Matthew 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…
Christ’s only concern with status was that no one concern themselves with it. It was simply irrelevant. But in our humanity, we always seem to be looking out for the best for ourselves.
Just a few verses before, James and John show up with their mother who asks Jesus if he would seat her two sons in the most honored places in his kingdom – one on his right and the other on his left. I’ve often wondered - Did James and John ASK her to ask him? Did they think that asking their mother to make the request would make them look less brazen? Were they anticipating the kingdom as an earthly one with their places of honor ensuring privilege for the rest of the family? It is impossible to know for sure, but it is interesting to note, I think, that when Jesus gives his answer, he answers James and John, not their mother. I always marveled at the audacity of this woman – and of James and John, whether they instigated the question or simply felt no shame in going along with such a request. But like so many other places in the Bible, I've found that my position of superiority might not be so superior as I thought.
Most of us living in this country have more than enough food to eat, a roof over our heads, a car in the driveway and enough clothes and shoes to keep us adequately covered. And yet, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve, at times, found myself complaining that my situation simply isn’t “good enough.” Am I not then doing something just as presumptuous as what James and John’s mother did? Am I not suggesting to God that I deserve a “better place” than where he’s put me? When we think our cars aren’t good enough, our houses aren’t big enough, our closets aren’t full enough, aren’t we really telling God we deserve to be in a better place – in a place of more “honor”?
I’m not suggesting that a broken down car should never be replaced or that we should never aspire to live in a house that is in good repair in a safe neighborhood, but in this country of excesses, I think we need to recognize that constantly grasping for “more” simply isn’t at all what Christ called us to as believers.
Jesus always emphasized service and our call to it as Christians simply trumps every other thing. Chambers calls this being “broken bread and poured out wine” – it is being utterly and totally given to that which God has called us. But Chambers warns that even in service we must be sure that we don’t seek our inspiration from a love of our fellow man, but rather our love for God. He explains:
If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.
We don’t serve just because we like the people in our church or because our neighbor is so friendly or because the other volunteers at an organization are such fun people. It isn’t about that at all! There will always be people who aren’t pleasant no matter what we do for them, there will be times when we stretch ourselves to the limit to go over and above and receive nothing but stony silence and a sense of entitlement in return, but we don’t serve other people for THEIR sake, we do it because we are called to be Christ to others, and that is what he did for us. Chambers closes today’s devotional saying:
Paul’s realization of how Jesus Christ had dealt with him is the secret of his determination to serve others. “I was before a perjurer, a blasphemer, an injurious person” (1 Timothy 1:13) – no matter how men may treat me, they will never treat me with the spite and hatred with which I treated Jesus Christ. When we realize that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness, and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to serve men for His sake.
When I recognize how Christ has welcomed me with love in spite of the way I’ve treated Him and the times I’ve done no less than stomp on the gift He offers, I am truly humbled, and truly overwhelmed by His love. How then can I do anything except that to which He has called me? How can I do anything less than serve?
Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:27)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 22, 2010 THE DISCIPLINE OF SPIRITUAL TENACITY
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God…
In a world consumed by worry and uncertainty, these eight little words can – and should- ease our souls in even the most troubled of circumstances. Whatever our struggle, whatever we are facing, God gives us these simple instructions:
1) Be Still
2) KNOW that I am God
We must understand that the second is absolutely dependent upon the first – to think that we will truly know God as the Almighty without taking the time to “be still” before Him is to delude ourselves. Are we overwhelmed by worry? Are we afraid? Uncertain? We must ask ourselves honestly then: Are we being still before Him?
I used to work with a very nice woman who was, well, a talker. I’d go into her office to drop off a bit of paperwork and I’d be in there for 20 minutes while she told entertaining anecdotes and dispensed bits of her personal wisdom. She was always pleasant and upbeat, but after I’d worked with her a while, I noticed something - she never asked how I was, or seemed interested in hearing about anything in my life, and I noticed this was the case no matter who she was talking to. The comments of others were mostly ignored and seemed simply to serve as a springboard for more stories of her own. I’ve come to realize that this is often how I approach God. I’m so busy prattling on about my own life that I never provide an opening for Him to speak. Being still isn’t easy to do – we can become distracted, impatient, we can feel as if there are simply dozens of things that need to be done and our time before God is spent simply dispensing our “to-do” list for the Almighty. To say it like that almost sounds disrespectful, but if I’m honest, that is exactly what I’ve been guilty of doing all too often in the past.
There is certainly a place for petition to our Lord. A critical part of our relationship with Him is expressing our needs, our struggles, our frustrations, hurts and questions – and understanding that he cares DEEPLY about all of those things. But we must also give Him the opportunity to answer those – we must be still before him.
It is in that time of stillness that we will come to know, truly and without reservation, that He is God. He doesn’t say “Be still and hope…”, “Be still and wish…”, “Be still and believe…” He says: Be still and KNOW with a certainty that leaves no room for question.
It is from here that Chambers pulls today’s devotional as it relates to our Spiritual Tenacity:
Tenacity is more than endurance, it is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire. Tenacity is more than hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off. Tenacity is the supreme effort of a man refusing to believe that his hero is going to be conquered.
Absolute certainty: is that how we feel about our God? Are we absolutely certain of who He is and do we know beyond a shadow of a doubt know that HE will conquer all? It is those moments of failure to recognize God as God that leave us worried, afraid and uncertain. When we KNOW that He is the Almighty, the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and Omega – it is then that we can be completely at peace because we know that He has it all in His holy hands. And when we struggle with that knowledge? Be still before Him, that we may know.
In a world consumed by worry and uncertainty, these eight little words can – and should- ease our souls in even the most troubled of circumstances. Whatever our struggle, whatever we are facing, God gives us these simple instructions:
1) Be Still
2) KNOW that I am God
We must understand that the second is absolutely dependent upon the first – to think that we will truly know God as the Almighty without taking the time to “be still” before Him is to delude ourselves. Are we overwhelmed by worry? Are we afraid? Uncertain? We must ask ourselves honestly then: Are we being still before Him?
I used to work with a very nice woman who was, well, a talker. I’d go into her office to drop off a bit of paperwork and I’d be in there for 20 minutes while she told entertaining anecdotes and dispensed bits of her personal wisdom. She was always pleasant and upbeat, but after I’d worked with her a while, I noticed something - she never asked how I was, or seemed interested in hearing about anything in my life, and I noticed this was the case no matter who she was talking to. The comments of others were mostly ignored and seemed simply to serve as a springboard for more stories of her own. I’ve come to realize that this is often how I approach God. I’m so busy prattling on about my own life that I never provide an opening for Him to speak. Being still isn’t easy to do – we can become distracted, impatient, we can feel as if there are simply dozens of things that need to be done and our time before God is spent simply dispensing our “to-do” list for the Almighty. To say it like that almost sounds disrespectful, but if I’m honest, that is exactly what I’ve been guilty of doing all too often in the past.
There is certainly a place for petition to our Lord. A critical part of our relationship with Him is expressing our needs, our struggles, our frustrations, hurts and questions – and understanding that he cares DEEPLY about all of those things. But we must also give Him the opportunity to answer those – we must be still before him.
