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Devotions

Delight #2

by TerryLema

Yesterday I was delighted to find two of my favorite passages in my Bible Reading Plan for that day. The first one was Exodus 33, which I wrote about yesterday.

The second is a bit like it, in Psalm 43, which is a song asking God for vindication. It starts off with the writer acknowledging that he feels God has rejected him. In the psalm, he admits he is depressed, and he seeks God to defend his “cause against an ungodly nation.”  [vs 1 HCSB]

In the middle verses, however, the psalmist prays. And it is this prayer that always ministers to my heart.

“Send your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling place. Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the lyre, God, my God.” [vs 3-4 HCSB]

Whenever I read that prayer, those opening words of verse 3 strike my mind and heart with a hope that is almost inexpressible. “Send your light and Your truth; let them lead me.”

 God answered the psalmist prayer with an answer that benefited all of mankind.

“Jesus spoke to them … ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’” [John 8:12 HCSB]

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” [John 14:6 HCSB]

Jesus is the light, and He is the truth. When we follow Him as He leads, we are brought into the dwelling place of the Almighty God. There we find God, our greatest joy and there we will sing praises to Him forevermore.

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Delight

by TerryLema

What a delight this morning to find two of my favorite passages in my Bible Reading Plan. The first is one most familiar to anyone who knows me well. It is found in Exodus 33.

This chapter follows the incident with the Golden Calf when Moses was on the mountain with God. God’s anger burned against Israel for their idolatry. Moses interceded for the nation and God told them He would withhold His presence from them but would send an angel to lead them into the Promised Land.

Wow, an angel to lead them! Most of us would be quite satisfied with an angel leading us along the way, but Moses was not. He simply ignored God’s announcement of the angel and said, “You have not let me know whom You will send with me.” [33:12 HCSB]

Then begins what is a marvelous portrayal of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7, what is known as the “Ask, Seek, Knock” passage. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.” [NKJV]

First Moses Asks: “Please teach me Your ways ….”  God responds: “My presence will go with you ….” [33:12-14 HCSB]

Next Moses Seeks: “If Your presence does not go … don’t make us go up from here.” God responds: “I will do this very thing you have asked ….” [33:15-17 HCSB]

Last, Moses Knocks: “Please let me see Your glory.” God responds: “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you …” [33:17-19 HCSB]

Glorious! But did you notice the progression Moses made?  First, He asks to be taught God’s ways. Then He seeks God’s presence with Him as He obeys God to lead the people. Last, He wants to see God’s glory.

We have to first learn God’s ways before we can dwell in His presence. Finally, in His presence we will abide in His glory. 

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A Sad Day

by TerryLema

I woke up the other night thinking about what a sad day we live in. People delight in “discovering” the weaknesses, failures, and sins of others. They become gleeful and gloat when they can then “display” those weaknesses, failures, and sins to the world. Sometimes they call it “informing” us, but it is nothing more than delight and triumph over others flaws and misfortune.

As I woke, I heard the verse out of 1 Peter 4:8. “Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.” [HCSB]

Proverbs 10:12: reminds us that “Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.”

The passage in 1 Peter is about our interpersonal relationships with others. When we talk about “covering” sin, we are not talking about disregarding our own emotions or ignoring personal boundaries. It is not “hiding” a sin that it is hurting others (such as abuse) or sweeping sin under the rug.

To cover sin with love involves forgiveness and cannot be separated from loving others as God has loved us. It also means we do not gossip about sin or share the offenses of our brothers and sisters with anyone who will listen.

Love covering sin protects. It protects those who have been hurt … and is willing to protect and forgive those who do the hurting. It is a profound reflection of the sacrificial love that Jesus displayed on the cross when He not only forgave our sin but did away with it along with the shame and guilt associated with it.

The world loves stirring up conflicts. It loves displaying the sin of others for all to see.  Beloved, let us not be like the world.

