Past Devotions

Every preacher knows (or should know) that you must live your messages before you can give your messages to others. As someone mentioned to me recently, maybe that is why preachers often avoid the hard messages.

The last few months have been tough as my messages have centered around seeking more of God. How can I tell people to uncomplicate their lives, unless I uncomplicate mine? How can I tell others they must decrease, if I refuse to do so?  How do I encourage others to embrace God’s will, His plan, His Word, if I demand my own?  Yep, it’s been a rough couple of months.

So, of course, what comes up this morning but Paul’s words as He closes out his second letter to the Corinth Church.

“Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you…. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” [2 Cor 13:11-14]

Aim for perfection? Other translations simply say, “Be perfect” or “Become perfect.”  Thankfully, the word for perfect or perfection in the Greek (katartizo) means to thoroughly complete, repair or adjust.

I am sure that we are never going to achieve perfect perfection in this lifetime, but we can aim for it. We can desire to become complete in Christ Jesus our LORD.  His grace, God’s love and the Spirit’s fellowship will be with us as we walk this journey, and with us when we complete it!

I have had a bad attitude for a few days now. I know I have had a bad attitude. Bob knows I’ve had a bad attitude. And surely, God knows I have had a bad attitude.  I think I even know why I have had a bad attitude, but just knowing why has not done much to change my bad attitude.

Usually, when a bad attitude begins to settle in, I turn my attention to the Psalms. Granted, there were times when even the psalmists had bad attitudes, but mainly, what I find are reasons to praise, worship, trust, know, bless and honor my wonderful LORD.  Today I read Psalm 30.

David is the author of that song. David had been granted a great deliverance from an unnamed peril by God. He even blames himself for his distress and speaks about how he cried out to God in its midst. Then he urges others who might find themselves in similar distress to also cry out to God.

Two lines in the song really spoke to me this morning. “weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing comes in the morning.” [Vs 5]

And, verses 11-12: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” 

I think I need to go for my worship walk this morning (a long one!) and do a little rejoicing, dancing, singing, and thanking along the way.

We have a nice little house in Caldwell, Idaho, bought 12 years ago this month. It needed work, both inside and outside. Over the years we’ve made improvements, including the upgraded kitchen when we had water damage last year. Thankfully, that improvement was expensed through insurance.

The master bath, which wasn’t in very good shape when we moved in, is yet to be improved.  We are “exploring” different options. What we’ve found is “cheap” and “not cheap” builders.  Fortunately, the foundation is good, so we can build on it with little worry.  Ah.

“Each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”   [1 Cor 3:11-15]

Paul told the Corinthians there were two types of building materials, costly ones and cheap ones. We choose which to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  When that day arrives when we will all appear before Christ Jesus at His BEMA seat, we will stand on the foundation and what we built will be tested by fire. [2 Cor 5:10]

If we have built with costly materials, we and our building will be left standing on His foundation after the fire and we will receive rewards. If we have chosen cheap materials, the fire will destroy what we have built, but we will still be left standing on the foundation.

Remodeling our master bathroom on the cheap isn’t that bad; building a building for our Master on the cheap will leave us wanting.

Springtime. Flowers. Warm days. Sunshine late into the evening. Weeds. Yep, you saw that correctly—weeds. There are so many things to love about spring, weeds, however, is not one.

As soon as they turn on our pressurized irrigation, we start watering. From what I understand, that water is only filtered for the big stuff, the little weed seeds are not filtered out. So now when we water, we are sprinkling weed seeds into our flower beds and lawns. It’s nice to have the pressurized irrigation, convenient, and cheap. It’s not nice to have the weeds.

We got a bit of a late start working on the yard because of two trips to California with Easter in between, so, we’ve been on a mission to get the front and back yards over their winter doldrums. We’ve mowed, edged, fertilized, picked up trash that April blew in, planted new flowers, trimmed the rose bush, and pulled weeks. Lots and lots of weeds have sprouted, including those awful thistles.

We normally pull the weeds when they are first starting to sprout. The roots aren’t deep or strong yet and the chore is easy. But with the delay the weeds, especially the thistles were almost a foot tall. They had strong roots, and very large thorns. Even my gardening gloves were not good protection from getting pricked.

As I worked in the backyard yesterday, pulling the thistles, I was reminded of how quickly weeds of sin can also take root in our soul. It is so much easier to get to them before they have a chance to sink their roots down deep into us.

Romans 6:12: “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.”

Exodus 33 is perhaps my most favorite chapter in the Old Testament. I love the interaction between Moses and Jehovah God. The people had sinned. God has said they could still have the Promised Land, but He would not go with them. He’d send an angel and they’d get the victory, but His Presence would be absent.  That’s not going to cut it for Moses.  He pretty much tells God that if God doesn’t go, he’s not going either.

God had acknowledged His favor of Moses, and Moses begins his exchange with God based on that favor. “You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” [Ex 33:12-13 NKJV]

Think about that.  Moses found grace in God’s sight. Because of that, Moses requests one thing—that he might know this God in whom He had found favor. Moses asks to know God’s way so that he might continue to find grace with God.

We, too, have found grace with God. The New Testament is full of references to the grace (favor) in which we now stand. Paul made it clear in Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

So, based on God’s favor, what are our requests? Are we, like Moses, asking to know God’s way in order that we might continue to find favor with Him?  Or are we hoping to take advantage of God’s favor to satisfy our own agendas?

