"Rahab" March 31 Readings: Joshua 5-6, Luke 4:16–44, Psalm 40:7–13, Proverbs 10:3-4

Today's Readings - Joshua 5-6, Luke 4:16–44, Psalm 40:7–13, Proverbs 10:3-4

Devotional 

There is so much in Joshua 5 and 6 that it worth our reflection. There is Joshua's meeting with the Commander of the Lord's Army. Joshua sees this man with a drawn sword and hopes he is a friend not an enemy. "Whose side are you on, ours our theirs?" he asks. The Commander says, essentially, "I'm not here to pick sides but to take charge." Joshua followed the Lord and won the battle.

Of course, there is the story of faith in the conquering of Jericho. God's plan of attack made no sense - marching around the city once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day. But Joshua learned that the key was not the greatness of his plan but simple obedience to God. When Israel followed God's plan, he brought the walls down and gave them the victory.

But I want to focus on the story, told in Joshua 6:22-25, of one woman from Jericho. For 3500 years of history, she has been known for what she was when she encountered the spies Joshua had sent into the city. She was "Rahab the Prostitute." Not an nice way to be remembered. A harlot.

We know very little about Rahab, except for her profession, but there is much we know of her because of that tidbit. She made her living by means of immorality. She was used by men for her sexual favors - and in spite of all of Hollywood's pollyanna lies about prostitution, it is a degrading and demeaning way to make a living. She was used, abused, and objectified. It is a horrible life now, it was a horrible life then. And in those cultures, the stigma of such a thing would stay with her. She was never going to be anything but what she was. A harlot. A prostitute.

But then she met these spies and was rescued from death, brought of of Jericho to a new life with the people of Israel. And there she got a new start, a second chance. She married a man named Salmon of whom nothing is known. But we do know the name of his son, Boaz. Yes, that Boaz - the one who married Ruth. Boaz and Ruth had a son, named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. And Jesse had a son who worked as a shepherd until one day the prophet Samuel appeared and anointed him as king. That is right. Rahab the Harlot was the great, great grandmother of the Great King David. And, of course, that means she was also one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Rahab's life was rescued, redeemed and reformed. The prostitute became a key ancestor of the Royal and Messianic lines of Israel. Is that not good news? In the world you are often defined by your own mistakes and plagued by your past. But in God's economy, the past never controls the future. The blood of Christ cleanses and the power of the Spirit renews. You can be what you never were.

And that is good news because I am Rahab. Well, sort of. I am a wicked sinner who was trapped in sin's power and degraded. But God did not leave me in my sin. He rescued me from the Jericho of sin, brought me out to be adopted into the heavenly family and gave me a new life free of guilt and the slavery of sin.

As God freed Rahab and made something beautiful and significant of her life, he frees us and makes us new creations. Praise God! Your life is not defined by your past or your present. It is defined by the future God has destined for you.

Father, you rescued me from sin and death and have given me a new life. Thank you that though I was destined for death, you changed all of that with your grace. 

Think and Pray

Do you have a past that haunts you, that gives you shame?
Remember that the blood of Christ not only cleanses, but washes us clean and fits us for the service of God.
You may have a past but in God's service, you also have a future!

"Remember" March 30 Readings: Joshua 3-4, Luke 4:1–15, Psalm 40:1–6, Proverbs 10:1-2

Today's Readings - Joshua 3-4, Luke 4:1–15, Psalm 40:1–6, Proverbs 10:1-2

Devotional 

We like to say that "Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship." I understand what people mean when they say this, but it is really not true. Yes, the bedrock of our faith is a personal relationship with God through the work of Christ on the cross, but we do engage in many religious elements - and there is a very good reason for that! God gave rituals to his people to help us, to remind us of important things. Rituals were never the problem - that came when people simply repeated the rituals without thinking of the what they meant. Empty ritual. Religion is not the problem, but empty religion. Every time you observe the Lord's Supper, or even go to church, you are performing rituals that are religious, but are destined to remind you of important works of God.

God gave Israel a system of sacrifices, feasts, and other rituals to remind them of his goodness. At times, he commanded them to erect monuments that would become memorials so that they would remember the mighty works of god. In Joshua 3, God brought Israel through the Jordan River, at flood stage, on dry ground - one of his great miracles. As the men carrying the ark stepped into the river, God stopped the flow and they all went through in safety.

Then, in Joshua 4, God instructed Joshua to set up a remembrance. He sent 12 men, one from each tribe, back into the middle of the river. Each picked up a large rock (I imagine the biggest boulder he could carry) and hauled it out to the west side of the river. There, they piled them up as a marker. Why? That is explained in verses 6-7.

When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

These stones were piled up so that future generations would remember the wonderful works of God.

God is constantly doing new things in our lives, but the greatest things in our faith are very old, things we remember and continue to celebrate. It is important that we erect monuments of our own to remember the works of God. Journals can be a way to do that. Public testimonies. Whatever other form you find. But when God does something great in your life, when he acts in might and in power, it is good if you remember.

Remember the old things. Remember the death of Christ for your sins. Remember the resurrection of Christ that gives you new life. Remember all that Jesus has done for you. But also, remember the new things, the personal things, the answered prayer, the provisions, the hurdles overcome. Don't simply trust your memory because the flesh is so easily manipulated to forget God's goodness and revert to panic.


Let us each erect a monument in our own hearts to remember daily what Jesus did and what he is doing. May we never forget!

Father, tell me the old, old story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard. May I never forget. 

Think and Pray

What do you do to remember the great works of God in your life?
Do you keep a journal?
A list of prayers and answers?
If you have not already, devise a remember God's work in your life.

"Success!" March 29 Readings: Joshua 1-2, Luke 3:23–38, Psalm 39:7–13, Proverbs 9:17-18

Today's Readings - Joshua 1-2, Luke 3:23–38, Psalm 39:7–13, Proverbs 9:17-18

Devotional 

As much as we talk about success in America today, and in American religion, it is not a word that appears often in the Scriptures. Many have tried to twist the Bible to make it into a manual for earthly success - helping me get all I want and all I need in this world. The Bible is about the outworking of God's glorious purposes in this world, not about how we can accomplish our purposes.

But there is one instruction, given to Joshua as he assumed leadership of Israel, that spelled out exactly how he could be successful in the job God assigned to him.

