Beyond Other's Opinions - August 07, Readings: Job 25-26,Acts 28:1–16, Psalm 91:1–6, Proverbs 19:22–24

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In Philippians 1, Paul would describe the purpose of his life. "For to me, to live is Christ." He did not live for himself, or for money, or for fun or for anything else, just for Jesus Christ. He demonstrated this commitment, this passion, clearly in Acts 28:1-6.

Driven ashore on the Island of Malta and miraculously preserved by God, the people made a fire to warm themselves on that stormy night. Paul threw some brush he'd gathered on the fire and when he did, a viper, driven out by the heat, latched on to Paul's hand, biting him. The people began to talk among themselves, making assumptions based on their pagan beliefs. That must be a truly wicked man. Having escaped the shipwreck, now the goddess Justice has sent a snake to end his life. They watched and waited for the goddesses' retribution on Paul's sin to take affect. Nothing happened. He shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects of the bite. Now, everything was changed. They no longer looked at him as a tragic example of evil, but regarded him as a god come to earth. In a few moments he went from being disdained to being venerated as divine.

And Paul showed no reaction to either. When the crowd was looking at him as a sinner deserving the bite of a poisonous snake, he showed no concern. when they suddenly regarded him as a god, he did not react then either. He just went about his business, doing God's work. He healed and preached for all the time that they were on the island.

Paul lived for Jesus and because he did he was neither devastated by the criticism and negative opinions of others, nor was he lifted up in pride when he received adulation. Those who do not have their minds and hearts completely fixed on Christ can find themselves derailed by either praise or criticism.

Many Christians are devastated when anyone criticizes them. Would that it were not so, but Christians can be very critical of one another. You sense the call of God to engage in ministry, to serve him in some way. When you do, something thinks it is a bad idea or that you are doing it wrong. Someone questions your motives or denigrates your character. That can suck the air right out of your sails. But if you are focused completely on Christ, you care only about his pleasure and you continue in the work he has given you. If to live is Christ, then the unfair criticism of others will not harm you or distract you.

Perhaps the greatest temptation is the praise and honor of others. When people give you adulation the temptation is there to become self-centered, to engage in self-glory and to forget that it is all about Jesus. Praise can be as great a temptation as criticism. God will lift up the one who has been beaten down by others, but when we allow ourselves to be lifted up in pride, we set ourselves in opposition to the glory of God.

The solution is simple - to devote ourselves to Christ as Paul did. Then, whether others laud us or load us with criticism, the mission continues unhindered. We continue to serve and continue to love because it is not about me, but about him.

Father, may my life, as Paul's, be focused on Jesus Christ and his mission in this world, not on what others think of me or say about me, whether good or bad. 

Poisoned Truth - August 06, Readings: Job 23-24, Acts 27:13–44, Psalm 90:10–17, Proverbs 19:20–21

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Job is a hard book to read devotionally and it has some unique challenges for those of us who believe that every word of the Bible is true. In the chapters we read today, Job is ranting against the God he now believes has mistreated him. Driven by his own misunderstandings of God, aided and abetted by the bad advice and judgmental approach of his "friends", Job has now become caustic, bitter and hopeless.

And that is the problem. Much of what he says is true, based on what the Bible reveals about God. But the way he applies that truth, the conclusions he draws from it are poisoned by his own bitterness.

The reader has to be careful when reading Job and his friends. Everything recorded here is an accurate reflection of the feelings and declarations of Job at this time as he struggles to make sense of his tragedy. But sometimes it is his deception and misunderstanding that is accurately recorded. The Word of God accurately records Job's misunderstandings. So, the reader must look through this passage and sort the truths that Job holds to from the lies he has succumbed to. How do we do that? Generally, the safest answer is to simply hold the truth that comes from the rest of the Word and recognize the other parts for what they are - the poisoned truth of a bitter mind.

