02/01 | No Snake On A Plate
Luke 11:11 “Let me ask you this: Do you know of any father who would give his son a snake on a plate when he asked for a serving of fish? Of course not! 12 Do you know of any father who would give his daughter a spider when she had asked for an egg? Of course not! 13 If imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him.” (The Passion Translation)
In the Scriptures there are many descriptive names for the Spirit: the Comforter, the Dove, Wind and Breath, Fire, Rivers of Living Water, Oil, the One who Seals us for heaven, and so on.
I like The Passion Translation for this text in Luke, it points out that God wants to give us the Spirit’s fullness. Often this text is used to help people believe for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it certainly is a wonderful text for that purpose, but that is far from the full meaning of it.
God here promises to give us the Holy Spirit in all His aspects if we ask. Do you need comfort? Ask! Do you need the oil of joy? Ask! Do you need guidance from the One Whom Jesus said “would lead us into all truth”? Ask!
Those of you who are parents should get the full meaning of this text. In the same way that you love and would give good gifts to your children, God will give good gifts to His children. But the truth is much greater than that. We are evil compared to God, and so Jesus says if you know how to be good to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will the perfect heavenly Father give…
I don’t think Jesus could have made it any plainer: if you want the Help of the Holy Spirit in any of His roles, ask, and you will receive.
Prayer Point: Lord, today I ask by faith for the Holy Spirit’s help in this area of my life…
02/02 | Safety From, And In, the Storm
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
Matthew 7:25 “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.
Matthew 7:26 “And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.
Matthew 7:27 “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”
There are two aspects to this passage, the first is absolute safety in the storm. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew; it sounds how one would describe a hurricane-like situation. Yet, in spite of the worst weather possible, the house stood firm. You can take that to the bank—God won’t let a storm wreck your faith or your life. Today, God wants to remind you that when the wind stops blowing you will still be firmly rooted in His kingdom, for your foundation is secure.
The second aspect of this passage is the requirement to act upon the words of Christ. We are not trying to suggest salvation by works, or protection by works. What we are saying is what Jesus said: if you don’t act on His word, you are a foolish person, whose house will not stand in the flood. Kingdom benefits are not for those who say they believe in God, and yet live like they don’t. You don’t have to be perfect to be blessed, but neither can you live a life of sin and expect the best of heaven. Let your walk match your talk.
Prayer Point: Thank you Lord for the promise to keep me safe in life’s storms. I pray that You help me always to have my walk match my talk.
02/03 | Multiplied Fruit
Jeremiah 13:11 ‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they did not listen.’
The first time I read this verse a very long time ago, I wrote in my Bible that it describes God’s three-fold purpose for man: for renown, for praise, and for glory. In other words, God desired us to be an ornament, a beautiful piece of clothing if you will, that brings Him renown and fame, praise, and glory.
That is essentially what Jesus is implying in John 15 when He says God has chosen us and ORDAINED us to bear much fruit. He chose us and He made prior arrangements that we would be very fruitful and in so doing bring Him glory.
God wants us to be like a beautiful diamond and jewel-encrusted ring on His finger. He wants to be able to point at us and say, “See, these are my favorites, and look how beautiful they are.” Not only does He want to be able to say and do that, but He has made plans for it to come to pass. When we look good, He looks good, think about it that way. God wants you to look good, embellished with spiritual fruit and gifts, bringing help to our fellow man and honor to God.
So, what is the secret to that kind of life? It is right there in the text: God made Israel and Judah to cling to Him, but they didn’t listen. Clinging, hanging out with, spending time with, has always been the key to much fruitfulness, and may it never be said that God made that available to us, but we didn’t partake.
Prayer Point: Father, may I this day cling close to You, and may it be one of the most distinctive aspects of my life. May I be a beautiful signet upon Your hand, bringing You honor and glory through much fruitfulness.
02/04 | The Serpent Lifted Up
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
I remember the first time I read this I didn’t like the comparison of Jesus to a snake on a pole, but since Jesus Himself is the one Who made it, I realized the need to get past the optics of the situation and see the typology and what it means.
In Numbers 21:5-9 we read the story of the Jews complaining to God, and to Moses, about their living conditions. God had had enough at this point and sent venomous snakes among them. People were being bitten and dying, they realized their sin had caused the situation and they asked God to forgive them and take the snakes away. Instead, He tells Moses to put a brass snake on a pole and whoever had been bitten by the snake and looked at the brass one would live. It is to this story that Jesus is drawing an allusion to in John 3.
