A 45-Year-Old Promise
The Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses. —Joshua 14:1
Nola Ochs, a student at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, took a break from her studies recently to celebrate her 95th birthday. She began attending college at Fort Hays in 1930 but didn’t graduate. When she realized she was only a few credits away from earning her degree, she returned to the university in 2006. Nola is not going to let her age prevent her from honoring a commitment over 76 years ago to finish her education.
In Joshua 14 we read that Caleb did not allow his advancing age to prevent him from believing that God would still honor His promise given 45 years earlier (vv.10-12). As one of the original scouts sent into the Promised Land, he saw large cities inhabited by powerful people of great stature (Num. 13:28-33).
But Caleb was faithful to God and believed He would help the Israelites conquer the land (14:6-9). At 85 years of age, Caleb was still physically strong and his faith unwavering. He trusted that God would help him to conquer the land, even though it still had giants. So Joshua blessed Caleb with his portion of the land, fulfilling God’s 45-year-old promise.
Like Caleb, we must not allow age, our personal giants, or yet-unfulfilled promises to prevent us from believing that God still honors His word to us.If God’s creation helps us see
What wonders He can do,
Then we can trust His promises,
For they are always true.
Every promise of God comes with His personal guarantee.
Shakespeare’s Translation?
No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. —2 Peter 1:20
Some have speculated that William Shakespeare helped translate the King James Bible. They say that he inserted a cryptogram (a message written in code) while he translated Psalm 46. In this psalm, the 46th word from the beginning is shakespear. Furthermore, in 1610, while the King James Bible was being translated, Shakespeare would have been 46 years old. Despite these coincidences, no serious evidence supports this theory. and the 46th word from the end is
Some people also claim to have found hidden meanings when interpreting the Bible. Certain cults will cite a verse out of context, only to lead someone into heretical doctrine. Some quote John 14:16, for example, and say that the “Helper” refers to their “new revelation.” When compared with other Scripture, however, the Helper whom Jesus sent to us is obviously the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-14; Acts 2:1-4).
The apostle Peter wrote, “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). To interpret a biblical passage accurately, we must always consider the context and compare it with other Scripture. This respects the clear meaning of the Bible without trying to find hidden meaning in it.God’s Word does not have secret codes
That need a special key;
It’s understandable and clear,
With truth for all to see.
The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself.
An Old Man’s Prayer
I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications. —Daniel 9:3
Have you heard the story about the 85-year-old man who was arrested for praying?
You probably have. That’s the story of Daniel, an elderly Jewish resident in Babylon sentenced to death for faithfully talking to God (Dan. 6).
Although the prayer that sent Daniel to the lions’ den is his most famous talk with God (6:11), it wasn’t the only time we see him in prayer.
In Daniel 9, we read an example of how he prayed. Daniel had been reading in his scroll of Jeremiah that the captivity of his people would last 70 years, and the people were 67 years into the exile (Jer. 25:8-11). He was eager for it to end.
God had called His people to live righteously, but they weren’t doing that. Daniel decided to live righteously despite their lack of faith. He began to pray that God would not delay the end of the captivity.
As he prayed, Daniel focused on worship and confession. His pattern of prayer gives us an important insight into talking to God. We are to recognize that God is “great and awesome” (v.4) and that “we have sinned” (v.15). In prayer, we praise and confess.
Let’s follow Daniel’s lead. To him, prayer was as vital as life itself.
No one stands as tall as a Christian on his knees.
Two Wayward Brothers
It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again. —Luke 15:32
The story of the prodigal son is actually the story of two wayward brothers and their loving father. It’s a universal story that represents every member of the human race.
I can’t fully identify with the prodigal. “Riotous living” is foreign to me. But the older brother’s self-righteous attitude—now that resonates with my spiritual struggle. His sin was perhaps more serious than an out-in-the-open immoral lifestyle. That’s because it was hidden—but easy to recognize when it surfaced.
Here are its characteristics: He chose anger instead of acceptance (Luke 15:28). He separated himself and “would not go in” (v.28). He said to his father, “this son of yours” (v.30), instead of calling him “my brother.” Clearly, he hadn’t experienced the wonder of grace.
