these devotions either on social media or our website, you know two themes occur often: faith and hope and especially, hope. The Lord points me daily towards hope, to think about it and meditate on it because we live in times when there is very little hope in this world. When we have hope, no matter our situation, hope gives birth to courage and possibility. Hope births dreams and expectations that only hope can give. But when we think and feel we are boxed in, shut out, and there are no answers or solutions, and all the light of hope is gone, then we are crushed in spirit and begin to believe all is lost. That’s why for believers, we need the constant reassurance that in Jesus, there is always hope. At several times in history, it looked like the nation of Israel was destroyed and gone forever. The Bible speaks of this in Ezekiel 37:11, “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.” But we know when it looked like they had been wiped off the earth, God brought them back, restored them to their land, and they began to thrive and prosper. Against all odds, against the will of the nations, and against the threats of their enemies, God gave them life again and the little speck of hope that they’d held on to, became a glorious reality. Like Israel, God’s will for us is not only to have hope but to abound in hope. The word “abound” here means to overflow to the point of great excess. He doesn’t want us to have just a glimmer of hope, but to have such hope that we become a wellspring of hope. The world around us tries to shout down our message of hope. They want to infect everyone with the message of hopelessness and fear. If they offer any hope, it’s by telling us the only way forward is to follow their godless advice and conform to their image. But we have real hope. It’s great, everlasting, blessed, and we are overflowing with it because we have set our sights on things above, not on things on this earth. We know who we are, the redeemed and blessed. We know whose we are, children of the King. And, we know where we’re headed because this world is not our home! Our hope is alive and well.
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August 25, 2024
Psalms 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit”
King David prayed this verse as part of a prayer of repentance after he had committed a horrendous sin. When believers go against God’s plan for them and do sinful things, the enemy attacks them and tells them they’ve really done it this time. That they’ve messed up so badly they will never get back to a place where they’re in good fellowship with God. Most of us reading this have been there at one time or another. Maybe it wasn’t as dark as David’s sin of adultery and having a man murdered, but all of us have sinned against the truth. But the enemy is always a liar and his attacks against us during our time when we fall into sin, are an attempt to get us to believe that God will not completely restore us. Note that David did not pray for the Lord to restore his salvation, but the joy of his salvation. When the prodigal son left his father’s house and started living a life of debauchery, he did not cease to be his father’s son. He certainly didn’t look like the child of an honorable man when he was groveling in the hog pen, but his DNA and the blood flowing through his veins didn’t change when he backslid. This devotion was not written to condone any sin that believers might fall into, but rather to assure us that when we do sin, Jesus will restore us. Sometimes we read posts on social media of well-intended people who speak as if when believers error, they are once again hell bound and have to be regenerated all over again. But if this were true, none of us would be saved because the Bible says in 1 John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The person declaring that others will go to hell for their sins, has sin themselves. God wants to restore us when we fail and fall. He delights in mercy and desires that we have the full joy of our salvation. Some have paraphrased “uphold me with thy free spirit”, as, “give me the desire to obey You”. That would be an awesome prayer to pray when we are asking and believing for restoration either for ourselves or others.
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August 24, 2024
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
This verse has as its meaning, the final state of the believer. It looks forward to the day when Jesus appears, called here “The day of Jesus Christ”, and God’s work in us will be complete. Until then, from the moment we were born again as new creations, we are in the process of growing from what the scriptures call newborn babies in Christ, to mature believers. And yet, there is no time in this life while we are in these fleshly bodies that God stops working on us and declares His work done. If that seems to contradict Colossians 2:10, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power”, then we take another look at what is being said in these two verses. Christ is completely God and we are completely redeemed in Him. As far as our salvation is concerned, it is finished. We are completely saved, completely God’s children, and completely ready for an eternity with God. Nothing can be added to what we received from the cross of Christ and nothing can be taken away from it. But our journey is not complete. We are learning, growing, and slowly becoming more like Christ. We are doing the things on this earth that God has appointed for us. Raising families, witnessing to the lost, fellowshipping with other believers, and enjoying the blessings God has provided. We are also going through trials, fighting spiritual battles, and being daily transformed in the sight of the world around us and the unseen heavenly host. In Hebrews, the Bible says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. We are living out a display of God’s love, mercy, and grace before all the world. The eyes of all creation are upon us as we walk with God and the Bible says in 1 Peter 1:12, “which things the angels desire to look into.” The mystery of God’s salvation plan is being revealed in us. But praise God, the day will come when we drop this body of flesh and receive our glorified bodies and we will be in our final, perfected state. Until then, we will grow in grace and labor in love. As the song says, “He’s still working on me”.
