God Our Refuge - Closet Reflections

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 10:7, 9: And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. 9 So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

Samuel met with Saul and anointed him king (v.1). However, he does not just send him off to rule over Israel. Samuel tells Saul three things he will encounter after their meeting. These three incidents will be occasions of confirmation for Saul. They will be confirmation of his calling by God, confirmation that Samuel is a true prophet, whom he, Saul, should seek godly counsel from in his role as king of Israel, and to give him assurance that God is with him as he rules God’s people. Today, as we walk with the Lord, we too should be looking for confirmation from God in respect to our service to Him and His plan for our lives. For those who seek God’s will, this is an easy one to answer. If you and I have access to a Bible, we have access to God’s will. Every time we read, “this is the will of God” or “thus says the Lord” or any form of a command in Scripture, this is the will of God. In following God’s will, we will find God’s plan. How then do we receive confirmation? First, we must prayerfully search the Scriptures. The Bible and prayer must be the first source of any confirmation. I will warn, however, that we must not search the Scriptures looking for a verse to back up what we feel needs to happen. We must search the Scriptures, truly seeking for God to lead and us to follow. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Word of God will always confirm God’s will and God’s plan because it is inspired, or “God-breathed”. All of it, from cover to cover, is profitable for what we should believe about God, man, and life in general. It convicts, corrects, and teaches us how to stay on the path of righteousness. It equips us for every task and every mission God lead us on. This means that we cannot afford to read it occasionally, or skim it “here and there”. We must meditate on it, pray on it, and revisit it over and over again. Along with prayerfully reading and studying God’s Word, we should seek godly counsel. God can certainly use others to confirm our prayers and His plan for us. We need to seek wise counsel from people who are truly wise, and not people who will just tell us what we want to hear. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 12:15 also says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.” Finally, God can use circumstances as a way of giving us confirmation that we are on the right path. We see this again and again in God’s Word; those “just happened to be” moments that lead God’s people to exactly where He wants them. When Joseph was searching for his brothers, “there just happened to be” a random stranger in the field ready to give him direction (Genesis 37). While Saul was looking for his father’s lost donkeys, Samuel “just happened to be” in the same area. This is where I must caution each of us. In seeking God’s confirmation for what we should do in any given situation, or when we are seeking confirmation for how we should be serving or which direction we should be moving in life, know that we have an enemy who wants to derail us. Our enemy, Satan and his devils, wants to draw us away from God. He wants to destroy us and rob God of His glory, worship, and praise, we give Him. John 10:10 reminds us, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” We must not allow our emotions and feelings to override God’s truth. If what we feel, as we seek God’s confirmation, is contrary to God’s Word, then our feelings and emotions are wrong. The devils love to play on our feelings of guilt and regret to make us feel unworthy and derail us. If we face troubles for standing up for what is right, even within our own family, remember that Jesus said this in Matthew 10:34-39, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Know that regardless of what we face, God will always give the confirmation we seek, if we are truly seeking it.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Devotional Audio Track: Why Do We Not Pray?

https://clyp.it/zxitfnu0

Why Do We Not Pray?

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 9:22, Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons.

Here we see the servant of God who led Israel for so many years, now passing the baton to the first king of Israel, who would now be their leader. Samuel’s actions toward Saul are an example of what our attitude and actions should be toward our leaders today. Let us not forget that Samuel was not happy that the people rejected his leadership because of his sons’ behavior (1 Samuel 8). Samuel was displeased with their choice to have a king rule over them. Yet, here, we see him honor the man that God had chosen to lead his people. Rather than allow his displeasure to overrule his duty to God, Samuel chose to honor the man that God put in place to rule Israel. This is something that we, today, must be mindful of. What I am about to say might displease you as the reader, but it is God’s truth, not mine. I see far too many Christians “jump on the bandwagon”, insulting our country’s leaders on social media, and carrying on like the unsaved. Do we have a right to disagree or be angry with the decisions our leaders make? Of course we do. Do we have a right to sin as a result of how we feel? No, we do not. Ephesians 4:26 plainly says, “Be angry and do not sin.” It also goes on to say that if we do, we give place to the devil. Samuel could have begrudgingly broken the news to Saul, but chose to honor him with the honor due a king. Rather than waste time bad-mouthing our leaders, why not use that time to pray for them? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Peter 2:13-17 also says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” Romans 13:1 clearly tells us that it is God who appoints leaders. It reads, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Has He allowed evil rulers to rule His people? Yes, He has. Will He allow corrupt leaders to lead our nations? Yes, He will. Before we get all twisted up about that, let us first step back and see what part we have played in that. Israel’s first king, Saul, was not a king after God’s own heart. As we read Saul’s story, we see that God was not a priority in his life or reign. The king God gave Israel was a king whose heart was like Israel’s heart toward Him. Before we point a finger at God for allowing corrupt leaders to lead our countries, I want to ask the following: “How long has it been since God was allowed in our schools?” “How long has it been since God was the center of our justice system?” “When was the last time we voted, as a country, for men and women who stood for godly principles?” Man does everything he/she can to try and remove God from every aspect of life, then complain when in return we get evil and corrupt leaders. We as Christians, instead of steadfastly praying for our country and leaders, go along with the world, hurling insults and participating in the social media foolishness, as if that will solve the problem. Satan does a good job at keeping us distracted so that we do not take the path that will accomplish the most…praying for our leaders. If those leaders make decisions that make them our enemies and the enemies of God, are we not supposed to still pray for them? In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Things in our nations could turn around if we, as Christians, actually lived for the Lord, by serving Him faithfully, doing our homework and actually voting for men and women who stood for something that was right. More importantly, we need to come together as the church, to earnestly and honestly pray for our nation and its leaders, and trust God for the outcome.

