“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’.” —GENESIS 2:18

The word ‘helper’ in the above verse is very much misunderstood. Some have used it to argue for a subordinate position for women in their relationship with men. Adam is the man, supreme; Eve is his helper, supportive like his personal assistant. This is, however, a misreading of the significance of the word ‘helper’. It is used eight times in the Old Testament, and six times it is used of God. Deuteronomy 33:29 says, “The Lord is your shield and helper.” Psalm 27:9, “You have been my helper.” Psalm 118:7, “The LORD is with me; He is my helper.”

What is the meaning of God being our helper? Does that put Him into a subordinate role? Of course, not. What that speaks of is the indispensability of God to human beings. ‘Helper’ is a very high word, which means to be indispensable and interdependent, one to the other. God saw it was not good for man to be alone, so He created a companion for him. In the very beginning, man and woman were equal in status and commission. God gave them a joint responsibility to be fruitful and multiply and to rule over all the creatures of the earth. 

Then God gives this instruction: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). This is the doctrine of marriage God has ordained; a union of two persons into one, made one flesh - male and female – two equal parts of one whole. As one flesh, they will procreate; they will create new life, and those new lives will be united to another person, and become another unit. And so as God intended, the building block of society is the man leaving his father and mother and he cleaves to his wife. They become one flesh. They procreate.

Husbands are not the fixed point and wives the adjustable ones. In Ephesians, Chapter 5, Paul talks further about the relationship of husband and wife. Husbands are to love their wives sacrificially as Christ loves the church (5:25). One of the things a wife needs to know most about her husband is that he will protect and provide for her, but if that sense of protection is undermined, everything else in the marriage is undermined. Ephesians 5:28 says, “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” - two equal parts of one whole. So ‘helper’ is a beautiful word that speaks of the husband and wife relationship. They are indispensable and interdependent on each other.

Dear Lord, help me to love my spouse sacrificially as Christ loves His church.

Is my marriage an equal union of man and wife?

“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”—ACTS 9:27

When Paul first came to Jerusalem after his conversion in Damascus and subsequent stay in Arabia, the apostles were reluctant to trust him or even meet with him. They had last known him to have brought havoc in Jerusalem, and their relief that he had left them three years ago had only been tempered by the fact he had set off for Damascus to cause trouble to believers there. But then back in Jerusalem, they heard rumours from Damascus that said, “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:23).

Clearly, the apostles found it difficult to attach much credibility to the story, for when Paul returned, Acts 9:26 says, “They were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.” If any credibility was to be established, someone would have to go out on a limb, and that someone was Barnabas. His real name was Joseph, but the disciples most appropriately nicknamed him ‘Barnabas’, meaning ‘son of encouragement’.

Barnabas not only befriended Paul, but became his spokesman, persuading the disciples that he could be trusted. Having gained acceptance, Paul was at liberty to preach in Jerusalem, but with an entirely different message, which did not impress his former colleagues who were anti-Christian. There was a threat to his life, so it was decided Paul should leave Jerusalem and return to Tarsus. In the meantime, marvelous growth was taking place in the church in Judea and surrounding areas. Most significant was the conversion to Christ of both Jew and Gentile in the city of Antioch, 400 miles north of Jerusalem.

Barnabas, needing help in Antioch, sought out Paul and brought him back from Tarsus. Acts 11:24 says of Barnabas, “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” What higher and nobler aspiration could anyone have? Barnabas looked for opportunities to bring younger men into the work of God. He was not feathering his own nest, or establishing a reputation, but was caught up exclusively in the interests of Jesus Christ, and therefore, Jesus Christ’s interest in the younger Paul became Barnabas’ interest too. 

How much Paul owed to the outstanding friendship of Barnabas, we can only surmise, but from every human standpoint, had there been no Barnabas, there would have been no Paul - certainly not as we know him. The point is that we all need a ‘Barnabas’ in our work with God, and God most assuredly provides them.

Thank you, Jesus, for being sensitive and responsive to all our needs. I am so grateful for the ‘Barnabas’ You provide for me.  

Am I encouraging others in their walk with God?

“Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.”—MATTHEW 26:75

One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the life of the Apostle Peter must have been the night of Christ’s arrest when he heard the rooster crow. All four Gospels record this event, and with the exception of John, tell us how Peter broke down and wept. The Bible never glamorizes its leading characters, and it may be encouraging to discover we rarely become struck in a way that is original.  

Peter was Jesus’ most loyal and enthusiastic supporter. At the Last Supper, he confirmed his unwavering devotion to Him by declaring, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Jesus said to him, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Peter became more emphatic. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:33-35). There is no reason to believe that Peter’s motivation was anything but genuine.

After the arrest of Jesus, Peter followed a safe distance behind, and three times was accused of being with Jesus, but just as emphatically, denied ever having known Him. His sense of relief was abruptly shattered when he heard the rooster crow and recalled with heavy heart what Jesus had said. When reminded of broken promises, words of never-failing loyalty and commitment to God, the rooster crows in our lives too. It is a dilemma we all face in earnestly wanting to please God, but fail again and again. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus summed it up for Peter. “The spirit is willing but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). It is when we experience what is admirable in our spirits, but cannot put it into action, we realize our moral and spiritual bankruptcy. All Jesus expects of us is failure, for He says, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

For Peter, the morning of tears when the cock crowed, made possible a triumphant morning of joy, seven weeks later. In the intervening time, stripped of his own sufficiency and confidence, Peter was enabled to stand on the Day of Pentecost in new strength and new life that was not his own. The explanation was no longer “Peter”, but “Jesus”, who had come to live in him by the Holy Spirit. Like Peter, it is not until we acknowledge we have come to an end in ourselves, and allow the life of Jesus to be lived in us that we truly experience His strength and His sufficiency.