Yet the father loved both sons unconditionally. With the prodigal, he ran out to welcome him. And with his older son, he “came out and pleaded with him” (v.28). There was no harsh scolding, just joy for the younger son and a longing heart for his older son. What a wonderful picture of how graciously God pursues us!
Which son represents you? Have you responded to your heavenly Father’s immeasurable love?Naught have I gotten but what I received,
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded, pride I abase—
I’m only a sinner saved by grace!
God’s love changes prodigal sons into precious saints.
Hiding My Face
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil. —Habakkuk 1:13
I’m a news junkie. I like knowing what’s going on in the world. But sometimes the atrocities of life make me feel as if I’m a kid watching a scary movie. I don’t want to see what happens. I want to turn away to avoid watching.
God reacts to evil in a similar way. Years ago, He warned the Israelites that He would turn away from them if they turned toward evil (Deut. 31:18). They did, and He did (Ezek. 39:24).
The prophet Habakkuk had not forsaken God, but he suffered along with those who had. “Why do You show me iniquity,” he asked the Lord, “and cause me to see trouble?” (Hab. 1:3).
God’s response to His confused prophet indicates that even when evil obscures the face of God, our inability to see Him does not mean He is uninvolved. God said, “Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (v.5). God would judge Judah, but He would also judge the invading Babylonians for their evil (see Hab. 2). And through it all, “The just shall live by his faith” (2:4).
When world events cause you to despair, turn off the news and turn to Scripture. The end of the story has been written by our holy God. Evil will not prevail.Lord, we praise You for Your displays of power in the
past and Your promises of victory in the future,
for they replace our fear of the world
with confidence in You. Amen.
Don’t despair because of evil; God will have the last word.
Too Old?
You are the light of the world. —Matthew 5:14
God has limitless ways of reaching people. So if you feel that you don’t have the ability to reach others for Christ, think about 76-year-old Ethel Hatfield. Desiring to serve her Lord, she asked her pastor if she could teach a Sunday school class. He informed her that he thought she was too old! She went home heavy-hearted and disappointed.
Then one day as Ethel was tending her rose garden, a Chinese student from the nearby university stopped to comment on the beauty of her flowers. She invited him in for a cup of tea. As they talked together, she had the opportunity to tell him about Jesus and His love. He returned the next day with another student, and that was the beginning of Ethel’s ministry.
Ethel was delighted to share the gospel of Christ with these students, because she knew He has the power to change lives. His gospel “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).
Precisely because of Ethel’s age, Chinese students listened to her with respect and appreciation. When she died, a group of 70 Chinese believers sat together at her funeral. They had been won to Christ by a woman who was thought to be too old to teach a Sunday school class! In the strength of the Lord let me labor and pray,
Let me watch as a winner of souls,
That bright stars may be mine in the glorious day
When His praise like the sea-billow rolls.
No one is too old to be a witness for Christ.
Anonymous Has Come
The kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared. —Titus 3:4
Years ago I received a cylinder in the mail that turned out to be an exquisite, custom-made Jim Schaaf bamboo fly rod and Bill Ballan classic reel—costly fishing gear that I could not have afforded. An enclosed handwritten note said simply, “I wanted to do something for you.” To this day I have no idea who sent it.
Poet William Cowper also had an anonymous friend who sent gifts to him but never revealed his name. Cowper’s comment on receiving each gift was always the same: “Anonymous has come.” I think of that phrase often whenever I fish with that rod: “Anonymous has come.” I will always be grateful to my unnamed friend for his kindness and love to me.
All through our lives God showers us with His goodness—gifts of truth, beauty, friendship, love, and laughter, to name but a few—and we behave as if we don’t know the source. God has been our anonymous Friend.
But He doesn’t wish to remain anonymous. If you want to know more about your secret Friend, read the Gospels, for He is seen most clearly in Jesus. Love has always been in God’s heart, but in Jesus it “appeared.” God, revealed in Jesus, is your kind and merciful Friend. Will you acknowledge and thank Him today?With thankful hearts give praise to Jesus
For His blessings without end;
Let’s give to Him our full devotion;
He’s our Savior and our Friend.