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Missing

by TerryLema

I was reading Psalm 35 recently. Psalm 35 is a song of David which describes the LORD as David’s avenger against those who were against him.  Verses 21, 24-26 give a picture of David’s adversaries rejoicing over his misfortune and David’s prayer to God for relief.

“They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, ‘Aha!’…. Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, ‘Ah, so we would have it!’ Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’ Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt.” [HCSB]

“Aha!” is a shout of glee over David’s hardships. David’s enemies were delighted because they thought they could rejoice over his hurt.

Recently I met someone like that, someone who rejoiced when they could point out what they thought others were doing wrong or chastise those who had a different view of theology then they did. They smiled the entire time they talked about their mission to show others incorrect.

It was not until a little after the conversation concluded that I realized that while this person was gleeful, they were missing a major component of knowing Christ Jesus – JOY! Both the OT and the NT are full of “JOY!”

Paul prayed for the Colossian believers, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy.” [1:11 HCSB]

David said, “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” [Psalm 16:11 HCSB]

Nehemiah promised that “the joy of the LORD is [our] strength.”  [8:10 NKJV]

How sad to settle for glee (Aha!) in what we perceive are other’s flaws or misfortunes, instead of the abundant, strengthening JOY! that is found in knowing Christ Jesus as LORD.

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Daily

by TerryLema

Ps 68:19:  Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Isn’t that the most wonderful thought!  The Lord, our God and Savior, daily bears our burdens.  Let me say that once again, He daily bears our burdens.

I woke up a bit tired today after my infusion yesterday and with just a little stamina and strength to do what needs to be done. I woke up today with the promise, however, that whatever burden I may face, Jesus my Savior is there to bear that burden.

We know so well the invitation of Christ Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  [Matt 11:28-30 NIV]

Every day that invitation stands true.  It is an invitation to daily pick up His light burden, while He carries our heavy one.  It is an invitation to seek His face every day, to know what His direction is for that day, to care for His people, to share His Gospel, to love Him … all light burdens.

He in turn carries our depressions and discouragements. He brings forgiveness to our sins and carries away the heaviness of our guilt and shame.  He bears our burdens of fear, rejection, disappointment, and grief, and brings us peace, acceptance, and comfort in their place.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

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On the Move!

by TerryLema

Do you know the New Testament recorded Jesus giving the invitation, “Follow me” multiple times?  He said it to Peter and Andrew, to Matthew, to several whose names are not listed.  And He pretty much said it to us.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” [Matt 16:24 NKJV]

Messages given on this passage almost always focus on the denying and taking up the cross part.  But it is those last two little words that truly give impetus to the invitation…  “Follow Me.”

With those two little words we learn that the Christian life is a life on the move.  We aren’t just hanging around on that cross, denying ourselves, and thinking that is all there is.

We are on the move for Christ, following Him as He leads us into the future, into the unknown, into opportunities and ministries still unrevealed.

Leighton Ford, in 1995, gave a charge to a new generation of leaders.  He wrote: “God is always ahead of us and moving us on.  And so as you minister in a world often steeped in confusion and despair, I hope you will breathe expectancy. God always has another move.”

I love that … “God always has another move” … and He is calling us to move with Him.  “Follow Me.”

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Rain!

by TerryLema

I was watching a Facebook video of a father introducing his baby to rain for the first time.  It must have been somewhere warm since they were in shorts.  They dashed out into the rain and danced around just a bit and then dashed back inside.  The baby squealed with delight, clapped his hands, and pointed to the rain again.  Out they went again.  Back inside the baby was once more delighted and wanted to go back out and dance again in the rain.  I’m not sure how long this went on, the video stopped.

As I watched I thought about our Heavenly Father who wants to introduce us to the rain of His Holy Spirit.  He wants to carry us out to dance in it.  He wants us filled with delight as He rains righteousness upon this earth.

“Heavens, sprinkle from above, and let the skies shower righteousness. Let the earth open up so that salvation will sprout and righteousness will spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it” [Isaiah 45:8 HCSB]

Zechariah 10:1 instructs us to ask for the rain we need.  “Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men ….”

