Devotions

Recently, “Bible Gateway: News and Knowledge” sent me an email with the title, “You Won’t Become More Like Jesus by Accident.”

That caught my attention. It also made me laugh and I thought, “Oh, if only that were possible!”

Unfortunately, it is not. The Scriptures outline how to be like Christ and none of them sound easy! Just a few …

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [Romans 12:2]

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” [Galatians 2:20]

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” [Matthew 16:24]

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” [Philippians 2:3-4]

None of those things happen “accidentally.” They are intentional. They require obedience and surrender – two things we seldom embrace willingly!

To be like Jesus, our daily prayer must be (no matter how difficult it may be to pray it) – “I Surrender All.”

Amen&Amen

Fanny Crosby wrote “To God Be the Glory” in 1875. She encouraged us to glorify God. “O come to the Father through Jesus the Son and give him the glory, great things he has done!”

All through the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, we are exhorted to glorify God. To do that we acknowledge His greatness through our praise, worship, adoration, and thanksgiving. In those things we declare that He alone is worthy.

Scripture makes it clear that it is the responsibility of God’s children to glorify the Father. It is also a joy to do so, and we achieve that true joy by living a life that mirrors the character of God’s Precious Son in all we think, say, and do.

We are not only to glorify God in our strength and power, but we are also to glorify Him in our brokenness. To do that is to model our Savior who glorified His Father through His miracles, and who also glorified His Father in His brokenness on the cross.

In Psalm 22, David prophesies about the cross. As you read it you can feel Jesus’ brokenness… “my enemies surround me … my life is poured out like water … my bones are out of joint … my heart is melting within me … they pierced my hands and feet.” [vs 12-18]

Amid His great suffering, He glorified His Father with His brokenness, His life, and His death. In our brokenness (be it physically broken or spiritual brokenhearted) we too are to glorify our Father – in life and in death. Amen&Amen

Our “Rooted” class ends tonight with a final lesson and a dinner. I have so enjoyed being with this group. If you ask us, we will delightfully tell you that of the three groups in CFC Middleton, we have the best group! There are two of us the world would call “seniors.” Four are young, in their 20’s. And four others are in the middle. Yet, we all love the LORD. We are all eager to know Him more. We are all seeking our best in Him.

I love these people. They have made the last ten weeks a great joy! I am going to miss spending time with them each Sunday evening.

I have been abundantly blessed by these young and younger men and women. They have a hunger for the LORD. They may not “do church” as “we did” years ago … but they are seeking the Presence and Power of the LORD Almighty in their lives, perhaps even more than “we did.”

I know it is often the way as we age to think that the past was better. I have heard some even disparage the now-church and this now generation of believers. But I am standing on the promise of Ephesians 5:27: “[Christ Jesus] did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” [NLT]

This church belongs to Christ Jesus and He will make sure she is without spot or wrinkle. From what I see in these young people – He’s doing a really great job! Amen&Amen

Psalm 73 is a song of Asaph. He was looking around at the proud and wondered how they were prospering and he, who served the LORD, was not. He makes his feelings known right away.

“For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.” [vs 3-5 NLT]

I think I know how he feels. I admit I have done the same thing on occasion. Why do some have it so easy? They go about their merry way doing anything they want and never seem to struggle for anything.

Asaph finally realized his mistake. He remembered that those who live apart from God will perish. Their end is far different from those who serve the LORD. [vs 27]

I love his finale. “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever….  how good it is to be near God!” [73:25-27 NLT]

I seek to abide in Asaph’s finale every day. Amen&Amen

I have favorite chapters in the Old Testament. One is Exodus 33, Moses’ pursuit of God’s presence with him as he leads the people into the Promised Land (yesterday’s devotion). The second is Habakkuk 3.

The Book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between the prophet and the LORD God. Habakkuk is having a hard time understanding why God is doing what He is doing. The Prophet could not understand why God would use a nation more evil than Israel to bring discipline and chastisement to Israel for their evil ways.