So, what is the deeper meaning? There was no cure for the snake bites in the natural, they had no anti-venom. The cure God offered seemed silly, simply look and live. So it is with the cure for sin: there is no cure in the natural, and the one God gives seems silly on the surface. Look to Jesus, and you will be cured of sin. What? Isn’t there something more I can do? Can’t I try harder to be better? Can’t I do good deeds, or help others out? No, won’t work, because the only cure God has made available is that we look on and trust in what Jesus has done for us.
It is at the same time the easiest thing in the world to do, and the hardest thing in the world to do. There will always be a part of us that feels like we need to add something to what Jesus has done—better behavior, trying harder, praying more—but the simple truth is and will always be “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”
Our sins are removed by looking in simple faith and nothing more.
Prayer Point: Lord, today I look to You, and You alone, knowing that I cannot add to Your death on Calvary. I thank You for daily cleansing of sin, from the least of them to the greatest of them, I thank You the cure is always the same. I declare my trust in You to forgive me.
02/05 | The Real Purpose of the Promises
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Simply put the purpose of the promises are to make us more Christ-like. To hear the way some people preach, they would have you think the purpose of the promises are to make you prosper in the earthly realm. Paul speaks of such this way:
1 Timothy 6:5 … men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
How often have you heard someone say, “Claim the promises so you will be more like Jesus!”? When carnal men speak of a poverty mentality, to them it is all about a person’s financial status; if God were to speak about it, it would refer to a person’s lack of Christ-likeness.
Claim peace to overcome anger. Peace give I to you, not as the world gives, give I to you. (Jn 14:27) Forget about claiming a new boat, concentrate on claiming a new you!
Here is Peter’s list of things to claim, and the reward they will bring:
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
2 Peter 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
2 Peter 1:7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
2 Peter 1:8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are going to claim anything from the Lord, put these at the top of the list, and all the other things will be added unto you.
Prayer Point: Lord, by faith I claim peace, goodness, perseverance, self-control and all the other things You through Peter admonished us to add to our faith.
02/06 | At Ziklag, Part 1: Expansion While Hemmed In
1 Chronicles 12:1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
1 Chronicles 12:22 For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.
The greatest soldiers in David’s army came to be with him while he “kept himself close.” (KJV) That phrase means he was shut up, restrained, detained, and hemmed in. Yet while in that season of constriction he experienced a season of expansion!
While the enemy was busy trying to push him down, and lock him in, God used it as a season to add to him, to increase him, and to bring to him some of the most devoted and fearsome fighters Israel would ever have. Called in many places—mighty men of valor.
In the natural David could ask, who would want to join my army now? Things are not looking good for me. I can’t move to the right or the left. Who would want to join this rag bag group of locked-in fighters? Yet it was in that place of restriction God added and added and added.
Perhaps the reason David was restricted was so that these others could find him and join with him. Much like the Apostle Paul, who was locked up in prison for many years but it was also during this time he wrote many of his letters. Had he been busy traveling to churches we may have never gotten those prison epistles.
God used Saul to hem David in, so that he could grow outward. He put him in a place of doing less so that later he could do more. If God has slowed you down it is not so that He can take away, but so that He can add.
Prayer Point: Father, in my restriction I trust You for addition. Cause me to increase in usefulness for You and Your kingdom.
02/07 | At Ziklag, Part 2: Caesar’s Household
1 Chronicles 12:1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
1 Chronicles 12:2 They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin.
David is living in a season of restriction and difficulty and yet God is causing Him to grow in miraculous ways. One of those ways is that God, in a wonderful twist of irony, caused many of the best fighters in Saul’s own family to forsake him and join forces with David—Saul, the man who was causing David all the grief.
A similar thing happened to the Apostle Paul. He was imprisoned by the Romans:
Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
Philippians 1:13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
Philippians 4:22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
Paul speaks of how his imprisonment turned out for the greater progress (growth) of the gospel, reaching even into and saving some of Caesar’s household. The Caesar he was speaking of was the notorious Nero, the horrific persecutor of Christians. It is like God says, come after My children, I will come after yours and save them!
Restriction is a God-anointed means of addition.
Prayer Point: God, give me some of Caesar’s household as trophies of Your grace. I thank You that when the world tries to constrain You declare a season of growth.
02/08 | At Ziklag, Part 3: Lions and Gazelles
1 Chronicles 12:1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
1 Chronicles 12:8 There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear. They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills.
