"Walking the Tightrope" December 7 Readings: Amos 3-4, 1 John 2:1–27, Psalm 138, Proverbs 30:3–4

Today's Readings -  Amos 3-4, 1 John 2:1–27, Psalm 138, Proverbs 30:3–4

Devotional 

Remember Nik Wallenda walking across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope? To lean to the left or to the right would be deadly. Only by balancing perfectly could he stay alive. In 1 John 2:1-2 there are two truths taught that must be perfectly balanced. Many Christians hold to one of these truths and ignore or redefine the other - to their spiritual detriment.

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

The first truth that John presents is the challenge for each of us - that we might not sin. We have been saved by God's grace from the slavery to sin that came naturally to us and given freedom in Christ to live righteously. We have the indwelling Spirit of God to empower us and we both should and can say no to sin. Yes, I am a sinner and until Jesus takes me to my eternal home I will always be so. But I must never make peace with my sinfulness and act as if it is no big deal. Every sin I commit is an offense against the righteousness of Christ and grieves the Spirit of God within me. God has empowered me to holy living and I must seek to walk in the power he has provided.

But, no matter how hard I try I will always fail. The "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of one's lifestyle" will always have their pull on my lower nature and sin will rear its head. I will never be perfect. When I sin, I must not give up. I must not quit. I must not despair. I must, instead, remember that I have one who advocates on my behalf. Jesus died to pay for my sins. No matter what I do today, it doesn't matter - my sin is already paid for, my future is certain, and the love of God is secure.

Did you see the conflict in what I said? It matters whether or not I sin. I must not sin. But it doesn't matter when I sin because Jesus is my advocate. This is one of those inherent paradoxes in Christianity. I must always strive to walk in the holiness Christ has provided for me, but I must also rest in the security of his love even when I fail. It is a balancing act, but it is one that leads to glory.

To say, "I am secure in Christ, so it doesn't matter how I live," is presuming on God's grace. To strive to please God as if you had to earn his love and merit your relationship with him is to insult God's grace, to fail to understand Christ's love. Somehow, some way, we must keep these two "truths in conflict" in balance.

Father, thank you for the absolute, eternal, and comprehensive forgiveness I have through the advocacy of your Son, Jesus Christ. May your grace through him move me to holy living, to purity and to freedom from a life of sin. 

Think and Pray

Do you keep these truths in balance?
Do you seek to avoid sin in Christ's power?
When you sin, do you confess that sin and rely on the power of the advocate that we have, Jesus Christ our Lord? 

"Other People's Sins" December 6 Readings: Amos 1-2, 1 John 1, Psalm 137, Proverbs 30:1-2

Today's Readings -  Amos 1-2, 1 John 1, Psalm 137, Proverbs 30:1-2

Devotional 

I consider Amos 1 and 2 one of the most brilliant sermons ever. Some day I want to work up the courage to preach one like that! It illustrates how sermons can appeal to the flesh as opposed to speaking to the spirit.

Amos begins the sermon by pointing the finger at Israel's pagan neighbors, their enemies. I can only imagine the joy his hearers as he pronounced God's wrath against Damascus, Gaza, and Tyre. Then he looked across the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to the Edomites and Ammonites and Moabites, confronting their wickedness in the eyes of God. Prophets were often unpopular, but this time and at this moment Amos was everyone's favorite. there was a crescendo of applause.

You can always be popular preaching against OPS - Other People's Sins. People love to hear about how awful "they" are - those liberals, those homosexuals, those druggies and drunkards, those Hollywood lowlifes. It gives people a sense of moral superiority to hear how awful other people are - it feeds the flesh, our innate self-righteousness fed by pride.

The high point of Amos' sermon came when in Amos 2:4, when he confronted the sins of Judah, Israel's rival to the south. Israel was comprised of the 10 northern tribes which had split from the tribe of Judah (Jerusalem). At best there was jealousy and rivalry, and often there was a war. When Amos confronted the sins of Judah, the chorus of amens must have rung out like a tent revival.

That is when things changed. It was great when he pointed the finger outward, at "them." But in Amos 2:6 he stopped preaching and started meddling. He turned his attention from OPS to TPS - this people's sins. And his popularity diminished rapidly.

I will not relent from punishing Israel
for three crimes, even four...

The amens turned to blank stares and scowls of anger. People love to hear about the sins of others but are decidedly less interested in hearing about what might be wrong in their own hearts. Amos' brilliant message set up the hearers by pointing the finger to the north and to the east and to the south and drawing them in, but when he pointed the finger at them, everything changed. 

