Dear readers,
I have been enjoying these devotionals and look forward to continue studying with you. This week you may notice that the devotionals come in sporadically and perhaps some days not at all. My husband and I are traveling to Houston so that I can undergo treatments. God bless you and thank you for becoming a member of the list. I will try to send as many devotionals as I can this week.
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Priceless Pearls are daily devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Godly Sorrow Produces Repentance
Today’s passage: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” II Corinthians 7:10
These days, repentance appears to be an outdated idea that has gone by the wayside. In courts, murderers and rapists have been known to receive lighter sentences by sharing touching stories of how they were abused as children and how this abuse relieves them of any personal responsibility for their current actions. Students are taught warped Freudian views that defend sexual deviancy as part of our nature and often as a necessary part of our growth process as opposed to deeming it sin. Ridiculously, even restaurants must ensure that their to-go coffee cups include warning labels to reduce lawsuits from clumsy consumers because they are not willing to take responsibility for spilling their own coffee on themselves!
What a world this has become where everyone else is responsible for our sins. How often do we catch ourselves stating that we said or did something wrong only because “you did (insert the “guilty” person’s action) first and made me (mad/upset/throw a skillet)”. It seems to be our nature to react to accusation by passing the buck to someone else. Divorce attorneys have their work cut out for them as clients commit adultery and then seek to divorce their spouses all the while plotting to avoid the payment of alimony and attempting to gain control of the home and other possessions, when they are the ones at fault. I have been privy to a family divorce in which the partner who was faithful and determined to make the marriage work was not allowed to declare the spouse’s unfaithfulness as the reason for the divorce. Apparently, “irreconcilable differences” was a nicer term to the courts than adultery.
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to the children of Israel, condemning them of their unwillingness to be honest and to speak with integrity. “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.” Isaiah 59:1-4
What this nation needs is to return to our roots by spending time in God’s Word. Can we expect to be known as a Christian nation if many of us do not even know what the Bible says? The name “Christian” is not merely a title but the position itself. To be known as being of Christ, we must believe and obey what He commands and that includes examining ourselves, acknowledging all guilt and repenting of our sins.
To take inventory of our spiritual life, we must examine our actions by comparing them to the standard: God’s Word. Our standard is not other Christians but is in fact Christ Himself. The examination of our actions includes testing our beliefs to ensure that they are found in Scripture. If we are found to be lacking in anything, we must take note of it as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” II Corinthians 13:5. Paul personally served as an example of this self-examination: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
If we are not willing to take inventory for fear of what we will find, we can be assured that Christ will do so when He returns. “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.” I Corinthians 3:12-14 and “[Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Luke 3:16-17
After noting our sins, we are required to confess them and acknowledge our guilt as in the following Scriptures. "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” Ezra 9:6. “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
Finally, we are commanded to repent of our sins and seek forgiveness. Confession and repentance seem to be the most difficult for us to do, perhaps because of the pride we feel as human beings and the lack of faith in God to take care of us when we obey. Perhaps part of the reason for such an unwillingness to accept guilt lies within the misinterpretation of the term “repentance”. Many believe that repentance and asking for forgiveness are synonymous but in fact, they are not. Repentance is not merely the asking of forgiveness, but instead it is an action caused by a pricking of the heart such as in Acts 2:38-39. To repent is to feel such deep remorse that forgiveness is sought and steps are made to stop committing the sin. Repentance is an active change and not the thought only. II Timothy 2:19 contains God’s command to repent or “turn away from” sin: “Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Further proof that repentance involves the turning away from sin is found in Acts 26:20: “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Jesus also warned that we must repent in order to escape punishment: “…But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13:5. Peter informed the multitudes of Jews on the day of Pentecost that they required repentance and baptism in order to receive the forgiveness of sins in Acts 2:38: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
If as God’s people, we are willing to exhibit Christianity by admitting our faults, seeking forgiveness by God and by others when we err, and turning away from these sins to follow God, we can do much good in the world and glory will be given to the Lord. If we, instead, are too afraid or proud to readily admit our mistakes or seek to justify them by blaming others, we will only succeed in bringing shame to Christ by wearing His name. Only by true repentance can we share Christ’s love to others and make them want to follow Him by watching us. May our nation become a "Christian nation" again beginning with each of us.
Dear sisters, may you all have a blessed week!
These days, repentance appears to be an outdated idea that has gone by the wayside. In courts, murderers and rapists have been known to receive lighter sentences by sharing touching stories of how they were abused as children and how this abuse relieves them of any personal responsibility for their current actions. Students are taught warped Freudian views that defend sexual deviancy as part of our nature and often as a necessary part of our growth process as opposed to deeming it sin. Ridiculously, even restaurants must ensure that their to-go coffee cups include warning labels to reduce lawsuits from clumsy consumers because they are not willing to take responsibility for spilling their own coffee on themselves!
What a world this has become where everyone else is responsible for our sins. How often do we catch ourselves stating that we said or did something wrong only because “you did (insert the “guilty” person’s action) first and made me (mad/upset/throw a skillet)”. It seems to be our nature to react to accusation by passing the buck to someone else. Divorce attorneys have their work cut out for them as clients commit adultery and then seek to divorce their spouses all the while plotting to avoid the payment of alimony and attempting to gain control of the home and other possessions, when they are the ones at fault. I have been privy to a family divorce in which the partner who was faithful and determined to make the marriage work was not allowed to declare the spouse’s unfaithfulness as the reason for the divorce. Apparently, “irreconcilable differences” was a nicer term to the courts than adultery.
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to the children of Israel, condemning them of their unwillingness to be honest and to speak with integrity. “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.” Isaiah 59:1-4
What this nation needs is to return to our roots by spending time in God’s Word. Can we expect to be known as a Christian nation if many of us do not even know what the Bible says? The name “Christian” is not merely a title but the position itself. To be known as being of Christ, we must believe and obey what He commands and that includes examining ourselves, acknowledging all guilt and repenting of our sins.
To take inventory of our spiritual life, we must examine our actions by comparing them to the standard: God’s Word. Our standard is not other Christians but is in fact Christ Himself. The examination of our actions includes testing our beliefs to ensure that they are found in Scripture. If we are found to be lacking in anything, we must take note of it as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” II Corinthians 13:5. Paul personally served as an example of this self-examination: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
If we are not willing to take inventory for fear of what we will find, we can be assured that Christ will do so when He returns. “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.” I Corinthians 3:12-14 and “[Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Luke 3:16-17
After noting our sins, we are required to confess them and acknowledge our guilt as in the following Scriptures. "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” Ezra 9:6. “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
Finally, we are commanded to repent of our sins and seek forgiveness. Confession and repentance seem to be the most difficult for us to do, perhaps because of the pride we feel as human beings and the lack of faith in God to take care of us when we obey. Perhaps part of the reason for such an unwillingness to accept guilt lies within the misinterpretation of the term “repentance”. Many believe that repentance and asking for forgiveness are synonymous but in fact, they are not. Repentance is not merely the asking of forgiveness, but instead it is an action caused by a pricking of the heart such as in Acts 2:38-39. To repent is to feel such deep remorse that forgiveness is sought and steps are made to stop committing the sin. Repentance is an active change and not the thought only. II Timothy 2:19 contains God’s command to repent or “turn away from” sin: “Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Further proof that repentance involves the turning away from sin is found in Acts 26:20: “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Jesus also warned that we must repent in order to escape punishment: “…But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13:5. Peter informed the multitudes of Jews on the day of Pentecost that they required repentance and baptism in order to receive the forgiveness of sins in Acts 2:38: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
If as God’s people, we are willing to exhibit Christianity by admitting our faults, seeking forgiveness by God and by others when we err, and turning away from these sins to follow God, we can do much good in the world and glory will be given to the Lord. If we, instead, are too afraid or proud to readily admit our mistakes or seek to justify them by blaming others, we will only succeed in bringing shame to Christ by wearing His name. Only by true repentance can we share Christ’s love to others and make them want to follow Him by watching us. May our nation become a "Christian nation" again beginning with each of us.
Dear sisters, may you all have a blessed week!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Setting Our Priorities Straight
Today’s passage: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38
Christian families are bombarded on every side by worldly viewpoints regarding what is best for their children. Since yesteryears, we have been taught that it is as American to watch baseball as it is to eat hot dogs and apple pie and indeed, sports have been a great pastime for families over the years. Yet the growing movement in this country is to prioritize the sport so much that children are expected to spend all of their time practicing and playing games at times that have been designated by the elders to be worship time. Instead of participating in works of the church such as Vacation Bible School, youth devotionals and gospel meetings/revivals, some children are always on the field instead. Unfortunately, baseball is not the only sport that has seen such changes, as children playing soccer, football and other sports have been asked to play on Sundays or Wednesday nights as well.
When did this urge to be so competitive increase to the point that it has vaulted above the things of God on our priority scale? Why are games being scheduled on days and times that should be set aside for the worship of our Lord? Matthew recorded Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If our primary concern is for our children to win trophies or socially interact with the ball team or become a professional ballplayer some day, we have failed our children greatly. The primary concern should be to teach them what is truly important in life: worship of God and service in His kingdom. Only after assuring that this priority is fulfilled should we then fill in the time that is left with hobbies and dreams. God must come first in our plans and in our activities.
Certainly, it is not wrong for our children to be involved in sports, educational competitions or other activities in the world as long as our worship of God and participation in activities of the church have been fulfilled. Yet at the point that any activity coincides with a work of the church, we are faced with the decision of which activity is more important to us at that particular point in time. In God’s kingdom, past involvement does not remove current responsibility.
Many Christians validate their decisions by stating that they worship the majority of the time, so what does one season/month/week hurt? The Bible does not mention that we should take an average of how many times we attend worship services and participate in works of the church in contrast to how many times we do not attend or participate in order to arrive at our level of Christianity and commitment to the Lord. No such formula exists in God’s Word. Instead, we are taught to put God before mother, father, son or daughter. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38
We are also taught that we should not forsake joining together in worship in words that are very clear. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:23-27
I shudder to think how the church of the future, provided the Lord does not come again soon, will be affected by the decisions made by parents today. There is a tendency toward the creation of such a competitive nature in our children that it trickles into the church itself and grows to enormous proportions. Christians are in a battle to win, but that battle has nothing to do with sports, the accumulation of wealth, social status or the display of our physical talents. The battle that we fight has everything to do with spiritual warfare on a battleground where losses mean the eternal destruction of souls. This is a competition that must be one by every single one of us and must be fought every minute of every day.
In the midst of the pounding against the moral and spiritual values of the Christian family, there is good news. Just this weekend, a family in Tennessee faced a situation in which their son’s baseball tournament game was suggested to take place on Sunday morning and have voted against this suggestion. They also made a very commendable decision to disallow their son to participate in games that coincide with worship times. I admire such a stand for their family to revere the Lord above all else. As Joshua commanded God’s people to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15), so this family chose to serve the Lord. Hallelujah for the faith of Christian families to stand against the swelling current of worldly idolatry and fight for the preservation of the Lord’s values!
Christian families are bombarded on every side by worldly viewpoints regarding what is best for their children. Since yesteryears, we have been taught that it is as American to watch baseball as it is to eat hot dogs and apple pie and indeed, sports have been a great pastime for families over the years. Yet the growing movement in this country is to prioritize the sport so much that children are expected to spend all of their time practicing and playing games at times that have been designated by the elders to be worship time. Instead of participating in works of the church such as Vacation Bible School, youth devotionals and gospel meetings/revivals, some children are always on the field instead. Unfortunately, baseball is not the only sport that has seen such changes, as children playing soccer, football and other sports have been asked to play on Sundays or Wednesday nights as well.
When did this urge to be so competitive increase to the point that it has vaulted above the things of God on our priority scale? Why are games being scheduled on days and times that should be set aside for the worship of our Lord? Matthew recorded Jesus’ warning in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If our primary concern is for our children to win trophies or socially interact with the ball team or become a professional ballplayer some day, we have failed our children greatly. The primary concern should be to teach them what is truly important in life: worship of God and service in His kingdom. Only after assuring that this priority is fulfilled should we then fill in the time that is left with hobbies and dreams. God must come first in our plans and in our activities.
Certainly, it is not wrong for our children to be involved in sports, educational competitions or other activities in the world as long as our worship of God and participation in activities of the church have been fulfilled. Yet at the point that any activity coincides with a work of the church, we are faced with the decision of which activity is more important to us at that particular point in time. In God’s kingdom, past involvement does not remove current responsibility.
