May 31, 2025

The fate of this world’s gods…

A few years ago a book came out describing the conflict of demonic forces with the world and God’s people. It was classified as fiction, but this psalm suggests otherwise along with hope in a very messy world. It tells how the true God comes to the assembly of the gods and rebukes them for the pattern of evil they have caused:

God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! (Psalm 82:1–8)
In the NT, these gods are called by different names: 
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Both OT and NT speak of their ability to ruin lives with their lies and activities:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (Hosea 4:6)
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
The truth of sin and redemption is hidden as these evil gods convince sinners that there is no God, that they are not sinful people, that Jesus is not real, and that He did not die and rise again, or any other lie that will keep them from a genuine, saving relationship with their Creator who loves them and sent Jesus to bring them forgiveness and eternal life.  

Psalm 82 calls them gods, sons of the Most High, meaning angels, but they are fallen angels. This title and identification is repeated elsewhere, such as: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them” (Job 1:6) These are not people but affirmed as created by God and are angels, but they will die like people because of their sin.

I find comfort in this psalm. Not only does the enemy of my soul and his forces have a judgment pronounced on them, but the NT says that the saving work of Jesus entirely defeated the devil and his power. 
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14)
Not only that, our true God gave us a way to overcome these enemies…
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
Because of the grace of God and just as the psalmist wrote, these evil gods are limited and like all who follow them, they will perish.
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
PRAY: Jesus, You affirm again that the devil and his cohorts will perish. I also know that sinful worldly attitudes and actions will eventually be judged. My third nemesis, the flesh, is already separated from God — and I’ve a new nature in You. You conquer all evil and give great comfort and joy, for which I am eternally thankful. 

 

May 30, 2025

Grieving Losses?

 

Yesterday a friend and I discussed the losses of growing older. In my mind, it was the loss of ability to do anything well apart from Christ. I was thinking of what He said:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)
In my friend’s mind, the losses were more like physical inabilities and mental acuity. Aging does affect the body and our faculties, however, I was not thinking about that so much. Yesterday, I read a long list of people who served God well into their old age. Last week I met a few people who are 90-100 and are going strong. Some have aches and pains but all had sharp minds.

Instead, I was thinking about serving the Lord only in the strength and direction He gives, and doing only His will and not my own. In other words, I was considering the loss of running my own life, doing what I thought was best, like making a mark in the world. The Lord has shown me the extent of human weakness is not mere physical or mental. It includes everything, even the abilities that I’ve had all my life. His Word says all of that is to be put off. Instead of relying on me or my talents, I’m to abide in Him, in weaknesses, but also in the things that could be called strengths.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:3–8) 

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
These verses are not just about spiritual matters and Christian service. They are about who I am, my character and what I rely on for everything I do. I try to explain this, but discover that many Christians separate their lives into secular and spiritual, ordinary life and spiritual. How can that be? Who do I model when I’m visiting family or buying groceries? Am I not to be like Jesus in everything, not just when at a prayer meeting or doing something “spiritual”? 

The desire to run any part of my life is from my old nature. God’s design is that I be like His Son, who said, “Not my will but thine” even as He sweat blood. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and lived that out in suffering the loss of all the “good” things he could have gloried it — to gain Christ. He also said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

Realizing the losses, such as the ability to plan my day my way, and so on actually reveals I trust me more than God. How silly is that! I feel the loss and sometimes look in the mirror and wonder who this person is for I am not the same as I was before. Even in my old age, I’m climbing a learning curve and sometimes struggle with the effort. Letting go of my will is a continual challenge and fills life with the surprises of realizing that God knows what He is doing!

PRAY: This week I obeyed You by sending a message to someone with info they needed. I expected a rebuttal or no answer at all but You surprised me with a positive response. Each day, doing what You say makes an incredible difference to time, effort, better use of the skills you give, and a greater sense of the importance of serving others. You remind me of that old cosmetic commercial where the woman said, “I’m not getting older; I’m getting better” only leave the “I” out of the last line. You, by the power of Your Spirit, never stop Your power to change, and do wonders beyond my imagination. 


May 29, 2025

No Excuses…

 

In thinking about what it means to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, the desire to be comfortable seems the most powerful issue for most of us, myself included. When illness or pain jumps in, my prayers are for healing and relief. I don’t want my body to suffer.

My old nature’s desires go deeper than skin. My mind wants to know answers, the bottom line of things. This results in impatience with God's timing and lack of trust that He even hears me. This is how my flesh thinks — too often.

Emotions factor in too, all the negative ones like sinful anger, fear, envy, hurt feelings, etc. As much as my old nature might want to be happy, that emotion is based on circumstances so I might be praying for all sorts of things that would make me happy.

Human desires to be noticed, praised, put first, have all I want (even call them needs), and that hunger to win prizes, perform perfectly, and get an A on everything comes from that fleshy nature too. The only way to overcome this me, me, me stuff is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and yielded to His control.

It is a daily thing, a moment by moment thing. If my cup is upright and He is poured in, the only thing that ruins it is sin, not mere outward actions (“But I’ve never murdered anyone”) but inner attitudes, expressed or not.

Piper writes about the importance of meditation on Scripture that stress the supernatural reality of my Christian life. He begins with: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) My mind argues that there are degrees of persecution but I cannot fool myself. If I were more public about faith, I could be a target.

Piper also says the Spirit-filled life is joyful with meaningful labor in the cause of Christ. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) This requires more than I can do. At my age, the flesh is too weak and tired to imitate it (some people try to do it in the flesh) so I can use that as an excuse to avoid the menial tasks and leave them to the younger people rather than seek the energy of the Spirit and do anything that requires more than my flesh can give.