Our dearest friend is but a shadow compared to Jesus.
The Pretender
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. —James 5:16
When a waitress in Ohio asked to see a customer’s driver’s license, she was shocked when she saw the photo on the ID. It was her own picture! The waitress had lost her driver’s license a month earlier, and this young woman was using it so she’d have “proof” she was old enough to drink alcohol. The police were called, and the customer was arrested for identity theft. Trying to gain what she wanted, she pretended to be someone she wasn’t.
Jacob, in the Old Testament, did some pretending too. With his mother Rebekah’s help, he fooled his dying father into believing he was his brother Esau so he could gain the blessing meant for the elder son (Gen. 27). Jacob got caught after his deceitful act, but it was too late for Esau to receive the blessing.
Pretending goes on in our churches today. Some people put on a false front. They use the right “Christian” words, attend church almost every Sunday, and even pray before meals. They pretend they “have it all together” in order to gain the approval of others. But inside they’re struggling with brokenness, guilt, doubt, or an addiction or other persistent sin.
God placed us in a body of believers to support one another. Admit that you aren’t perfect. Then seek the counsel of a godly brother or sister in Christ.Don’t hide your sin and cover up,
Pretending there is nothing wrong;
Instead, confess it and repent,
Then God will fill your heart with song.
Be what God intends you to be—don’t pretend to be what you’re not.
Harvest Home
You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. —James 5:8
The hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” is often sung at Christian services of thanksgiving. Written in 1844 by Henry Alford, it begins with thanks to God for crops safely gathered in before winter. But it is more than gratefulness for the bounty of the land. The hymn ends by focusing on God’s “harvest” of His people when Christ returns:
Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest-home:
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin;
There, forever purified,
In Thy presence to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels, come—
Raise the glorious harvest-home.
As we give thanks for material needs supplied, it’s essential to remember that our plans are uncertain and our lives are a vapor that quickly disappear (James 4:14). James encourages us to be like a farmer waiting for his crops to grow and mature. “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:8).
As we thank God for His faithful provision for our needs, let’s turn our thoughts to the promised return of Jesus Christ. In patient expectation, we live for Him and look for the day when He will come to gather His glorious harvest home.
Work and pray! Continue faith
When the Savior calleth, “Come,”
Till at last we all are garnered
To that heavenly harvest-home.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus! —Revelation 22:20
The Other Side Of Thank You
[Love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. —1 Corinthians 13:5
A baby gift came to a young couple who were new parents. They were grateful for the present, so the mom picked up a thank-you card, wrote a nice note, and got it ready to send.
Somehow it got buried in an avalanche of paperwork and was never mailed—and the thank-you was forgotten. The gift-givers waited, but no acknowledgment came.
A rift developed as one family thought the thank-you had been given, while the other thought the lack of a thank-you was a snub. This inadvertent failure to send a card left the gift-giver feeling slighted, unappreciated, and neglected.
Among the most important words we can speak are the two words, “Thank you.” And while it is vital to be grateful, there’s another side of thank you. If we bestow a gift on another, we should do so out of a motive that doesn’t expect anything, even a thank-you, in return. True love gives with no expectations.
Love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “suffers long and is kind” and is never self-seeking. Love keeps no record of wrongs—even if someone forgets to thank us for a kindness. The other side of thank you is a pure heart that reflects God’s perfect love for us.I want the love that always sweetly bears
Whate’er my Father’s hand may choose to send;
I want the love that patiently endures
The wrongs that come from enemy or friend.
True love has no strings attached.
Stay Out Of It!
Do not . . . share in other people’s sins. —1 Timothy 5:22
A Christian man in our community received a promotion that greatly increased his income. His fellow salesmen urged him to upgrade his life through large credit card purchases. Whatever the others did, he did—family skiing vacations, cruises, new furniture, expensive shopping trips.
Then sales dipped, and he fell behind in his payments. The pressure put his marriage under tremendous strain. His buddies suggested that he do what they did: pad his expense accounts and turn in inflated sales reports. He did, but he became consumed with anxiety and guilt.