It is in that time of stillness that we will come to know, truly and without reservation, that He is God. He doesn’t say “Be still and hope…”, “Be still and wish…”, “Be still and believe…” He says: Be still and KNOW with a certainty that leaves no room for question.
It is from here that Chambers pulls today’s devotional as it relates to our Spiritual Tenacity:
Tenacity is more than endurance, it is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire. Tenacity is more than hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off. Tenacity is the supreme effort of a man refusing to believe that his hero is going to be conquered.
Absolute certainty: is that how we feel about our God? Are we absolutely certain of who He is and do we know beyond a shadow of a doubt know that HE will conquer all? It is those moments of failure to recognize God as God that leave us worried, afraid and uncertain. When we KNOW that He is the Almighty, the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and Omega – it is then that we can be completely at peace because we know that He has it all in His holy hands. And when we struggle with that knowledge? Be still before Him, that we may know.
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19, 2010 THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DRUDGERY
Isiah 60:1 - Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
God does not pick us up, we must rise of our own volition and there he will meet us. Chambers says:
We have to take the first step as if there is no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us. He will not; but immediately we arise we find He is there. Whenever God inspires, the initiative is a moral one.
If our plan is simply to wait around for God to start something supernaturally, we’ll be waiting a very long time. We must “Arise” and begin whatever it is we feel God is calling us to. When we step out in faith in this way, we will be amazed at how God will meet us there and help us continue the work once we start it.
Chambers primary message in today’s devotion, though, deals with “drudgery” – those “uttlerly mean grubby things” of the faith. He instructs us to read John 13 – the story of Christ washing the disciples feet. Our Lord and Savior placed a towel around his waist, poured a basin of water and washed the feet of his disciples. We must take ourselves back in time to fully realize what a dreadful job this must have been. These were men who wore sandals and walked along hot dusty roads everywhere they went – their feet were undoubtedly stinky and very dirty.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:13-17)
How many of us have considered certain jobs “below” our service? Sing on the worship team? Of course! Read scripture during the service? Sure! Lead the team to organize a building project? Absolutely! Clean the bathrooms this week because the regular janitor is on vacation? Um, I’m afraid I’m busy.
Several years ago, I went to a class at a church I attended briefly, and after the class they served a variety of snacks and beverages. After the class, I noticed that only one woman had stayed to clean up. I helped her pick up cups, wash dishes, clean coffee pots and put away chairs and tables. I wasn’t even a member of the church, yet not one other person of the 40 or so that attended the class thought to stay after and help clean up. Was that job just too small? How often do we like to have the recognition that comes with the “glory” jobs, but when it comes to the feet washing we think it just isn’t big enough for us.
Our Lord has shown us that even an act of drudgery can be forever transformed when done for the glory of God. Chambers says: When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it.
Let us never fail to take on the small, thankless jobs.
God does not pick us up, we must rise of our own volition and there he will meet us. Chambers says:
We have to take the first step as if there is no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us. He will not; but immediately we arise we find He is there. Whenever God inspires, the initiative is a moral one.
If our plan is simply to wait around for God to start something supernaturally, we’ll be waiting a very long time. We must “Arise” and begin whatever it is we feel God is calling us to. When we step out in faith in this way, we will be amazed at how God will meet us there and help us continue the work once we start it.
Chambers primary message in today’s devotion, though, deals with “drudgery” – those “uttlerly mean grubby things” of the faith. He instructs us to read John 13 – the story of Christ washing the disciples feet. Our Lord and Savior placed a towel around his waist, poured a basin of water and washed the feet of his disciples. We must take ourselves back in time to fully realize what a dreadful job this must have been. These were men who wore sandals and walked along hot dusty roads everywhere they went – their feet were undoubtedly stinky and very dirty.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:13-17)
How many of us have considered certain jobs “below” our service? Sing on the worship team? Of course! Read scripture during the service? Sure! Lead the team to organize a building project? Absolutely! Clean the bathrooms this week because the regular janitor is on vacation? Um, I’m afraid I’m busy.
Several years ago, I went to a class at a church I attended briefly, and after the class they served a variety of snacks and beverages. After the class, I noticed that only one woman had stayed to clean up. I helped her pick up cups, wash dishes, clean coffee pots and put away chairs and tables. I wasn’t even a member of the church, yet not one other person of the 40 or so that attended the class thought to stay after and help clean up. Was that job just too small? How often do we like to have the recognition that comes with the “glory” jobs, but when it comes to the feet washing we think it just isn’t big enough for us.
Our Lord has shown us that even an act of drudgery can be forever transformed when done for the glory of God. Chambers says: When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it.
Let us never fail to take on the small, thankless jobs.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
February 18, 2010 THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DESPAIR
Matthew 26:46 Up, let’s be going…
When Christ went to Gethsemene to pray, he sought support from His disciples. He told them “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). But the disciples failed Jesus miserably. While Jesus poured out His anguished heart to the Father, Peter, James and John fell asleep. When he returned and found them sleeping he chastised Peter “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26: 40-41). Christ knew that not only would He face trial and temptation, but that Peter would as well. Peter needed to be on His knees before the Father, praying for strength. And yet, Peter failed to see his need to pray and slept instead.
When Judas arrived to betray Jesus, Peter, James and John were fast asleep. Christ woke them saying “Up, let’s be going!” He didn’t dwell on the fact that they were sleeping when they should have been praying. He didn’t say “you fools! You’ve failed me and yourselves! Now watch what disasters will befall us.” No, he simply said “Come on, on to the next thing. Let’s go.”
All of us have squandered opportunities to do the right thing. All of us have failed to see our desperate need to pray and have fallen asleep instead - both literally and figuratively. All of us have failed God. And yet, the Lord doesn’t dwell on those failures and neither should we. It isn’t that we shouldn’t care, but rather that we learn from those times and move on to the next opportunity. If we dwell on our failures and they paralyze us from doing anything else, we’ve compounded the sin of the first loss. Chambers sums it up beautifully:
The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.
Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.
When Christ went to Gethsemene to pray, he sought support from His disciples. He told them “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). But the disciples failed Jesus miserably. While Jesus poured out His anguished heart to the Father, Peter, James and John fell asleep. When he returned and found them sleeping he chastised Peter “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26: 40-41). Christ knew that not only would He face trial and temptation, but that Peter would as well. Peter needed to be on His knees before the Father, praying for strength. And yet, Peter failed to see his need to pray and slept instead.
When Judas arrived to betray Jesus, Peter, James and John were fast asleep. Christ woke them saying “Up, let’s be going!” He didn’t dwell on the fact that they were sleeping when they should have been praying. He didn’t say “you fools! You’ve failed me and yourselves! Now watch what disasters will befall us.” No, he simply said “Come on, on to the next thing. Let’s go.”
All of us have squandered opportunities to do the right thing. All of us have failed to see our desperate need to pray and have fallen asleep instead - both literally and figuratively. All of us have failed God. And yet, the Lord doesn’t dwell on those failures and neither should we. It isn’t that we shouldn’t care, but rather that we learn from those times and move on to the next opportunity. If we dwell on our failures and they paralyze us from doing anything else, we’ve compounded the sin of the first loss. Chambers sums it up beautifully:
The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said – “Arise and do the next thing.” If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.
Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.
February 17, 2010 THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DEPRESSION
1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
Sometimes the solution to our problem is very ordinary. Elijah was a man at the end of his rope. He was marked for death by Jezebel the pagan queen. He was trying to do everything right, and yet his efforts seemed pointless. The Israelites had abandoned their faith and he watched as everything he’d worked for crumbled. Feeling beleaguered and defeated, he finally laid down under a tree and prayed for God to just take his life. Elijah was completely overwhelmed by his circumstances. The Lord sent an angel to Elijah, not to give him a vision or proclaim some scriptural wisdom, but to say to Elijah simply “Get up and eat!” It was something so basic and ordinary that one would almost never see God in it. And yet, he is.
Chambers says:
When the Spirit of God comes He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable…whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural simple things, the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there.
All too often we think that God can only be in the big things – the supernatural things and that he can’t possibly turn up in the every day. And yet, that is exactly where he is. If we find ourselves overwhelmed by worry, stress or the pressures of everyday existence, don’t be so sure that the only place God can show Himself is in some supernatural vision or miracle. Rather, simply “get up and eat” – do the every-day things and look for God to reveal Himself there. He will.
Sometimes the solution to our problem is very ordinary. Elijah was a man at the end of his rope. He was marked for death by Jezebel the pagan queen. He was trying to do everything right, and yet his efforts seemed pointless. The Israelites had abandoned their faith and he watched as everything he’d worked for crumbled. Feeling beleaguered and defeated, he finally laid down under a tree and prayed for God to just take his life. Elijah was completely overwhelmed by his circumstances. The Lord sent an angel to Elijah, not to give him a vision or proclaim some scriptural wisdom, but to say to Elijah simply “Get up and eat!” It was something so basic and ordinary that one would almost never see God in it. And yet, he is.
Chambers says:
When the Spirit of God comes He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable…whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural simple things, the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there.
All too often we think that God can only be in the big things – the supernatural things and that he can’t possibly turn up in the every day. And yet, that is exactly where he is. If we find ourselves overwhelmed by worry, stress or the pressures of everyday existence, don’t be so sure that the only place God can show Himself is in some supernatural vision or miracle. Rather, simply “get up and eat” – do the every-day things and look for God to reveal Himself there. He will.
February 16, 2010 THE INSPIRATION OF SPIRITUAL INITIATIVE
for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:14)
How often have we sat simply waiting for God to act? We feel God’s call in this area or that, but we sit and wait for God to start the thing supernaturally. This isn’t the way God works much of the time. This verse says “rise up and Christ will give you light.” The light will come, but you first must rise up to receive it. Chambers says:
God does not give us the overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says – “Arise from the dead,” we have to get up; God does not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand – “Stretch forth thy hand,” and as soon as the man did so, his hand was healed, but he had to take the initiative.
Our action is an act of faith. We start the thing and allow God to empower us. But we must start – we must act. When our action is God inspired, the sky is the limit as to where it might lead. We must keep in mind that God can do ANYTHING and when he is leading us in a direction and we should not - cannot -put limitations on where he might take us. Before he take us anywhere, though, we must first be willing to “stretch forth our hand” so to speak and allow God to empower our initiative.
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:14)
How often have we sat simply waiting for God to act? We feel God’s call in this area or that, but we sit and wait for God to start the thing supernaturally. This isn’t the way God works much of the time. This verse says “rise up and Christ will give you light.” The light will come, but you first must rise up to receive it. Chambers says:
God does not give us the overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says – “Arise from the dead,” we have to get up; God does not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand – “Stretch forth thy hand,” and as soon as the man did so, his hand was healed, but he had to take the initiative.
Our action is an act of faith. We start the thing and allow God to empower us. But we must start – we must act. When our action is God inspired, the sky is the limit as to where it might lead. We must keep in mind that God can do ANYTHING and when he is leading us in a direction and we should not - cannot -put limitations on where he might take us. Before he take us anywhere, though, we must first be willing to “stretch forth our hand” so to speak and allow God to empower our initiative.
February 15, 2010 AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
Romans 14:7 none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
Our Christian walk is not done in isolation. When we walk as Christians through this life, we are representing Christ to those around us. When we represent poorly, we are responsible for that. We are to support our fellow believers and be a witness to those who don’t believe.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad (Corinthians 12:26)
Chambers explains:
When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer.
This would seem an almost overwhelming demand, but we aren’t to seek the power within ourselves. We must depend entirely upon God. Then and only then can we hope to be what we are called to be.
Daniel 6 recounts the story of Daniel, a faithful servant of the Lord, who was thrown into a den of lions because he refused to heed a decree of King Darius forbidding the worship of anything or anyone other than himself. Daniel’s habit was to bow before the Lord in prayers of Thanksgiving three times a day, and when he heard of this decree he continued in his holy habit in spite of the risk to himself. When his prayers were discovered, he was thrown into the den of lions, but the Lord sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions and he was completely unharmed. As a result, the pagan king issued another decree:
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end. (Daniel 6:26)
A pagan king celebrating the power of the living God? We can never underestimate the power of our example and who it might impact or influence. Daniel’s commitment to his Lord, his refusal to alter his daily prayer and worship, even under penalty of death, and his subsequent deliverance from that death had a powerful impact on this king who didn’t have any interest in the true and living God before his acquaintance with Daniel. It can be humbling to consider how our witness might affect those unbelievers we come in contact with on a daily basis.
Our faith must be more than a footnote to a life otherwise devoted. When we call ourselves Christians, our service to our Lord should be all encompassing. Everything we do is passed through the filter of our love of Christ and our devotion to Him. Chambers calls it being “broken bread and poured out wine” – our lives are entirely about our Lord and Savior. If we truly understand what Christ did for us on the cross, how can we help but serve Him simply as an act of inexpressible gratitude? I don’t know that I fully understand God’s mercy or grasp the work done on the cross. If I truly understood what I was saved from and how little I deserved it, my gratitude would be more in line.
Our Christian walk is not done in isolation. When we walk as Christians through this life, we are representing Christ to those around us. When we represent poorly, we are responsible for that. We are to support our fellow believers and be a witness to those who don’t believe.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad (Corinthians 12:26)
Chambers explains:
When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer.
This would seem an almost overwhelming demand, but we aren’t to seek the power within ourselves. We must depend entirely upon God. Then and only then can we hope to be what we are called to be.
Daniel 6 recounts the story of Daniel, a faithful servant of the Lord, who was thrown into a den of lions because he refused to heed a decree of King Darius forbidding the worship of anything or anyone other than himself. Daniel’s habit was to bow before the Lord in prayers of Thanksgiving three times a day, and when he heard of this decree he continued in his holy habit in spite of the risk to himself. When his prayers were discovered, he was thrown into the den of lions, but the Lord sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions and he was completely unharmed. As a result, the pagan king issued another decree:
I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end. (Daniel 6:26)
A pagan king celebrating the power of the living God? We can never underestimate the power of our example and who it might impact or influence. Daniel’s commitment to his Lord, his refusal to alter his daily prayer and worship, even under penalty of death, and his subsequent deliverance from that death had a powerful impact on this king who didn’t have any interest in the true and living God before his acquaintance with Daniel. It can be humbling to consider how our witness might affect those unbelievers we come in contact with on a daily basis.
