Category: devotional

Broken Cisterns (Jeremiah 2:12-13)

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Jeremiah 2:12-13

Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
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The world is full of lies, not least of which are the lies that the world itself contains what can satisfy our souls. God has created us in a very particular way with very particular needs. He has made us so that there is only one thing that will truly satisfy our souls at their deepest points. God has created us with a deep longing, an unquenchable desire, for himself and his glory. God has made us so that we will only find our hearts satisfied when we behold and proclaim the glory of the Lord. We will only truly be happy when we worship God.

The tragedy of our lives is that we go looking to the world to find satisfaction for our souls when the only thing that will satisfy us is the Lord. The illustration from Jeremiah 2 is perfect. We turn our backs on the well of clean, pure, living water, and we instead put our faces in the dust, mud, and dirt of the broken cisterns of the world. We turn to things that may not be bad in and of themselves, but which are incomplete replacements for the truly soul-satisfying glory of God. We look to food, drink, sex, or possessions to find our joy. Sadly, in doing so, we turn our back on seeking our satisfaction in the one place that our hearts can truly find satisfaction, God himself.

So, what is the solution? Is the solution to swear off eating and turn away from marriage? Of course not. The solution is to seek first our joy, our satisfaction, our purpose for living in the only place that satisfaction can be found: God himself. Then, once we have truly found our satisfaction in the deep well of God’s glory, we can be free to enjoy the things God has created in their proper place. We can satisfy our souls with the Lord, and then live in (but not of) the world and not be destroyed by the trinkets and tiny substitute pleasures it has to offer. A man who has drunk deeply of the well of pure living water will no longer be tempted to drink a muddy trickle from a broken and polluted well. Similarly, a man who is satisfied in God will be able to turn away from the foolish indulgences of the flesh.

Glory, Wrath, and Power (Isaiah 37:35-36)

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Isaiah 37:35-36 – “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
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In two verses of the Bible, we learn three major truths about our God that many people do not fully grasp. Here in Isaiah 37:35-36, we find ourselves at the end of a crisis situation for Jerusalem. The Assyrian army, a brutal force, is preparing to attack. The people of Jerusalem have no chance to stand before their attackers. Yet, God promises something special. God promises that the Assyrians will not overrun Jerusalem.

Now, to the things we learn about God. First, look at the reasoning that God gives for saving the city of Jerusalem. Many people think that, if God helps a person, it is because that person has done enough good things to earn God’s help and protection. But in Isaiah 37:35, God declares that he will protect Jerusalem for the sake of his own name and for the sake of his promises made to David. God is acting, in this setting, for the sake of promoting and protecting his own reputation, his own glory.

Thus, the first lesson that we must learn is the lesson continually repeated throughout the scriptures: God’s top priority is God’s own glory. When God acts, he acts for his glory. When God fulfills his promises, he fulfills them to his glory. When God loves us, he loves us in such a way that displays his glory. Because God loves us, he allows us to behold his infinitely wondrous glory. Everything that exists does so for the glory of God. Let us learn from this that all of life, all of who we are must be centered on the glory of God if it is to be what it is intended to be.

Secondly, we learn that there is a genuine wrath of God. When God’s glory is assaulted as it was by the Assyrian king’s arrogance, he responds very strongly. God sent an avenging angel to destroy those who would dare attack the city that held the temple of God. And if that was true then, it is still true now. We do not dishonor the name and glory of God without doing so at great risk. Perhaps we do not see God send angels to destroy armies as much today as we might have seen during the formative days of Israel; yet, it is still dangerous, infinitely dangerous, to dishonor God. He is concerned about his glory, and we dare not affront him.

Thirdly, in this passage, we see a glimpse of the mighty power of God. In one evening, God sent one angel, one servant of his, to take on an army of 185,000. There was no fight. There was no close call. There was no battle. There was no escape. An entire 185,000 soldiers fell before the angel of God. If God can take out 185,000 in one night without breaking a sweat, we had better understand that his power is far beyond what we often ponder. We would do very well to keep the awesome might of God in the front of our minds as we live out our daily lives.