A wise Christian friend observed the strain he was under and prayed for him. He then counseled him to face the reality of his situation. The anguished believer finally cried out to God in shame and repentance. He confessed his sin, made things right with his company, and talked about it with his wife. Peace eventually returned to his life.
Paul’s instructions to elders in today’s passage apply to all believers in Jesus Christ. When so many cultures in the world are driven by pride and greed, the apostle’s command not to “share in other people’s sins” (v.22) is timely.
When enticed to join others in wrongdoing, stay out of it!Sin’s pleasures have such great appeal,
They truly look like bargains rare;
But seldom do we clearly see
The hidden cost that we must bear.
No one who follows Christ will ever stray from God
Don’t Worry
Do not worry . . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. —Matthew 6:31-32
My nephew’s job was soon to be eliminated, so I was glad to hear from his wife that he had just accepted an offer for a new position.“We prayed, I worried, and Eric was determined to get another job,” Angie wrote in an e-mail, explaining the journey they’d been on for the last few months.
It’s easy for us to panic when we face serious concerns—the loss of a job, a family member with cancer, a wayward child.
So we pray. And we get busy. We start doing everything we can think of to move forward in a positive way.
And we worry. We know it’s a waste of time. Yet a lot of us find ourselves in this dilemma—we know we should trust God, but we wonder just what He’s going to do.
That’s when we turn to His Word—to remind us that He is walking with us and inviting us to hand over to Him our worries and burdens. Scripture tells us, “[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7), and “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
When your mind turns to anxious thoughts about the future, remember that “your heavenly Father knows” (Matt. 6:32) and will give you what you need.I don’t know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One who feeds the sparrow
Is the One who stands by me.
Worry is a burden God never intended us to bear.
Straight To Heaven
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved. —Acts 4:12
An old spiritual warns, “Everybody talkin’ ’bout heaven ain’t goin’ there.” Since heaven is God’s dwelling place where His presence and glory are manifested in all their splendor, He has the sovereign right to determine who will be admitted and under what conditions. Any other beliefs about the how and why of admission into heaven are sadly mistaken.Take, for example, the confidence expressed by a well-known actress. Questioned about her faith, she replied, “I pray. I read the Bible. It’s the most beautiful book ever written. I should go to heaven; otherwise it’s not nice. I haven’t done anything wrong. My conscience is very clean. My soul is as white as those orchids over there, and I should go straight, straight to heaven.”
God alone determines who goes straight to heaven. In the Bible, God’s holy Word, He tells us that only those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will be admitted. The apostle Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Self-judgment regarding the purity of one’s soul and one’s heaven-deserving character is not the criterion. Only God’s Word gives us the standard for admission.I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There’s no other way but this;
I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light,
If the way of the cross I miss.
Christ believed is salvation received and heaven gained.
New Bodies
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. —Hebrews 12:2
In 1728, a young Ben Franklin composed his own tombstone epitaph:
The body of B. Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents worn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding, lies here, food for worms. Yet the work shall not be lost; for it will as he believ’d appear once more, in a new & more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the Author.
In this epitaph, the wry wit of Franklin, the colonial Renaissance man, rings true to the biblical view of resurrection. The bodies we now possess are prone to aging, physical decline, and ultimately death. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ holds within it the promise of a new supernatural body raised in glory. The apostle Paul tells us, “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (1 Cor. 15:42-43).
As life takes its course in the aging process, we have the hope of a new body that will far outshine the original. Despite our aches and pains, our destiny belongs safely in the hands of “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). New bodies will be ours someday
According to God’s grand design,
Forever with the Lord to reign—
Praise God for the promise divine!
In the twinkling of an eye . . . we shall be changed. — The Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 15:52)
2,000-Year-Old Sprout
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. . . . They shall still bear fruit in old age. —Psalm 92:12,14
In June of 2006, Israeli doctors and scientists successfully germinated a 2,000-year-old date palm seed. Found at the Herodian fortress of Masada on the west bank of the Dead Sea, the seed was tagged “Methuselah” for the man with the oldest recorded age in the Bible (Gen. 5:27). In addition to the challenge of awakening a long-dormant seed, the team also wanted to learn more about the tree praised in Scripture for its shade, food, beauty, and medicinal qualities.