Our faith must be more than a footnote to a life otherwise devoted. When we call ourselves Christians, our service to our Lord should be all encompassing. Everything we do is passed through the filter of our love of Christ and our devotion to Him. Chambers calls it being “broken bread and poured out wine” – our lives are entirely about our Lord and Savior. If we truly understand what Christ did for us on the cross, how can we help but serve Him simply as an act of inexpressible gratitude? I don’t know that I fully understand God’s mercy or grasp the work done on the cross. If I truly understood what I was saved from and how little I deserved it, my gratitude would be more in line.
Friday, February 12, 2010
February 12, 2010 MUST I LISTEN?
Exodus 20:19 - And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
Chambers opens today’s devotional by saying:
We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay attention to them not because of wilful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him.
How true this is – most of the time we don’t set out thinking “God wants me to do x, but I don’t care, I’m going to do y” (though I believe we ALL certainly have had those moments as well - at least I know I have). More often than not, we simply fail to think about Him at all. We ignore what he may be commanding us to do, all too often, because we simply ignore HIM.
Loving God has always been a bit difficult for me. To say such a thing sounds to be on the verge of blasphemy, but I’m simply being honest. If you asked most church-going folk “Do you love the Lord” they would answer quickly and unequivocally “Well, YES, of course I do!” and many would be offended at the mere suggestion that they do not. But I believe that truly loving God requires an intimate knowledge of who he is that is only acquired when we spend time with Him in prayer and study, and many of us just don’t take the time for that.
Suppose you introduce a dear friend to a man you know at church, and after their introduction, they sit together each week during the service. When church is over, they wave goodbye not to see or talk to each other until the following Sunday when the pattern repeats itself. You know this man well, and have told your friend quite a bit about him, but their contact with each other has been limited entirely to their time at church. They never have any real private conversations and never spend time together on the phone or otherwise during the week. Then suddenly your friend announces to you that they are in love and have decided to get married.
Would you feel as if they’ve had an opportunity to really develop a relationship? Would you feel as if a true sustaining love could have developed under such limited contact? I think most of us would be concerned that our friend was jumping into a marriage with someone she simply didn't know very well.
And yet, how often do we think we are developing a relationship with God simply because we go to church and hear someone else talk about Him on Sunday morning? While this is undoubtedly part of getting to know who God is, to limit our time with the Lord to this hour on Sunday and then think we have a relationship with Him is as ludicrous as the relationship scenario above. We can’t truly develop a relationship with God, we can’t KNOW Him, unless we spend time with Him. If we don’t take the time to pray and study His word we can’t know who he is, and if we don’t know who he is how can we possibly love Him?
The second aspect of this time spent with God is that expands our opportunities to hear Him, and our responsibilities to heed that which he says. Chambers brings up an interesting point. He says:
We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant's voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say "Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don't deny it is probably God's truth."
Whether it is that we want to do something that may NOT be in God’s will to do or whether we wish to avoid something we suspect IS in God’s will to do, it’s always easier to follow our human interests (rather than our spiritual ones) if we’ve got other believer’s “backing us up.” There have been times in my life when I've felt strongly led to do something but have sought enough “opinions” from people that I've managed to talk myself out of it. It's certainly easier to cite the counsel of other people than to just say to God “I know you are leading me in this direction, but I simply don’t want to go there.” That isn't to suggest that we should never seek Godly counsel, or ask other believers for insight, but I think most of us know when we are sincerely seeking guidance and when are simply seeking an escape. The key is to be honest enough with ourselves to admit the difference and the only way to be consistently sincere in that is to consistently find ourselves on our knees in front of our Lord.
As we spend time with our God, we will learn who He is. Our love for Him will grow and our desire to heed His words will grow out of that love.
Chambers opens today’s devotional by saying:
We do not consciously disobey God, we simply do not heed Him. God has given us His commands; there they are, but we do not pay attention to them not because of wilful disobedience but because we do not love and respect Him.
How true this is – most of the time we don’t set out thinking “God wants me to do x, but I don’t care, I’m going to do y” (though I believe we ALL certainly have had those moments as well - at least I know I have). More often than not, we simply fail to think about Him at all. We ignore what he may be commanding us to do, all too often, because we simply ignore HIM.
Loving God has always been a bit difficult for me. To say such a thing sounds to be on the verge of blasphemy, but I’m simply being honest. If you asked most church-going folk “Do you love the Lord” they would answer quickly and unequivocally “Well, YES, of course I do!” and many would be offended at the mere suggestion that they do not. But I believe that truly loving God requires an intimate knowledge of who he is that is only acquired when we spend time with Him in prayer and study, and many of us just don’t take the time for that.
Suppose you introduce a dear friend to a man you know at church, and after their introduction, they sit together each week during the service. When church is over, they wave goodbye not to see or talk to each other until the following Sunday when the pattern repeats itself. You know this man well, and have told your friend quite a bit about him, but their contact with each other has been limited entirely to their time at church. They never have any real private conversations and never spend time together on the phone or otherwise during the week. Then suddenly your friend announces to you that they are in love and have decided to get married.
Would you feel as if they’ve had an opportunity to really develop a relationship? Would you feel as if a true sustaining love could have developed under such limited contact? I think most of us would be concerned that our friend was jumping into a marriage with someone she simply didn't know very well.
And yet, how often do we think we are developing a relationship with God simply because we go to church and hear someone else talk about Him on Sunday morning? While this is undoubtedly part of getting to know who God is, to limit our time with the Lord to this hour on Sunday and then think we have a relationship with Him is as ludicrous as the relationship scenario above. We can’t truly develop a relationship with God, we can’t KNOW Him, unless we spend time with Him. If we don’t take the time to pray and study His word we can’t know who he is, and if we don’t know who he is how can we possibly love Him?
The second aspect of this time spent with God is that expands our opportunities to hear Him, and our responsibilities to heed that which he says. Chambers brings up an interesting point. He says:
We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant's voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say "Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don't deny it is probably God's truth."
Whether it is that we want to do something that may NOT be in God’s will to do or whether we wish to avoid something we suspect IS in God’s will to do, it’s always easier to follow our human interests (rather than our spiritual ones) if we’ve got other believer’s “backing us up.” There have been times in my life when I've felt strongly led to do something but have sought enough “opinions” from people that I've managed to talk myself out of it. It's certainly easier to cite the counsel of other people than to just say to God “I know you are leading me in this direction, but I simply don’t want to go there.” That isn't to suggest that we should never seek Godly counsel, or ask other believers for insight, but I think most of us know when we are sincerely seeking guidance and when are simply seeking an escape. The key is to be honest enough with ourselves to admit the difference and the only way to be consistently sincere in that is to consistently find ourselves on our knees in front of our Lord.
As we spend time with our God, we will learn who He is. Our love for Him will grow and our desire to heed His words will grow out of that love.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 11, 2010 IS YOUR HOPE IN GOD FAINT AND DYING?
Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord! A seemingly simple exhortation and yet in practice we all to often find ourselves completely at odds with this command. We tend to say “Well, I would trust in God, but…” Our human condition sees a hundred reasons why we have to worry about this or that – what we are saying, really, is that the Lord isn’t “big enough” the handle our problems.
Chambers urges us to devote our entire minds and our imagination to God. Once we do that and bring, as Chambers says "every thought into the captivity of Christ” it enables us to work within the realm of our faith – every trial, every struggle is met with our faith and the Spirit of God working together to resolve it. What amazing power there is in that!!
Chambers references 2 fantastic verses today:
Isaiah 45:22 - Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other (NLT).
2 Corinthians 10:5 - We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ (NLT).
Our faith is worked out in our minds – it is learning to harness our thought life and our imagination so that we can devote them entirely to the Lord. It is then that we will find our hope renewed and will be able to withstand any measure of trial or tribulation.
Trust in the Lord! A seemingly simple exhortation and yet in practice we all to often find ourselves completely at odds with this command. We tend to say “Well, I would trust in God, but…” Our human condition sees a hundred reasons why we have to worry about this or that – what we are saying, really, is that the Lord isn’t “big enough” the handle our problems.
Chambers urges us to devote our entire minds and our imagination to God. Once we do that and bring, as Chambers says "every thought into the captivity of Christ” it enables us to work within the realm of our faith – every trial, every struggle is met with our faith and the Spirit of God working together to resolve it. What amazing power there is in that!!
Chambers references 2 fantastic verses today:
Isaiah 45:22 - Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other (NLT).
2 Corinthians 10:5 - We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ (NLT).
Our faith is worked out in our minds – it is learning to harness our thought life and our imagination so that we can devote them entirely to the Lord. It is then that we will find our hope renewed and will be able to withstand any measure of trial or tribulation.
February 10, 2010 IS YOUR ABILITY TO SEE GOD BLINDED?
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.
(Isaiah 40:26)
Chambers opens today’s devotional by explaining that the Israelites of Isaiah’s day had hampered their ability to see the God of heaven with their constant exposure to – and often adoption of – the worship of idols as practiced by other religions of the time. They became accustomed to having an image at which to worship, and because of this Isaiah had to remind them where they could find their God, and he wasn’t in a figure carved of wood, stone or gold. Our God created the very stars in the sky – unlike other heathen religions, our God isn’t one of the stars, he CREATED them and placed each and every one of them where they shine. His power and strength is so great it is incomparable. Chambers captures this beautifully when he reminds us:
If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature. In every wind that blows, in every night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to realize it.
When we see God through his creation, we can then touch the tip of who he is. His power, His majesty, He Himself is revealed through the phenomenal expanse of His creation.
For most of us in this day and age, idol worship as it existed in Isaiah’s day isn’t much of an issue. But it is still alive and well, albeit in a different form. Chambers asks:
Is your imagination looking on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Your work? Your conception of what a worker should be? Your experience of salvation and sanctification?
To identify those idols in my own life, I’ve had to take an honest look at myself and ask a very difficult question: what is it that takes precedence over God in my life?
The answers can be surprising. We can easily identify the “idols” in the obvious ungodly pursuits, or in the preoccupation with ourselves that has become so prevalent in today’s society, but there are more subtle idols out there that many believers can find themselves at the feet of on occasion. Perhaps it is that we immerse ourselves in our work for the kingdom, but find ourselves worshipping the work itself rather than the One we are to be working for. We can find ourselves gripped by dramatic testimonies, and more enamored with the testifier than the God who created the transformation that created that testimony. Our admiration for church leadership can sometimes find us exalting those people to a status beyond that of God in our lives.
Our call as Christians is to seek God and worship him alone, keeping all other things in proper perspective.
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.
(Isaiah 40:26)
Chambers opens today’s devotional by explaining that the Israelites of Isaiah’s day had hampered their ability to see the God of heaven with their constant exposure to – and often adoption of – the worship of idols as practiced by other religions of the time. They became accustomed to having an image at which to worship, and because of this Isaiah had to remind them where they could find their God, and he wasn’t in a figure carved of wood, stone or gold. Our God created the very stars in the sky – unlike other heathen religions, our God isn’t one of the stars, he CREATED them and placed each and every one of them where they shine. His power and strength is so great it is incomparable. Chambers captures this beautifully when he reminds us:
If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature. In every wind that blows, in every night and day of the year, in every sign of the sky, in every blossoming and in every withering of the earth, there is a real coming of God to us if we will simply use our starved imagination to realize it.
When we see God through his creation, we can then touch the tip of who he is. His power, His majesty, He Himself is revealed through the phenomenal expanse of His creation.
For most of us in this day and age, idol worship as it existed in Isaiah’s day isn’t much of an issue. But it is still alive and well, albeit in a different form. Chambers asks:
Is your imagination looking on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Your work? Your conception of what a worker should be? Your experience of salvation and sanctification?
To identify those idols in my own life, I’ve had to take an honest look at myself and ask a very difficult question: what is it that takes precedence over God in my life?
The answers can be surprising. We can easily identify the “idols” in the obvious ungodly pursuits, or in the preoccupation with ourselves that has become so prevalent in today’s society, but there are more subtle idols out there that many believers can find themselves at the feet of on occasion. Perhaps it is that we immerse ourselves in our work for the kingdom, but find ourselves worshipping the work itself rather than the One we are to be working for. We can find ourselves gripped by dramatic testimonies, and more enamored with the testifier than the God who created the transformation that created that testimony. Our admiration for church leadership can sometimes find us exalting those people to a status beyond that of God in our lives.
Our call as Christians is to seek God and worship him alone, keeping all other things in proper perspective.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 9, 2010 ARE YOU EXHAUSTED SPIRITUALLY?
Have you never heard?
I’ve found myself in a bit of a spiritual rut: one of those seasons that find my prayers dry, my study time uninspired, my discipline waning - and sometimes nonexistent. When I find myself in those precious silent moments during my toddler’s naptime, it seems I can come up with a multitude of ways I’d rather spend my time – or think I need to spend my time - than having quiet time before God doing my devotional. Today was no different, but as I opened my devotional this morning and read the words of Isaiah, I was suddenly aware that God KNOWS my struggle. He understands where I am spiritually and emotionally. Coming to Him in these moments isn’t about fulfilling some legalistic duty, it isn’t about being able to check off the box that says “did my devotionals every day” or getting my daily devotional merit badge – it is about coming before the everlasting God, the creator of all the earth and worshipping Him for who He is. It is about drawing my energy from HIM, not from some effort within myself, but from HIM! It is about giving God the opportunity to teach me more about Himself through His word. What a joy! What a privilege!
Sadly, I’ve often viewed missing my devotional time with God a little like a missed dental appointment. I know I should go because it’s good for me. I feel guilty about missing it and I figure I’ll have to make it up later. But it suddenly struck me that perhaps I should view this missed time with God more like I’d view a missed trip to Disneyland than a missed trip to the dentist. I’m not suggesting our faith gives us a life lived in the always happy fantasy world of Disney, but we should regard the time we spend alone with the living God with at least that much anticipation.