In two verses of the Bible, we are reminded that God is focused on his own glory, that God has a frightening wrath toward those who dishonor that glory, and that God has the power to enforce his will and fulfill his promises. This God we serve is awesome. He is glorious. His glory is the most important thing in the world. And we, if we are wise, will rightly reverence and fear him. IF we are wise, we will give him glory with all that we have. Even if we are in Christ and freed from any danger of his wrath, let us never fail to give our God the glory due his name.

Good Affliction (Psalm 119:71)

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Psalm 119:71 – It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
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O how sadly we have confused prosperity in this life with the blessing of God! O how sadly we have confused affliction in this life with being somehow forgotten by God! Our modern, success-driven minds simply do not have a category for the glorious truth that is revealed by God in Psalm 119:71. Take a look once more at the verse, and see what David says is good.

David declared it good that he was afflicted. Why was his affliction good? His affliction was good, because it led to his learning and treasuring the law of God. David’s tough life circumstances, his hardships, his struggles actually led to him learning to love and follow the word of God more and more in his life. This all caused David to say that it was good, actually a positive thing, that he suffered. David understood that it is far better for him to love God’s law than it is for him to be comfortable.

How radical is this kind of thinking? It certainly does not sell well. You will not hear a Psalm 119:71 sermon at a seeker-driven church or on any of our prosperity preaching pseudo-Christian television programs. Why not? Because in order to embrace the truth of Psalm 119:71, you have to embrace an eternal, God-oriented worldview. In order to love Psalm 119:71, you have to love that God is in control of all things, including your affliction, and that it is good for God to allow you to suffer if it will lead you to see his greater glory.

So, where are you today? Do you understand that God is so in control of the world that your affliction can actually be good? Do you embrace such an eternal worldview that you are willing to suffer in this life if it will lead to eternal joy in the presence of your Lord? Are you willing to give up temporary happiness in order to gain eternal soul-satisfaction? Are you willing to understand that the blessing of God does not equal a successful earthly present life? If you are willing to accept these things, then you can embrace the beautiful teaching of God found in Psalm 119:71.

An Acknowledgement of Justice (Revelation 16:5-7)

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Revelation 16:5-7 -And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”
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This text, found in the middle of the bowl judgments in the book of Revelation, reminds us of a very significant point. Regardless of how harsh the judgment, in eternity, all who witness the judgments of God will declare those judgments to be just and right. In our lives, we experience many things that are very difficult to comprehend. We struggle to know why it is that God would allow certain things to happen. We may, if we allow our sinful minds to wander, actually wonder if God is doing the right thing. But, when all is said and done, none of us will question the will and the works of God when we are in his presence for eternity.

Before putting this thought away, think of the significance of it. There are things that we will discover in eternity that, if we understood them now, might seem hard to take. But in eternity, there will be no question. If we find, in eternity, that someone was not truly saved that we believed to be saved, we will not accuse God of being unfair or unjust. We will declare what we see the altar declare in verse 7 above, that God’s ways are just. If we find that a truly evil person on earth was saved on their death bed, we will not complain. Instead, we will declare that God’s mercy is great and wonderful to behold.

It will do us good to acknowledge here on earth that we know that in eternity, all of God’s works and all of God’s ways are perfect. Even if we do not understand how God does things or why he does them the way that he does, we will never question his perfection or his justice. And if it is true that we will not question those things in eternity, maybe we can better learn to trust him now.

Still My Brother (1 John 4:2-3)

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1 John 4:2-3 – By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
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These verses were good ones for me to read this morning, and are likely good for the readers of any Christian Blog. As we study, pray, and strive toward godliness in all that we do, it is often easy to find ourselves drawing battle lines in connection with theological issues. This practice is not all bad, as we must be careful to discern which doctrines are of God and which are not. However, we also need to be careful to remember that theological differences, if not primary-level issues, are not reasons to consider someone to be outside of the faith.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a difficult story. God is perfect in every way. He is also just, and must justly punish sin. Man is sinful. All human beings, with the exception of Jesus Christ, have sinned and earned for themselves the wrath of God for infinitely offending an infinitely holy God. None of us could ever pay the penalty for our own sins, as the penalty would never end. But Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to pay the penalty for all who would come to him. Jesus’ death was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. All who repent of their sins and come to Jesus, in faith believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus’ death on the cross is sufficient to pay the penalty for all their sins, have their sins forgiven.