How often do we also wonder as the Prophet did, why God is doing what He is doing in our lives. Eventually in the dialogue the Prophet caught a glimpse of God and heard the declaration, “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” [Hab 2:20 NIV]

No matter what we see or don’t see, what we understand or don’t understand, God is on the throne and we bow before Him. That is exactly what Habakkuk does in the third chapter. He finally expresses in prayer what each one of us must also come to grasp – no matter what it looks like from our perspective, God is on His Eternal Throne – let all the earth be silent before him.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to go on the heights.“ [Hab 3:17-19 NIV]

I have several OT chapters that I return to often. I never tire of reading them. One is Exodus 33 which tells of Moses’ pursuit of God as he leads his people into the Promised Land. God had told Moses and the people that He would keep His promise that they would inherit the Promised Land, but because of their rebellion, He would not go with them. He would send an angel along to lead them.

Three times in this chapter Moses seeks God. First asking to know God’s Ways. Second seeking His Presence. Third seeking His Glory.

Verse 15 is my favorite verse: “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.” [NLT]

My paraphrase – “If you’re not going, I’m not going!”

God promised Israel all the blessings – He would send an angel to lead them, they would enter the Promised Land, they would be victorious and claim the promise given to their forefather Abraham. But for Moses, the blessings were not enough. It was the Presence of the Living God that he wanted.

It should be that way with us also. I am thankful for the blessings He bestows, but what I need – what I want – is His Presence with me.

I am so thankful that the world I see around me is a temporary one. There is a set-time limit for its rebellion and wickedness. One day God will say “enough,” and “what is” will cease to be.

What will take its place is a world governed by a compassionate, faithful, holy King. Everything and everyone will bow down to Him.

That is a promise!

“Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.” [Psalm 66:4 NLT]

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Philippians 2:9-11 NLT]

Now I cling to that promise. Rebellion will cease to exist. Idolatry will no longer reign. Wickedness and evil will be done forever. Death and the grave will be no more.

Help me to abide in that promise today, LORD. Amen&Amen

I am 168 days away from turning 80 (God Willing!). The world has a lot of titles that it applies to me … elderly, old, senior, frail. God also has a few titles that He applies to me. One of them is child of God. That’s my favorite!

Another title comes from the promise in Psalm 92:14 that proclaims that I will still be “fresh and flourishing” in old age. I now live clinging to this promise.

I also feel like I live every day in the hope and promise of Psalm 71. That song speaks of lifelong hope in the God of Promise. The writer cries out his desire to still be useful proclaiming the wonders of God even in old age. That is my cry also!

“O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” [Psalm 71:17-18 NLT]

The world’s titles are aimed at rendering us powerless and irrelevant as we age. The world wants us to think we no longer have anything to offer this next generation. God’s titles and His promises remind us that age does not determine our ability to speak to new generations. With God’s strength empowering us … we can accomplish much no matter our age!

One of the saddest truths of our modern culture is that we have burdened the young with hopelessness. We taught them that they are a quirk of nature … one day in the distant past millennia some pond scum crawled out and life began. We led them to believe that there is no God and there is no purpose in their creation.

That means they not only have no past, no purpose, but they also have no future, no accountability in this life to anything except their own wants and desires. This world is a dark place when there is no hope, no light, no purpose in life.

Psalm 22 is a song of David, and it begins with the words Jesus cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

It is a song that begins in sorrow but ends with promise. David declares, “I will praise you in the great assembly…. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. All the families of the nations will bow down before him…. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the LORD. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.” [vs 25-31 NLT]

In a world of darkness, believers live in the promises of God. It is vital that we, who dwell in the light of Christ, share that light with those who are still bound in the dark.

It is vital that future generations hear about the wonders of our LORD. Amen&Amen

Today is the official start of astronomical summer. It is the Summer Solstice, marking the longest day of the year. Meteorologists, however, declare June 1 as the first day of summer. They divide the calendar into four periods based on temperature patterns rather than where the sun is in the sky. They developed this system to make it easier to track weather and climate trends, compile statistics, and align with the civil calendar.

But God established the seasons at the very beginning of creation. Genesis 1:14: “Then God said, ‘Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.’” [NLT]

As I thought about the discrepancy between astronomical and meteorological seasons, I realized that this is the way with much of life. God sets the standard – man(kind) changes those standards to make them easier for him.

I don’t blame meteorologists for finding an easier way to track weather patterns. That probably has little effect on the hearts of man(kind). I do mind when we change God’s Holy Standards to seek to legitimize our sinful nature and ways. That has a profound effect on the hearts of people.

As the people of God, if we want to see our nation truly flourish in all that is right and good, we must “turn from [our] wicked ways.” [2Chronicles 7:14]