Devotions

Ever heard the phrase “No good deed goes unpunished?” According to the US Dictionary, this is an idiom that warns us that even well-intentioned actions can lead to negative consequences. It suggests that our efforts might be met with ingratitude or backlash despite our good intentions.

It happened to the disciples in the Book of Acts. In Chapter 3, a crippled man at the Gate Beautiful solicited Peter and John. Not having gold or silver, Peter instead, by the power and in the name of Jesus, commanded the man to walk, and he did so.

That good deed caught the attention of the rulers, elders and teachers of the law who had Peter and John brought before them for questioning. “By what power or what name did you do this?” they asked.

Boldly Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit tells them all was done in the name of Jesus and ends with the most profound declaration, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12 NLT]

COURAGE. The accusers of Peter and John that day noted that these were unschooled, ordinary men, yet they were men unafraid to speak up.

One of the most awesome traits of a follower of Jesus is the courage to act and the courage to speak.

Isaiah 40 has issued the command to comfort and instructed us in the way to administer that comfort.

There is one last passage in this chapter, a very familiar passage. “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  [Verses 30-31]

Those who hope.  One translation says those who wait.

Hope. Wait. Those words are not big in our culture.  We are enamored by words like fast, faster, fastest; instant; immediate, on the spot; express, quick, rapid. We have fast food, express mail, instant messaging. Our Internet news is updated every couple of minutes. Everything rushes at us with lightning speed and if we must wait for anything, something must be wrong. Progress is equated with speed.

But God’s kingdom is usually diametrically opposed to man’s. God uses words like “in His time,” “those who wait,” and “it came to pass.”

For those who hope in the Lord, there is a renewal of strength, not an instantaneous removal of the problem. Those who wait on the Lord will soar and run and walk in His strength not their own.

Those of us whose lives right now are marked by “I don’t want to do it anymore,” must rest in the comfort of the LORD. Then we will be able to soar above our circumstances, run on our rough place, and walk in strength through our wilderness.

“Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait.”

I have spent time looking at Isaiah 40 for comfort. Yesterday I asked you the question, “Is God strong enough to comfort us?”

From verse 12 to verse 30 in chapter 40 God responds to that question, and He does it by asking a series of questions Himself.  Listen to them ….

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket or weighed the mounts on the scales and the hills in a balance?

Who has instructed the Lord as his counselor?

To whom, will you compare God?

What image will you compare him to?

“Who is my equal?

And then come the answers pouring forth in a resounding chorus!

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Is the God who is enthroned above strong enough to comfort His people?

Is the God who created the heavens and the end strong enough to comfort His people?

Is the God who sets up or brings down earth’s rulers strong enough to comfort His people?

Is the God who never tires, never grows weary, and whose wisdom is eternally strong enough to comfort His people?

You bet! 

Isaiah 40, the chapter on Comfort for God’s People begins with a command in verse 1 to comfort God’s people. Then it flows into a beautiful picture of making a way in people’s lives for the glory of the LORD to be revealed. That is followed immediately by another command, “Cry out,” and the prophet’s response, “What shall I cry?” [vs 3-5, 6]

God’s command is three-fold.

First, remind men of their fragility, “All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.  The grass withers and the flowers fall.” [Verses 6-8]

Second, remind men of their God, “Here is your God!  See the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him … He tends his flock like a shepherd.  He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” [Verse 10-11]

Third, do this at the top of your lungs! “You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain.  You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid.”  [Verse 9]

There is a certain perspective needed for comfort. First must come an acknowledgement of need. We are finite. We cannot do it alone. There are times when we have to say, “I’m withering God and about to fall.” With that acknowledgment of need we open the door for the power of God in our lives. It is the first true step to starting that highway for the glory of the Lord to be revealed.

For true comfort there is also the need to know that the one who provides the comfort is capable of doing so. Is our God truly strong enough to comfort us? (Tomorrow that answer.)

And sometimes the message must be loud enough to drown out the noise of this world!

As I showered this morning, I was thinking of all the things I must get ready for surgery. This will be surgery number 17. Would it surprise you that I just don’t want to do this anymore!

How often and how many of us are faced with situations we just “don’t want to do any more.” They can run the range from physical tests, ailments or treatments; growing old; family problems; problems at work or with money; problems in our churches or jobs or neighborhoods.

We just don’t want to do it anymore!

And then I heard God remind me of Isaiah 40 which begins, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  [40:1]

If there is anything we need in this life, it is the comfort of God. Life is tough. Life is unfair. Life is unpredictable. We can be flying along so well and then are blindsided by a situation or circumstance.  Sometimes the tough situations go on for long periods of time.

Oh, I know, I’ve talked about this before in the devotions, but maybe it is time to talk about it again. (Maybe it’s just me that needs to hear it again!)

Listen to the opening of Isaiah 40 again. “Comfort, comfort my people says your God.”