In 12:8 we read of men who separated themselves from the rest of their brethren (defected). If you want to be outstanding, you have to stand out. You have to be willing to separate yourself from the crowd. In the Kingdom there will always be separation, God is always calling a people out of a people, out of a people, out of a people.
Abraham must leave Ur, Abraham must separate himself from Ishmael, God chooses Jacob and Esau must leave. You may be called on to walk away from certain people and associations. The early church took joyfully the spoiling of their goods (Heb 10:34 – the seizure of their property). They would rather do without things than do without Christ. We will all face decisions like that in our lifetime, asked to give up things for the cause of Christ.
Look at the further description of those who separated themselves to be with David: seasoned and eager fighters, they looked like lions but were as agile as gazelles. Those who can handle giving up things for the kingdom will live light and be able to travel fast. They will be fearsome to the enemy because he knows he can’t trip them up in the fear of man, or with their attachments to this world. Those are the best fighters the kingdom has ever known. Mighty men and women of valor.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to travel light in this world, and not let people or things ever stand in the way of my walk with You. May I be one of Your lions with the speed of a gazelle.
02/09 | Homesick
Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Romans 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Hebrews 11:9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Hebrews 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Simeon earnestly awaited the consolation of Israel. Paul spoke of groaning inwardly while we await the transformation heaven will bring. Abraham lived in a tent as did his son and grandson, as a prophetic way of saying, “This world is not my home. I am looking for the city God has built.”
The more this world devolves into a hell pit, the more the people of God look forward to going home. Even Jesus said, “When you see these things begin to pass—look up!” (Luke 21:28) I sense there is a lot of groaning going on right now, more and more the people of God are saying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” The worse the world gets the more homesick we are.
While we are here, we will keep busy, and we will wait for the grace to be revealed at the end.
Just before God sent Moses to Egypt to deliver His people, He said this to him:
Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…
I think that promise of God is soon to have a second fulfillment. Some would say we shouldn’t have a “get out of town” mentality. I think they are wrong. I think we should have a “seek and save that which is lost, while praying for the coming of the Lord” mentality.
2 Peter 3:12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Speed its coming? I think homesickness is how you do that.
Prayer Point: Lord, don’t leave one sheaf behind, but even so, come Lord Jesus!
02/10 | No Other Choice
Ruth 1:14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Ruth 1:15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
Ruth 1:17 “Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.”
Orpah wept, but still turned her back on her mother-in-law and from the people of God. For Ruth there was no option to turn back, so it is with all true saints. Naomi even encouraged her to return and go back to Moab, but Ruth refused and made perhaps the greatest declaration of faith in the scriptures.
In like manner, Joshua challenged the children to choose this day who you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
In John 6:66 (the only 666 verse in the Bible) it says:
John 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. (They didn’t like what Jesus was teaching)
Seeing many turning away, Jesus speaks to the Apostles and says:
John 6:67 Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
And Peter responds:
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
For true believers there is no other choice than to follow him till the end. There is no plan B for us. Our minds are made up, and yet the words of Joshua challenge us again: “Choose this day, whom you will serve…” (Josh 24:15) You see, it is an everyday choice. Not a once for your whole lifetime, but an everyday choice. May we always have the conviction of Ruth, and Joshua, and the sensibility of Peter that there is no other option.
Prayer Point: Father, this day I choose to go where You go, to lodge where You lodge, I declare afresh and anew—You are my God!
02/11 | What Moses Did
Numbers 27:5 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.
The background was that several sisters came to Moses and stated that their father had died and there were no sons but only daughters. They wanted a possession in the promised land, and prior to this land was only held in the name of a man. Moses went to God in prayer and God told Moses to give women an inheritance in the promised land and to make it a law that they can inherit property.
That is the context, but for today’s devotional I want to simply talk about bringing someone’s cause before the Lord. In other words, pray for the needs of others. The prophet Samuel not only considered it important but said that to do otherwise would be to sin:
1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you…
No need to say anymore on the subject, God wants and expects us to pray for others.
Prayer Point: Lord, today I lift up the cause of…
02/12 | Unable to Hear
Exodus 4:31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 6:6 “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
Exodus 6:9 So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.
The background is that Moses had done two miraculous signs in front of the people, they believed God was going to set them free, and they even worshipped. (v. 31) They go to Pharaoh, and he gets mad and basically doubles their workload. Moses comes a second time to tell them God is going to set them free, and we read in v. 9 they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.