What can I learn about my heavenly Father today? Haven’t we heard? Don’t we understand? He is the everlasting God! The Creator!! And he wants time with each of us, one-on-one, to reveal Himself to us.
As a Christian, my purpose for existence is simply to bring glory to the Father and serve Him with my life. But I find that as my time alone with the Father wanes, so does my energy for service to Him. My path gets clouded and cluttered. I struggle with focus as to what I need to be doing and what direction I need to be taking. Those directions once so clear during times of devotion to Him become murky and uncertain, and I find myself tired just thinking about where to go from here. It is THIS struggle that Chamber’s addresses in today’s devotional. What do we do when we find ourselves exhausted by our service? Chambers asks us:
Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is.
It is so easy to get caught up in service for the sake of service rather than for the sake of Christ. We may be doing honorable work, but if we aren’t truly doing it for Jesus, if we aren’t truly seeking Him as our wellspring, then we will find ourselves exhausted by it. We can’t be much use to the kingdom if we are burned out and overwhelmed and the only way to avoid that is to constantly, consistently go back to the foundation and recollect where our source of power is: Christ alone. He never grows weak or weary.
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28)
I’ve found myself in a bit of a spiritual rut: one of those seasons that find my prayers dry, my study time uninspired, my discipline waning - and sometimes nonexistent. When I find myself in those precious silent moments during my toddler’s naptime, it seems I can come up with a multitude of ways I’d rather spend my time – or think I need to spend my time - than having quiet time before God doing my devotional. Today was no different, but as I opened my devotional this morning and read the words of Isaiah, I was suddenly aware that God KNOWS my struggle. He understands where I am spiritually and emotionally. Coming to Him in these moments isn’t about fulfilling some legalistic duty, it isn’t about being able to check off the box that says “did my devotionals every day” or getting my daily devotional merit badge – it is about coming before the everlasting God, the creator of all the earth and worshipping Him for who He is. It is about drawing my energy from HIM, not from some effort within myself, but from HIM! It is about giving God the opportunity to teach me more about Himself through His word. What a joy! What a privilege!
Sadly, I’ve often viewed missing my devotional time with God a little like a missed dental appointment. I know I should go because it’s good for me. I feel guilty about missing it and I figure I’ll have to make it up later. But it suddenly struck me that perhaps I should view this missed time with God more like I’d view a missed trip to Disneyland than a missed trip to the dentist. I’m not suggesting our faith gives us a life lived in the always happy fantasy world of Disney, but we should regard the time we spend alone with the living God with at least that much anticipation.
What can I learn about my heavenly Father today? Haven’t we heard? Don’t we understand? He is the everlasting God! The Creator!! And he wants time with each of us, one-on-one, to reveal Himself to us.
As a Christian, my purpose for existence is simply to bring glory to the Father and serve Him with my life. But I find that as my time alone with the Father wanes, so does my energy for service to Him. My path gets clouded and cluttered. I struggle with focus as to what I need to be doing and what direction I need to be taking. Those directions once so clear during times of devotion to Him become murky and uncertain, and I find myself tired just thinking about where to go from here. It is THIS struggle that Chamber’s addresses in today’s devotional. What do we do when we find ourselves exhausted by our service? Chambers asks us:
Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is.
It is so easy to get caught up in service for the sake of service rather than for the sake of Christ. We may be doing honorable work, but if we aren’t truly doing it for Jesus, if we aren’t truly seeking Him as our wellspring, then we will find ourselves exhausted by it. We can’t be much use to the kingdom if we are burned out and overwhelmed and the only way to avoid that is to constantly, consistently go back to the foundation and recollect where our source of power is: Christ alone. He never grows weak or weary.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
January 12, 2010 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE WITH GOD?
Mark 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
I can only imagine what it must have been like for the disciples to have Jesus explain his parables to them – how often were they surprised? How often did they THINK it meant one thing when it actually meant something entirely different? How often did they recognize others in the initial telling of the parable, yet when Jesus explained it they actually saw themselves?
In my immaturity, I’ve often been quick to see the failures of others spelled out in the parables Jesus told. Earlier in Mark 4 is the familiar story of seed scattered by a farmer and what became of it:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mark 4:3-8)
I’ve heard this story since I was a child in Sunday School. We were always taught, and I never doubted, that since we were the one’s sitting in church on Sunday morning, that we were the GOOD soil Christ was talking about. We were the ones growing in Jesus! It was those other people NOT at church that were eaten by the birds, wilted and choked out. But as I’ve gotten older and spent more time with God, as I’ve matured in my relationship with Him, I’ve realized something very disturbing: I’ve not been the fertile soil at all – rather, I’ve allowed thorns to choke out my commitment to Christ for far too long, and I’m not alone.
In Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love he cautions us:
Do not assume you are good soil.
I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions or commitments are piled on top of it (p 67).
It is one thing to read these words and say: “Yeah, Bill went to the football game instead of church last week! Boy, does he need to get his priorities straight” and another thing entirely to say “I chose to watch television for 3 hours last night rather than spend any of that time in quality quiet time with God.” It is difficult, unpleasant even, to allow God to show us what thorns in our lives crowd Him out – and even more difficult to cut those away.
Chamber says:
The only way we can be of use to God is to let Him take us through the crooks and crannies of our own characters. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look in with courage?
It takes a great deal of courage to “look in” honestly and without our defenses in place. We want to justify our behavior, our attitudes and our choices. But Chamber reminds us that God truly knows us and our motivations. We can’t hide the truth from God, even if we try to hide it from ourselves. When we allow God to get us alone with those things, he will reveal the truth to us, just as Christ revealed the truths in His parables to His disciples. As our issues are exposed and resolved, it is then that God can truly do His work in us!
I can only imagine what it must have been like for the disciples to have Jesus explain his parables to them – how often were they surprised? How often did they THINK it meant one thing when it actually meant something entirely different? How often did they recognize others in the initial telling of the parable, yet when Jesus explained it they actually saw themselves?
In my immaturity, I’ve often been quick to see the failures of others spelled out in the parables Jesus told. Earlier in Mark 4 is the familiar story of seed scattered by a farmer and what became of it:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mark 4:3-8)
I’ve heard this story since I was a child in Sunday School. We were always taught, and I never doubted, that since we were the one’s sitting in church on Sunday morning, that we were the GOOD soil Christ was talking about. We were the ones growing in Jesus! It was those other people NOT at church that were eaten by the birds, wilted and choked out. But as I’ve gotten older and spent more time with God, as I’ve matured in my relationship with Him, I’ve realized something very disturbing: I’ve not been the fertile soil at all – rather, I’ve allowed thorns to choke out my commitment to Christ for far too long, and I’m not alone.
In Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love he cautions us:
Do not assume you are good soil.
I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions or commitments are piled on top of it (p 67).
It is one thing to read these words and say: “Yeah, Bill went to the football game instead of church last week! Boy, does he need to get his priorities straight” and another thing entirely to say “I chose to watch television for 3 hours last night rather than spend any of that time in quality quiet time with God.” It is difficult, unpleasant even, to allow God to show us what thorns in our lives crowd Him out – and even more difficult to cut those away.
