Author: David

The Boast of Faithfulness

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HIGHLIGHT

2 Thessalonians 1:4 (ESV): 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

EXPLAIN

Paul was extremely complimentary of the church of Thessalonica, in both of his letters to them. In previous verse Paul gave thanks to God for their abundantly growing faith and increasing love. Paul reiterates their great faith in this verse.

In his previous letter, 1 Thessalonians, Paul commended them for the triad of faith, hope, and love. While he directly speaks of faith and love in verses 3-4 of 2 Thessalonians, the following verses speak of the believer’s hope in contrast to the coming judgment of God upon the world.

APPLY

What is the boast of our churches? Some boast great edifices. Some boast of financial security. Some may boast of their influence in the community. Some may boast of dynamic worship teams, great preaching, powerful community. These boasts are wonderful, but are they what God would boast about of us?

Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in this part of God’s revealed Word a boast of a church that was faithful in the midst of persecution, trouble, suffering, and heartache.

May God help us, both as individual followers of Jesus and as the community of God, to be known for faithful love and service to our King of kings!

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to live and serve you faithfully, through easy times and difficult, giving you honor and glory in how I speak, think, feel, and act. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Idols of the Heart

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HIGHLIGHT

Ezekiel 14:3 (ESV): 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?

EXPLAIN

Idolatry was a pervasive problem for the people of Israel. All the way back to Jacob, after leaving his father-in-law with his wives and children and flocks, Jacob at a certain point cleaned all the idols out of his tents and buried them.

After the many overwhelming victories in Canaan, Joshua addressed the people, challenging them to choose to serve God only. When the people committed to do so, Joshua told them to get rid of their idols – any idols – among them.

From that point on, we find the Israelites repeatedly succumbing to worship of the idols of the surrounding peoples.

But now God reveals a greater truth to the prophet Ezekiel. The people’s idols were not merely stones or blocks of wood they set before them. Their idols were in their hearts!

APPLY

There is idol worship around the world today, even in the U.S. People actually bow and pay homage to man-made objects. But the greater, pervasive idolatry is within our hearts.

This idolatry may be unspoken and somewhat unconsciously observed by many, yet people worship money, career, fame, family, amusement, thrill-seeking and more.

How can we know such people are idolaters? They prioritize other pursuits, whatever they may be, above their loyalty to God.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, I love and have chosen to serve you only. I reaffirm this commitment to you once again. Help me not to allow any other thing, no matter how noble or good it may be, to usurp my loyalty and faithfulness to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Plans for a Future

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HIGHLIGHT

Jeremiah 28:8–9 (ESV): 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

EXPLAIN

During the reign of King Zedekiah, the last king before the final deportation of Jews to Babylon, a prophet named Hananiah publicly proclaimed that God said he had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years, Hananiah said, the vessels of the Temple would be returned, and the exiles would come back home.

During this time, Jeremiah was carrying around a yoke of wood on his neck. Jeremiah spoke, seemingly agreeing with this prophet, but then closed with the highlighted text. In other words, “if this man is truly prophesying the truth, it will come to pass.”

Hananiah then took the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke them. Jeremiah simply left.

Later, however, God gave a word to Jeremiah, telling him sending him to Hananiah with a message: God was replacing the yoke of wood with a yoke of iron. Furthermore, God would remove this false prophet from the earth. A short while later, Hananiah died.

In that context, then, we read in Jeremiah 29 that God’s prophet sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon telling them to build houses, plant gardens, plan to eat the harvest, and settle down in that foreign country.

And in that message we find the verse that is very popular today: Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV): 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

APPLY

It may be only natural for Christ followers to want relief from a world that is hostile to God. It may truly feel like there is no future ahead for us. It might even sound spiritual to be faithful and merely “hold on to the end.” But God wants us to thrive for his glory in whatever situation we are in, seeking the growth of His kingdom.

