December 16 -- "Don't Get Cozy With Sin"

 Today’s Reading: Psalms 65 & 66

"Don't Get Cozy With Sin"

Have you ever been in prayer and suddenly had a disturbing sensation that God simply isn’t listening? It has happened to all of us. Sadly, for many of us, we just limp along praying the same old prayers, half-hoping those prayers are heard and half-suspecting they are not. One of the reasons God may not be listening is because we’ve allowed iniquity to remain unchallenged in our hearts.

The Hebrew word translated “cherished” or “regard” in Psalm 66:18 literally means “to see” and it carries the idea of seeing something but not acting upon it. Thus, this verse is telling us, seeing iniquity in my heart and doing nothing about it, is a cause of the Lord turning His listening ear away from us. If I have known iniquity was there, or even encouraged it, or if I pretended it wasn’t there, or even loved my iniquity then God will not – cannot – hear my prayer. The Message* paraphrase puts it like this: “If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened.” 

“Iniquity” means sin that is an inner act of willful disobedience to God. It refers more to matters of the heart than outward actions. Scripture specifically identifies the following iniquities: bitterness (see Acts 8:23), greed (see Acts 8:18–23), lust (Job 31:1–12), and stubbornness (I Samuel 15:23). Others include anger, clamor, slander, malice, cursing, rudeness, selfishness, irritableness, resentfulness, and jealousy. As human beings with fallen natures, we are all susceptible to committing these sins. But when we do, we must acknowledge, confess, and forsake our sin. We must not allow any of these sins to be welcomed into our hearts. We cannot allow them to take up residence inside of us. Getting cozy with these sins can cause the Lord not to listen to your prayers.

The idea is this: in order that prayer may be heard, there must be a purpose to forsake all forms of sin. If you long for God to hear your prayers, don’t let iniquity settle down and make itself at home in your heart – kick it out! Deal with it!

Take a moment right now to get alone with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Ask Him to shine His floodlight of truth into the dark spaces of your soul. Do any of these sins dwell there? Have you let these things take up residence inside of you? Have you become cozy with sin? When the Holy Spirit shows you the truth of what is hiding there, be quick to acknowledge, confess, and forsake your sin. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” [or any other iniquity] springs up and causes trouble” (Hebrews 12:15).

(*© Eugene H. Peterson ; The Message; by NavPress Publishing)

December 15 -- "Your Part vs God's Part"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 19

"Your Part vs God's Part"

David and his troops were undergoing some difficult battles. As the clashes became more and more challenging, David’s army leaders (Joab and Abishai) devised an ingenious military strategy – we will do our part and let God do His part. With these words, they acknowledged that victory comes only when we diligently use the strength we have, while we let the Lord use His strength to bring the victory. They acknowledged that they were responsible for their personal efforts, but God was responsible for the results.

This is a lesson we must all learn – that God is responsible for the outcome. We are to diligently serve Him and use our spiritual gifts to serve the Body of Christ – but it is up to Him how things turn out. This doesn’t mean you don’t have a part to play. You do! His will is for you is to be on the spiritual front lines, using your strength to support the cause of Christ. We are repeatedly called to take action in our Christian walk. Psalm 2:11 says, " Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." Romans 12:11 exhorts us to, “Not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” These are commands for each of us to take action. We are not called to sit on the sidelines and watch God win the game. We are called to “get off the bench” use the skills and strength that we have. But, at the same time, we must let God decide the outcome.

We must learn to let the Lord do what seems good to Him. He has given you certain spiritual gifts and you must discover those gifts and use them with all of your strength to serve the Lord. “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” (Romans 12:6)  Is your gift prophecy? Then prophesy in proportion to your faith. Is your gift serving? Then serve others with all your heart. Is your gift teaching? Then diligently hand out the truth of God to others through your teaching. Whatever your gift may be, “I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6).  

But always remember – God is responsible for the outcome. Two individuals may both have the gift of evangelism. God may use one to preach in giant stadiums to thousands of people, while at the same time using the other to quietly lead his coworker to Christ. The results are not your responsibility – they are His!

So, dear follower of Christ, don’t focus on the numbers. Don’t focus on the outcomes. You have your part. God has His part. Your part is to focus on diligently using your skills and strength to do the task the Lord has set before you. Use your strength for His people and His kingdom and His purposes, and may the Lord do what seems good to Him.

December 14 -- "Dealing With Defeat"

Today’s Reading: Psalms 10, 60, 75, & 76 

"Dealing With Defeat"

It can be hard to come back from defeat. Being defeated can have a domino effect in our minds. As we become overly-focused on our failure, our hearts and minds can go from simply “licking our wounds” to deeper discouragement and, if left unchecked, can spiral into full blown depression and, in some cases, feeling abandoned by God. Experiencing defeat is never easy. It can make us feel like we don’t even want to try again.

