February 28 -- "Concealing Offenses"

 Today’s Reading: Proverbs 17

"Concealing Offenses"

Personal relationships are delicate things. To maintain healthy friendships takes an intentional effort. Depending on your experience, you may wonder if healthy relationships are even possible. There’s a lot of brokenness in the world. Are good, solid, joy-filled relationships even possible? Yes. The Bible makes that very clear. When God created human beings, He made them relational beings. His intent was for us to have wonderful, God-honoring relationships.

Every good relationship requires love, humility, service, patience, acceptance, affection, and forgiveness. Unfortunately, every one of us is infected with the disease of sin. As a result of our sinful nature, we can veer off the course of healthy relationships and can, at times, cause offense to others – even those we are closest to. This is where Proverbs 17:9 comes in – teaching us that in a true, healthy relationship, the loving person will “cover” the offense of the one they love. The word “cover” in this verse means to conceal; hide; cover up. The lesson here is that there is virtue in keeping someone else’s sins to yourself rather than “repeating” them to others. Being a telltale gossip does nothing but degrade relationships and end friendships.

The greatest example of this type of love is found in our Heavenly Father. He, out of His deep love for us, has chosen to cover our offenses and sins. Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” This is the same Hebrew word for “covered” that we find in today’s verse. Think about that! God has chosen to conceal and cover up your sin with the blood of Christ rather than allowing you to be separated from Him! Oh, what love the Father has for us.

God covers your offenses because He seeks love and a relationship built on love with you. And it is our call as His children to do the same for others in our lives. Is there someone who has offended you? Is there a relationship that has been spoiled by another person’s sin or mistake? Do you know someone whom you should forgive? Do it now. Take a moment in God’s presence and bring that person (or persons) to His attention. Tell Him you want to be like Him, forgiving transgressions and covering past sins. Then, from your heart, forgive that person.

If you’ve furthered the damage to your relationship by repeating the matter to others, take another moment to ask God to forgive you. If you ask, He will grant it. Then, if the situation warrants, go to your friend and ask for their forgiveness as well.  Whoever covers an offense seeks love.

February 27 -- "Transfer Your Load"

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 16 

"Transfer Your Load"

Picture a father and his son on a long, challenging hike. As they journeyed through the forest, the child's backpack grew heavier, weighing down his small frame. Seeing his struggle, the father gently lifted the burden, offering relief and reassurance. With the weight lifted, they continued together, strengthened by their bond. That is the picture being conveyed by Proverbs 16:3.

The word “commit” in verse 3 carries the idea of transferring a load. It means to roll the heavy load off of your back and roll it onto the back of another – as a man transfers a burden from his own back to one stronger and better able to bear it. Here we are being told to roll our load of work onto the Lord’s back.

While “work” may mean everything we have to do in life, it primarily refers to the “works” we do for God. This includes the entirety of the Christian life – faith, worship, learning, fellowship, prayer, and service. Jesus was a Man who was laser focused on the works He was called to do. Once, after healing a blind man, He said “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4) This was His way of saying, “I must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to Me by the One who sent Me.” The Apostle Paul mirrored this sentiment when he said, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:24 NLT)

All of us have tasks to do which have been assigned to us by our Heavenly Father. If we try to carry the burden of these tasks in our own strength, they will be too heavy for us. This is why you must roll your load onto the Lord’s back. Trust Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to enable you to accomplish your assignments from Him. It is in Him that you will find the strength to complete the work He has given you to do. 

We each have a role in the Body of Christ and a distinct mission to fulfill… and God has perfectly equipped us to succeed in His assignment.

The second part of this verse promises that when we roll our burdens onto Him, He will arrange and establish our plans. A person may make plans, but God is the one who determines their outcome. He knows your unseen motives and controls events according to His purposes and His plan for your life. It is vitally important, therefore, to always bring God into your planning. When your wisdom comes from God, your decisions will always be right. The promise here is that when your plans come from God, they will be firmly established (firm, secure, steadfast, settled). He will quiet your fears and insecurities and put you on the firm foundation of His plan for your life.

February 26 -- "Abomination!"

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 15 

"Abomination!"

Abomination! What a harsh and strong word. It means: a repugnant and despicable thing; a thing so despicable and disgraceful that it causes revulsion and disgust. There aren’t many things that the Lord is disgusted by, but here in Proverbs 15:8, He reveals one of those things – “the sacrifice of the wicked.” There is nothing more offensive to God than the pious actions of those whose hearts are far from Him.