Thank you, Jesus, for living in me by your Holy Spirit. Especially in times of failure and weakness, keep me dependent on your strength and sufficiency. Amen. 

Am I leaning on my own resourcefulness in trying to please God?  

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last…”—ROMANS 1:17

Every Christian believes that Jesus came to earth to pay the price for our sin so that we may be saved to an eternal home in heaven. When we first become Christians, we are grateful and humbled by that, and filled with a wonderful sense of joy and peace that comes from God. But then soon we get wrapped up in our busy routines, once in a while tipping our hats in God’s direction, but for the most part, forget He is even there. Heaven is a magnificent consequence of salvation, which is a certainty for those in Christ, but it is not the goal of the Gospel. To miss out on the goal of the Gospel, we are failing to understand God’s purpose for us on earth.

Salvation is not primarily from guilt to innocence or from hell to heaven or even from death to life. It is true the cause of this is that we are forgiven and made clean, and will go to heaven, and it is also true that the means to this end is by being made alive through the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Christ in us’ is our only means of attaining to some degree His likeness, which is the goal of the Gospel. Salvation is primarily from unrighteousness to righteousness, and is not earned but received, and does not begin in heaven, but here on earth. 

Christ did not come into this world to recruit for heaven, but to reconcile humanity to God so that God’s purpose in creating us might be restored and fulfilled on earth. To illustrate, if our car were to break down on the side of the road, and our primary concern was having a garage to put it in when we got home, we are missing out on the purpose of the car. Our primary concern would be to fix the car so we can use it safely again. It’s nice to have a garage to keep our cars in, but we do not mend our cars to keep them in a garage. We mend them so that we can use them for the purpose they were made… to drive. 

The restoring of the righteousness of God into human experience is mending broken humanity that lies on the side of the road, unable to fulfill its purpose. Paul writes, “And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). God’s strategy in this world is through His people, and it is in intimate union with Him that we discover the role He has for us in it.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray for a deeper work of your Spirit in exhibiting more of your righteousness in my life. And thank You, Lord, for your abiding presence in me.     

How important to me is God’s agenda for this world?  

“He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.”—JOB 12:22

As Job experienced, God reveals the deep things of darkness. He brings deep shadows into the light, and out of the shadows of God’s judgment and dealings with people, there steps a heart that wherever you cut it, it is love.   

One of the most stirring verses in all of Scripture is found in Genesis 6:6, which says, “The LORD was grieved that he had made man on earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” A danger in thinking that Scripture is primarily revealing God’s thoughts is that we begin to believe the highest response to God is in acquiring knowledge of His mind, and acting in obedience to His will. To the chagrin of Jesus, leaders of the Jewish faith made this their objective. They had failed to connect with the heart of God, which can make a night and day difference between a cold, robotic faith and a relationship that draws us into intimate union with Christ.

We know the heart of God through our minds, but it is with our hearts that love is reciprocated. The command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength” comes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is essentially an amplified version of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses. The command to love God and walk in His ways permeates the text. Detached from the heart of God, studying Scripture would be like studying the anatomy of a corpse. There is no life.   

To love God with all our hearts requires that we know something of His heart and connect with it. I John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” It is knowing His love, and knowing His heart that is going to release our hearts to love Him. One of the most profound passages in Scripture that demonstrates God’s love is John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” 

The truth of Scripture makes sense in the heart that is aflame for Christ. It becomes much more than a book on biblical history and wholesome principles to live by, it reveals God’s story, which affects us all. Alister McGrath, a leading evangelical theologian and author, wrote in his book, ‘A Passion for Truth’, “To reduce revelation to principles or concepts is to suppress the element of mystery, holiness and wonder of God’s self-disclosure.” God’s greatest love is realized in coming to the cross of Jesus where He said, “Forgive them, Father.” That is supremely the heart of God revealed.

Dear Lord, help me to read the Bible with a deeper understanding of your heart, and in every way connect with it. Thank You, Lord.

When reading Scripture, do I see how God reveals His heart? 

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death…”—HEBREWS 5:7

We do not know all the details of His cries and His tears and His suffering, because there is much in the life of Jesus we do not have details about. If we take all four Gospels, which give us the historical record of His life, we have a total of about one month’s worth of information, so we know very little about His 33 years on earth, especially the years before His ministry.

What we can ascertain from what we do know is that Jesus was born into a hostile environment on almost every level we can think of. He was conceived in the womb of an unwed mother. He was born in a stable, laid in a cattle trough, which is what a manger is. As a baby, He became a refugee, fleeing to Egypt with His parents. Eventually, they settled in an insignificant, obscure little town called Nazareth. Not the beginnings one would expect from someone who was to save the human race!

When He was 30 years of age, Jesus’ ministry began. The crowds were first impressed, but after listening to what He said, they rejected Him. “Even His own brothers did not believe Him” (John 7:5). Isaiah 53:3 adds, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” He was rejected by men. He was a man of sorrows. Think about that. That was His reputation - a man of sorrows; not that He had been sorry and felt sadness on occasion, but this suggests an enduring sense of sorrow.