In what ways am I extending the kingdom of God in my world today, promoting the Good News that the King has come, bringing salvation for all?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I thrive, not merely survive. May I consciously and purposefully seek to extend your kingdom by sharing the Good News with others, living the Good News in community, and in everything glorifying your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sing for joy

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HIGHLIGHT

Isaiah 49:13 (ESV): 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

EXPLAIN

At Isaiah 49:8, God began to speak of the restoration of Israel. He pictured the people as captives freed, who would walk down the highway to their homeland. The sun and wind would not scorch them. They would find good in the land as they went. God himself would lead them.

And so God told the heavens and the mountains to sing for joy.

But in verse 14 God spoke of the people’s response at hearing this promise. They would say God had forgotten them. God answered in return that just like a mother cannot forget her baby, so God could not forget his people.

APPLY

For various reasons, we may think at times that God has forgotten us. But we can know that this is not true. Rather, we can sing for joy for the comfort God will bring to us.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, in times of testing and trial keep our faith in you strong. Help us to remember how you have dealt with your people through the ages and may we look to you expectantly, with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He patiently waits on us

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HIGHLIGHT

Isaiah 30:18 (ESV): 18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

EXPLAIN

Isaiah 30-31 warn God’s people of trusting in Egypt. Despite this warning, God told his prophet to write down in a book that his people were an eternally rebellious people.

The Israelites wanted to flee from their enemies to the safety of Egypt. But God said, “Wait!”

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV): “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

While Israel would not wait on God, but demanded immediate action, God said in verse 18 that he was waiting on them, waiting for the time when they would finally turn to him and receive his grace.

APPLY

So often we resemble the Israelites, stressed out by various cares and troubles in life. We get ahead of God, like a child impatiently running ahead of his parents, and then suddenly realizing he is lost. But when he returns, he finds his parents waiting patiently. And so God deals with us, demonstrating great grace once again.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me not to run ahead of you, failing to trust you with my life. Thank you for your great grace you shower upon me over and over. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living with resurrection power

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Isaiah 22-24; John 10-11

HIGHLIGHT

John 11:25–26 (ESV): 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

EXPLAIN

This startling statement by Jesus came in the amazing, peculiar, troubling story of Lazarus’ death. When Lazarus got sick, his sisters sent Jesus word, but Jesus delayed going to him or speaking a word of healing.

Lazarus died and was four days in the tomb when Jesus finally showed up. Martha greeted him, lamenting that Jesus had not been there to heal her brother. Jesus responded, saying that Lazarus would live again. Martha reaffirmed her belief in the coming resurrection. But Jesus made it present tense: I AM the resurrection.

APPLY

This is the startling hope and reality Jesus offers all who put their faith in him. He gives us resurrection power today!

This is the power and life for which Paul counted everything as dross so that he might know Christ.

The question is: do we live in the reality of this resurrection power? Is his life-creating power creating new life in us, or are we still living in the death of our past sinful life? Is his power in us giving life to others, or are we barren fig trees, only full of leaves?

Do we truly believe Jesus to be the resurrection and the life?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for your life-creating power in me. Make me ever new and full of life for you and may I give that life to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The test of belief

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HIGHLIGHT

John 8:30–31 (ESV): 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

EXPLAIN

This paragraph was begun by Jesus saying he is the light of the world. The Pharisees challenged him, asking for testimonials that he was telling the truth. Jesus pointed to his own testimony and that of his Father. Jesus continued to speak, clearly intimating that God is his father, but no one tried to arrest him.

Jesus then began to speak of his death, resurrection and ascension and the authority by which he spoke. Many were convinced by Jesus’ confidence and believed in him. But Jesus immediately challenged their faith. By the end of chapter 9, many had rejected Jesus, unwilling to recognize their spiritual blindness.

APPLY

Not everyone’s faith is necessarily tested so strongly so quickly, but this story should be a good lesson to us: faith in God is more than agreeing with Jesus because what he says sounds good and wonderful.

The people who initially believed appear to have been convinced by the persuasiveness of his speech, by his self-confidence in his purpose before God, by the pleasant sound of what Jesus proposed. But when they stopped to consider the ramifications of what it would mean to trust in Jesus – humility before God, submission to the Son of God – they balked.

