Category: Devotionals

There are a number of things that are essential in life, things that we need on a daily basis. We need to eat in order to provide the nourishment that our bodies need. If we go for too many days without food, our bodies will break down. We also need sleep. Sleep restores our bodies and is necessary to maintain physical, emotional, and mental health. Then, there are things needed for personal hygiene, such as brushing and flossing our teeth. Those things are needed to keep our teeth strong and healthy.

There are also things that are essential to our spiritual life. They are things that, as followers of Christ, we also need on a daily basis. Just like our bodies need nourishment from the food that we eat, our souls need nourishment as well. That nourishment comes from the Word of God. We read in His Word that man cannot live on bread alone. He also needs the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). Jesus is the Word and the bread of life (John 6:48). We need to read the Word daily and we need to keep that Word in our hearts. When we keep the Word in our hearts, it will help us to avoid sin (Psalm 119:11). When we read the Word daily, it can transform our hearts and minds and will be a weapon readily available to fight against the attacks of the enemy (Ephesians 6:17).

Prayer is another thing that is essential to spiritual life. The Bible tells us that we should be constant in our prayer (Romans 12:12) and continue in prayer without wavering (Colossians 4:2). Prayer is our lifeline to the Father. When we spend time in God’s presence, talking to Him through our prayers, we allow God’s presence to take its place in our lives. When we have His presence in our lives, like a shepherd He will lead us on the right path, restore our souls, and give us the comfort and protection that we need in times of trouble (Psalm 23:1-4).

Another essential to our spiritual life is praise. Every day of our lives, we should be giving God the praise He deserves. Our hearts and our mouths should be filled with His praise and glory all day long (Psalm 71:8). God inhabits the praises of His people so, when we give Him praise, He is right there with us. And, when God is with us, nothing can stand against us.

Spend time with God every day, reading His Word, praying to Him, and giving Him praise. When we do these things, we will enjoy a spiritual life that is both healthy and growing day by day.

While Jaws is probably not a movie from which you might expect to get any spiritual inspiration, there is one very tender scene in the movie that brings to my mind a verse from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In this particular scene, Amity police chief Martin Brody is sitting across the table from his youngest son. Brody is troubled over the problems he is dealing with concerning a great white shark that is terrorizing the beaches of Amity. As he sits at the table deep in thought, Brody has his chin propped up on one fist. Although Brody doesn’t notice, his son sits across from him doing exactly the same thing. Brody then picks up his glass, takes a sip, clasps both hands together under his chin, then puts his face in his hands. Each action is imitated by this little boy who obviously loves his dad and wants to be just like him. When Brody finally notices what his son is doing, his countenance changes and he asks his little boy for a kiss because he “needs it.”

This scene brings to mind Ephesians 5:1, which tells us that, as dearly loved children of God, we should follow the example of our heavenly Father, or be imitators of Him. How can we be imitators of God? We can walk in love, loving as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:2), with a sacrificial love that puts others before self. We can be merciful, in the same way that our heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36), showing compassion to others and being willing to forgive those who have hurt or offended us. We can be faithful in all that we do and in all our relationships, just as our God has been faithful to all of us (Psalm 57:10).

Just like Brody’s son wanted to be just like his dad, our goal should be to strive to be just like our heavenly Father, aspiring to be perfect, just as He is (Matthew 5:48). In that scene from Jaws, Brody’s son was able to imitate what his dad was doing because he could see him sitting across the table from him. Although we can’t physically see our heavenly Father, we are still able to imitate Him because we can look to the gospels and see Jesus. Jesus tells us that anyone who has seen Him has also seen the Father (John 14:9). When we follow Jesus and walk in His ways, we are following God’s example. Through a life lived in Christ, we can be just like our Dad, our heavenly Father.

The word “love” appears in almost every book of the Bible. Love is the central theme of the New Testament. It is because God loves us that He has given us the gift of salvation through Jesus (John 3:16). God is love and, in order to know God, we must have love (1 John 4:8). We must love God (Deuteronomy 6:5), we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ (John 13:35), we must love our neighbors (Mark 12:31), and we must even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). And, our love must be genuine (Romans 12:9). Genuine love can be demonstrated by truly forgiving one another and not bringing up past sins (1 Peter 4:8).