Chamber says:
The only way we can be of use to God is to let Him take us through the crooks and crannies of our own characters. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look in with courage?
It takes a great deal of courage to “look in” honestly and without our defenses in place. We want to justify our behavior, our attitudes and our choices. But Chamber reminds us that God truly knows us and our motivations. We can’t hide the truth from God, even if we try to hide it from ourselves. When we allow God to get us alone with those things, he will reveal the truth to us, just as Christ revealed the truths in His parables to His disciples. As our issues are exposed and resolved, it is then that God can truly do His work in us!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
January 6, 2010 WORSHIP
Genesis 12:8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you.
Chambers opens today’s message with a simple call to worship. A call to give back to God some of the best of what he’s given us. Worship is more than singing a song or saying a prayer, though it is certainly those things. Worship is giving out of any gift that we are given. Our monetary tithes are an act of worship, the giving of our time is an act of worship, using our talents, whatever they may be, for His glory is an act of worship. Chambers goes on to say:
Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.
We have been given so much, and sometimes it is all too easy to keep those things for ourselves. But when I consider the overwhelming blessings I’ve received from the Father, I have to ask myself: Am I truly giving out of all I’ve been given? Considering the tremendous blessings I’ve received from God, how much of a blessing am I to those around me? To honestly answer this question is humbling indeed.
Chambers explains that Bethel is a symbol of communion with God, and Ai is a symbol of the world. That Abraham pitched his tent between the two is significant. There has to be a place where our communion with God meets our life in the world. They cannot be separate from each other.
The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.
How often have we become so consumed with our “public activity” that we neglect our private communion? We find ourselves rushed, busy, perhaps even overwhelmed, and rather than step back our public efforts, we allow our private time with the Lord to suffer. But how effective can our work for the Lord really be if we fail to spend adequate time in His presence? Without time on our knees before the Father, “his” work becomes OUR work, and what was once done for His glory can all too often be done in search of glory for ourselves.
As believers we need to worship God with the best of what He’s blessed us with. Making our private communion with our Lord a priority helps us keep perspective on what that act of worship looks like and puts us in the proper frame of mind to be a blessing to those around us.
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you.
Chambers opens today’s message with a simple call to worship. A call to give back to God some of the best of what he’s given us. Worship is more than singing a song or saying a prayer, though it is certainly those things. Worship is giving out of any gift that we are given. Our monetary tithes are an act of worship, the giving of our time is an act of worship, using our talents, whatever they may be, for His glory is an act of worship. Chambers goes on to say:
Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.
We have been given so much, and sometimes it is all too easy to keep those things for ourselves. But when I consider the overwhelming blessings I’ve received from the Father, I have to ask myself: Am I truly giving out of all I’ve been given? Considering the tremendous blessings I’ve received from God, how much of a blessing am I to those around me? To honestly answer this question is humbling indeed.
Chambers explains that Bethel is a symbol of communion with God, and Ai is a symbol of the world. That Abraham pitched his tent between the two is significant. There has to be a place where our communion with God meets our life in the world. They cannot be separate from each other.
The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.
How often have we become so consumed with our “public activity” that we neglect our private communion? We find ourselves rushed, busy, perhaps even overwhelmed, and rather than step back our public efforts, we allow our private time with the Lord to suffer. But how effective can our work for the Lord really be if we fail to spend adequate time in His presence? Without time on our knees before the Father, “his” work becomes OUR work, and what was once done for His glory can all too often be done in search of glory for ourselves.
As believers we need to worship God with the best of what He’s blessed us with. Making our private communion with our Lord a priority helps us keep perspective on what that act of worship looks like and puts us in the proper frame of mind to be a blessing to those around us.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
January 5, 2010 THE AFTERWORDS OF THE LIFE OF POWER
John 13:36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
This is really in my mind a continuation of yesterday’s contemplation. Chambers takes the time to explain something I’d never considered before. When Peter first met Jesus, and Jesus called him to follow, Peter did so easily. Peter’s fascination with this man unlike any other he’d met before was sufficient to seek after Him, if for no other reason than simple human curiosity. But later, around the fire in the courtyard after Christ’s betrayal, he denied knowing him when he was asked if he was his follower – the strength of his human condition failed him miserably. Chambers explains:
“…he had come to the end of himself and all his self-sufficiency, there was not one strand of himself he would ever rely upon again, and in his destitution he was in a fit condition to receive and impartation from the risen Lord.”
If we do not recognize the insufficiency of our human condition, the Lord will remind us of it. Peter claimed to be willing to follow Christ to the cross, but when tested in the courtyard he denied knowing him at all. It was only when he came to the end of himself, when he knew he had to depend entirely upon the Lord that he was able to preach his gospel and ultimately died for his Lord.
We cannot be effective for Christ as long as we are determined to be self-sufficient. God needs all of us – he needs us to depend upon Him at all times. God gets the credit and the glory for everything done in his name. I’ve heard it said “we must always be willing to do God’s will, not our own will in His name.” We must be willing to cast aside our own plans, our own dreams, our own pre-conceived notions and lean wholly upon our Lord in order to allow Him to do His work through us. It is only when we allow ourselves to be mere vessels, pens in his hand, that we can be assured we are doing his work with pure motivation.
This is really in my mind a continuation of yesterday’s contemplation. Chambers takes the time to explain something I’d never considered before. When Peter first met Jesus, and Jesus called him to follow, Peter did so easily. Peter’s fascination with this man unlike any other he’d met before was sufficient to seek after Him, if for no other reason than simple human curiosity. But later, around the fire in the courtyard after Christ’s betrayal, he denied knowing him when he was asked if he was his follower – the strength of his human condition failed him miserably. Chambers explains:
“…he had come to the end of himself and all his self-sufficiency, there was not one strand of himself he would ever rely upon again, and in his destitution he was in a fit condition to receive and impartation from the risen Lord.”
If we do not recognize the insufficiency of our human condition, the Lord will remind us of it. Peter claimed to be willing to follow Christ to the cross, but when tested in the courtyard he denied knowing him at all. It was only when he came to the end of himself, when he knew he had to depend entirely upon the Lord that he was able to preach his gospel and ultimately died for his Lord.
We cannot be effective for Christ as long as we are determined to be self-sufficient. God needs all of us – he needs us to depend upon Him at all times. God gets the credit and the glory for everything done in his name. I’ve heard it said “we must always be willing to do God’s will, not our own will in His name.” We must be willing to cast aside our own plans, our own dreams, our own pre-conceived notions and lean wholly upon our Lord in order to allow Him to do His work through us. It is only when we allow ourselves to be mere vessels, pens in his hand, that we can be assured we are doing his work with pure motivation.
January 4, 2010 WHY CANNOT I FOLLOW THEE NOW?
John 13:37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.
Peter was ready. Or so he thought. He was a man driven by his emotions – a man who didn’t want to bother with the “ready…set…” part of the “go” equation. He “felt” strongly, and it was upon the basis of his feelings that he questioned Jesus “Why can’t I follow you now?” He knew he loved his Lord, and so strong were his feelings of love and devotion at that moment, he was confident that not even threat of death would sway him. But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. He knew that once the passion of the moment had cooled, Peter would succumb to his emotions once again, this time to fear, and it would result in the heartbreaking denial of the savior who’d only hours before inspired this promise of devotion till death. Jesus undoubtedly knew that the time would come when Peter would lay down his life for Him, but he knew that the time was not yet at hand. And as with anything, timing is everything.