Look at the things Job says about God. "His hand is heavy despite my groaning." In a certain sense, that is true - God permitted Satan to do terrible things to Job. But he had a greater purpose and God was still at work. In the end, it was his plan to bring greater blessing to Job than he had before (though he would always miss his children even when more had been born.) Job saw no hope and had come to feel that God was against him. But that is never true for the believer, even when it seems like it might be true.

In verse 7, he reasons that if somehow he could find God and explain the injustice of the situation, God would relent and stop oppressing him. What a sad misinterpretation of events. God's goodness was still in effect and he needed no coaching from Job.

In Job 23:8-9 Job bemoans that he cannot find God and that God is far off. Every one of us will feel that way at times, wondering where God is and why he is not responding to our pleas. But when we cannot walk by sight we must walk by faith, holding on to the goodness of God even when our circumstances and our hearts give contrary information.

That is the root of Job's issue. He has now stopped believing in the good and loving God he worshiped before this tragedy. Now God was, to him, distant and cruel, hidden and unattainable, unjust and uncaring. He had allowed the circumstances of his life and the bad advice of his friends to turn his heart cold and to cause him to lose sight of this fact - no matter how things look, God is love and he will never leave us or forsake us.

No matter what is happening in your life, hold on to that. Never let life's circumstances cause you to believe lies about God's character, as Job did here. The good news, as we will see in future chapters, is that God's love prevailed and he corrected Job's views of God and restored him to joy. There is always hope when the God of heaven is at work.

Father, thank you for your goodness. Help me to remember and live in faith in your goodness even when I cannot see it and cannot feel it. 

Finding God's Wisdom - August 05, Readings: Job 21-22, Acts 27:1–12, Psalm 90:1–9, Proverbs 19:17–19

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I call it the "business meeting" passage - Acts 27:9-12. Paul was on his way to Rome after his appeal to Caesar and his ship ran into some trouble off the Island of Crete. They were trying to make a simple decision - should they winter in Crete or try to move on before the weather turned to a better harbor?

Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast[a] was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

Paul was the lone voice in this discussion; the Spirit of God had given him forewarnings that there would be great trouble on the trip and that the ship, its cargo and its passengers were in danger if they went on. But Paul was the only guy who cared about the leading of the Holy Spirit. They used other means to reach the decision to furl their sails and head toward Rome.

What bothers me is that the means they used to make decisions were the same ones that we often use in reaching our decisions. None of these means are inherently wrong, but neither do they automatically reveal the will of God. We ought, like Paul, to listen to God - hearing his word and being led of the Holy Spirit.

The first thing they did was consult an expert. No one knew more about sailing than the ship's captain, and his opinion was consulted.

Experts can provide wisdom and can help us with our plans, but they often make bold claims that do not pan out to be true. It is one of my hobbies - listening to the predictions of the "experts" and seeing how wrong they are. Sports reporters almost never pick the right team before the season. Political experts' picks are consistently wrong. Year after year I listen as weather experts predict the winter, or hurricane season, and are consistently wrong about it all. Experts can help, and if we are making decisions, consulting experts is a good thing. But we cannot ascertain the will of God by simply listening to the experts.

They also listened to the man with the power and money - the owner of the ship. Having power and money does not make one an expert on the will of God.

They also looked at the facts of the situation - the harbor they were in was not a suitable one for winter. Surely they needed to move on. We ought not be foolish enough to ignore our circumstances, but by the same token, the will of God is often counter to observable facts. When Pharaoh was bearing down on the Israelites by the Red Sea, the facts said there was no chance for Israel to survive. When Jesus was in the tomb, the facts were the facts - his ministry was over. But if we do not account for the power, plans and activity of God, we will consistently make bad choices and big mistakes.

Finally, they took a vote. In verse 12 it says, "the majority decided." Good Americans. Good Baptists. Take a vote. Majority rules after all.

But here's the problem. The expert was wrong. The man with the money and power was wrong. The circumstances were misleading and the majority blew it on this one. The only person who was right was the person who heard from God. Paul was right and everything and everyone else was wrong. They paid a high price for not listening to God.