One reason that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, is that their action “flies in the face” of God’s revealed truth about righteousness and salvation. The Bible is very clear on this matter – salvation can NEVER be earned or merited by one’s external actions. Anyone who tries to “earn” their acceptance by God through their religion is pridefully disputing with God, Himself. They oppose His truth that our righteousness comes as a free gift from Him, not by works, but by grace through faith.

Even the person who diligently applies him/herself to following the commands and ordinances of God and performs the ceremonies and formalities of religion is an abomination to the Lord if his/her heart is not right with Him. No religious acts will do in place of true holiness to the Lord. God will not allow himself to be `bought off' by gifts and sacrifices of the unrepentant and unbelieving person. Not only is God not interested in any sacrifices that the wicked might offer to Him, He finds them to be repulsive. 

But the glorious truth found in the second half of this verse is that “the prayer of the upright is acceptable to Him!” But who is the upright? This is the person who has repented of their sin and self-centered religion and sincerely desires God’s true salvation. When a person admits their own inability to do - or be - anything remotely close to righteous by their own efforts and who - by faith - accepts Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for their sin they are declared “righteous” and “upright” in the sight of God.

From that point on, the upright person seeks the Lord and desires to follow in His ways – not to earn their right standing with God – but because He has graciously declared them upright and they love and worship Him for it. Oh, how God loves to hear the prayers of that person! Pray to Him now. Your heartfelt prayers will be acceptable to Him! It is an amazing truth that God loves to hear from His children.

February 25 -- "A Serious Miscalculation"

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 14 

"A Serious Miscalculation"

Today’s key verse speaks to us about the danger of self-deception. It tells us that something can “seem” to be right, while being all wrong. There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough, but look again, it could be leading you away from eternal life. Tragically, people on the “way to death” have made a serious miscalculation. They have chosen to do what is right in their own eyes without realizing their own vulnerability to self-deception.

Is it possible for us to deceive ourselves into believing what is false? God says it is! People can delude themselves into believing whatever they want. Self-deception is a common thing that happens in some way or another to all of us. The chilling thing about self-deception is that you don’t realize when it is happening to you. Tragically, for many, they may never realize it.

For the unbeliever, unrealized self-deception will culminate in “the way of death.” They may believe that getting into heaven is a matter of “living a good life.” Or following some religious creed or new-age mantra. Or being charitable. Or even “going to church.” Or, they may not believe in the existence of a “heaven” at all. They may say, “It doesn’t really matter what you believe, as long as you believe something.” Sadly, people can become complacent in these self-deceptions and not even see a need for an alternative path. They have made a severe miscalculation that will end in eternal separation from God and the life that is in Him.

For the follower of Christ, self-deception is a serious matter to consider as well. Christians may be believing doctrines or following a way of life that is not consistent with the truth of God. It has been said that “Discernment is more than knowing right from wrong. It is knowing right from almost right.” As a follower of Christ, it is so critical that we discover any ways we are going that are “almost right,” and turn to back to God’s “right” way. To be a “little bit off” can take you severely off course on a long journey.

Perhaps you are compromising with sin, or getting into false doctrine, or teachings that are “nearly right.” You may not even realize it. This is why the Bible repeatedly urges us to check ourselves to make sure that God’s word is the standard for what we believe and how we live. Paul the Apostle exhorted us to, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence that Jesus Christ is in you and that you are following His way of life. If you discover an area where you’re not quite right and true to God’s word, do something about it.

February 24 -- "The Lord's Radiant Outshining"

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 8 

"The Lord's Radiant Outshining"

Here we read about the cloud, the brilliant symbol of the Divine glory and presence. At the inauguration of the Temple and the first service there, the cloud appears to have filled not only the Holy of Holies, but the whole Temple, courtyard, porch and all. It was visible and was evident to all the people who had gathered for this sacred event. By this, Solomon knew that God had honored the place with His presence, and had taken up residence therein.

This was the cloud of glory, which appears visibly at times in the Bible, sometimes called the cloud of “Shekinah” glory. Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth. The word Shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah glory refers to the divine presence of God.

This Shekinah is the cloud that stood by Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22); 

The cloud from which God met with Moses and others (Exodus 19:9); 

The cloud that stood by the door of the Tabernacle (Exodus 33:9-10); 

The cloud from which God appeared to the High Priest in the Holy Place inside the veil (Leviticus 16:2); 

The cloud of Ezekiel’s vision, filling the temple of God with the brightness of His glory (Ezekiel 10:4); 

The cloud of glory that overshadowed Mary when she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35); 

The cloud present at the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:34-35); 

The cloud of glory that received Jesus into heaven at His ascension (Acts 1:9); 

And this is the cloud that will display the glory of Jesus Christ when He returns in triumph to this earth (Luke 21:27).

