Friday, November 30, 2007

Fire from the Lord

“Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do. Then, flames leaped from the Lord’s presence and burned them to death before the Lord.” (Leviticus 10:1-2 CSB)

These two verses above can be perplexing. On the surface, it appears that Nadab and Abihu were performing their priestly ministries normally and doing what was expected of them, and that God took their lives because He did not like the source of the fire they brought before Him. Further thought, however, is enlightening.

First, Aaron and all his sons had been warned repeatedly that they must carry out the commands of the Lord fully as specified. Not to do so would result in the forfeiture of their lives. Nadab and Abihu knew this.

Just prior to this event, a number of offerings were placed on the altar as burnt offerings to the Lord. When the glory of the Lord appeared, fire came out from His glory and then consumed the offerings on the altar.

On another day Nadab and Abihu brought coals to offer incense before God, but these coals did not come from the altar. They apparently assumed that it did not matter, and that coals from any fire would be all right. In other words, they simply disregarded God’s warnings and His instructions about these worship matters, and since this was a the very outset of the Levitical priesthood, a disregard at this point would certainly set the stage for further disregard later. Therefore, God could not allow this breach of His holiness, and He sent judgment on the two. In the Old Testament “fire from heaven” appears twelve times. Six times it is beneficial, and six times it is a judgment, and it was certainly a judgment on Nadab and Abihu.

While this story may seem harsh and disturbing, it points us to a very important truth that the worship of God is not something to be taken lightly. Not “just any old thing” will do. Worship is to be sincere, and we are not to treat it as if it does not matter. It isn’t that we have to “get everything right” in our worship. Rather, we are to hold a genuine reverence in our hearts toward God and love for Him and His word, and worship given in that sense is always acceptable to Him.

Lord, May the meditations of our hearts and minds, and may all our worship of You be acceptable in Your sight. And may all our worship before You come from the heart in ways that truly honor You. Amen.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Sudden Glory

“Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell face-down on the ground.” (Leviticus 9:24 CSB)

If we were to suddenly see the glory of God appear as it did that day to Israel at the tent of meeting, or as it did on the road to Damascus as it did to Saul of Tarsus, I dare say we would all no doubt do exactly as they did and head for the ground. We would find it absolutely terrifying, as they did, and we would fear for our lives. Such an awesome display of glory and power would deplete every last ounce of energy we would have in our knees. Such is the impact of the revealed glory of God.

Currently, there is a sort of “veil of invisibility” that prevents us from seeing the actual glory of God. The glory of God is veiled from us, but that by no means suggests that it is not there. God is there before us, and so is His glory. God just does not reveal it to us because He knows it would scare us half out of our wits, and because He knows it would be a dangerous thing for us to see. The time will come, as the Bible promises, when we see certainly see Him in all His glory.

The reality for Christians is that the Holy Spirit dwells within each of our hearts, and, therefore, the glory of God also resides within us. That suggests that every day we need to come before the Lord and bow to His glory within, thank Him for it, and ask Him to let His light in us thus shine out through our lives, so that our influence will be used to bring others to know Him as we do.

Lord, Indeed, that is our prayer, that Your light and glory in us will serve Your purposes in shining into the life today of someone who needs to know You and Your great love for them. Amen.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

When Things Go South

“I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.” (Psalm 42:4 CSB)

Depression is a complicated matter. Not everyone is even sure of the definition of depression. The literal meaning of the word is “to press down.” Webster’s dictionary says it is the state of feeling sad or feeling dejection, marked by difficulty in thinking and concentration, a lowering of vitality. The cause of this is equally complicated. Often it is the result of certain events that take place in someone’s life, such as the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or some kind of failure. It can also be brought about by anger that is not handled adequately. At least one definition or description of depression is “anger turned inward.” Someone gets angry at someone else, and rather than deal with the anger appropriately, the individual turns it inward toward himself or herself, resulting in a state of depression. And, of course, we know also that depression is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain. This can be the result of events that take place as mentioned above, but it can also simply be physiological, that is, the result of a lack of the right nutrition, or changes in one’s physical wellness. We call this “clinical depression.”