The Apostle Paul puts my excuses where they belong. He said:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
All this reminds me that Moses was eighty when God put him to his most serious work. This link lists more who changed the world in their later life. My excuses need to be replaced by God's specific instructions. I’m not called to be a pastor or an evangelist, or anything that I’m not doing, only to daily walk in the Spirit and obey Him, whatever He asks me to do. No excuses or “yea, but” responses. I can confess my sin, but better to obey in the first place. As Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

PRAY: Lord, You whisper that making excuses can be a pride thing that addresses a selfish ambition to be more than I am and an attempt to explain why I’m not, but that dishonors You also. Your will for me is not the same as my prideful will for me. Instead of excusing it, I admit that I can want more for my own glory than wanting it for Your glory. Duh. Forgive all discontent and enable me to want only your will — so that You are glorified. Amen.


May 28, 2025

Flesh vs. Spirit — know the difference!

Today’s reading is about the necessity of being inhabited and guided and empowered by the Spirit of Christ. It seems this is not well understood. Some Christians talk as if they are doing this all the time because they have been saved, yet the NT warns believers about doing the opposite:

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another… But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:1–17)
In another passages, the NT describes the difference between a “natural person” and a “spiritual person.” It says: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” (1 Corinthians 2:14–15) This verse is a contrast between those who are not saved and those who are. In other words, I can understand the things of God because the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me that ability.

However, other verses like the those in Galatians, call Christians who act like natural persons “mere humans.” In this verse, it refers to those who boast of the leaders they are following:
For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1 Corinthians 3:4)

I’ve done this. We have moved many times because of my hubby’s work and when he was saved, we attended a church led by a well-known pastor. I’ve boasted about that. The Bible this is fleshy behavior.

It also says that old nature is dead (separated from God) and because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I have supernatural life flowing through me and can live with His power rather than my own. Galatians describes this by saying the flesh produces sin and selfishness but “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22–23). Some sins are subtle, or do not seem like sins but God has shown me if love, joy, peace, etc. are missing, then I am not walking in the Spirit but behaving as a mere human, not a spiritual person.

This is not about knowledge but about character. Adam and Eve fell into sin because they wanted to be like God in knowing things, but God wanted them to desire holiness. Had that tree offered it, the world would be drastically different from what it is now. I would not battle things like pride, envy or any other selfish thinking that leads to words and actions contrary to holiness.

Walking in the flesh is an affront to the new life that God gives, a life of humility and growing in likeness to Jesus Christ. James makes the contrast as a warning to believers who assume their salvation alone makes us what we ought to be…
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:14–18)
PRAY: Jesus, I’ve been thinking much about holiness, and becoming increasingly aware of the subtleness of the flesh that is earthly, unspiritual, even demonic, and how much damage it can do in my relationships with others and with You. I’m thankful that You died to set me free from sin, from the world and the devil, and mostly from that old nature called the flesh. Remind me often that I am a new creature, changed by You and able to live by Your Spirit instead of reverting to that old me. But that old requires recognition, confession, and repentance to stop it from taking dominion of how I think, talk, and behave.


May 27, 2025

Broken to make us united…

 

The term “broken” is often used by Christians to describe the way God deals with our selfishness. Instead of letting us be the boss of our lives, He ‘breaks’ that old nature using circumstances and other means to show us that the old person is dead in Christ and useless to God. However, when the NT speaks of Christ being the “Bread of life” and His body being broken for us, He had no sin to be dealt with.

In the NT, this metaphor is not literal nor about Jesus. His body was not broken, not one bone. Some decide this is an argument for Transubstantiation. Others say it signifies something about the church because the Bible also uses the term “body of Christ” when speaking of the church.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (Colossians 1:24)
When our church celebrates communion, Jesus is often quoted: “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” (Luke 22:19)

Each time I hear it, I tend to think of brokenness as first described — the way God deals with the old nature to ‘break’ our stubborn self-rule and bring us into a yielded body of believers. He wants us to be useful and fruitful to Him, united in our spirits.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4–5)
The old nature cannot do any of this. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned…” (1 Corinthians 2:14–15) Other verses describe this:
For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1 Corinthians 3:4)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)
There is no way we can be the church without this experience of a changed life. The call to deny myself for the sake of love, to return good for evil, to forgive seventy times seven, to endure one another, and to keep on doing this with joy for fifty or sixty or eighty years is not possible to the natural human. It is only possible supernaturally as Jesus said:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
All of this says that this breaking of bread is more about the church than it is about the physical body of Jesus. One verse puts it this way:
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)
But what about the brokenness? Is it the process of becoming yielded? Or something else? Is it about the unity of many different members? Or about Christ giving His body so that the many could be one?
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12–14)
Whatever Jesus meant, it was for us to remember. He died so that we could be His Body and when we take the bread, we need to remember that we are united to Him and to one another. As He said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

PRAY: Jesus, I do think of Your shed blood and Your battered body on that cross when I take communion. You prompt me to think also of those who take it along with me. We are one, unified because of You. I feel it and need to always remember it — as I remember all that You have done to make that unity possible; breaking sin’s hold on us by allowing Your own body to be nailed to that cross and allowing Your life to flow out that we might have life everlasting. 



May 26, 2025

Pray without ceasing?

 

In a weekly prayer time with 2-3 other women we formally pray, but also discuss our burdens and thoughts about walking with Jesus. We’ve agreed that God hears our discussions as prayer the same way He hears when we speak with bowed heads.

This morning I read a devotional thought that agrees. It says that “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is “the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts” flowing  ceaselessly without being conscious of it, and prayer is like that. Jesus keeps us in perfect relationship with God when we are obeying Him. Because this is so, our lives are the exercise of prayer. Because Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer and because His care is endless, I can be certain that He is continually at work to hear and answer me, whether I am speaking or not, and whether He is speaking to me or not.

This writer says we need to see what Jesus says about prayer and instead of excusing His words or trying to make sense of them, just do what He says about this fantastic privilege of having a two-way conversation with our Creator.

For instance, He says “When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) This warns me about praying to impress others, but also suggests that His answers may also be kept secret for a time.