That sounds like a command to me. Given to Isaiah for the people of God. I am going to spend time in Isaiah 40 (Again!) for my own spiritual wellbeing. You are more than welcome to join me!

“Comfort, comfort my people says your God.”

Friday was a fun day. First, my pinched nerve started flaring again and neither the neck traction nor the heating pad helped much. Second, the master bathroom light fixture stopped working. Third, the AC started acting up.

I went to bed early hoping that would help with the pinched nerve, but no sleep was to be had. It was July 4, and the neighborhood decided to celebrate with mortars and bottle rockets. That lasted until past midnight when I was finally able to drift off to sleep.

I was not in the best of moods Saturday morning when I crawled out of bed at 5 AM. I grabbed a cup of coffee, put a couple fans in the windows and opened my email verse of the day to this …

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” [Matthew 6:34 NLT]

As I opened that verse, I was already beginning to think about all the other “troubles” I needed to handle leading up to my surgery. Instead, I put those things aside and decided to just take care of today’s “troubles.”

They were surely “enough for today.” And I began by taking them to the LORD in prayer. He’s far better at handling my “troubles” than I am. Amen.

I spent July 2 thinking about my friend Patty. It was her birthday, and she was spending it in heaven with the family and friends who had gone before her. As I thought about her and wished she was still here with us, God reminded me that Patty lived out every one of the days that were numbered for her. (Even though I think they were too few.) [Psalm 139:16]

Often when God brings the remembrance of a verse, I open my Bible and read not just that verse but the entire chapter where it is found. When I got to the end of Psalm 139, I read what I call a “dangerous prayer.”

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” [vss 23-24 NLT]

Whenever I sincerely pray that prayer, God always tests me and points out the things that “offend” Him. Then it is my turn to once again repent and to get back on the path of everlasting life.

I was also reminded of another dangerous prayer I have prayed in the past – “God use me!”

All through life we have opportunities to pray “dangerous prayers.” And when we do, God gives us the privilege of living out His answers – trusting He will always lead along the “path of everlasting life.”

July 2 was my friend Patty’s 69^th birthday. Instead of celebrating that day with her family and friends here, she celebrated it with her family and friends in the Presence of the LORD in glory.

I miss her. I know many others do also. I spent the day thinking about her and how much I wish I could just call her up to talk and laugh and cry with her.

To me, the time we had together was too short. When I expressed that opinion to the LORD, He graciously and kindly reminded me that He knows the number of our days here on earth. He knew them before we ever experienced even one of them.

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” [Psalm 139:16 NLT]

I spent time with another dear friend that morning. I told her it was Patty’s birthday and that while I missed her, God had reminded me that Patty lived out the days that were numbered for her. I may think they were too few, but ….

My dear friend shared my grief and then also reminded me that because God knows every day of our lives, we can live them without fear. Yes. Thank you, LORD.

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but raised across the state in Pittsburgh. The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, took place at the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-six men declared their thirteen colonies independent from British rule. They became the “United States of America.” Nine of those men were Pennsylvania delegates, including one named, Benjamin Franklin.

This was the history I learned growing up in Pennsylvania. The Revolutionary War, the fight for independence was what I cut my teeth on.  One of my favorite memories is seeing and touching the Liberty Bell on a trip to Philadelphia. When July 4, Independence Day, rolls around each year, I am reminded of my heritage. I am proud to be an American. I am proud to be a native of Pennsylvania.

When I think of the 4th of July I think of the men and women who sacrificed and fought for freedom. To me, it is so much more than picnics and parades, barbeques and fireworks. To me it is battlefields and graveyards; a freedom obtained through the courage and blood of determined men and women.

Have we made mistakes as a nation since?  Surely, that is without debate. Still, on July 4, I am reminded of the greatness of a people who loved freedom enough to give their very lives for it. I pray there are still those willing to do so.

This freedom that we love so much is born in the heart of God. Christ came that we might experience true freedom. May we remember today what is truly important. [Luke 4:18, Galatians 5:1]

If you were to ask me what my favorite Scripture verse is, my response would go something like this, “Whatever I need at the moment.”

I do, however, have verses that have had special meaning to me during different times. When I was first saved and doubted I could ever “walk worthy” of God’s calling, God led me to Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I realized then that I could complete this walk with God because He promised that what He started in me He would finish.  I also have a verse that I have tried to live by. It is Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 I came to realize early that it is not the size or greatness of the task that matters. What matters is how we do it. It can be behind a pulpit, work in the marketplace or business, taking care of a young family or aging loved one. It can be as simple as cleaning up at church after Sunday Service or perhaps attending a prayer group.

I truly believe that what matters to the heart of our Father God is whether we do it to honor His Son … and do it with a thankful heart.

What is on your agenda today? “Whatever your hand finds to do,” do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus … and give thanks to Your Father for the privilege.