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August 23, 2024
Psalms 91:14-16 “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation”
During my cancer treatments and recovery, I would read these three verses often and meditate on them. Verse 14 is the Lord speaking to us about where we “set our love” on the Lord meaning we attach ourselves to Him in love, long for Him, and delight in Him. It is the result of a special, intimate relationship with God that’s much more than a casual knowledge that He exists. We talk about putting the Lord first in our lives and how we should follow Him in all our ways, but this setting our love on Him means we approach the Lord in such a way that He is supreme in our lives, above all else. God honors such devotion and allegiance and follows up with a lot of promises. I realize a lot of people do not take God’s Word literally in these matters but for those of us who believe He meant what He said, these are great and precious promises. The Lord loves us before we love Him and His love for us does not depend on how much we love Him. But when we turn our hearts completely towards Him and foster the depth of love described here, He responds by delivering us, honoring us, “setting us on high” speaking of His protection, answering our prayers, standing with us in trouble, delivering us, and by giving us a long, satisfying life. The setting on high is a wonderful picture of the Lord putting us in a place that is above the storms, above the conflicts, and fray of this world. It’s the thought of a father, picking up his small child to comfort and protect it. Each time I would go into the radiation machine, I would sense His presence. It wasn’t an emotion, but a peace and comfort within me that gave me the assurance I was not alone. These verses, along with hundreds like them throughout the scriptures, were given to us by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to tell us of our Father’s love for us. Let’s treasure His promises and hide them in our hearts to help us love Him more.
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August 22, 2024
Psalms 118:6 “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
It’s good to have someone on our side. Someone to cheer us on, to encourage us, and to help us when we stumble or fall. Sometimes we might think about people around the world who have no one. No one to scotch for them, to listen to them when they are heavy-hearted, and no one to call them “friend”. I can’t imagine a more lonely life and my heart breaks for anyone who has no one on their side. And also, you can have a thousand friends on Facebook or followers on X, and maybe not one of them would make a true friend. In times of trouble, they’re nowhere to be found. There are even times when you think people are on your side and then, for whatever reason, they drop you like a hot potato. They won’t return your calls, or answer your texts, and if they see you in public, it’s an awkward meeting, like they’re in a hurry to get away. But our verse today declares that the Lord is on our side and he’s not fickle. He is for us, loves us with steadfast love, and is a real friend. And, He isn’t a million miles away oblivious to what’s going on in our lives. He is closer than a brother, faithful in His companionship with us, and He is concerned about our well-being. When you are in a spiritual battle, you need people on your side. People who will pray for you, People who will speak words of faith to you and over you, and people who let you know that you are not alone. But Jesus is different because He truly understands us and He knows how to help us in ways that other people just can’t. Others can only go so far to help but Jesus covers every angle. He also knows everything the enemy is up to and He knows how to direct our steps to victory. That’s why we don’t have to be afraid no matter what we’re up against. The Lord is on our side, fighting for us, and defending us. When we are at our weakest, He is stronger than anything that can come our way. He causes courage to rise up within us until we know that because He is on our side, nothing and no one can overcome us.
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August 21, 2024
2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
We don’t use the word “succoured” anymore as it appears here in the KJV, but it means to run to help someone who cries for help. This verse looks back to Isaiah 49:8, “Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee.” For each of us, there is a day of salvation, a time or season in our life when the door of heaven is wide open and all we must do is to accept God’s gift of grace. He is waiting and listening for us to receive His offer of mercy and pardon and when we ask, He will run to help us. If we combine this with Hebrews 4:7, “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts”, then we have the revival call many of us heard from the pulpits of the past, “Today is the day of salvation and now is the accepted time. If you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” The opportunity to be saved is the most important moment in our lives because we stand at the crossroads of heaven and hell and God urges us to choose Christ and live forever. Throughout our lives, over and over, the Holy Spirit leads us to the point of salvation and as He convinces us of our sin and need for a Savior, that is the voice of God calling us to Himself. If you are a believer and had a similar experience to me, I remember well when I asked the Lord to save me. I remember where I was, who was with me, and the change that took place inside me. It was my day of salvation, my spiritual birthday. The call is still ringing out today from pulpits, television, the internet, and the printed page. Believers are witnessing to their families, their neighbors, and those they work with. People are praying for the salvation of souls and some are accepting God’s call to serve Him as missionaries, ministers, and Christian workers. Heaven’s doors are wide open with the words of Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Now is the day of salvation.