Jesus makes prayer simple talk. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) I don’t need fancy or formal words.

I do need to persist though:
Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Luke 11:5–10)
And I also need to believe that He is going to do what I ask:
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:23-24)
But if I have a rift with others because of their sin, or any other reason, I need to first deal with that or any other sin of my own. He isn’t listening if I’m harboring unconfessed sin in any form:
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25)
Prayer is not all about what I want. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with praise and with a huge request: “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.’ ” (Luke 11:2) God’s priorities are far bigger than any requests about personal comfort!

I’m also to pray in His name, which is asking with the conviction that my requests represent His requests. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14) Far too often, prayer is a personal request for personal comfort, not to glorify God or a request based on knowing His will.

All of these instructions mean knowing what He wants, not only in how to pray but what to pray for. I cannot assume that because I want it, Jesus also wants the same thing. He might, but if my prayer is totally selfish, His answer will include conviction to talk with Him about His will instead of my own.

PRAY: Father, in the name of Your Son, enable my prayer life to be more like His, that You will be glorified and I have nothing to boast about. May I also realize that everything I think, or say, or do, is communication with You — and for that reason, I need to listen more than I speak.



May 25, 2025

Protesting Evil

Piper’s devotional for today is a letter to a company that advertised an erotic film in a place where it could be viewed by children. He gave sound reasons why this was wrong, not only for children but for society in general.

He didn’t publish the results, but I remember making a similar protest many years ago. A local corner store had a magazine section with several close-to-porn covers on lower shelves, clearly visible to children. I didn’t write a letter. I called for the manager and made a statement and left the store. The next time there, not only were those magazines moved, they were not even on any shelves! Sometimes it’s possible to make a difference just by speaking up.

Piper makes a good argument to that advertiser. Mine wasn’t much. What stands out to me is saying what needs to be said and having the courage to say it. This is an obedience thing. The Word of God generally focuses on rebuking sin in other Christians, but it does not leave out commands to hold the unsaved world accountable for their sin.

AI says these are the most damaging sins to others: murder, adultery, lying, deceit, exploitation, abuse, neglect of others, and gossip. In one reference, the NT lists these:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19–21)
Such sin is deadly to the person committing them, but also harmful to others. How many families have been split up or destroyed by sin? How many nations and cultures are not doing well because of sin?

While Christians know that change of heart comes through the activity of the Holy Spirit, we are responsible to give the Spirit our cooperation. Silent Christians are not useful. Neither are sinning, self-centered Christians, or those too fearful for losing their own comfort so stay silent rather than being persecuted.

But how do I know what the result will be? Asking a store owner to move magazines could have resulted in her saying, “There goes a goody-two-shoes” and laughing, or much worse, but it didn’t. I’ve not thought about it much, but speaking up could have saved someone from a life of addiction to that junk. That seems minor, but it is on the list of the junk that resides in the human heart. That junk defiles us as well as hurting others. Jesus said:
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:18–20)
While the NT speaks of my responsibility to warn others concerning their fate, the OT says if
I don’t, God will hold me accountable for their loss. The connection? If God wants me to speak so the Holy Spirit can use what I say, I must obey. I need to pay attention to His voice and do whatever He asks. My motivation is not to be thwarted by wanting my own comfort.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)
PRAY: Jesus. this is important stuff. You tell me that I “have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” and to “speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests my heart.” (1 Thessalonians 2:4) May I listen to know when to speak, and to know how to do it, and to trust You for the opportunities and the results.

 

May 24, 2025

Thankful for Jesus

A few weeks ago someone said “All the problems of the world would disappear if all people were simply thankful.” When I repeat this, most who listen stop and stare. One person said, “Instead of greedy.”

I see this in my own life. If I am grumpy about something, that quote makes me realize my bad attitude. I didn’t get what I wanted instead of being thankful for what I already have. An even deeper root is that I’m not trusting God as my supply. He knows my needs far better than I do.

Piper writes about integrity and about standing by our word, even if it hurts. This too is related to trusting God to supply all needs. Piper points to an OT story from 2 Chronicles 25:5–9.  It is about a king in Judah threatened by a pagan nation so he formed an army of his own men, then hired fighters from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God was not happy and used a prophet to tell this leader, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel.… God will bring you down before the enemy”

It is not hard to imagine his reaction. He made a large commitment of cash to Israeli troops. Should he stand by it when he tells them they are not needed? Money down the tube. While being greedy is not the same as being financially wise, this king was likely not too thankful that God stopped him from using hired soldiers.

God’s answer was a challenge to this man’s faith: “The LORD has much more to give to you than this.” As Piper writes, God told the king to trust Him and keep his word. Stand by your commitment knowing that God would take care of him. Integrity is always rewarded.

When I promise something, I’m to follow through and like God, keep my promises, even if it costs me dearly. My prayer should never be, “Oh dear, I’ve blown it and now I will suffer if I don’t back out.” Instead, it should be: “Lord, I goofed. However, I will do whatever I promised and trust You to cover my losses.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalm 37:5)
This is about living by faith, particularly when getting in hot water because I made decisions that were not made in faith. It happens. I married an unsaved man. That was 54 years ago and we are still married and he is a strong man of faith. My life is filled with more examples of rashly deciding to do something without seeking God's will, and suffered for it, but God used all of it for good.

On the other hand, without faith it becomes easy to break promises. If a rash decision involves loss of money, or reputation, or anything else, that old sinful nature will strive to protect itself instead of trusting God to repair the damages or use them for good.

Thankfulness is a great antidote for all of it. When I think of all God has done, it is much easier to focus on holiness, faithfulness, fulfilling my own commitments, and trusting Him to be there for me, regardless of my goof-ups. Again, He tells me to commit my way to the Him in faith, and He will act to work things for His glory and my good. “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:7)

PRAY: Jesus, I speak of You as the solid rock on which I stand. You are that and more for which I am so thankful. You take care of me, even when I forget You. You never let me down, even when I seek my own will instead of Your will. You are amazing and You are not only my Rock, but also my anchor and my eternal Hope. Thank You.