And, wow, did he ever need that help! Joshua was given a huge assignment from God. He had to follow Moses, a man who rivals King David, Elijah and the Apostle Paul as among the great heroes of the Bible (not counting Jesus - he's the real hero of every page). Following a man like Moses was going to be tough. We all know that Israel was not exactly a compliant people, either. They were rebellious, whiny, wayward - difficult in every way. And, of course, the task was daunting. Joshua had to lead Israel into a hostile land, make that land their own and destroy all the pagan nations currently residing there.

No easy task.

But God gave Joshua a path to success, a plan so that he could do well the work God had given to him. Strangely, that plan for success had nothing to do with self-esteem, long range planning, aggression and self-assertion, motivational phrases or any of those issues our leadership gurus say are crucial.

In fact, there was only one simple thing that God said Joshua needed to do to achieve success in his eyes. God's motivational speech is recorded in Joshua 1:8.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

All Joshua had to do was to carefully read, learn and obey what God had said. The word of God was the key to his success. If he would carefully observe everything written in the Law, he would prosper and have success in all that he would do. 

Not too complicated, is it? 

Obey God. Do what the Word commands. Success does not come from aggression, self-esteem, strategy or organizational skill. Success comes from doing what God says - doing all of what God says all the time. 

Verse 9 explains the foundation of this promise of success. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Though his job was daunting and the people he led difficult, Joshua need not be afraid or discouraged, because God would be with him throughout the process. But that promise of God's presence does not stand out there on its own. 

Joshua was promised the presence and power of God with him as he walked in obedience to God. If he disobeyed, he would not experience the glory of God's presence. 

We can only expect to experience the presence and power of God in our lives as we walk in obedience to God and his Word. We cannot flaunt God's Word and walk our own ways and still expect to succeed in life. 

It's about obedience and submission to the Word of God. 

Father, your Word is truth and is my key to success in serving you. May I walk in your ways every day. 

Think and Pray

Are you following formulas of success that lead you away from the word of God, or are you walking in the path God determined, the one he set forth for Joshua/

"It's Not about Me" March 28 Readings: Deuteronomy 33-34, Luke 3:1–22, Psalm 39:1-6, Proverbs 9:13-16

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 33-34, Luke 3:1–22, Psalm 39:1-6, Proverbs 9:13-16

Devotional 

Our world has fallen prey to the Andy Warhol concept that everyone will have his "15 minutes of fame" and many people live for that - to "go viral," to achieve fame even if it is for something shameful or disgusting. Fame is now our measure of significance.

But John the Baptist took that idea and slapped it upside the head...hard. He became famous but he never sought it. He never did a single thing to make himself famous and he never served fame - he served God.

He was a humble man, dressing simply and living in the wilderness. He preached a hard message, not one that people wanted hear. The key to a false prophet's message was always this - he told people what they wanted to hear. "You are great just the way you are - don't ever change." "God will never judge sin because he loves us too much." But John proclaimed truth, judgment and reality without any concern for the status of the people he was preaching to or how he might offend. Matthew 3:7 tells us how he called the self-important Pharisees and Sadducees a "brood of vipers" (language Jesus would later pick up); not exactly a way to win friends and influence people. He confronted average people and tax collectors and soldiers (who had real power) and didn't back down from any of them.

His life was not about him, it was about Jesus. That was no motto, no t-shirt, no Facebook status for John, it was his life. God's glory and the coming work of the Savior was all that mattered. He did not back down even when later it would cost him his head.

Are you a man or woman of God? Am I serving my own purposes or the purposes of God? Am I building my kingdom or the kingdom of God? Do I care more about whether people like me or whether they come to Christ?

I do not plan to wear camel's hair or eat locusts, but I need much more of the heart of John the Baptist in my soul. 

Father, may I be faithful, bold, and devoted like your servant John. As he prepared the way of the Lord, may my life be about helping people come to know the Savior, that a way might be made for them to come to him.

Think and Pray

Think about your life, your priorities, the way you spend your time. Is your passion that of John - making a way for the Lord? Or are you living selfishly, devoted to your own will and ways? A healthy time of prayer and self-reflection would be helpful today!

"Sharp Words" March 27 Readings: Deuteronomy 31-32, Luke 2:22–52, Psalm 38:16–22, Proverbs 9:11-12

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 31-32, Luke 2:22–52, Psalm 38:16–22, Proverbs 9:11-12

Devotional 

Words are like knives; the cut deep and leave gaping wounds in our hearts. Maybe it was a parent who poured out their anger and frustration on their children with cruel words. Perhaps a friend you thought would stand with you whose words slice deep instead. Maybe someone finds a flaw, a weakness, a struggle and uses it to cut you up; or perhaps they make up their dagger-words with no regard to truth. But what all of us have in common is that we have been wounded by words from friends, family, fellow-believers and others.

Whoever made up the statement "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," had lost touch with all reality.

From the moment that David came to the palace, from the time he stood toe to toe with Goliath, David was the subject of lies, insults, betrayal and evil plots. Men whom he had never wronged determined to destroy him, using every shameful tactic in the book. I'm sure it hurt David as much as it hurts you and me when someone skewers us with unkindness.

But David had learned the secret of dealing with the savage words, the wounds of betrayal. He took them to God, pouring out his heart asking for God's strength and protection.

In Psalm 38, David was repenting of his sin; doing so in a beautiful and powerful way. Of course, whenever we walk in sin we give our enemies weapons to use against us; ammunition for their attacks. But David was not afraid, once he had repented, to call to God for help from these attacks. Our faults and our sins are serious, and must be dealt with, but they do not give permission to others to verbally abuse us nor do they negate God's protection on us when we are attacked.

For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,

    who boast against me when my foot slips!”

For I am ready to fall,

    and my pain is ever before me.

I confess my iniquity;

    I am sorry for my sin.

But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,

    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.  Psalm 38:16-19

Take your burdens to the Lord. Sometimes people will unfairly attack you and hurt you, but you can take that to the Lord. Sometimes they will use your faults and failings as ammunition for those attacks, but still you can go to the Lord. He is our help, our strength, our comfort. Yes, he will confront us with our sin when necessary, but he will never condemn us. Nor will he stand by idly while others condemn us unjustly. 

Do not forsake me, O Lord!

    O my God, be not far from me!

Make haste to help me,

    O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:21-22

God will never abandon his children - not even when we have messed up royally as David did. He was on his face repenting here, but he still knew that he could call to God for protection and help. 

Our Father in heaven is an excellent father!

Father, I have given my enemies so much ammunition through the years. But I thank you that you are faithful, that there is no condemnation in you! You bring me to repentance to restore me, to lift me up. Help me to always walk in humility, but also in the confidence that you are my rock and my salvation!