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August 20, 2024
Job 14:7,9 “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. (9) Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant”
Job lived many centuries before Jesus and viewed life from the other side of the cross. He saw through the lens of time, darkly. He spoke these words during a time when he was very discouraged, in pain having gone through great losses, and facing the question: “Why is all this stuff happening to me?” So, trying not to take these verses out of context too much, they speak of hope by using the example of a tree. Although it gets cut down, there is hope that if water reaches the root, the part that we cannot see above ground will respond with life and begin to grow. Soon, new growth will burst out, and new branches form. We have a stubborn little tree like that in our shrub box. It’s been there for years, a little wild cherry tree and I’ve tried pulling it up but it just breaks off and in a matter of time, it’s growing again. I cut it down every year and it comes right back. It’s a small little thing but it’s stubborn and persistent. I’ve thought about digging it up but I fear I will damage the beautiful shrub it’s growing beside so I just let it be. After all, with such a will to live, I sort of take a lesson from it about never giving up. The tree in this verse can symbolize us because the Bible says we are like good trees that produce good fruit. In the Scriptures, water is a type of the Holy Spirit, and, like Job, we all go through seasons when we cut back and pruned, and the soil of our souls gets dry. We may feel dead, dried up, and nothing like our former selves when we were in times of revival and all was well. But the Holy Spirit helps us through those times and if we just have faith that what we’re going through is a season, it’s not a permanent state, we will have the hope that in God’s timing, He will bring us out. There will be new growth, new dreams, new opportunities, and a fresh start. It’s not easy when we’re in such a dry season but thank God He is with us and has a plan for us that looks to a future of revival and restoration.
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August 19, 2024
Proverbs 25:19 “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint”
This verse deals with how painful it is when people do us wrong, especially when they fail us when we need them most. We’ve all been let down, hurt, and disappointed by others, And, we too may have let people down. An unfaithful person here refers to someone who acts or deals deceitfully, dishonestly, or disloyally. It happens all the time. People pledge their friendship and even love to each other until the end of time. But when the going gets rough, they break their vows and their love turns to despite. Loving hearts, the most valuable thing we can have before Almighty God, come under the control of the enemy. Instead of comforting and helping each other, their heart hardens and they want the one they once loved to have anguish and pain. They forget that the God who heard their vows and promises is watching, listening, and keeping a record. Most of us do not believe that God will set the record straight just because He doesn’t take action against our sins immediately. We think we’re getting by without His correction. The Scriptures speak of this in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” But the Lord sees the pain we feel when people break our hearts and He knows how to settle the score: and He will. And, even though we are tempted to settle matters on our own, if we will just be patient, God knows far better how to avenge us than we do. The good news is, that God will correct us when we are in the wrong and He has no respect of persons. Every child of God will get corrected when they willfully do wrong. If there is no correction, we are not His child (Hebrews 12:8). When He does it, it can be quite disconcerting, even painful. But He does it out of love for us, to keep us on the way of truth. If we do not yield to His correction, He will step up the measures until we get the message loud and clear. And, be sure, He will also deal with those who take action against us as well. When you are wronged and feel the hurt, sorrow, or even the shame of someone’s unfaithful actions against you, take comfort that you are not alone. The Holy Spirit within you and the angels of the Lord around you are keeping the record. God hears your prayers, sees your sorrow, and will come to your defense.
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August 18, 2024
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame”
The church at Corinth was riddled with confusion and false doctrine. Some who identified with Christ were living immoral lives, bringing shame to the name of the Lord. The scriptures liken sin to yeast that when introduced into bread dough, quickly spreads throughout the dough until the entire batch is fermented. The verse, “evil communications corrupt good manners”, can be paraphrased that when we associate with bad characters, their evil will tarnish us. The Lord says don’t be fooled into believing this is not true. It matters who we associate with on a personal level. The reason the Corinthian church was in such a mess was that they formed alliances and friendships with the pagan philosophers and cultists of their day and some of the teachings of the pagan teachings seeped into the church. They lost their spiritual footing, would not take a stand against sin, and allowed it to fester unchecked among them. When align ourselves with people who walk in immorality and do not believe the truth, we might do it with the reasoning that we will win them to the Lord. But invariably, the bad apple’s spoil will rub off on us and we will find ourselves tempted to compromise and excuse away the things we once stood against. The charge to us today is the same as it was to the Corinthians: Awake to righteousness and turn away from sin. The shame mentioned here is that we have the opportunity to be a light to others, to show them Jesus but when we imitate the immoral world instead of imitating Christ, the light that is in us becomes darkness. Jesus said in Matthew 6:23, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Shame on us if we live in such a way that our families, our children, and those around us cannot see evidence of the Lord living in us. When our language, our attitude, our deeds, and the way we conduct ourselves do not line up with God’s Word, we become like the parable of Matthew 5:13: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (become a fool, lose strength, be useless), wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
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August 17, 2024
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”
It seems the whole world is fighting for our attention. Social media, advertisements, political promotions, the entertainment industry, sports, and the list is endless, all trying to get our money, our vote, and our allegiance. But today’s study verse tells us where to direct our minds when we want the peace that only God can give. We can’t always control the stream of thoughts that come into our minds but we can control whether or not we allow them to dominate our thoughts. The verse before this one, verse 7, says: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This path to peace is by focusing our thoughts and filling our minds with things that are good, honest, true, beautiful, and praiseworthy. The mind of the world is negative, revengeful, dark, anxiety-ridden, and compromises with things that are against the Lord. But we line up with Colossians 3:2 and focus our attention on the things of God and do not dwell on the things of this earth that pull us away from God’s peace. We find joy in our blessings and are contented with what the Lord has provided. We pay attention to others and see them as precious in God’s eyes and all needing a Savior. We look for ways to be a blessing to them. We believe literally the words of Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” and we find reasons to laugh, smile, and have good times. And, we take the Word of God to heart and we believe what God says above all the news, advice, and persuasions of this fallen world. The world’s way of thinking is like a poison to our minds and a source of uncertainty and unbelief. But according to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we have the mind of Christ. Thoughts of joy, peace, and goodness. Thoughts of hope, faith, and a future bright with God’s promises.
