Devotion back log

May 30, 2011
The trap of ambition
It is okay to dream. It is okay to achieve your dream (Pro 13:12,19). Sometimes in the midst of our pursuit of the vision God has given us, we get drawn in to someone else’s agenda. We continue to defer our hope until our heart is sick and we are disoriented. Our dream is within our reach, but we are afraid to grasp it. The world whispers in our ear, “What about success, status, power and wealth? Don’t you want those things?” (Pro 11:6) If you’re not careful you’ll be wooed from God’s calling into the world’s empty promises. God delights in fulfilling your dreams. It’s okay to receive His gifts with thankfulness.

May 31, 2011
Anger management
Exhibitions of anger are not always sinful, but they are so rarely righteous, they should be avoided altogether. (Pro 14:17, 29, 15:1) Anger is usually a selfish reaction to a personal offense. It is rarely the righteous sort of anger that Jesus demonstrated when he turned over the tables of the money changers. We normally regret a fit of temper and end up “eating crow” because we react before we know the whole story. A mature look at anger sees that it is only destructive and does not accomplish the goals about which we are so passionate (Jam 1:19-20). Controlling your temper is a discipline, but it can be achieved.

Devotion back log

May 28, 2011
The greatest gift
The greatest gift a young man can seek is a wife. (Pro 5:18-19) She will balance him, console him, encourage him and keep him from the path of death. (Pro 7:22-27) The greatest blessing for an old man is his wife. She knows him as well as he knows himself. She advises him, admonishes him, ministers to him, and satisfies him with deep fellowship. Young men, the secret to godly living is a godly wife. Old man, the key to endurance is a steadfast mate. Lord, thank you for my wife of twenty-six years!

May 29, 2011
The wise never admit it
Solomon’s highest value was wisdom. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, but another key is“teachability.” The most foolish thing one can do is allow his pride to prevent him from learning. The wise person admits that he does not know and is eager to learn (Pro 10:8,17). The wise implement a system of constant learning. A wise person never feels like he has achieved wisdom and can afford to be unteachable. Are you still learning? Do you have a system of discipline in place?

Your money or your life?

The mugger offers the man in the alley a choice, “Your money or your life?” It’s an easy decision for the victim, “Take everything I have, but let me live!” If he loved his money he would lose his life. The world is subtly offering us the same choice, but most of the time we choose the money! If you’re not careful, you can slowly trade your vitality for wealth (Pro 1:19). Life is not about material, comfort, luxury, status or power. “You fool! This very night your soul will be required of you!” (Luk 12:20) Lord, free me from the grip of Mammon and help me to seek your kingdom.

A better way to live

Your success or failure does not ultimately depend on your work, but on the Lord’s will. Therefore it is foolish to neglect your relationship with God while you give yourself to Mammon. (Psa 127:1-2) Hard work is not inherently evil, but “success / survival anxiety” is. Jesus said, “Do not work for the food which perishes.” (Joh 6:27) “Do worry about what you will eat.” (Mat 6:31) “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Luk 9:25) Seek first His kingdom because unless the Lord builds a house, they labor in vain who build it. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Phil 4:6-7). Humble yourself, casting all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you (1Pe 5:7).

Manage your expectations

Sheba testified that Solomon had it all; wisdom, wealth and God’s love (1Ki 10:6-9). Yet we know from Ecclesiastes that Solomon was not satisfied. What was the problem? It might have been that Solomon expected too much. Even with all that he had, Solomon’s life was not perfect. It never is. Into every life a little rain must fall. Solomon’s pursuit of perfection on earth resulted in frustration. “Vanity of vanities, chasing the wind,” he said. (Ecc 1:2,14) If you are expecting everything to go your way you are chasing the wind. A big part of mental health is expectation management.