Our danger is that we tend to put Jesus on a pedestal, and detach Him from the real world of struggles, temptations and battles. We often depict Him in a long, white robe and, of course, it is perfectly clean; no dirt, no soil marks. However, Jesus had dirty feet, metaphorically as well as literally. He lived in an environment which included cries, tears, and suffering, and was not standing apart from it, but in the midst of it.

Jesus was not exempt from the influences of pain and suffering, and through suffering in particular, says the writer to the Hebrews, “He learned obedience”. God was working under the surface, moulding, stretching and hurting, so that although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. We too must recognize that some of these situations in our lives which we would gladly cast off are actually part of God’s tool kit in making us godly. As we seek to obey, we realize our need to depend on God, for in and of ourselves we can do nothing.

Thank you so much, Jesus, for knowing us and what it is like to be human.

Do I realize how life’s problems make me stronger?

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” —HEBREWS 11:1

Looking forward is a theme that runs throughout the book of Hebrews. To share in God’s holiness is the goal of the Christian life to which we look forward, but underlying this, there is an ingredient we do not talk much about. It is called ‘hope’.

Paul said, “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). We will agree that faith and love are essential, but hope sounds like wishful thinking or a form of escapism. The Scriptural meaning of hope is not “I hope it’ll be a sunny day,” kind of thing, but is a confidence we have in the present, which orientates us to a future confidence. Paul tells us the great mystery hidden for generations and now unveiled is “Christ in you, our hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The hope of glory is attaining to the moral likeness of Christ, which we won’t reach to its fullest measure in this life, but is a certainty upon entering our eternal home. 

Viktor Frankl, an expert on the impact of hope in our lives, was an Austrian Jew who in the 1930’s specialized in psychiatry, a field which was then in its infancy. He worked with patients who had attempted suicide, and when asked why they wanted to end their lives, they all told him things dealing with their past. He came to the conclusion that their problem was not their past, but a lack of a sense of future. He began to develop this idea of orientating our lives around a future that held a future hope.

In his book called, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Frankl tells his own story in which he declined a scholarship in the United States and remained in Austria. In the late 1930s, the Third Reich was growing in power, and Frankl was taken to a concentration camp, first in Dachau, then in Auschwitz, where he lost his wife and parents. During this time, he noted those who had a vigour and strength, which others didn’t, was because they were looking forward to the future, continually planning and imagining things they would do. 

The glorious thing is that no matter what situation we’re in, we can look forward to a future where God is taking us. In our journey to spiritual maturity, look back at the great cloud of witnesses who have gone on before us; look up to Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith; look out to hardships and sufferings, knowing God is moulding us. Finally, look forward in this journey with confidence, because we’ve been sealed forever by the Holy Spirit, and will one day stand before God, fully clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Heavenly Father, with all my heart, I want to know Christ better. This is my confidence now and for my future. Thank You, Lord. 

Do I imagine what it will be like to one day stand before God fully clothed in the righteousness of Christ?

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” —HEBREWS 12:3

The third direction in our journey to spiritual maturity is looking out. It is important we see beyond the tough and difficult situations as being hard luck, or something we’ve brought upon ourselves, but realize they are often a tool God is using to bring us into conformity with His Son.

As a parent disciplines their child, God disciplines us. Hebrews 12:5-7 says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you like sons.” Some of us may have a hard time accepting that, but none of our discrepancies are hidden from God. He disciplines us because He loves us, and many times it is through suffering we learn our greatest lessons.

Suffering and hardship is not something to be embarrassed about. When things are tough we often feel reluctant to share it with fellow Christians, because they might construe it as a sign of failure or lack of faith. It isn’t. Despite being sinless, even Jesus had to learn obedience through hardship. Hebrews 5:8 tells us, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered…” This verse raises a big question: Was Jesus ever disobedient? No, but His Father taught Him to learn obedience. This has nothing to do with the cross, but with the 30 silent years leading up to the cross; the way He worked, cared for His family and how He treated others. 

As the goal for Christians is to be restored into the image of God, the tool for perfecting that is our hardships and sufferings. Paul writes, “If we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17). Suffering is again and again an investment in our spiritual growth and is given huge dignity in Scripture. Paul writes, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

In my Bible, I have heavily underlined those two words, “suffering produces”. It isn’t prosperity that is the New Testament evidence of God’s blessing, but the real blessing is actually received in the tough situations of life. So we look out, beyond the hardships that come against us, and consider Jesus. We don’t lose heart and don’t grow weary, but allow our sufferings to be God’s tool in moulding us into who He wants us to be.

Dear Father, help me to look out beyond the hardships to your purpose for me. May they further my spiritual growth and deepen our relationship. Thank You, Lord.

How have my hardships brought me closer to God?

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” —HEBREWS 12:2

If we are to press on to spiritual maturity, the second direction we need to look is up. Jesus lives within us, but there is a sense in which He is on the right hand of the Father in heaven. Most would agree that when we look up to the highest possible peak of the universe, we look to Christ.

To grow and mature in the Christian life, we need to live everyday in dependence on Jesus. In Hebrews 3:1, the writer says, “Fix your thoughts on Jesus,” and in 12:2, “Fix our eyes on Jesus.” It follows that the more we know Christ, the more we’re going to trust Him. The more we trust Him, the more confident our faith is in Him, and the less conscious of it we become. Faith is believing in something that acts on our behalf, and believing in Jesus with all our hearts and souls becomes an everyday disposition of faith in Him that we’re barely aware of.