The date palm has an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the tree is linked to the temple and presence of God. The New Testament describes excited crowds praising God and throwing palm branches at the feet of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
God’s promise to bless the world through a descendant of Abraham also lay dormant for 2,000 years (see Gen. 12:1-3). Finally, the Seed of promise sprouted. That Seed was Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. Soon the story of His resurrected life would go out to every nation on earth.
The miracle is now ours to experience. Time is not a factor. Neither is the barren ground of circumstance. All that matters is that we allow our hearts to be the soil in which Christ is welcomed and worshiped.God’s promise like a tiny seed
May seem to be an empty thing,
But hidden in that tiny seed
Is life that waits the warmth of spring.
God never makes a promise that He will not keep.
Say No To Self-Help
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. —Psalm 28:7
Early in my editorial career in religious publishing, I was responsible for a line of books referred to as “self-help.” The label troubled me because it seemed contrary to everything Christian.
The idea of self-help is popular because it supports the notion that we are in control. In the words of the poem “Invictus”: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
But we’re not! Eventually something happens that reminds us how out-of-control life is, and no self-help book can help us make it right.
Thankfully, Christians are not in the business of self-help. Quite the opposite! To become a Christian requires that we admit our helplessness and acknowledge our total dependence on God. “Without Me, you can do nothing,” said Jesus (John 15:5).
The ancient Israelites were always getting in trouble for trusting human strength rather than God’s (Jer. 17:5). Yet even after their failures, the Lord said, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (v.7).
When especially difficult circumstances or strong temptations invade our lives and remind us of our powerlessness, we have an all-powerful God who works on behalf of those who trust Him.No strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown on Jesus’ name:
In this our strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”
Whatever does not begin with God will end in failure.
Losing A Friend
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. —Lamentations 3:22
When London’s red double-decker Routemaster buses were withdrawn from regular service in December 2005, many people felt they had lost a friend. The Routemasters had provided reliable service for 51 years, and they were popular with Londoners and tourists alike because of their easy jump-on, jump-off rear access. A few of the old buses still run on two Heritage tourist routes, but in the rest of the sprawling city, they’re gone.Many changes in our lives represent loss, whether as small as the cherished memory of a bus or as large as a destroyed family home, a thwarted dream of success, or the death of a person we’ve deeply loved. In every loss we long for a touch of healing and hope.
The book of Lamentations has been called “the funeral of a city.” In it, Jeremiah mourned the captivity of his people and the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet in the midst of sorrow, there is a celebration of God’s faithfulness: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’” (Lam. 3:22-24).
When our hearts hurt because of loss, we can find hope in our Lord, who never changes.
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
When the sunshine of God’s love meets the showers of our sorrow, the rainbow of promise appears.
Why We Have Value
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. —John 1:12
In a commencement address to a graduating class at Miami University, columnist George Will gave some statistics that help to diminish our sense of self-importance. He pointed out that “the sun around which Earth orbits is one of perhaps 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, which is a piddling galaxy next door to nothing much.” He added, “There are perhaps 40 billion galaxies in the still-unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than 3 billion times.”
There is a plus side to all that overwhelming data. The God who created and sustains our star-studded cosmos in its incomprehensible vastness loves us. And He doesn’t just love the human race as an entity of multiplied billions. He loves us individually. What Paul exclaims to be true about himself is true about each of us in all our insignificance: Christ “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
Astronomically, we are insignificant. But we are the beloved objects of God’s care. While we have no reason for pride, we are inexpressibly grateful to the Lord whose love for us personally is revealed at Calvary’s cross.Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know,
Gracious Spirit from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so!
We have nothing to boast of but that we’re dearly loved by God.
Uncommon Beauty
The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. —Psalm 149:4
For some folks, the word holiness conjures up images of stuffy prudes—people who are “good” in the worst sense of the word, with sullen and morose faces. They are full of self-righteousness and rigid duty, “on hold for the next life,” as a Washington Post writer put it.
Most people long for truth and goodness. Yet that desire can be frustrated by what they see in some Christians, whom they perceive as self-righteous and judgmental. To unbelievers, such “virtue” is far less interesting than vice, with the result that they cling to their vices even though they may hate them. Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, said, “One sanctimonious hypocrite makes a hundred unbelievers.”