God in a box

God gave Israel the Temple and Judaism as method of relating to Him. As long as their hearts were right, He honored the system (2Ch 7:15-20). However, if they abandoned their relationship with the living God, the system became disposable (Isa 1:10-17). The underlying principles were more important than the symbols God ordained to illustrate them. The same is true for your system of worship. As long as your “religion” helps you maintain a genuine relationship with the real God it is helpful. But the minute you begin to value the ritual more than the relationship your system becomes disposable. God has ordained the Church, but if our hearts stray our candlestick will be removed (Rev 2:5). Do you worship your system or the Spirit (Joh 4:24)?

Knowing the unknowable

The Lord said that He lives in a thick cloud of darkness (2Ch 6:1). His ways are inscrutable. He is beyond our ability to comprehend. Yet, He condescends to us in order to make himself more “manageable” to the human mind. The temple was an example of God coming down to our level. Solomon acknowledged that the heavens could not contain God, let alone the temple (1Ki 8:27). Nevertheless, God chose to relate to Israel though the Temple with the ultimate goal being worldwide fear of the God (1Ki 8:43). In our day God chooses to manifest Himself in a new Temple, Jesus (Mat 26:61). Jesus is His exact representation, the radiance of His glory (Heb 1:3). He is Immanuel, God with us (Mat 1:23). Jesus is “knowable,” personal, relational. Do you know God through Jesus, or are you still in the dark?

Devotion back log

May 21, 2011
Loving Leadership
King Hiram said of Solomon, “It is because the Lord loves his people that He has made you king over them.” (2Ch 2:11) This is the true purpose of leadership; to communicate God’s love to his people. In biblical terms loves equals sacrifice. Who in his right mind would assume the mantle of leadership unless God had appointed him to do so? Certainly rank has its privileges, and many are motivated by wealth, status and power but these are poor compensation for the sacrifice that godly leadership requires. A true leader is one who assumes the position to bless (not fleece) those in his charge. A true leader is a servant and the service of leadership requires the life of the leader. Is it because the Lord loves his people that you are in charge, or is there something more sinister that is motivating you?

May 22, 2011
Blue collar blessings
It takes all kinds to build the kingdom. Huram was a noble craftsman. He was half Hebrew, and half Tyrian (2Ch 2:13), but his name means “noble born.” He was skilled in all manner of construction and he built the temple for Solomon (2Ch 4:16). It would have been easy for Huram to have an insecurity complex about his mixed breeding and his blue collar bent, but he didn’t. He applied himself to perfecting the gifts God had given him and he is ultimately recognized for his great contribution to the kingdom. Too often we try to make “cookie cutter” Christians. We need to believe what Paul writes in Romans 12:6-7 and 1Corinthian 12:4-7. There are many gifts, but one Lord. All gifts are for the common good. All should be appreciated. Don’t feel like a second class citizen in the kingdom because you can’t sing or preach. Use the gifts God has given you to his glory.

Living with your enemies

David had a major beef with his general Joab, but for all of his life he took no decisive action against him. Joab murdered Amasa and Abner because they were competition for his job (1Ki 2:31-33). Perhaps David feared Joab. Perhaps he felt obligated to Joab for doing his dirty work with Uriah (2Sam 11). For some reason he chose to tolerate a conniving murderer as his commanding general. The lesson is that nothing is ever perfect. Some chronic problems must simply be endured. Some issues are not ours to sort out. Vengeance is the Lord’s and sometimes He chooses to let us live with a thorn in the flesh (Rom 12:19, 2Co 12:7).

The voice of liberty

Are you serving a foreign god? (Psa 81:8-10) If you are relying on anything besides Jesus for significance, security, sustainment, purpose, or blessing then you are committing idolatry. Idolatry leads to bondage. If you find yourself enslaved by your own choices listen to the voice of freedom (Psa 81:5-7). If you ignore the voice long enough you will have to live with your stubborn ways and your own ideas (Psa 81:11-12). I can think of no greater fear than living without the help and blessings of the Lord in favor of some other thing or system whose promises prove to be hollow. No one can serve two masters (Mat 6:24).