We need to recognize that people can be so hurt in life that they come to a place where they are unable to hear the word of the Lord and believe. Their past experiences shout louder than God’s promises. So then, what are we to do to help them?
We begin by reminding ourselves this verse: “1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Peoples’ inability to hear is not simply a matter of harsh life circumstances, it is spiritual in nature. This is proven by the fact that people with great life experiences are often just as unable to hear.
Next, we need to pray with wisdom and by the promises in the word of God. The Bible says that God would take away people’s hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh, and that He would put a new spirit within them. (Ezek 11:19) So in line with that, we need to be praying for people in an unhearing situation that God would give them a new heart to hear. We don’t need to worry about all of life’s disappointments, leave those things to God. We need to concentrate on the real reason they can’t hear, and it is not hardship, it is the natural, sinful human condition.
Prayer Point: Lord, today I pray You help people who are unable to hear Your words this day. Break through their stony, unhearing heart, and give them a heart that is tender to Your voice. I also pray for those areas in my life where I am unhearing; help my spiritual ears to pop open, and for me to believe Your truths.
02/13 | Unction to Function
Exodus 6:12 But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?”
Moses had told the Jews God would set them free, but what happened is that Pharaoh in fact tightened his grip on them. Next God tells Moses to go speak to Pharaoh and v.12 is Moses’ response.
If you read this passage in context you will see God doesn’t answer this question at all. In the very next verse, God gives orders to Moses and Aaron to tell the children of Israel and Pharaoh that they will be leaving Egypt. So why didn’t God answer Moses’ question/complaint? Because He already had. In Exodus 4 Moses told God He couldn’t be His spokesperson because he was slow of speech. God said, “I will be with your mouth.” Moses wanted a new mouth, God said, “No, I will empower the weak one you have so that it will be powerfully effective.” Moses couldn’t comprehend how a weak mouth could be effective, while God knew that when He energizes something it doesn’t matter how much power it has in its natural state; it will work because God sees to it that it does. God gives it unction to function. Meaning, He gives power to something that needs power but doesn’t have it.
Often we are like Moses, we complain we can’t do something because we are not properly equipped in the natural. The truth is, God would much rather we do things in the supernatural than the natural. The reasons for that are many; man at his best pales in comparison to God at His worst (if such a thing could be said about God). God will get the glory and we will be kept from pride if it is beyond our ability.
Paul was so convinced of this truth he said:
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Can you imagine that—boasting about your weaknesses?
Prayer Point: Lord, I surrender my weaknesses to You; grant that they may be overshadowed by Your power.
02/14 | Godly Friends
1 Samuel 23:16 And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
In Ecclesiastes 4 we are told two are better than one, and a threefold cord is not easily broken. In this text in 1 Samuel, we have an example of a threefold cord: David, Jonathan, and God. You are very blessed indeed if you have people who can speak into your life, like Jonathan did David, and bring encouragement and strength from the Lord.
Most people experience that kind of thing through their pastor or other Christian ministers. But that is far from what God intends for us. I believe God’s purpose is for all of us to have friends like that, and for all of us TO BE FRIENDS like that!
My prayer today for you is that you will both have those kinds of friends and be that kind of friend. Life doesn’t always work out that way for us, though, because some roads we travel alone. The good news is that even when we find ourselves on a lonely stretch of life’s highway, and human friendships can’t be there or have failed us, God still has remedies for us.
When friends fail, he expects family to step up:
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Friends are great, but familial love should exceed that of friends. However, there are many who have little family, or family they are estranged from, and even then the Lord has an answer:
Proverbs 18:24 …there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
I think David experienced a time when all friends and family forsook him, but this is what he expressed about those times:
Psalm 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
For those who have been experiencing a shortage of help from family and friends, remember God will NEVER leave or forsake you.
Prayer Point: Lord, send me godly friends in my hour of need, and may I be a friend to others in their hour of need. I thank You that if the help of man fails, the help of God will never fail.
02/15 | The Older Brother
Luke 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things might be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 “But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began entreating him. 29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ’My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 ‘But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”
You are in a sad state when your own flesh and blood brother gets saved and you can’t rejoice about it.
Perhaps equally wrong is the fact that all the Father had was available to him, and he failed to enjoy the benefits of sonship. When you think your father is miserly with you, you may be miserly to others, that certainly is the case here. The older brother could have enjoyed feasting and celebration with all the Father had for him, but instead he focused on being a dutiful, obedient son. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with being dutiful and obedient, unless like in this case, you are so dutiful you have lost the ability to rejoice, while you constantly focus on right and wrong. The older brother fell into the trap of legalism, and for those who do so the joy will go out of their life.
