Category: Devotionals

Probably the most well-known song by 1960’s girl group, The Shangri-Las, was “Leader of the Pack.” One of many teenage tragedy songs, it told the story of a teenage girl who was dating a motorcycle riding boy named Jimmy. In the song, the young girl tells how her parents made her break up with Jimmy because he was not good enough. He came from the “wrong side of town” and was, in their opinion, “bad.”

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there are several incidents where the scribes and Pharisees grumbled about the fact that Jesus not only associated with tax collectors and sinners, but He also dined with them. In the eyes of these Jewish leaders, these people were not the type of people that Jesus should be spending time with. Like the “leader of the pack,” these sinners and tax collectors were from the wrong side of town.

Twice in Luke’s Gospel, the Pharisees confront Jesus about His association with these unrighteous outcasts. In the first instance, when they asked Jesus why He was associating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus responded by telling them that it is not the healthy person who needs a doctor, but rather the sick person. Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was not to call those who were righteous to repentance, but those who were sinners (Luke 5:30-31). Jesus came to save the lost and to bring them back into relationship with God.

In the second instance, when asked the same question, Jesus responded with a series of three parables illustrating the value of the lost in the eyes of God and heaven. The first parable spoke of the shepherd who, having lost one of his one hundred sheep, left the ninety-nine who were not lost to find that one lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7). The second parable spoke of a woman who had ten coins and, when one was missing, basically turned her house upside down in order to find that one lost coin (Luke 15:8-10).

The third parable, of course, was that of the prodigal son, who requested that his father give him his share of the inheritance, which he promptly squandered away. When that son, who now had nothing, returned to ask his father’s forgiveness and mercy, the father rejoiced and threw a party. His lost son was so valuable to him that, now that he was once again found, the father wanted to celebrate in the biggest way possible (Luke 15:11-24).

These stories illustrate how God feels about all of us. When we were lost in our sin, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. He valued and loved us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son so that, if we believed in Jesus, we could have eternal life with Him. And, when each of us who was lost is found, there is great rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:10).

War is not something that one would call “good.” Lives are lost, countries are destroyed and there’s nothing good about that. But, the Second World War is often referred to as “the good war.” The words “war” and “good” just seem incongruous, don’t they? But, look at what was accomplished as a result of World War II. By the end of the war, the Allied forces had defeated Hitler and the Third Reich and put an end to the atrocities that regime had inflicted. Hitler’s regime was prevented from dominating Europe. So, despite the fact that many lives were lost, there was “good” in World War II.

As believers, we are in a war and, just like the Second World War, it is a good one. This war that we are fighting is the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). In this fight, we must remain faithful to God and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must hold on to our faith even in the face of opposition. That opposition can be from the world or it can be from the spiritual realm, where our enemy is always seeking to destroy us by destroying our faith (1 Peter 5:8).

To fight the good fight of faith when the opposition comes from the world, we need to flee the things of the world and the things of the flesh. We need to pursue such virtues as righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). In the face of opposition from the world, these things will help us to keep our eyes and hearts focused on the victory, the prize of eternal life.

To fight the good fight of faith when the opposition is from the spiritual realm, we need to be strong in the Lord and to put on the armor that God has provided. We need to put on the belt of truth, don the breastplate of righteousness, fit our feet with the gospel of peace, and cover our head with the helmet of salvation. We need to take up the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts that our enemy throws at us. And, most importantly, we need to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

When we fight the good fight of faith, using the weapons that God has given us, we can be sure that evil will be overcome and our enemy will be defeated, just as it was in “the good war.”

In just a little over a month, my wife and I adopted two greyhounds, Toby and Flo. As I sat looking at these two beautiful dogs yesterday, the word “trust” came to my mind. Although to them we were perfect strangers, they were willing to get into our car and travel home with us to a place they had never been before. Why? For one thing, greyhounds love people. But I believe it’s more than that. I believe that these two dogs believe that they can trust us.

When dogs trust someone, they are putting their confidence in that person. They are relying and depending on that person to be there for them when they need him or her. They trust that person to feed them, to take care of their needs, to guide them, and to give them love. As I reflected on this, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that the trust that my dogs are showing me is an example of the kind of trust we should have in God.

God is trustworthy. This is affirmed throughout Scripture, especially when it comes to His promises to His people. God always comes through on His promises. When we, as believers, have faith in God, we are putting our trust in His person and in His character. It’s important for us to place our trust in God and, when we do, it will find expression in a life that is lived according to His purposes.

When we truly trust in God, we are placing that trust in His unfailing love, rejoicing in the salvation He gives us through His Son, Jesus (Psalm 13:5). When we truly trust in God, we are believing that He will provide for our daily needs (Matthew 6:11) and that He will stand by His promises to us (Romans 4:20-21). And, when we truly trust in God, we do so with all our hearts, knowing that He will always guide us on the right path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It’s very easy to compartmentalize our lives into things that are sacred and things that are secular. We can easily fall into the trap of considering only certain things in our lives, such as going to church, studying the Bible, and prayer, as sacred things, things that give glory to God. We look at the ordinary things in our lives as secular. The ordinary, secular things can be our jobs, the meals we prepare, the things we build and create. We do these things for ourselves so they can’t be sacred, right? Wrong!

These verses from Isaiah 43:1-2 are one of my favorite passages of Scripture. In these two verses, we can find one of God’s greatest promises to His people – He will be with us in everything that we go through in life. What comfort comes from these words! The God who created you, the God who calls you by name because you are His, promises that not only will He be with you in times of trouble, but your trouble will not overwhelm or consume you.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“The only thing that we can do now is to pray.”