Are we truly willing to accept Christ, knowing it means surrender to his will and the death of our pride?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I never be offended at your call upon my life. I recommit myself to your will and your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lessons from Jesus’ methods

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HIGHLIGHT

John 1:42 (ESV): 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

EXPLAIN

It is intriguing to consider Jesus’ tactics in gathering followers. First, Jesus went where the action was – where John the Baptist was ministering. There, he received a referral from the Baptist, whose calling was to proclaim Jesus, and he also was with people of a similar mindset and passion – the desire to see God’s kingdom be established.

When two of John’s disciples began following Jesus, he encouraged them by asking what they were seeking. Surely, Jesus recognized that they were following the Baptist because of their desire to meet him, the Messiah.

When Andrew brought Peter, Jesus immediately nicknamed him, “Like a rock”, keenly recognizing Peter’s character and aspirations. When Philip brought Nathaniel, Jesus did virtually the same, in essence calling him “Honest Abe”.

APPLY

As we seek to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples, do we imitate the methods of Jesus, as well as the message of Jesus?

Are we frequenting places where spiritually hungry people are? Have we earned a good name so that others will vouch for us and the message of good news we share? Do we seek to know those we are reaching for Christ personally? Do we give them reason to be intrigued and to feel heard and valued?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to learn better how to connect with people so that I might lead them to become your disciples, making more disciples.

The rewards of faithfulness

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HIGHLIGHT

Luke 19:20–21 (ESV): 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’

EXPLAIN

This parable is well known. A master gives his three servants different amounts of money and instructs them to invest the money while he is gone. When he returns the first two servants have doubled the money, but the third had hidden it away, not doing anything with the money at all. The master was irate, saying that the servant could have at least invested the money in the bank and gained a little interest, but the third servant had not even done that.

There is another parable that is similar but different. In another parable, the master gave ten servants the same amount of money. We are only told how three of those servants used the money. The first two gained large amounts, one greater than the other. The third, again, hid the money away, doing nothing with it.

Sometimes, people interpret these parables to speak about spiritual gifts or even natural abilities that God gives us. Truly, a better interpretation is that the money represents opportunities of various kinds that we have to serve God.

APPLY

In my limited experience and training of sales, I have seen the lesson Jesus taught in this parable come true repeatedly. Those who work hard, regardless of their ability and even of their success ratio, somehow receive more and more opportunities. Some of these opportunities and successes come through hard work. Some simply seem to drop out of the sky. Some can be traced as happy customers give referrals which bring more business.

If you aren’t spiritual, it almost feels like somehow that one is rewarded by “the universe” for being faithful, doing hard work – that somehow opportunities gravitate around those who put in the work. As a follower of Jesus, I believe God is at work behind the scenes, rewarding us as we faithfully perform our duties in the workplace, the home, and the church.

The challenge, of course, is: are we being faithful, especially in our God-given mission of making disciples who make disciples of Jesus?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, in both “secular” and “spiritual” work, may I serve you faithfully. As you increase responsibilities and opportunities, may I continue to be faithful to your call. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

No games needed

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HIGHLIGHT

Luke 18:41 (ESV): 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

EXPLAIN

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the last time. Immediately before this story, Jesus foretold his death for the third time to the disciples.

Now as they neared Jericho, a blind beggar heard that he was coming and began to call upon Jesus to have mercy on him.

The crowd tried to hush the beggar, but he got Jesus’ attention. Jesus simply asked what the man wanted. When he answered, Jesus gave the man his desire.

APPLY

Sometimes we make prayer a lot harder and more involved that it is or needs to be.

Of course, there are various conditions to prayer – God’s will, a right relationship with God and others, etc. – may preclude us from having our prayers answered.

Truly, however, prayer is not that difficult. God doesn’t play games in prayer. Ask God what you want and believe him for it.

If God doesn’t answer with a yes, then we should trust him that as a loving father he knows what is best for his children. But until he says no, we should trust him as children do their loving father, to do good for us.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for being good and being my father. Help my faith to be marked by simple trust and straightforward requests. In Jesus’ name, Amen.