Devotion Journal

“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cray aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman, says the Lord.

Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of you dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.  For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.  And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.”  Isaiah 54:1-3

Are things not going the way you would like them?  Has someone made you angry?  Have your dreams been trampled?  Has some trial knocked on the door of your life?  Let me encourage you to “Shout for joy!”  When it comes to suffering, disappointments, and shattered dreams it’s easy to withdraw into our own world and seek from others what they cannot give.  There comes a time in our life when we learn to trust God and draw our life from Him.

Dealing with suffering or disappointment we need to understand this world is not our final home.  Jesus has promised to wipe away every tear.  One day the Lord will make things right.  It’s not some hopeful thinking but is more real than this life we live.  We put so much focus on “this life”.  Yet this life has no guarantees.  Jesus told the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled.  He told them He was going ahead of them to prepare a place for them.  I believe that place He has gone to prepare is indescribable.  Jesus will keep his promise.

Becoming transformed in times of trouble.  Storms will come and will shake our worlds.  Jesus said in this life you will have trouble.  In the book of James he writes to us to consider it joy when you face trials of many kinds.  Why?  Because it’s in those times that our faith is tested and the testing develops perseverance.  Peter writes, “though for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trails, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  There are many trials that can knock on your door.  Yet in that time your faith in Him will be revealed and will grow.  Your faith will become pure.  Paul tells us in Romans that as followers of Jesus we can know that everything is used by God and is working for our good.

We learn to trust the Father’s love.  Christianity becomes real in trials.  It’s really not about some ritual.  It’s not about church attendance, how involved in some program we are.  It’s about discovering our Father who loves us so much.  I’ve been through a few storms in my life.  Some of them have been very difficult.  Yet now I’m starting to recognize when we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” we really do not have to fear any evil.  The reason is because He is with me.  My favorite Psalm is Psalm 139.  The Psalmist is says, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night, even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.”  Our dark moments are not dark to Him.  The Lord also is not indifferent in our dark moment.  He is right there with us and gently leading us all the way.  Isaiah even goes on to say that he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.

As difficult as it may seem we can shout for joy in our distress.  We can enlarge our tents for more of Him.  We do this not because we are great or to display our great faith.  We do this because He is great and we open up our lives for more of Him.  He is good.  He can be trusted.  His is my life.  He is your life.  Do not fear.

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

What is eternal life?  Some would say it means living forever.  While that is true Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God.  Us knowing God is at His very heart.  Jesus did not come to hand out rules and principles to live by or show us how to get to heaven.  Nor was Jesus some great teacher.  He came to give so much more.  He came to restore something to us that was lost at the very beginning when man disobeyed God.

When Jesus came to earth He came from the heart of the Father.  Everything Jesus said, did, and was completly reflected the heart of the Father.  One day Philip a disciple of Jesus asked Jesus to show them the Father.  Jesus said in response, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip?”  John 14:8  Jesus was not saying to Philip that He was the Father but that he so reflected the Father that if you saw Jesus you would also see the Father.  Jesus said that He only did those things which He saw the Father doing.  Jesus did not operate seperate from the Father but in unity with Him.

In John 17 we find Jesus praying first for His disciples and second for those who would believe later down the road.  In that prayer Jesus states that eternal life is knowing them.  Read through the prayer and you will see that it’s his heart that we share in the same relationship that Jesus had with his Father.  Jesus prayed that we would be one with He and the Father. 

This relationship Jesus desires is much more than going to church attendance once or twice a week.  This relationship should touch everyday of our lives.  Jesus wants us to learn to hear his voice… yes, God does want to talk to you and relate to you on a personal level.

It’s ingrained in us to think we need to be doing something at all times.  We are very driven; yet, what is it we are driven for?  Do we feel God is some task master and that we have to be about some some duty?  Our days are not of rest and enjoyment but of guilt and a constant searching for what we need to be doing.  If for any reason we decide to do nothing, we feel guilty until we do something in response to our guilt.  That is not life.  Jesus told us that He came to give us life and life to the fullest. 

Our Christian walk should not be about duty.  We are told to dwell in the Lord.  He is the Shepherd who leads us by still waters and restores our soul.  He wants us to abide in him and be lead by Him. 

Stop and hear him say, “I love you.”  I bet that concept of God is far from many of us.  Why?  Do we feel we haven’t performed up to the standard by which we think we should.  If there is a standard then who sets the standard.  We can look at one fellow and think we are doing well.  On the other hand we may look at another and think we are failing miserably.  The truth is there is no standard.  The law was that standard and we’ve already failed.  Jesus has released us from the trying to live up to that standard.  He has freed us and now we live by grace.

Knowing that how do you and I change our thinking about that?  I think it begins by just be-ing.  It’s not about do-ing but be-ing.  More Bible study, or being more faithful in your devotions, a good prayer life will never get us there.  It’s simple- just love Him now and be in his presence.  Whatever you are doing realize that God enjoys you and enjoys doing what you are doing.  Stop trying to do something or even be something but simply just be.  Be in love with God.  Now isn’t that free-ing!

“Now therefore, it was not you who sent me here but God…” Genesis 45:8

When bad things happen in our lives it can be difficult to wrap our hands around the fact that God is with us.  That is why I enjoy the story of Joseph.  In that story there is a beautiful illustration and picture of the greatness of our God. Joseph had plenty of opportunity to complain and question God.