Be careful about what you crave

What you want is not always what you need. Israel craved meat in the wilderness. They doubted and challenged God’s ability to satisfy them. He satisfied them and more! While the meat was still in their mouths, God’s anger rose against them (Psa 78:29-31). You may not like what you want. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what will really satisfy you. Submit to his will. Trust that he is sovereign and He will satisfy your soul (Psa 37:3-4).

The bonds of bitterness

There is much evil in the world. Things don’t always go our way and sometimes wickedness wins. It is easy to become disillusioned, but bitterness is a trap. If you allow yourself to slip you are only harming yourself and those around you. If you harbor bitterness, it will eat you alive. If you deprive others of ministry or worse, cause them to stumble, then the devil has beaten you. The Lord is with you even when you are disoriented and blinded. He has a plan for you. Though you are weak, He is strong. (Psa 73:21-26)

A warrior’s love

The Lord loves warriors. Many of God’s favorites were soldiers. Abraham demonstrated military leadership when he and his army rescued Lot (Gen 14). Moses fought his share of battles. Joshua trained under Moses and won the victories in the Promised Land. God raised up David and made him a warrior (Psa 89:19-21, Psa 144:1). God loves a person who is willing to fight and sacrifice for his people. You don’t have to be in the military to develop a soldier’s character. Whatever God has called you to do the values of loyalty, duty, respect, service, honor, integrity, and courage will stand you in good stead and endear you to the Great Warrior (Zeph 3:17).

Redemption, not exemption

Times of distress, disorientation and depression are normal even to the person who walks with the Lord. David felt all this and more. He was losing hope and being paralyzed with fear (Psa 143:4-7). The difference between the godly and the wicked is not the absence of distress, but how we deal with it. David laid it before the Lord. He poured out his honest thoughts and feelings. He pleaded for relief based on God’s historic faithfulness and future reputation (Psa 143:11). Times of trouble don’t mean that God has abandoned you. In fact, during the down times we often develop a deeper more genuine relationship with the Lord.

Devotion back log

May 13, 2011
David’s Code of Conduct
David gives some excellent life advice in Psalm 101. Verse 2: I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. In other words, “I will be congruous; the same person in private as I am in public.” Verse 3: I refuse to look at anything vile or vulgar. I think this applies to more than pornography. Gratuitous violence any vain thing would be included. Verse 4: I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. Don’t even flirt with the dark side. It has a way of entrapping you. Verse 6: I will search for faithful people to be my companions. You become like the company you keep. Iron sharpens iron and one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. These are four excellent maxims for keeping us out of trouble and leading us to a blessed life.

May 14, 2011
Reminders to Remember
Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me. Bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not His benefits (Psa 103:1-2). Sometimes when all our needs are met and we are comfortable and secure we forget the source of those blessings. It is helpful to remember that it is the Lord who sustains, guides and blesses us. Another exercise is to ask the question that David asks in Psa 124, “What if the Lord had not been on our side?” Where would you be without the Lord’s blessings, grace and guidance? What futility would you be involved in? Who would your friends and family be? Would you be comfortable and secure? Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not His benefits!

Weighing the wind

Common people are a puff of wind and powerful people are not what they appear. When weighed on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air. (Psa 62:9) Most people spend their lives in a relentless pursuit of self-worth. They measure their value by career, rank, and wealth. I think that most of them are miserable because the pursuit is never ending. They can never be confident that, of the 6 billion people on earth, they are among the elite. When they try to assure themselves that they are, they come off as extremely egotistical. What makes a person valuable? We have inherent value in that we are created in the image of God and Christ died for us. What can we do to increase our value? Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows God. (Jer 9:24)

Are you singing or slipping?

The Lord will trade your burdens for a song. When you lose your way and find yourself on unfamiliar, slippery ground the Lord invites you to give your burdens to him. He will keep you from falling and set your feet on solid ground (Psa 40:2, 55:22) When I am carrying a heavy burden and I have lost my sense of purpose, I need a new song. Lord, give me direction and place my feet on solid ground.