Here in Psalm 60, King David and his troops had undergone a series of defeats at the hands of enemy armies. David was feeling dejected and abandoned by God. He begins to wonder if God is angry with him and has rejected him. As he goes through a list of how he feels about experiencing defeat, you can sense that coming back from this could be difficult for him. Some of his feelings include: You have rejected us; You have broken our defenses; You have been angry; You have made your people see hard things. David’s complaints express his feelings of anxiety and dejection. He is having a very hard time with defeat.

But David doesn’t stop there. Thankfully, as he expresses his sorrow at being defeated, he simultaneously reminds himself that God is not finished with him and Israel, and he will once again experience victory. Interspersed with his complaints, we find prayers of faith: Oh, restore us; May your beloved ones be delivered; Give salvation by your right hand; Oh, grant us help against the foe. David wisely took his defeat to God and left it at His feet. In spite of his feelings of defeat and discouragement, he knew in his heart-of-hearts that the Lord would never abandon him. You can sense his heart and mind coming around from a place of dark discouragement back to optimism and faith in God.

David concludes this Psalm with these faith-filled words, “With God we shall do valiantly, it is He who will tread down our foes.” He wisely turned his eyes off of his defeat, stopped licking his wounds, and once again began to trust fully in God and His promises. This provides for us an example to follow when we experience defeat in our lives. We must not let our minds travel to dark places and discouragement. We, like David, must turn our eyes off of our hard defeat and back onto our Mighty God.

Are you having a hard time after experiencing defeat in your Christian walk? Do like David and turn your eyes off of the failure – stop trying to analyze it. Remember that God is not finished with you and He will bring victory. Stay the course! Try again, dear follower of Christ. Try again! Trust in Him to tread down your foes.

December 13 -- "Who to Call in Your Day of Trouble"

Today’s Reading: Psalm 50 & 51

"Who to Call in Your Day of Trouble"

In today’s key verse, we are exhorted by God, Himself, to call upon Him when we are experiencing troubles in our lives.

“Call upon me in the day of trouble.” The first part of today’s verse is a command from God to call on Him when we are in trouble. We certainly shouldn’t pray only when trouble comes, but according to this command, we should definitely pray when we are in times of trouble or affliction. God commands it. Don’t rely on your own ingenuity or your own determination to deliver yourself. Call upon Him and watch Him work! Are you having trouble or trials today? Call upon Him!

“I will deliver you.” The second part is an amazing promise God makes to us. If we call on Him, He will deliver us. He gives no limits as to how often we can pray. He only gives us His promise to answer. He doesn’t specify how He will deliver us (and it may not always be in the way we wish for). Sometimes He delivers us “out of” our trouble, and sometimes He delivers us “in the midst of” trouble. But, whatever His method, His promise is always, “I will deliver you.”

“And you shall glorify Me.” The third part of this verse indicates the real reason for prayer in the grand overarching plan of heaven. Prayer is not so much the mechanism we use to get rescued, as it is a means of displaying God and His glory to the watching world. When God provides, we may be tempted to forget Him and think we have taken care of our problem ourselves. But when we pray and He answers, we must recognize His hand of provision and are careful to honor (glorify) Him. We rob God of honor and fail to glorify Him when we don’t recognize that He was the one who rescued and provided for us.

Do you want your life to glorify God? To bring Him fame and honor? To influence a lost world with His light? Then pray dear Christian. Tell Him your troubles. Tell Him your afflictions. Call upon Him and He will deliver you. And when He does, a watching world will hear of His glory and power and grace and forgiveness!

“I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications.” (Psalm 116:1) The Lord wants to hear from us. He invites us to pray to Him without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He promises to hear us when we pray – “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) “As for me, I call to God … and he hears my voice” (Psalm 55:16-17). 

 

December 12 -- "Dedicating to the Lord"

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 18

"Dedicating to the Lord"

After winning decisive victories against Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, King David had stockpiled a large collection of the plunders of war. These included all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. It was customary in those days for the kings of victor nations to keep these spoils of war as a means of accumulating wealth for himself. Having a great stockpile of these items represented the grandness of the king’s majesty. As the collection grew, so did the king’s notoriety and renown among his citizens and neighboring nations.

None of these customs mattered to King David. He wasn’t interested in building his own wealth and fame. What mattered to him was building the fame of Yahweh. So, David took the articles of gold, silver, and bronze and dedicated them to the Lord. The Hebrew word “dedicated” in verse 11 means to set apart; to consecrate; to devote as holy. David literally separated these items from his own “bank account” and deposited them in the Lord’s “account.” By doing so, David was choosing to benefit his King and Lord rather than selfishly benefitting himself.