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August 16, 2024
Psalms 60:4-5 “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me”
To all those who feel trapped, alone, and afraid today, this Psalm speaks about a time when there was war between Israel and their enemies and it looked like Israel faced defeat. From the natural, it seemed the Lord had deserted them. When we are in a battle, it may appear at times the enemy and his forces have the upper hand. Remember that when people or the forces of opposition come against us, it’s not just people that want to hurt us, “put us in our place”, or win some advantage over us. There is a spirit of evil behind it all that aims to harm us because we belong to God. They may set traps, dig pitfalls, and sow the seeds of fear. They may also be hiding behind a mask of Christianity. But when these things happen, God promises he will raise His banner, His flag of truth, over us and we can be sure He will fight for us. In my life, I, like you, have had many enemies and situations come against me that seemed they would overwhelm me. But I can testify today that no weapon formed against me ever prospered and many of the people who determined to destroy me have themselves fallen into the pits and traps they set for me. The Lord’s flag of truth is still unfurled and when it flies over us, we can be sure God will deliver us. Often people are simply vicious and mean. They smile to your face while they scheme in secret to put you down. They believe they have the power in their hands to do what they want but they forget a simple truth: When God is for us, it’s more than the entire world with its lawyers, lies, and selfish motives being against us. The right hand of God, symbolizing His unfailing power, reaches down to fight for those who have their trust in Him. The truth of verse 12 will always stand; “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” If that sounds a bit harsh, remember that the Lord fights for those who can not fight for themselves. He takes the part of people who are deserted, alone, and discouraged because He is the champion of the downtrodden when they cry to Him. He hears their cry and He will deliver them.
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August 15, 2024
1 John 3:21-22 “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”
God wants us to look to Him and pray and He is ready and wants to answer our prayers according to His will. But it’s not just the praying that gets His attention, it’s our faith that moves Him. One way to understand today’s verses is that when we are conscious of something in our lives that we know is not in line with God’s Word, then our hearts know that, and when we pray, our faith will be affected. Instead of having an open, direct channel of faith towards God with the confidence that He is hearing us and ready to answer, there will be doubts that block our faith. Our heart, referring here to our conscience, knows that before we start praying for God to move on our behalf, we should first clear up the matter we know is wrong. God wants our consciences to be clean and unpolluted by sin and unbelief. We have His promise in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Lord is ready to forgive any wrongs we have done, remove any guilt we have, and cleanse our consciences of the entire matter. At that point, we stand before the Lord with a clear, uncondemned conscience and we can pray with simple faith and expect God to answer. The word “commandments” here does not refer to the Ten Commandments or any of the other hundreds of commandments given to the Jewish people but to the dictates or directives of the New Testament gospel of grace. The primary directive is to love God and love each other. This looks back to verse 18, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” When we love each other and do the things that we know are pleasing to God, we can live before Him with clear consciences. And, when we pray, we can pray in faith believing He is listening and ready to answer. We can expect an answer because we have His Word on it. Let’s pray that we will always be aware of the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that when we wander away from God’s Word we will quickly stop and return to His ways. Then we can ask, seek, and knock and He will answer.
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August 14, 2024
Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”
Do you worry about the future? Many people struggle with anxiety about what lies ahead both personally for them and collectively for the world. There is very little encouragement from the news and events around us to give hope that things will get better. But no matter the world’s situation, today’s verse follows the promise that the Lord will never forget us or forsake us. God could have told us, “Goodness and mercy will follow you” and that would have been an unfailing promise. But He said “Surely”. That means certainly, without a doubt. Every time we see it in the Scriptures referring to something God said, it reinforces that whatever follows, we can take extra assurance that it will be just as God declares. Psalms 23 is the chapter describing the Lord our Good Shepherd and along with all the promises of His love and protection, He concludes the Psalm by giving hope that wherever we go, whatever situation we’re in, and no matter how many enemies surround us, God’s goodness and mercy are right there with us. The phrase, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”, does not mean we will live in the church house or remain faithful to the church. It refers to being in the presence of the Lord while we live on this earth and forever in eternity. The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:27, “Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.” Then there are the wonderful words of Psalms 16:1: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. “You’ve heard people say things like, “Bad luck follows me”, or “Everywhere I go, trouble is there.” Believers can speak the truth of our life’s journey that every step we take is known to our Lord and His goodness and mercy are chasing us down. An old-time preacher once said, “Grace ahead of me, grace behind me. Grace over my head and grace under my feet. Grace on my right hand and the left. I’m safe in a capsule of grace.” Let’s refuse to believe the lies of the enemy, that we are victims of circumstance and chance. We will live in the presence of the Lord forever.