 

May 23, 2025

Choose God’s priorities, not mine…

A few weeks ago I shared with someone that when my mother and father got married, they agreed not to fight. I told her that I’d never seen them even argue with each other. She responded saying that was not a good thing because one or both of them would resent not being able to defend whatever they wanted if the other person didn’t want it. That leads to a passive-aggressiveness that would block good communication.

I was surprised at that assumption. She assumed it better to be assertive and get their “I wants” verbalized in order to have good communication. She didn’t understand that my parents had a value system about unity. They were not interested in self-defense or having their own way. For them, getting along was at the top of their list, not being the winner in any sort of battle.

Today’s devotion touches on a similar attitude. Piper speaks of those who promise to do something, but it turns into a bad decision. What should that person do? Break their promise or keep their word? Two passages describe God’s will on such a situation: The psalmist asks:

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? … (those) in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change. (Psalm 15:1, 4, italics mine)
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:5–6)
In other words, the person who makes a promise must keep it, even if it hurts to follow through. Integrity means not going back on a commitment. A good person’s word is more valuable than money or having his own way. His integrity is more precious than anything else so he stands by his word even if it hurts.

Note: The Lord is not addressing a marriage where one person is abusive and telling the other one to stick to the marriage vow “through thick or thin” rather than take action to protect themselves.

This integrity is like the vow made by mom and dad. Their decision to agree, to not fight, was far more important than getting their own way. And they made that decision before either of them knew Christ. Later, mom was saved, and much later my dad was too, yet it seems to me that God gave them this amazing strength of character before they had the Holy Spirit or knew how to roll their wants and needs unto God. Or did they somehow know anyway?

Obviously, trust in God is a factor. He gives strength to value unity and respect more than personal wants or needs. Somehow they saw the value in this priority before learning to trust God to come through for them in His way and in His time. They set an incredible example.

For me, growing up in that environment resulted in a big shock to see how most of the rest of the world lives. Many couples are in a relationship where their needs must be met — or they leave it. Money might be an issue, or other things like broken promises. Whatever messes with unity, God is not in it. “I want what I want when I want it” is often the priority, and if that does not happen, the results are usually disastrous. Despite my parents example, I’ve been there, done that.

PRAY: Lord, I know that selfishness and insisting on my own way so easily strains or snaps those marriage vows made so long ago. I’ve often needed forgiveness. Yet I’m thankful for the example of my parents. They showed me it is possible to yield and to prosper because of it. My mom’s “we must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it” mantra teaches me contentment and faith in Your ability to be my shield and defender, no matter what. You make my wedding promises more important and more rewarding than anything I might come up with. And I could write a book about the struggles — and about You winning them for me. I love You for a million reasons — one of them being that when I battle You, I always win when I lose!



May 22, 2025

God uses trials to produce godliness

 

Yesterday was emotionally challenging. Many Christian teachers say that facts should lead my thoughts, then faith, but emotions are the caboose in this train. I agree when life involves negative emotions, but when facts and faith are are in place, so is joy.

What then does it mean that joy is missing? Am I thinking in error? Have I sinned and pushed aside the Holy Spirit? In my life, if joy is absent, this indicates that the Spirit is not producing His fruit and I need to find out why not.

Yesterday, His joy never left, but it existed alongside the reality that my husband’s health was in jeopardy. I felt deep concern yet at the same time a deep sense of God’s arms around me. He didn’t spell out the results of many medical tests, or tell me what would happen in hubby’s life. He only assured me of His care and how He would help me respond rightly to whatever was going to happen.

Tight spot. God holding my hand and my emotions pulled the other direction by all sorts of negative thoughts. Will he need surgery? Will he not come home? Will he be damaged beyond being able to do anything? And the Lord kept saying He would be with me…
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:5–6)
Things are different this morning, yet I still feel the pressure of that tight spot. Reading the above verses helped. One devotional writer quotes these from another version:
Roll on Jehovah thy way, And trust upon Him, and He worketh, and hath brought out as light thy righteousness, and thy judgment as noon-day. (Young’s Literal Translation)
My mind imagines rolling my mixture of emotions on God and Him going to work to enable me to respond to all of it in a godly manner. To me, that means acting rightly in the midst of the turmoil without removing the turmoil. I think of Jesus in Gethsemane.
And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:43–44)
He was given strength even as He was in agony. The Father did not remove the agony, His — or mine. But strength was there, both for His greatest trial and for my much less challenging event. If nothing else, the work that He worketh is to give joy in the craziness of a trial. He also worked to resolve the thing that caused me to feel great emotions yet let joy rule.

The devotional that I read warns against becoming so accustomed to delays to answered prayer that we expect them all the time. A tiny example… we drove into a full parking lot and I said, “Lord, it would be super to park near the door, but it is a nice day and we can walk.” And at that moment a car pulled out and we parked right in front of the door. No waiting for His answer.

Sometimes I don’t see the results. Faith is tested, yet “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2) This is faith; trusting what I cannot see simply because God promises to act on my behalf!

PRAY: Hubby still has pain but You have shown him Your care and arranged a thorough exam that was helpful. The pain will go, but You remain, and Your love and blessing is always with us. So is that great joy, not linked to answered prayer but to the reality that You are always at work to bring forth increasing righteousness even in the pain, fears, and helpless feelings that come with trials. Bless Your holy name.



May 21, 2025

Another Test?

 

This morning came with mixed emotions. I was dreaming of a stage play about the gospel. The person in the role of Jesus was exceptionally realistic and the storyline was accurate and powerful. Then my hubby woke me to say he was leaving for the ER. He’d been having some unusual pain and called the health link, answered many questions, then was told to see a doctor within three hours.