Why do we look up to Jesus? Why place our faith in Him? Because as a man on earth, Jesus was oriented towards the future. The writer of Hebrews says, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” The word ‘endured’ speaks clearly of Christ’s sufferings. He went willingly to the cross, but He didn’t waltz to it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed three times, “Father, if it is possible for this cup to be taken from me; that is if there is any other way a man, woman, boy or girl can be reconciled to You, let it be that way, but if there is no other way, your will be done.” We can’t begin to comprehend the agony Christ endured on the cross, not just physically, but the immense spiritual torment of, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). In those hours of darkness, He was made sin for us, and the very atmosphere of hell descended on Him.

Isaiah 53:11 says, “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.” The joy set before Christ was looking into the future, seeing generations and centuries of everyone who believes in Him being redeemed, reconciled to a Holy God, and restored to life eternal with Him. Why do we live the way we do? For the joy set before us to share in the glory of Christ with hearts and minds oriented to an everlasting future with Him.

Precious Lord, what a blessing and privilege to live a life in your presence that will never end. Thank You for all You endured on the cross to make that possible for me.

Am I looking to Jesus every day of my life?

“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.” —HEBREWS 12:1

The moment we come into union with Christ, we begin a journey that will one day culminate in heaven. We will then fully enjoy all the provision God has for us, but in the meantime, we are on a journey to spiritual maturity.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to look back on men and women of faith. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is the classic chapter on faith, citing men such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses who were among many led by God. With the exception of Moses who grew up in the palace of Pharaoh, these were ordinary people, and because of their faith, God accomplished His purpose through them. The writer urges us to look back at this great cloud of witnesses, whose experiences of God are witnesses to us of God’s total sufficiency in our times of need.

If we’re facing a big problem, go back to Abraham. How did he handle it? Facing a crisis, what did Moses do by faith? In effect, the writer of Hebrews is telling us we’re not the first ones on this journey, facing trials and hardships, but we can go back to these great Old Testament men and women of faith, and know that ‘their God is our God’. Therefore, we need to ‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles’ if we’re going to press on to maturity, and reap the harvest God has planned for us. 

This ‘throwing off’ isn’t something we hear a lot about, because we want to hear the positive, but self-denial is as much a part of Christian experience as living in the fullness of God. Taking up the cross is as much a part as enjoying the resurrection life of Christ. Brokenness is God’s agenda as a prelude to wholeness. Dying with Christ, submitting all we are to Him, is necessary that we might truly live with Him. Too often we want the positive without the negatives; the benefits without the obligation.

Moses threw off all the privileges of Egypt for the sake of Christ because “he was looking forward to his reward” (Hebrews 11:26). Abraham left his homeland, not knowing where he was going because “he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (11:10). Whatever our particular sin may be, or whatever hinders us, the writer of Hebrews is telling us to throw off these things that bog us down and look back at this great cloud of witnesses, knowing their God was sufficient for them and is sufficient for us. He is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Thank You, God, for these wonderful men and women in Scripture, who serve as an inspiring example of faith. Their stories encourage me.

In times of need, am I looking back at this great cloud of witnesses?

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” —2 CORINTHIANS 5:10

The above verse may be the most challenging verse in the New Testament. The injustices of life on earth demand that there will come a day when right is vindicated and wrong is condemned. There is a judge to which all of us are accountable. “For God has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed” (Acts 17:31). The judgment seat, of course, will be occupied by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The obvious question that arises is by what criteria will we be judged? Is it guesswork on our part to work out what is right and good? The answer is, “No, it is not guesswork.” God the Judge is God the Creator and He created in our world a moral law that is not only revealed to us in Scripture, but is also naturally evident to us. Inherent in all of us is a moral consciousness that is not a result of conditioning, but of creation. The basic requirements of the moral law of God are within our own hearts.

This moral law eventually leads to a climax of history that is called the Judgment Day in which wrong will be fully righted. This is a necessary end, and is what gives dignity to us as human beings; the fact we’re not just cogs in some machine, but we are given the dignity of displaying integrity, kindness and compassion in the way we live and behave. 

In this life, and this life alone, we have opportunity and time to prepare for the judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “A man is destined to die once, and after that the judgment.” The nature of that judgment will be in terms of our relationship to Jesus Christ. There are two possible destinies; present with the Lord and at home with Him, or absent from the Lord. There is no middle ground. That is why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so urgent and vital. 

Revelation 21:27 tells us, “Nothing impure will ever enter it (heaven).... but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” The Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Book of Life has the names of all those who are beneficiaries of His shed blood. The sole grounds on which we are in that book is that we have come humbly to Christ in recognition of our sin, and have been forgiven and cleansed.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity of redemption. Help me to know Jesus better and to live in a deeply committed relationship with Him. Amen. 

Am I prepared for Judgment Day?

“Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused. —GENESIS 39:6-8

At about 20 years old, Joseph would have been ripe for seduction. Scripture tells us he was well-built and handsome. He was also single, far from home and unaccountable to family. Genesis 39:10 says that though his master’s wife “spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” 

There is no question temptation is all around us, and among the most prevalent is the lure to immoral sexual activity. We are all vulnerable, and should never underestimate the power of our sinful natures. 1 John 2:16 speaks of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, which is the root cause of sin that we never outgrow. Our sinful natures are always going to 
fight against the Spirit.

The people who live the most precariously are those who think they’re immune to temptation. Paul writes, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Unrestrained lust of the eyes feeds and leads to lust of the flesh, which feeds and leads to the pride of life. When you look at a person you find appealing, the lust of the eyes begins to feed the flesh, and the pride of life sets in where we start to think the rules don’t apply to us. We may agree with the rules, but come up with all kinds of rationalizations why our situation is the exception. 