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August 13, 2024
Romans 3:24-26 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus”
When Jesus died on the cross, the justice of God was carried out. Our Lord carried all our sins in His body and his precious blood was shed in our place. When we say God’s justice against sin was carried out, we’re saying God saw our sins on Jesus, pronounced Jesus guilty of sin, and sentenced Him to die. The mercy of God was in His allowing Christ to be our substitute. While that may not make sense to us, it was the way God planned and purposed to deal with our sins and the commandment that the wages of sin is death. From an earthly view, only the guilty should be punished for their crime but God’s love and mercy was a greater view and one that waited to punish the sins of our past until Jesus came and took our place. But we glory in the cross of Jesus because of the amazing things that happened there. God, the righteous Judge, was just when He demanded the death of His son who the Bible says, “Became sin for us”. If God had allowed sin to go unpunished, He would not be the Righteous Judge. From an earthly view, that would be like a courtroom judge turning all the criminals loose without any punishment. The second part of this amazing thing is that while God was just in the death of Jesus, He was justifying us. He declared Jesus guilty of sin and at the same time, He declared us not guilty. It is the miracle of the cross where the Most High God, the Sovern Righteous Judge satisfied all the demands of a just sentence on sinners in Jesus and also declared them justified as though they had never sinned. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to the glorious sacrifice of our Savior. His righteousness is declared ours and our sins were declared his. It’s God’s grace and love manifested for the world to see and even the angels marvel at the mercy and wisdom of God. I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to fall on my knees, worship the Lord, and marvel at His love for us.
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August 12, 2024
Matt 6:17-18 “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly”
The religious Jews of Christ’s time practiced fasting. The principle of fasting is mentioned for only one day under the Levitical Law, and that is the day of atonement in Leviticus 16:29-31. The word “fast” here is not specifically mentioned but the phrase “ye shall afflict your souls” is interpreted as fasting and the Jews held to this. Acts 27:9, referring to the day of atonement, calls it the day of the fast. But throughout the Bible people fasted and it was associated with abstaining from food for a time because the person needed deliverance, had a broken spiritual need, and desired to approach God with great humility and repentance. It was also at times when people prayed for others as with Moses who fasted for 40 days while he agonized with God over Israel’s idolatry (Exodus 34:28). Now, in the time of New Testament grace, fasting is a time when we voluntarily stop eating totally or alter our diet for a while and we look to the Lord to seek Him more fully, especially in times of trials and need. It is not just skipping a few meals, calling it fasting, and trying to be more spiritual because it is a formula someone gave us. Also, the practice of intermittent fasting where people’s primary goal is to lose weight or change their metabolism is not Biblical fasting. But Jesus taught us here that when we fast, it is a secret thing between us and God and not something we show and tell about to appear spiritual to others. The self-righteous Pharisee in Luke 18:12 bragged, “I fast twice a week.” The Lord’s warning to us is to not display our religious acts as a badge for others to see. Fasting is also not an attempt to force God’s hand in a situation or gain an advantage with Him in some matter. There are times when we need answers, we need to get closer to the Lord, and maybe the enemy is waging a war against our souls. We pray but our heart urges us to more fully give ourselves to the Lord and seek His face more urgently. Those may be times when we could push away from the table, find a secret, quiet place to pray, and replace our hunger for food with a desire for God and His will for a while. It could be for one meal or more but it is a time of fasting and God says when we do it in secret, He sees us in secret and rewards us openly.
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August 11, 2024
Mark 14:8 “She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying”
When Mary came to anoint Jesus’ head with the expensive ointment, she came believing His words that He would suffer and be crucified. The Bible tells us she came beforehand meaning she didn’t do this on a spur-of-the-moment decision but had contemplated what she could do in the light of what was taking place. She had more insight and spiritual vision than the rest of His disciples because they all seemed to be in denial of His death with Peter trying to talk Him out of it. But Mary believed His words when He said He would be delivered into the hands of wicked men and be crucified. She seemed to understand she had no power to change what He had declared and from her love for Him, she decided to do what she could. No one told her what to do and she didn’t ask anyone’s opinion because, in fact, opinion was against her actions. The Bible says when she did it, Mark 14:4-5, “And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.” The Lord doesn’t always give us detailed instructions as to what to do in situations but He is encouraging us here to “Do what we can”. Most of us will never do what we consider great deeds like Billy Graham or other well-known people but the Bible assures us that God will remember even small acts like giving a thirsty person a glass of water. The Lord leaves the options open to us and we have the promptings of the Holy Spirit to choose the right actions. We are concerned about the state of our nation, the increasing forces of evil, and the plight of our children and grandchildren in a world that is growing hostile against the gospel and the truth. And, while we are not able to stop the parade of wickedness and singlehandedly change the course of humanity for the good, we must do what we can. We can stand up, speak up, and refuse to surrender to the vile world and its influences. We can choose to do good and turn away from sin. We can proclaim life and hope in Jesus’ Name and carry the banner of mercy and grace. We can do what we can.