We must get our guidance from the Word of God and from the leading of God's Holy Spirit that is drawn from that word. The wise Christian listens to experts, but does not put his trust in them. He respects others opinions but does not kowtow to them. He examines the facts but trusts the Word of God. And he knows that the majority may rule in democratic bodies, but that does not mean the majority is always right. The majority can be as wrong as the devil himself.

Father, help me to be led by you, by your word and by your spirit and not by any of this world's inferior wisdom. 

Paul before Agrippa - August 04, Readings: Job 19-20, Acts 26, Psalm 89:49–52, Proverbs 19:15–16

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It was a classic mismatch. The Apostle Paul stood before the descendant of Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa, a man of great power. He could order Paul's death at the slightest whim. The average man would cower before him.

Not Paul. When Paul was ordered (in Acts 26) to stand before Agrippa in the auditorium at Caesarea, he did not back off. He was respectful to the king as he had taught believers to be, but he was direct. He told the story of his conversion to Christ and confronted Agrippa with the Lordship of Jesus. He did not back down a bit.

Paul had only one goal in life - that Jesus Christ would be exalted and made known to the world. He said to the Philippians, "for to me, to live is Christ." He meant it. It was all about Jesus. And he did not care if a man was rich or famous or powerful or even royal. All that mattered to Paul was that he was a sinner who needed salvation that only came through Jesus Christ.

We who are redeemed by Christ ought to have the same passion for proclaiming him that Paul had. Rich or poor. Black or white or any shade in between. Powerful or inconsequential. From either side of the tracks. It is our duty to make Jesus known in this world.

Father, give me the spirit of Paul who cared only about make your Son known in this world. May your name be exalted through me. 

How Long? August 03, Readings: Job 17-18, Acts 25:13–27, Psalm 89:42–48, Proverbs 19:12–14

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Job. Psalms. Proverbs. Ecclesiastes. Song of Songs. These are known as the Wisdom books. There is a lot of meaning tied up in that term, but one of the keys is perspective. Wisdom books are written from the heart perspective not the heavenly perspective. Yes, they are divine truth, inerrant and infallible like any other biblical passages. But they are often written from the perspective of the feelings and emotions of the person in the middle of life's trials.

Look at Psalm 89:46.

How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? 

We know, from the theological perspective, that God never leaves us or forsakes us. He is always there and always near. But, as we live our lives one this is certain. It does not always FEEL that way. Sometimes it FEELS like we have been abandoned. Sometimes it feels like the wrath and anger of God is burning against us even if we know that God's love is the governing reality in our lives every day.

That is where we live - between the theological truths we know and the emotions we feel. We know that God loves us but we feel unloved. We know God never abandons us but we feel abandoned. We know we are never alone and yet we still feel isolated. The Psalms express the feelings of abandonment and isolation that we so often feel.

But we must always remind ourselves of who we are in Christ, who Christ is in us, and walk by faith! As we live in this world we must understand that God cares about how we feel, but that our feelings are not the ultimate truth - that is found in God's Word.

Father, help me to walk by faith, not by my feelings. May I remember exactly who you are and what you've done for me, even when I feel so isolated, alone, abandoned, forsaken or unloved. 

When They Hate You - August 02, Readings: Job 15-16, Acts 25:1–12, Psalm 89:35–41, Proverbs 19:10–11

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It cuts straight to your soul. We've all been there, when someone makes an accusation against you, one which you know is not true. Let's be honest - as sinners, we are all guilty of many things. I give my critics more than enough ammunition every day. But it seems so often that the accusations that come are out of left field. False. Wild. Crazy. Out of touch with reality.

Job's friends falsely accused him over and over again. As emotions rose, as the discussion got more pointed and direct, they went for the jugglar. In his second speech, Educated Eliphaz and his arrogant theology point the finger of blame at Job for all of his problems. In Job 15:4 he explains it all. Job has lost the fear of God and because of that God is bringing punishment on him.