Many Christians validate their decisions by stating that they worship the majority of the time, so what does one season/month/week hurt? The Bible does not mention that we should take an average of how many times we attend worship services and participate in works of the church in contrast to how many times we do not attend or participate in order to arrive at our level of Christianity and commitment to the Lord. No such formula exists in God’s Word. Instead, we are taught to put God before mother, father, son or daughter. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38
We are also taught that we should not forsake joining together in worship in words that are very clear. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:23-27
I shudder to think how the church of the future, provided the Lord does not come again soon, will be affected by the decisions made by parents today. There is a tendency toward the creation of such a competitive nature in our children that it trickles into the church itself and grows to enormous proportions. Christians are in a battle to win, but that battle has nothing to do with sports, the accumulation of wealth, social status or the display of our physical talents. The battle that we fight has everything to do with spiritual warfare on a battleground where losses mean the eternal destruction of souls. This is a competition that must be one by every single one of us and must be fought every minute of every day.
In the midst of the pounding against the moral and spiritual values of the Christian family, there is good news. Just this weekend, a family in Tennessee faced a situation in which their son’s baseball tournament game was suggested to take place on Sunday morning and have voted against this suggestion. They also made a very commendable decision to disallow their son to participate in games that coincide with worship times. I admire such a stand for their family to revere the Lord above all else. As Joshua commanded God’s people to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15), so this family chose to serve the Lord. Hallelujah for the faith of Christian families to stand against the swelling current of worldly idolatry and fight for the preservation of the Lord’s values!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Our Attitude of Sacrifice
Today’s passage: “Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” I Peter 1:17-19
This follows up our study on sacrifices, though it only begins to touch the hem of the garment, so to speak, of the complete concept of living our lives as sacrifices to God as Christ sacrificed Himself so that we might live. This lesson concentrates on the attitude that we should have as recipients of that sacrifice.
1. We must sacrifice by faith even when we do not understand God’s reason. Examples: Abel (Hebrews 11:4): “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead” and Abraham (Hebrews 11:17): “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son…” God told Cain exactly what to offer as a sacrifice to Him and although Cain was likely talented and blessed in his livelihood, He was not authorized to change God’s design of acceptable worship. He showed a lack of faith because he thought he knew a better way and it sadly led to the death of his brother and his own removal from the land. In contrast, Abraham did not attempt to change God’s command even when he was given what must have been the hardest task of all: the commandment to sacrifice his own son to the Lord. Abraham did not understand but he was still willing to follow the Lord until an angel of the Lord stopped him from killing Isaac. Abraham was included in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 due to his belief that God would take care of everything if he obeyed, including raising Isaac from the dead. God does not speak to us in this manner today because we have his complete Word to man available, but this does not mean that we will not face extraordinary tests of faith along our personal journeys.
2. We must have a reverent spirit and honor God’s holiness as the priests were required to do. In the Old Testament, the priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people and entered into the Holy Place. All Christians are the priesthood today and may enter God’s presence through Christ’s blood instead of relying on a man to be our mediator. When Christ, our High Priest, died, the curtain separating God from His people was torn (Matthew 27:51). In this passage, we note the reverence and purity that the priests were to exhibit for the Lord: “(The priest) shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people” Leviticus 16:24. As Christians and the royal priesthood today, we must show that same desire for purity and holiness: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” I Peter 2:9. Still further, John writes in Revelation 1:5-7 of Christians as priests: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
3. We must be in a state as to be pleasing to God as the priests in Moses’ day were commanded (Leviticus 22:29): "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf” and in Romans 15:15-16: “I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” It is important to note that we must become acceptable to God instead of expecting God to meet us on our preferential ground.
4. Present yourself as pure and in a forgiven state. Many believe that God takes us as we are, and that is true so long as we present ourselves in a respectable way and grow as we learn His will more clearly; however, if we live our lives in an impure manner, we are overstepping the boundaries of God’s acceptance of us “as we are”. Again, we can gain an understanding of this through the observances of the priest under the old law: “Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.” (Deuteronomy 17:1) The priests were to offer the very best to the Lord or else it would be detestable to Him. God expects our best, and doesn’t He deserve it? “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15
5. We are to follow God’s commandments regarding how to present sacrifice and there is no room for changes. God’s will is perfect and cannot be improved upon by humans. Joshua followed perfectly the pattern given from God to Moses in Joshua 8:31: “He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses - an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used”. Ezekiel warns the people through God’s own words: “I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” Ezekiel 20:19. And finally, a very specific command is given in Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” Certainly none of us would want to be proven a liar by our God, but this is exactly what we are attempting to call God if we do not believe that His commandments are applicable to us today. We are telling him, by our actions, that we know a better way.
6. Do not worship anyone or anything but the Lord in the manner in which He commands. Do not observe other peoples’ worship to false gods. Respect of others does not mean that we should pretend to accept something that is contrary to God’s laws. Exodus 34:15: "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.” We must take care to ensure that others know what we believe and why we believe it. The best way that I can think to end such a deep and wonderful subject as sacrifices that please the Lord is by the following verse: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading these verses as much as I have. I’ve learned quite a bit from this study. Dear sisters, may we never forget our place when we worship God. He is our great Jehovah, Lord and Master. Praise be to Him for His awesome power!
This follows up our study on sacrifices, though it only begins to touch the hem of the garment, so to speak, of the complete concept of living our lives as sacrifices to God as Christ sacrificed Himself so that we might live. This lesson concentrates on the attitude that we should have as recipients of that sacrifice.
1. We must sacrifice by faith even when we do not understand God’s reason. Examples: Abel (Hebrews 11:4): “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead” and Abraham (Hebrews 11:17): “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son…” God told Cain exactly what to offer as a sacrifice to Him and although Cain was likely talented and blessed in his livelihood, He was not authorized to change God’s design of acceptable worship. He showed a lack of faith because he thought he knew a better way and it sadly led to the death of his brother and his own removal from the land. In contrast, Abraham did not attempt to change God’s command even when he was given what must have been the hardest task of all: the commandment to sacrifice his own son to the Lord. Abraham did not understand but he was still willing to follow the Lord until an angel of the Lord stopped him from killing Isaac. Abraham was included in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 due to his belief that God would take care of everything if he obeyed, including raising Isaac from the dead. God does not speak to us in this manner today because we have his complete Word to man available, but this does not mean that we will not face extraordinary tests of faith along our personal journeys.
2. We must have a reverent spirit and honor God’s holiness as the priests were required to do. In the Old Testament, the priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people and entered into the Holy Place. All Christians are the priesthood today and may enter God’s presence through Christ’s blood instead of relying on a man to be our mediator. When Christ, our High Priest, died, the curtain separating God from His people was torn (Matthew 27:51). In this passage, we note the reverence and purity that the priests were to exhibit for the Lord: “(The priest) shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people” Leviticus 16:24. As Christians and the royal priesthood today, we must show that same desire for purity and holiness: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” I Peter 2:9. Still further, John writes in Revelation 1:5-7 of Christians as priests: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
3. We must be in a state as to be pleasing to God as the priests in Moses’ day were commanded (Leviticus 22:29): "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf” and in Romans 15:15-16: “I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” It is important to note that we must become acceptable to God instead of expecting God to meet us on our preferential ground.
4. Present yourself as pure and in a forgiven state. Many believe that God takes us as we are, and that is true so long as we present ourselves in a respectable way and grow as we learn His will more clearly; however, if we live our lives in an impure manner, we are overstepping the boundaries of God’s acceptance of us “as we are”. Again, we can gain an understanding of this through the observances of the priest under the old law: “Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.” (Deuteronomy 17:1) The priests were to offer the very best to the Lord or else it would be detestable to Him. God expects our best, and doesn’t He deserve it? “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15
5. We are to follow God’s commandments regarding how to present sacrifice and there is no room for changes. God’s will is perfect and cannot be improved upon by humans. Joshua followed perfectly the pattern given from God to Moses in Joshua 8:31: “He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses - an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used”. Ezekiel warns the people through God’s own words: “I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” Ezekiel 20:19. And finally, a very specific command is given in Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” Certainly none of us would want to be proven a liar by our God, but this is exactly what we are attempting to call God if we do not believe that His commandments are applicable to us today. We are telling him, by our actions, that we know a better way.
6. Do not worship anyone or anything but the Lord in the manner in which He commands. Do not observe other peoples’ worship to false gods. Respect of others does not mean that we should pretend to accept something that is contrary to God’s laws. Exodus 34:15: "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.” We must take care to ensure that others know what we believe and why we believe it. The best way that I can think to end such a deep and wonderful subject as sacrifices that please the Lord is by the following verse: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading these verses as much as I have. I’ve learned quite a bit from this study. Dear sisters, may we never forget our place when we worship God. He is our great Jehovah, Lord and Master. Praise be to Him for His awesome power!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sacrifices that Please the Lord
Today’s Passage: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
Yesterday, our lesson focused on Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God, and the question of whether or not we sacrifice ourselves to the Lord daily as we should. The lesson today will focus on what sacrifices God finds pleasing.
The sacrifices under the Mosaic Law foreshadowed Christ’s coming. As we studied yesterday, we saw that the animal sacrifices were requirements by the priests for the sins of the people, but they did not of themselves take away sin. It was not until Christ died, was buried and rose again that the true forgiveness of sins could take place.
After Christ died and arose, the Mosaic Law was fulfilled by the new law, the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25) based upon love and forgiveness and the desire of the heart to obey God. The new law took into account the fact that we could never perfectly obey the old law and gave us the hope of salvation through faith and obedience to God’s Word and the cleansing of our sins by the blood of Christ our Savior.
Yet although the animal sacrifices and food offerings were replaced by Christ, we are still commanded to give offerings to God. What are the sacrifices that God expects of us today? Based upon various Scriptures on sacrifices, I’ve outlined below the types of sacrifices we should give. Because of the lengthiness of this study and the large number of passages regarding sacrifice, tomorrow’s lesson is planned to continue the study of sacrifice and is expected to cover the attitude with which we are to do so.
Sacrifices Required of Us by God:
1. A repentant, humble and conscientious spirit: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
2. Mercy and acknowledgement of God: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6
3. Present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
4. Imitate God and live a life of selfless love as Jesus did: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
5. Offer praise to God and confess His name: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
Hebrews 13:15
6. Do good works and share with others: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16
7. Offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices, ensuring that we are acceptable to God through Christ: “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 2:5
This study has truly been an eye-opening one as I did not realize until I began to dig deeper into the Scriptures that the New Testament is full of references to the sacrifices required of Christians today. Just as the sacrificial lamb was chosen by God to be a foreshadowing of Jesus, so also did the offering of sacrifices by the Mosaic priests serve to prepare us to offer spiritual sacrifices as followers of Christ today.
It is easy to think that we are merely required to offer money into the collection plate periodically as opposed to all of the thanks and grain offerings, tithes and animal sacrifices of the old law, but as we begin to think about every part of God’s plan from Creation to the coming of Christ as well as Jesus’ role as our eternal sacrifice, we should begin to see that much more is required of us today. The priests had many duties in God’s service in order to atone for the people’s sins but we as Christians are the royal priesthood under the new law. This reality should create in us an enormous sense of reverence, awe and spiritual fear whenever we approach God in prayer, worship or throughout our daily lives.
Just as Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered sacrifices in a way that had not been approved by God in Numbers 26, so we too should remember that God requires of us the same respect for His Law. Even more so, we are under the Law of Christ, who was God’s only Son, sent to die for us. How much more will God require us to follow the Law of Liberty made available only through the purchase of blood that was poured out by Jesus on the cross of Calvary?
As I note the current manner of some in society to reduce God to “a good friend” and Christ to “a buddy” without thought of the awesome and terrible force that is our Jehovah God, I feel a sense of uneasiness and repulsion at the move toward such disrespect. It is then that I am reminded of Hebrews 10:31 and Paul’s unmistakable reminder of what happens when we forget who our Lord and Master truly is: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” May we always keep in mind this passage and the seriousness of its message.
Yesterday, our lesson focused on Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God, and the question of whether or not we sacrifice ourselves to the Lord daily as we should. The lesson today will focus on what sacrifices God finds pleasing.
The sacrifices under the Mosaic Law foreshadowed Christ’s coming. As we studied yesterday, we saw that the animal sacrifices were requirements by the priests for the sins of the people, but they did not of themselves take away sin. It was not until Christ died, was buried and rose again that the true forgiveness of sins could take place.
After Christ died and arose, the Mosaic Law was fulfilled by the new law, the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25) based upon love and forgiveness and the desire of the heart to obey God. The new law took into account the fact that we could never perfectly obey the old law and gave us the hope of salvation through faith and obedience to God’s Word and the cleansing of our sins by the blood of Christ our Savior.
Yet although the animal sacrifices and food offerings were replaced by Christ, we are still commanded to give offerings to God. What are the sacrifices that God expects of us today? Based upon various Scriptures on sacrifices, I’ve outlined below the types of sacrifices we should give. Because of the lengthiness of this study and the large number of passages regarding sacrifice, tomorrow’s lesson is planned to continue the study of sacrifice and is expected to cover the attitude with which we are to do so.