All that the Father has is ours! Not only can the returned prodigal feast on the fatted calf, but so may all of his older brothers and sisters.
A cheerful thought is found in v.28, where the Father came out to the miserable older brother and entreated him to rejoice about his brother, and to enjoy the benefits of sonship. God loves all His children, even the sometimes-grumpy older brothers.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to receive all You have available, and to rejoice with those who have found their way back home, and keep me from being a grumpy, legalistic Christian.
02/16 | Good Company; Rejection
1 Peter 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God
All of us have felt rejected at some point in our lives. Perhaps you got turned down for a date, didn’t get the job opportunity you wanted, or were the last one picked to be on a team sport. Rejection is a common human experience, but that fact does not take the edge off the feelings that accompany rejection.
Rejection can feel like getting gut-punched, it can bring on depression, and can make you want to withdraw from the company of others.
Six times in the New Testament the word rejection is applied to Jesus, and in Isaiah 53:3 it says He was “despised and rejected of men.” 1 Peter 2:4 implies that rejection by the world is a universal Christian experience, however for Christians in America this is a new and novel experience. We used to be held in high esteem, now we are, in the eyes of many, the lowest of the low.
Cheer up though, when we are rejected by men, we can know that we are choice and precious in the eyes of God. To be rejected of men, is to put us in the good company of many of the saints who have gone on before us, but most especially we walk a similar road to the one Jesus walked.
The Greek word translated “precious” is “entimos,” and it means held in honor, prized, precious. The exact same word is descriptively used of Jesus, two verses later:
1 Peter 2:6 For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER STONE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
So if you have been experiencing some forms of rejections because of your Christian faith, be of good cheer: God describes you the same way He does His Son Jesus. You are in good company!
Prayer Point: Lord, we grieve for the world that rejects You, and may we never change so that they will accept us, at the cost of living out Christian morals and values.
02/17 | Bad Company
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”
Numbers 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”
Yesterday we spoke of friends and others who can help us on our journey, today we want to talk about people who attempt to drag us in the wrong direction.
Be careful who you go up with. In this story, 12 spies were sent into the promised land, 2 were confident in victory, 10 were the exact opposite. In this particular case, Joshua and Caleb didn’t have a choice about their company—they were kin. Some people in our life we invite in, others they are just there and there usually isn’t much you can do about it. You don’t pick your mom, dad, or other family relations. You don’t pick your first-grade teacher, or many other people who have influence over your life. The best counsel we can give about them is to pray that as a Christian you have more influence over them than they do over you.
But, there are a lot of people who are in our lives by our invitation, and we do have a choice over the level of their involvement. In that regard be reminded today that bad company corrupts good morals. A song from a few years ago says: “a house is known by the company it keeps.” Who are you keeping company with? Musically? Television viewing? Friend-wise?
May we all be challenged today by this verse:
Acts 4:13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Let us be known as people who hang around Jesus.
Prayer Point: Lord, help us to not be pulled down by others, but to lift them up. May the company we keep bring honor to You, and may others recognize that we keep company with You.
02/18 | Tested in the Furnace
Isaiah 48:10 “…I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
When new homes are constructed, there is something special they do to test the water supply pipes. On one of the pipes, they will attach a pressurized container of air. They fill the container until it is at about 50 lbs. of pressure per square inch. They wait a day or so and check to see if the pressure has gone down. If not, all is good, but if it has gone down, they have to check and repair the leaks, and then test it all over again until it passes the pressure test.
The purpose of the test is to find leaks before the pipes are filled with water. Once they are filled with water a leak could cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Sometimes we go through things in life that can simply be called pressure tests from God. He doesn’t do it so He can find out where the leaks are, He does it so we can find out where the leaks are. He already knows where they are, and simply wants to point them out to us for our improvement.
In the New Testament Jesus gives an example of this, using money as an illustration.
Luke 16:11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
Our handling of earthly resources can be an indicator of our ability to handle heaven’s resources, though this rule is not absolute.
So, if you are in a season of testing, the question you should be asking is not “Why?” but, “God, where am I leaking under pressure?”
Prayer Point: Lord, help me find and fix my leaks, so that You can release the treasures of heaven through my life.