Is it any wonder Job got increasingly frustrated and angry at these false accusations? Job did nothing sinful to cause these trials. The problem was not with Job but with the inadequate theology of the friends. They were as wrong as thy were certain.

But Job made a huge mistake here, one I've made many times myself. Job answered back. That is the book of Job. Eliphaz speaks, then Job responds. Bildad blusters, and Job answers. Zophar rants and Job answers. Then they do it all again - three times. And each time Job gets a little angrier, until he finally loses his cool and even accuses God of sinning against him!

But in chapter 16, verses 2-3, Job tries to straighten out his accusers. He calls them "miserable comforters" and questions their "windy words." But he forgot one of the most important lessons any of us can learn.

It is God's judgment of us that matters!

I ought always treat others with love and kindness, and ought never to be callous to their opinions of me. But people's opinions are not the final word. It is God who judges. I am who God says I am, not who anyone on earth says I am. When people lay false accusations at our feet, we can turn to God. That is what Job should have done - defined himself in the eyes of God.

It is not that God excuses sin or ignores it, but he is a God of forgiveness and love. He justifies us and gives us grace. He treats us in terms of what he has done in us through Christ and what we will be one day when the process of grace is complete. So, when we are barraged with false accusations and hateful words, it is important to remember that there is only one opinion that defines us.

Who am I in God's eyes? I am loved! I am redeemed! I am adopted, justified, reborn, renewed, recreated and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. I may still be a sinner and fail every day, but my destiny is determined by Christ's merit not my own. When the world brings its worst against me I rest in the best that Christ gives.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you God that it is your loving grace that defines me, not the hate and criticisms of men! 

Secure, not Safe - August 01, Readings: Job 13-14, Acts 24, Psalm 89:28–34, Proverbs 19:7–9

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The lengthy Psalm 89 trumpets the faithfulness of our God - a faithfulness we experience by grace even though we don't deserve it. In verses 30-34 we learn two important lessons.

First, it is a serious thing to take God's faithfulness lightly and use it as an excuse to sin. The fact that God is so good, so forgiving, so faithful ought to motivate us to gratitude, to holiness and to Christ-centered living. It ought never make us careless, as if our sin did not matter to God.

Speaking of the sins that might come (and did) in the lives of the descendants of King David, God gave this warning, in verses 30-32.

If his children forsake my law

    and do not walk according to my rules,

if they violate my statutes

    and do not keep my commandments,

then I will punish their transgression with the rod

    and their iniquity with stripes,

It is no small thing to ignore God's grace and faithfulness and embrace the life of sin. God promised that if they did so, he would hold them to account for their rebellion with his rod of discipline.

Hebrews 13 tells us that God disciplines us as a father disciplines his children. He loves us too much to allow us to wander into sin and stay in it comfortably. God will come after rebellious and disobedient children with loving discipline.

But verses 33-34 go on to remind us that even in this discipline, God remains eternally faithful.

but I will not remove from him my steadfast love

    or be false to my faithfulness.

I will not violate my covenant

    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

God promised that even when David's offspring failed in their end of the covenant he would stay faithful to his commitment. He will discipline, even harshly, but he will not violate his covenant or abandon his people.

God never leaves us or forsakes us. Even his discipline is designed to bless us, to draw us near to him that we might experience his faithfulness daily. I might be disciplined by God, but I will not be abandoned by him. Even when I fail, he is faithful to his covenant of grace with me.

So, this passage is both a warning and a comfort. We are reminded that sin is serious in God's eyes and he will wield the rod to correct us. But we are comforted that he will never abandon his work in us, but will always love, always restore and always work to conform us to Christ.

We are secure in Christ, but that does not mean that it is safe for us to live in sin. Our big and powerful God is not to be trifled with!

Father, I thank you that your mercy and faithfulness are great. May I never treat that lightly, but walk in holiness and purity in all things.