Think and Pray

If a recording of your words over the last week could be played back, what would you hear?
Words that build up or words that tear down?
Words that glorify God or words that feed the flesh?
Words of grace or words of the world?

"Roots of Sin" March 26 Readings: Deuteronomy 29-30, Luke 2:1–21, Psalm 38:9–15, Proverbs 9:10

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 29-30, Luke 2:1–21, Psalm 38:9–15, Proverbs 9:10   

Devotional 

I have these weeds in my back yard - no idea what they are called. They produce wide prickly leaves and if I let them grow up they will sprout these purple flowers shaped in a ball. If it sounds pretty, it's not. They are a pain. They are hard to kill and no matter how many I kill these evil things just come right back.

To kill weeds, you have to kill the roots. If you just mow them or pull the tops off, they will come right back. Unless you get the roots deep out of the ground, they are just going to come back again and again. And you need to prevent the seeds from getting established and spreading.

God gave a warning to Israel that built upon this concept, in Deuteronomy 29:18.

Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.

He was warning them of the danger of leaving behind their loyalty to God, turning their hearts to idols and rebelling from God's law. That sin would bear a poisonous and bitter fruit in the life of God's Chosen People. 

But God's warning was that they would deal not just with the bitter fruit, but with the root from which that fruit grows. 

What is the root of sin, the root of rebellion, the root that brings the bitter fruit? It is the belief that God's will and his ways are somehow oppressive and that life would be better by following the ways of the world. When this seed of sin is planted in our hearts it grows into rebellion, idolatry and wickedness. 

The Serpent came to Adam and Eve  and he lied to them to make them believe that their lives would be better if they would only eat the fruit contrary to God's command. He's been telling the same lies ever since. God's laws are unreasonable. You can only enjoy life to the fullest when you go your own way and do what you please. Obeying God will ruin everything. 

Israel consistently bought into that lie. The Canaanites, with their wild pagan festivals, their immorality, their debauchery - the Israelites were drawn to that. One sovereign God gave way to a pantheon of gods that could be manipulated through magical rituals. All of God's "You shall not" commands paled compared to the "do what you want" of the Canaanites. 

Israel believed the lie. The life God commands is inferior to the life sin provides. The seeds of sin were planted among them and just as God commanded brought a bitter, poisonous fruit. 

Spending time in the Word of God and in prayer is God's weed-killer. When we immerse ourselves in God's Word, we see clearly to distinguish God's truth from Satan's lies. We realize that the bitter fruit of sin is not worth whatever joy or pleasure the sin may bring. 

Father, may I always listen to your truth rather than Satan's lies, that your blessings might flourish in my life and that I might never again experience the bitter fruit of sin. 

Think and Pray

Are there deep roots of sin in your life that need to be pulled and destroyed? Simply mowing down the tops is not enough. In the Spirit's power, go to the roots.

"Life Is Choices" March 25 Readings: Deuteronomy 27-28, Luke 1:57–80, Psalm 38:1–8, Proverbs 9:7-9

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 27-28, Luke 1:57–80, Psalm 38:1–8, Proverbs 9:7-9

Devotional 

Life is a journey in the valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses gave instructions to Israel for a ceremony that would take place after they had conquered the land of Canaan. They were to go the valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. Half of the people would stand on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal. The Levites would stand between them and call out the blessings that would come from obedience to God’s Law and the curses that would come from disobedience. Gerizim represented the blessing of God and Ebal represented the discipline of God against disobedience.

It was a moment of choice, of decision. Would Israel walk in the ways of God and experience all the blessings that he would give them because of that; the positive consequences of their choices? Or would Israel wander from God’s Word and go their own way? Would they ignore what God commanded, live as they pleased, and experience the consequences of their own sin?

Unfortunately, for most of the Old Testament era, Israel chose disobedience and brought one curse (the awful consequences of disobeying God) after another upon themselves, culminating in the utter destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. On rare occasions, they chose the way of God and experienced those blessings that attended that choice.

Walking in obedience to God is not a guarantee that all of life will go well. Those who love Jesus and serve him still have accidents, tragedies, illnesses, struggles and heartaches. But those who walk in obedience never have to suffer the awful consequences of their own sin. They do not have to reap the terrible harvest they have sowed because they refused to sow the seeds of sin. Those who live in obedience are blessed by that. Again, they do not have a guarantee to live free of life’s storms, but they walk under the presence and power of God and in his blessings.

We must daily choose those things that lead to blessing and to the glory of God. We are constantly being confronted with moral choices in which we must decide whether we will walk in the ways of God or choose our own rebellious path. 

What will we do? Which way will we choose? Blessing? Discipline? 

Father, I thank you that Jesus Christ died for my sin and failure. I thank you that he rose and lives in me by the Holy Spirit. I thank you that he will give me power when I choose Gerizim and will strengthen me to avoid Ebal. You are so good!

Think and Pray

Remember that salvation is a gift of God, not based on your works.
Remember also that God's grace does not absolve you of the responsibility of your choices. To choose obedience brings blessing and to choose sin brings God's discipline and other consequences into your life.
Consider your life, your choices, and the direction you are traveling.

"Seeds of Blessing" March 24 Readings: Deuteronomy 25-26, Luke 1:39–56, Psalm 37:36–40, Proverbs 9:4-6

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 25-26, Luke 1:39–56, Psalm 37:36–40, Proverbs 9:4-6

Devotional 

Proverbs defines the life of blessing which comes when we obey God and walk in his ways. Salvation is a gift of God's grace given to those who cannot pay for it or earn it. But blessings come when, by the power of the Spirit dwelling within, we walk in obedience to God. Those who obey God learn that fundamental principle of wisdom, "You reap what you sow." Those who would reap the blessings of God must sow the seeds of obedience and faith. Only when you sow the right seeds do you reap the harvest of blessing God has for you. There are two seeds that I would identify in this passage, two seeds that must be sown to reap the blessings of God. In Proverbs 9, verses 4 through 9 (we are borrowing from tomorrow's reading today) we see two very important seeds that we must sow if we want to reap the harvest of blessing in our lives. 

The Seed of Repentance (Proverbs 9:4-6)

            

You cannot stay where you are and go with God. Think through the scriptures. Every encounter with God required that the person encountering God give up the life they had and receive a new life. Moses was no longer a shepherd after the burning bush. David encountered God on the hillside with his harp and his psalms, and God tapped him on the shoulder to be king. Isaiah “saw the Lord”, then after being cleansed from his sin was saying to God, “Here I am, send me.” Since we are sinful people, going God’s way always requires us to repent of our own.

Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”     To him who lacks sense she says,“Come, eat of my bread     and drink of the wine I have mixed.Leave your simple ways, and live,     and walk in the way of insight.”

Wisdom, here, invites people to eat the food at drink the wine at her feast. But, to come to the feast of wisdom, they must leave their simple ways to walk in a new way, the way of understanding. To walk in wisdom we must submit our wills to God’s, and our ways to his. That means that things will change. You will begin to distinguish right and wrong. You will choose what is right and reject the wrong. You cannot walk in the way of wisdom without letting God make major changes in your life. Sow the seed of repentance.

The Seed of Humility (Proverbs 9:7-9)

Verses 7 through 9 contrast how the wise man and the mocker respond to advice and correction. The mocker insults and abuses anyone who tries to correct him. The wise man receives the rebuke and loves the person for caring enough to try to help him live in even more wisdom. He takes the criticism and becomes even wiser than he was.

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

This is a key to wisdom. The wise man realizes that he is not naturally wise, that wisdom is a work of God. He opens himself to the correction of God, and to the correction of the wise. No one should be a slave to other's opinions or be overly sensitive to other's words, but we must be humble and receive advice and correction. We must be humble enough to hear God's Word and receive the correction of the wise. That is a marker of a man or woman of wisdom. 

Those who sow the seeds of repentance and humility will reap the blessings of God.

Father, may I sow those seeds of humility and repentance that I might walk in wisdom and experience your blessing!

Think and Pray

What seeds are you sowing in your life as you make choices daily?
Do you choose obedience and godliness?
Do you choose rebellion and the discipline that will bring?

"Secret of Her Success" March 23 Readings: Deuteronomy 23-24, Luke 1:26–38, Psalm 37:29–35, Proverbs 9:1-3

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 23-24, Luke 1:26–38, Psalm 37:29–35, Proverbs 9:1-3  

Devotional 

Imagine this young girl in Nazareth going about her day, as she had every other day, with no expectation that her life would be anything but normal and dull. Her greatest hope was that she might raise a family and experience a little joy along the way. Then, one day, it all changed dramatically. The archangel Gabriel appeared to her and gave her some important news. She was going to give birth to the Son of God, the Messiah, long-anticipated by Israel. 

Gabriel described this baby in glowing terms, in Luke 1:32-33. 

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Mary was boggled by all of this. That is not hard to imagine, is it? She asked a simple but important question. How was this going to happen to a girl who was a virgin, who had never been with a man? The angel explained how it was going to happen (verse 35). 

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God." 

God was going to take care of it all, by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

That is when Mary learned two principles that are the secret to success in God's kingdom. You do not have to be good looking or thin (hallelujah) to be significant in the Lord's work. You do not have to be able to sing or have any other talent. You do not have to be able to preach, you need not be famous. But there are two principles Mary learned here that make all the difference. 

1) She learned that there are no limits with God. 

It's impossible, she said. I'm a virgin. This cannot happen. But then Gabriel shared the first lesson with her (verse 37). 

"For nothing will be impossible with God." 

God is not limited by what limits us. We often think and plan based on the possible, but God works in the realm of the impossible. In our church are several "impossible" health situations, "impossible" financial situations, "impossible" family situations - a lot of hurting people. There's nothing we can do and so we assume that nothing can be done. But the God of heaven has no limits. He fulfills his purposes and accomplishes his will, regardless of the obstacles that stand in the way. 

We need to learn to live on the basis of what God can do not simply think about what we cannot do Whatever he purposes he does. We must remember daily the awesome power of the God we serve. 

I have been in far too many church meetings (thankfully, not at SHBC) in which the tacit assumption was that God was going to do absolutely nothing about whatever we discussed. Too many believers live their lives with the stunning assumption that God is distant, disconnected and disabled - that he will do nothing. 

The successful believer realizes that the God of heaven has no limits, nothing is impossible for him - not the Virgin Birth, not the problems and obstacles you face. 

2) She learned who was boss.

Gabriel dropped this bomb on her, totally changing the course of her life. What was Mary's request to this?

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

She realized who the rightful Lord, the boss of her life, was. She was a servant of the Living God and his will for her life was her desire for her life.

The will of God is often difficult. He calls us to the front lines of spiritual warfare, to sacrifice, even to suffer. The idea that God's will is easy and fun is not something one can discern from reading the Bible. But regardless of the hardships involved, serving God is the secret to spiritual success.

Whatever you will, Lord. Wherever you send me. Whenever you call. "I am the servant of the Lord."

Combining these two concepts, what is the secret to spiritual success?

Obedient service to an all-powerful God. 

That is what Mary learned. That is what we must learn.

Nothing is impossible for you, Lord. I give my life to you, to serve your will, not mine, to serve your purposes, not my own ambitions, to live for your glory and not my own. 

Think and Pray

Do you believe in a God who can do anything? Really?
Or do you assume that God will do nothing, or at least very little, to act in this world?
Are you willing to submit all to God to walk in his ways and serve his purposes?

'Never Forsaken" March 22 Readings: Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 1:1–25, Psalm 37:22–28, Proverbs 8:35-36

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 1:1–25, Psalm 37:22–28, Proverbs 8:35-36

Devotional 

I first heard the phrase in a song by Dallas Holm and Praise so many years ago. "I've never seen the righteous forsaken, or their seed begging for bread." I did not realize at the time that it was a Scripture verse, Psalm 37:25.

I have been young, and now am old,
  yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
  or his children begging for bread. 

Two thousand years ago, God sent his Son to the cross to pay the debt for my sins, so that I could be forgiven, redeemed, justified, and given eternal life. That ought to be enough, don't you think? After doing that for me, God ought never have to do another thing for me as long as I live to demonstrate his love or to earn my gratitude.

And yet, throughout the years, he has been amazingly faithful. Though I have been so shaky, so unfaithful, so half-hearted in my devotion and service to him, he has never wavered in his amazing faithfulness to me.

In our young days, Jenni and I saw his faithfulness almost every month. During our seminary years, we had monthly bills of about $900 and a combined income of around $700, yet never once did we have to beg bread. One time we cooked up our last pot of chili, and ate chili for 3 days until it was gone. We ate Cream of Wheat for breakfast. Tuesday night, we had a meal at our church (which, in God's humor, turned out to be a Chili cook-off!). Wednesday morning I ate the last of the Cream of Wheat and went to school. I checked my mail box and there was a card with a $10 bill and a note that said "My God shall supply all your need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

When we were young, he did not forsake his children.