Friday, January 25, 2019

Devotional Audio Track: Humility Is More Than Just Words

https://clyp.it/vheg2qhf

Humility Is More Than Just Words

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 9:21, And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

On the surface, Saul’s response to Samuel is a humble response. However, when we look closely at what he says, we see that it is not completely honest. We know from verse 1 that his family is prominent. There are those who are truly humble, then there are those who pretend to be, but something in their life brings out who they really are. Eventually we see that Saul’s true colors shine forth once he is on the throne as the first king of Israel. Nonetheless, let us focus on the humility behind Saul’s response. As followers of Jesus, we must remember that we are just that, followers. We should not be the ones leading, and we should mindful of the fact that we are who we are by God’s grace. That means that all our talents and abilities were given to us by God, and all that we have has been allowed by God. Yes, it is true that some of us have gotten more by putting in work and effort, but we must stop and consider that it was God who gave us the health and strength to do it. No matter how we slice life, you and I cannot leave God out of the equation. Our goal in life is to be like John the Baptist who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” in John 3:30. In Romans 12:3, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Galatians 6:3 also reiterates, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” The ultimate example of humility was, and is, Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8 says this about our King and Savior, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus did not come flaunting the fact that He is God. He did not come by way of a family of prominence. No, instead He chose to come to this world with humility, ready to lay down His own will, His own life, and submit to the Father’s plan for our salvation. This is the mind that is to be in us. Regardless of what position God exalts us to in the church or in the world, we must never forget that we are there as part of God’s plan for our lives, and we must live a life of submission to Him. We are to take up our cross daily (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27). I purposely list all the places in the Gospels where Jesus says this, because it demonstrates the importance of humility in our words, actions, and deeds. Philippians 2:3 puts it like this, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Saul’s response resonated with humility, but his heart was far from it. This was proven later during his reign. We must be very careful that we not allow the successes that God allows in our lives convince us that we are more than we really are. The bottom line is that we are sinners saved by God’s grace. It was not our good works, or the fact that we were anything special that gained us eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). It was strictly Jesus’ righteousness, and it is still His righteousness that continues to give us favor with our Heavenly Father. Let our humility not just be in words, but let it be in the way we think, the way we behave toward others, and the way we submit to our Lord and Savior.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Our God of Comfort

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 9:16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”

Our God is truly amazing. He is patient beyond anything we can imagine. Unlike people, He forgives and forgives and forgives. He never stops loving us, regardless of what we do. He loved us, even when we were not His. John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Do we not understand that this verse speaks of His love for us, even before we became His children? Romans 5:8 also tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I preface what I want to say with these reminders of God’s love for us because something happens to the way we think when we begin to suffer for the sins we commit, and for the decision we make, that bring us heavy consequences. The devils love to use the guilt we feel and the pain we experience when heavy consequences befall us, resulting from something we have done or decision we have made. The first thing that the enemy does is attack God’s love for us. We see time and time again that regardless of what God’s people do, and what He allows as their consequence, He never stops loving them. Romans chapter 8 is a great reminder that God works ALL things for our good. Yes, even the consequences of our sins. I especially love Romans 8:32, which reads, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” How can we even begin to believe that God no longer loves us, or is no longer willing to comfort us, when He gave His Son to save us? He gave us what was most precious to Him, while we were still His enemies. Why would He withdraw His love or comfort now that we are His children? That is just the devils’ ploy to tear us down during a time when we are most vulnerable spiritually and emotionally. Note what God is saying to Samuel here, in spite of Israel’s rejection of Him. They asked for a human king, rejecting the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is about to give them what they have asked for, but there are going to be hard consequences with what He is going to give them. Yet, we still see His love in how He is responding to this stiff-necked people. He is going to give them a king (and many thereafter) who will be hard on them, and from whom He will not deliver them from, but will use those kings to deliver them from the suffering of the bondage they will face with other nations. He will intermittently allow them to have good, but imperfect, kings (such as King David). Nonetheless, in all of this, His love never changes. King David was a man after God’s own heart, even though he sinned greatly against the Lord. His consequences were hard, but God’s love and favor never changed. It is God’s love and comfort that will sustain us and get us through the difficult times we will experiences as a result of some of our life decisions. This is where far too many of us go sideways. We spend far too much time focusing on the consequences, rather than focusing on the grace and love that God shows us, even in the midst of the toughest of consequences. Whatever loss we suffer because of the things we choose in life, the one thing we do not lose is God. Psalm 147:3 reminds us that, “He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” In spite of Israel’s constant rebellion, God has never forsaken them, and will never forsake them, or us. In Isaiah 41:10-11 we find God’s comforting words toward His rebellious people, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11 All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.” In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we are reminded that one of God’s specialties is comforting His children. Those verses read, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” As if that were not enough, the Lord made us this promise in Revelation 21:4, “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We serve a God who is righteous and just, and will allow the consequences of our choices and actions, but He is also a God who never forsakes us, always loves us, and still comforts us, in spite of us.