Clinical depression is treated adequately these days with medications that help the brain to restore its natural level of hormones that normally fight depression. Depression that is not clinical in nature, however, does not have to be treated by this method. It probably is treated this way all too often, but there is a spiritual treatment the Bible prescribes for depression that comes as the result of some loss or trauma. The prescription, which David used successfully, was to remember the Lord.

Even with the medical treatment of clinical depression, remembering the Lord is still the way to go. When we remember that God has been good to us and has “rescued” us time and time again, possibly without our even knowing it, this has a way of restoring some spiritual and emotional equilibrium. Remembering that God is with us and is able to strengthen and help us creates in us a sense of hope. It points us toward a “light at the end of the tunnel,” so to speak.

If you find yourself dealing with some depression that is impacting your vitality, the road to recovery begins with remembering the Lord.

Lord, Turn our hearts and our minds to You in this day, and help us to remember that not only are You with us, but that You sustain us and give us hope. Amen.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Keep the Fires Burning

“Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.” (Leviticus 6:13 CSB)

Offerings given to the Lord in the worship of Israel were placed on the altar of fire. Part of the symbolism of this worship expression is the totality of the giving. An offering given by fire could not be taken back, and, therefore, it was totally given over to God. The offering itself was symbolic of the worshiper. The idea is simply that the worshiper giving the offering is also totally given over to God.

The fire of the altar was to be kept burning continually, even when the Israelites were moving from one place to another. That suggests a couple of truths. First, fire was symbolic of the Lord’s presence with Israel, and thus it was imperative that the altar fire remain constant. Second, this suggests that those who are leaders have the responsibility to keep the worship of the Lord foremost in the minds of God’s people.

The people of God need to know that God is with them constantly, that He will never abandon them or forsake them. His presence and love and warmth is a constant, and our security is to be found in that fact. The way we come to this realization is through worship, and worship is to be constant on our part. While we may engage in worship on a regular basis corporately as a church, we worship individually on a daily basis. Individual worship is the basis for all worship. And beyond this, worship is a fundamental, foundational attitude of heart and mind which, when constant, will bless us and turn our hearts toward joy. That is the whole idea of worship. God’s intent in worship has always been to build us up by means of our communion with Him.

Father, We recognize Your constant presence with us and in us through the Holy Spirit, and we give ourselves to You wholly in worship today and each day, and moment to moment. May our lives express our worship of You. Amen.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Going through the Motions

“You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; You open my ears to listen.” (Psalm 40:6 CSB)

David was a man of deep spiritual insight. In his day animal sacrifices were practiced day after day in their worship system. No doubt he himself participated in it. People would bring the prescribed animal to the altar to be sacrificed. They performed the prescribed slaughtering of the animal, and then the priest would go through the required steps for placing it on the altar.


David watched day after day as people went through the ritual of sacrifice. It seems that he wondered if this had any real impact on the lives of people. The sacrifices were not intended to become mere ritual, but undoubtedly in many cases that is exactly what they became for some. David likely saw this happen in his own life, and thus his statement to the Lord, “You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; You open my ears to listen.” The Lord’s intent in worship is that His people open their ears to listen.

It is all too easy for worship to become little more than ritual, a religious procedure we go through because we think we have to, but which has no real impact on who we are or what we do. It is possible to go through the motions of worship without truly worshiping God.

Worship only has impact when we open our ears and actually listen to what the Lord is saying to us. “Listen,” in this sense, means to hear and to obey the word of the Lord. That is the outcome of worship that God intends and desires for us. God knows that when worship is genuinely from the heart that it will change us for the better, strengthen us, and fulfill us.

If you find yourself just going through the motions of worship, then pause for a moment, acknowledge that before the Lord, and ask Him to enable you to focus your mind and your heart entirely on Him, so that you may hear what He has to say to you.

Lord, May each day become a day of worship for us, and may we truly hear what Your Spirit wants to say to us, so we can follow You. Amen.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Limitless

“Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountain; Your judgments like the deepest sea.” (Psalm 36:5-6 CSB)

One of the ways we often describe God is to say that He has no boundaries, no limitations. We apply this description to other descriptions of God as well. As David did in the verse above, we describe God as faithful. How faithful is God? His love reaches to heaven, and His faithfulness to the skies. As far as David knew, the sky and the heavens had no limit. So he used the best description he could think of to try to express what he believed and felt about the love and faithfulness of God.

