Devotions

God never promised us a rose garden, rather, Jesus promised us a battlefield … “In this world you will have tribulation.” [John 16:33]

While American Christians have had it easy compared to what Christians in other countries have faced, still, we live on a battlefield every day. The enemy of our soul, the world, and even our own flesh seeks to defeat us every day … but God!

 ^“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” [James 1:12 NLT]

This last crown, the Crown of Life is for all who love God, but it is especially precious to those who endure sufferings and persecution for Jesus.

“Life” in the Scriptures is often used to show a right relationship with God. Jesus told us that He came that we may have “life.” And not just “life” but abundant life. [John 10:10]

While in this world, our life is fraught with danger, testing, and temptation. But those who love the LORD can take heart – there is coming a life that is crowned with eternal joy!

Amen&Amen

I began this devotion series on the five crowns promised to believers in the New Testament after mistakenly reading a news ticker scrolling at the bottom of a baseball game broadcast. I thought it said, “Believers of the Week.” Upon closer look, I realized it was “Relievers of the Week.”

While believers may not get a “Believer of the Week” award, there are five eternal crowns promised. One is the Crown of Glory. “And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” [1 Peter 5:4 NLT]

While Peter was addressing the elders of the church when he spoke of the Crown of Glory, believers are also promised a glory. The word glory used here is a word that refers to the very nature of God and His actions, His great splendor and brightness. It also highlights the praise and honor we give to God and God alone because of Who He Is.

We are so blessed to have been transferred into the Kingdom of God. Now we strive in this life to be conformed to the image of God’s Dear Son – and that image is one of glory. God said He would not share His glory with idols, but He promises His Precious Children that they will bear the image of His Glory through Christ Jesus.

God promises that what we endure in this life will only give way to the glory that awaits us. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” [Romans 8:15 NKJV]

Amen&Amen

My husband had a news broadcast on this morning while I was eating breakfast. It was enough to make me lose my appetite. The state of our world is frightening. If it isn’t natural disasters, it is man-made ones. It is a world operating apart from the Holy Standards of God. As I listened to one story, I could not help but pray, “Come Quickly LORD Jesus!” How I long for His return.

Anyone who loves the LORD has also at some point cried out “Come Quickly LORD Jesus!”  Did you know there is a crown awaiting those who long for His Return? It is the Crown of Righteousness.

 “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” [2Timothy 4:8 NLT]

This Crown of Righteousness is bestowed by Christ through His Righteousness. It is not gained by depending upon our own good works. It is obtained when we endure the discouragements, persecutions, and sufferings of this life knowing our reward is with Christ in eternity.

Longing to see His Precious Face, longing to see Him set this world right, gains us a crown in glory. Amen&Amen

I can think of no better pastime than rejoicing in the LORD. Philippians 4:4 reminds us that it is a pastime we should always be pursuing. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” [NLT]

We are to be full of joy (rejoicing) because of all the beautiful blessings our gracious LORD has poured out on us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. We know that this life is not just about the present – it is about the eternal.

Paul promises in 1 Thessalonians a Crown of Rejoicing. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” [2:19 NKJV]

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us to “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” [Matthew 6:20]

When we get to heaven, we will find that our greatest treasure awaiting us are those people we have led to Christ, those we have helped along the way. They will be our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing in the Presence of our LORD Christ Jesus. Amen&Amen

I mistakenly read “Believers of the Week” scrolling across the television while watching a baseball game when it actually said, “Relievers of the Week.” That started a bit of fanciful thinking about what a “Believer of the Week” award would look like.

While we aren’t vying for a “Believer of the Week” award, we are promised five different crowns in the New Testament. The first is the Imperishable Crown.

“You know that only one person gets a crown for being in a race even if many people run. You must run so you will win the crown. Everyone who runs in a race does many things so his body will be strong. He does it to get a crown that will soon be worth nothing, but we work for a crown that will last forever.” [1 Corinthians 9:24-15 NLT]

Paul compares our walk with the LORD to a race with a reward. I love watching Track and Field, especially during the Summer Olympics. Those who win receive a Gold Medal. In Paul’s day, race winners received a laurel crown (a wreath of leaves) … one that would soon wilt, dry up, and disappear.

Paul promises us a different crown, a crown that will “last forever.” It is called the “Imperishable Crown.” Everything around us now is subject to decay and will perish – but not our heavenly crown. We work for a crown that is eternal.

Peter described our heavenly reward as “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for [us].” [1 Peter 1:4]

One of my favorite summer pastimes is watching baseball. I don’t always have the sound on while I watch, mainly because I like the game but not all the commentary. Often during the broadcast there is a news ticker that scrolls across the bottom of the screen. Occasionally it will draw my attention. That happened last week.