If we could speak the language of every nation on earth and could even speak the language of angels, we could communicate pretty well. But, without having love, that would be meaningless. It would serve no purpose in our lives. All we would be doing is making a lot of noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). If we had the ability to predict the future, possessed knowledge of all things, and even had faith strong enough to move a mountain, we might be considered great in the eyes of the world. But, if we possessed these things but did not have love, we would be nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). And, if we gave up all that we own and even gave up our own lives, but did not have love, we would gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Love is important in the lives of believers. The love that we show, the kind of love that God wants us to show, should be filled with patience and kindness. It should not be jealous, prideful, arrogant, rude, irritable, or resentful. It is a love that is selfless, looking out for others rather than having our own way. This kind of love does not delight in evil, but rather in the truth. The love that God wants us to show is characterized by unshakable faith and hope and is able to endure through anything. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Now, as believers, as followers of Christ, there are some things that we should not love. We should not love money, but should be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5). We should not love the world or the things in the world. If we love the world, then God’s love is not in us. The things of the world, desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and pride, will all pass away along with the world. But, those of us who love God and do His will abide in Him forever (1 John 2:15-17). The love that God wants us to show to Him and to each other is a love that never ends (1 Corinthians 4:8).

 

God’s name is holy and should be exalted above all other names (Psalm148:13). It should never be taken in vain, and those who do so will not be held guiltless (Exodus 20:7). The name of the Lord should never be sworn by falsely, as that would profane His name (Leviticus 19:12). His name is to be praised, blessed, and glorified (Psalm 29:2). In Psalm 138:2, David writes that God Himself exalts His name above everything else. There is only one thing that God exalts as high as His name, and that is His Word. And just as we exalt His name above all else, so should we exalt His Word.

God’s Word is infallible and without error. All of the words of Scripture were “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV). The Greek word translated as “inspiration” in some translations of the Bible is theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.” While the words that we read in the Bible were written by men, these words were “breathed” into the writers by God. They are not the words of men, but the words of God. God gave us His Word for a reason. It is the manual for our lives. It shows us how we should live. The Word of God tells us who God is and reveals His great love for us.

God’s Word is useful to us in many ways. It is useful in teaching, or doctrine. Sound teaching is important to the lives of all believers. It is through following sound teaching, or good doctrine, that we are able to be good servants of Christ (1 Timothy 4:6). We must follow and teach the doctrine found in the Word of God, and not the doctrine of man. Doctrine that comes from man, from the world, turns our hearts from God and when we worship Him, we worship in vain.

God’s Word is also useful for reproof. The Greek word used in 2 Timothy 3:16 is elenchos, which means “rebuke.” The definition of rebuke is sharp, stern disapproval, or reprimand. When a brother or sister in Christ is living in a way that doesn’t line up with God’s Word, or is persistent in sin, we are to rebuke them (1 Timothy 5:20). This must be done in love, and correction must be given through the knowledge and use of God’s Word.

Finally, God’s Word is useful for training in righteousness. We were created in God’s image and, as such, we were created with the ability to live righteous, sinless lives. However, due to man’s obedience, sin entered the world through the first man, Adam. Through Adam’s disobedience, we were all made sinners (Romans 5:19) and, as a result, we are all unrighteous. But God has provided a way for us to attain righteousness. This righteousness comes through faith in Christ for all who believe (Romans 3:22). And that faith comes from hearing, which comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

God’s Word, His powerful, inerrant, infallible Word, is the manna that God has provided for us to live on. Just as we need food every day in order to live healthy lives physically, we need God’s daily bread, His Word, in our lives every day.

Jesus is the living Stone. He was chosen by God and is precious to Him. He is also precious to all those who believe in Him. Those who put their trust in Jesus will never be put to shame. When we come to Jesus, we become like Him. We become as living stones that God is building into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-7). In that spiritual house, Jesus is the cornerstone.

When we follow the cornerstone, Jesus, He provides a firm foundation. When we follow Him, we are called out of the darkness of this world and into the glorious and wonderful light of Jesus. And, when we live in that light, we become a chosen people. Because of God’s great mercy, we are the elect, chosen by God to take our place among a people who will serve Him. We become a holy nation, set apart for God and for His kingdom. We are set apart to proclaim the good news of salvation for which He deserves all glory and praise. When we live in the light of Jesus, cleansed from the sin that once separated us from God, we are also a royal priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9)

In the Old Testament, the priesthood was made up of the descendants of Aaron. The role of the priests was to offer sacrifices and to intercede to God for His people. The people could not go before God on their own. But now, because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, all who believe in Jesus, repent of their sins, and follow Him as Lord and Savior, are made part of a royal priesthood. No longer do we need a priest to sacrifice for us. The great High Priest, Jesus, has provided that sacrifice, once for all (Hebrews 7:27). No longer do we need a priest to approach God on our behalf. As part of the royal priesthood, we can go before Him on our own.

As a leader of the early church, the apostle Paul demonstrated, through his life and through his writings, what it means to be a good Christian leader. In the first chapter of his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul modeled four things that good Christian leaders do, things that reveal that they care about fellow Christians and want God’s best for them.