Self-righteousness causes us to look at the faults and sins of others and to ignore the failings of our own hearts. We look at the speck in our brother's eye while ignoring the log in our own. Once sign of the inner work of God's Spirit is that a person begins to look more carefully at his own sins and less judgmentally at those of others. We do not ignore sin or excuse it, but judgment begins in the house of God. I worry about me first and then begin to help others with gentle, caring guidance and the message of Christ's love, mercy, and grace. 

Our flesh loves the outward focus on other's failings, on the blame game, on passing the buck, on OPS; but there is no spiritual victory, no growth, no healing or renewal in that. Those only come as we allow the Spirit of God to confront us, as the prophet Amos did Israel, with our sins and bring us to repentance. 

Father, may your Spirit show me my heart. Expose every dark place in which the flesh reigns in rebellion to the Lordship of your Son. May he rule me body, soul and spirit. 

Think and Pray

Do you have the outward look or the inward look?
We ought never to excuse sin, but we ought to start by allowing the power of God's Spirit to work within us!

"For Heaven's Applause" December 5 Readings: Joel 2:18-3:21, 2 Peter 3, Psalm 136:22–26, Proverbs 29:24–27

Today's Readings - Joel 2:18-3:21, 2 Peter 3, Psalm 136:22–26, Proverbs 29:24–27

Devotional 

The terminology has changed a lot since I was a young kid in church. You don't hear much about "rededications" anymore, and "church training" is now called discipleship and I am quite sure new terms on being readied as we speak. Back then, we "gave testimonies." Now, we share. One term I don't hear much anymore is "besetting sin."

A besetting sin is that one that seems to always get the better of you, that one that constantly assails you, and is your chief spiritual challenge. For some, it might be temper and they find themselves losing control time and again. For others, the besetting sin is lust and they constantly fall prey to those base desires. For others, materialism's pull is just too strong to resist. The specifics differ but most of us have a sin that grabs us and won't let go.

Proverbs 29:25 describes what may very well be my besetting sin.

The fear of mankind is a snare,
but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.

Over and over again in the scriptures we are told to fear the Lord, to hold him in such awe and respect that we live all our lives to please him and do nothing that would displease him - to live our lives for God's applause and his alone. According to Proverbs, fearing the Lord is the key to all the blessings of God. 

The opposite is true of the fear of man. When we live to please people our chief concern is not their relationship with God but their opinions of us. It is a snare to the soul. We must choose whose applause we want and for whose pleasure we will live. Serving God precludes universal popularity - some people will hate you as they hated Jesus. (Make sure it is for righteousness' sake, not because you are a jerk!) God's spokesmen often speak unpopular truths and his servants serve Heaven's interests, not the world's. 

It is easy to pass off a sin like this as if it is a little thing. "I care too much what people think about me." It almost sounds noble - loving, sensitive. And it is no biggie, like adultery or murder or some such shameful sin, after all. But for those who, like me, desire to devote their lives to serving God, it is truly a snare, as Solomon said. It entraps and enslaves, preventing us from serving God.

Those who would serve Christ must fear him and him alone. The fear of man is a snare. It is a snare I must constantly avoid. 

Father, may I live to serve you. May every moment of my life be lived for your pleasure, and yours alone. 

Think and Pray

Do you live for the pleasure of God and God alone, or are you living in fear of what people think and desiring their favor?
If God's command will anger someone else, what do you do?

"Faithful Love" December 4 Readings: Joel 1:1-2:17, 2 Peter 2, Psalm 136:15–21, Proverbs 29:22–23

Today's Readings - Joel 1:1-2:17, 2 Peter 2, Psalm 136:15–21, Proverbs 29:22–23

Devotional 

Joel tells the entire story of sin and redemption, a microcosm of Israel's history, of God's grace and restoration toward them. In chapter 1, Joel calls Israel to task for their sin, and explains the consequences of that sin. Israel was suffering greatly, and they often wondered why. They thought that since they were the chosen people of God that he should shield them from trouble.

But God was allowing them to suffer the consequences of their wicked sin.

Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
 What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten. Joel 1:3-4

Sin is not only an offense to God, but it destroys us. Like waves of locusts, it destroys the life that God has intended for us. Israel thought that they could embrace sin, idolatry, immorality, greed, and other sins and still experience the blessing of God and the joys of his presence. But sin doesn't work like that. It devastates and destroys.

But there is a solution to sin. God opens his heart to repentant sinners. 

Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
 Tear your hearts,
not just your clothes,
and return to the Lord your God.
For he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
and he relents from sending disaster.  Joel 2:12-13

What a powerful statement. "Tear your hearts, not just your clothes." Real repentance - a heart of sorrow over sin, one that turns to God with a full, pure, and humble heart. Our great blessing is that God is not hard-hearted or vindictive. He responds to repentant sinners with grace. In fact, he initiates grace by seeking us in his love. He is faithful and good, always seeking reconciliation rather than judgment. 

Verse 19 (dipping into tomorrow's reading) tells us the end result of Israel's repentance (and ours). 

Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and olive oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations. Joel 2:19

He restores the repentant. 

It is my desire to walk consistently with God - when I consider what Christ has done for me, what else can I do? But I have more than 50 years of history as a Christian and I know who I am. Like Israel, I wander. I fail. I sin. And knowing who I am and what I do, it is a great comfort to know that the God who made me, the God who saved me, is a God who loves me, who is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love. I wish that I did not presume on that grace as often as I do, but I am thankful that my God is love, that the Blood of his Son is forever powerful against sin, and that he never abandons me, even in my depths. 

Thank you, Father, for your amazing Grace. Thank you for the Blood of your Son that cleanses and restores me. 

Think and Pray

If it seems as though out "think and pray" section tells you to take time to reflect and thank God for your salvation and redemption about two or three times a week - you are not wrong! There is no story more powerful and nothing more worth reflection!

"But, I Can't" December 3 Readings: Hosea 13-14, 2 Peter 1, Psalm 136:8–14, Proverbs 29:19–21

Today's Readings -  Hosea 13-14, 2 Peter 1, Psalm 136:8–14, Proverbs 29:19–21

Devotional 

It's so hard; it's just SO hard! Living the Christian life is hard. 

Think about what God demands of us as we live the Christian life. We are called, as the redeemed and forgiven, to break free from slavery to sin and to walk in holiness. I've got a lot of sinful desires that still well up in my soul and it's not easy. I am called not only to imitate Christ but to actually become like him. Not to burst anyone's bubble, but I'm not that much like Christ - not nearly as much as I ought to be or would like to be. I have been commanded to love my enemies, rejoice no matter what is going on and to give thanks for everything that happens in my life, even those things I'm not so crazy about. And God has given us the responsibility to take the gospel into all the world and to make people disciples - followers of Jesus Christ - not just here where I live but to the very ends of the earth. 

No, I take it back. It's not hard, it's impossible. I can't do it. 

That's why I love 2 Peter 1:3-4. It is a great comfort to people like me who realize that the demands of the Christian life are beyond our ability. 

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature,escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 

Okay, maybe it's possible after all! Jesus Christ didn't just save me then send me out and say, "Do the best you can, Dave." No, he fills me with his divine power, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to do in me everything that is "required for life and godliness." He empowers me to do it all. 

That is really the story of the Bible. Abraham is called to be what he could never be, the father of many nations. But God did it. Moses was given a task far beyond his abilities, but God did it. Gideon fought the Midianites. David fought Goliath. Elijah faced the false prophets on Mt. Carmel. Each of them was overmatched. But God did it. The apostles were unlearned and ignorant men, demonstrably incapable of being the foundation stones upon which Jesus would build his church. But filled with God's Spirit, suddenly they were able to do what they'd never been able to do. God did it! 

I cannot conquer temptation and sin, but God can. I can't love my enemies. God can (he already does). I can't make disciples, but God can. Everything that is needed so that I can do all that God has called me to do is given to me as a gift from God. 

Father, I thank you that it's not up to me, but that the power I need comes to me by your Spirit. May I depend every day on your power, and not struggle in the futility of my own power. 

Think and Pray

Remember that whatever the challenges you face, it is the strength of Jesus Christ that is your power. You live on the basis of his resources. 

"Glorious Suffering" December 2 Readings: Hosea 11-12, 1 Peter 4–5, Psalm 136:1–7, Proverbs 29:17–18

Today's Readings - Hosea 11-12, 1 Peter 4–5, Psalm 136:1–7, Proverbs 29:17–18

Devotional 

Peter wrote to people who knew what it was to suffer for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel like I'm suffering when someone talks bad about me. I live in a nice house, drive a nice truck, but living so far from some of my grandkids - that seems like real suffering to me! But these people had suffered. Real suffering. Harsh. Pain. Even, at times, death.  And Peter desired to encourage and strengthen them.

In 1 Peter 5:10, he said,

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.

This is similar to what Paul said when he described his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 4 as "light and momentary." In Romans 8 he said they were not worth comparing to the glory that would be revealed in us. There is a root principle these biblical authors were trying to get through to us here - two of them in fact.

