Category: Devotionals

In Ephesians 5:10, the apostle Paul tells us that we should try to determine what pleases the Lord. But, how do we do that? In verse 8, we are told that at one point, we were in darkness (Ephesians 5:8). When we were living in the darkness because of our sin, we lived in ignorance, blind to the truth that comes from God.  That blindness prevented us from knowing what is pleasing to the Lord. But, because we now have the light that comes from the Lord, we are able to see the truth. But, just seeing the truth is not enough. There is something required on our part, we must live as children of the light.

When we live as children of the light, that light will produce in us the things that are good and true (Ephesians 5:9). And, then, we are able to discover, to discern what it is that pleases God. When we live as children of the light, allowing His light to make His truth clear to us, then we will not be conformed to the ways of the world. Instead, our hearts and minds will be transformed. When our minds are transformed, when they are renewed by God’s truth, then we will be able to discern God’s will, the things that are pleasing to Him. And, the things that please God, the things that are in His will, are good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2).

The crowd had followed Jesus for some time, listening to Him teach and witnessing His miracles. Jesus knew that they must be tired and hungry. His teaching was no doubt satisfying their spiritual hunger. But, they were also physically hungry. In His compassion for the people, Jesus wanted to take care of that hunger. His disciples knew that the crowd was hungry, as well. Their solution? Send the crowd away to get food (Mark 6:36). But, sweeping the problem under the rug was not Jesus’ solution.

Knowing that Philip was from the area they were in, Jesus turned to Philip and asked him where they could buy food (John 6:5). Philip took a practical, worldly view of the problem. Money was the solution. To feed a crowd that size, even if they could get the food, would cost about 200 denarii, the equivalent of 200 days’ wages. And, even if they had they had that kind of money, it would be enough for only a little food for each person (John 6:7).

Then, Andrew came up with a solution, although it didn’t seem like one that would completely solve the problem. Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus, and that was his solution. He had discovered that there was a young boy who had packed a lunch and brought the boy to Jesus. The boy had two small fish and five barley loaves, hardly enough to feed a crowd of thousands, but Andrew must have figured that Jesus might be able to do something with it. Maybe He could convince the crowd to share a morsel each.

The real solution, of course, came from Jesus. He took the boy’s small lunch, gave thanks to God for it, then started handing out the food. The result was more than anyone could imagine, more than was humanly possible. Everyone had their fill, as much as they wanted, and there were still plenty of leftovers! (John 6:11-13)

When we have needs, whether physical or spiritual, when we are facing problems that seem insurmountable, where should we turn? When the world’s solutions, such as money or trying to get rid of the problem, can’t solve our problems, we need to turn to Jesus. Jesus cares about what we need, and He can provide a solution. The solution may not be what we expect, but it will always be the best possible solution.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Stop acting like a child!” Or, have you ever told someone, “Act your age?” In the eyes of the world, adults should act like adults, not like kids. When we become adults, we need to step up and shoulder the responsibilities that come with adulthood. We are expected to display the maturity of an adult rather than the immaturity of a child. All of these things are good and true. But, when it comes to the kingdom of heaven, it is better for us to be like a child.

When His disciples asked Him who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus called a child to Him. Putting the child in the midst of the disciples, Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4, ESV). Jesus was telling His disciples, and us, that we need to change the way we think.

We need to turn away from the idea that the things that we do, or the things that we say, can make us great in God’s kingdom. Instead, we need to display the humility of a child. Children are reliant on others, dependent on their parents or other adults for the things that they need. Basically, they are at the mercy of adults.

When we become dependent on God, when we place ourselves at His mercy and admit that, without Him, we can do nothing, we make ourselves as humble as a child. And that is what Jesus is looking for in us. Humble hearts, like those of children. In fact, He tells us that, if we do not receive the kingdom of God with the humility of a child, we will not enter His kingdom (Luke 18:17).

The author of the letter to the Hebrews instructed that we should keep our lives free from the love of money. Instead, we should be content with what we have. Why? Because God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). In the face of uncertainty and in our times of need, He is there and He will provide for us. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that he knew what it was like to have plenty and he knew what it was like to be in need, but in all circumstances he learned to be content (Philippians 4:11-12). Paul knew that God will supply all of our needs from His riches and those riches have been given to us through Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

As believers, we must learn to be content with what we have, to make the love of God our heart’s desire, and to serve Him above all earthly wealth.

George Washington once said, “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” Yet, how often do we make excuses? We may make excuses for things we have done, or for things that we said we would do or were asked to do, but didn’t do. Our excuses may be offered to friends or to family, or they may be offered to God.

Scripture shows us that people have made excuses since the beginning of time. First, there are those who tried to make excuses for doing the wrong thing. For example, Adam tried to excuse his disobedience by pointing a finger of blame at Eve and at the serpent. Aaron tried to excuse himself for making a golden calf by throwing the people under the bus (“you know how evil they are, Lord”).