There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt – don’t.
We often want to fill in those blank spaces. We don’t want to wait for the right timing, we just want to plow ahead and some of us become so overcome with the power of our emotions, we believe that they will sustain us. Whenever we depend upon our feelings, we will always be met by disappointment. Sometimes even disaster. When Peter claimed unwavering loyalty to Jesus, there was nothing deceitful in his words. He meant it, and believed it with every fiber of his being. But Peter was nothing if not naïve. He believed that the passion of the moment was enough to carry him through the trials ahead. Jesus knew better. Peter believed in the power of his “feelings” while Jesus recognized the power of Peter’s humanity, and how it would ultimately betray him. Chambers goes on to explain:
Peter did not wait on God; he forecast in his mind where the test would come, and the test came where he did not expect it.
This is the essence of the issue, isn’t it? I find that anticipated confrontations often fail to materialize while unexpected conflicts continually catch me completely unprepared. Sadly, I find that when “the tests come where I don’t expect them” I am almost always disappointed in myself and my reactions to them.
We can attempt to prepare ourselves for those trials we foresee, but when we allow God to work in us, He prepares us for whatever we encounter, anticipated or not. He does a work in us that transcends our emotions. We must learn to depend upon our Lord and not our hearts. We need to replace the confidence in ourselves, with confidence in the Holy Spirit who sustains us.
Peter was ready. Or so he thought. He was a man driven by his emotions – a man who didn’t want to bother with the “ready…set…” part of the “go” equation. He “felt” strongly, and it was upon the basis of his feelings that he questioned Jesus “Why can’t I follow you now?” He knew he loved his Lord, and so strong were his feelings of love and devotion at that moment, he was confident that not even threat of death would sway him. But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. He knew that once the passion of the moment had cooled, Peter would succumb to his emotions once again, this time to fear, and it would result in the heartbreaking denial of the savior who’d only hours before inspired this promise of devotion till death. Jesus undoubtedly knew that the time would come when Peter would lay down his life for Him, but he knew that the time was not yet at hand. And as with anything, timing is everything.
There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt – don’t.
We often want to fill in those blank spaces. We don’t want to wait for the right timing, we just want to plow ahead and some of us become so overcome with the power of our emotions, we believe that they will sustain us. Whenever we depend upon our feelings, we will always be met by disappointment. Sometimes even disaster. When Peter claimed unwavering loyalty to Jesus, there was nothing deceitful in his words. He meant it, and believed it with every fiber of his being. But Peter was nothing if not naïve. He believed that the passion of the moment was enough to carry him through the trials ahead. Jesus knew better. Peter believed in the power of his “feelings” while Jesus recognized the power of Peter’s humanity, and how it would ultimately betray him. Chambers goes on to explain:
Peter did not wait on God; he forecast in his mind where the test would come, and the test came where he did not expect it.
This is the essence of the issue, isn’t it? I find that anticipated confrontations often fail to materialize while unexpected conflicts continually catch me completely unprepared. Sadly, I find that when “the tests come where I don’t expect them” I am almost always disappointed in myself and my reactions to them.
We can attempt to prepare ourselves for those trials we foresee, but when we allow God to work in us, He prepares us for whatever we encounter, anticipated or not. He does a work in us that transcends our emotions. We must learn to depend upon our Lord and not our hearts. We need to replace the confidence in ourselves, with confidence in the Holy Spirit who sustains us.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
January 1, 2010 LET US KEEP TO THE POINT
Philippians 1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
The New Year brings about new commitments from every kind and creed. We all want to do something to improve ourselves, it seems, regardless of our spiritual persuasion, and the commencement of a new year provides that blank canvas upon which to paint our “New and Improved” selves. As we contemplate the coming months we envision ourselves thinner, healthier, kinder, better in some way than we were the year before. And the New Year allows us to sweep past failed resolutions away and begin afresh.
Having just celebrated the birth of our Savior, it seems only natural that one of my personal commitments this year is to truly live My Utmost for His Highest. For me, this means surrendering my will to his. Dedicating myself daily to my quest for holiness. Seeking FIRST the kingdom of God. And finally, through prayer, to have sufficient courage so that Christ will be exalted in my body, by life or death. To give such a commitment lip-service requires little. Many of us commit to being “better people” for the sake of our personal peace of mind. But God doesn’t need us to be better people; he needs us to be HIS people.
In Chambers devotional today, he explains:
When we consider what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point; He does know. Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only – My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.
When we consider what Christians in some countries go through for the sake of their faith (persecution, torture, even death) my reasons for my hesitancy seem embarrassingly insignificant. I don’t want to surrender to Christ because… why? Because I might be embarrassed? Because someone might think me a bit odd? Because someone might not like me? The reality is that my hesitancy has been linked to all of those things, but the truth is that God is bigger than all of that. How can I deny the call of a loving God who sent His only Son to die an excruciating death on the cross for ME, because of MY sin? I simply cannot. God’s love for me transcends all things and how can I deny Him any part of who I am? Faced with the reality of the cross and what was done for me there, I am left on my knees before Christ determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.
My favorite hymn is Be Thou My Vision. The words seem particularly appropriate in light of today’s devotional. These verses are my daily prayers for 2010:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all
The New Year brings about new commitments from every kind and creed. We all want to do something to improve ourselves, it seems, regardless of our spiritual persuasion, and the commencement of a new year provides that blank canvas upon which to paint our “New and Improved” selves. As we contemplate the coming months we envision ourselves thinner, healthier, kinder, better in some way than we were the year before. And the New Year allows us to sweep past failed resolutions away and begin afresh.
Having just celebrated the birth of our Savior, it seems only natural that one of my personal commitments this year is to truly live My Utmost for His Highest. For me, this means surrendering my will to his. Dedicating myself daily to my quest for holiness. Seeking FIRST the kingdom of God. And finally, through prayer, to have sufficient courage so that Christ will be exalted in my body, by life or death. To give such a commitment lip-service requires little. Many of us commit to being “better people” for the sake of our personal peace of mind. But God doesn’t need us to be better people; he needs us to be HIS people.
In Chambers devotional today, he explains:
When we consider what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point; He does know. Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only – My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.
When we consider what Christians in some countries go through for the sake of their faith (persecution, torture, even death) my reasons for my hesitancy seem embarrassingly insignificant. I don’t want to surrender to Christ because… why? Because I might be embarrassed? Because someone might think me a bit odd? Because someone might not like me? The reality is that my hesitancy has been linked to all of those things, but the truth is that God is bigger than all of that. How can I deny the call of a loving God who sent His only Son to die an excruciating death on the cross for ME, because of MY sin? I simply cannot. God’s love for me transcends all things and how can I deny Him any part of who I am? Faced with the reality of the cross and what was done for me there, I am left on my knees before Christ determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.
My favorite hymn is Be Thou My Vision. The words seem particularly appropriate in light of today’s devotional. These verses are my daily prayers for 2010:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all
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