Sacrifices Required of Us by God:
1. A repentant, humble and conscientious spirit: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
2. Mercy and acknowledgement of God: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6
3. Present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
4. Imitate God and live a life of selfless love as Jesus did: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
5. Offer praise to God and confess His name: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
Hebrews 13:15
6. Do good works and share with others: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16
7. Offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices, ensuring that we are acceptable to God through Christ: “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 2:5
This study has truly been an eye-opening one as I did not realize until I began to dig deeper into the Scriptures that the New Testament is full of references to the sacrifices required of Christians today. Just as the sacrificial lamb was chosen by God to be a foreshadowing of Jesus, so also did the offering of sacrifices by the Mosaic priests serve to prepare us to offer spiritual sacrifices as followers of Christ today.
It is easy to think that we are merely required to offer money into the collection plate periodically as opposed to all of the thanks and grain offerings, tithes and animal sacrifices of the old law, but as we begin to think about every part of God’s plan from Creation to the coming of Christ as well as Jesus’ role as our eternal sacrifice, we should begin to see that much more is required of us today. The priests had many duties in God’s service in order to atone for the people’s sins but we as Christians are the royal priesthood under the new law. This reality should create in us an enormous sense of reverence, awe and spiritual fear whenever we approach God in prayer, worship or throughout our daily lives.
Just as Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered sacrifices in a way that had not been approved by God in Numbers 26, so we too should remember that God requires of us the same respect for His Law. Even more so, we are under the Law of Christ, who was God’s only Son, sent to die for us. How much more will God require us to follow the Law of Liberty made available only through the purchase of blood that was poured out by Jesus on the cross of Calvary?
As I note the current manner of some in society to reduce God to “a good friend” and Christ to “a buddy” without thought of the awesome and terrible force that is our Jehovah God, I feel a sense of uneasiness and repulsion at the move toward such disrespect. It is then that I am reminded of Hebrews 10:31 and Paul’s unmistakable reminder of what happens when we forget who our Lord and Master truly is: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” May we always keep in mind this passage and the seriousness of its message.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What Have I Sacrificed for Christ Today?
Today’s Passage: Isaiah 53 (see bottom of post)
Sunday evening, I was blessed to be in attendance to hear a wonderful sermon on sacrifice. I had already been thinking of a lesson on Christian sacrifice, so the sermon was definitely timely and it served to move up the topic to today’s devotional.
In the Old Testament, priests were given specific instructions for the atonement of the people’s sins; however, they were commanded to do this over and over because the sacrifice of lambs, bulls and goats could not truly take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). The sins were rolled forward until a sacrifice of the highest form, without spot or blemish and perfect in nature, would be given in their place. This sacrifice would fulfill prophecy and would need to be given only once (Hebrews 9:26-28), for it was the greatest sacrifice that would ever be made, the death of one part of the Godhead in human form: Jesus Christ our Savior.
It is difficult for me to imagine how much this sacrifice meant to God. God was not just allowing His Son to suffer, but He was also giving Himself to die. Jesus was equal with God but took on the task of being lowered to the position of His Creation and even lower than this: a servant of mankind with no home of His own or even a place to lay His head (Philippians 2:5-7). Jesus spent His few adulthood years teaching those who ridiculed Him, rejected Him and despised Him, all the while knowing that He would receive the most unjust treatment ever experienced by a human being.
This man was completely innocent – not as a child who does not know any better or one who incompetently cannot discern right from wrong – but as a man who was tempted just as we are yet He overcame every single temptation (Hebrews 4:15). Without such a man, a sacrifice for our sins could not take place. The animal sacrifice without spot or blemish was a foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice of a man without sin in His life. No one else could become this sacrifice but Jesus, because no one before or since has been without sin.
Jesus became despised and slandered throughout His travels to save mankind from sin because He was just, wise and knew man’s heart. People who were corrected by Jesus knew He was true in His judgment of them and this is why many of them hated Him. Sometimes we humans are too proud to admit our faults so we try to justify them and lash out at those who know our weaknesses.
If you do not do so already, I encourage you to read Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 before partaking of the communion on Sundays. I find this passage to be humbling to me and it helps me visualize Christ and His suffering more clearly than any other passage. God very descriptively speaks through Isaiah of Jesus’ coming and the persecution that He will endure for us who failed Him in every way. Yet He did not leave us without hope; He instead gave us the greatest gift we could ever receive: eternal life with Him.
Jesus gave absolutely everything He could ever give for us: Himself. There is no greater offering that could be given than we have already received. I look around me and wonder why He would do such a thing for a creature as selfish as man.
I am provoked to thought by this passage. Do I selfishly expect to receive such a gift of grace with no willingness to sacrifice for Christ? Am I so caught up in my own day-to-day activities and problems that I am unconcerned about Jesus’ willingness to receive punishment in my place? Why do I sometimes fear going outside of my comfort zone to lead others to Christ when my dear Savior did not afford His own comfort? As I ponder the lack of excuses I have for these questions, I consider that it would be a good idea to post a sticky note on my bathroom mirror with the subject of today’s lesson on it: “What have I sacrificed for Christ today?”
Consider the things that affect you and take up your time on a daily basis, and then read the following passage. I pray that if anything in your life is amiss, you will be awakened to them as you read from Isaiah. Please pray that I will work daily to do the same in my own life. Tomorrow, I plan to continue the study of these sacrifices by discussing what sacrifices God finds pleasing of us. God bless you today and every day, dear sister! May we never fail to ask of ourselves, “What have I sacrificed for Christ today?”
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him – his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness – so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Sunday evening, I was blessed to be in attendance to hear a wonderful sermon on sacrifice. I had already been thinking of a lesson on Christian sacrifice, so the sermon was definitely timely and it served to move up the topic to today’s devotional.
In the Old Testament, priests were given specific instructions for the atonement of the people’s sins; however, they were commanded to do this over and over because the sacrifice of lambs, bulls and goats could not truly take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). The sins were rolled forward until a sacrifice of the highest form, without spot or blemish and perfect in nature, would be given in their place. This sacrifice would fulfill prophecy and would need to be given only once (Hebrews 9:26-28), for it was the greatest sacrifice that would ever be made, the death of one part of the Godhead in human form: Jesus Christ our Savior.
It is difficult for me to imagine how much this sacrifice meant to God. God was not just allowing His Son to suffer, but He was also giving Himself to die. Jesus was equal with God but took on the task of being lowered to the position of His Creation and even lower than this: a servant of mankind with no home of His own or even a place to lay His head (Philippians 2:5-7). Jesus spent His few adulthood years teaching those who ridiculed Him, rejected Him and despised Him, all the while knowing that He would receive the most unjust treatment ever experienced by a human being.
This man was completely innocent – not as a child who does not know any better or one who incompetently cannot discern right from wrong – but as a man who was tempted just as we are yet He overcame every single temptation (Hebrews 4:15). Without such a man, a sacrifice for our sins could not take place. The animal sacrifice without spot or blemish was a foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice of a man without sin in His life. No one else could become this sacrifice but Jesus, because no one before or since has been without sin.
Jesus became despised and slandered throughout His travels to save mankind from sin because He was just, wise and knew man’s heart. People who were corrected by Jesus knew He was true in His judgment of them and this is why many of them hated Him. Sometimes we humans are too proud to admit our faults so we try to justify them and lash out at those who know our weaknesses.
If you do not do so already, I encourage you to read Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 before partaking of the communion on Sundays. I find this passage to be humbling to me and it helps me visualize Christ and His suffering more clearly than any other passage. God very descriptively speaks through Isaiah of Jesus’ coming and the persecution that He will endure for us who failed Him in every way. Yet He did not leave us without hope; He instead gave us the greatest gift we could ever receive: eternal life with Him.
Jesus gave absolutely everything He could ever give for us: Himself. There is no greater offering that could be given than we have already received. I look around me and wonder why He would do such a thing for a creature as selfish as man.
I am provoked to thought by this passage. Do I selfishly expect to receive such a gift of grace with no willingness to sacrifice for Christ? Am I so caught up in my own day-to-day activities and problems that I am unconcerned about Jesus’ willingness to receive punishment in my place? Why do I sometimes fear going outside of my comfort zone to lead others to Christ when my dear Savior did not afford His own comfort? As I ponder the lack of excuses I have for these questions, I consider that it would be a good idea to post a sticky note on my bathroom mirror with the subject of today’s lesson on it: “What have I sacrificed for Christ today?”
Consider the things that affect you and take up your time on a daily basis, and then read the following passage. I pray that if anything in your life is amiss, you will be awakened to them as you read from Isaiah. Please pray that I will work daily to do the same in my own life. Tomorrow, I plan to continue the study of these sacrifices by discussing what sacrifices God finds pleasing of us. God bless you today and every day, dear sister! May we never fail to ask of ourselves, “What have I sacrificed for Christ today?”
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him – his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness – so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Weekend Warriors (Saturday)
Update: Beginning today, Saturdays’ devotionals (Weekend Warriors) will consist of the reading of all or a portion of a Psalm. On Sundays, a message entitled The Lord’s Day will be sent. I hope that you are enjoying these devotionals. Please send me feedback to let me know what you think to saintschic@comcast.net. Thanks!
Today’s Reading:
PSALM 1
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Priceless Pearls are daily devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
To receive these daily devotionals, please choose one of the following options:
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Visit us online for Bible study and teaching resources:
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If you have any comments, suggestions or requests, please contact the author at contact@pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
Thank you for joining our new community. God bless you as you seek to follow His will.
Today’s Reading:
PSALM 1
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Priceless Pearls are daily devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
To receive these daily devotionals, please choose one of the following options:
Via BLOG (Atom/RSS Feed): Click on your Feed button or the Atom link at http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/
Via EMAIL: Visit our Yahoo group site to receive via email http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pricelesspearls/
Via Website: Bookmark our devotionals page to read the devotionals online http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/.
Visit us online for Bible study and teaching resources:
http://www.pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
If you have any comments, suggestions or requests, please contact the author at contact@pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
Thank you for joining our new community. God bless you as you seek to follow His will.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Choosing to Ignore Sin
Today's Passage: “They (mankind) have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:20-32
This has always been a passage that unsettles me when I read it because it convicts me every time. There are many sins we may not commit, but are we still guilty if we ignore them? According to Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are. By being too afraid to stand up for the Lord and disapprove of open sinfulness, are we not in effect approving it?
Many of us can probably remember a time when we were influenced as kids to ignore a less popular child or perhaps we simply failed to defend her when she was shunned. I can remember two occasions when this happened even after all of these years. Because I did not speak up, I did not stand up against wrong and therefore I was guilty of failing to reach out to someone less fortunate. The same is true of us as adults if we keep silent when given an opportunity to speak out against sin. Certainly, we aren’t told to walk around pointing fingers at everyone, declaring their sins publicly. Jesus did this on occasion to the Pharisees because of the public nature of their sins and their cruelty to the people, but Jesus as Deity knew their hearts. We do not know a person’s heart; however, we are charged with teaching the truth and exposing sin nonetheless as Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
We must be careful that we do so in a loving manner while giving the other party a chance to repent without public humiliation. When Joseph suspected Mary of having had sexual relations with another man, he was determined to put her away quietly so that she would not be humiliated by others (Matthew 1:19). What a loving thing to do for a man who surely must have felt the deepest pain of betrayal. I have the utmost respect for Joseph and the manner in which he planned to handle things before he was told by an angel that Mary was indeed a virgin. In his mind, he did not approve of her seemingly obvious sin and sought to remove himself from it; however, he did so with respect and love.
After hearing Apollos teach error, Aquila and Priscilla privately took him aside to teach him the truth about Christ (Acts 18:24). Because of this, they allowed Apollos to learn the complete truth and also spared him from being called out in the public assembly. This could have affected his use in the kingdom by causing some to lose trust in Apollos although he learned the truth more fully by Aquila and Priscilla’s teaching. Paul would later be able to work with Apollos side by side as they traveled to various locations to preach the gospel.
In these two cases, we see that sin or perceived sin was acknowledged and exposed, but the person was given a chance to repent if necessary and save face, as it were. The outcome in both cases could have been much different as Mary would have been exposed to public humiliation for a sin she did not commit, and Apollos might have lost credibility with the crowds and perhaps even missed a great opportunity to teach the gospel with Paul. On the other hand, had Apollos’ error been ignored, many might have failed to be saved because they did not learn the truth of Christ.
As we read today’s passage, we can easily think, “I’m not guilty of those things… envy, murder, deceit…” But then we read about gossip, disobedience to parents, strife (not getting along with others) and it may hit closer to home. Then we read the portion that not only do some do this, but some approve of others who commit them. Do we ever turn a blind eye to a friend’s sin because we don’t want to hurt them or a family member’s disobedience because we don’t want to stir things up? What happens if these sins take hold of their lives to cause an eternal loss of their souls and we could have helped them overcome the sins before they forever seared their consciences?
