Past Devotions

I decided after wandering through Romans 12 that I would wander through 1 Samuel. Chapter 12 is the prophet Samuel’s Farewell Address. Israel had asked for a king, which displeased Samuel. Prior to that they had been governed by judges and prophets. Now they wanted to be like all the other nations around them and have a king. So, at God’s direction, Samuel anointed Israel’s first, Saul.

Samuel was an old man now. He had served the LORD since he was a young boy. He invited the nation Israel to testify against him about his tenure as their leader.

Within that section, he asks them as series of questions. Several times he begins his questions, “Have I ever …?” and the people responded, “No, you have never ….” [1 Samuel 12:1-5 NLT]

Samuel’s question haunted me for a little while. I don’t know if I would ever have the courage to ask, “Have I ever …?” I know the mistakes I have made. I know there are those who could probably testify against me about something.

Then the Holy Spirit rose up in my heart and reminded me that when I surrendered my heart to my Savior and LORD, Christ Jesus, He set me free from sin and shame. He created a new person in me. He forgave my sins and He promised that He would never hold those things against me. People may be able to “testify” against me, but my Father God never will. Praise God!

Ever thought about that word “good.”  It simply means, high quality, first class, excellent, or superior. As I was reading in Jeremiah 33 this morning, I came across that word “good.” Chapter 33 speaks about the promised restoration of Israel and Jeremiah tells the people:

“This is what the Lord says: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His love endures forever.’” [vs10-11a NLT]

We serve a mighty God. We serve a holy God. We serve a righteous God. We serve a God who is all-knowing.  We serve a God who is full of majesty and glory. Perhaps, for me, the most beautiful truth, however, is found in the knowledge that we serve a GOOD God. “For the LORD is good; his love endures forever.”

 Have you ever stopped to ponder the depths of that simple statement, “For the LORD is good; his love endures forever?” What does that mean for you?

I know what it means for me. It means that my God will love me no matter what, and that even when I stumble or fall, when I sin or fail, that love will endure. It means that when He must discipline or correct me, He does it from a heart of love and always with the purpose of seeking my restoration.

It means that even when everything in my soul seems a desolate waste, my God promises that because of His love for me, the sounds of joy and gladness will again ring forth and my voice will join with the multitude of voices down through the ages that proclaim, “Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.”

Recently, a retired minister in our congregation was asked to bring the Team Devotion prior to the first service on Sunday morning. He joked, and we teased him as well, about holding his message to devotion timing at about five minutes. To say it this way, he is never at a loss for words when it comes to talking about the God he loves.

One thing he said really warmed my heart. He reminded us that we were created in God’s image. “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” [Genesis 1:27 NLT]

Then he reminded us that God did this because of His love.

No one would argue that we have fallen far from the image of God. But while mankind rebelled, God did not leave us to us wallow in our rebellion. He provided a way, THE ONLY WAY, out of that rebellion. That’s what we celebrate each year during the Easter Season—God’s sending His Precious Son to open THE WAY back to the Father.

Jesus came, walked this dirty world with us, died on a cross for us. He was raised from the dead on the third day and returned to His Father to make intercession for us … all to return us to the Image of God.

We may not look like it yet … we still struggle while here … but there is coming a day when …

It seems every day my email inbox has another offer to buy a Christian book that will tell me how to view God, how to live my life, what holiness is, what I should know about Christ, etc. I seldom bite on those offers.

When others ask me what I am reading I am inclined to say that I’m reading my Bible. That doesn’t mean I don’t like a good Christian book. I have read some excellent ones, “The Pursuit of God” by A W Tozer, the “Holiness of God,” by R C Sproul, and others. And I do love good commentaries that help me to understand the background of the verses I read. But I don’t want to get in the habit of replacing my Bible with other books.

There are two things about the Word of God that I have oft repeated. One, the Scripture, our Bible, is the only book that is “alive!” It is God’s Very Word and is able to expose all things, even our deepest motivations.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” [Hebrews 4:12 NLT]

The second thing is that the Word of God reads us as we read it.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” [2Timothy 3:16-17 NLT]

It shows us where we are. It makes corrections in our walk. It teaches and prepares. No book other than the Word of God, no matter how excellent, is alive and able to read us.

The very end of Romans 12 is in sight. There stands a massive ‘tree’ that provides shelter and shade; one that stretches its branches out in every direction, reaching to the sky and bending to the earth.  I call it the “tree of triumph.”

The final verse in Romans 12 says simply, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

This world is full of trouble, evil, problems, and woes. Despite that we are not to be overcome by it. Jesus promised in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

Jesus has overcome the evil of this world through the work of His cross. Now we are to be overcomers through our faith in Him. John wrote in 1 John 5:1-5: “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.”