Then there were those who made excuses for why they couldn’t do what God was asking of them. God wanted Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to set God’s people free. What was Moses’ response? “You’ve got the wrong guy, Lord. I mean listen to me speak. I’m not eloquent. In fact, my tongue just gets in the way.” And how about Gideon? God wanted him and his clan to save Israel from the hands of the Midianites. “But, Lord, how can I possibly do this? I mean, look at my clan. It’s the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh!”

As we head into the new year, we may make resolutions, things we will do in the next year. Or, maybe God will be calling us into something new, something that He desires for us to do for the kingdom. How will we handle these resolutions or these calls from God. Will we fulfill the resolutions we make? Will we say ‘yes’ to God’s call? Or, will we make excuses? My prayer is that each and every one of us will steer clear of excuses, that we will do what we say we will, and that our response to God will always be ‘yes’ and ‘amen!”

Happy New Year to all!

God’s Word tells us that He is our refuge and strength, that He is there to help us in difficult times (Psalm 46:1). God is there for us when we need Him, ready to respond to us with mercy and grace. This is especially true in our times of hardship or times of temptation. Scripture says that, in our times of need, we should approach His throne of grace, the place of God’s presence, with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But what is the source of this confidence? Why are we able to approach the throne knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace from our God?

The source of our confidence is the merciful high priest who acts as our mediator, interceding on our behalf. That high priest is Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sins, rose from the grave three days later, and then ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus empathizes with our human weaknesses. Because of this, when we pray persistently and continue to draw near to God, Jesus continues to intercede for us.

Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. He came to earth in human form and because of this, He understands our struggles. He was tempted just as we are. He knows the power that temptation can hold in our lives. But Jesus was without sin. He experienced temptation, but did not give in to it. And because He understands our weaknesses, because He understands what it is like to be tempted, He is always ready to intercede on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14-15). And, for this reason, we are able to approach the throne, to approach the place of God’s presence, with the confidence that He will extend mercy and grace to us.

Have you ever tied a string around your finger to help you to remember something? It’s not unusual for any of us to need some kind of a reminder to keep us from forgetting things that are important to us. Some of us may make a note on a calendar or in a notebook. Others may send themselves a text message on their cell phones. And then there are some who may use a bulletin board, notes on the refrigerator door held in place by a magnet, or a Post-It note stuck on the bathroom mirror. When it comes to things that are important, we want to be sure that we don’t forget.

When it comes to the things that God has done for us, we want to make sure that we don’t forget them either. That’s why many of us commemorate Jesus’ birth at Christmas by displaying a Nativity scene. It’s why some of us go through the Stations of the Cross to commemorate His suffering, death, and resurrection. And it’s why some recall how He delivered His people from captivity in Egypt through the Passover seder. It’s important that we remember all that God has done.

Perhaps the best way for us to remember what God has done for us is through a lifestyle of praise. When we take time each day to praise Him with our lips, to praise Him with our whole hearts, to praise Him with our lives, it is hard to forget all that He has done for us. In Psalm 103, David puts it this way, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.” (Psalm 103:1-2, NLT).

Give the Lord praise every day. Praise Him with all of your heart. Praise Him with all that you are. When you do, all of the things He has done, all of the things He is doing now, and all of the things He will do will never be far from your heart and mind.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus, he told her that she should not be afraid. Why? Because she would conceive this child through the power of the Holy Spirit and that child would be the Son of God. God would be with Mary in the form of this child to whom she would give birth.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him that he should take Mary to be his wife, despite the fact that she was with child, he told Joseph not to be afraid. Why? Because the child that she was carrying was the Son of God, sent to save people from sin. The child would be called Immanuel, “God with us.” God would be with Joseph in the Son that he would serve as father to.

When the angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, he told the shepherds not to be afraid. Why? Because he was bringing to them the good news that Jesus, the Savior, had been born. This child was the Son of God. God would be with the shepherds in the baby that they would find laying in a manger.

God gave us this promise through the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

In the form of the child born in Bethlehem, Jesus, the Son of God was with us. When He ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. When God is with us, we have no reason to fear, no cause to be afraid. Jesus told us that He will be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). We can stand on the promise that God is with us always, to give us strength when we are weak, to help us in our times of need, and to hold us up through times of trouble.

Dating back to the 12th century, the Wexford Carol is one of the oldest existing Christmas carols. This carol, which comes from Ireland, tells the story of the nativity of Jesus Christ. The first verse (above) is a wonderful reminder of the true significance of Christmas and why, as we celebrate it, we should be filled not just with joy, but also with gratitude for the tremendous gift that God gave two thousand years ago when He sent His beloved Son.

As we celebrate this Christmas, I pray that we will all pause to remember exactly what God did for us in sending His Son on that very first Christmas. In the little town of Bethlehem, in a lowly stable, a tiny baby was born. That baby was the promised Messiah, sent to redeem each and every one of us, sent to be our Deliverer, to set us free from the bondage of our sin. And, as we think about these things, as this beautiful carol says, “we should pray to God with love this Christmas day.”

Merry Christmas to all!