I pray that others have the courage to tell me if I say or do something wrong because it may be something I have not considered to be wrong. Perhaps I am in error about a portion of the Truth or maybe I am just oblivious to the fact that I said something hurtful to someone else, but regardless, I need to know about it. I pray also that I have the same courage to warn others out of love for their souls.
Let us consider how we can help one another become better Christian women by encouraging one another, but may God also strengthen us with the courage to tell others of a sin problem in their lives. Additionally, when we are given the chance to speak out against sin whether in our homes, in the church, in our society or in the world, let us do so without shame but with love in our hearts for one another. As King Solomon said, “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:5-6
This has always been a passage that unsettles me when I read it because it convicts me every time. There are many sins we may not commit, but are we still guilty if we ignore them? According to Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are. By being too afraid to stand up for the Lord and disapprove of open sinfulness, are we not in effect approving it?
Many of us can probably remember a time when we were influenced as kids to ignore a less popular child or perhaps we simply failed to defend her when she was shunned. I can remember two occasions when this happened even after all of these years. Because I did not speak up, I did not stand up against wrong and therefore I was guilty of failing to reach out to someone less fortunate. The same is true of us as adults if we keep silent when given an opportunity to speak out against sin. Certainly, we aren’t told to walk around pointing fingers at everyone, declaring their sins publicly. Jesus did this on occasion to the Pharisees because of the public nature of their sins and their cruelty to the people, but Jesus as Deity knew their hearts. We do not know a person’s heart; however, we are charged with teaching the truth and exposing sin nonetheless as Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
We must be careful that we do so in a loving manner while giving the other party a chance to repent without public humiliation. When Joseph suspected Mary of having had sexual relations with another man, he was determined to put her away quietly so that she would not be humiliated by others (Matthew 1:19). What a loving thing to do for a man who surely must have felt the deepest pain of betrayal. I have the utmost respect for Joseph and the manner in which he planned to handle things before he was told by an angel that Mary was indeed a virgin. In his mind, he did not approve of her seemingly obvious sin and sought to remove himself from it; however, he did so with respect and love.
After hearing Apollos teach error, Aquila and Priscilla privately took him aside to teach him the truth about Christ (Acts 18:24). Because of this, they allowed Apollos to learn the complete truth and also spared him from being called out in the public assembly. This could have affected his use in the kingdom by causing some to lose trust in Apollos although he learned the truth more fully by Aquila and Priscilla’s teaching. Paul would later be able to work with Apollos side by side as they traveled to various locations to preach the gospel.
In these two cases, we see that sin or perceived sin was acknowledged and exposed, but the person was given a chance to repent if necessary and save face, as it were. The outcome in both cases could have been much different as Mary would have been exposed to public humiliation for a sin she did not commit, and Apollos might have lost credibility with the crowds and perhaps even missed a great opportunity to teach the gospel with Paul. On the other hand, had Apollos’ error been ignored, many might have failed to be saved because they did not learn the truth of Christ.
As we read today’s passage, we can easily think, “I’m not guilty of those things… envy, murder, deceit…” But then we read about gossip, disobedience to parents, strife (not getting along with others) and it may hit closer to home. Then we read the portion that not only do some do this, but some approve of others who commit them. Do we ever turn a blind eye to a friend’s sin because we don’t want to hurt them or a family member’s disobedience because we don’t want to stir things up? What happens if these sins take hold of their lives to cause an eternal loss of their souls and we could have helped them overcome the sins before they forever seared their consciences?
I pray that others have the courage to tell me if I say or do something wrong because it may be something I have not considered to be wrong. Perhaps I am in error about a portion of the Truth or maybe I am just oblivious to the fact that I said something hurtful to someone else, but regardless, I need to know about it. I pray also that I have the same courage to warn others out of love for their souls.
Let us consider how we can help one another become better Christian women by encouraging one another, but may God also strengthen us with the courage to tell others of a sin problem in their lives. Additionally, when we are given the chance to speak out against sin whether in our homes, in the church, in our society or in the world, let us do so without shame but with love in our hearts for one another. As King Solomon said, “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:5-6
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Stable Faith in an Unstable World
Today’s passage: “…Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands… Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” Psalm 112:1,6-7
Watching old TV shows like Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie fill me with nostalgia and make me desire a simpler, deeper and purer way of life. It’s easy to think that “those were the days” when life was easy and everyone was kind, and indeed our parents and grandparents may agree, yet every generation has experienced sin and troubles.
Long, long ago, the world was filled with evil people who focused on nothing but sin all day long so God assigned Noah the task of preaching to them of the coming doom if they did not repent. Noah faithfully preached to the people for 120 years with no converts! Later, Lot and his daughters were saved from the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah before every resident was killed, including Lot’s wife who was given an opportunity to live, because of the constant presence of sin in their lives. In the days of Elisha, the Samaritans were struck by a long-lasting famine because of an attacking army but instead of trusting in the Lord, some of the citizens committed terrible sins against humanity, including against their own children, in order to survive (II Kings 6).
The sins of pride, lust and selfishness do not belong to our modern world alone; there have always been Hitlers and Husseins seeking complete power with no compassion for those deemed to be threats. The king of Egypt wanted every newborn Hebrew son to be killed by the Hebrew midwives or the people of Egypt (Exodus 1:15-22) and King Herod sought to prevent Jesus from becoming King of the Jews by ordering the death of all of the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger (Matthew 2:16).
Considering the fact that sin first reared its ugly head with the original couple created by God, Adam and Eve, and was manifested in their son, Cain, it is then unfair for me to assume that it was easier to live a righteous life by the elder generations. They faced the same struggles that we do today, with no less need for faith and trust in God. My journey in this life is not more difficult than theirs even if the specific causes of sin have changed. In the words of Solomon, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
During the 1930s, much faith was needed as industries crashed, mining and farming families were severely malnourished and tuberculosis was rampant in the population. According to a report by the BBC News, thirty-four million people belonged to families with no regular full-time wage earner in 1932. Depression and suicide statistics were high because some did not know how to cope with the loss of wages and the cruel reality that their children were starving.
As we consider the current problems of the national economy such as drops in the stock market and the rise of unemployment rates as companies go out of business, it is important for us to renew our faith through the study of Biblical examples of faithful followers of God in Hebrews 11 and our elder brothers and sisters who survived the Great Depression with their commitment to the Lord intact. Though specific circumstances may differ, the solution at the root of the problem is common to all: to develop an unfailing trust in God that He will take care of us no matter what happens so long as we obey Him.
Furthermore, we are given the assurance that “…blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands… Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” Psalm 112:1,6-7 We are free from the concerns with which the world is consumed because God is our refuge. We do not have to worry ourselves sick over the Dow Jones industrial average or whether we will lose our jobs. As long as we have true faith in God, we know that He will take care of us and that His power is greater than any manmade economical system. No matter what happens in the world, there are always brothers and sisters willing to help if we are united together in the Lord. God has always managed to save a remnant for use in His kingdom whether through a world flood, the confusion of languages or the near extinction of His people.
I pray that your faith as well as mine will be stable though all else in the world should crumble and fall. God and His Kingdom are unshakable even if the mountains should fall into the sea or the earth should burn as in the Day of Judgment. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (and that kingdom, the church, has come!), “let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29
Watching old TV shows like Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie fill me with nostalgia and make me desire a simpler, deeper and purer way of life. It’s easy to think that “those were the days” when life was easy and everyone was kind, and indeed our parents and grandparents may agree, yet every generation has experienced sin and troubles.
Long, long ago, the world was filled with evil people who focused on nothing but sin all day long so God assigned Noah the task of preaching to them of the coming doom if they did not repent. Noah faithfully preached to the people for 120 years with no converts! Later, Lot and his daughters were saved from the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah before every resident was killed, including Lot’s wife who was given an opportunity to live, because of the constant presence of sin in their lives. In the days of Elisha, the Samaritans were struck by a long-lasting famine because of an attacking army but instead of trusting in the Lord, some of the citizens committed terrible sins against humanity, including against their own children, in order to survive (II Kings 6).
The sins of pride, lust and selfishness do not belong to our modern world alone; there have always been Hitlers and Husseins seeking complete power with no compassion for those deemed to be threats. The king of Egypt wanted every newborn Hebrew son to be killed by the Hebrew midwives or the people of Egypt (Exodus 1:15-22) and King Herod sought to prevent Jesus from becoming King of the Jews by ordering the death of all of the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger (Matthew 2:16).
Considering the fact that sin first reared its ugly head with the original couple created by God, Adam and Eve, and was manifested in their son, Cain, it is then unfair for me to assume that it was easier to live a righteous life by the elder generations. They faced the same struggles that we do today, with no less need for faith and trust in God. My journey in this life is not more difficult than theirs even if the specific causes of sin have changed. In the words of Solomon, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
During the 1930s, much faith was needed as industries crashed, mining and farming families were severely malnourished and tuberculosis was rampant in the population. According to a report by the BBC News, thirty-four million people belonged to families with no regular full-time wage earner in 1932. Depression and suicide statistics were high because some did not know how to cope with the loss of wages and the cruel reality that their children were starving.
As we consider the current problems of the national economy such as drops in the stock market and the rise of unemployment rates as companies go out of business, it is important for us to renew our faith through the study of Biblical examples of faithful followers of God in Hebrews 11 and our elder brothers and sisters who survived the Great Depression with their commitment to the Lord intact. Though specific circumstances may differ, the solution at the root of the problem is common to all: to develop an unfailing trust in God that He will take care of us no matter what happens so long as we obey Him.
Furthermore, we are given the assurance that “…blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands… Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” Psalm 112:1,6-7 We are free from the concerns with which the world is consumed because God is our refuge. We do not have to worry ourselves sick over the Dow Jones industrial average or whether we will lose our jobs. As long as we have true faith in God, we know that He will take care of us and that His power is greater than any manmade economical system. No matter what happens in the world, there are always brothers and sisters willing to help if we are united together in the Lord. God has always managed to save a remnant for use in His kingdom whether through a world flood, the confusion of languages or the near extinction of His people.
I pray that your faith as well as mine will be stable though all else in the world should crumble and fall. God and His Kingdom are unshakable even if the mountains should fall into the sea or the earth should burn as in the Day of Judgment. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (and that kingdom, the church, has come!), “let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Middle of the Week Blahs
Today's Passage: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
There's just something about the middle of the week that can drag us down. Currently I do not work outside of the home while I undergo medical treatments; however, I worked fulltime for years and I can remember how far away Friday seemed, as if it were a dangling carrot barely visible on the horizon. Even now, I look forward to weekends so that my husband and I can be together and I can get out of the house before I lose my sanity.
For those of you who are domestic engineers, weekends mean hopefully getting away for a little while, especially on those wonderful occasions when a babysitter or family member can keep the little ones. During the summer, weekend passes can be very relaxing as you soak up the sunshine, spend time in the garden or play a few rounds of tennis to get away from workplace deadlines or daily chores.
As Christians who live and work in the world, we also look forward to the weekend. God Himself implemented a day of rest in Genesis after the world and everything in it were created (Genesis 2:2-3) and the institution of the Sabbath day under the Mosaic law began (Exodus 23:12). King Solomon noted that man is consumed with work in Ecclesiastes 2:22-23: “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.”
We know that constant anxiety and worry are not God’s intention for us, as noted by Jesus in Matthew 6:31-34: “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
If wise Solomon saw that we are overloaded with work at times and we know that God Himself rested after creating the world, is it any wonder that we experience middle of the week blahs sometimes? How can we get that extra “boost” during the middle of the week to keep us going? The Bible gives us the answer to this question.
1. Attend middle-of-the-week worship services. Wednesday night worship services are designed to give us an extra opportunity to worship the Lord and study His Word, but they are also designed to encourage us by meeting together with those of like mindedness. By joining together mid-week, we are given an opportunity to leave the trials and burdens of the world and offer as well as receive support from our Christian brothers and sisters. When I was isolated for some time due to my transplant and therefore missed worship services, I could tell a difference in my outlook in general. Being separated from my Christian family was detrimental to my mental and spiritual health because I could not tap into God’s resource of unity and fellowship. This passage explains how important it is to remain linked to one another: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
2. Remember the shut-ins who are unable to attend services. There are many who are unable to attend services due to physical illness. The longer a member feels separated from her church family, the more difficult it may be for her to remain faithful to the Lord. We can be instruments of the Lord by reaching out to these members and ensuring that they receive copies of the lessons and sermons as well as phone calls and cards to let them know they are still a vital part of our family.
3. Pray for God’s help to overcome our anxiety and keep our priorities in mind. God wants us to hand over our troubles to Him because His shoulders are broader and His patience is greater. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
4. Keep in touch with one another outside of services and seek to lift each other up by kind words, cards and prayers. The only way to really know what a sister needs is to get to know her personally outside of services. Have lunch together or invite the girls over for an informal “get-together”. A wise man once said that “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25
My prayers are that you will receive the encouragement you need this week and that we are able to lift others up with the love given to us by Christ. May today be changed from “Blah” Day to “Blessed” Day!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Prosperity of the Evil
Today’s Passage: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” Psalm 37:1-2
Sometimes it seems that evil prevails and that the good people of this world are taken for granted. Coworkers may launch themselves above others by taking credit for others’ hard work or by spreading lies about others to boost their own image. Someone may pose as a concerned businessman seeking what is best for an elderly widow only to rob her blind by a bogus contract.
