Posts

To Whom are we Looking?

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Proverbs 30-31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:18-22 In the tests of life, where are we looking for help? Where do our eyes turn? David looked up and focused his hope on the Lord. He cultivated a life of worship and prayer so that the presence of the Lord became his confidence. As David looked to the Lord he found God’s eyes were on him. God’s eyes are on those who fear him, who reverence his name, and who trust in his unfailing love in their lives. Are we placing our trust in our government, employment, education, or influence with others, to save us? Where and to whom are we looking today? Will we look to the Lord in worship and surre...
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Choose Innocence

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Proverbs 28-29; Psalms 60; Romans 16   “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:19, 20 To be innocent of what is evil is not to be naïve; but rather, it is to be separated from evil by choice. To be wise about what is good is to choose the good. We are to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure…” (Philippians 4:8). Satan is our enemy whom Christ has defeated and it is under Christ’s authority that we resist temptation, sin, and that which is evil. In Christ we can declare today that which is evil is under our feet.   Why would we stoop to entertain evil when we have been given authority to rule and reign with Christ? Jesus instructed his disciples to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). These words were spoken to the disciples as they l...
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Strong Hope

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Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15   “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Hope is an elusive quality in our day when our health, finances, and way of life are at risk. Paul invited the Church in Rome – and us - to lift our eyes off of our circumstances and look to a more secure source of hope. For those who ask, the God of hope promises to fill us with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Rome was known for its power, glory, and honor. Yet, Rome could not give Christ-followers the hope they needed to sustain themselves. Hope is the living expectation of something promised. Hope of eternity transforms the cost of our current reality into something much smaller. Hope rooted in God’s nature and character marks the lives of those who know him. He indwells us and he is hope. “Father God, thank you for your hope. Renew and fill me with the power of your hope through the Hol...
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Don’t Judge your Brother or Sister

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Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand…You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:1, 4, 10 Why are we not to judge other Christ-followers on disputable matters such as political affiliation, alcohol, or denominational distinctives? Each Christ-follower is accountable to the Lord and will one day stand before his throne of judgment. When we judge others on disputable matters, we place ourselves in the position of judge. Paul used the example of servants or slaves who served another master. It would be unacceptable to judge someone else’s servant.   However, do we have the humility to realize we ourselves are servants or slaves of Christ? Without humility, we will easily fall into...
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Armor of Light

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Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13 “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light…Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:12, 14 What does it mean to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus? How is that similar to putting on the armor of light? Jesus is the fulfillment of all the pieces of armor Paul described in his letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:10-18). Jesus is our salvation (“helmet”), he is our righteousness (“breast plate”), our Truth (“belt”), and our Peace (“shoes”). He is our faith (“shroud”) and the living Word (“sword”). Clothing ourselves with Jesus Christ each morning as part of our prayer of dedication to him and by thinking through each piece of our spiritual armor is a way we consciously clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. When our thoughts are on Christ, we are less distracted by thoughts of indu...
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Honor One Another

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Proverbs 16-18; Romans 12   “…Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you…so in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:3, 5, 10 Paul’s image of the Body of Christ having many parts and each part or member being important and interdependent on all the other parts, is foundational for our understanding of the importance of humility. We don’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought because we are a part of a body, not the whole. We belong to others and they belong to us. Our sin affects others just as does our faithfulness. We are to honor one another above ourselves because when the other parts of the body flourish, we all benefit. No matter how small, each part of the body is essential and can also be taken for granted until they are injured. Who can we honor and encourage to...
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Receiving a Rebuke and Correction

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Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11 “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke…Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice…He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” Proverbs 13:1, 10, 18 How we respond to a rebuke, receive instruction, or take advice, reveals our attitude toward authority and our capacity to learn and grow. It’s often these character-issues which limit our development, rather than our gifting or knowledge. Sometimes our best instructors are those we would rather not listen to because of what they are saying. Even our most challenging relationships can be places of growth in humility and insight if we are willing to swallow our pride and listen. Humility fosters teachability and learning, which are a lifelong process. Which voices have we been ignoring or avoiding? “Lord Jesus, I choose humility and ongoing instruction, for your glory.”
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