That still, small voice whispers, “I am with you” but makes no predictions. My devotions offered this:

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)
The first thing I noticed was the absence in that list of leaving a spouse. Family rifts over the issue of faith in Christ does not include couples. While the Bible encourages marriage with another Christian, it does give direction to wives whose husbands are not believers and so on, but leaving a partner for Jesus’ sake is not given as an option. Also, our vows say “in sickness or in health” married couples are to take that seriously.

Thinking that this could be serious and even deadly, it didn’t cross my mind to throw my hands in the air and give up. That alone encourages me. The Lord has blessed our marriage — through thick and thin.

The next thing I noted is that God promises that no matter what the gospel causes me to leave behind, the Lord will amply take care of the hole it might otherwise leave. House, siblings, parents, children, land… none of it will remain a loss. He will fill the gap. Even now, our grandchildren all live far away, but other children call us their grandparents.

Then I saw the verse for tomorrow. One word surprised me:
So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Corinthians 3:21–23)
All that God gives, leaders, the world, life in the present and future, and Christ of course, includes death. Most Christians I know are thankful for all those things, but pray that none of us experience death. We know ‘all are terminal’ yet death is not considered something that belongs to us, just as much as all else is ours. Few consider death as part of what we have because we belong to God.

Death is often seen as an enemy, but this passage says death is no longer a master but a servant. It becomes part of God's plan, a transition to the next life. Christians are not bound by the limitations of the natural world, including the threat of death. We have a new perspective on both life and death as they are now part of God's larger plan. Death is a defeated enemy.

My hubby may have nothing seriously wrong, but at our age, death is taking our peers and illness is a common complaint. Having a sound, biblical view is vital for peace of mind.

PRAY: Jesus, this unexpected event feels like a test to show me how I should think. It reveal some fears that pop up about what might happen next. You are always good and use all things for good. Enable my faith in You to be an anchor for my heart and mind and also for my dear hubby’s emotions and thoughts. May our words and thoughts trust and glorify You.

 (Later… best case scenario. The CAT scan showed a treatable issue and hubby did not need surgery or be admitted for more tests. He is back home. Thank You, Lord.)



May 20, 2025

Expecting comfort?

 

We just returned from a very short ‘mission’ trip. It had one high moment and the rest of it was uncomfortable, puzzling, and a stress on our comprehension. We knew our assignment was seed-planting and soon realized the ground was hard as cement. God made it clear that the only thing that softens it would be loving encouragement. A rebuke or even advice would only pound it harder.

Piper’s reading for today parallels our experience in telling how he felt when he encountered the challenges of obeying God. His assignments are not necessarily cushy and comfortable. He reviews John 20, Jesus with His disciples after the resurrection. They had all deserted Him and were not worthy to be called His brothers, but He called them that, said “Peace to you” and then said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21)

Piper was moved by this in that these disciples had been hiding in fear, deserved to be rebuked, and “were just like me.” I can relate. On my assignment, He asked me to love the unlovable and I felt fearful and wanted to hide. However, He gave me incredible and unexpected (never mind undeserved) joy, the kind of joy that makes me fearless.

Piper then thought of Paul’s experience as a missionary for Jesus. This man described it:
… as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)
Who thinks missionary work is a glamorous life? Paul said, “as having nothing yet possessing all things.” And Jesus said,
Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)
Comfortable Christian living is a false teaching in one sense. If I am willing to leave all to follow Jesus and to share the gospel, then I can expect opposition, even though the gain is incredible:
For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Corinthians 3:21–23)
PRAY: Jesus, because I have You, life gives me everything needed, even joy in the mess of it. What can ruin that? Only my own sin can rob me of it. You also say: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5–6) We did sow the seeds. I may not see the harvest until I ‘come home’ but Your joy is already blessing my heart. For that, the struggles and discomfort fade and my prayers are filled with confidence. You always keep Your promises.


May 19, 2025

Do it, even if in tears

 “Bethink thee of something that thou oughtest to do, and go to do it, if it be but the sweeping of a room, or the preparing of a meal, or a visit to a friend. Heed not thy feelings: Do thy work.” - George MacDonald

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5-6)
This fits today. I have spiritual seeds to sow. The tears are not as literal now as two days ago, but the task is still before me. I am not certain the soil is ready for the seeds. Jesus told of various attitudes of receptivity and I rather suspect the soil that is on my heart will be hard, definitely rocky and even determined to reject whatever I say, even if it was something much less vital, like a story about a new bakery or an old pet cat.

Some people are immune to ideas contrary to their own because the idea contradicts their values and makes them feel criticized, as if being told they are not acceptable as is.

Piper simplifies this lesson by saying “When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done, and you are full of sadness and the tears are flowing easily, go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Be realistic. Say to your tears: ‘Tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life, but there is a field to be sown (dishes to be washed, a car to be fixed, a sermon to be written). I know you will wet my face several times today, but I have work to do and you will just have to go with me. I intend to take the bag of seeds and sow. If you come along, then you will just have to wet the rows.’”

I wish my seed-sowing was a mere task like washing dishes or fixing a car or even writing this, but it more involved. The tears came when seeing a need and the Lord used them to prompt in me fervent prayer. I am hearing Him say to “sow in tears” and not allow those tears to stop me from trusting His power to use what I say to produce a harvest.

PRAY: Jesus, You promised. I trust You. It seems impossible to see a harvest in this, yet You are clear about nothing being too hard for You. Tears or joy, I cannot imagine how You plan to bring any good out of this. Just help me be obedient and filled with faith that the simple work of my sowing will bring sheaves of harvest, and all tears will be turned to joy.



May 18, 2025

Grace Deeply Needed

 

Yesterday was a time of discovery and great heartbreaking disappointment. We got a first hand statement of bitterness and deep anger of a person against a parent. Our prayers afterwards did not erase the sorrow, which was not the reason for praying anyway. The rift is so deep that it seems impossible for even God to bring reconciliation and forgiveness. I don’t often cry myself to sleep.