We all use one description or another, but all of them point to the eternal and limitless love of God, His faithfulness to us His children, the heights of His righteousness, and the depths of His judgments.
Carry this truth with you close to your heart throughout this day. God loves you with a love that has no boundaries, and He will walk with you faithfully through any and all experiences, even when others may not. If you have committed your heart and life to God, then He has fully committed to you. Knowing this gives us great encouragement to persist and keep moving forward in our growth and in our journey with God.

Lord, We thank You for your love, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments. We thank You for including us in Your kingdom. We ask You to remind us often throughout this day of Your loving and limitless presence with us. Amen.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Glory

“The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle… the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.” (Exodus 40:34-38 CSB)

Imagine the sight that must have been – a bright, shining cloud in the daytime, and a cloud with fire in it at night. What reassurance that must have been to the Israelites! God was present with them in their midst. When the cloud lifted, the Israelites would break camp and follow it and then pitch their tents wherever the cloud settled. They did this for 40 years in the desert.

We sometimes think that it would be so great to have the visible, physical, tangible presence of the Lord with us here. Indeed, it would be a great experience.

In reality, however, we actually have something better. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart and mind of each of us. Anyone who is a Christian has received the Holy Spirit of God. The “glory” of God now dwells in us, and He is truly “Emanuel,” God with us. We follow Him wherever He leads us, and He is with us wherever we are and wherever we go.

You may want to take a moment to thank God for putting His Spirit in you. As you walk through this day, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of His presence, and then follow as He leads.

Lord, We do truly thank You for putting Your Spirit in us, and we pray that as You speak and lead, that we may follow and carry out Your will this day. Amen.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Holy Encampment

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7 CSB)

The angel of the Lord appears variously in the Old Testament. We see him, for example, as a sword-wielding angel who meet Joshua just before a battle. He is God’s representative and messenger to carry out the will of God.

David tells us that this angel of the Lord “encamps” around those who fear God. The word “encamp” suggests a military metaphor. An encampment was normally a gathering of soldiers in a camp who were preparing for battle. So, the idea is that the angel of the Lord comes as a solder to encamps around those who fear God in order to protect them, rescue them, and deliver them from the enemy.

To “fear” God in this sense is not to cower in a corner, but to come before God with reverential awe. Those who fear God are those who love Him, worship Him, and submit their lives to Him.

With these understandings, what we understand David to say here is that the God we serve is trustworthy, and that He will take care of His children who call on Him in their need. Verse 17 further below reads, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” The idea is, thus, that we can trust ourselves totally to the Lord to take care of us and provide for us.

Lord, What a great comfort it is to us to know that You take care of us, and that we can trust You completely. Guide us through each day that we may serve You well. Amen.

Friday, November 16, 2007

What A Relief!

“How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How happy is the man the Lord does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit!”

What a true statement that is! One of life’s greatest joys is experiencing the forgiveness of sins. It is like being caged for years and years and then being released. Forgiveness is both liberating and exhilarating. Sin no longer has any teeth, so to speak, when forgiveness takes place. It is no longer the tyrant of one’s life, no longer the dominating influence over lifestyle. We may still sin from time to time, but we have a loving God who forgives us. Forgiveness frees us to actually live.

To be charged with sin by the Lord is to be condemned to death, to an eternal existence apart from God with no hope. What could possibly be worse than that? But our transgressions and sins are “covered.” That is, they have been covered over by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that God no longer sees them, and, therefore, no longer charges us with sin. Thus, through Jesus Christ we now have the joy of forgiveness and the genuineness of a life that is already eternal. We can live a life of honesty and integrity before the Lord.

What a great life this is! What a happy, blessed life! We who believe in Jesus are forgiven.

Father, Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gracious gift You have given us through the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We rejoice in our forgiveness, and we pray that we may live a life each day marked by honesty and integrity. Amen.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Life Course

“But I trust in You, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and my persecutors.” (Psalm 31:14-15 CSB)

The course of a life is very much like the course of a river. It has a starting point, a source where the water flow begins, and it is moving toward a destination, the sea. What happens between those two points depends on the influences experienced. Other rivers may flow into it, making it larger and stronger. Along the way it may encounter large rocks below the surface, creating turbulence, or what we sometimes call “white water.” In some places the river bed runs deep and wide, giving the flow a very calming and soothing appearance. The influence of hills and low spots along the way help to determine the course of its flow. But flow, it does, and it continually moves toward the sea.