Some elected officials pretend to be the voice of the people while secretly stuffing their pockets through underhanded transactions. Lies, murder, theft, homosexuality, abortion, pornography and everything under the sun (to borrow a phrase from Solomon) is done without shame in broad daylight. The Lord has set forth clear guidelines in His Word and has promised His blessings, but how do we come to terms with the fact that those who habitually practice wickedness seem to prosper?
There is a saying that is commonly known: “Nice guys finish last.” Do we believe this to be true? Have we ever told someone that they are “too nice” or “too good” and therefore they will never get ahead? Is this a Biblical or worldly teaching?
We must turn to the Scriptures to learn the answers to these questions. Human reason or conscience or good sense are not reliable sources if they are not based upon God’s Word. One of the proverbs advises that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12. Elsewhere in Proverbs, we are commanded to “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” Proverbs 3:3-7
II Peter 2:9-10 reveals that God knows how to rescue us from trials and will preserve us: “…the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.”
Nice guys, in the end, will not finish last if they obey God and seek to do His will. While a person who does good and is kind may be taken for granted on the earth, he (or she) will be rewarded for their goodness when Jesus returns to the earth. We must keep in mind that “the faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his” (Proverbs 14:14).
The Bible reveals God’s will and the reason that the evil seem to prosper. We see by reading today’s passage in Psalm 37 that although it appears the wicked are flourishing, their days are numbered if they do not repent. He will not let the righteous suffer forever, but He has not destroyed the world yet because He wants everyone to be saved. Every day that we awake healthy and of sound mind, we are given another opportunity to repent of our sins and seek His salvation. Every day that we decide not to do so is another opportunity from the Lord that we have wasted. We are not promised another day, another minute, or another second of life so we must take advantage of the opportunities that God gives us.
Do not worry that the wicked go unpunished because assuredly God is not blind to evil. One day, He will require an account of everyone and He will be just in His judgment. It should be a very sobering thought that every one of us will be judged for every idle word we speak. Jesus Christ, our Savior and He who will return on the Day of Judgment warned that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:35-37. While we examine others’ actions, we must be careful to examine ours first.
Although the world around us is filled with evil thoughts and actions, we can rest in the fact that God sees everything and will correct the scales of justice in the end. Until then, we must try our best to teach others of the terrible day that awaits them if they do not repent, while making sure that we are striving to obey God’s Word as well.
The words of Psalm 37 tell us in great detail what we need to know in order to live in peace and comfort while living in a land of wickedness. Let us trust in God to prevail in His time and not ours.
Sometimes it seems that evil prevails and that the good people of this world are taken for granted. Coworkers may launch themselves above others by taking credit for others’ hard work or by spreading lies about others to boost their own image. Someone may pose as a concerned businessman seeking what is best for an elderly widow only to rob her blind by a bogus contract.
Some elected officials pretend to be the voice of the people while secretly stuffing their pockets through underhanded transactions. Lies, murder, theft, homosexuality, abortion, pornography and everything under the sun (to borrow a phrase from Solomon) is done without shame in broad daylight. The Lord has set forth clear guidelines in His Word and has promised His blessings, but how do we come to terms with the fact that those who habitually practice wickedness seem to prosper?
There is a saying that is commonly known: “Nice guys finish last.” Do we believe this to be true? Have we ever told someone that they are “too nice” or “too good” and therefore they will never get ahead? Is this a Biblical or worldly teaching?
We must turn to the Scriptures to learn the answers to these questions. Human reason or conscience or good sense are not reliable sources if they are not based upon God’s Word. One of the proverbs advises that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12. Elsewhere in Proverbs, we are commanded to “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” Proverbs 3:3-7
II Peter 2:9-10 reveals that God knows how to rescue us from trials and will preserve us: “…the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.”
Nice guys, in the end, will not finish last if they obey God and seek to do His will. While a person who does good and is kind may be taken for granted on the earth, he (or she) will be rewarded for their goodness when Jesus returns to the earth. We must keep in mind that “the faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his” (Proverbs 14:14).
The Bible reveals God’s will and the reason that the evil seem to prosper. We see by reading today’s passage in Psalm 37 that although it appears the wicked are flourishing, their days are numbered if they do not repent. He will not let the righteous suffer forever, but He has not destroyed the world yet because He wants everyone to be saved. Every day that we awake healthy and of sound mind, we are given another opportunity to repent of our sins and seek His salvation. Every day that we decide not to do so is another opportunity from the Lord that we have wasted. We are not promised another day, another minute, or another second of life so we must take advantage of the opportunities that God gives us.
Do not worry that the wicked go unpunished because assuredly God is not blind to evil. One day, He will require an account of everyone and He will be just in His judgment. It should be a very sobering thought that every one of us will be judged for every idle word we speak. Jesus Christ, our Savior and He who will return on the Day of Judgment warned that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:35-37. While we examine others’ actions, we must be careful to examine ours first.
Although the world around us is filled with evil thoughts and actions, we can rest in the fact that God sees everything and will correct the scales of justice in the end. Until then, we must try our best to teach others of the terrible day that awaits them if they do not repent, while making sure that we are striving to obey God’s Word as well.
The words of Psalm 37 tell us in great detail what we need to know in order to live in peace and comfort while living in a land of wickedness. Let us trust in God to prevail in His time and not ours.
Psalm 37
“Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of
peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Faithful Family
Today's passage: "Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." Luke 8:19-21
As I visit family this week, my thoughts turn to the relationships among us. It is so good to see family members who have moved away, catch up on current events, and reminisce about the things we once "got into" as kids. We walk down the long trails of memory lane, pausing to call to mind the members of our family whose journeys were complete on this earth years before.
Laughter is shared as everyone seems to have a funny story to tell about every situation. Cousins who taught us to hide our trails and feign ignorance about something broken that is of value to one of our mothers. Those same cousins who turned is in later so that we received the punishment... Or siblings who not so fondly recall spankings that should have been administered to the younger one but who managed to convince our parents that it was our fault.
Generally, families are great groups of friends with shared backgrounds who have a fun time together. Unfortunately, some families are not close, but there is one family we can always count on. As the saying goes, "Blood is thicker than water" and we can be assured that the family purchased with blood runs deeper than any other family bond can do. God is our Father and Jesus, who purchased our family with His blood, is our brother who should have received every eternal inheritance but chose long ago to share it with all of His brothers and sisters.
Who else can we trust to care for us than God's family? What hope do we have on this earth if we are not part of a Christian family? Although we may not share physical bonds with the members of the church, we share spiritual ones that are linked more closely in Christ and strengthed by His love.
God's family is to be united together in peace, love and joy. One of the greatest joys we will ever experience is when we take part in the greatest family reunion ever: in Heaven! Let us never forget that we are a part of God's family and that every single member is of great importance to Him.
As I visit family this week, my thoughts turn to the relationships among us. It is so good to see family members who have moved away, catch up on current events, and reminisce about the things we once "got into" as kids. We walk down the long trails of memory lane, pausing to call to mind the members of our family whose journeys were complete on this earth years before.
Laughter is shared as everyone seems to have a funny story to tell about every situation. Cousins who taught us to hide our trails and feign ignorance about something broken that is of value to one of our mothers. Those same cousins who turned is in later so that we received the punishment... Or siblings who not so fondly recall spankings that should have been administered to the younger one but who managed to convince our parents that it was our fault.
Generally, families are great groups of friends with shared backgrounds who have a fun time together. Unfortunately, some families are not close, but there is one family we can always count on. As the saying goes, "Blood is thicker than water" and we can be assured that the family purchased with blood runs deeper than any other family bond can do. God is our Father and Jesus, who purchased our family with His blood, is our brother who should have received every eternal inheritance but chose long ago to share it with all of His brothers and sisters.
Who else can we trust to care for us than God's family? What hope do we have on this earth if we are not part of a Christian family? Although we may not share physical bonds with the members of the church, we share spiritual ones that are linked more closely in Christ and strengthed by His love.
God's family is to be united together in peace, love and joy. One of the greatest joys we will ever experience is when we take part in the greatest family reunion ever: in Heaven! Let us never forget that we are a part of God's family and that every single member is of great importance to Him.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Finding Peace in a Troubled World
Today's passage: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Every day we learn of troubling news such as the death of a young child or mass devastation of homes and the loss of life due to storms. We can be tempted to ask why God would allow such things to happen. Some people even turn their backs on God, accusing Him of their suffering. It seems to make sense to them that if God created the world and is in control of all things that He should not allow the innocent children to suffer or His people to fall victim to terminal diseases. We must turn to the Bible in order to find answers to such issues as these.
In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. He made a beautiful garden called Eden and there He placed Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. All sorts of trees grew there and streams came up to water them. Man’s job was to take care of the garden. He could eat of anything in the garden except that he was warned not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else he would die. Eve was tempted by the serpent and ate of the tree and also gave the fruit to Adam. Both had sinned and with that sin, death entered the world as God had promised. In Romans 6:23, we learn that “the wages of sin is death…” Therefore, the couple was cast out of the garden so that they could no longer eat of the tree of life and live forever. God does not want us to live forever in our sinful, fleshly state here on the earth. If so, we would suffer eternally.
When undergoing trials or suffering from a devastating disease, people often ask, “Why me?” It is a natural human response to the pain and heartache, but it is due to a misunderstanding of God’s plan. We do not have all of the answers, nor do we have the entire picture. I think of Job and his example whenever I feel the temptation to question why something was allowed to happen.
Job was as innocent a man as could be found, and the Bible says that he was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” He even prayed for all of his children and offered sacrifices in case they had sinned during their feasts. He did not know that behind the scenes, Satan was planning all sorts of temptations and trials for Job so that he would sin and curse God.
Job lost his livestock, his servants and all of his children in the same day; but he did not blame God. Satan then caused Job to suffer painful sores that covered his whole body. Job’s wife told him to curse God so that he would die and find peace, but Job could not do that. He knew that if he blamed God, he would not find peace after death. He asked his wife, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” Job’s friends tried to comfort him by telling him that he needed to repent, because it was obvious he had done something wrong and that’s why he was being punished. But Job knew he hadn’t done anything to cause the suffering. His friends were no help at all, and neither was his wife. Job was alone, except for God.
After a time, Job grew weary of his suffering. He asked God many questions such as why God did not give him peace. He wanted to be able to approach God and argue his case. Surely God had made a mistake. God finally spoke to Job and his friends. He asked, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” He asked many questions that made Job realize how small and insignificant we truly are when compared with God. Our Lord has all of the answers and the entire plan, but we only see a small part of it, and that is through the selfish eyes of human beings.
Job repented and humbled himself before the Lord, and God gave him more livestock and servants than before, and also blessed him with children. The story of Job helps us to see that we will never understand everything that happens until we see the Lord someday and He reveals everything to us. We must trust that He knows best and is in control of the world, but we must also understand that for a time, the devil looks for ways to come between us and God. I Peter 5:8 tells us that our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom we may devour”. We must overcome the temptation to blame God and trust that in the end, He will make everything right.
The suffering that we undergo, whether from the hands of others or from disease or poverty or natural disasters, is a result of the sin that first entered the world. Because we will not live forever in these bodies, our days are numbered. Death can come in many forms, but it is all a result of sin. God did not cause us to sin – it is our doing. Yet because death is a natural part of life on earth, the innocent can sometimes be affected. Also, the sins of others such as rape or murder can affect the innocent.
We know that as long as we live on this earth we will experience hardship and suffering at times. However, Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 that …”our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” God has not left us alone in our fight. He has a plan to save us and to make all of our trials and sufferings seem trivial when compared to the joys of heaven. Hallelujah for a Father such as ours!
Every day we learn of troubling news such as the death of a young child or mass devastation of homes and the loss of life due to storms. We can be tempted to ask why God would allow such things to happen. Some people even turn their backs on God, accusing Him of their suffering. It seems to make sense to them that if God created the world and is in control of all things that He should not allow the innocent children to suffer or His people to fall victim to terminal diseases. We must turn to the Bible in order to find answers to such issues as these.
In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. He made a beautiful garden called Eden and there He placed Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. All sorts of trees grew there and streams came up to water them. Man’s job was to take care of the garden. He could eat of anything in the garden except that he was warned not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else he would die. Eve was tempted by the serpent and ate of the tree and also gave the fruit to Adam. Both had sinned and with that sin, death entered the world as God had promised. In Romans 6:23, we learn that “the wages of sin is death…” Therefore, the couple was cast out of the garden so that they could no longer eat of the tree of life and live forever. God does not want us to live forever in our sinful, fleshly state here on the earth. If so, we would suffer eternally.