Piper’s reading for today begins with this:
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5-6)
He points out that there is nothing sad about sowing seed. It takes no more work than reaping. The days can be beautiful. There can be great hope of harvest. Yet Psalm 126 speaks of “sowing in tears.” It says that someone “goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing.” Why is he weeping?

The reasons could be many but the gist of this passage is that I am not to let sorrow or any other emotion or event in my life stop me from “speaking the truth in love” to whoever needs to hear it, even to the person whose outburst put such anguish in my heart. This psalm teaches the tough truth that there is work to be done whether I am emotionally up for it or not, and it is good for me to do it. Otherwise there will be no harvest.

PRAY: Jesus, the pain of this sadness is mind-numbing and filling my thoughts with jumble. Also thinking why nothing I can say will be effective or appropriate or even heard, let alone helpful. This is a description of my weakness? Or is it doubt in Your ability to use my weakness as an opportunity for Your strength to shine? All I can think is that I need to be filled with Your Spirit and the confidence to speak whatever You put on my heart, or the confidence to keep my mouth shut  — if that is what You ask me to do.


May 17, 2025

Jesus knows best

We are spending time with a person whose life has changed. I don't know if it is a "pull up your boot straps" change or a commitment to Jesus. I want to know. Is this an answer to my many prayers? Or do I need to wait and continue to pray?

I asked the Lord to speak about this and Piper’s devotional reading for today says this:
"Nothing you will touch or feel or see or think today is apart from Christ. What can this mean but deep humility before such an all-encompassing, all-sustaining, all-governing person, and, since he loves us, indomitable confidence?"
To put this in my words, He is telling me to remember that He is the Sovereign God. He is in charge of whatever I see or hear today. That means no attempts at manipulation on my part. Instead of anxiety and being eager to know what I want to know, He wants humility and a deeper trust in Him. He knows what He is doing. I don’t and I don’t need to know. Trusting Him is enough.

This is not the answer I wanted or expected — but should have. It echos what He said when Peter asked Him about John:
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:21-22)
PRAY: Thank You, Jesus. This is not what I expected but You gave the right answer. Fill me with Your Spirit that I can do what You say and just trust Your power in that person’s life and I my life as well. You are always wise and always good. Bless Your holy Name.


May 16, 2025

The Supremacy of Christ

I didn’t have an extended time of prayer yesterday… and I paid the price. When I pray, the day seems longer and my attitude can handle whatever happens. Not so yesterday. I was constantly dropping things, crabby, and didn’t get much done.

Today’s devotional tells me why. It is about the supremacy of Christ. He rules over illness, the weather, evil spirits, and all created matter.

And standing over her, [Jesus] rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them. (Luke 4:39)
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. (Luke 8:24)
While [his father] was still approaching, the demon slammed [the boy] to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. (Luke 9:42)
When Jesus speaks, He has not only the will to change things but the power to do so. Illness may have to do with chemical reactions in our body cells, with molecules and electrons and the laws of physics and chemistry, yet Jesus designed those laws ages ago and sustains them each day…
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16–17)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... (Hebrews 1:3)
… but His Word is above all these laws, reversing them by rebuking them. As Piper points out, when Christ thinks a thing with sufficient intentionality, it materializes. All matter is utterly dependent for its origin, existence, and stability on the thought of Christ.

What about the other minds besides Christ’s? For example, unclean spirits? The NT clearly shows that the mind of Christ rules them too. One thought from Him and whether matter or mind, He sustains. He governs or it can also be altered, healed, cherished forever, or extinguished. All that exists hangs on His will. This is amazing and faith-building!

PRAY: When I pray and give myself and my day to You, this is not mere sentiment or even a yielding of my will. It is asking You to do what I ask (or even more) by the power of Your will. When I pray, it requires humility as well as faith in Your all-encompassing, all-sustaining, all-governing power. If I do not pray, who or what am I trusting? This is the Gospel repeated again. I cannot save myself and I cannot keep myself in Your will and expect great things. Only You, in Your enduring and faithful grace, can do that. I’ve no excuse for neglecting prayer, only a confession of the sin of it.



May 15, 2025

God’s holiness vs. sin’s vileness

 

When God gave His law to His people, the violation of each required restitution, a blood sacrifice, and often the death of the perpetrator. As I read it, the multitude of them as well as the detailed descriptions give me a deeper sense of the sacrifice Jesus made for all sin for all time. Mind-numbing.

Equally mind-numbing is sin itself. Charnock’s book of the attributes of God have a long section on His holiness, and also gives me a deeper understanding why Jesus had to die. The blood of bulls and goats and lambs appeased the wrath of God against sin for a time, but the death of a sinless man must happen for that sin to be fully covered and for sinners to be set free from its power.

Sin is defined as going our own way, ignoring or abandoning God’s way. We all fall short. Some “Christian” groups say some sins deserve eternal death, but some sins are lighter and should only receive temporal punishment. This is contrary to Scripture. The Word of God says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) and also “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Galatians 3:10) 

There is no such thing as big sins and little sins in the mind of God. Sin is sin and violates the holiness of God. Charnock says, “To charge the law with rigidness, either in language or practice, is the highest contempt of God’s holiness; for it is an implicit wish, that God were as defiled, polluted, disorderly, as our corrupted selves.”

The Bible is clear that all sins are transgressions of His eternal law, and in every one His infinite holiness is slighted and ignored. As the psalmist says, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” (Psalm 5:4) For that reason, everyone is called to lament our fall into our sinful state and our distance from God.

While Christians have heard the call of God and delight in His redemption, it seems always a good idea to think often of who we were and what God has done. I need to always remember how much the holiness of God loathes sin, not only because it is against Him but because of what it does to us, and even more, what it did to our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some say there are many ways to God. If that were the case, why then did God send His only Son, beloved and sinless, to die a horrid death? If God could have hated sin without punishing it, his Son might never experienced death on the cross. the fullness of his wrath. But could love for His Son make Him inflict a punishment according to its seriousness in our eyes rather than according to His hatred of sin and His holiness?