Those who believe the true, biblical gospel of Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters in Christ. These people may disagree over all sorts of issues. We may disagree over issues of free will and predestination, over the timing of Jesus’ second coming, over Purpose-Driven or 9-Marks church models, over the biblical definition of baptism; but if we agree on the gospel, we need to recognize that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. There are people who embody the spirit of antichrist. The text above tells us that those people are those who deny Jesus.

Where I am challenged this morning is to recognize that there are people out there, people with whom I strongly disagree regarding certain doctrinal issues or ministry approaches, but who are still believers in Christ. While I will never stop seeking truth in theology and right doctrine in our churches, I must be careful to remember that there is room for others to differ with me on issues that are not the gospel, and yet if we agree on the gospel, those others are still my brothers and sisters in Christ.

By no means should anyone read this and take it for a call to stop disagreeing over theological issues that are not the gospel. There are important doctrines that must be discussed and understood. There are strong, God-glorifying debates to be had. But, we must learn to have such debates with a spirit of love and humility. We must learn to remember that, if it’s not the gospel, it still may be important, it may still be worthy of a strong discussion, but those on either side who have Christ as Savior are truly brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Immediately after publishing this post, I read an article about the meeting of the Anglican Church in New Orleans that reminded me that I had better come back and clarify just a bit more. If someone in the church is clearly denying the authority of the scripture to regulate our life and doctrine, we can not have genuine Christian fellowship with them. While it is possible that such a person may have come to Christ for grace, they deny so much at the very heart of Christianity that they will eventually tolerate or even encourage sin. The Bible is clear that in such a case, we can not treat such a person as a brother or sister in Christ. So, in the case of those claiming Christ but who are ordaining homosexual ministers or performing homosexual marriages, we are divided too deeply to truly have fellowship as believers. We can not claim to love Jesus and then present a wholesale denial of his commands. If you love Jesus, you will obey his commands (John 14:15).

Shocking Grace (2 Chronicles 33:12-13)

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2 Chronicles 33:12-13 – And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
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How Gracious is God? I do not think we can even begin to imagine.

King Manasseh was arguably the most wicked king Israel had ever known. He did everything wrong. He worshipped idols. He set up idols in the temple. He sacrificed children to false gods. He did evil and led the people of Judah into evil. And, as you would expect, God sent in an enemy force to take care of this king.

But then come verses 12 and 13, and anyone who reads this story for the first time should be amazed. Manasseh, while in distress, calls out to God, repents, and God forgives him. God forgives him! God, the Holy and Just God who can not allow evil to stand before him, forgave this evil, idol worshipping king.

There are lots of things to think about when pondering this event, but let’s think about one thing: God is absolutely, positively, unbelievably gracious. There is absolutely nothing that compares to the infinite, matchless, unfathomable grace of God. He forgave an evil king who broke every law he could think to break. Yet, when he repented and placed his faith in God, when he cried out to God for grace, God forgave him.

If God can forgive Manasseh, you can bet that there is nothing that you or I can do that God can not forgive. He can forgive anyone of anything, so long as they come to him in faith, trusting in Jesus Christ for forgiveness. Nothing in your past, your present, or your future can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. If you are in Christ, you are forgiven, as forgiven as Manasseh. This is no license to sin; but it is a wonderful reminder of the great depth and beauty of God’s grace.

And, lest you say that you are not as forgiven as Manasseh, let me remind you that all of us have sinned before God. God is infinite in his perfections. Therefore, all sin before that infinitely perfect God is an infinite offense before him. The sins of Manasseh or your own tendency toward selfishness are each worthy of an eternity in hell. Yet God has offered you grace in Christ, a grace that pays the infinite price for your sins and makes you clean enough to live with God forever. Grace truly is amazing.

