Saturday, March 28, 2020
Refocusing on Christ
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 30:6-8, Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
With the tragic event that David faced when he and his men returned to where they were dwelling, it would have been very difficult to focus on the underlying blessing. He was greatly distressed because of how everyone else reacted to this trial, which put him in their crosshairs. Like the prodigal son, God had to allow David to hit rock bottom and allow him to suffer a trial that was too big for him to tackle using his own human wisdom, planning and scheming. So it is with us that sometimes God has to allow a trial that is far too big for us to resolve of our own accord. What choice does that leave us other than to turn back to Him? As we deal with the current world situation, if we fail to put our focus where it belongs, on Jesus, we will miss the blessings that are right in front of our very eyes. My wife and I took the time to pack some snacks and some water, filled the gas tank and went for a ride. As we drove around, we noticed that there was increased activity in our neighborhood that we had not seen previous to all this. I am talking about the kind of activity that actually brightened the neighborhood. Let me explain. We often enjoy taking walks in our neighborhood, and really enjoy the beauty of where we live. Just down the street we have farms and the neighborhoods are quaint and cozy. However, regardless of what time of the day we walked, the neighborhood was lonely; no one outside, no children playing and virtually a ghost town. As we drove around yesterday and the day before we noticed fathers walking with their sons, fathers were playing in their yards with their daughters, a family (grandma, mom, dad, and children) riding their bicycles in a convoy. For many who have been forced to stay home, it has been a time to rediscover what it means to spend time with family. Some Christians are discovering that they did not need that house that was overpriced or that brand new car they could not afford, because now, for the time being they are without a means of making the same amount of money they have become accustomed to. As tragic as this may sound, it is a reminder that we need to be wiser with our finances and be better stewards of what the Lord was already blessing us with. The promises and comforts the world has to offer are proving to be a major failure in the time of testing. Instead this should be a great reminder that we, as God’s children, need to refocus our attention on what is most important for us, as this is not our home. 1 Peter 2:11-12, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” This is a great opportunity for us to really allow our testimony to shine. When the world is in a panic, this is when our godly conduct and attitude needs to shine brightly as ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must use this time as a reminder of one very important thing we should be looking for…our Lord’s return. In speaking about the end of the age, Jesus said in Mark 13:7-8, “But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” It is no secret that we are seeing increased activity in respect to natural disasters, famines, and rumors of war. Yet, this is only a glimpse of what is drawing near for mankind. The bottom line here is that as we live through these trying times, we need to be reminded that God wants to use this time to help His children refocus our attention on our Savior. We need to remember that when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the furnace, God did not pull them out, but walked through it with them (Daniel 3). It is time for us, as born again believers, to stop lamenting the things of the world and refocus our attention on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to focus on how we can best serve Him during these tough times and keep looking upward. I will leave us with this reminder from Acts 1:11, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Where Are They All Now?
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 30:4-6, Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
Something interesting happens when trouble visits us up close and personal. All of a sudden, that which should have been most important to us, but had been neglected, becomes important again. The one Person who should have had priority in our life has now moved up a few notches to be the most important Person in our life again. Yes, I am speaking of the One who gave it all so that we would have eternal life. The One whose relationship we should value above all else. It is a very sad commentary that far too often it takes adversity for us to make God as important in our lives as He should be. God gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16), and in Him has given us eternal life. He has given us a very simple command (note that I did not say easy) to tell everyone about what He did for us and what is available in Him (Mark 16:15). Yet, we carry on in life, every day, as if we have forever on this earth, and we spend so much time being friends with the world that sometimes God has to allow something like a worldwide pandemic to get His children’s attention. The thing I would like us to consider today is this one question, “Where did it all go?” What do I mean you ask? Well, where did all those things and all those people we put before God go? Where are all those things and all those people we gave our attention to and gave preference to over God? Where did the job go that we were laid off from? The one on whose altar we sacrificed family for, chasing that all elusive dollar? Where is that sports team we celebrated, as if we were going to be the one wearing the championship ring or as if we were going to get a chunk of the millions of dollars they are banking? How much have we sacrificed, neglecting family, church, and squandering monies that could have been used to support a missionary who is sacrificing to win others to Christ? How valuable was that lesson we taught our family that skipping church service on a Sunday morning for a fishing trip or sporting event was okay? How many of us are in a panic because the