Sin, in every part of it, is an opposition to the holiness of God. It denies His nature and His glory, and consequently His power to punish sin. No wonder He says:

The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (Psalm 11:5–7)
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. (Joshua 24:19)
However, grace and mercy are also true of this holy God. He sent Jesus to cover our sin, and give to all who believe a new life in Him that we might be His holy people. He invites all to:
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

PRAY: I review the gospel good news as I also lament the sad truth that without Jesus, sin puts me in the guilty seat. Without You Jesus, I have no hope, but because of Your mercy, my eternal home is secure. I am horrified by the bloodshed, yet but because of Your grace, can rejoice in all that You have done to set me free from the power of sin and the wrath of my Holy God.



May 14, 2025

Resting in His goodness…

The doorbell rang just after I got up. It was our community gardener with questions about pruning our Russian Olive tree. He had done some research but wanted to know what shape we wanted. I said we were more interested in the health of the tree than a certain shape. After some discussion, it was decided to take out dead branches and those that were growing in an odd direction or were tangled with other branches.

After coming back in the house, I began to worship and sang one song with the line, “All my life You have been faithful” and reflected on the goodness of God. He promised to shape me into the image of His Son and has faithfully used even the most difficult things to prune my attitudes and actions. He also used that conversation with the gardener to remind me of His words:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1–5)
While this olive tree has produced olives, not all of the branches are productive. I think about the obvious that God has cut out of my life, things that not only were fruitless but ugly and harmful to others. He works on those things with a sharp pruning knife.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)
Yet He does not stop at the obvious. He wants every ‘branch’ clean and productive. I’ve attitudes like being resentful, or unjust, or judgmental, or self-pity that others might not see if I keep my mouth shut, but He knows my inner thoughts and how to prune them too.
While His ‘Sword’ is sharp and goes after all that I might try to hide, it is for my good. He saved me so I would bear fruit and only the activity of the Holy Spirit makes that happen. The Spirit reveals what prevents it and deals with it.

Yet all of life is not ‘under the knife’ for He is not only my Gardener but much more. His great care and faithfulness includes this:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)
PRAY: Lord, I didn’t expect a tree pruner to start my day, but I do expect that You will be with me and put Your pruning tools to work wherever my life needs something cut out. This is not always fun, but it does shape and form me, leading me in Your ways of righteousness, and for that I am grateful. You also feed and comfort me. Surely I can sing that all of my life You have been faithful — and I can rest in Your amazing goodness!

 

May 13, 2025

Be quick to confess. . . .

 

I often say that 1 John 1:9 is the most important verse in the Bible for spiritual growth. It tells me what to do to get rid of the sin that keeps me from being more like Jesus:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Why is this? Simple. My sin puts a kibosh on the freedom that Jesus gives. It ruins my communication with God and puts His priority on dealing with my sin instead of answering prayers for anything else. Sin turns my focus to me instead of Him. I am not being obedient. Instead, I’m pushing Him out of my life.

But, He is faithful and wants to deal with that sin and cleanse it from me. He wants me filled with the Spirit and not with my I-wants. All I need to do is tell Him that I agree — whatever I thought, spoke, or did is sin. I need to turn from it, and when I do, He does as this verse says and restores me to being a Spirit-filled child.

This morning, my Bible opened to a verse for the day. I’d already prayed this thought and sang a couple of songs that expressed it, so it caught my eye:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)
When I turned to this verse, I read the 7 verses before it and discovered the OT version of 1 John 1:9:
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah (Psalm 32:1–7)
David wrote this knowing that keeping silent about his sin was affecting his health, both physical and spiritual. His bones wasted; his strength diminished. He lost the sense of God's protection. But when he confessed his sin, he found deliverance, again the freedom of knowing forgiveness, knowing it to the point that he heard it shouted to him in songs!

The tensions in my body fade just thinking about the power of God to forgive and cleanse. As strong as the temptations to run my own life can be, this promise is far stronger and more precious. Years of experience shout to me. Don’t wait until a period of Lent, or a revival, or Sunday morning, or even to the next time I sit down with my Bible, or until the sun goes down. If I turn from God at any time or in any way, as soon as the Spirit convicts me (which is usually instantly) confess it. Don’t wait. Don’t let that sin roll around my pride and fatten it. Don’t let that sin pinch another person’s joy. Don’t let that sin build a selfish “I don’t care” attitude or even the thought that it does not matter. Tell God that I agree — I blew it.

PRAY: Jesus, I love it that I can bring all my goof-ups to You for forgiveness and cleansing. In my eyes, they could be small things, but in Your eyes, sin is sin. You died for each one, even for that selfish attitude that tends to think running my own life for a little while is not bad… after all, I’m not murdering anyone. But each sin insults You and denies the wonder of the Cross where You died. For shame that I should think it does not matter… for that thought is a sin also.


May 12, 2025

Knowing truth is not enough…

One of the spiritual gifts in Romans 12 is teaching. It means having a great desire to gather information and pass it along to others. Those whose gift-mix has this at the top of their motivational strengths might be found in a class and a classroom, but the gift motivates libraries, many websites including Pinterest, newspaper columnists, books, home-keeping hints, and all schools and colleges.