We drove a Plymouth Gold Duster throughout those years - held together by bailing wire and duct tape - the stories I could tell about the Duster! But it got us through all four years in Texas, until I was hired for my first job in Florida. A friend from college helped me move from Ft. Worth to Jupiter and I drove him to the airport. On the way home, the engine of that ol' Duster blew up.

God kept that Duster going until the day I could afford something else!

He has been faithful to my kids. Josh called us one day in St. Louis on the way back to Liberty in Lynchburg, VA. The transmission on the old truck was acting up badly. We started praying and he kept driving - across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and through the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. He drove the truck into the parking lot of the dorm where he was an RA and parked it. That was the last time he ever drove that truck.

But our kids have never had to beg bread or hitchhike on the highway!

I was young, and now I'm growing old, but God has continued to be faithful - in spite of mistake after mistake after mistake I have made. A while back there a a note on our refrigerator with a bunch of prayer requests my wife was praying a couple of years ago, prayers God answered. She wrote across the top of the note, ANSWERED PRAYER.

This family has never been forsaken by our Heavenly Father.

NO, God hasn't promised us a life of ease and comfort, or a life free of hardship. Absolutely not. Sometimes, bad things happen int he lives of God's people. But this I know. I was young, and now I'm growing old. But in all that time my God has never abandoned me or been anything but a faithful God. Good God. Gracious and kind.

I've never been forsaken and my children have never begged for bread!

Thank you Father, for your faithful provision. First, you provided through Christ for my righteousness, the greatest gift a sinner like me could receive. Then, having given me that gift, you've given me every good and perfect gift along with it. 

Think and Pray

Think back through your life at the times you have faced which you thought were unsolvable, impossible. Remember how God provided for you and sustained you. Recall his faithfulness.
Give thanks to God.
Recommit yourself to a life of faith as you face the future.

"He Is Risen!" March 21 Readings: Deuteronomy 19-20, Mark 16, Psalm 37:15–21, Proverbs 8:34

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 19-20, Mark 16, Psalm 37:15–21, Proverbs 8:34

Devotional 

Consider the sadness the three ladies felt as they made their way to the tomb. Jesus had more than just the Twelve following him; there were several women who had joined his cause and were devoted to him. These were some of that group. The two Marys and Salome headed to the tomb early on Sunday morning, likely to do what they had not been able to do after Jesus' death - clean and prepare Jesus' body for his burial. They had a pure and holy love for him and were determined to perform this one last act of service to the One for whom they grieved.

But they got to the tomb and something was not right. The stone was gone and no one was there guarding it. They walked into the tomb and saw a young man in a white robe sitting on a stone slab to the right.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here! (Mark 16:6)

Everything was changed. Jesus had done many wondrous things in his life, and these women had witnessed many of them. But this was the greatest act of all. To conquer sickness and disease is impressive, but to defeat death itself, to break those iron bonds and rise again - that is beyond words!  What glory! What power!

And the fact of the resurrection changed everything. They went to the tomb with broken hearts, but they left rejoicing. They went in defeat and left in victory. Jesus altered everything from history itself to the course of these three women's hearts. 

Everything changed because Jesus rose from the dead. You and I were sinners, condemned before God and awaiting an eternal hell, without hope. But Jesus rose again. Because Jesus rose, you have hope today; an eternal, unending and glorious hope! This world is scary and sinful. But Jesus rose again. One day, Jesus will rule this world in an awesome peace and all will be well. You struggle with sin today and sometimes you feel that it will never change. But Jesus rose from the dead. He will raise you up and utterly redeem you from your sin. If death could not conquer him nothing can stop him. Perhaps your days are hard and sad and joyless, but Jesus rose from the dead. He can sustain you with his joy and power whatever this world throws at you. 

We sometimes forget the second half of the crucifixion equation. Jesus died for our sins. Amen. Glory, hallelujah!  And we were crucified with Christ. We die to self daily. We were buried with Christ by baptism into death. But that is only half of the story. 

Jesus rose from the dead. "He is not here. He is risen!" He was raised to a new life, a glorified body. But do not forget the second half of the baptismal verse. Yes, we were buried with Christ by baptism into death. But we were also "raised to walk a new life in him." We have been crucified with Christ, yes. "Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me." 

When we died with Christ we were born again to a new life. We became new creations. We have not experienced fully the glory that will be ours in heaven one day, but we are the dwelling of God. We display his glory. 

Oh, my friend, things may look bad, but Jesus is alive and you have been raised with him to a life of glory and power. Do not despair. Do not give up. Do not be downcast Do not be stressed out. Jesus is alive!

Father, you raised Jesus from the dead and you raised me with him. I thank you for the life you gave me in Christ, a new life of joy, power, peace and eternal significance. I rejoice in him, in your Son, my Savior. 

Think and Pray

Do you live in the victory won for you in Christ?
Do you walk in the new life that Jesus rose again to give you?
Consider the resurrection of Christ, the victory of Christ over evil, and what it means for you as a follower of Christ.

"Learning Wisdom" March 20 Readings: Deuteronomy 17-18, Mark 15:21–47, Psalm 37:8–14, Proverbs 8:32-33

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 17-18, Mark 15:21–47, Psalm 37:8–14, Proverbs 8:32-33 

Devotional 

Proverbs is a unique book within the Scriptures. It's not primarily about theology or eternity, but about practical issues of living life here on earth. It is a book of wisdom from Solomon to his sons to teach them how to honor God, how to make wise choices and how to lead Israel well (they were, of course, the princes of the land). There are instructions about the tongue, about handling money, and a plethora of warnings about the dangers of sexual immorality. 

Chapter 8 is a summary and recapitulation of the well-organized and systematic teachings of wisdom in chapters 1 through 7. In our reading, verses 22-23, he shares a few of the keys to the life of wisdom, dropping some hints that we need to heed. 

And now, O sons, listen to me:
    blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.

First, Solomon calls on his sons to listen and obey. How arcane that sounds. "No one tells me what to do. I do what I want." That's the way of this world, but it is also the way of folly. A wise man or woman is willing to submit to those authorities that God has placed in his or her life. God. The Word of God. Parents. Bosses. Teachers. Church leaders. The wise are not brazen and full of themselves, but willing to listen, learn and obey.

Second, Solomon encouraged his sons to learn wisdom by hearing instruction. They needed to realize that they did not have all wisdom or knowledge and that they needed to learn more. They needed to seek that knowledge. That is a general principle - a wise man or woman reads and listens and learns about many things. But it is primarily focused on the Word of God. The wise must be diligent as students of God's Word, because it is there that God's wisdom is revealed.