Joseph was a young man with hopes and dreams.  He truly did have dreams from the Lord which resulted in jealousy with his other brothers.  Eventually, his brothers threw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery.  Joseph was not feeling and experiencing peace when this happened.  Later, in the story we get an illustration of what he went through told by one of his brothers, “…because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen…”

While in Egypt, Joseph didn’t instantly rise to the first in command under Pharaoh.  Joseph was a servant and eventually accused of rape and thrown in prison where he would spend a few years of his life.  Then the day came for him to interpret the dream of Pharaoh which led to him being number one in Egypt under Pharaoh.  A wife was given to Joseph and he had two children which he named Manasseh and Ephraim.  Those names have much meaning.  Manasseh means, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”  Ephraim means, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Yes, Joseph was a man of troubles and affliction yet he knew the Lord was with him and blessed him.

Finally, when Joseph met his brothers again, he explained to them it was God himself who sent him to Egypt.  He was able to see beyond the troubles and affliction and recognize the Lord in it all.  In all his affliction and troubles Joseph was always faithful to God and others.  In prison or out of prison, in affliction or out of affliction he served the Lord with all his might. 

There are many today who can’t get beyond the troubles they currently face.  That is all they see.  What do you see?  Perhaps your affliction and troubles are not just chaos ruling and destroying your life but a path leading you exactly to that place the Lord has for you.

There are those who practice righteousness and those who practice sin. Which category are you in? Those who practice righteousness are God’s children. On the contrast, those who practice sin are of the devil. There is no in-between. Those who practice righteousness have been born from above. Meaning they have obeyed God by believing in the name of Jesus Christ. When that takes place God’s seed is placed in them. As a result they will begin to bear fruit after their Father.

We practice in order to become better. If you enjoy tennis then you will practice. In the same way, if you are born of God you will begin to practice those things which are pleasing to Him. The one who is not born of God practices sin. Do you desire the things of God or are you only interested in pursing that which you know is wrong? That is a good indicator who you belong to.

As a believer in Jesus you will love God and love others. The disciple, John, tells us not to love in word or with tongue but in deed and truth. We have to put action what we know. Jesus is the example, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” So how do we do this? John says, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him.” Don’t think it’s the churches responsibility to take care of needs. If you see a need don’t send them to talk with the pastor. You have seen the need for a purpose. Use what you have to demonstrate your love and build the body of Christ.

We have a pretty simple job or commandment that has been given to us. John writes, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” So now you know what you can begin to practice. Put off practicing sin… for as a believer you cannot continue in sin. Now put on simply doing what is right.

These thoughts were inspired by 1 John 2 & 3

I’ve been thinking a lot about Hebrews 12. The author writes, “let us run with perseverance.” That doesn’t sound like an motionless faith does it?  Our faith as believers has to be ever growing.  If our Christian life can be summed up by simply going once or twice a week to listen to a pastor teach then something is missing.  We serve a living God who raised us from the dead.  We weren’t raised from the dead to just be better people.  No, we’ve been moved from the kingdom of darkness the kingdom of light.  We are a holy nation and a royal priesthood.  We are a brand new creation.  Let us live as those redeemed from the dead!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

Be it a mighty mountain
Or the darkest tempest
There is no stopping my God!
It’s a work He will do.
When our God speaks
Not even death itself can contain me.

Our God is truly faithful. 

I was sitting this evening looking through a book.  I came across this quote that encouraged my heart.

Be persuaded, timid soul, that He has loved you too much to cease loving you.  Archbishop Fenelon

He does love you and I so much. 

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Hebrews 12:11

There is a purpose behind the discipline of our children. That purpose is not to be a release for our anger or to get even. Webster defines discipline as, “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.” Discipline then should be to the benefit to the child for the future. In the book of Hebrews the author is writing about the Lord’s discipline towards us. It stood out to me that God’s purpose behind discipline is to, “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” I have two small children. My kids are a huge blessing and bring such life into our home. Yet if you have small chilren you know that the can also be a challenge. When your child continues to do something you have asked them not to do how do you respond? Is the child benefiting from how I handle the situation.

It’s easy to get angry and say things we wish we never had. Yet our children do not benifit from our anger. I don’t think a child would benefit from yelling and screaming and just sending them to the room. The scripture teaches us to be slow to anger. When the Lord passed before Moses He proclaimed, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering (slow to anger), and abundant in goodness and truth…” (Exodus 34:6)

As a father you and I are preparing our children for the future. We have the job of training and teaching our children. Part of that preparation is discipline. Your children are going to do things that require discipline. Yet remember this is not something to gratify your anger. You need to put aside your anger for the benefit of the child. I think of how the Lord has dealt with me over the years. Yes I’ve done things I’m not happy about and there has been consequences. The correction hasn’t been fun yet it does yield peaceful fruit. The Lord has not responded to me in anger and He has been very merciful and gracious towards me.

So remember when correcting your child there is a bigger purpose than the thing which you are dealing with. May we seek the Lord on how to correctly discipline our children. May we ask the Lord to change us so that we may know how to respond in those moments of correcting our children. He is our Father and will teach us how to be a father to our children.

I got out the other morning to go kayaking and take some photos.  What a wondeful time.  As I was out there I was looking around at how beautiful everything was.  If the Lord can do all this certainly we can trust Him with all our life. 

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