The triumph is our faith in the work of Christ on the cross that overcomes the evil of this world with good. This is good that flows from our love of God. This is good that flows from our desire to obey His commands. This is good that has a heart full of love, set in peace, with a gentle and quiet spirit that seeks not its own, but the best for all God’s children.

This is good which has the power of God working through it to overcome the evil of this life.

“Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” [Romans 12:17-19 NLT]

Ever been wronged? Ever been unjustly accused? Has someone ever hurt you deeply and left wounds that take years to heal, if they ever do? I doubt we can make it through life without experiencing some of that. My immediate reaction is “Pay Back!”

How many books are written and movies made with the theme of extracting revenge on everyone that committed wrongs. The good guy always gets the bad guy and makes him pay. That, however, is not the theme of this passage. In fact, this passage wouldn’t sell books or movies in our society.

God’s way is not for us to repay evil for evil. There is no doubt about the fact that in this life we often are the target of evil, we often are on the receiving end of hurt and the consequences of the actions of others. Despite that, we are not to extract our pound of flesh. We are to do the exact opposite. We are exhorted to be careful to do what is right and as much as it depends on us to live at peace with everyone.

That is only possible because we trust that whatever payback needs to happen, God will do it. It is God’s place and His place alone, to assume the throne of judgment and to exact whatever punishment is just and necessary. His justice will always be clothed in righteousness, in truth, and in all knowledge. Our place is to trust Him and to focus on what is right and what brings peace.

It is not always possible to have peace, but it is our duty to make sure that we do not contribute to a lack thereof. In truth, only those who know that God will repay wrong can have the freedom to promote peace.

“Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.”  [Romans 12:16 NIV]

“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”  [NKJV]

Harmony and humility. We are to have the same mind, to live in harmony with each other. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:1-4, “…make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others.”

Love bends the knee. On the eve of His death, Jesus bent down and washed the feet of His disciples. This task was an especially dirty one, usually reserved for the slave of lowest position in the households. Yet Jesus, their teacher, their master, their Lord, the one about whom they would soon proclaim “My Lord and My God!” performed this lowliest of tasks for them.  [John 13:1-17]

He asked them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” And then He gave them this command, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” 

Love bends the knee. It bows down to the lowest rank, to the most common of all. It stoops to the meanest of tasks.

In thought and deed, in attitude and action, love bends the knee.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  [Romans 12:15]

I have folders set up on my computer in which to file things. I have a folder labeled “Devotions” and sub-folders set up by years. One labeled “sermons and seminars” another labeled “financial information” and others for pictures, recipes and correspondence. But the folder that is perhaps the most unusual is labeled “weddings and funerals.”

Weddings and funerals are hardly similar items and I’m not sure why I keep both in the same folder, except that perhaps weddings and funerals are the most intensely personal and touching of all events. At a wedding we rejoice with those who rejoice. At a funeral, we mourn with those who mourn. At these events we participate in the joys and in the sorrows of others.

True love will interest us in both the joys and the sorrows of those with whom we come in contact. Every day we meet some who are full of joy and others who are consumed with sorrow. In this world, at any given time, some are laughing and some are weeping. It is part of the human condition.

When trouble strikes others, we are to be concerned and ready to help. We are to be touched by their hurts. If possible, we are to lend a hand. Often the most precious thing we can do is simply cry with them. We can’t always fix things. We’d like too, but often there is no solution. The most human, the most God-like thing we can do, is simply to sit quietly with them, love them, hold them, pray for them, and cry with them.

May I say also that often it is easier to relate to another’s sorrows than it is to rejoice with another’s joys?  When we see others experiencing the comfort, success, prosperity that we too desire but do not have, it can be easy to become resentful or envious. Yet here we are commanded to rejoice.

In my computer folder I keep words of joy spoken at weddings, and words of sorrow and comfort from funerals. In my heart, I am to hold joy for those who rejoice and mourn with those who cry.

Sadly, Romans 12 must end. The final section [vs 14-21] contains some of the most difficult attitudes and actions we are to see blossom in our lives.

Listen to the words that frame this passage: “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them,” and “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” [vs 14, 20 NLT]

How like those words are of Jesus. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  [Matthew 5:43-48]

 To bless means simply to speak well of, to invoke a benediction, to thank, to desire for to prosper. It has often been the lot of Christians down through the centuries to suffer at the hands of persecutors. Sometimes the persecution has meant torture and death. At other times it is words and attitudes. In the words of Christ, in this passage in Romans, and in other places in the New Testament we are taught to bless those who persecute us.

Love and blessing are to be the marks of those who claim to be sons of God. We are to be ready to always show kindness to those who love us, but also to those who hate us. That is what sets us apart.

While we were enemies with God, He gave His Son Jesus for us. While we were cursing Him, He was blessing us. While we were fighting Him, He was loving us. While we were at war with Him, He was overcoming us with good. Now, if we claim Him as Father, we are to do likewise with those who are against us.