We each experience a variety of influences in our lives that can determine the course of our lives. These may be circumstances, people, decisions, and values. Some of these influences may tend to be diversionary. Satan certainly desires to divert our lives toward his directions. Some of the influences actually aid the flow of our lives, and it is when we come to the faith decision in which we say, “Lord, You are my God,” that the course of our lives take on real power. The power of God is what provides us with true life-course. His power in our lives is what provides the victory over those influences that would want to divert us. By placing our lives in His hands, He will take us to that ultimate victory.

Lord, We trust in You. The course of our lives is in Your power, and thus we follow You. Amen.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hearts Moved

“So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone whose heart moved him, to come to the work and do it.” (Exodus 36:2 CSB)

We have all heard singers in the secular world who have what must be an angelic quality to their voice, who have a way with music notes and words in song that have a truly pleasing sound. Yet, some of these have absolutely no place in their hearts for God or the things of God. In fact, in some cases it may be just the opposite, where they express hostility toward anything good or right and choose a way of loose living. They become the definition of “licentiousness,” which simply means “free license” to live any way they desire.

It is one thing to have a great ability. It is entirely another thing to actually use it the way God intended. What is the difference between one who turns an ability into a self-aggrandizing money-maker, and one who uses an ability to glorify God? We find the differences in two areas.

One is wisdom. Simply put, wisdom means knowing the right thing to do. We tend to believe that wisdom sometimes comes with age, but not necessarily. Wisdom, in fact, comes from God. James tells us in his letter that if anyone lacks wisdom, he or she should ask God to give wisdom. God is the Author of wisdom. Those who have wisdom from God know what is right. But that is not the same thing as doing what is right. That comes from the second area of difference.

The second area is heart. Heart refers to the will, the place where we feel and where we decide, the place where we hold our values. It is the heart that moves us to action. When we know the right thing to do, it is important then to do the right thing.

Moses called for Bezalel and Oholiab to begin work on the tabernacle. But they could not achieve all of it themselves. They needed help. So, Moses called for everyone who heart moved him to come and join in the work of building the tabernacle.

That is also the best solution for God’s church. In terms of building up the church of our Lord, many of us know the right thing to do, but it is those whose hearts are moved by the Lord who actually do the right thing and build up the church.

Lord, Show each of us today the right things You want us to do, and help us to allow Your Spirit to move our hearts to join in the work of building Your church. Amen.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Gifts of God

“Moses then said to the Israelites: ‘Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son or Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft. He has also given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.’” (Exodus 35:30-34 CSB)

How is it that some people are good at some aspect of life. Have you ever noticed this? Some people are just artistic. Many of them have never formally trained in art, but they seem to have an innate ability to create art. Some are very good at dealing with numbers and mathematics and such. Some folks have a way with words and are able to use words effectively in communications. Some are natural engineers and are always looking for better and easier ways to get tasks accomplished. So why is this? Is it because they somehow work harder than others?

The reality is found in what Moses had to say to the Israelites. The time came when Israel needed a formalized worship system that revolved around the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was to be built according the pattern that God showed Moses. But who was to build it? God had placed specific abilities within two men – Bezalel and Oholiab – specifically for this task.

The fact is, God gifts people with the abilities that they have. All of us have been gifted by God in some way. This is not necessarily the same thing as what we call “spiritual gifts,” since those are spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to Christians for building up the church. Abilities, on the other hand, are gifts that God gives to all people. He gives everyone some ability.

So, what abilities has God given you? Are you good at mathematics, or art, or writing, or building, or ideas, or what? And whatever the abilities are that God has given you, are you using them in some way that brings glory and honor to God? That is, after all, the reason He gave them to you. You may certainly use your abilities in terms of your livelihood, but how are you also using them to bring honor to God? Something to think about today.

Father, We thank You for the various abilities You have given us, and we ask You to show us how we can use them to honor You. Amen.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Face

“When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone.” (Exodus 34:30 CSB)

The Latin word for “face” is “persona.” We have pulled this word directly into our English language as another way for referring to a person’s face. You may also find it interesting that the same word is the root for our word “person.” Someone’s face is thus the expression of the person.