For the record, God’s response to Moses’ request … “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” [v14]

Over the past week I have had a personal prayer request. I have asked a few people to pray about it without revealing what it was about.  It’s what we often call “unspoken.”  Some people don’t like to pray for “unspoken” prayer requests; they want all the details. The reasoning is that they won’t know how to pray if they don’t know the situation.

I have never minded praying for or asking others to pray for “unspoken” prayer requests. Sometimes the things that are on our heart are deep and private, yet we appreciate and need others to help.  As of now, I haven’t had my “unspoken” need settled. I’m still in waiting-mode.

I know what I want the LORD to do, but hopefully, I am not so arrogant as to demand He respond that way. I pray fervently that no matter how this situation turns out, that I have the grace to accept God’s decision. After all, He knows the future, I don’t. He knows what is best for me, I’m not always sure. He knows the best timing, I’m pretty much a “right now!” kind of person.

I remember this morning the promise God gave in Rom 8:26-27. He promised that the Holy Spirit of God would help us in our weakness … even in our weakness when we don’t know how to pray for a situation.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

 I trust that the Spirit of the Living God has taken my prayers for this unspoken situation and molded them to the will of my Father. I trust that my Father will give me what is best and will provide the grace to acknowledge and obey His will.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely women reading this.  The nurturing hearts of women are one of God’s greatest gifts to this world.  May your day be filled with the grace and joy of the LORD.

One of the best gifts God gave me were two aunts who loved me. Neither had children of their own, but they poured out their hearts to me. One was on my father’s side, an aunt who died when I was nine. The other was on my mother’s side, an aunt who not only loved me, but also lived to love my first child.  My aunts were so important to me since my own mother had mental and emotional challenges and could not always provide the encouragement I needed.

I love what Peter wrote in his first letter. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”  [3:3-4 NIV]

“The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit ….”  How I long to have that kind of spirit! I’ve been described many ways, but the terms gentle and quiet have seldom been used in that description. I have always been loud, and often forceful in my determination to get what I want.

God has gently revealed my faults over the years … and I’m sure He has more to reveal in my remaining time. As He does that, I endeavor to follow His leading and obey His promptings to be more like Jesus. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” [1 Peter 2:21 NIV]

I was reading Psalm 141 this morning. It is a song attributed to David. David cries out to God, asking God to hear his voice and asking that God would regard his prayer as incense rising to Him, and “the lifting of [his] hands as the evening sacrifice.”

 Then David says something that I know I need to live by. “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.” [Ps 141:3-4 NKJV]

I am 72. Across the decades of my life when I found myself in trouble, it was usually not because I “did” something, it was because I “said” something.  My tongue, as James says, has needed taming; it is a ruthless evil, full of deadly poison. [James 3]

Of course, my tongue’s ruthlessness springs from a heart that sometimes inclines to arrogance, or judgment, or envy, or rebellion.  How often I have needed to pray as David prayed – set a guard, O LORD over my mouth and keep my heart pure and holy before you!

 That adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is patently false. Bones heal, but the wound inflicted by an untamed tongue often last a lifetime.

Father God forgive me for the damage my words may have done to others. Keep a guard over my mouth so that I might never hurt another soul. Amen and Amen

I have a plethora of images rolling around in my head from my recent trip to California. I have images of hopelessness and poverty, walls and gates, people living in luxury homes and people diving in dumpsters for whatever they could scrounge. If there is ever a place where the division of the rich and poor can be seen by just traveling a few blocks in any direction, it is California. This last trip it reminded me of the necessity of praying for our nation’s leaders.

Paul, toward the end of his life, wrote to Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” [1 Tim 2:1-2]

We are to pray for those in authority over us so that we might live peaceful and quiet lives of godliness and holiness. Godly and holy living wasn’t so easy in Paul’s world, it’s not so easy in ours.

And I thought Paul’s list of how we are to pray was interesting, especially as tied to our “kings and all those in authority.” That list says that we are to make requests for, pray for, intercede for, and give thanksgiving for them.

The requests and prayers are commonly what we offer. But there are times when we must intercede—stand in the gap when our leaders are faced with tough decisions, laws that need to be passed or vetoed, threats from outside and inside our borders. We must be warriors in the spiritual realm, knowing that we do not fight people (or even governments or political parties), we fight the authorities, powers and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.  [Ephesians 6:12]

Then there is the last item on Paul’s list. We are to offer thanksgiving for our “kings and all those in authority.” That may be the toughest of all!  Father God, thank you for all those You have placed in authority in our governments, local, state, and federal. Amen.

My grandsons in California attend a Christian School. It hosted Grandparents Day on the National Day of Prayer. The visitors sat around beautifully decorated tables and listened as the K-5^th graders sang worship and praise songs, recited Scripture and prayed.

Later we sat in tiny chairs in their classrooms and did a cute cookie project with our grandson. The teacher asked each of the grandparents in the room to give one short “word of wisdom” for the children. She recorded these so she could give them to the class later.

One grandparent was thankful for this Christian school. The teacher in the class echoed that thought. She was thankful that she could teach not just subjects, but also her love for the LORD. I think she said she’d been teaching for 40 years. It was evident she loved Jesus. I wondered how many little ones she had touched for Christ during those years.

Another grandfather gave his word of wisdom and then added that he was a volunteer in a prison. He talked about the sadness and hopelessness of the young men he worked with, men who had no knowledge at all of the true meaning of Christmas or Easter … men who had never had anyone input the love of God into their lives.

I was reminded of how important the words of Psalm 78:4 are: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”  [NIV]

I looked at these 4^th graders and prayed they would always remember the LORD, and I thanked God for godly parents, grandparents, teachers, and all those committed to “telling” the next generation.