I was reading a book while watching a game and as I glanced up I thought I saw, “Believers of the Week.” What? After looking closer, I realized it was “Relievers of the Week.”

I laughed and thought I had better get my eyes checked! Then my imagination took over and began to imagine what fun it might be to have a “Believers of the Week!” award.

Would we try harder to follow the Ways of the LORD? Would we dig deeper into God’s Word? What would the requirements be to evaluate winners? What would be the reward?

All that, of course, is silly thinking. The LORD doesn’t award “Believers of the Week Awards,” but He does promise crowns. Five of them.

Tomorrow!

We studied the beginning of Acts 2 last week at Bible Study. We mainly focused on Peter’s sermon to the crowd on the day of Pentecost. [vs 14-41]

In the middle of the night, half asleep, I realized that Peter gave the perfect sermon – at least as far as my Bible College Homiletics Professor thought. He taught us that the perfect sermon has three distinct parts, an Introduction, Message (always 3 Points) and a Conclusion.

If that’s true, then Peter got it right! He began with the introduction and then gave a perfect three-point message:

Point 1 vs 22-24: He gave proof of Jesus’ Messiahship through the miracles, signs, and wonders which God did through Him.

Point 2 vs 25-31: He gave proof of Jesus’ Messiahship through the prophecies fulfilled about Him.

Point 3 vs 32-36: He gave proof of Jesus’ Messiahship through the many witnesses to His Resurrection and Ascension.

Peter then concluded – “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both LORD and Christ.”

He followed that with an altar call “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Peter’s perfect sermon had a perfect ending – 3000 people committed their lives to Christ that morning.

Amen&Amen

I like reading different Bible translations. I found when I stayed with one translation, I made “ruts” in it. I would end up focusing on those things I had already highlighted – or I would sometimes just breeze through them without much thought. As I began reading various translations, the “ruts” disappeared and I would often stop and think … “is that a different wording?”

That happened with my verse of the day recently. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” [1Chronicles 29:11 NLT]

I halted on that last sentence … “We adore you as the one who is over all things.” That sounded different, so, I looked it up in other translations.

“You are exalted as head over all [NKJV NIV]

As I studied those other translations, and the one in my daily verse, I realized that “We [I] adore you …” makes it a personal action. “You are exalted” can be used to eliminate personal participation – surely someone is exalting the LORD, but not necessarily me!

I adore you is my personal promise. One I intend to keep. Amen&Amen

I was reading a Max Lucado devotional and came across this quote. “Cast yourself upon the grace of Christ and Christ alone. The saint dwells in grace, not guilt. This is the tranquil soul.” (Calm Moments for Anxious Days: A 90 Day Devotional Journal)

Saints of God dwell in grace, not guilt. What a marvelous gift God has given us – that of His Amazing Grace.

No matter what our past, once we surrender our lives to Christ and walk in His forgiveness, there is no guilt or shame. Those ‘old things’ have been brought under the blood of His cross.

Now we live and rejoice in His salvation. In fact, we are to be “overwhelmed with joy in the Lord [our] God! For he has dressed [us] with the clothing of salvation.” [Isaiah 61:10 NLT]

Every day should be spent overwhelmed with joy in the LORD our God. Every day we should experience the abundant joy that comes from being a child of God. The enemy of our soul, however, works hard to steal that abundant joy. He tries to get us to relinquish it through circumstances, trials, emotions, deceit. He will use every and any tactic in his nasty bag of tricks.

Don’t let him! Instead “cast yourself upon the grace of Christ and Christ alone!” Then the enemy will have to flee!

It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is shining. Bob is off doing something. That means the television is off and I don’t have to listen to the news (how he loves the news!). I am surrounded by quiet.

How easy it is to quiet our soul before the LORD when everything is quiet around us! Yet it is when the television is blaring about the unrest in the world, the evil that people do to each other, or the latest commentary on some politician or leader that I need to most quiet my soul before the LORD.

As I sat in the quiet this morning, I remembered the LORD’s promise in Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” [NLT]

Knowing that God will be honored in “every” nation and “throughout” the world allows us to be still before Him.

But it is during those times when circumstances are difficult, when pain arises, when trials come at us from every direction that it is vital we make a determined effort to quiet ourselves. “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.” [Psalm 131:2 NLT]

Psalm 131, three short verses, was sung by the pilgrims who ascended the hills to Jerusalem during the three Festivals (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). It is a song of humility, childlike trust, and contentment in God. It reminds me that, yes, LORD, I WILL calm and quiet my soul … I WILL trust in You.

Amen&Amen