First, we are comforted knowing that whatever suffering we endure in the name of Christ is, as Paul said, "light and momentary" and that compared to the glory we will experience in eternity, it is nothing. That is not to diminish our sufferings, but to magnify the glories of heaven. That is how great it will be in glory - even the worst of our sufferings will seem insignificant in the presence of Christ. It will be worth it all.

But we do not have to wait for glory to be comforted. Jesus Christ will restore, establish, strengthen and support us day by day as well. As we struggle through this world we have the promise of the constant presence of Christ in all that we do. Jesus is more than a ticket to heaven, he is our daily hope and sustainer. When times are hard, he will be there to carry you, to pick you up and to strengthen you for the work he has set before you.

No matter what comes in this life, I have unspeakable glory awaiting, and unlimited sustenance and grace for my life every day.

Father, thank you for your Son who not only secured my future but sustains my presence.

Think and Pray

Thank God today that not only was your future guaranteed in Christ, but your present is empowered in him, in spite of what this world or the enemy can do to you. 

"Blessings for Evil" December 1 Readings: Hosea 8-10, 1 Peter 3, Psalm 135:15–21, Proverbs 29:14–16

Today's Readings - Hosea 8-10, 1 Peter 3, Psalm 135:15–21, Proverbs 29:14–16

Devotional 

I have always had trouble responding to criticism. Normally, I handle it pretty well when it is being given - God has often given me that grace to listen to people as the rail against my abundant inadequacies. It is afterward that the trouble sets in. Sometimes it is anger; sometimes it is paralyzing sorrow or depression. I used to call them my "fetal position" days - when all I wanted to do was curl up on my bed in a ball and block out the world. I either wanted to strike back and block out the world.

None of us particularly likes to be criticized, bashed, persecuted, blamed, railed against, or in any other way spoken ill of, do we?

IIn 2003 I began writing a little email blast called "WORD Processing" that seemed to bless quite a few people, but also drew a few critical remarks. I found myself crumbling under the lightest of disagreements or insults. As time went on I got involved in blogging and God opened doors for me to become the editor of one of the most active blogs in my denomination. With the name recognition and encouragement came harsh criticism. If you look (and you don't have to look hard) you can find blogposts calling me a variety of names!

I found as time went on those criticisms and insults tended to hurt less - I even found them amusing and entertaining at times. Instead of crumbling before criticism, I found myself hardened to it. But neither of those responses is healthy or godly. Peter, in 1 Peter 3, describes how we should handle the opposition and persecution we receive for doing the work of God.

Everything we do must flow from the purpose of God in our lives In verse 18, Peter describes the work of Christ powerfully and holds that up as our model for life.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.

As Christ suffered for our sins to bring the unrighteous to God, we should be willing to suffer in the name of Christ to accomplish the work of Christ in this world. As Jesus said repeatedly in his teachings, it is only our suffering "for righteousness sake" that is blessed. I cannot suffer for being a jerk and expect to be rewarded by God!

Here is the hard part, the part we don't want to admit or deal with! Serving Jesus brings a life of suffering, hardship, heartache, opposition, and even persecution. 

The entire passage is worth meditating on, absorbing, ruminating on deeply, but the heart and soul of it is verses 8 and 9. 

Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another,and be compassionate and humble, 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

We must put unity and the needs of others ahead of our own feelings and goals. We are servants in the Body of Christ, who according to Paul are to put the needs of others even about our own (Philippians 2). We must maintain this humble, tender, sympathetic and godly spirit. That is so difficult because a humble and tender spirit will be trounced repeatedly in a world like ours. But we must strive for it anyway. 

We are to bless even those who revile us. That is not easy. Try it next time someone blasts your soul to the core - respond with a blessing! It will be the hardest thing you've ever done. But, Peter says, this is our calling from Christ, based on how he lived his life. 

The goal in all of this is verse 16. Peter tells us to live lives of such holiness and love that when people do slander us, they are the ones who are shamed for their slander. And if we do suffer, verse 17 says, suffer for doing what is right, not for doing what is wrong. 

I could live the rest of my life and never perfectly live out these verses, but it is a noble goal, a Christ-like goal. May God make the words of 1 Peter 3:8-22 a reality in my life and in yours - more and more every day. 

Father, the ideal you set in this passage is not the life I have lived! I've returned evil for evil. I've not been the humble servant my Savior was and called me to be. But I pray you will make me more like that every day. 

Think and Pray

Think of those who have persecuted or harassed you. Do you respond with anger and vengeance, repaying evil for evil? 

Or do you live as Christ, returning good for evil?

Think of the people who have hurt you the most. What would it look like if you put these verses into effect? 

Pray for strength to do that.