investments we were counting on to help us live comfortably are all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, gone? So I ask again, “Where did it all go?” Where are all those people, sports idols, and worldly treasures we made our gods? Why are they not helping us in our greatest time of need? David was greatly distressed. Why? He was greatly distressed because he found himself in a position where his loyal followers now talked about stoning him for the loss they suffered at the hands of the Amalekites. The Philistines, who David ran to for shelter and protection wanted nothing to do with David or his followers. The followers whom David dedicated himself to, and whom he counted on for backup were now contemplating doing him harm. Who does David have left but God? Who do we have left in these dark times? Yes, we have the Lord; the one who promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5-6) The fact of the matter is that God sometimes has to allow adversity to enter the front door of our lives in order to wake us up to the fact that we have allowed the world to consume our time and attention. We have allowed the world to lull us to sleep with its vile entertainment, and draw us to its gods with their empty promises. What will it take to wake us up and realize that there is a great urgency that exists for those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior? Do we think that we will be here forever? Did we forget that we are only pilgrims here and that this is not our home? What are we striving for? Are we so busy trying to gather earthly treasure that we are forfeiting heavenly reward? Will we later lament the fact that many family members and people we know and love will perish because we were too busy with our video games, social media, television, and sporting events to take the time to share the Gospel message with them? It’s time to stop and ask ourselves, “Where did it all go? Where did they all go?” Once we have, we need to stop and realize that there is only One who is faithful, and there is only One who deserves our faithfulness and total allegiance. We need to turn back to our Savior, repent, ask for His forgiveness and get to what really matters today, during these trying times, and for the remainder of our time here on earth. Like David, this is the time to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, commit to prayer and His Word and stay busy doing the Lord’s work for His glory.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Trust God First
Verse of the day: Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
In light of what is happening in our world today, I want to remind my brothers and sisters in Christ that regardless of what we face, we need to go to, and trust, God first. The Prophet Jeremiah compares two men. The first trusts in the “flesh”, while the other trusts in the Lord. The first man is cursed and is compared to a shrub in the desert (v. 5-6). The second man, which is the one we want to model, is blessed and compared to a tree planted by the river. What a contrast. The one is pictured as a bush that is wild and frail while the other is strong, vibrant and producing much fruit. The one who trusts in the flesh (his own ideas or the help of people over God’s help) are trusting in man who is often unfaithful and unreliable. Man often lacks wisdom and makes decisions based on emotions, and what seems right in their eyes; rather that what is right before God. In verse 9 of this chapter, the Prophet Jeremiah warns that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? God knows it, and searches it. Although it is wise to seek godly wisdom, the Lord should be the One who gets the last word. The person who trusts in the Lord is one that will endure life’s challenges, being anchored in God’s salvation; a salvation that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not a dead hope, but a Living Hope, which is Jesus. When we are grounded in the Lord, we have the Living Water abiding in us (the Holy Spirit). When we take in His Word, which is our spiritual nourishment (Matt 4:4), the Living Water uses it to produce fruit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). Just like a tree that draws water from the river and its leaf blooms consistently, our testimony, when we allow living water to flow through us, will shine consistently in a dark world (John 7:38-39). When we are firmly planted in Christ, abiding in Him (John 15) and the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, working in us, no matter what storm, trial or tribulation we face, we will stand strong and rooted in the Word. Jeremiah equated this to the tree that is not fazed by the heat when it comes because it is being strengthened and cooled by the water its roots are absorbing from the abundant source of water. However, unlike the tree, whose river can dry up, we have a Source that does not run out or dry up. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that He could give her living water and she would never thirst again (John 4:14). Psalm 1 also speaks of the truth that the man that delights and meditates on God’s Word is blessed and will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth its fruit, and its leaf will never wither. The bottom line is that God will sometimes put people in our lives to be a blessing. However, we end up in dire straits, when we begin to put more confidence and trust in the creation, and the blessing(s), rather than on the Creator who is the One that sends the blessings. Let us use wisdom as we deal with what is going on today, but let us not lose hope and panic. Let us ask God how He can use us right now to be a blessing to others and give us opportunities to tell others about Jesus who give us that peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). The greatest blessing man has received is eternal life in Christ. However, in order to receive eternal life, we must call on Jesus, by faith, repenting and confessing our sins, and accepting His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23; 10:13). Would you call on Him today?
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, March 6, 2020
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