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Devotions

The Irony

by TerryLema

I love the irony found in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”

The word Peter chose to use for “servants” in this passage is doulos in the Greek. It means “slave.”  What Peter wrote is, “Live as free men…live as slaves of God.”

We have been set free. But set free for what? To use our freedom as a cover-up for evil? Heaven forbid, as Paul might say.  No, we have been set free so that we can willingly and enthusiastically take this free life and place it under the authority and LORD-ship of Christ Jesus.

Our salvation is more than mere words spoken one day at an altar. Our salvation is more than simply repeating “The Sinner’s Prayer.” Our salvation decision is merely that, a decision. (and I’ve made a lot of decisions that I never carried through on when I found the path was too difficult or the cost too great.)

Our salvation decision is a good first step, but it must be followed by a true conversion, which encompasses producing fruit from our repentance and a willing and complete surrender of our will, our life, to the LORD-ship of our Savior.

To stop short of that is to live in a very dangerous place. We may think it is enough to just get by, but when it comes to being saved, I sure don’t want to “just get by.”

I want to freely give all to the One who loved me and died for me. I want the world to know I love Christ Jesus and am willing to lay it all down for Him.

 

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Remember

by TerryLema

I was sitting in church last Sunday and Pastor Laura said something about the greatness of our God. I remember thinking, “Yes, and God is ….”

So today I am simply noting a “few” things to remember about our God if you are burdened or worried today:

God is Great. (Deuteronomy 32:3)

God is Compassionate. (Psalm 86:15)

God is Gracious. (Exodus 34:6)

God is Faithful. (Psalm 41:8)

God is our Rock (and there is no other like Him). (1 Samuel 2:2)

God is Truth. (John 14:6)

God is the Sustainer of our life. (Psalm 54:4)

God is Good. (Psalm 106:1)

God is Almighty. (Genesis 17:1)

God is Love. (1John 4:8)

God is Holy. (Psalm 99:5)

God is our Provider. (Genesis 22:14)

God is our Strength. (Psalm 46:1)

God is High and Lifted Up. (Isaiah 6)

God is a Miracle Worker. (Psalm 77:14)

God is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega. (Revelation 22:13)

God is our All in All. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

God is LORD. (2 Samuel 7:28)

God is our Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

God is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16)

God is our Refuge. (Psalm 73:28)

Our God Reigns (Psalm 47:8)

I could go on and on, but if you are worried today, remember … God is ….

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Fruit

by TerryLema

We have two neighbors on our street, each with three little girls. Listening to their squeals as they play is a delightful experience.  I’ve met the neighbors next door, but not the ones down the block.  Those neighbors moved into a home where the previous owners planted four fruit trees outside the fence next to the sidewalk. Seemed like an odd place to put fruit trees, but then I guess anyplace they’ll grow is a good place. They planted an apple, peach, pear, and cherry.

As I walked past those trees recently, I noticed that the cherries were ripe. I wondered if the new couple would pick them, and then I spotted the entire family last Saturday with buckets in hand. The little girls and mom were having a great time picking cherries and filling their buckets while Dad and the dogs watched.  I was glad that the fruit would not go to waste.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew, Jesus reminds his listeners that “by their fruit you will recognize [prophets].” Then Jesus uttered a stark warning, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” [Matt 7:20-21]

Frankly, people who walk into a church and say “Lord, Lord” and walk out to live their lives as they please are a dime a dozen. They profess Christ as LORD with their mouths but rarely obey His word. It doesn’t cost anything to be a “professing” Christian.

However, it costs everything to be a “true” Christian who not only says, “Lord, Lord” but also “does the will of the Father in heaven.”

We have done a great disservice to people by allowing them to think that Christianity can be acquired by mere words. In truth, it is a life totally given over to pleasing God.  It costs everything.

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Overcomer

by TerryLema

An ad in my email asked me “Are you an overcomer?” Then it went on to tell me there is a book I can read that will help me to be an overcomer. This book will tell me how to overcome fear and rejection, shame and sickness, and other such bondages. I am sure it is a good book; the author has verifiable credentials and apparently a successful ministry to people who are hurting.

I wondered as I read the ad how the author became an overcomer … perhaps by reading a good book?  Perhaps even by reading “The Good Book?”

 I encourage people to read “The Good Book” themselves. We should be going through our Bibles—all the way through them—at least once every two years, preferably once a year. Yes, Old Testament and New Testament. Psalms and Proverbs, even Leviticus and Job!

If you want to overcome the enemy of your soul, you need to know God, love God, obey His commands and place your faith in God.

How do you know God, except by reading His book? How do you know what He commands unless you read His book? How do you know God is worthy of Your faith? You read His promises and see His mighty power proven first in the Scriptures ad then in your life.

John tells us, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  [1 John 5:3-5]

You want to be an overcomer?  You can read what others have gleaned from the Scriptures about God, or you can read the living word of God yourself and learn through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

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Criminal?

by TerryLema

There is an annoying commercial. Is that redundant? Aren’t all commercials annoying?  Anyway, this commercial airs frequently on the channels where we watch baseball. The commercial is for youth advocacy programs. In the commercial a young man says, “I’ve done some stupid things, even committed some crimes, but I am not a criminal.”

The youth advocacy programs are probably quite good, mitigating for youth before they end up in prison and begin a cycle that often cannot be broken. It is just that comment that bothers me, “committed some crimes, but I am not a criminal.”

Merriam-Webster defines criminal as “a person who has committed a crime,” not as a person who has been convicted of committing a crime.

I am a criminal. I break the law every time I drive somewhere, usually a few miles over the speed limit. Sometimes I do not stop completely at a stop sign. I have never been convicted of my crimes, but I am still a criminal.

But it is my criminal activities against the Law of God which are far more important than my driving offenses. God is quite clear about His law. It is summed up “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” [Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:26-28 HCSB]

Jesus told an inquirer that if you obey that law, “you will live.” Which means the reverse is true, if you do not obey that law, you will not live.

All of mankind is criminal because not even the greatest have been able to love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind, or their neighbor as themselves. That is why Jesus came, to fulfill God’s law in all righteousness and then impart that righteousness to us.

It is a mystery, yes. It is difficult to understand, of course. But, oh the love and grace of God that is displayed for us criminals there.

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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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