Would that the world saw the real thing—that extraordinary quality of life of which Peter speaks—a life so winsome and attractive it will draw others to the Savior (1 Peter 2:12). “If only 10% of the world’s population had [holiness],” C. S. Lewis mused, “would not the whole world be converted and happy before year’s end?”
We can have it! As we yield our lives to God’s Spirit within, we can live lives of uncommon beauty before a watching world. Israel’s poet assures us, “The Lord . . . will beautify the humble” (Ps. 149:4).Beautiful faces are those that seem
With the very love of God to beam;
Beautiful forms are those that grace
With gentle service the lowliest place.
Live so that others will want to know Jesus.
Doing Well
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. —James 2:8
In the book Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley recounts the World War II battle of Iwo Jima and its famous flag-raising on Mount Suribachi. Bradley’s father, John, was one of the flag-raisers. But more important, he was a Navy corpsman—a medic.
In the heat of battle, facing a barrage of bullets from both sides, Bradley exposed himself to danger so he could care for the wounded and dying. This self-sacrifice showed his willingness and determination to care for others, even though it meant placing himself at great personal risk.
Doc Bradley won the Navy Cross for his heroism and valor, but he never spoke of it to his family. In fact, it was only after his death that they learned of his military decorations. To Doc, it wasn’t about winning medals; it was about caring for his buddies.
In James 2:8 we read: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well.” By intentionally seeking to care for others in the way that we would hope to be treated, James says we “do well.” The word well means “rightly, nobly, so there is no room for blame.”
Selflessly “doing well” expresses the heart of God, and fulfills His law of love.Let the road be rough and dreary,
And its end far out of sight;
Foot it bravely, strong or weary;
Trust in God and do the right.
Love is at the heart of obedience.
The Good Life
Beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. —Luke 12:15
Driving down the highway in Houston, I passed a billboard with large letters that announced “THE GOOD LIFE!” I couldn’t wait to get closer to read the small print, which explained that the “good life” was about buying a lakefront home starting at $300,000. Which made me wonder if some unhappy families might live in those homes, with kids who never see their parents, or couples who, though living on the lake, wish they weren’t even living together.
Luke 12 came to mind as I remembered the story of the man who asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. That was the wrong thing to ask Jesus! He replied with a warning, “Beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (v.15). He then went on to tell the story of an extremely rich man who, from God’s point of view, was a fool—not because he was successfully wealthy but because he was not rich toward God.
The sooner we get over the illusion that more stuff means more peace, happiness, and self-fulfillment, the better off we will be. And then the more able we will be to find the longed-for peace and happiness—the true “good life”—that only Jesus can provide.O Lord, help us to be content,
Whatever we possess;
Protect us from the foolish lie
That “more” brings happiness.
The “good life” is found in the richness of God.
The Great Pandemic
Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:14-15
In March 1918, Albert Gitchell, an Army cook at Fort Riley, Kansas, was diagnosed with the flu. Before the year was out, it had spread around the world, killing perhaps as many as 40 million people. This highly contagious virus became a pandemic—a global epidemic.
One physician reported that patients would rapidly show flu-like symptoms, develop the worst type of pneumonia he had ever seen, and then suffocate within hours. Fortunately, the influenza disappeared as mysteriously as it had begun. But doctors remained baffled by its cause and were helpless to find a cure.
Ancient Israel also suffered a devastating plague, but they knew its cause and asked Moses for a cure. They were ungrateful and complained about God’s provision of manna. In righteous anger, God sent serpents whose poisonous bite left a lethal wound. He then told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. All who looked at it were healed (Num. 21:1-9).
Centuries later, Jesus spoke of this as a symbol of His death on the cross: “Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).
Have you trusted Jesus to heal your soul?
Our Lord took death upon Himself
On that cruel cross of pain,
And those who look in faith to Him
Eternal life shall gain!
Look to Christ today, or you may be lost forever.