Moses spent some significant amounts of time with the Lord. On more than one occasion he spent 40 days on a mountain with God. He was in the direct presence of the Almighty. The effect of this time with God is that the face of Moses, his “persona,” radiated the glory of God. It was frightening to those who saw it. Moses did not know it himself until he saw the fearful actions of others and they then told him why they were afraid. The glory on his face would fade after a while, but each time he was in the presence of the Lord thereafter, he would come away from it with his face shining.

While we may not have such an experience from spending time with the Lord in prayer, even so, it should be evident in our faces, our “persona,” that we have been in the presence of the Lord. When people meet you on a given day, is there anything in your face that will indicate that you belong to Him, that His Spirit dwells in your heart, that you are spending time with Him?

Maybe this is something we should ask the Lord to accomplish in our faces on a daily basis.

Father, Today and each day, we pray that as we spend time with You, that there will be something in our faces, something in our eyes, that will communicate to others that we belong to You, and we pray that the “personhood” in each of us will bring glory to You. Amen.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Timeless

“Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: with the Lord one day is like 1,000 years, and 1,000 years like one day.” (2 Peter 3:8 CSB)

To God, time is irrelevant. Timing is not, but time is. That is the point that Peter is making to his readers in the verse above. Many were saying, “So, where is this return of Christ you keep talking about?” Peter and others often preached as if Christ were going to return in their lifetime. Of course, that is the proper attitude for any Christian in any age, but the reality is that we do not know when He will return. We only know that He promised He would, and God always keeps His word. The timing is all His.

With eternity, time really is irrelevant. We measure time in human terms, as accurately as we can, and we tend to see life in terms of linear time. But that is not the way it is with God, who is eternal. With no beginning and no end, time really has no foundation. It is always the same time in heaven. It never changes. And part of what that means, of course, is that all of us who go to heaven arrive at the same time.

Only timing is important to the Lord, and the timing of Christ’s return and all else that accompanies that great event are determined by the Father. We, therefore, simply trust that to Him as we continue to walk with Him faithfully.

Lord, Today may we rest in this truth of timelessness, and may we simply trust You faithfully for all things. Amen.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Enthroned on Praise

“But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3 CSB)

Most of us have seen a picture of a throne, and some may have even seen a throne in person at one time or another. There are all sorts of them. In western countries they tend to be elaborate and gold. In Asia they tend to be colorful and sometimes golden. In the Forbidden City in Beijing, for example, the ancient throne of the Chinese dynasties was made of wood, with steps leading up to the seat. The wood is carved and ornate, and all around it are beautiful colors with red, gold, cobalt blue, white, and so on.

All thrones are built on some kind of foundation. The thrones of human kings are build on the ground, or on wood platforms, or on concrete. The throne of God, however, is totally unique. It has one foundation and one ornamentation.

The foundation of God’s throne is His holiness. God is holy. Holy is one of the ways that the Bible describes God for us. He is “wholly other” than anything else we can know. His holiness provides the foundation for his throne and our worship of Him.

The ornamentation of God’s throne is praise. Because God is holy, we praise Him. And God is enthroned on the praises of His people. His throne does not require our praise, because His kingship is not dependent on anything human beings do or think. We praise Him simply because of who He is, and our praises are offered to Him in worship. Thus, our praise becomes the decoration or ornamentation of His throne.

Lord, You are absolute holiness, and we give You the praises of our hearts this day to add to the decorations around Your throne that have come from myriads of worshipers who love You. Amen.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Sin and Sickness

“Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean,’ and immediately the disease left him.” “Seeing their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’” (Luke 5:13, 20 CSB)

Is there a connection between sin and sickness? What does the Bible teach about this?
In a very general sense, all sickness is the result of sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived lives of perfection, where there was no sin and no disease of any kind. It was literally heaven on earth. There was no death. It was life at its apex. Their disobedience to the Lord’s command constituted the first sin, however, and that brought the judgment of God not only on them but on all mankind. Sin brought death, and it introduced disease. So, in a general sense all disease is the result of sin.

In a more specific sense, though, can we trace a sickness we have to sins we have committed?