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August 10, 2024
John 6:67-69 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”
Jesus asked His disciples this question after many of His other disciples walked away from Him and did not follow Him anymore. Peter declared there was no place else to go but to stay with Jesus. When we see all the trouble around us, the mess the entire world is in right now, and the gloom and doom that seems to be hanging on the horizon for the nations of this world, that question is just as important today as it was when Jesus spoke it. Where will you go in this time of trouble? Will your life’s savings protect you? Can you depend on your collection of guns and ammo to keep you and your family safe? Will a new president and congressional leaders guarantee they will bail us out of the trouble we’re in? Will your children grow up with happy and fulfilling futures? The world has no answers for these things because if they did, they’d be solving the world’s problems right now. And we know politicians can’t fix things, they’re the reason we’re in a lot of the mess we’re in. The answer today is the same answer Peter gave in Christ’s day: Stay with Jesus because He is the answer. My wife and I back the Blue but above all that, we stand up for the One who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. We lean conservative, but above that, we lean on the Everlasting Arm. We love America, but we are eternal citizens of a land that is fairer than day. Jesus is our hiding place, our shelter from life’s storms, our anchor in changing times, our source of all goodness and truth, and our supplier of all our needs. He is our life, our hope, and our expectation for the future. Like Peter, we declare that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and He is our Savior. He has saved us from our sins, He is saving us from this present evil world, and He will save us from the wrath to come. Where else could we go to find such love, such security, such hope, and such blessings? He has the Words of eternal life and in Him, we put our trust.
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August 9, 2024
James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
When we receive this verse as a promise from God and determine to stand on it, the enemy comes immediately and whispers, “But you are not a righteous person”. Then he brings our mistakes and errors back to our memory to try to reinforce his accusations. This is what the birds do to the seed in the parable of the Seed and the Sower. The devil wants to snatch the seed of God’s truth away before it has a chance to grow. If he can shut us down quickly, then we will not believe this promise, we will not pray, and we will not see the things we desire come to pass. We need to settle once and for all what makes us a righteous person. We can never be righteous by our own efforts. The Bible says in Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” So, if we can not become righteous by ourselves, how do we become righteous in God’s eyes? Romans 4 explains that we become righteous when we believe Jesus is our Savior and because of our faith in Christ, God imputes, transfers, the righteousness of Jesus Christ to us. That might seem too good to be true but that was God’s plan from the beginning. Since we could never make ourselves righteous, God did it for us when we were saved. The Bible says in Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” When the enemy tries to make us doubt that we are righteous, we can declare, “I am saved and I am righteous because Jesus paid it all and did it all for me. I appear before God righteous and justified as if I have never sinned.” Then we can stand on the promise that our prayers have great power and that things will happen when we pray earnestly. So, let’s tell the devil to “Get behind me” and pray as we’ve never prayed before. Our prayers are reaching heaven’s throne, to the throne of grace. God is listening, God is working, and God will never fail in His promises to us.
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August 8, 2024
Psalms 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”
Every day we live, we have the opportunity to do good. God will allow or even purpose our lives to cross the path of someone else and the door will be open for us to do good to that person. It might not take much effort, a kind word, an honest smile, or a small act like holding a door open for them. We never know what other people are going through. We don’t know the battles they face, the situations they’re in, or the pain and suffering they carry inside. God has called us to walk in the steps of Jesus, to be His disciples and the Bible says of Him in Acts 10:38, that He, “Went about doing good.” It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when someone is rude to you or you remember a time when they did you wrong and instead of doing good to them, you want to get even and pay them back. Our human nature will tell us, “Why would you want to do something good for them? They don’t deserve it.” The Scriptures tell us in Romans 7:21, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” But we are overcomers, more than conquerors, and just as God is good, merciful, and kind to us, we do good, treat others with kindness, and show forgiveness because that’s God’s way. We are children of the King and we are the good trees that bear good fruit declared in Matthew 7:17. We do not repay evil with evil but we overcome evil with good. When you do good to others, especially when they don’t deserve it, they will remember it. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:21-22, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” The “heaping coals of fire” can refer to the sense of shame your enemy feels when, instead of revengefully paying him back, you choose to do good for him. Many people choose the easy way out. They walk away from someone instead of doing good. They write people off instead of loving them and showing kindness. They don’t take time out of their busy life to show mercy and goodwill to others. But to turn away from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue a path of peace is God’s way. It’s taking the high road.