02/19 | Labeled
1 Chronicles 4:9 And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
There was a football player named Peerless Price. His mother was pregnant and was wondering what to name her soon-to-be-born son. She saw a plumbing supply truck go by and the company name was “Peerless,” and she wondered what the word peerless meant. Looking it up she found that in part it meant “without equal,” and she thought that would be a great name for her son. Hebrew names are like that, they are simply ordinary words that were used as names.
The name Jabez means pain. In Hebrew, if someone were to say they had a pain in their leg, they would say, “I have a Jabez in my leg.” How would you like to grow up with that kind of name? Many of us have. We have been labeled by family and friends, schoolchildren, and bullies with many not-so-nice names.
For believers the only labels that really matter are the ones God gives us: A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, beloved of the Lord, the head and not the tail, and so on. In spite of what his own mother labeled him, God poured out great blessings on Jabez, showing that it is God’s thoughts of you, and not man’s, that really count.
Unfortunately, some people are better at calling themselves names than the devil is. If you are a Christian, you are the righteousness of God in Christ—never denigrate or speak evil of yourself. In Acts chapter 10, the Apostle Peter is given a vision of all kinds of animals that were forbidden for Jews to eat. God spoke to Peter in the vision and told him to eat some of the animals. Peter refused, saying he had never eaten anything the Bible calls unclean. Three times this is repeated, and with each refusal of Peter’s, God said:
Acts 10:15 … “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
That is also God’s advice to us, never accept any label that calls us anything less than that which God has declared us to be. You are who God says you are!
Prayer Point: God, break off of me the power of any labels that come from hell, myself, or the malevolence of people, that talk down that which You have said about Your people.
02/20 | What Paul Wished For
Romans 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Romans 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Paul in this passage echoes the heart of Jesus, in that if it were possible, he would wish himself accursed if it could help his fellow Jews to be saved.
What parent hasn’t wished when their child had a fever that God would let them be sick instead of the child? That is basically what Paul is wishing here: let me suffer so that my fellow Jews won’t. That is agape love, the deepest kind of love there is. That is the love of God for man. For God so loved the world… Jesus suffered so that we wouldn’t.
It is interesting that Paul had these feelings for his Jewish brethren, because they were the ones who stoned him once and left him for dead. They persecuted him mercilessly, had him arrested, lied in wait to kill him, and started riots to get at him and his fellow believers. How could he wish this for people who had been so evil to him? That again is agape love, the highest kind of love. Romans 5:7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
May we be challenged this day to have agape love, not just for our friends and family but also for our enemies! What is your greatest wish this day? May it be more for the benefit of others than for yourself.
Prayer Point: Lord, help us to love as You loved, and to yearn for those outside the Kingdom to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
02/21 | A Harvest Awaits
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
There are 4 key thoughts in this passage. The first is: let us not become weary. The Greek word translated “weary” means “to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted.” In other words, don’t let yourself get to the point where you won’t go on. The way you prevent that from happening is found in the other key points of this text.
The second key phrase is: the proper time. Even God has to wait sometimes:
Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you…
God wants good things to happen more than we do, but He understands the need to do things in their proper season. If a flower bloomed in Alaska in December, it’s life would be short and of very little benefit.
The third important phrase is: we will reap. The laws of sowing and reaping are firmly established in the heavens. There are exceptions as the next point will show, but in general whatever we sow we WILL reap. In the context of this passage, it is talking about reaping positive, beneficial, and good things. There is a guarantee from God that we will reap, so don’t lose heart, and don’t give up.
The final thought is: IF we do not give up. There is a conditionality to sowing and reaping in this passage. The implication is that you might miss a harvest if you quit too soon. If you stop watering your garden your crops may die. If Aaron and Hur stop holding up Moses’ hands the enemy may win the battle. You get the idea.
Prayer Point: God, help me not to grow weary in well-doing, and I thank You for the promised harvest that awaits.
02/22 | Ripped Off, Blessed Anyway
Genesis 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
Jacob’s father-in-law (Laban) was a shepherd, and when Jacob first came to him, he had little by way of a flock. But because God was with Jacob, the flock was blessed and grew to a great size. Jacob wanted to return back to where his family was and so he asked Laban to send him on his way. Laban asked him not to leave just yet because he saw how blessed he was financially because of Jacob. So he asked Jacob what his wages should be if he stayed and Jacob said that he wanted all the black and spotted sheep as his wages. In this way, Laban could easily know if he was being cheated by Jacob.