As I read verses like this, I realize how successful the enemy has been in winning the hearts and minds of our world. How odd is sounds to talk about submitting to authority and learning wisdom from others, insteading of simply choosing for yourself what is right and wrong. The enemy has convinced this world that dark is light and light is dark, that good is bad and bad is good, that up is down and down is up.

We must read and study God's Word and submit our minds to its truths, to be renewed by it rather than to be shaped by the lies of this world. Solomon begged his sons, even 3000 years ago, not to neglect the wisdom of God's Word. The principle is even more true today.

Father, teach us your truth that we may walk in your wisdom. 

Think and Pray

Do you walk in the wisdom of God or do you live in folly, disobeying God?

"I Am Barabbas" March 19 Readings: Deuteronomy 15-16, Mark 15:1–20, Psalm 37:1–7, Proverbs 8:30-31

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 15-16, Mark 15:1–20, Psalm 37:1–7, Proverbs 8:30-31

Devotional 

The story of the crucifixion of Christ is disgusting, sorrowful, enrapturing and transformational, all at once. But it is sometimes hard to find my place in the story. I've had my moments where I cowered as Peter did, afraid of the consequences of standing for my Lord. I'm not sure I've had a Judas moment, but there are times when my silence may have been a betrayal of sorts. The soldiers and the crowds disgust me, but I also must admit regarding the sin of my own heart that nothing is beyond the reach of my wickedness. One day, I will be like Christ because of the work God has done in my life, but today is not that die. 

So, who am I in the story of the Cross? There is one character most like me, one with whom I identify more than any other. 

I am Barabbas. 

No, I'm not a criminal or a political revolutionary or whatever it is that he was. But there are so many similarities - significant markers that identify me with this wicked man. 

1. I deserved to die. 

No one claimed Barabbas was innocent. He was not falsely accused or wrongly tried as Jesus was. He was not convicted on the basis of lies and false stories. Barabbas deserved the death that faced him. He did nothing to merit the favor he received. 

I am a sinner and I deserve death. As sinners go, perhaps I am not the most vicious or vile (unless you peel a few layers and look into my heart - please don't!). Raised in a Christian home where love abounded, I've not plumbed the depths of sin as some have. But I have no doubt. I am guilty before God. If I were to stand before God, my verdict would be guilty. And the wages of sin is death. 

Like Barabbas, I deserved death. 

2. Jesus took my place. 

The crowd, at the urging of the religious leaders, chose Barabbas over Jesus, so our Savior went to the cross. Barabbas went free. Jesus took his place.

When he hung on the cross, he was there in my place, dying for my sins. "I'm the one to blame, I caused all the pain." It was in place of me (and you) that Jesus bled and died.

3. I am now free. 

We have no idea what happened to Barabbas after Jesus took his place and he went free. Fictional portrayals have his life changing as a result of the grace he experienced. My hope is that this is true and one day I will him on the streets of gold. Perhaps, though, he went back to his life of crime and rebellion. But Barabbas was a free man because Jesus took his place.

I am a free man today because Jesus took my place and died for my sins. I am righteous because Jesus bore my sins.

When I read the story of Jesus's death, I know who I am. I am Barabbas, and by HIS stripes, I am healed.

Father, thank you for your grace. I did not deserve it, but you sent your Son to take my place and free me from my sins. My desire is to live the rest of my life in obedient thanks because of what you did for me!

Think and Pray

Give thanks for the freedom that is yours because you are Barabbas, the one in whose place Jesus died.

"Prone to Wander" March 18 Readings: Deuteronomy 13-14, Mark 14:51–72, Psalm 36:7–12, Proverbs 8:28-29

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 13-14, Mark 14:51–72, Psalm 36:7–12, Proverbs 8:28-29

Devotional 

As of February, I have been a believer for 53 years. God has done a lot in my life over those five decades and I hope he has used me in his work. But the thing that sticks out as I think back on half a century as a Christian is how often, how shamefully, how consistently I have failed the Lord. I've had other priorities, let myself get focused on other things, turned my heart away from him, loved the things of this world - the list could go on and on.

Fortunately, God is so much more faithful to me than I am to him!

Like hymn-writer Robert Robinson (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing), I rely on the grace and mercy of God daily.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be.
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee. 

The next words express the heart of my problem, the problem of my heart.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. 

Like Israel of old I find my heart deceptive, drawing me away from devotion to God to a love of the things of this world. And when I think of how much time I've wasted, how many opportunities I've squandered, how many sinful choices I have made, I feel some of the despair that Mr. Robinson felt as he wrote that hymn.

But there is good news for guys like me. God is faithful. I must never use God's faithfulness as an excuse for sin or a way to rationalize away its gravity. My sin is serious. But God's grace is always greater than my sin. God's faithfulness is stronger than my infidelity. Look at the Psalmist's words in Psalm 36:7-9.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

It is God's faithful, steadfast love that gives refuge to sinful people like me. He fills me from his abundance. I drink from the refreshing stream of his love - a fountain of the water of life. He lights my path so that I can see the way to go. I love that last phrase in verse 9. "In your light do we see light. Enlightenment comes only through him.

Yes, I have failed him so often, but his grace renews me daily. My eternal hope is built on Jesus' blood and righteousness, not my own goodness. I am secure in Christ and in the knowledge that sin will not have the last word in my life. He forgives and cleanses. He lifts up and restores. He renews and strengthens. He empowers and uses. And he does all of that with ordinary, unworthy sinners like me.

Praise God! Father your faithfulness is baffling, mind-boggling. I've been ready to give up on myself a hundred times, but you never give up on me. You are good, faithful, loving, merciful, holy, and relentless in your pursuit of my holiness. Thank you Lord, that is more about who you are than who I am. 

Think and Pray

Do you tend to drift from a close, passionate walk with God?
Remember that your walk with God is rooted in God's work, not your feelings, but it is still important that we continue in passion and devotion, resisting our tendency to wander and to drift.

"He Earned My Love" March 17 Readings: Deuteronomy 11-12, Mark 14:26–50, Psalm 36:1–6, Proverbs 8:26-27

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 11-12, Mark 14:26–50, Psalm 36:1–6, Proverbs 8:26-27

Devotional 

Why should I obey God? Why should I love him? Why should I turn my back on my own desires, my own ambitions, my own will, and give myself wholly and completely to God. The Israelites asked themselves this question repeatedly. Why should we love and serve the Lord? Why can't we be like all the nations around us?