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August 7, 2024
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all”
Little children learn to sing, “He’s got the whole world, in His hands”. Child-like faith believes that all of creation is in the hands of the Creator to do with as He chooses. Somewhere along life’s way as we age, that child-like faith morphs into something else and we forget that everything is in God’s hands. But no matter what people may believe and no matter what the circumstances may seem, God Almighty is Sovern over the universe. All things are in His hands. King David spoke the words in today’s verse in prayer as he was closing out his life, ending his reign, and handing the kingdom of Israel over to his son Solomon. We read about his youth, how he killed Goliath, and how he became a great king and triumphed over Israel’s enemies. The Bible tells us the story of his greatness and his moments of weakness. God does not spin the story to paint David in some other way than he actually was. But David’s dying words tell us that we owe all our allegiance to the Lord and that He reigns over all. He is the source of greatness, honor, and wealth and in His hand are power and might. It is a good thing to consider this as we are headed to an election in November. The party we support may or may not win but I declare the real victor is the Lord God Almighty and He’s still got the whole world in His hands. It might not seem that way as we glance around us and read the daily news, but the One who created all things is never going to relinquish control of His creation. The enemy and his evil ways are just temporary and there’s a lake of fire awaiting evil and the evil one. All things are continuing just as the Lord of heaven and earth has purposed and planned. Can you say, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord”, and “To God be the glory because all the power, glory, and honor belongs to Him?”
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August 6, 2024
Matthew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea”
Jesus used a little child to give us an example of humble faith. He also used a little child to teach us the danger of living in such a way we cause others to lose faith. It is a terrible thing to sin willfully and act as if all is well. But it is a far worse thing when we pull others down with our sin and entice them to sin with us. Millstones in Bible times often weighed several hundred pounds and the picture of hanging one around someone’s neck and throwing that person in the depth of the sea, drowning them, should be an eyeopener to us about God’s determination to deal with people who cause one of His little ones to lose faith. Dads who hold themselves up as Christians and then treat their families in ways that dishonor them will not escape chastisement. People who attend church and identify with Christ and then aid and support others in their sins will not walk away to a life of peace and tranquility. Remember the picture of the millstone, tied around someone’s neck and them sinking into the depths of the sea. People may argue, “Well, no one knows everything about the Bible” as if they’re saying that somehow God doesn’t mean what He says in their particular situation. Such thinking is not the way of truth but of unbelief and rebellion against the truth. Remember the picture of the millstone. God honors and greatly values the faith of a child and the child-like faith of His people and He will not excuse away our alignment with sin be it with our family members or closest friends. These are not easy Words to consider but all sin is against God and He declares in Numbers 32:23, “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” Our world does not believe God means what He said and many people do not believe He will judge sin. They do not believe in repentance and they do not believe the wages of sin is death. But when we line up behind sin and support its ways, remember the millstone. It will happen.
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August 5, 2024
Matthew 9:20-21 “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole”
For 12 years this woman had been suffering from chronic bleeding, a medical condition that kept her weak and susceptible to other diseases. It wasn’t just the bleeding that was the problem, but the Law in Leviticus 15 declared her unclean and forbade her to touch anyone or to be touched. A part of her misery that isn’t often mentioned is that because she was declared unclean, she could not worship in the temple, and by the law of the Nation, she was divorced from her husband and forced to leave her home. She was shut out from all society including her family and friends. She was in dire poverty because she had spent her every cent on doctors trying to get well. They took her money but they did not help her. When she heard about Jesus, faith arose in her so strong that she believed if she could just touch the hem of His robe, she would be healed. We love this story because we can picture her weak, stumbling, perhaps crawling, and pressing her way through the crowds that thronged the Savior until she saw her moment of opportunity. She reached out and touched His robe and by her faith, healing virtue flowed from Jesus into her body and the Bible says that immediately the bleeding stopped and she was healed. When Jesus turned and fastened His gaze on her, she was terrified and began shaking because she had violated the custom, and gone against the rules, and He knew what she had done. Ah, but his precious Words are recorded in verse 34, “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He can be touched by our faith. Faith opens the way to Christ and faith gets His attention. Not just faith to believe He can help us, but faith that reaches out despite the crowds, the naysaying world, the sneering of Christless religion, and the doubt that the enemy keeps trying to whisper in our ears. Faith like a child can overcome all this world throws against us. We do not have a Savior who cannot be touched by our human fragilities but a Savior who invites us to touch His hands and feet and be not faithless but believe.