The answer to that question cannot be universal. In the same chapter in Luke, Jesus healed two men. One man had a serious skin disease all over his body, but there is no indication that it came because of sin he committed. In the other case of the paralytic who was lowered through a roof so Jesus could heal him, Jesus said to him, “Friend, your sins are forgiven,” and Jesus healed him. The first case did not seem to be related to specific sin, but the second case clearly was. In another instance, the disciples asked Jesus if a man was born blind because of his own sins or the sins of his parents, and He responded that it was neither of the above. It was in order to glorify God when he was healed.

In reality, we cannot know whether another person’s sickness is the result of sin, and that is not up to us to judge. Sometimes, we do not even know whether a sickness we have comes from a sin we committed. Paul, for example, had a “thorn in the flesh,” evidently some kind of illness, but there is no indication it was because of sin. We do, however, sometimes have a fairly good idea about some illness we experience as the result of sin we have committed. For example, if two people got into a fight so that both end up in the hospital with serious injuries, you can be sure that those illnesses resulted from sin. Sometimes it is obvious, but sometimes we just do not know. If we honestly conclude that some illness we have is the result of sin, then that suggests first the need for repentance, and it suggests further that we seek the Lord’s forgiveness and then His healing. If we are not certain, then we simply need to just ask the Lord for healing and trust the matter to Him.

Father, Help us today to not set ourselves up as judge over anyone’s maladies since we do not know what You know, and even with ourselves, Lord, we turn to You seeking Your blessing. Amen.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

The Power of Humility

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6 CSB)

Exalting oneself is a dead end street. Some go that way, thinking that in doing so they are taking charge of their lives, and they do just fine for awhile, until the street runs out. They will ultimately discover that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) They come to understand that such pride is misplaced and inappropriate for God’s people, and devoid of any real power. The real power is to be found in humility. “When I am weak, that is when I am strong,” says Paul. This is one of the paradoxes of our faith. It shouldn’t be true, but it is. This is because God honors humility. Humility, in fact, puts us in the position where we draw on the power of God. It allows us to channel His power through us. Ultimately, He will exalt us through His might.


When this happens, we discover that there is also a positive side to pride when it is redemptively understood, when it is properly placed. Here is how the psalmist said it, “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) The “pride” he is referring to is confidence. Any army with chariots and horses was considered far more powerful than one with only an infantry. In other words, their pride and confidence were in what was considered a superior fighting force, but we see this in a different light. We “take pride” in the name of the Lord our God. Our confidence is in the character of God. “He gives victory to His anointed.” (Psalm 20:6) This pride or confidence is properly placed when it is directed toward the Lord.


God gives us victory, and He exalts us in due time. He does this because he cares for us and because we cast our cares upon Him, trusting Him to take care of us. And He does.

Father, We humble ourselves before You and cast our cares upon You, trusting You exercise the might of Your character in our lives. Amen.

The Power of Humility

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your car on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6 CSB)

Exalting oneself is a dead end street. Some go that way, thinking that in doing so they are taking charge of their lives, and they do just fine for awhile, until the street runs out. They will ultimately discover that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) They come to understand that such pride is misplaced and inappropriate for God’s people, and devoid of any real power. The real power is to be found in humility. “When I am weak, that is when I am strong,” says Paul. This is one of the paradoxes of our faith. It shouldn’t be true, but it is. This is because God honors humility. Humility, in fact, puts us in the position where we draw on the power of God. It allows us to channel His power through us. Ultimately, He will exalt us through His might.

When this happens, we discover that there is also a positive side to pride when it is redemptively understood, when it is properly placed. Here is how the psalmist said it, “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) The “pride” he is referring to is confidence. Any army with chariots and horses was considered far more powerful than one with only an infantry. In other words, their pride and confidence were in what was considered a superior fighting force, but we see this in a different light. We “take pride” in the name of the Lord our God. Our confidence is in the character of God. “He gives victory to His anointed.” (Psalm 20:6) This pride or confidence is properly placed when it is directed toward the Lord.

God gives us victory, and He exalts us in due time. He does this because he cares for us and because we cast our cares upon Him, trusting Him to take care of us. And He does.