In Philippians 1:3-5, Paul told the Christians in Philippi that he thanked God for them. He stated that he did this, not once in a while, but every time he thought about them. He expressed his gratitude for their partnership in sharing and living out the gospel. The word partnership used in these verses is from the Greek word, koinonia. This word indicates a strong bond of fellowship. It is the kind of bond that comes from praying, giving, and serving together as the body of Christ. Just as Paul thanked God for the believers in Philippi, we all should give thanks for our fellow believers in Christ.

Paul knew that God was working in the lives of the believers in Philippi. He expressed confidence that God would complete the good work that He had begun in those believers (Philippians 1:6). Paul’s confidence in the believers came from his confidence in God. He knew that, just as he had his own weaknesses, the Philippian believers had weaknesses as well. But, he knew that God would complete the work He planned for them, despite their weaknesses. Paul knew that God’s power is made perfect in us (2 Corinthians 12:9). We should express this same confidence to our fellow believers.

The next thing that Paul did in his letter to the Philippians was to let them know how much he cared for them. Paul let these believers know that they were in his heart and that he longed for all of them with the affection of Jesus (Philippians 1:7-8). The Greek word translated as affection here is splanchnon. This word literally refers to the intestines or bowels, the area of the body from which the Greeks thought emotions of compassion and love originated. But this word is also used to refer to deep inner feelings. Christ loves us deeply. Paul was letting these believers know that he loved them with that same deep love. As followers of Christ, we should feel that same kind of affection toward each other.

After expressing gratitude, confidence, and affection toward the Philippians, Paul prayed for their spiritual well-being (Phillipians 1:9-11). The prayers that Paul offered were very specific. He prayed first for their love for each other and for the Lord, something that is not just critical, but required in the life of a believer. As believers, we must love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we must love one another (Matthew 22:36-40). Paul also prayed that the love of the Philippian believers would grow both in knowledge and in depth of insight. The Greek word for knowledge here is epignosis, a word which indicates a deep, personal knowledge of the Lord. The Greek word translated as depth of insight is aisthesi, which means being spiritually wise and discerning. These are things that we all need as believers. We should pray these things for our fellow Christians.

All of the things that Paul modeled in this passage are good things for all of us, as believers, to remember and put into practice, whether we are leaders or just fellow partners in service to Christ.

In our country today, we celebrate Memorial Day, a day on which we remember and pay tribute to the many men and women throughout our nation’s history who have given their lives while serving in our armed forces. We honor the fallen who willingly faced death in order to protect and defend the principles and the freedom that we treasure as a nation. In this country, we enjoy such freedoms as the freedom of speech and the freedom to worship God. Those who have died in military service have done so in order to help us retain such freedoms. Theirs was the ultimate sacrifice that a person can make. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, KJV).

Jesus not only told us what constitutes a love that great, but He also put His words into action. His love for each and every one of us was so great that He willing faced death and gave His life on the cross of Calvary. Just as our fallen military heroes have given their lives for our freedom, so Jesus gave His life in order to set us free from the bondage of our sin. Jesus set us free from the yoke of slavery that we bore due to our sin. We should never take this freedom lightly. We must stand firm in our faith in the One who set us free and never allow ourselves to be burdened by the chains of sin again (Galatians 5:1). God has called us to be free, but we must not use that freedom to satisfy our own worldly and selfish desires.  Instead, we should use our freedom to serve one another in humility and in love (Galatians 5:13).

Just as we treasure our freedom as a nation, may we also treasure the freedom that we have as brothers and sisters in Christ, when we choose to believe in Him and to follow in His ways. And, just as we remember the brave and selfless men and women who gave their lives protecting our freedom, let us also remember the One who died for us so that we may have the ultimate freedom – the freedom to come before God and stand in His presence.

We are told in Deuteronomy 6:5 that we should love the Lord with all our heart. The same thing is true for our worship of Him. Worship is a heart matter. True worship, the kind of worship God seeks, comes from the heart that loves Him and is surrendered to Him. When we do not worship God from the heart and just pay Him lip service, then we have a spiritual heart problem. Worship from lips that honor God while the heart is far from Him, worship that is based only on human rules and tradition is worship that is in vain (Isaiah 29:13). It is lukewarm worship that the Lord will simply want to spit out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).

When we worship from a heart that loves God and is surrendered to Him, when we worship from a heart that cherishes His Word and loves His ways, we are offering God the kind of worship He desires. But, when our hearts are far from God, the worship that comes from our lips is empty and not at all pleasing to God. There are many symptoms of a spiritual heart problem. Love of money, hate and unforgiveness, and love of the world are just some of these symptoms, things that prevent our hearts from being near to God.

When we place all of our hope in riches, when money becomes our master or we allow money to become an idol, our hearts are turned from God. Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters. We can love only one master and will hate the other. We cannot love and serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). So, when we allow money to become our master, we turn our hearts away from God.