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August 4, 2024
Romans 13:11-12 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light”
The night is almost over and the day of the Lord is close. That’s what the scriptures are declaring here. We see the evidence all around us of the things Jesus said would come to pass right before His return. And, seeing these things, it’s time to wake up from our spiritual sleep and ready ourselves for the Lord’s return. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:4, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” When we were saved, we were moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light and we are the light of the world. Concerning the coming of the Lord, in the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 we are at the place of verse 6, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Before that moment, everyone was sleeping. The apostasy and wickedness all around us are the alarm bells signaling this dispensation is coming to a close and God is wrapping up things down here. It will not take Him long when He starts because the Bible says in Romans 9:28, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Everything in the world is accelerating towards the day when Jesus takes possession of all creation and becomes Lord of All. In these times, we are called to cast aside all the things that belong to the darkness and arm ourselves with the light of truth. Everyone who is saved and believes the Bible should be preparing for the King of Heaven and Earth to return and claim what belongs to Him for the Earth and all of creation are His. We desire with great anticipation the fulfillment of Jeremiah 23:5, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”
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August 3, 2024
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”
When we see all that’s going on in the world, it can be overwhelming. We feel powerless to stop the abuse of people, the disintegration of our culture, and the widespread inflation that’s crushing families trying to pay rent, buy groceries, and provide for their family’s basic needs. Here in America, we want someone to come to their senses, stop the flood of people entering the USA illegally, protect our landmarks and public places from vandalism, protect our flag, and put all illegal activity in its place: jail. But we watch while our government officials turn their heads and walk away as if all is well. As believers, what can we do? Today’s verse tells us to be strong in the Lord. The phrase means to, “Strengthen ourselves in the Lord”. It looks back to a time when David was in a mess and the Amalekites had overrun the city where he, his family, his soldiers, and their families were living. The enemy army had taken all their families away as hostages and burned their city. David’s men were in such anguish they thought of stoning David. It all looked hopeless. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged (strengthened) himself in the LORD his God.” Now, on the threshold of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, is not the time to become weak and afraid. Now is the time to stand firm in the faith, declare the Name of the Lord, and refuse to give ground to those who try to mar the things of God. We trust in and rely on the power of God’s mighty strength. Even in our weakness, we are strong because God has made us strong when we are weak. In our timidity, we have great courage because the Lord works through us. And in our moments of uncertainty, we stand firm and sure because God has already declared our victory. We are God-approved, God-anointed, and God-powered to finish the race He has given us on this earth. No shift in politics can stop us and no forces the enemy rushes against us can overcome us. By God’s grace, we are strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
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August 2, 2024
Psalms 113:3 “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised”
One of the things we love most about summer is the long days. It’s wonderful to have daylight until the last rays are fading, not long before our bedtime. The opposite is what we dislike about the dead of winter when it gets dark a bit after 5 pm and there’s hardly any time to get things done outdoors in the evenings. This verse speaks that we should praise the Lord all day long, the idea being while we are awake. The world offers a lot to complain about and for the next 100 days in this election year, we’re going to be hearing a lot of what’s wrong with our country and how we need to change directions. The same old political barking. And some of it is true because there are a lot of things needing change. But when it comes to the Lord and the things of the Lord, we have so much to praise Him for and so much to make us have thankful hearts. When we open our eyes in the morning, “Thank you God for another day and I praise You for Your goodness and grace”. Throughout the day both out loud and under our breath, “Lord, I praise You that You are always with me and providing all things for my good”. In the evenings, “God, You are my shelter and shield from life’s storms and I commit all my ways to You”. When we’re cleaning the house, “Thank You Lord for a place to live and call home”. We can turn all our complaints into praise when we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways. When the children are causing problems, “Thank You Lord that You said children are a heritage from You and I praise You that You are working in their lives because as for me and my house, we will serve You.” Praising the Lord all day doesn’t come naturally at first because we’ve been influenced by the world and our human nature to find fault, complain, see things from a negative spin, and expect misery. But the more we listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and follow God’s Word as in today’s verse, we will become people of praise, people who are confident that God is worthy to be praised in the good times and the bad.
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August 1, 2024
1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”
The words, “And such were some of you”, look back to verses 9 & 10 which say, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” These words describe some people before they became Christians. It’s an ugly picture of the mess and the misery caused by following sin. Sadly, people who are trapped in those messes have been deceived by the enemy to believe they’re having a great life. They are blinded to where sin will lead them. Destruction, sorrow, and death because the wages of sin will always be death. The enemy’s only plan for all people is to steal, kill, and destroy them. But today’s verse also tells us who we are when Jesus rescues us. We are washed completely clean by His blood, made pure by the Holy Spirit, and declared righteous as if we had never sinned by the decree of Almighty God. The enemy always tries to hold our past over our heads like blackmail. He keeps whispering what we used to be, what we used to do and tries to get us to believe the lie that we are still those miserable people. But we have been born again from above. We have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are no longer separated from God but we have been reconciled to Him and are now His sons and daughters. The life we once lived has been completely washed away and God will never remember it against us anymore. We are free from the judgment passed on sin because God no longer sees us as sinners. Death has no more power over us now that Jesus has given us eternal life. He said in John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Our sinful past is gone, eternally forgiven, and we are now God’s precious children.
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