The yoke of rest

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psa 37:3-4) Have faith, do good, abide in God’s blessing, encourage others, enjoy the Lord, and He is will shape your desires and give them to you. It is good and pleasant and restful to walk with the Lord. Why would we ever do anything else? This seems like such a “no-brainer.” But for some reason we lose faith, do wrong, forsake God’s blessing, discourage others and resent the Lord. Just as the former is an upward cycle, so the latter is a downward spiral. If you want rest for your soul, put on the yoke of Christ. (Mat 11:28-30)

Devotion back log

May 7, 2011
Relevance and Resonance
I love the Scriptures because they are relevant (Heb 4:12 “living and active”). Before I knew anything any thing about inerrancy or infallibility, I resonated with the Scriptures insight into my life. The psalmist captures this idea in Psalm 19:8, “The commandments of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” In addition to the miraculous nature of the Word (unity, prophecy etc.), it is extremely practical. The Scriptures warn us about common pitfalls of life and following their guidance yields great reward (Psa 19:13). If you don’t have a daily discipline of reading, studying, hearing, memorizing and meditating on the Bible, you are missing one of God’s most precious gifts.

May 8, 2011
Songs of real life
Psalm 30:5 captures the theme of the psalms, “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may last through the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” The psalms are songs of real life; sometimes up and sometimes down. The power is in expressing yourself to God with an open and honest heart. They give us insight into what it means to have a “personal relationship” with God. Engage with the Lord, in good times and bad. He loves to hear your praises and He can handle you sorrow as well. He will guide you in the path of life and watch over you. (Psa 32:8)

May 9, 2011
Don't blame the leader
It struck me this morning how many references to the Lord leading and guiding there are in the Psalms. (Psa 23:3, 25:4, 8-13) The problem is not a lack of guidance. The problem is a failure to follow. He has shown you O man what is good…(Mic 6:8). The question is, do you trust Him? Are you willing to make the temporal sacrifices to inherit eternal gain? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? (Luk 9:25)

Rememdies for the Restless Soul

David offered two solutions for the unsettled spirit. He wrote, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent…trust the Lord.” (Psa 4:4-5) How many conflicts are cleared up with the mere passing of time? When we are confronted we react immediately and emotionally. In the long run we’d do better to think about it awhile and react rationally, giving others the benefit of the doubt (1Co 13 “Love believes all things.”) The second remedy is for when the world seems out of control. “The foundations of the world have collapsed, what can the righteous do? But the Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord still rules from heaven.” (Psa 11:3-4) When life seems chaotic and evil seems to have the upper hand, remember God is soveriegn. Nothing is out of His control. “Lo, I am with you always. Even to the end of the age.” (Mat 28:20)

The importance of purpose

As David aged he needed to adjust his purpose. As a young man he was a shepherd. He became a warrior, then a king. In his golden years he became a builder. He took on the enormous task of preparing the plans and materials for the temple (1Ch 29:1). He poured his life and resources into preparing the temple for Solomon, and Solomon for the temple. In his total devotion to the task he gave all of his personal resources (1Ch 29:3). A sense of purpose is very important. I learn from David that my purpose may evolve, but I must always have a cause worthy of my total devotion. Lord, guide me to my task and strengthen me to devote myself wholly to it.

You can’t do it all, but you can do something

Just because it’s a good idea, doesn’t mean we should do it. David wanted to build a temple, but the Lord told him not to do because, as a warrior, he had shed much blood (1Ch 28:3). David was disqualified from that particular avenue of service. He did not sulk, pout or quit. He found other ways to serve! The Lord did allow him to plan for the temple. In fact, God gave him the blueprints (1Ch 28:19) and charged him with passing the mission on to his son, Solomon (1Ch 28:7-9). Are you continually frustrated with some avenue of ministry? Perhaps it’s not your lane. What can you do to enable others, the next generation, to do great things for God?