God answered this question clearly in Deuteronomy 11. The chapter begins with a call to love God and to demonstrate that love through obedience. True love for God is evidenced by a submissive, obedient heart.

“Therefore, love the Lord your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands." Deuteronomy 11:1

Moses then explains clearly why Israel was obligated to love God. 

His greatness, strong hand, and outstretched arm; His signs and the works He did in Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land; what He did to Egypt’s army, its horses and chariots, when He made the waters of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued you, and He destroyed them completely; what He did to you in the wilderness until you reached this place; and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when in the middle of the whole Israelite camp the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing with them. Your own eyes have seen every great work the Lord has done. Deuteronomy 11:2-7 

Israel had witnessed the glory, goodness and power of God on their behalf and that obligated them to loving obedience. God had earned their love. He had stretched out his hand to deliver them from Egypt, had preserved and protected them in the wilderness and now was going to give them the Promised Land. God had also disciplined those who sinned against God in their midst.

God's mighty hand of power on behalf of Israel was so awesome that Israel was obligated to love him back. 

It is amazing that God wants our love. He is self-existent, not dependent on anyone or anything. He needs nothing because he is everything! But yet, in spite of all that, he desires his people to love him with all their hearts and souls and might. 

And he has earned that love. Not only did he create us by the word of his mouth but he gave his own Son as the payment for our sins. By the Blood of the Cross he redeemed us. He sealed us with the Holy Spirit who not only guarantees our inheritance eternally but also empowers us daily to live for Christ. 

How could I not love a God who has done all of that for me? How could I even consider serving myself or anyone or anything else after God's mighty display of power and grace in my life. He has earned by love and devotion. Too often I fail to give it, but it is his right because of all he has done for me. 

Father, you loved me eternally and sent your son to purchase my redemption. No one loves me like that. That you for your grace and mercy, for all your love and goodness. 

Think and Pray

Consider all the things that God has done for you to prove his goodness and love and to earn his love. Give thanks and renew your commitment to him in response to his great goodness and grace.

"Amazing Grace" March 16 Readings: Deuteronomy 9-10, Mark 14:1–25, Psalm 35:21–28, Proverbs 8:24-25

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 9-10, Mark 14:1–25, Psalm 35:21–28, Proverbs 8:24-25

Devotional 

Why did God call Israel to be his own? Was it because they were better than other nations, because their armies were stronger or their people smarter? Were they just simply more righteous, more godly than other nations? God answers that question in no uncertain terms in Deuteronomy 9:1-6.

He begins the passage with a wonderful promise - that he was going to give them the land, chasing the powerful enemies out.

But understand that today the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the Lord has told you. Deuteronomy 9:3

But then he gave Israel a warning. 

When the Lord your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ Deuteronomy 9:4

Do not fall prey to unwarranted arrogance, God admonished them. It would not be the righteousness of Israel that would be the root of their conquest of Canaan. It would be the power of God. In fact, God goes a step farther in verse 6. 

Understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deuteronomy 9:6

Israel was a stiff-necked, rebellious and sinful nation, chosen by God's grace and kept by God's power. They were spiritual beggars who only succeeded due to the mercy of God. But too often they became arrogant, looking down on other nations as if it was their own goodness that won them favor with God. When God did amazing things among them they often took credit and acted as if they had accomplished it by their own strength.

I am prone to that same flaw, arrogantly forgetting that I am just a spiritual beggar who has received life by God's mercy alone. God saw no merit, no righteousness, no inner qualities that caused God to love me. In fact, like Israel I am rebellious, self-centered, wayward - all sorts of sinful things.

But God has worked in me, changed me, used me in his work. I am all too prone to behave like Israel and take credit for what God does in me. I am always a beggar, living on the mercy of God, but sometimes I forget that and become an arrogant beggar.

God's warning to Israel is also his warning to us. "I did not choose you because of your greatness, but because of mine! I will display my power through you but you must never rob me of my glory or take credit for my amazing deeds."

Father, I am a beggar - a sinner unworthy of your love and mercy. But you have blessed this beggar with life and hope and all good things. Forgive me for when I have credited myself with your goodness, when my arrogance has caused me to forget my beggarliness. Thank you for all you have done. 

Think and Pray

Remember today that you are God's not because of your merit but because of God's grace. Give thanks for that grace today.

"Signs of the Times" March 15 Readings: Deuteronomy 7-8, Mark 13:24–37, Psalm 35:14–20, Proverbs 8:22-23

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 7-8, Mark 13:24–37, Psalm 35:14–20, Proverbs 8:22-23

Devotional 

This past week has given Sioux City some truly weird weather. We had record highs near 80, a wind storm that about blew us all to Oz, a couple of winter storms that dumped tons of snow, and some bitterly cold temperatures that reminded us that we still live in the frozen north. But one thing we know, spring is on the way. The flowers will bud, the world will turn green, the temps will rise. Even though its cold and there is snow on the ground, there are signs of spring all around.

Jesus made a similar observation about the fig trees of Israel in Mark 13:28.

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

The knowledgeable person can see from the signs he reads on the branches and leaves of the fig tree that summer is near. In the next verse (29), Jesus makes it clear what he is saying. 

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

There are certain signs that one can look at in the world around to discern that perhaps the time of the end is drawing near. Jesus tells us in this passage and in several others what those might be. But he also makes something else clear in the passage that follows. It is not the Christian's duty to be a date-setter or to spend his or her time trying to figure out whether this is the day that Jesus will return. In fact, in verse 32, Jesus makes it crystal clear that we will never know for certain when Jesus will return. 

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

No one knows that day except the Father. (I believe Jesus' statement that he didn't know the day referred only to his time on earth, but that is a discussion for another day.) Life is not about trying to figure out whether this is the day or not. Jesus sets a different standard, in verses 33-37.

Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.³⁵ Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

We don't know when Jesus is coming back, so we must live every day as if it might be today. The standard is simple. If we are walking in Christ and in the power of the Spirit, it ought not change our lives a bit if we knew that Jesus was returning tomorrow. We ought to be about the work of Christ every day, every moment. 

We are to be watchful, ready, passionate and fervent in our walk with Christ. 

Father, help me to live daily in wakefulness, readiness, and obedience, that I might be ready when Jesus returns. 

Think and Pray

If you found out that Jesus was returning in 2 days, would your life change dramatically?
Would you have to stop doing some things out of shame?
Would you begin to do others that you know you should have been doing all along?