Because Jacob chose the odd-colored sheep, something amazing happened: many of the best sheep started being born black/speckled. So, Laban changed his wages to different sheep, but no matter what kind he chose the ones that were for Jacob prospered more than any others. It was so obvious and so amazing that Laban changed his wages 10 times to try and make it work in his own favor, but no matter what he picked it always turned out better for Jacob.
Laban kept trying to rip Jacob off and give him the short end of the stick, but it never worked because “God suffered him not to hurt me.” The New Testament equivalent is that God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love Him. (Rom 8:28) No matter how the world or the devil tries to rip us off, God will see to it that we are blessed. If someone has ripped you off, commit it to God and He will see to it you are not hurt in the long run.
Prayer Point: I thank You, Lord, that even those who try to cheat me will wind up being a blessing, because You will see to it that it happens.
02/23 | The Precious Things of Heaven
Deuteronomy 33:13 And of Joseph he said, “Blessed of the LORD be his land, With the choice things of heaven, with the dew, And from the deep lying beneath,
This verse is part of Moses’ final blessing on the children of Israel. Each tribe is named and a blessing is said over them. The blessing over Joseph covers a few more verses, but we are only pointing this one out in particular. One of my commentaries says this about this verse:
“For the precious things of heaven, i.e. the precious fruits of the earth brought forth by the influences of heaven, the warmth of the sun, and the rain which God will send from heaven.”
The precious things of heaven produced wonderful fruit. What Joseph was blessed with in the natural, we are far more blessed with in the spiritual. Note there are 3 sources of water in Joseph’s blessing: heaven (rain), dew, and the deep lying beneath (springs of water). Can we not find a spiritual parallel that when God blesses His people with water (an emblem of the Spirit), He does so in abundance, and through a multitude of sources?
Do not the precious things of heaven include for us many other blessings? The gifts of the Spirit, the word of God, the enjoyment of the presence of God. Joseph was greatly blessed indeed. But we have a better covenant, better promises, better precious things of heaven, and a better sacrificial lamb!
Prayer Point: Lord, I thank You this day for the precious things of heaven and for spiritual rain in all its different forms. May I walk this day in the better blessings of the New Covenant, and may I bring forth fruit because of the influences of heaven.
02/24 | Even If He Does Not
Daniel 3:17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
Daniel 3:18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The King of Babylon had set up a golden image and declared that anyone who does not bow down and worship it, would be thrown into a furnace of fire and killed. Nebuchadnezzar was informed that 3 of the Jews refused to do it, and he gave them one last chance. The verses above are their answer to the king. God can and will deliver us, but even if He doesn’t, we won’t bow or worship your image.
Far too many have a “do what I want, or else” kind of faith. As long as God gives them what they want they are happy and will keep an outward show of faith. But real faith, the kind these men exhibited, does not base their continued walk with God on how things turn out. Real faith understands things may not turn out the way you want, but no matter what you will continue with God. Hebrews 11 is called by many the Hall of Faith, and the remarkable things done by God’s champions are listed there. At the end of that list, one final group of God’s heroes is listed:
Heb 11:36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
Heb 11:38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
Heb 11:39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith…
Most of Hebrews 11 is about people who did exploits by faith, this last group is heralded because of what they endured but still didn’t waver in their faith. They all had “even if” faith. We are told two very special things about this group: they were people of whom the world was not worthy of, and they gained approval through their faith. May we all be like them and be prepared to live out an “even if” faith. Even if He doesn’t heal us, even if He doesn’t deliver us, even if we suffer financially (they were destitute!), even if the world threatens our life.
Prayer Point: Lord, we pray for those who are shining for You as they walk out an “even if” faith; we pray for turn arounds for them, but if not give them grace to endure to the end. May we personally have that kind of deep faith that wins Your approval.
02/25 | Weak, Though Anointed
2 Samuel 3:39 And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me…
Weak though anointed, those two terms just don’t seem to go together. To see them in juxtaposition is flat out odd to us. The background of this text is that David’s two nephews, Joab and Abishai, had murdered a general named Abner in cold blood. The text above was something David said just after Abner’s funeral. What he is really saying is that, even though I am the anointed king I can’t seem to do what I need to do, which was to punish his two nephews for premeditated murder.