3 Simple Truths (Psalm 86:5)

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Psalm 86:5 – For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
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Sometimes the simplest truths of Christianity are the absolute best for us to remember. This verse, in the middle of the Old Testament, reminds us of so very much of God’s character. He is good. He is forgiving. He abounds in steadfast, covenant-keeping love toward all who seek him.

Think, just for a moment, if any one of those things was not true of God. If God were not good, we would have no understanding of good. Were God cruel, evil, capricious, or just plain mean, we would have absolutely no hope of anything. We could not trust in his promises. We could not find meaning in our suffering. We would be in utter despair.

Were God not forgiving, we would all be lost. God is holy and perfectly so. He is pure, righteous, and he must punish our sin. Were God not forgiving, it would be for you and me to pay the penalty for our sin before God. Since we have sinned, offering infinite offense before an infinitely holy God, we would have to suffer an infinite punishment for the punishment to match our crime. Were God not forgiving, we would all suffer an eternity in hell.

If God did not abound in love toward those who call on him, we would have no hope of being forgiven. God saves those who call upon him for salvation. God loves those he saves. Thus, we have hope for our eternity, because God abounds in steadfast love toward us if we have come to know him by calling on the name of Jesus, the one name in which we can find salvation.

Think of this verse the next time that you are suffering a hardship. Let it help you to focus your mind rightly as you evaluate your circumstances. No matter what you experience or what your friends tell you, these truths are sure: God is good, God is forgiving, and God abounds in love for those who call upon him.

Truth (John 18:37)

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John 18:37 – Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
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Christians will say a lot to be thought of as tolerant; especially since the world has branded Christianity as intolerant or closed-minded. We, of course, are actually closed-minded, as we believe that there is only one way to heaven—through Jesus. But, as many Christians attempt to share the gospel with people from other religions, often they are tempted to say something to make themselves look more tolerant and open-minded. Such a statement might sound like this: “We know that there is truth in all religions.”

That statement may sound open-minded, and it is in fact open-minded, but it is not true to Christianity; and we would do well to stop using it. Look again at the words of Jesus to Pilate in the verse above. Jesus said that everyone who is on the side of truth hears his voice. Jesus is claiming exclusive ownership of truth. In John 14:6, Jesus claimed to himself be the truth. So, while there maybe correct statements of fact in other world religions, we ought never to go so far as to say that those religions have truth in them.

Let me illustrate. Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists would all generally agree that committing murder is wrong. Because of that fact, many Christians would argue that Islam and Buddhism have “truth” in them. However, we do not actually agree as to why murder is wrong. Buddhists might say that murder is wrong because of the cosmic connection between all living things (I’m guessing here, as I really don’t know). But that is most certainly not the reason why murder is wrong from a Christian understanding. A Muslim may say that murder is wrong because the Creator has declared it to be wrong. This, of course, sounds really true. However, we must recognize that Christians and Muslims have a fundamental disagreement about the identity of the Creator. Thus, while Muslims and Christians agree that the one who created us declares murder to be wrong, we are on opposite ends of the spectrum as to who that Creator is. So, while the Buddhist and the Muslim agree with the Christian that we ought not murder, we do not agree from fundamental truth. Thus, we must not say that the Buddhist and Muslim opposition to murder is “truth” in those religions.

The fact is, Jesus declared that all who grasp truth hear his voice. He claims exclusive right to the claim of truth. For us to say that other religions have truth, then, is for us to declare that other religions have Jesus. Since other religions do not have Jesus, other religions do not have truth, not real Truth with a capital T.

Christians, it is time to stop trying to win points with those with whom you are sharing the gospel by compromising the claims of Christ. Jesus claims to be the truth. Tell them that instead of trying to make them think you are an open-minded person by accepting part of their religion. Christianity is an all-or-nothing proposition. It is Jesus or nothing. So, let’s make sure that we do not say anything different. Jesus is the truth, and that is enough.