Sexual promiscuity is symptomatic of a lack of wholesome relationships, proper self-esteem and intimacy with God. We are all created to be indwelt by God, and the deep need of the human heart; that sense of completion, of being satisfied and fulfilled comes from our relationship with God. All the evidence we have of God’s activity in Joseph’s life served as a barrier against temptation. He lived in a vital, growing relationship with God, and was secure enough in who he was and who God was that he didn’t need illicit sex to find satisfaction. 

Where it concerns sin, there are no bargains, rationalizations, or compromises acceptable to God. Paul tells us, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If we fail to turn our minds toward God, we will fail to look for that way out, and be well on our way to the path of least resistance. Such is our inherent nature, but when our lives are rooted in Christ, our minds are made up beforehand. It is in His strength we ‘stand up under it’ and are empowered to triumph over temptation.

Dear Lord, every day there are many temptations facing us. I pray for your strength and discipline in facing them.

How would I respond when faced with temptation? 

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” —ISAIAH 6:5

Isaiah is, of course, one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. In chapter five of Isaiah, he gives a whole list of woes to the people. “Woe to you for this sin and woe to you for that sin”, but after seeing a vision of God, it suddenly becomes, “Woe to me!” 

Isaiah saw the Lord, seated on a throne high and exalted. Above Him were seraphs, calling to one another; “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). To see the one true King is to see ourselves in all our sin and failure. People can commit sin with a clear conscience, but once they experience a personal revelation of God, they suddenly discover, “Woe is me!”

The “woe to you” message comes from those who may have their doctrine right, and have a genuine concern for the world, but are standing outside it, claiming, “You are in trouble,” rather than coming to the point of saying, “Woe is me”. 1 Peter 4:17 says, “It is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” In other words, if judgment begins with us, it will have its rippling effect that filters throughout the world.

Isaiah tells us, “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:6-7). Isaiah is shocked to discover he had ‘unclean lips’, and is greatly humbled before the holiness of God. He then hears the voice of the LORD saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” He responds, “Here am I. Send me!” God then said, “Go and tell His people…” (Isaiah 6:8-9). 

Very often the area of our sin, which we have acknowledged and confessed, becomes the area of our ministry. Isaiah’s mouth has become a sanctified mouth. What had been unclean has now become holy and is going to be the means of his ministry. This is what redemption is about. Sometimes we fall into sin, get ourselves into trouble, and cry out to God. We feel so acutely embarrassed, but God may redeem that very sin, and make it an equipping to bring blessing to other people. As it was with Isaiah, we are deeply and utterly transformed by the revelation God gives us of Himself.

Dear Lord, may the lesson of Isaiah keep me humbled and repentant before You. Thank You, Lord.

Have I been able to help others through previous experiences of sin in my life?

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” —ACTS 2:41

The Day of Pentecost was one of three main festivals in the Jewish calendar where people came to Jerusalem from all over the known world to celebrate. In the Old Testament, it was called ‘the Feast of Weeks’ or ‘the Day of First Fruits’. It was a Jewish thanksgiving, and during the inter-testamental period, it also became a celebration of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. This made for a significant setting for the day the Holy Spirit was to be poured out. Thousands came from all over.

The Holy Spirit descended and was poured out over the house where the disciples were staying. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1-4). When the people heard this sound, a crowd gathered and was utterly amazed and bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Then Peter stood up with the eleven other apostles, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. He explained who Jesus was, His resurrection and what was presently taking place. “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:12-14). The people were cut to the heart, and compelled to respond, they asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

The Lord added three thousand converts that day, and everyday kept adding to their number. The Day of Pentecost is as crucial an event in the Gospel as is the birth of Jesus, His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and return to earth. It is the Holy Spirit having been poured out from heaven into people that fulfills the purpose of Jesus Christ. The life of God, lost in the Garden of Eden, was now being restored to humanity. Pentecost was the day the Church of Jesus Christ was born. If we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are counted among those whom the Lord added to their number.

Dear Heavenly Father, It is a precious and priceless gift to be indwelt by your Spirit. Nothing in all the world compares with the power and peace that comes with You. Thank You for having died and risen to life to make that possible.

How would I describe being indwelt by the Holy Spirit and what that means to me? 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” —EPHESIANS 1:3

Most of Paul’s letters begin by dealing with doctrinal truths. Somewhere in the middle there is a big “therefore”, where he starts to talk about the practical implications and outworking of these doctrinal truths within our families, the workplace, our communities, churches and into the world. The book of Ephesians is six chapters long, the first half being about the resources we have in Christ, and the second half about the application of those resources into every area of our lives. 

We see the life of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and we know and follow His story. We see His actions, His reactions, His kindness, compassion, generosity and love. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “Everything you need for life and godliness is in your knowledge of Christ.” Paul tells us by virtue of the fact that we are Christians we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Where is it? In Christ. When we become Christians what God gives us is Himself. The very life of Jesus Christ comes to live within us by the Holy Spirit. In fact, God has nothing to give us outside of Christ. 

A word that crops up a number of times in Paul’s description of spiritual blessing is ‘rich’. “In accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7); “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (1:18); “God who is rich in mercy (2:4); “the incomparable riches of his grace” (2:7); “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (3:8); “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you” (3:16). Paul’s prayers are never about what we can do, but about what only the Holy Spirit can do in our lives.