When we harbor hate or unforgiveness against someone, we also turn our hearts away from God. It is impossible for anyone to claim to love God, while at the same time hating a brother or sister. If we do so, then we are lying, not just to God, but also to ourselves (1 John 4:20). Hate directed toward another turns the heart from God. Jesus taught that we must always look to forgive each other. When we harbor unforgiveness or we are at odds with a brother or sister, we should not bring an offering of worship to God. That kind of worship is lip service and not from a heart turned to God. We must first be reconciled to that brother or sister and then we can present that offering to God (Matthew 5:23-24).

When we love the world more than we love God, when we choose to embrace the things and the ways of the world over those of God, not only are our hearts far from God, but we also become His enemy (James 4:4). We need to surrender our hearts completely to Him and desire Him and His ways over the world and its ways. When we turn our hearts to God, we may be in the world, but we are no longer of the world.

God desires, and deserves, hearts that are turned completely to Him. When we offer Him praise and worship from a heart that is completely His, we are then true worshipers, the kind of worshipers God seeks. It is then that the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts are completely acceptable to Him (Psalm 19:14).

Acceptance of God’s gift of salvation has two aspects. The first is an inner aspect, that comes from the heart. This inner aspect involves believing from the heart that Jesus is Lord, that He died for us, and that God raised Him from the dead. The second aspect is an outer aspect that comes from the mouth. The belief that comes from the heart must make its way to the mouth. The mouth must profess the belief and declare that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).

A person who believes with his heart is justified by God. The word justified means acquitted or declared innocent. When a person believes with his heart that Jesus is Lord, that He died for our sins, and was raised from the dead, God declares that person to be righteous. Basically, it is as if the person had never sinned. And, when that person professes his faith with his mouth, confessing and repenting of his sins, he is saved, set free from the bondage and the penalty of his sin (Romans 10:10).

Salvation is a gift to be shared. It is God’s desire that all people shall be saved. Romans 10:13 says that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved. But how can people call upon the name of someone that they have never heard of, let alone believed in (Romans 10:14)? Someone must tell them about Jesus. Someone who has believed in Jesus with his heart and declared his faith with his mouth. And that person needs to be sent by God to tell others the good news of Jesus (Romans 10:15).

Who is the person sent by God to share the good news? A preacher, an evangelist, a pastor? The answer to this question is simple. The person sent to spread the good news is me, it is you, it is all those who have received God’s gracious gift of salvation as a result of their faith in Jesus and their acceptance of Him as Lord and Savior of their lives. The Bible says, in Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” All of us who have been redeemed, who have been saved, should be willing to tell others about the good news of salvation through Jesus. In fact, Jesus has called all believers to be His witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:8).

Believe in the Lord with your heart and declare your faith with the words of your mouth, not only for your own benefit, but for the benefit of all.

In yesterday’s post, we saw the many benefits of coming to Jesus and following Him. We know that He will never drive us away (John 6:37), He will give us rest when we are weary (Matthew 11:28), He will be our firm foundation (Luke 6:47-48), and we will never experience spiritual hunger or thirst (John 6:35). But the greatest benefit is that of eternal life (John 6:40). All of these things are given to us freely when we come to Jesus, believe in Him, and follow His ways. But, in following Jesus, there is a cost.

In Matthew, chapter 19, Jesus meets a young man who asks what good things he must do in order to get eternal life. Jesus first responds by telling the young man to keep God’s commandments. But, when the young man tells Jesus that he already does keep the commandments and asks what he still lacks, Jesus gives an answer that, to this young man, is very hard. Jesus tells the young man to sell his possessions and give to the poor, for which he will receive treasure in heaven. Jesus tells the young man that, once he has done these things, he should follow Him. Now, this young man was very wealthy and he found this far too difficult to consider, so he walked away sadly (Matthew 19:16-22).

When we decide to follow Jesus, we will have all of the things that Jesus promised, but there is a cost. In order to follow Jesus, we may need to give up things in our lives that we enjoy or treasure. It may mean that we need to walk away from acquaintances or friends who would hinder our walk with the Lord. We may need to give up luxuries that we enjoy so that we can use our resources to help further the kingdom of God. For some, it may even mean leaving a job or moving to another place in order to fulfill a specific calling on our lives.

These things may be difficult and even painful to do. But the good news is that, when we do whatever the Lord requires of us to follow Him, we are promised that we will receive a hundred times as much as we give up and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29). Jesus promises that, when we give of our time and our resources in order to follow Him, we will be given so much more that it will just pour over us (Luke 6:38). Coming to Jesus and following Him has a cost, but it is one that is well worth paying.