When undergoing trials or suffering from a devastating disease, people often ask, “Why me?” It is a natural human response to the pain and heartache, but it is due to a misunderstanding of God’s plan. We do not have all of the answers, nor do we have the entire picture. I think of Job and his example whenever I feel the temptation to question why something was allowed to happen.
Job was as innocent a man as could be found, and the Bible says that he was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” He even prayed for all of his children and offered sacrifices in case they had sinned during their feasts. He did not know that behind the scenes, Satan was planning all sorts of temptations and trials for Job so that he would sin and curse God.
Job lost his livestock, his servants and all of his children in the same day; but he did not blame God. Satan then caused Job to suffer painful sores that covered his whole body. Job’s wife told him to curse God so that he would die and find peace, but Job could not do that. He knew that if he blamed God, he would not find peace after death. He asked his wife, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” Job’s friends tried to comfort him by telling him that he needed to repent, because it was obvious he had done something wrong and that’s why he was being punished. But Job knew he hadn’t done anything to cause the suffering. His friends were no help at all, and neither was his wife. Job was alone, except for God.
After a time, Job grew weary of his suffering. He asked God many questions such as why God did not give him peace. He wanted to be able to approach God and argue his case. Surely God had made a mistake. God finally spoke to Job and his friends. He asked, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” He asked many questions that made Job realize how small and insignificant we truly are when compared with God. Our Lord has all of the answers and the entire plan, but we only see a small part of it, and that is through the selfish eyes of human beings.
Job repented and humbled himself before the Lord, and God gave him more livestock and servants than before, and also blessed him with children. The story of Job helps us to see that we will never understand everything that happens until we see the Lord someday and He reveals everything to us. We must trust that He knows best and is in control of the world, but we must also understand that for a time, the devil looks for ways to come between us and God. I Peter 5:8 tells us that our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom we may devour”. We must overcome the temptation to blame God and trust that in the end, He will make everything right.
The suffering that we undergo, whether from the hands of others or from disease or poverty or natural disasters, is a result of the sin that first entered the world. Because we will not live forever in these bodies, our days are numbered. Death can come in many forms, but it is all a result of sin. God did not cause us to sin – it is our doing. Yet because death is a natural part of life on earth, the innocent can sometimes be affected. Also, the sins of others such as rape or murder can affect the innocent.
We know that as long as we live on this earth we will experience hardship and suffering at times. However, Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 that …”our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” God has not left us alone in our fight. He has a plan to save us and to make all of our trials and sufferings seem trivial when compared to the joys of heaven. Hallelujah for a Father such as ours!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Ere You Left Your Room This Morning
Today’s passage: “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:17-18
There is an old song written by Mary A. Kidder that pricks my heart whenever we sing it in worship service. The first stanza is very simply put, but asks an important question:
Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?In the name of Christ our Savior, did you sue for loving favor, as a shield today?
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word “sue” in this case means “to petition to or for”. How many times do we set aside time to pray every morning when we arise, petitioning to God in the name of Jesus our Savior to protect us and guide us throughout our day? When we do pray, is it an afterthought or a hurried attempt to make our requests known and then continue what we were doing?
In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul writes that, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…” As noted in today’s verse, we are also commanded to “pray without ceasing”, indicating a continual state of prayer with God and we are further instructed that “in everything give thanks…”
Sometimes I am guilty of being in such a rush that I do not take the time to pray. At night, I am often so drowsy that waiting until I lie down in the bed to say an evening prayer can cause my mind to wander more than it should. Regularly scheduled prayers at a time when we are most alert can help us to focus on the fact that we are to reverently approach God’s throne of grace. It is a gift that we are able to enter the presence of God as opposed to being required to make our requests known through the priests as in Moses’ day. Christ’s death and resurrection tore the curtain barring access to the Holy place so that we can gain access to Him through Christ. Praise God that He wants such a personal relationship with us!
I bought a bookmark last year from Christianbook.com that is entitled “Adult Quiet Time” and it offers great ideas for ensuring that our prayers are effective, meaningful and sincere by setting aside a specific time to pray and keeping a prayer journal notebook with items for which to pray. By jotting down our requests, petitions and thanksgiving, we can refer to them as we pray.
On the bookmark is written:
There is an old song written by Mary A. Kidder that pricks my heart whenever we sing it in worship service. The first stanza is very simply put, but asks an important question:
Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?In the name of Christ our Savior, did you sue for loving favor, as a shield today?
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word “sue” in this case means “to petition to or for”. How many times do we set aside time to pray every morning when we arise, petitioning to God in the name of Jesus our Savior to protect us and guide us throughout our day? When we do pray, is it an afterthought or a hurried attempt to make our requests known and then continue what we were doing?
In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul writes that, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…” As noted in today’s verse, we are also commanded to “pray without ceasing”, indicating a continual state of prayer with God and we are further instructed that “in everything give thanks…”
Sometimes I am guilty of being in such a rush that I do not take the time to pray. At night, I am often so drowsy that waiting until I lie down in the bed to say an evening prayer can cause my mind to wander more than it should. Regularly scheduled prayers at a time when we are most alert can help us to focus on the fact that we are to reverently approach God’s throne of grace. It is a gift that we are able to enter the presence of God as opposed to being required to make our requests known through the priests as in Moses’ day. Christ’s death and resurrection tore the curtain barring access to the Holy place so that we can gain access to Him through Christ. Praise God that He wants such a personal relationship with us!
I bought a bookmark last year from Christianbook.com that is entitled “Adult Quiet Time” and it offers great ideas for ensuring that our prayers are effective, meaningful and sincere by setting aside a specific time to pray and keeping a prayer journal notebook with items for which to pray. By jotting down our requests, petitions and thanksgiving, we can refer to them as we pray.
On the bookmark is written:
You can keep Christ at the center of your life by spending quiet time with
Him. This quiet time is an appointment you keep with Him daily. Here are some
suggestions for developing a consistent quiet time.
PRIORITY - Make this a priority in your day. Select a time and schedule around 15 minutes daily.
PREPARATION - Find a place where you can be alone. Have your materials together (Bible, journal, devotional book, prayer list, pen or pencil).
PLAN - Develop a plan that includes prayer, Bible study, and writing down your thoughts.
We should consecrate a special time each day for talking to the Lord. Not only did Jesus instruct us to pray to the Lord, He also modeled this in His own life by going to God in prayer. Luke records, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16
I believe that the words of the song mentioned previously are a beautiful way to close our devotional today. May these words spur us to action to formulate a plan for regular prayer in addition to praying throughout the day.
Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?When you met with great temptation,
Did you think to pray?
By His dying love and merit,
Did you claim the Holy Spirit,
As your guide and stay?
When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?Refrain
O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mentoring for the Master
“Mentor” is a word that is used quite often today. One can serve as a mentor to children through a civic organization or a tutoring program, or as a mentor to someone less experienced in the workplace. The word mentor originated in the Greek language and was derived from the mythological Mentōr, the friend of Odysseus who served as a tutor to Odysseus’ son. Mentor is thus defined in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary as “a trusted counselor or guide”.
There are many examples of mentors throughout history and likely nearly every single human being can list someone who has helped shaped who they are. Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and an accomplished composer himself, mentored Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the science-fiction realm, Isaac Asimov served as a mentor to Gene Roddenberry. Floyd Mayweather, Sr. mentored Oscar De La Hoya, one of the most famous boxers in history, and Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great.
We can also find several examples of mentors in the Bible. Although in later days, Saul hated David and wanted to kill him, David looked up to Saul as the chosen one of God. Elisha learned under Elijah’s tutorship until God sent a fiery chariot and a whirlwind to receive Elijah up into heaven. Paul encouraged Timothy, a young preacher of the Word, and Paul himself had been mentored by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Additionally, Paul mentioned the mentorship of children by guardians in Galatians 4:2 while Solomon referred to the foolishness of discarding the sound advice of teachers and parents in Proverbs 5:13.
The world is in dire need of Christian mentors, especially when we see a growing tendency toward not only the removal of God’s name from schools and government buildings but the replacement of Christian values with the promotion of educational classes and “family” TV programs devoted to such sins as homosexuality, promiscuity and abortion, and adultery. Even advertisers are encouraging non-Christian values as they seek to sell items that should have no connection with religious or social values, such as fast food or deodorant.
As we as mature Christian women face the ever growing temptation to become complacent about sinfulness, we can only imagine how difficult it must be for those who have not learned of Christ or do not understand the gospel adequately enough to recognize the hope in following Him. After all, in their eyes, how fun can it be as the subject of ridicule by peers, the media and special interest groups?
We know that such things are temporary and that a much better reward awaits us in heaven, but do we know because someone taught us a much better way? Do we offer this hope to our loved ones and friends? We know that Christ commanded the disciples to go into all of the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) and they did through the spreading of the gospel to everyone they knew. Jesus expects the same from us; yet do we practice this on a regular basis? “All of the world” could mean a vast expanse to a missionary who travels to foreign soil but “all of the world” may mean to us our neighborhood, place of employment, families and friendships.
God has plans for us before we are born, as acknowledged by David in Psalm 139:13 and by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5. We were planned to live in this particular time to reach the people we encounter. Surely one else in the world shares our identical influence on the same circle of friends, family and coworkers as each of us do. God has plans for us where we are and that is both a comforting thought and a serious one. If we miss the opportunity to lead one person to Christ, we not only have affected their soul but perhaps the souls of every person with whom they have contact. It would be impossible for one person to teach every person on earth about Jesus, but as the apostles did in the first century, we can influence those who are close to us to reach out to their own friends and thus spread the Word far and wide.
Let’s devote our lives tomorrow to spreading the gospel as far as we can, serving as mentors to those who are seeking hope in their lives. Remember, a mentor is “a trusted counselor or guide”, and who else can better mentor others than Christians who are mature in God’s Word? God expects the older women in the church to mentor the younger women, but this does not mean that only older women should be teaching. Young women sometimes view themselves in the younger women category, looking to others to serve as teachers; yet even teenagers and young adults can be mentors to younger children. Titus 2:3-4 teaches us that properly training others to be good Christian women, reverent, sober and loving to our husbands, leads to the passing along of this training to those who are less experienced. Each generation passes along faith in God to the next generation and thus the Lord’s church is spread throughout the Creation.
Let’s make a difference in the world one person at a time. Our nation desperately needs such mentors as it faces dark times. God bless us all as Christian women seeking to mentor those who need guidance and to spread the gospel of hope and love to everyone around us.
There are many examples of mentors throughout history and likely nearly every single human being can list someone who has helped shaped who they are. Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and an accomplished composer himself, mentored Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the science-fiction realm, Isaac Asimov served as a mentor to Gene Roddenberry. Floyd Mayweather, Sr. mentored Oscar De La Hoya, one of the most famous boxers in history, and Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great.
We can also find several examples of mentors in the Bible. Although in later days, Saul hated David and wanted to kill him, David looked up to Saul as the chosen one of God. Elisha learned under Elijah’s tutorship until God sent a fiery chariot and a whirlwind to receive Elijah up into heaven. Paul encouraged Timothy, a young preacher of the Word, and Paul himself had been mentored by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Additionally, Paul mentioned the mentorship of children by guardians in Galatians 4:2 while Solomon referred to the foolishness of discarding the sound advice of teachers and parents in Proverbs 5:13.
The world is in dire need of Christian mentors, especially when we see a growing tendency toward not only the removal of God’s name from schools and government buildings but the replacement of Christian values with the promotion of educational classes and “family” TV programs devoted to such sins as homosexuality, promiscuity and abortion, and adultery. Even advertisers are encouraging non-Christian values as they seek to sell items that should have no connection with religious or social values, such as fast food or deodorant.
As we as mature Christian women face the ever growing temptation to become complacent about sinfulness, we can only imagine how difficult it must be for those who have not learned of Christ or do not understand the gospel adequately enough to recognize the hope in following Him. After all, in their eyes, how fun can it be as the subject of ridicule by peers, the media and special interest groups?
We know that such things are temporary and that a much better reward awaits us in heaven, but do we know because someone taught us a much better way? Do we offer this hope to our loved ones and friends? We know that Christ commanded the disciples to go into all of the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) and they did through the spreading of the gospel to everyone they knew. Jesus expects the same from us; yet do we practice this on a regular basis? “All of the world” could mean a vast expanse to a missionary who travels to foreign soil but “all of the world” may mean to us our neighborhood, place of employment, families and friendships.
God has plans for us before we are born, as acknowledged by David in Psalm 139:13 and by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5. We were planned to live in this particular time to reach the people we encounter. Surely one else in the world shares our identical influence on the same circle of friends, family and coworkers as each of us do. God has plans for us where we are and that is both a comforting thought and a serious one. If we miss the opportunity to lead one person to Christ, we not only have affected their soul but perhaps the souls of every person with whom they have contact. It would be impossible for one person to teach every person on earth about Jesus, but as the apostles did in the first century, we can influence those who are close to us to reach out to their own friends and thus spread the Word far and wide.