God gave His people this inner desire for a reason. A few examples from the OT:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)
On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. (Nehemiah 8:13)
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. (Psalm 111:2)
Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. (Ecclesiastes 12:9)
Spiritual education is vital. Without a hunger to know the will of God, I would be ignorant of how He works and how He enriches my life. Yet Bible study is not merely for gathering information. What I learn is useless unless I do what it says. Otherwise, stuffing my head with facts and data is a negative waste of time:
My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
When Jesus taught in the temple, the religious leaders were amazed and said, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” (John 7:15) This shows more about them than it does Jesus. He knew because He relied on His Father and obeyed Him. He told these leaders:
My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law... (John 7:16–19)
Paul later picked up on the same theme: knowing but not doing what you know makes learning a farce:
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. (Romans 2:17–23)
The NT stresses that gathering information from God and about God is to transform my life, not make me into a gifted theologian who does not put to use what I know. The Lord says: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

That is why sound study includes application. It is not information gathering per se, but life changing. So when seeking to be educated about the Lord, I must understand the historical and cultural context, the literary context, make observations, and diligently apply it to my life. Otherwise, I may get the meaning but all it does is swell my head!

PRAY: Application is the hardest for information gatherers. I like to know reams of data, but often fail in the most important reason for knowing. Doing that would be like the person who collects the best way to clean out a refrigerator, but their own is absolutely filthy. I want to know the truths about You, but also be transformed by that knowledge into Your likeness. Enable me to zealously apply what You are revealing to me.

May 11, 2025

Holy all the time?

 

Our church is focusing on what it means to keep the Sabbath. The emphasis is restoration from the stresses of life by making one day in seven special. The Bible terms it “holy” which means ‘consecrated to God’ plus synonyms such as blessed, chaste, dedicated, devoted, devout, faultless, glorified, god-fearing, godlike, godly, humble, immaculate, just, messianic, pietistic, pious, prayerful, pure, reverent, righeous, sacrosanct, sainted, saintlike, saintly, sanctified, seraphic, spotless, uncorrupt, undefiled, untainted, unworldly, venerable. An online thesaurus lists 353 synonyms and antonyms for this word.

What comes out just from these words is that the Sabbath is not a list of do’s and don’ts like no fun games, have a nap, no shopping, etc. but an attitude and focus that is not like any of the activities that cause me stress, fatigue, or to forget God, or live as if I can handle life without Him. It seems that Sabbath is more about an attitude and focus, one that the goal is to be at rest in Christ all the time, not just one day. I’m to always be talking with Him and doing what He says.

Not only that, Jesus is the model. He healed people on the Sabbath. Some might call that ‘work’ but helping a beast that has fallen into a ditch is not work either. Jesus said:

Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.(Matthew 12:11–12)
Jesus also said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) We live in a day when stress is killing us. God intended that we take time from whatever is wearing us out and rest. . . .
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
The first burden is a heavy crate; the light “burden” is a word about the invoice on the crate. This illustrates what that load of trying to do life in my own strength is not God's idea. Eventually, it fails. I’m a capable person, but not God. Life teaches that without His grace, my mind runs out of focus and ideas, my emotions rob my energy, and my choices add to the pile. I need the mind of Christ, the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit, and the ‘invoice’ of God to give me direction so I don’t fall into the same pit. His grace grants all that and more.
The problem comes when I foolishly revert back to those habits of doing life without God.

Eventually those activities are “labor and heavy laden” and I need to return to resting in Christ. This is not about restraining from work, but about pursuing meaningful, soul-renewing rest—a shift in my habits toward something good, not just away from something bad.

Sabbath and rest does give me an opportunity to relax my physical body, but it is also about keeping that day holy. One author calls it “repopulate the time” or replacing it with worship and giving attention to more than simple inactivity. When I am not doing my work, I have to remember His work.

For some, the emphasis falls on rules or the do’s and don’ts taught in previous years, but these put us in slavery by taking over our mind-set. God wants His rest to be a gift to our souls not a mere change of pace or stoppage of all that stresses us.

PRAY: Jesus, this is talked about in terms of one day in seven, yet I’m thinking it is also a life-style, a way of thinking and a transformation into being more like You. You did good all the time, yet often went alone to pray to the Father. Sometimes You shed tears. Sometimes You served needs. Sometimes You sweat blood, but always Your focus and strength depended on Your yielded attitude and Your delight in serving whenever You saw the need. You are what it means to be holy.



May 10, 2025

Education needed?

I belong to a few quilt groups. Most of the quilters are very skilled and their work shows good judgment with color, design, and other elements that make up a compelling quilt. However, some others have little money for good fabric, are mostly self-taught and seem unaware of basic principles concerning accurate seam widths, pressing, and other skills.

When I started this activity, I had sewn for years, but my first efforts revealed that I needed more education to do this art properly. I took twelve basic classes and many others, and still feel like I’m a beginner.

Piper’s devotional today is about the need for education. He says all Christians have reason for training our minds so we can read the Bible with understanding. I know I need the Holy Spirit to understand what I am reading even though several years of school taught me how to read. My high school literature teacher is fondly remembered for teaching much about books and understanding how words work.

For me, Piper’s statement seemed a bit obvious. I take for granted the preciousness of reading, yet realize not all cultures have a written language. Many people are not able to read even ordinary writing, like a newspaper or a simple book, let alone something as complex as Stephen Charnock’s writing or the Word of God that was translated into English, even though we have several hundred versions at various reading levels. Some are for children, others for those just learning English.

At least the translators realize how levels of reading ability are important. Otherwise, like quilts made without some instruction, the understanding can fall short of being a blessing. This happens because even with the ability to read and understand just the words and ideas expressed, some do not realized the importance of the Holy Spirit to interpret His words as He intends them. Even as I read, I need to read with this intent:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)
This points to the need for renewal. Even the well-educated can assume sufficiency apart from God and from relying on His Spirit. Reading all of this passage is a good reminder:
Where is the one who is wise?. . . . Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. . . . For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. . . . these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. . . . For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:20-2:16)
PRAY: Jesus, while I need to grasp biblical thoughts, have learned the alphabet, grammar, syntax, the rudiments of logic, and how meaning is imparted through the connections of sentences and paragraphs, I cannot hear You speak without Your Spirit. That You give Him to me is pure grace. Thank You.