The purpose of a priest

What the priests were to Israel, the Church is to the world. The priests were set apart (sanctified, made holy, sainted) in order to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices, to serve the Lord and to pronounce blessings in His name (1Ch 23:13). The Church is a nation of priests, chosen to proclaim Christ’s excellencies to the world (1Pe 2:9). We offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1-2). We dedicate and serve the holy ones, the saints (Eph 1:4, 1Th 1:7-12). We are to bless those around us (Mat 5:13-14, Col 4:5-6). There is no more temple building. We are the temple (1Co 3:16, 1Pe 2:5). There is no distinction between laity and clergy. Every believer is a saint, every saint a servant, every member a minister. We are the Church (Mat 18:20). The gates of hell will not prevail against us (Mat 16:18). Go, therefore and make disciples…(Mat 28:18-20).

Good, evil and freedom

2Samuel 24:1 records that the Lord incited David to conduct a census. 1Chronicles 21:1 states that Satan rose up against Israel by causing David to take the census. How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction? Even evil is subject to God’s sovereignty. God allows Satan to do his worst and then turns the result to His own ends. The Lord allowed the serpent into the garden. God challenged the devil to a dual over Job. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. What is amazing is that in all this, man somehow maintains his freedom. David acknowledged that, ultimately, it was his decision to count the people (2Sam 24:10). The Lord uses the devil to present us with opportunities to glorify Him. Sometimes we fail the test.

April 28, 2011
No basis for complaint
At the first sign of challenge from Absalom, David fled the city. (2Sam 15:14) Why would the mighty warrior give up without a fight? Surely he did not want to fight his own son. He loved him to the end. But I think David was resigned to face the consequences of his sin. He fell on the mercy of the court. He said, “If God is through with me then I will do what seems best to Him.” (2Sam 15:25) David was completely humbled. He realized that every blessing in his life was by the grace of God. He deserved nothing. He didn’t fight to maintain his position. He was willing to suffer if it was God’s will. He placed himself in the hands of a faithful Creator and trusted His judgment. (1Pe 4:19)

April 29, 2011
A fatal loss of perspective
Ahithophel put a lot of stock in his career as a king’s advisor. So much so, that the first time he failed, he killed himself. (2Sam 17:23) Obviously all of his self-esteem, significance and security were wrapped up in his job. This often happens to soldiers as well. They forget how to function apart from the military. They have no self-image other than what the Army provides for them. But life is not about what you do. It’s about who you know (i.e. the Lord and his people). Ahithophel could have retired into obscurity and enjoyed many years of sweet fellowship with the Lord and helpful ministry to those around him. Instead he chose to make one last statement…and a foolish one at that! It’s ironic that a life of wisdom is punctuated be such foolishness.

April 30, 2011
Wisdom for strength
There came a time in David’s life when his leadership was more important than his physical prowess. He was nearly defeated by a Philistine when his soldiers came to this realization and forbade him from going to battle any more. (2Sam 21:15-17) I’m sure it was a blow to David’s ego, but he had to reconcile himself to the fact that he was getting older, and weaker. It is difficult for the men to deal with declining strength. We become less capable and more dependant. The consolation is that we are much wiser than we were in our youth. The key is to trade wisdom for strength and invest in the next generation. (Pro 20:29, 2Ti 4:6-7)

May 1, 2011
Be humble or be humiliated
The Almighty delighted in David. (2Sa 22:20, Psa 18:19) Like a powerful tycoon who crushes his enemies, but loves his grandchildren, so God favors his own. God favors the faithful, true, pure and humble but he humiliates the proud (2Sa 22:26-27, Psa 18:25-27). This is the lesson that the people of God have learned and taught through the ages. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1Pe 5:5). To be opposed by the Almighty is a “no win” situation. But when the Lord of all delights in you, you are in the safest place there is.