Now it wasn’t just because they were his nephews that he was incapacitated in the situation, it was because of what he knew Joab knew. Joab had been the army officer David used to put Uriah (the true husband of Bathsheba) to the front of the line at a time of battle to ensure he would be killed. David was incapacitated by his own sin of premeditated murder and covering up the adultery he had been trying to hide. How could he judge the man who could say to him, “You are just as guilty as I am.”?
Now, to the bigger point for today’s devotional. The fact that on some days and in some situations you are weak, does not negate that God has anointed or given the power of the Spirit to you. It just serves to point out, that anointing doesn’t take away all human weakness. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the glory may be God’s. The more you realize you are an earthen pot, the easier it is for God to work through you, because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
David said, “I am this day weak…”, but he went on to have many days where it was the power of God in his life that was more evident than his own personal weakness. Also, near his death, he gave instructions to his son Solomon to make sure that Joab was punished for his sins. (He had in fact murdered 4 people! Uriah, Absalom, Abner, and Amasa). Solomon fulfilled his father’s command. That day of weakness was overcome in David’s case, and it will be in yours also.
Prayer Point: Lord, I commit into your hand my personal weaknesses, and pray that Your anointing will give me the victory I need.
02/26 | With Exceeding Joy
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
There are 3 wonderful blessings in this passage; may you find encouragement here today.
The first talks about Him that is able to keep you from falling. What is wonderful about this is that it takes the onus off of us. He is the one Who can keep us from falling, and while we have a part to play, if we allow Him He will take on the Lion’s share of those duties. Paul said essentially the same thing this way:
2 Timothy 1:12 …for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Paul committed the keeping of his salvation to God, because he knew it was much safer in God’s hands than his own. You can trust God to keep you, or you can try to do it on your own. Easy choice to make.
The second blessing is that He will present us faultless. The Greek word translated “faultless” means “without rebuke, without blemish, and without spot.” No matter how many times we tell ourselves that God has removed our sin as far as the East is from the West, the natural tendency of many is to feel like they still have guilt. It is a constant struggle to believe about ourselves what God says about us. Faultless, without rebuke, without blemish, without spot. Receive it and rejoice.
Finally, Jude takes us to the pinnacle of the peak of grace: He will bring us into God’s presence with exceeding joy. We won’t simply scrape by and get there, He will see to it, if we trust Him, that we are brought there with exceeding joy! Exceeding what? Exceeding whatever you could think of. We won’t get there cowering in shame, but will experience what the Psalmist describes in Psalm 118:15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous… Praise God! We are going to go to heaven shouting!
Prayer Point: Lord, today I commit to You the keeping of my soul, and I rejoice that You will bring me before Your throne faultless and with exceeding great joy.
02/27 | Looking in the Wrong Place
Luke 24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
Luke 24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
Some of the women who followed Jesus came to the tomb looking for His body to anoint it with spices. Two angels appeared to them and said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” This was perhaps a slight rebuke that they had not believed what He had often and plainly said, that He would rise from the dead. That is the context.
For today’s devotional we want to take that phrase and apply it to the world and to ourselves: “Why are we looking for the living among the dead?” In other words, why are we seeking fulfillment, and life, in places that are full of spiritual death? For the world, they look for life in drugs, music, relationships, entertainment, and sports. While these things may or may not be bad, they are not the place you will find life. That is only found in Jesus. John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
For all people, there is a part of us that never will be fulfilled outside of Christ, and for the believer that is especially true. Today you may hear the Spirit say, “Why are you looking for fulfillment in sports, when you know real fulfillment is only found in Christ?” We are not saying we should never be involved in sports, just noting that it can never scratch the itch that is inside you. When we try to find fulfillment in things other than Christ, they will ring hollow. When things are in the proper order they can bring us joy, but never on a level that is on par with Jesus.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to always remember where true happiness is found, and to never try to substitute anything for You, and Your presence.
02/28 | Opportunity Knocks
Esther 4:14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Some moments in life rise above all others, and we must be ready to respond. Jesus told a parable about a King who made a great feast and invited many people. In that parable Jesus points out that many that were invited began to make excuses, claiming they weren’t ready at that moment. Jesus would go on to say that those people would not taste of the King’s supper. The moment and opportunity were gone.
Each day presents us with opportunities, and we need to be ready to seize the moment. Esther was told if she didn’t step up, God would find someone else, and the consequences for her family would be disastrous. While most opportunities don’t usually carry that amount of baggage, still the thought that we might miss an important one is a thought that should keep us on our toes.
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Prayer Point: Lord, help me to be ready to be used by You, and to step into opportunities You have made for me to act on.