We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. —2 Corinthians 6:11
A boating magazine reports that Serenity, Time Out, Serendipity, and Reel Time are some of the most popular names for boats. Not long ago, I saw the name Living Large on a boat in a Grand Haven, Michigan, marina. I’m not sure what that meant to the boat owner, but to many people, “living large” means to own the best possessions, to take the most exotic vacations, to buy whatever you want, to live life extravagantly.
That kind of life, however, doesn’t bring true purpose or satisfaction. Followers of Jesus Christ are to live large in a different way, as seen in the example of the apostle Paul and of his co-worker Timothy. Paul told the Corinthians, “Our heart is wide open” (2 Cor. 6:11). The King James Version puts it like this: “Our heart is enlarged.” They had given their wholehearted affection to the people, just as a father does to his children as he wraps them in his arms. Now they wanted the same response. So Paul requested, “Now in return for the same . . . you also be open” (v.13).
A large-hearted person shows his affection with his words and actions—freely and generously. As believers, let’s live large today and freely welcome and embrace others in love.
Love through me, Love of God,
There is no Love in me;
O Fire of Love, light Thou the Love
That burns perpetually.
They do not truly love who do not show their love. —Shakespeare
Psalm 20:7
In August 2004, Hurricane Charley brought fierce destruction to areas of Florida. During the storm, 25-year-old Danny Williams went outside to seek protection in one of his favorite places, a shed under the protective branches of a banyan tree. But the tree fell on the shed and killed Williams. Sometimes, the places we look to for security can be the most dangerous.
The prophet Isaiah warned Judah’s King Hezekiah of this truth. Hezekiah was a good king, but he repeated the sin of his father Ahaz by seeking security in an alliance with an alien power (2 Kings 16:7; Isa. 36:6). Instead, he should have been encouraging his people to trust in the Lord.
By seeking help from Egypt, Hezekiah showed that he had failed to learn from history. Egypt had been anything but an ally to Israel. Hezekiah had also forgotten Scripture. Amassing horses for cavalry units was against the divine constitution for the king (Deut. 17:16).
Ultimately, Hezekiah did seek help from the Lord (Isa. 37:1-6,14-20). And God miraculously annihilated the invading Assyrians (vv.36-38).
Judah made the mistake of valuing the strength of Egypt over the living God. May our trust always be in the name of the Lord our God (Ps. 20:7). No life is more secure than a life surrendered to God.
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. —Philippians 1:21
Sir Francis Bacon said, “I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death.” Woody Allen said, “I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
It’s not death that’s so frightening. It’s the dying that scares us. As Paul faced imprisonment and the prospect of dying in a jail cell, he shared his view about life and death: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). What a perspective!
Death is our enemy (1 Cor. 15:25-28), but it does not possess the finality that so many dread. There is something waiting for believers beyond this life—something better.
Someone has said, “What the caterpillar thinks is the end of life, the butterfly thinks is just the beginning.” George MacDonald wrote, “How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.”
I love this paraphrase of Philippians 1:21, “To me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying—well, that’s better yet!” (TLB). During our physical life, we have opportunities to serve Jesus. But one day, we will actually be in His presence. Our fear will melt away when we see Him face to face.
That’s the “better yet” the apostle Paul is talking about! For the Christian, the fear of death will give way to the fullness of life.
Jeremiah 5:22
Not a year goes by without a natural disaster causing chaos somewhere in the world. Floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis destroy lives, homes, and livelihoods.
No one would argue that the seas have a “right” to violate their established boundaries and crash across the coastline. In fact, people agree that disaster occurs whenever the sea breaches the shoreline. God Himself has “placed the sand as the bound of the sea” (Jer. 5:22).
God also established boundaries for human behavior. Yet not a day goes by without countless violations of His commands, resulting in disastrous physical and spiritual consequences. Amazingly, we often argue that we have the “right” to violate these boundaries.
In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, God’s people had stepped out of bounds, using deceit to become rich and refusing to defend the needy (5:27-28). The result was disaster. God said, “Your sins have withheld good from you” (v.25).
Within creation there is inherent order. Violating it has inherent consequences. God in His kindness simply and lovingly communicated to us the order of things so that we can avoid those consequences. We are wise to know and to stay within His prescribed boundaries. Disregarding God’s order leads to disorder!