We could have all the money in the world, the greatest minds, the most sophisticated technology and the support of loving family and friends, but all this combined cannot promise to be to us all that we need in the time we need it. Paul’s prayers are always for the spiritual truths he has taught so that they may become experiential in people’s lives. They are about knowing, experiencing and drawing on the resources of Christ for every eventuality we will meet. Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). When we are in Christ and giving Him the freedom to live His life in us, we are indeed divinely blessed with all the resources of heaven.

Dear Lord, thank you for your abundant resources. Please help me to realize their availability especially in times I find difficult. Amen. 

Do I realize the unlimited riches of Christ are in me by His Spirit?

“We live by faith, not by sight.” —2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

Many people would much prefer to live by sight rather than faith. They want to know the reason for everything, see what lies ahead, and be able to predict and formulate their own strategies for moving forward. As Christians, this is not a privilege we are given. We walk by faith and not by sight.

There are, however, two dangers that some may face in walking by faith. One is that it can be used as an argument to become passive. “Alright, I shouldn’t do anything. Don’t even think about it. Just trust God is going to do something.” The Christian life is not at all passive, but involves actively seeking God and His will. How do we do that? Psalm 119:133 says, “Direct my footsteps according to your word.” That means if we are going to discover the will of God we have to set our minds and hearts on the Word of God.

There has been a huge demise in people’s reading, meditating and handling of the Word of God. Most people reason it’s because we all have a million other things to do, and it seems reading the Bible is the last thing we have time for. Actually, it should be at the top of the list, because reading the Bible helps and directs us with the million other things we have to do. Some Christians even disparage the Word of God, because they have the idea it’s old, dull, predictable and outdated. The Bible is timeless and it is in God’s word that He speaks to us. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Direct guidance from God is alive, fresh and exciting.

The second danger is that we can assume the will of God is so different from ours that we can never really know it. The fact is we don’t have to know what the will of God is. We have to be in the will of God, and we’re in the will of God when we acknowledge Him in all our ways. He then undertakes to direct our paths.

To live by faith is not a blind, mystical ‘we just hope everything works out’ kind of thing. It is rooted in God’s revelation of Himself. Walking by faith involves trusting God to take us through dark places and along dark corridors where we have no natural explanation as to what is going on. Though we may not know the pathways of life with all its twists and turns, we know God does, and we trust Him. That’s why we walk by faith.

Dear Lord, help me to always walk by faith, trusting your direction and will for my life. Thank You, Lord.

Is my faith rooted in the Word of God?

“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” —JEREMIAH 31:34

The New Covenant God makes with His people also means a new relationship, and this new relationship is possible because it is based on a new redemption. And from this new redemption comes a new means of restoring righteousness into human experience.

Under the Old Covenant, the Hebrew people sacrificed the blood of animals for the atonement of sin, but their sacrifices could never cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. Hebrews 10:1 speaks of this ritual happening ‘endlessly year after year’. Verse 11 says, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” Notice the monotony of ‘again and again’, ‘year after year’, ‘day after day’. But now, under the New Covenant, God says, “your sins are remembered no more.”

The blood sacrifice of bulls and goats did not remove sin, but acted like a post-dated cheque. A post-dated cheque covers a debt, but doesn’t remove it until there is enough money in the account and the cheque is cashed. The blood of bulls and goats served like a post-dated cheque, covering sin, but not removing it. When Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” He was saying the money is now in the bank, and every Old Testament believer could cash their cheque. The real currency was not the blood of bulls and goats, but the precious blood of Jesus. There is money in the account, the debt is paid and it is finished. Blood sacrifices were now redundant. 

When God said He would remember our sins no more, this has nothing to do with what we deserve, but everything to do with the quality of our Priest. Jesus, absolutely sinless, didn’t just offer a sacrifice; He was the sacrifice and it is by His blood alone we have access to God. The whole saving work of Christ is encompassed in the New Covenant. Our sins are forgiven at the cross, and from there we go to Pentecost, where God says, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:27).

The law, written on tablets of stone, God now writes upon our hearts, and we are given a hunger and thirst for righteousness. This isn’t our own doing, but the work of the Holy Spirit. God has only one thing to give us and that is Himself. Under the New Covenant, everyone, from the least of us to the greatest, has the divine privilege and blessing of coming to know and experience God without ritual but on the basis of repentance.

Dear Heavenly Father, it is absolutely incredible to me that we have direct access to You. Thank You for Jesus who made that possible.

What steps am I taking to ensure a living, active relationship with God? 

“While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’.” —ACTS 13:2

None of us is meant to be a lone ranger in the tasks God calls us to do. We may have our own sense of direction, but an important check and balance is the direction God gives to those we are accountable. 

In Paul’s claim to King Agrippa, he said, “I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven” (Acts 26:19). This ‘vision from heaven’ was given him in embryo form on the Damascus Road. For many years, however, the implications of it were not fully realized. It is true that Paul got on with the task of preaching Christ in Damascus, Tarsus and Antioch, but it was not until the Holy Spirit revealed the same things to the elders of the church in Antioch, which had been revealed to Paul some 12 to 14 years earlier, that the vision began to be fulfilled.

It was not simply the opinion of the elders in Antioch that Paul and Barnabas would make fine missionaries, but it was something the Holy Spirit said to them as they waited in humility (the significance of fasting) for His instructions that were to be understood apart from any persuasions or prejudices of their own. What the Holy Spirit revealed during their time of worshipping and fasting was entirely consistent with what God had told Paul many years earlier.

