Victory guaranteed!

Deuteronomy 4; Psalms 86–87; Isaiah 32; Revelation 2

My little booklet of common prayer reminds me to think about the day God saved me. Even after fifty years, it is a vivid memory. That fall day, I was reading a book from the library about reincarnation in my concern about what would happen to me when I died. I’d read the Bible for many years and could not understand it. I’d gone to Sunday School and church and didn’t remember hearing any answers. I was newly divorced, emotionally messy, and feeling alone and a failure.

I was sitting on the sofa in my living room. There was a verse of Scripture in that book, used out of context yet I don’t remember what it was. I only remember the brilliance of light as Jesus seemed to walk into the room. In that moment, I knew He was God in human flesh and that He came to save me from my sin.

Much of the Bible speaks of salvation by faith, of new life, of being reborn. I know that all of this is a gift, not something I figured out or understood by my intellectual self. It was a surprise, totally unplanned for I had no idea prior that such a thing could happen. I can still feel the awe that God was in my living room and that He revealed Himself to me, a total messed up person.

Today’s reading plan gave me several verses, delighting my heart this morning as they also remind me of what the Lord did for me those many years ago — and continues to do.

To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. (Deuteronomy 4:35–36)

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. (Psalm 86:12–13)

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. (Isaiah 32:16–18)

Revelation 2 has four of seven letters written to seven churches in various stages of their faith and behavior. Each of them ends with a promise to those who conquer or overcome the situations that challenge them. These promises include:

• Eating from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)
• Not being hurt by the second death.(Revelation 2:11)
• Receiving hidden manna and a new name.(Revelation 17)
• Receiving the Morning Star (Jesus).(Revelation 2:28)
• Clothed in white, name in the book of life. (Revelation 3:5)
• Becoming a pillar in the temple of God written with His names. (Revelation 3:12)
• Seated with Christ in the heavens . (Revelation 3:21)

All these are granted to every individual who believes in Jesus Christ and are given/guaranteed at the moment of salvation! We have no excuse if our local church is not conquering and living up to the gifts that God has given each of us as individuals. Whether God sends a revival or not, those who have saving faith in Him will step into eternity as overcomers!

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4–5)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

APPLY: I am a child of God, a soldier of His army, a member of His Body. I must live like it, rejoice in it, focus on what He has done and hold my head up — I am an overcomer, a conqueror. Victory over sin is mine because of Jesus!

A prayer for revival

Deuteronomy 3; Psalm 85; Isaiah 31; Revelation 1

The church is in a precarious time. We have a God-given mandate to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth yet many segments of the church have failed. Even those whose goals match God’s goals are severely persecuted and some simply give up or go into hiding. I know this generalizes the problems, yet many agree that we need restoration and a return to our mandate.

Isaiah warned God’s people in his day and continues to do so. He says:

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. (Isaiah 31:1–3)

Egypt suggests bondage, slavery to sin — a life of doing my own thing and not relying on God. God says those who do that, even though their abilities may seem very strong, will find themselves in trouble. The biggest problem is when I do things “the way I’ve always done them” I’m often not aware that I’ve slipped away from listening to and following the Lord. It isn’t that my way is overtly bad or stands out as rebellion but that I have not consulted the Lord who rules the world. In the same way, when the church becomes a social club, or anything other than what God intended, we need revival.

If I have ever thought or said that I don’t know how to pray for revival, Lord forgive me. The instruction is in Your Word. This psalm is my prayer:

Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. (Psalm 85:1–13)

In the last book of the Bible, Jesus reveals Himself and future events to the Apostle John who was exiled for his faith. John wrote this Revelation to the church then and to the church today. He pointed us to this hope:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:4–8)

APPLY: No one knows when Jesus will return. All I know is that I’d rather He not find me doing my own thing, messing around with stuff that has no eternal value, and ignoring His voice, replacing obedience with frivolity. He is the Lord God, the Almighty who rules over all. May I listen and obey, be part of what He wants done rather than opt for anything else. Jesus, enable me to glorify You today.

 

Review, count my blessings . . .

Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83–84; Isaiah 30; Jude

Deuteronomy is a rehash of the three books before it, which tells me it is important to review all that God has done and even take a backward glance now and then at my failures. Both remind me of His great faithfulness and my great sinfulness and need to always trust Him.

Both that Bible book and Isaiah repeat God’s warning: Do not go back to Egypt. The application is clear. They were in bondage in that worldly place just as I was in bondage to sin before Christ took me out of that condition. Like Deuteronomy, Isaiah reminds God’s people of their rebellion:

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. (Isaiah 30:15–16)

His next section is positive. He tells God’s people and me that even though we have resisted the Lord and gone our own way so often and so much, the Lord is not giving up:

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:18–21)

These are precious words. The Israelites may have shook their heads in wonder. Some of them didn’t listen and this message was repeated many times until the Messiah came. Even then, they missed the point; they could not save themselves. Their own way and the way of the world would not set them free. Only God’s saving power made possible by the sacrifice of His Son would clear their guilt and take them to the way of life He promised.

It is good to review and yet not my nature to think much about the past. I tend to forge ahead, putting everything behind me. This is not always a plus. Each evening I struggle to remember the blessings of the day and be thankful. If I were God, I would be right annoyed with me at times! Yet He “waits to be gracious” and “exalts Himself to show mercy” to me. This is a wonder. Not only that, He teaches me and continually guides my life and even uses the afflictions to show me His graciousness. I am in awe.

Jude makes the OT/NT connection clear when he writes, “Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt . . . .” My Savior was also their Savior. For many, they didn’t get it. I’m not to be stubborn and faithless but trust Him. He tells me to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

The bottom line is the glory of God and Jude also makes that clear:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25)

Today’s application is also clear: Remember what God has done and be grateful for His power to keep me on salvation’s path. Contend for the faith taught in these holy Scriptures and live it out so that God is glorified. Be eager to share this with others because so many people have no idea of the joy in Christ that can be theirs.