Let’s devote our lives tomorrow to spreading the gospel as far as we can, serving as mentors to those who are seeking hope in their lives. Remember, a mentor is “a trusted counselor or guide”, and who else can better mentor others than Christians who are mature in God’s Word? God expects the older women in the church to mentor the younger women, but this does not mean that only older women should be teaching. Young women sometimes view themselves in the younger women category, looking to others to serve as teachers; yet even teenagers and young adults can be mentors to younger children. Titus 2:3-4 teaches us that properly training others to be good Christian women, reverent, sober and loving to our husbands, leads to the passing along of this training to those who are less experienced. Each generation passes along faith in God to the next generation and thus the Lord’s church is spread throughout the Creation.
Let’s make a difference in the world one person at a time. Our nation desperately needs such mentors as it faces dark times. God bless us all as Christian women seeking to mentor those who need guidance and to spread the gospel of hope and love to everyone around us.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Keep On Keeping On
Today’s Passage: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1
One of the hardest qualities for me to fully develop has been perseverance when facing day-to-day activities. I’m not sure why, but I have found that it is easier for me to face cancer treatments than a laundry basket some days! This is likely an extreme case, but probably all of us have been overwhelmed by a task at some point in our lives. Sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other and taking the steps to get past the troubles can be daunting and it takes extreme willpower to move forward. These are the times when God’s blessing of perseverance can provide us with that extra boost.
Perseverance is the characteristic of stick-to-itiveness, to “keep on keeping on”. It is the little train who kept saying, "I think I can, I think I can" and finally got up the hill. It is the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again..."
Long distance runners do not generally begin running 27 miles at first. Instead, they often practice a couple of miles and then build up to 3 miles, then four, until they are finally able to run a marathon. They work on techniques they can control such as the right shoes, the right gait and rhythm for their particular body build, and proper workouts and muscle building exercises in order to prevent injuries. Professional runners ensure that they take in the correct calories prior to a race and are hydrated to prevent muscle cramps. All of these activities are designed to better enable the athlete to finish the race successfully.
The same is true of the Christian race. Our journeys toward the goal of heaven are not spent by waiting until the last minute to run, hoping that we know what to do and how to do it by sheer luck or determination. On the contrary, we should prepare just as an athlete prepares by reading material that will increase our knowledge (God’s Word) and then put this knowledge into practice. We should continue to grow stronger as we learn, step by step, as we run our paths daily in preparation for the greatest race of our lives: our eternal home in heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as well as our fellow saints who have endured to the end.
How can we prepare for this race? God’s Word provides us with the answer.
One of the hardest qualities for me to fully develop has been perseverance when facing day-to-day activities. I’m not sure why, but I have found that it is easier for me to face cancer treatments than a laundry basket some days! This is likely an extreme case, but probably all of us have been overwhelmed by a task at some point in our lives. Sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other and taking the steps to get past the troubles can be daunting and it takes extreme willpower to move forward. These are the times when God’s blessing of perseverance can provide us with that extra boost.
Perseverance is the characteristic of stick-to-itiveness, to “keep on keeping on”. It is the little train who kept saying, "I think I can, I think I can" and finally got up the hill. It is the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again..."
Long distance runners do not generally begin running 27 miles at first. Instead, they often practice a couple of miles and then build up to 3 miles, then four, until they are finally able to run a marathon. They work on techniques they can control such as the right shoes, the right gait and rhythm for their particular body build, and proper workouts and muscle building exercises in order to prevent injuries. Professional runners ensure that they take in the correct calories prior to a race and are hydrated to prevent muscle cramps. All of these activities are designed to better enable the athlete to finish the race successfully.
The same is true of the Christian race. Our journeys toward the goal of heaven are not spent by waiting until the last minute to run, hoping that we know what to do and how to do it by sheer luck or determination. On the contrary, we should prepare just as an athlete prepares by reading material that will increase our knowledge (God’s Word) and then put this knowledge into practice. We should continue to grow stronger as we learn, step by step, as we run our paths daily in preparation for the greatest race of our lives: our eternal home in heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as well as our fellow saints who have endured to the end.
How can we prepare for this race? God’s Word provides us with the answer.
We must have the knowledge of God’s Word in order to know what is required of us. To know the truth and be sure that we have been taught correctly, we must study the Word for ourselves. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
We must put into practice what we have read and seek to live according to God’s law of liberty. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me (Paul), or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9
We must be prepared to train others for the race by teaching them of Christ and of the joy we have within us because we are saved. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” I Peter 3:15
We must acknowledge each setback we experience due to our own sinfulness and seek forgiveness of these sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
We must realize that our training will likely be difficult because only by these trials can we become stronger. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
We must have faith that no matter how inexperienced or weak we may feel, we must never give up the race. Thankfully, we have examples in the Bible of those who kept their faith through the direst of circumstances and were rewarded greatly afterward. “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5:11
We must remember that Christ was willing to run the race as well and that we are not left alone to fight the battle ourselves. Jesus paid a great price for the burdens he bore for our sins. He did not enjoy his suffering, yet he endured it in our stead. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
We must remember that our hope lies in finishing the race. If we begin preparing only to give up later, we are in a worst condition than we were before we started. “If they (false teachers) have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21
We must remember that Christ follows us along the race, knowing how difficult it is yet that it may be conquered through Him. “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.” Revelation 5:5
We must keep in mind that God waits at the finish line, ready to welcome us in. “…Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4
As we put into practice the perseverance that God provides us, we know that His reward will be greater than any struggles we have faced on earth. As Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.
That makes everything worthwhile, doesn’t it? Paul further encourages Christian to “keep on keeping on” in this manner: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36
Let’s be that little train that wouldn’t give up: “I think I can, I think I can…” God bless you today and always as we run the race together!
Monday, June 8, 2009
A Christian in the Last Days
A Christian in the Last Days
Monday, June 08, 2009
Today’s passage: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:2-7
This passage describes how the world will be in the “last days”. Overcome with sin, these people can be compared to the people in Noah’s day and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah before their destruction. Evil has abounded since Cain’s murder of Abel and in fact can be traced back to Satan’s temptation and man’s selfishness.
Every day we hear of murders, rapes and burglaries due to the selfishness and hatred of humankind. We can probably list people in every category above, but have we looked inward as well? Our tendency is to look for “really bad” people to which we can compare ourselves because it makes us feel as if we are good. Yet, our standard should not be others’ lives but instead, the Word of God. Comparing ourselves to Christ and His life can suddenly change this elevated view of ourselves.
If all man sins, how can we overcome? If these are the qualities of the people who live in the world around us, then what are Christians to be? An antonym of each sin listed will serve to show us what qualities we should have as Christian women.
Christian Characteristics:
1. Denying self and noticing/caring for others
2. Giving to others; not neglectful of family
3. Encouraging, complimentary; give anonymously
4. Humble; recognize accomplishments of others
5. Compassionate; not abusive or harsh
6. Obedient to parents, employer, authority figures (unless contrary to God’s law)
7. Thankful and grateful
8. Holy, striving for purity
9. Loving and considerate
10. Forgiving of others
11. Truthful, sincere, trustworthy
12. In control of our emotions
13. Gentle and kind
14. Loving good and shunning evil; speaking out for the right
15. Safe, respectful of God’s gift of life
16. Thoughtful, considerate
17. Meek, low-maintenance
18. Lovers of God and His people
19. Glorifying God and thanking Him for our talents
How can we know how to recognize these sins so that we can overcome them? Only by studying can we do so. God grants wisdom if we ask, but we are expected to acquire the knowledge in order to apply it correctly. Wisdom is the correct application of the knowledge we have learned through our own study of the Word.
Notice the last few verses of the passage: “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” As women, we have the responsibility to learn the truth so that we aren’t confused into believing falsehood. Generally speaking, women are more tenderhearted and gentle than men and this can lead to decision making that comes from our feelings instead of our mind. Although there are plenty of exceptions, women typically are led by emotion as opposed to men who can be very rational. (God intended this because we are the perfect complement to each other!)
While compassion is a blessing to us as women, if we are not solid in the Word, we can believe something because it makes us feel good. The Bereans did not trust Paul based on hearing his teachings alone. They verified that he spoke the truth by their own daily studies of the Word as expressed in Acts 17:11.
No matter how wonderful and intelligent our preacher, elders and deacons, teachers or parents seem to be, we should reject any teaching that cannot be verified in the Scriptures. Paul himself wrote this to the church at Galatia: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:8. The Bible contains all that we need for salvation and no new revelation is needed. If it can’t be verified in the Word, it shouldn’t be accepted as truth.
We see that evil can pretend to be light as evident by Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” II Corinthians 11:14. We can be easily misled if we are not well-studied in the Scriptures and ready to recognize sin.
As women, we seldom leave our clothes or jewelry at home, but we should ensure that we put on the characteristics of a Christian every time we awake. These 19 characteristics will serve us well. And the best part is that they are free and they match every outfit!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Today’s passage: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:2-7
This passage describes how the world will be in the “last days”. Overcome with sin, these people can be compared to the people in Noah’s day and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah before their destruction. Evil has abounded since Cain’s murder of Abel and in fact can be traced back to Satan’s temptation and man’s selfishness.
Every day we hear of murders, rapes and burglaries due to the selfishness and hatred of humankind. We can probably list people in every category above, but have we looked inward as well? Our tendency is to look for “really bad” people to which we can compare ourselves because it makes us feel as if we are good. Yet, our standard should not be others’ lives but instead, the Word of God. Comparing ourselves to Christ and His life can suddenly change this elevated view of ourselves.
If all man sins, how can we overcome? If these are the qualities of the people who live in the world around us, then what are Christians to be? An antonym of each sin listed will serve to show us what qualities we should have as Christian women.
Christian Characteristics:
1. Denying self and noticing/caring for others
2. Giving to others; not neglectful of family
3. Encouraging, complimentary; give anonymously
4. Humble; recognize accomplishments of others
5. Compassionate; not abusive or harsh
6. Obedient to parents, employer, authority figures (unless contrary to God’s law)
7. Thankful and grateful
8. Holy, striving for purity
9. Loving and considerate
10. Forgiving of others
11. Truthful, sincere, trustworthy
12. In control of our emotions
13. Gentle and kind
14. Loving good and shunning evil; speaking out for the right
15. Safe, respectful of God’s gift of life
16. Thoughtful, considerate
17. Meek, low-maintenance
18. Lovers of God and His people
19. Glorifying God and thanking Him for our talents
How can we know how to recognize these sins so that we can overcome them? Only by studying can we do so. God grants wisdom if we ask, but we are expected to acquire the knowledge in order to apply it correctly. Wisdom is the correct application of the knowledge we have learned through our own study of the Word.
Notice the last few verses of the passage: “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” As women, we have the responsibility to learn the truth so that we aren’t confused into believing falsehood. Generally speaking, women are more tenderhearted and gentle than men and this can lead to decision making that comes from our feelings instead of our mind. Although there are plenty of exceptions, women typically are led by emotion as opposed to men who can be very rational. (God intended this because we are the perfect complement to each other!)
While compassion is a blessing to us as women, if we are not solid in the Word, we can believe something because it makes us feel good. The Bereans did not trust Paul based on hearing his teachings alone. They verified that he spoke the truth by their own daily studies of the Word as expressed in Acts 17:11.
No matter how wonderful and intelligent our preacher, elders and deacons, teachers or parents seem to be, we should reject any teaching that cannot be verified in the Scriptures. Paul himself wrote this to the church at Galatia: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:8. The Bible contains all that we need for salvation and no new revelation is needed. If it can’t be verified in the Word, it shouldn’t be accepted as truth.
We see that evil can pretend to be light as evident by Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth: “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” II Corinthians 11:14. We can be easily misled if we are not well-studied in the Scriptures and ready to recognize sin.
As women, we seldom leave our clothes or jewelry at home, but we should ensure that we put on the characteristics of a Christian every time we awake. These 19 characteristics will serve us well. And the best part is that they are free and they match every outfit!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Lord’s Day
Today’s verse: “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 188:24
Today is the day of the Lord. May we all enjoy fellowship today with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and participate in the worship of the Lord with reverence and sincerity.
Online Worship Services
For those of you who are sick or in the hospital or unable to leave your home due to physical ailments, worship services at various congregations are available online so that you may participate. The services of Olathe, Kansas helped me during my long transplant recovery:
http://www.olathecoc.org/default.asp If you visit this page during their regularly scheduled times, you can view the adult Bible class, sing along to gospel hymns and participate in the entire worship service.