As Christians, we are incorporated into the body of Christ, which is His church, and there must exist both a mutual respect for each other’s individuality along with a mutual spirit of dependence on one another. Paul and Barnabas did not volunteer for missionary service; neither were they doing ‘their own thing’. The initiative for their ministry was the Holy Spirit, but having called them personally, the Holy Spirit confirmed that calling by speaking separately to the church in Antioch, who then became the commissioning body that recognized God’s calling on these two men.

If we are going to serve God well, there needs to be both the individual and the church listening to God. To outline the needs and then wait for volunteers may seem a practical way to proceed, but it opens doors to people who may not be acting on divine initiative. That then becomes enormously difficult to correct. There are times, however, we may wait for years before God confirms to one person what He has already shown to another, as in Paul’s case, but in the right time, God will do so, and there can be a moving forward in what we are called to do with confidence.

Dear Lord, I ask that You keep me inter-dependent on others, and always dependent on You in directing my way. Thank You, Lord. 

In serving God, am I working with others who are led by the Holy Spirit and share my vision?

“In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you…” —1 PETER 1:3-4

The nature of treasure in heaven is not specified, but presents an interesting dilemma. It is in heaven we store up treasure, so if there are treasures to be gained, there are also treasures to be missed. That leads us to wonder what will be the benefit of gaining heavenly treasures and the disadvantage of not having accumulated them. We may, of course, only speculate, but as heaven is to be so “other-worldly”, we may be unable to comprehend fully even if we were told. 

I did once hear the interesting idea that treasure and reward in heaven may be on the basis of a greater appreciation for Jesus Christ. Two people may look at a work of art and see exactly the same thing, or listen to a symphony orchestra and hear exactly the same music, but with a completely different level of appreciation. The one whose appreciation is limited does not consciously feel any lack. He simply looks at the painting or listens to the music and moves on to something else. The other person may be lost in rapture at what he sees or hears, and finds deep, inner pleasure and meaning in the artistry. He is enriched with an appreciation unknown to the other person.

Perhaps in heaven there will be people whose appreciation of Jesus Christ while they lived on earth will differ from others. Those with less appreciation will not be conscious that their capacity is less, and may live in the shallows of those whose love and appreciation for Christ is all consuming. Whatever may be true, to lay up treasure in heaven is to enjoy forever the consequences of a disposition toward God, concern for His will, His interest and His pleasure. 

The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, Holy Brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus…” (Hebrews 3:1). If we are in Christ, then we share in the heavenly calling, and the more we fix our thoughts on Jesus, the more we learn, the more we love and the more we truly live. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). In loving Jesus with all our hearts, minds and souls, He becomes our life. For many Christians, appreciation of the life of Jesus Christ is utterly indefinable.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray my thoughts will always be fixed on You. Whatever our heavenly treasure, it is enough for me to be with You. Thank You, Lord.

How would I describe what I feel for Jesus?

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” —MATTHEW 6:20

The features that characterize heavenly treasures are the exact opposite of earthly treasures. Instead of temporary and troublesome, they are permanent and peaceful.

To store up treasure in heaven is to live on earth with heaven in mind. The issues which govern our values, goals and behaviours should not be confined to this life only, and played out ‘before men’. They should have eternal issues at heart, and be played out before God. The very same possessions, bank balances, occupations, living standards can either be storing up treasure in heaven or on earth. It is not the substance of our possessions that is the issue, but the audience before whom we live. Whether we realize it or not, to play on the material stage is to derive our satisfaction from what we represent before people, but to lay up treasure in heaven is to derive satisfaction from pleasing God. 

Materialism does not relate to how much we actually possess, but our attitude towards what we possess. True spirituality does not relate to our profile in the Christian community, but to our disposition towards God, which is most true in secret. It is there we invest in things money cannot buy and which death cannot destroy. Everything that we lose when we die should be given appropriate status now, and that which holds its currency beyond death is what we should invest in now.

Jesus also speaks about provision for food and clothing. “Do not worry about them,” He says. We are obligated to earn our own keep, but when our goal is God’s interests and God’s agenda, they hold a different status. They serve us, not master us, and the key Jesus says is to, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). 

Concerning death, Jesus asks, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (6:27). For those whose treasure is on earth, death is the ultimate threat for it ends everything, but when laying up treasure in heaven, death presents no fear, for it cannot touch what is most important. We may live with confidence in the fact that not only does God control our death, but it is the gateway where “the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). Once we have settled the issues of storing up our real treasure in heaven, our vision is good, and our master is God, there are no other key issues to face.

Dear Lord, help me to invest all I can into heavenly treasure, and to live for your agenda. Thank You, Lord. 

Am I living a ‘worry-free’ life, secure in God?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” —MATTHEW 6:19

There are two fundamental characteristics of treasures laid up on earth; they are temporary and they are troublesome!

Treasures on earth are good for this life only, and are vulnerable to decay, loss and theft. Paul makes a very prudent statement when he says, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1Timothy 6:7). To be wrapped up in the treasures of earth as the goal and mastering principle of our lives is to hold an extremely shallow understanding of who we are and of our true significance.

We must be clear about what Jesus says concerning the role of material possessions. He does not forbid them. God created them for our good. Jesus didn’t say, “Do not store up treasures on earth.” He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” If accumulation of wealth is motivated by selfishness rather than service, there is fault. Material possessions are not in themselves good or bad, but it is the role they play within our value system. When they are the priority and motivation for our lives, they become dangerous and destructive. Paul writes, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with all kinds of grief” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

All kinds of grief would certainly include worry, and it’s entirely logical the more we have, the more we have to worry about and protect. The more we have to protect, the more anxious we become about losing it, and the very thing we believe would bring security, actually brings insecurity. It’s also a myth to believe the more we have the more content we will be. The reality is that contentment has little to do with accumulation of wealth, but everything to do with relationships. Jesus warned, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

The pursuit of material satisfaction has undoubtedly led to the fragmentation of personal, family and national life, so evident around us today and so clearly forewarned by Jesus that when treasure on earth is our goal, ‘worry’ is our experience.