1 Timothy 4:7
When Dean Karnazes completed the 26.2-mile New York Marathon in November 2006, it marked the end of an almost impossible feat of endurance. Karnazes had run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. This exceptional athlete’s ultra-endurance feats include: running 350 continuous miles, mountain biking for 24 hours straight, and swimming across San Francisco Bay. That level of fitness requires relentless, dedicated training.
Spiritual fitness, Paul told Timothy, also takes much more than a relaxed approach to live a God-honoring life. In a culture marked by false teaching, along with extreme forms of self-indulgence and self-denial, Paul wrote: “Exercise [train] yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Tim. 4:7-8).
Our bodies and our minds are to be dedicated to God and prepared for His service (Rom. 12:1-2). The goal is not spiritual muscle-flexing but godliness—a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Vigorous study of the Word, focused prayer, and bodily discipline are all part of the process.
How well we train greatly affects how well we run our race of life. Godly exercise is the key to godly character.
Ephesians 3:16
That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. —Ephesians 3:16
Dana and Rich went out for an afternoon bike ride expecting to come home refreshed. Instead, their lives were changed forever. As Rich rode down a hill, he lost control of his bike and crashed. His body was mangled, and he barely made it to the hospital alive.
Dana faithfully kept vigil by her husband’s side. He couldn’t feed himself, and he couldn’t walk. One day, as the two of them sat under a shade tree outside the hospital, Rich turned to his wife and said, “Dana, I don’t know if I’ll ever walk again, but I’m learning to walk closer to Jesus, and that’s what I really want.” Instead of shaking his fist at God, Rich reached out and grabbed His hand.
Sometimes in the midst of our trials, we need to think about someone like Rich to help us adjust our perspective—to remind us of the remarkable relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. This is the relationship we need most when the going gets the toughest.
We are not equipped to handle all the problems we face, but God is. That’s why He told us to give them all to Him—to “cast your burden on the Lord” (Ps. 55:22). As Rich found out, walking with Jesus doesn’t depend on our legs. It depends on our heart. We can walk through the darkest trials when we walk with God in the light.
Psalm 86:7
The headline read: Unanswered Prayers: Letters To God Found Dumped In Ocean.
The letters, 300 in all and sent to a New Jersey minister, had been tossed in the ocean, most of them unopened. The minister was long dead. How the letters came to be floating in the surf off the New Jersey shore is a mystery.
The letters were addressed to the minister because he had promised to pray. Some of the letters asked for frivolous things; others were written by anguished spouses, children, or widows. They poured out their hearts to God, asking for help with relatives who were abusing drugs and alcohol, or spouses who were cheating on them. One asked God for a husband and father to love her child. The reporter concluded that all were “unanswered prayers.”
Not so! If those letter-writers cried out to God, He heard each one of them. Not one honest prayer is lost to His ears. “All my desire is before You,” David wrote in the midst of a deep personal crisis, “and my sighing is not hidden from You” (Ps. 38:9). David understood that we can cast all our cares on the Lord, even if no one else prays for us. He confidently concluded, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me” (86:7) Jesus hears our faintest cry.
Matthew 22:21
In a report in USA Today, Rick Hampson wrote: “The young generally don’t have the old-time political religion. They look at voting and see a quaint, irrational act.” One graduate was quoted as saying, “I don’t care enough to care about why I don’t care.” I wonder if this is how we as Jesus-followers sometimes view our civic responsibility!
The insights of Jesus in Matthew 22 helped His followers think clearly about their civic duty in the world. The Jews were required to pay taxes to the Roman government. They hated this taxation because the money went directly into Caesar’s treasury, where some of it supported the pagan temples and decadent lifestyle of the Roman aristocracy. They may have questioned whether they even had a civic responsibility to Caesar. Jesus reminded them, however, that they had dual citizenship. They lived in a world with two kingdoms—Caesar’s kingdom (human authority) and God’s kingdom (spiritual authority). They had responsibilities to both, but their greater responsibility was to God and His kingdom (Acts 5:28-29).
As followers of Christ, we are commanded to cooperate with our rulers, but we are called to give God our ultimate obedience and commitment. Government has authority, but God has ultimate authority.