Additionally, many congregations offer the Lord’s Supper to members of the church who cannot leave their homes. Meaningful Sundays were spent in my hospital room with at least one of my family members participating in the Olathe services with me via my laptop. Either my husband or an elder from a nearby congregation offered communion so that I was not left out. Praise be to God for the Lifeline Chaplaincy program at various medical centers!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Priceless Pearls are daily devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
To receive these daily devotionals, please choose one of the following options:
Via BLOG (Atom/RSS Feed): Click on your Feed button or the Atom link at http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/
Via EMAIL: Visit our Yahoo group site to receive via email http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pricelesspearls/
Via Website: Bookmark our devotionals page to read the devotionals online http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/.
Visit us online for Bible study and teaching resources:
http://www.pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
If you have any comments, suggestions or requests, please contact the author at contact@pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
Thank you for joining our new community. God bless you as you seek to follow His will.
Today is the day of the Lord. May we all enjoy fellowship today with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and participate in the worship of the Lord with reverence and sincerity.
Online Worship Services
For those of you who are sick or in the hospital or unable to leave your home due to physical ailments, worship services at various congregations are available online so that you may participate. The services of Olathe, Kansas helped me during my long transplant recovery:
http://www.olathecoc.org/default.asp If you visit this page during their regularly scheduled times, you can view the adult Bible class, sing along to gospel hymns and participate in the entire worship service.
Additionally, many congregations offer the Lord’s Supper to members of the church who cannot leave their homes. Meaningful Sundays were spent in my hospital room with at least one of my family members participating in the Olathe services with me via my laptop. Either my husband or an elder from a nearby congregation offered communion so that I was not left out. Praise be to God for the Lifeline Chaplaincy program at various medical centers!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Priceless Pearls are daily devotionals for women to remind us of Christ's love for us and how we can grow as Christian women in today's society.
To receive these daily devotionals, please choose one of the following options:
Via BLOG (Atom/RSS Feed): Click on your Feed button or the Atom link at http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/
Via EMAIL: Visit our Yahoo group site to receive via email http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pricelesspearls/
Via Website: Bookmark our devotionals page to read the devotionals online http://pricelesspearlsdevotionals.blogspot.com/.
Visit us online for Bible study and teaching resources:
http://www.pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
If you have any comments, suggestions or requests, please contact the author at contact@pricelesspearlsdevotionals.com
Thank you for joining our new community. God bless you as you seek to follow His will.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound
Today’s verse: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7
I have always been moved by the story of John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace”. He lived a hopeless, desperate lifestyle filled with tragedy and dangers until that fateful day in 1748 when he was caught up into a powerful storm on the sea. His fear led him to cry out to the Lord and eventually, his lifestyle changed dramatically to one of reliance on God.
In addition to the beautiful poetry that comprises our version of this well known song, another verse was written by Newton that is equally as compassionate and moving:
“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below, shall be forever mine.”
God’s gifts of grace, mercy and love are the most precious gifts we could ever receive, especially given our tendency as humans to neglect our relationships with Him at times or fail to share these gifts with our dear friends and neighbors. Yet although we were inherently selfish and full of sin, God chose to give us the greatest gift of all: His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of us all.
In our present bodies, we can never fully comprehend the enormous sacrifice God made to us by offering His only Son, equal to Himself, to be humbled to the position of a lowly servant for the remission of our sins and to be nailed on a cruel and lonely cross instead of a murderer and insurrectionist who more justly deserved to be punished. Jehovah in His great wisdom and power planned the most precious gift of His Son for the very people who, motivated by jealousy and hatred, would falsely testify against Jesus and cry out for His death. Our Savior and Lord willingly succumbed to this abuse in order to fulfill His Father’s desire for us, who will never merit such love, to live with Him in Heaven forever comforted by His love and protection.
Tears of shame at my own sinfulness flow as I struggle to understand why the Father and Creator of mankind would seek this relationship with us. How can such forgiveness exist and why is it bestowed on unloving and selfish creatures as humankind? I deeply relate to Job's realization that he was infinitesimally insignificant in comparison to the Giver of Life and Lord of all Creation. Job, in his attempts to understand such a difficult concept, cried out, "What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18).
Upon being awakened to the trivialness of his existence in contrast to the significance and awesome power of God, David similarly asked, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5).
Praise Jehovah for His concern for us above all other creatures! He knows everything about us, including the very hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30), because He chooses to have this loving relationship with us.
Someday the faithful will know fully what now we only see in part. God’s amazing grace will be completely bestowed to us as we are welcomed into our eternal home with open arms. This thought reminds me of the last stanza of a poem I wrote a few years ago for a Ladies’ Day event at which I was honored to serve as a speaker. I pray that it will reach each of you and help you to feel the love, peace and blessings of God our Father today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Thank you, dear friends, for sharing these studies of God’s Word with me.
The LORD is Always Near
‘Neath the wings of His sheltering arm,
The Lord protects us, both night and day
Though the powers of darkness surround us,
In our haven of rest, the Lord with us does stay.
And even through the valley of the shadow of death,
We will fear no alarm, for our Christ lights the way
He gives us our strength, our courage and wisdom
To face our temptations and chase them away
With His peace, hope and love He blankets us safe,
And keeps us from harm as we sleep through the night
And in the morn, when we awake to the Sun,
We can begin our task anew to “fight the good fight”.
Our Father remains our shelter in the midst of the storm
He never leaves our side – His love is always near
May we never forget this, though we struggle at times,
That we will always be women whom our Lord holds dear.
For if we remain faithful to defend His just cause,
And love one another without bitterness or pride,
We know that someday, when He calls us Home,
That He’ll welcome us in, with His arms open wide.
Amy Lemmons
Authored in 2002
I have always been moved by the story of John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace”. He lived a hopeless, desperate lifestyle filled with tragedy and dangers until that fateful day in 1748 when he was caught up into a powerful storm on the sea. His fear led him to cry out to the Lord and eventually, his lifestyle changed dramatically to one of reliance on God.
In addition to the beautiful poetry that comprises our version of this well known song, another verse was written by Newton that is equally as compassionate and moving:
“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below, shall be forever mine.”
God’s gifts of grace, mercy and love are the most precious gifts we could ever receive, especially given our tendency as humans to neglect our relationships with Him at times or fail to share these gifts with our dear friends and neighbors. Yet although we were inherently selfish and full of sin, God chose to give us the greatest gift of all: His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of us all.
In our present bodies, we can never fully comprehend the enormous sacrifice God made to us by offering His only Son, equal to Himself, to be humbled to the position of a lowly servant for the remission of our sins and to be nailed on a cruel and lonely cross instead of a murderer and insurrectionist who more justly deserved to be punished. Jehovah in His great wisdom and power planned the most precious gift of His Son for the very people who, motivated by jealousy and hatred, would falsely testify against Jesus and cry out for His death. Our Savior and Lord willingly succumbed to this abuse in order to fulfill His Father’s desire for us, who will never merit such love, to live with Him in Heaven forever comforted by His love and protection.
Tears of shame at my own sinfulness flow as I struggle to understand why the Father and Creator of mankind would seek this relationship with us. How can such forgiveness exist and why is it bestowed on unloving and selfish creatures as humankind? I deeply relate to Job's realization that he was infinitesimally insignificant in comparison to the Giver of Life and Lord of all Creation. Job, in his attempts to understand such a difficult concept, cried out, "What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18).
Upon being awakened to the trivialness of his existence in contrast to the significance and awesome power of God, David similarly asked, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5).
Praise Jehovah for His concern for us above all other creatures! He knows everything about us, including the very hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30), because He chooses to have this loving relationship with us.
Someday the faithful will know fully what now we only see in part. God’s amazing grace will be completely bestowed to us as we are welcomed into our eternal home with open arms. This thought reminds me of the last stanza of a poem I wrote a few years ago for a Ladies’ Day event at which I was honored to serve as a speaker. I pray that it will reach each of you and help you to feel the love, peace and blessings of God our Father today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Thank you, dear friends, for sharing these studies of God’s Word with me.
The LORD is Always Near
‘Neath the wings of His sheltering arm,
The Lord protects us, both night and day
Though the powers of darkness surround us,
In our haven of rest, the Lord with us does stay.
And even through the valley of the shadow of death,
We will fear no alarm, for our Christ lights the way
He gives us our strength, our courage and wisdom
To face our temptations and chase them away
With His peace, hope and love He blankets us safe,
And keeps us from harm as we sleep through the night
And in the morn, when we awake to the Sun,
We can begin our task anew to “fight the good fight”.
Our Father remains our shelter in the midst of the storm
He never leaves our side – His love is always near
May we never forget this, though we struggle at times,
That we will always be women whom our Lord holds dear.
For if we remain faithful to defend His just cause,
And love one another without bitterness or pride,
We know that someday, when He calls us Home,
That He’ll welcome us in, with His arms open wide.
Amy Lemmons
Authored in 2002
Friday, June 5, 2009
What Kind of Letter Am I?
Today’s Passage: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
This passage is so dear to me. Paul pours out his feelings for the church at Corinth because of their examples to the community. I wonder sometimes what sort of epistle I am since I am “known and read by everybody”. Am I a letter of love and faithfulness, encouragement and joy? Do I reflect a genuine love and concern for those around me? This passage reminds me of our recent study of Jesus’ statement that we are to be lights of the world. Similarly, we as Christian women are open letters to the people we encounter in our daily lives.
When met with an impossible deadline, do we fly off the handle or respond with apparent stress, or do we pause, say a quick prayer to the Lord and then face our struggles with the realization that we will do our best and have faith that He will handle the rest? If a family member or friend says something that is hurtful, do we react in quick anger or do we give them the benefit of the doubt that perhaps we misunderstood?
I am sorry to say that a calm and courageous demeanor is not always my response to a sudden pitfall in the road. I tend to react quickly and then must apologize for my hastiness if it was not the proper response. If I fail to respond positively to an unexpected situation, the problem can quickly grow into a devastating setback.
God does not want us to carry around the burdens of fear, anxiety, anger or hopelessness. He wants us to be letters from the heart and soul of Jesus Christ; he desires that we portray calmness when the world might fall apart. Several passages in the Bible serve to instill the peace and comfort that can only come from God and to put others at ease as we put into practice these valuable attributes.
In Psalm 94:19, the psalmist writes, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”
“So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless,” writes Solomon in Ecclesiastes 11:10. What is meaningful instead? “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: ‘Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man’.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The Lord wants us to seek His comfort and cast off worry as we read in Matthew 6:25-34:“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Additionally, Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” I Timothy 1:7.
As a final example, Peter teaches us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7
So what kind of letter am I in the world? Am I a letter of peace and joy or one of anxiety and fear? Will my fellow coworkers and friends want to follow Christ because of the letter written on my heart? Do I reflect to others that I have given my fears to the Lord because His shoulders are much broader than mine or have I chosen by my actions that I don’t have enough faith in God to take care of my worries?
Let us open our letters of joy and gladness today and bring peace to everyone around us through the peace that we have first received from the Lord. May God bless each and every one of you as you seek to follow Him!
This passage is so dear to me. Paul pours out his feelings for the church at Corinth because of their examples to the community. I wonder sometimes what sort of epistle I am since I am “known and read by everybody”. Am I a letter of love and faithfulness, encouragement and joy? Do I reflect a genuine love and concern for those around me? This passage reminds me of our recent study of Jesus’ statement that we are to be lights of the world. Similarly, we as Christian women are open letters to the people we encounter in our daily lives.
When met with an impossible deadline, do we fly off the handle or respond with apparent stress, or do we pause, say a quick prayer to the Lord and then face our struggles with the realization that we will do our best and have faith that He will handle the rest? If a family member or friend says something that is hurtful, do we react in quick anger or do we give them the benefit of the doubt that perhaps we misunderstood?
I am sorry to say that a calm and courageous demeanor is not always my response to a sudden pitfall in the road. I tend to react quickly and then must apologize for my hastiness if it was not the proper response. If I fail to respond positively to an unexpected situation, the problem can quickly grow into a devastating setback.
God does not want us to carry around the burdens of fear, anxiety, anger or hopelessness. He wants us to be letters from the heart and soul of Jesus Christ; he desires that we portray calmness when the world might fall apart. Several passages in the Bible serve to instill the peace and comfort that can only come from God and to put others at ease as we put into practice these valuable attributes.
In Psalm 94:19, the psalmist writes, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”
“So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless,” writes Solomon in Ecclesiastes 11:10. What is meaningful instead? “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: ‘Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man’.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The Lord wants us to seek His comfort and cast off worry as we read in Matthew 6:25-34:“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Additionally, Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” I Timothy 1:7.
As a final example, Peter teaches us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7
So what kind of letter am I in the world? Am I a letter of peace and joy or one of anxiety and fear? Will my fellow coworkers and friends want to follow Christ because of the letter written on my heart? Do I reflect to others that I have given my fears to the Lord because His shoulders are much broader than mine or have I chosen by my actions that I don’t have enough faith in God to take care of my worries?
Let us open our letters of joy and gladness today and bring peace to everyone around us through the peace that we have first received from the Lord. May God bless each and every one of you as you seek to follow Him!
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