The Danger of Success (2 Chronicles 26:16)

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2 Chronicles 26:16 – But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
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Perhaps the most dangerous time in life that any of us faces is when things are going well. We strive for and often pray for prosperity. Some Christian teachers shout from the roof tops that success is our due as children of God the King. However, it might be wise for us all to recognize that with worldly success comes the greatest of dangers. With success, comes the danger of pride.

King Uzziah started well. The Bible indicates that he was one of the kings who followed the Lord. Yet, at the end of his lifetime, he became arrogant in his success. He went into the temple to burn incense before the Lord even though doing so was forbidden to all except for the Levites. King Uzziah assumed that his success meant that he could do anything he pleased. And his pride led to his own destruction. That day, in the temple, he was struck by the Lord with leprosy. Uzziah died in disgrace because he became proud during the time of success.

Before moving on, I must also mention that this passage teaches us very clearly that God is the one who will decide how he will be worshipped. It is not for us to come up with new and creative ways to worship that are beyond the principles of scripture. God has told us what to do that will please him. We dare not assume, as did Uzziah, that we can come up with a new and better way to honor our Lord. So, let us learn to embrace the things that God has told us to do: pray, sing, read the scripture, listen and respond as the scripture is taught, participate in the ordinances, etc.

But, what about this pride issue? Uzziah became prideful during the time of success and he fell. How is life going for you? If it is going very well, be careful. Be careful not to allow your success to make you grow soft in your diligence to worship God. Do not let the success with which God has blessed you to make you think more highly of yourself than you ought. Instead, realize that with success comes the danger of self-destructive pride.

And, what about you who are not doing so well. You are facing challenge after challenge. My advice to you is to recognize that, at times, a lack of success is God’s protection against the danger of pride. It is far better to have some struggles and to work through them to the glory of God than it is to have success followed by pride followed by destruction. Sure, you will strive to succeed, but only do so to the glory of God. Seek success if that success will honor Christ. Make the glory of God your main priority, not earthly riches, fame, or comforts. You can find the glory of Christ in the midst of your darkest trials, truly succeeding no matter what your circumstances. And, as your heart is focused on the glory of God, you will be protected from the destructive pride that brought down King Uzziah.

A Look at Christians & Politics (2 Chronicles 20:31-33)

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2 Chronicles 20:31-33 – Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.
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For the most part, King Jehoshaphat was a good king. He had his flaws, but he followed God as he had seen his father follow God. When he messed up, he repented, and he strove to lead the nation of Judah back to following the Lord. However, at the end of his life, we see that, no matter how much King Jehoshaphat enforced the rule that the people should worship only the Lord, the text tells us that the people’s hearts were not fully for God.

There is a lesson in that last line of the scriptures. No matter how good a king or government is, that king or government can never cause people to change in their hearts. It would not make more people become believers in Jesus if we had an entirely Christian government. The hearts of men are dark, deceitful, and wicked. No governmental structure, no state endorsed church, could ever do anything to make the people of a land actually follow God in their hearts.

For us here in America, we can learn from Jehoshaphat. First, we learn that our nation was pretty wisely put together. Unlike our forefathers in England, we have no established state church. Our founders understood that no government-run church could ever actually change the hearts of the people. At the same time, they designed our government so that Christians would be free to follow Christ with their whole hearts with no penalty from the government.

Second, we can realize that political reform must not be the end-all mission of the church. I am all for Christians voting. We have been granted a great responsibility to elect men and women of character who will lead our nation in ways that will honor God and promote justice. However, we must recognize that, no matter whom we elect, we will never change our nation through the political sphere. The nation can have wonderful, godly leaders, but if the hearts of the people do not change, nothing will truly change in the nation. While evil acts like abortion, gay marriage, and euthanasia (to only name a few) are things that Christians should stand and vote against, we dare not think that stopping those things will have made us a Christian or God-honoring nation. If we want our nation to change, if we want our world to change, the solution is not politics; the solution is the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let us learn from the life an times of Jehoshaphat. Let us be committed to changing a nation by changing the hearts of people through the power of God and the gospel. Start locally. Share the gospel. Begin a true revolution by taking the love of Jesus to a lost and dying world.