"All My Heart" March 14 Readings: Deuteronomy 5-6, Mark 13:1–23, Psalm 35:7–13, Proverbs 8:19-21

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 5-6, Mark 13:1–23, Psalm 35:7–13, Proverbs 8:19-21

Devotional 

Deuteronomy 6 is one of the foundational passages of the Old Testament. It begins with the "Shema Y'israel" (Hear, O Israel), in 6:4 and follows with what Jesus identified as the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Then in the next few chapters Israel is told how to live our that devotion, commanded to eschew idolatry of any form, to trust God against all enemies who would try to keep them from the work of God and to expect that the God who saved them from Egypt would establish them in the Promised Land. 

But the passage roots in the first command, to love God with all of our heart and soul and might. Nothing is to come between us and our devotion to God – the key in all of our struggles in life. 

It is easy to become obsessed with the spiritual battles we face. We focus on how to avoid lust, or stop losing our tempers, or break a habit, or (in my case) fight obesity. And we should face sin in the power of Ch"rist and oppose it. But there are two things we need to remember as we engage in these battles. 

First, we do not have to fight sin to gain approval with God. We are accepted in Christ - fully, unreservedly and eternally. We seek to please him not to gain his approval but because he has already given us his approval in Christ. We love because he first loved us. This is a powerful fuel for our struggle. 

Second, all of our struggles with sin root in this battle - seeking to love God with all of our hearts, souls and might. Do I love God more than my food? Do I love God more than my addiction, more than my greed, more than my pride? Do I love him more than my hurts and bitterness? All of life is a battle to live out the truth of the Greatest Commandment. And it is a battle we ought to engage daily - seeking, struggling to focus all of our hearts and minds on Christ, desiring hearts and minds that are pure in their love for him. 

Thank God that we are accepted in Christ, because we always fall short of that noble goal. No matter how much I love God, I can always love him a little more, draw a little closer to him and seek him a little more fully. In the meantime, as this battle ensues, as we wage war against the flesh to love God with all our hearts, it is comforting to know that we are accepted in Christ even in our failure. 

That is where we live our lives - hovering between the ideal (pursuing God with all our hearts) and the real (our divided hearts). In the "in-between" we must remember these two truths. 

1) My highest calling is to love God with all my heart. Every other struggle or challenge in life is part of that battle - to love God.
2) In the midst of that struggle, and even in the midst of my failure, God's love for us is unshakable and eternal. 

In that comfort, we go forth to battle, we seek to love God a little more today than yesterday. We look forward to that day when we will see him face to face to our hearts will be pure in love for him. 

Father, I do love you. Help me to love you more. Purify my heart that it may only beat for you! And I thank you that even in my failures you never abandon me. 

Think and Pray

Can you say that you love God with all your heart and soul and might?
The answer to that is likely no! That is a goal for us that we never fully reach. But we pursue it nonetheless.
What are the things that stand in the way of you loving God with all your heart?

"Should We Pray like David?" March 13 Readings: Deuteronomy 3-4, Mark 12:18-44, Psalm 35:1-6, Proverbs 8:17-18

Today's Readings - Deuteronomy 3-4, Mark 12:18-44, Psalm 35:1-6, Proverbs 8:17-18

Devotional 

Many of David's prayers in the Psalms sound strange to our modern ears. In Psalm 35:1-6, he calls on God to take up not only a shield (we have no problem asking God to protect us) but also a spear and javelin. Those are sharp, pointed weapons designed to skewer another person. Most of us would have a problem asking God to drive a spear through another person for us, wouldn't we? He asks that God would disgrace and humiliate those who pursue him, to make them like the chaff in the wind and to make their way dark and slippery.

Pretty intense stuff - and those are some of David's milder imprecations. Some of his other psalms are much more brutal than this.

So how can a man after God's own heart call on God to do such awful things? Was David just not aware of God's love and mercy? Did he have an undeveloped sense of ethics?

I do not have definitive answers to any of these questions, but I have some thoughts that can help us as we read through the Psalms and the sometimes harsh prayers in them.

1) David is calling out to God for help. He is not taking revenge himself or striking out at those who have hurt him. He is calling on God to do exactly what God promised to do. "Vengeance in mine, I will repay," says the Lord. David is going to God when he feels abused and mistreated and asking him to do what he has promised to do.

2) David is a child of God walking in obedience to God. We do not earn God's protection by our good works, but neither can we expect God's protection when we are living in sin. David was a man after God's own heart. He was on the Lord's side and because of that, he knew that his enemies were also the enemies of God.

Too often, Christians make sinful or unwise choices, then call on God to help them when the consequences come down on themselves. David was suffering for serving God and when that takes place it is right and good to call on God for help and protection.

But we must make sure that our suffering is for God's Kingdom, not for our own unrighteous acts.

3) David did not have the full revelation of the New Testament's path of grace. He worshiped the same God of love that we do, but the concept of loving your enemy, returning good for evil, and seeking to bless those who persecute you had not been fully developed in David's day. He was responsible for the light that he had. He knew that he was to step back and let God (alone) take vengeance on his enemies. That is what he did.

We are responsible for the light we have - the bright light that shines through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, God still protects us and works against our enemies, but our duty is to pray for our enemies and to seek to bring them to Christ, not to fight against them as David did.

It is not that we are better than David, but we have a revelation more complete than what he had.

4) Remember who the real enemy is!

This is something we often forget. My real enemy is not the man who speaks evil against me behind my back, the one who cheats me, or betrays me or mistreats me. That person is one for whom Christ died; one who needs to experience grace, mercy and the power of God, just as I do.

The real enemy is that roaring lion who goes about earth seeking whom he may devour. The real enemy is this sinful world system that is enslaved to Satan's lies. The real enemy is my own sinful flesh which wars against my soul and draws me to the sinful things of this world and away from Christ. They are my real enemies.

And I ask God to do to them everything David asked God to do to his enemies. Skewer my flesh, Lord, that I may walk in your holiness. Bring down this sinful world system with your truth. Destroy all the works of darkness and the god of this age. Brutalize them, Lord.

The most important thing in all of this is to make sure that we are living on God's agenda, walking the path he has set for us. When we do that we can seek his guidance and protection from our enemies, as David did.

Father, more than anything else, I ask you to destroy the enemy inside me, my sinful flesh that entices me to sin. The death of your Son broke its hold over me, but I ask that you would help me die every day to sin that your power might be displayed through me. 

Think and Pray

In the full revelation of New Testament truth, you should call out to God for help and protection from your enemies, from those who attack you, but also remember the admonitions to forgive them, love them, and seek to bless them spiritually.
Think through those about whom you might be tempted to pray David-style prayers, and pray God's blessings on them.