What an amazing spectacle! Think of it! A cloud filled the house of the Lord with His glory. “For the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” (V11). The word “glory” in this verse means honor, splendor, glory, magnificence, brilliance, grandness. It is a word that expresses the impressiveness of God and His holy presence. It is hard to define the glory of God, but we could call it the “radiant outshining” of His character and presence.

In this incidence, the cloud’s presence was so overwhelming that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud. The extreme presence of the glory of God made normal service impossible. The sense of the presence of God was so intense that the priests felt it was impossible to continue in their ministry.

The Lord your God is living and powerful and He wants to show you His Shekinah Glory. Perhaps not as a visible spectacle or an overwhelming cloud, but if you prayerfully seek Him, He will reveal His extreme presence and radiant outshining in your life.

February 23 -- "A Place for God's Presence"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 4

"A Place for God's Presence"

Construction went on for seven years until the Temple, its furniture, its courtyard, and all other articles and decorations connected with it were completed according to plan. Solomon’s Temple (as it has come to be known) was a more permanent form of the Tabernacle (Tent of Meeting) which had been constructed under Moses’ leadership in the wilderness. It would become the new center of worship for the Israelite people.

It would be hard to overemphasize the importance to the Jews and to Judaism of the ceremony, the symbolism and the sacrifices involved in worship at the Temple in Jerusalem.  The Temple was the place where God dwelt among his people.  The Temple was the place where forgiveness for sins was obtained.  The Temple was the heart of what made a Jew a Jew.  The pilgrimage to the Temple at Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement or one of the other festivals was the highlight of the religious year - indeed it would become the highlight of the entire religious life of the Jew. The purpose all along for the building of the Temple was so that God could dwell amongst his people. 

While the Jewish Temple rituals held great weight for the Jewish people, their true meaning truly blossoms under the New Covenant ushered in by Jesus Christ. Each element of physical worship in the Temple served as a prefiguration of a deeper spiritual reality that finds its complete expression in Christ. For over a millennium, the Levitical priests carried out their daily and yearly duties, oblivious to the fact that they were living out a symbolic foreshadowing of the transformative New Covenant established through Jesus' sacrifice.

The purpose all along for the building of the Temple was so that God could dwell amongst his people without them seeing him directly. If the Temple was the place where God dwelt among his people, then one could argue that the entire focus of the Old Covenant worship was to establish a way to be in fellowship with God and to come into his presence.  This, too, is the focus of the New Covenant.

Once the  sacrifice of Jesus’ blood has been applied to us, we can come into the sanctuary - into the very place where God dwells.  As we spend time in quiet prayer, let us in our minds visualize entering into the Holy Place.  What do we find there?  There we find intimacy in our relationship with God. There we obtain forgiveness for our sins. There we find fellowship with our Creator. There we find the purpose for our existence - to dwell with our God.

February 22 -- "The Company You Keep"

 Today’s Reading: Proverbs 13

"The Company You Keep"

With whom do you spend your time? Think about this carefully because the people you choose to hang out with can have a dramatic effect on your spiritual health, your relationship with God, and your future. It has been said, “Show me a person’s company, and I will show you the person. Let me know the company he keeps, and I shall easily guess his moral character."

Choose your companions wisely. Here in Proverbs 13, we are told that “Whoever walks with the wise, becomes wise.” If you keep company with others who fear the Lord, and you spend time talking with them about spiritual things, and walk together with them in the ways of the Lord, then their good qualities will begin to “rub off on you.” Your spiritual life will improve by keeping wise company. Hang out with spiritually mature people, and you will begin to mature spiritually.

The opposite is also true, as we read in the second half of this verse, “The companion of fools will suffer harm.” The Apostle Paul confirmed this truth in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good morals." If you spend time with those who are not walking in the fear of the Lord, but rather follow worldly and fleshly pursuits, watch out! Your spiritual life will decline by keeping foolish company. Their values and morals will begin to “rub off on you,” and you run the risk of becoming like them. The end result of being a companion of fools is you will “suffer harm.” The King James Version puts this much more bluntly – “a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” And, that is the reality - following unwise and carnal people will ultimately lead you away from God and bring eternal harm to your soul.

This doesn’t mean you should disown your unsaved friends and family. After all, how will they call on the Lord if they haven’t heard of Him? And how are they to hear if you don’t tell them? You should be intent on preaching Christ to them and influencing them for God’s kingdom. Who knows, perhaps by God’s grace you will “rub off” on them?

Just make sure that your “companions” are those who follow Christ and walk in His ways.  Their spirituality and wisdom will rub off on you.