Dedicating something to the Lord means surrendering your personal control and use of an item (or person) and handing over control and use to God. For the follower of Christ, this often means giving up something of great worth and value. We must sacrifice what is dear to us. Perhaps, like David, it involves giving God control of our wealth and fame. Or, perhaps dedicating our homes and workplaces to Him. Or, as we see many times in the Bible, dedicating our children unto the Lord. Ultimately, we are told to “present our bodies to God as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). This is the action by which we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

It is important to note that dedicating something to the Lord is a voluntary act on your part. God never forces you to surrender anything or anyone to Him. Because of God’s great mercy, we are compelled to offer ourselves to Him as a way of worship – to offer our bodies to God for service. Every Christian should have a time in their life when they take this important step of presenting their body to God.

What is God calling you to hand over to Him today? Is it your bank account? Or your job? Or your relationship? Or your newborn child? Or your body in service to Him? Whatever it is, God will honor your gift and return blessings to you in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38). The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the Greatest Giver in the universe, and He won't let you outgive Him.

December 11 -- "Unusual Kindness"

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 9 

"Unusual Kindness"

Under Israeli law, the ownership of property passed from generation to generation and, thus, was always retained within the family. However, Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, never received his inheritance. He had been taken away and hidden as a young child to protect him from the attacks on Saul’s family. As a result, his whereabouts were unknown and, lacking a proper heir, his property reverted to ownership by the king.  One of David’s first acts as king was to right this wrong. In verse 7, David said, “I will restore to all the land of Saul your father.” This was one of the many acts of justice, equity and unusual kindness performed by king David.

But David took things much further. Instead of just stopping with the restoration of Mephibosheth’s land, he showed him “great kindness” and invited him to “eat at my table always.” To be invited to eat a meal with the king was considered one of the greatest honors and blessings anyone could receive. But to eat at the king’s table “always” was an honor-of-all-honors. David remembered his close friend Jonathan and the covenant he had made with him before his death – to never cut off his lovingkindness to Jonathan’s descendants. So David not only spared the life of Jonathan’s sole surviving son, but treated him like royalty by giving him free access to the king’s palace. David, by his actions, demonstrated both justice and kindness.

I’m pretty sure Mephibosheth’s initial response to David’s kindness was something like this: “Wait! What?!? Did I hear that right? I must be dreaming or something! There’s no way I deserve such kindness. I thought I was going to be punished and die, but now look what the king has done!”  David’s treatment of Mephibosheth is one of the greatest illustrations of grace in the Old Testament. By law, David owed Saul's family nothing. In fact, it was customary that the previous king’s descendants be punished by death. But David knew that God wanted him to show kindness to everyone, even those who didn’t deserve it.

This is an example to us of what it means to be the recipient of God’s grace and kindness. Our Creator owed us nothing. In fact, we were sentenced to death for all of eternity, undeserving of any kindness or blessings from Him whatsoever. But then He says to us, “I will restore to you the life you have lost and you shall eat at My table always.” Such undeserved kindness. That’s what grace is all about. We have been shown kindness by King Jesus for our Heavenly Father’s sake. Because that’s just who Jesus is! And that’s who our Heavenly Father is!

Our response should be, “Wait! What?!? Did I hear that right? I must be dreaming or something! There’s no way I deserve such kindness. I thought I was going to be punished and die, but now look what the King has done!”

December 10 -- "Justice and Equity"

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 8

"Justice and Equity"

According to the Bible, all government authority "comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1). This means that it is God who has ordained the institution of government and that the role and purpose of government is mandated by Him.

The essential role and purpose of government is to exercise equity and justice amongst its citizens. Based on the truth that every human being has dignity and value, justice means to give each person that which is due with fairness to all. This justice can be expressed negatively or positively. Negatively, government is to punish evil. Positively, it is to promote good.

As David rose to power as Israel’s king, he understood his role as the “minister of God” (Romans 13:6). He recognized that, as king, he was to act as God’s agent of justice. Thus, he administered justice and equity to all his people. When he returned from defending Israel in war, he heard and tried civil and criminal cases. He did so impartially and gave sentence consistent with the laws of God. Whether high or low, strong or weak, rich or poor, black or white, David enacted God’s justice fairly to all without bias.

For any government to succeed in bringing justice and equity to its citizens, the leaders of that government must be submitted to God’s truth and His laws. There is no true justice apart from God. All human beings are infected with a corrupt nature and governments will tend to deteriorate into corruption unless God and His truth are revered and submitted to by the leaders. When ungodly leaders are in power, justice deteriorates. Immoral laws are passed. Corrupt behavior takes over. Man’s greed and lust for power begins to rule and justice deteriorates.

We cannot understand true justice apart from God. We cannot enforce justice and equity without faith in Him. David understood his role as God’s servant. He realized that the Lord must guide the affairs of nations for those nations to prosper and be an influence for good in our corrupt world.

Pray for godly leaders to rule at all levels of our government. Pray that we, as a nation, would be ruled by men and women like David who will administer justice and equity to all the people. When those in office won’t do it, then it is time for you to step out in faith and become the ruler you long to see.