Father, We humble ourselves before You and cast our cares upon You, trusting You exercise the might of Your character in our lives. Amen.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Being Clear-headed

“Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be clear-headed and disciplined for prayer. Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, his speech should be like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Peter and other believers in the first century believed that the return of Christ was imminent in their day. We are now in the 21st century, and Christ has not yet returned. The promise of His return is still valid, of course, simply because it is the word of God. God gave His word, and He will keep it as He always does. So, just as they lived with the view that Christ would return in their lifetime, it is important that we also take that view.

The effect of doing this is to make us clear-headed, or alert, and it leads us to a life of discipline that is characterized, among other things, by prayer. Prayer helps us to be clear-headed, and it requires a discipline on our part to schedule a daily, normal time for communion with our Lord in the Spirit.

Peter goes on to point us to some actions that we can take in addition to prayer that will enable us to remain clear-headed and disciplined.

He says that we should keep our love at full strength. Loving other people means in part that we do not set ourselves up as their judge for the sins they commit, but just as God does, we love them while hating the sin, since sin is destructive. We seek to draw people to the Lord by loving them.

Peter also says we should be hospitable toward one another. Hospitality means to make yourself and your resources available to others who need your help. That is not always convenient for us, and there may at times be a temptation to complain, but Peter says we should practice hospitality without complaining.

Then, Peter says we should use our spiritual gifts to serve others. We develop a servant leader mentality. In particular, when we speak, we should do so as one who is representing the Lord, and to be effective in doing so, we must know what His word says. Our service to others must be based on the strength God provides, because otherwise our own strength will fall far short in terms of sustaining us.

We serve the glory of God, and our desire is to walk with Him and with others in the fellowship of His Spirit as we look forward to the Lord’s soon return. With that in mind, may we practice discipline and be clear-headed as we serve one another.

Lord, Guide us this day as we seek to live a clear-headed and disciplined life. Amen.

Friday, November 2, 2007

The Normal Christian Life

“Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble, 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 can inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8-9 CSB)

Probably the definition of what constitutes a “normal” Christian life depends on who you talk with about it. So, let’s talk with Peter about it. What he describes in the two verses above is his definition. This is the way it should be.

The first part of his definition is that Christians who live a normal Christian life should be of one mind. We should be agreed on what is true. To be like-minded is not to be a programmed robot. It means to choose to agree and to think essentially the same way, being sympathetic to one another and loving toward one another.

The second part of his definition has to do with compassion and humility. Jesus was often moved to compassion. We reach that arena when we jettison any harshness or hard-heartedness and replace it with humility, a teachable spirit, a heart that is open to being moved.

The third part of his definition is that Christians who live a normal Christian life should respond to hurtful situations in exactly the opposite way the world responds. When evil is done to us, or when we are insulted, we should not respond in kind but to the contrary bless those who do this to us. In blessing, we receive a blessing. In blessing where blessing is not deserved, we are engaging people in the ways of our Heavenly Father, for that is what He does.

Lord, Help us this and each day to live out the normal Christian life, as taught in Your word, and not according to our society or culture’s definitions. Amen.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Declaring His Praises

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 CSB)

Christians are God’s chosen people. This is not because we are somehow better than all the rest of the people in the world. It is because we chose Him. God chooses those who choose Him. In that sense, we are the chosen people of God, and God has a purpose for us. Our purpose is that we might proclaim or declare His praises to a world that gropes in the darkness.

One of the praises we declare is freedom. God has called us out of the darkness of lostness and sin, and we have responded in faith by accepting His call to move into the light. The light of God lights the pathway for us, so that we now know how to live life in freedom from the tyranny of the domination of sin and darkness. It is a great freedom to have, and God has provided it to us. We declare this praise to the world.

Another praise we declare is fellowship. God has made us a holy nation, a people of His possession, putting us into fellowship with all believers everywhere and in smaller groups we call “church.” We share in life with one another, and this fills our hearts with rejoicing. We walk with God and with one another. We have a sense of being aliens and strangers in this world, and God empowers us to engage in a spiritual warfare to overcome the attempts of the darkness to encroach on our freedom and our fellowship through the temptation of sin and evil. His power enables us to experience the victory.

These are at least two praises that we declare to our world.

Father, Help us this day to be faithful in declaring Your praises to our world. Amen.