Have you ever said that? I know that I have. Usually, that statement is made when we or someone close to us is facing a challenging situation. But, why do we use those words? Isn’t that making prayer kind of a last resort? When we used those words, it’s like we’re saying, “Well, we have tried everything else and nothing has worked. Guess we just have to pray.” The things that we have tried are likely things within our own power and that’s probably why they didn’t work. So, now that we have tried everything else, we go to prayer.

When we leave prayer as the last resort, we are not acting in true faith. When we don’t act in true faith, what does that say? Do we have doubts that our prayers will be answered? Or, are we relying on our own resources or our own abilities, rather than relying on God. A person who doubts is like a wave driven and tossed by the wind. When we doubt rather than have faith, we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8). And, when we are relying on our own resources and abilities, we are placing our trust in ourselves rather than in God.

Prayer should be the first thing we turn to in times of need, the first thing we turn to when someone close to us is facing difficulties. God is merciful and faithful. When we do not doubt, choosing instead to believe that seeking Him in prayer is the best way to deal with the situations of life, we will receive an answer to our prayers (Mark 11:23). When we trust in the Lord, seeking His direction rather than leaning on our own limited understanding, He will direct our paths and show us the right way to go (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In Cape Town, South Africa, Lewis Warshansky became the first person to receive a human heart transplant. Mr. Warshansky was a South African grocer who was dying from chronic heart disease. His heart was dying and the prognosis was not good if he continued to live with the same heart. A 25-year-old woman named Denise Darvall had been fatally injured in a car crash and it was her healthy heart that would be given to Mr. Warshansky. Surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the revolutionary procedure and on December 3, 1967, Mr. Warshansky had a new heart.

Henry Plona, my wife’s father, was a great storyteller. Whenever we were together, he never missed an opportunity to tell me a story about his past. Of course, I heard some of his stories more than once. He’d usually start by saying, “Did I ever tell you about the time…?” The likely answer to that question would invariably be, “Yes, you did.” But I never responded in that way. Instead, I would let him tell me the story again. Truth be told, now that Henry is gone, I miss hearing those old stories.

When it comes to telling stories of things that have happened in the past, God’s people should be like my father-in-law, ready to tell the stories to anyone who is willing to listen and as often as necessary. In Psalm 78:4, the psalmist declares that God’s instructions, deeds, power, and wonders should never be hidden from our children, but should be told to all generations. The amazing things that God has done in our lives should be told to our children so that they can tell their children, on and on through generations to come (Joel 1:3).

Perhaps the greatest story that we can tell is the story of the love that God showed for all of us when He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins. He did this so that, if we believe in Him, we will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The story of Jesus – His sacrifice for us, His birth, His life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection – is the greatest story ever told. It is a story that we need to tell, not just to our children, but to anyone and everyone who needs to hear it.

One of the verses of the beloved hymn, I Love to Tell the Story, says:

Have you ever had a vegetable garden? Many people love to grow their own vegetables, to be able to go out to their yards and gather up what is usually the freshest and best tasting produce you can find. Sowing seeds and having them grow into delicious produce is quite rewarding. Of course, you have to make sure that you sow the right seeds. You can’t sow pumpkin seeds and expect to reap tomatoes. You can’t sow tomato seeds and expect to reap string beans. If you want tomatoes, you sow tomato seeds. If you want string beans, you sow string bean seeds. The bottom line is that you will reap what you sow.

The concept of sowing and reaping, of reaping what you sow, applies to life as well. In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7, ESV) When we sow to the flesh, engaging in immorality, impurity, and sensuality, we will reap corruption. But when we sow to the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8).

The concept of sowing and reaping also applies to our relationships with others. In those relationships, if we sow words that are hurtful, critical, or filled with contempt, we cannot expect to reap love and respect. If we act in ways that are prideful or hateful, we cannot expect to reap a healthy, positive relationship with others.

If we want to reap a harvest of good relationships with others, then we must sow good, positive seeds in those relationships. The words that we use and the things that we do must reflect love, respect, and caring. How can we ensure that we are sowing those kinds of seeds? Colossians 3:17 tells us that whatever we do and whatever we say should be done in the name of Jesus. If we follow that principle, making a concerted effort to do or say only those things that we would be willing to do or say in His name, then the seeds that we sow will be good seeds. And the result will be that we will reap a harvest of good relationships.

When you look at a newspaper, watch the news on television, or read the news on the internet, there is not much that you can call good news. The news is filled with stories of disasters, terrorism, threats of war, violence, and hate. Our minds are bombarded with endless stories about the things going on in the lives of celebrities, sports stars, and politicians. And then, of course, there is gossip and even “fake” news. There seems to be very little news in the world that you can honestly call good news. So, where can you find good news?

God’s Word is filled with good news. It’s the good news of our salvation from sin, the good news that there is a Savior who has set us free from the penalty of our sin. That good news is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The good news begins with God’s plan to redeem us through the promised Messiah, the suffering servant (Zechariah 3:9; Isaiah 42:1-4)). The good news continues with the birth of a child, a child born of a virgin fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2). The good news goes on to tell us that this child grew to be a man who sacrificed His life, taking upon Himself the penalty of our sins and restoring our relationship with God (Isaiah 53:12). The good news is Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s great love for us (John 3:16).

But, the good news doesn’t end there. Jesus did not just die for us. He also rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, providing salvation for all who believe in Him throughout the generations, past, present, and future (Romans 10:9). The good news has no end. The good news will go on through eternity. When we receive this good news, we need to tell it to others, so that the good news that we receive can go throughout the world. The good news of Jesus Christ has the power to change lives through those whose lives have already been changed when they not only heard but also understood the truth about God’s wonderful, amazing grace (Colossians 1:6 NLT).