Granted there are times when we must ask for literal rain.  Parts of our nation have been experiencing drought conditions for years now and many have been asking for literal rain from God to break that drought.  But there is also a drought of God’s Spirit, of righteousness, of salvation in our land.  We need to ask our Father for the rain of His Holy Spirit to fall upon our land.

Can you just image the delight as we dance in the rain of righteousness in the arms of our Father!

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Simple Things

by TerryLema

I was reading in Acts 9 recently.  Acts 9 is the story of the conversion of Saul.  When the chapter began Saul was “was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.”  [verse 1].

All that changed when Saul met the Lord Himself on the road to Damascus.  That meeting left him stunned and blind.  Then two things touched my soul as I read through the chapter. There were two simple words and an act of encouragement that changed the life of Saul, the church, and the world.

The two words are in verse 17.  God instructed a disciple named Ananias to go to Saul as he sat in the house of Judas on Straight Street.  Ananias was reluctant at first to go, after all he had heard about this Saul of Tarsus and had probably seen some of the devastation he was wreaking on the church.  Yet in obedience he did go, and when he got there the first words he spoke were, Brother Saul.  What comfort must have flowed into Saul when Ananias began with Brother Saul.

 Later in the chapter Saul traveled to Jerusalem and tried to join the apostles and disciples there, but they were afraid of him and wouldn’t have anything to do with him.  And then it says, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.”  [verse 27]

“But Barnabas.”  Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement, became the connection that Saul needed to be accepted by the church.  In later chapters those two would be matched again in a missionary tour which will bring the Gospel in greater measure to the Gentiles.

Two very simple things changed everything. 

Beloved, it doesn’t have to be big things that change people’s lives, the church, or the world.  It can be just two embracing words, and a small act of encouragement.

 

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Come!

by TerryLema

Come.  One of the greatest words in the language of the Gospels.  Come, follow me.  Come, you who are weary and burdened.  Let the little children come.  Come (Peter, step out of the boat). Come to the wedding.  Here is the bridegroom, come!

Come is the invitation to approach God, to follow Him as He leads us through this life.

Come is the invitation to greater anointing, ministry, healing, miracles, and breaking of bondages.

Come is the open door into the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Come is the invitation to the half that has never been told.

Come is the invitation to pleasures and joys unspeakable.

All we have to do is come.

Over the year I have watched as people in church on Sundays made that decision.  God gives the invitation to come and people respond.  When they do, God always ministers to them in power and anointing.

Come.  God calls us to come.  Not just to an altar on a Sunday morning, but to His side day by day.  He calls us to talk to Him.  He calls us to follow Him.  He calls us into His presence, to approach Him with confidence as He is our loving Father.

God will never violate our trust, He will never lead us the wrong way, and He will never harm us.  We should respond quickly and with great anticipation every time we hear God whisper, come.

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Faithful in Prayer

by TerryLema

There are two things that I’ve noticed about prayer over the years.  First, we love to study and talk about prayer. Second, we don’t pray so much.

When I was pastoring, I could plan almost any event at the church and have lots of people come but schedule a prayer meeting and the same few showed up.

Romans 12 is a wonderful, practical chapter in a book that is largely theological.  There are three practical attitudes commanded in verse 12: “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

What a list.  All three are important but that last one, “faithful in prayer,” is vital.  Vital, and may I add confusing?

Why pray?  Doesn’t God know all our needs already?  Are we trying to change God’s mind?  Does He just need more information, or a better viewpoint to make a better decision?

Lately I wonder if we are actually praying or just ‘posting’ our requests.  Do we think we can gang up on God by getting hundreds or even thousands of people to pray our request?

These are legitimate questions to be explored and understood. No matter how we answer those questions, the command is there to pray … and to be faithful in prayer … to our Omniscient, Sovereign Lord and Master.

Maybe the greater question to consider as we pray today is … just who is supposed to change when we pray?  I bet it is not God!

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