Dear Lord, I pray I will never sacrifice my spiritual well-being for the accumulation of material wealth. May I share what I have, and draw my security from You. Thank You, Lord.

Does worry characterize my life when it comes to protecting monetary possessions?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” —MATTHEW 6:21

Everyone is laying up treasure in some way. It may not be expressed in our assets or bank accounts, but there is something which gives us reason to get up in the morning. Whatever controls our hearts is our treasure, and it’s either earthly or heavenly. The reality is we straddle both spheres and no matter how heavenly our interests may be, we live on earth and are subject to its demands and values.

The reason why this is such an important issue is shown in the progression of thought Jesus gives in Matthew 6, verses 19 to 24. Verse 19 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Verse 21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Verse 22 & 23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” And verse 24, “No one can serve two masters.Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

The thrust of these statements is that our visions, the goals which motivate us, are either good and bring light or bad and bring darkness. What begins as our treasure, whether earthly or heavenly, is something which serves us and furthers our interests. In the pursuit of it, our treasure becomes our vision, and in time, what began as our treasure and grew into our vision becomes our master. To ask what is our treasure; what is our vision; and what is our master is essentially asking the same question.

The free will we are given is actually limited to one thing….who is our master? From there on, everything we do is a logical explanation of what is the mastering principle of our lives. It’s either temporal or it’s eternal, self-centered or God-centered, earthly or heavenly, but it cannot be both. 

Society today holds to the belief that a person’s status and success is directly related to reputation and material wealth, but society has it backwards. We cannot put the pursuit of money, prestige and power before the pursuit of God. Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money (6:24). Mixing of the material and spiritual as common objectives simply will not work. We either serve God or ourselves, and the issue is not how much we have, but what our responsibilities are in light of what we do have. Though we live in the temporal, a mature Christian has the eternal at heart.

Thank You, Lord, for all the material blessings you’ve given me, and keep me mindful to live everyday with eternity in mind.

Is my vision focused on the material or spiritual world?

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...” —ACTS 2:38

The Christian life can be very frustrating and disappointing when nothing seems to come alive. We may have been raised in a Christian family, attended church, read the Bible, but it simply isn’t working. Even our prayers seem to hit the ceiling and bounce off the floor. Why can’t we get excited like everyone else?

Feeling like this is a very slippery slope that will eventually cause us to seek fulfillment elsewhere. We may find a temporary fix in being free to live the way we want, but the enjoyment of that will lose its appeal. After a while, what we are engaging in will become as shallow as we feel inside. We’ll begin to think the Christian life we grew up with had something valid after all. So we go back and try even harder, but still it isn’t working. 

I have counseled many folks whose Christian lives have never come alive, and the problem has been in a lack of repentance. Repentance is an ongoing day to day disposition of turning from sin and living in humble dependence upon God. Some have actually never been born again, because they haven’t come to that place of recognizing their need for repentance. Their motivation for coming back to the Christian faith turns out to be the same as leaving it in the first place. They are seeking fulfillment, happiness, freedom, and it all centers around themselves. If we want to feel alive in Christ, then we can ask Him to come into our lives, not as our servant, but as our Lord.

We first have to deal with the barriers that have kept us from experiencing Christ. Engaging in sin and a sense of self-sufficiency and independence are barriers that need to be lifted. We have to ask ourselves: What are we really desperate for? Is it for God or for fulfillment? If there is no evidence that we are concerned in meeting God’s requirements of confessing our sin, and acknowledging our insufficiency, it may well be that we are more interested in pleasing ourselves than in pleasing Him.

God is never the One who isn’t doing His part. There is absolutely nothing that will ever cast a shadow onto His integrity and faithfulness. God is never at fault, and those who are lacking a vital, living relationship with Him are the ones who need to turn things around. We are never closer to the heart of God when in humility we confess our sin, and are turning our lives around to live in dependence on God and for His purposes. That’s where we find true and lasting fulfillment.

Dear Heavenly Father, keep me from being self-serving. Give me a heart that seeks to please You, and lives everyday dependent on You. Thank You, Lord.

Am I living in humble repentance before God?

“…I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” —2 TIMOTHY 1:12

There are many people reluctant to fully surrender to God, because they’re afraid of what His plans for their lives might be. He may place us in an occupation we have no interest in, or send us off to a foreign mission field where we don’t want to be. We have this underlying fear that what we like, God won’t, and what God likes, we won’t. If we submit to God, out of sheer obedience, we would have to follow His calling, and are then worried there may be some penetrating lesson we have yet to learn from it. 

We know God has good reason for everything He does, but many of us don’t feel deserving that God would actually give us something we love and enjoy. Whenever we have fears about God’s plans for us, it is because we don’t know God well enough, and as a result, are not entirely trusting of Him. Paul is convinced of two things. Firstly, he knows whom he has believed and secondly, he knows the One whom he believes is able to guard what has been entrusted to Him. Paul doesn’t say I know ‘what’ I have believed, but ‘whom’ I have believed and that makes a world of difference. It is knowing who he believes that causes him to trust Him.

The Christian life is much more than knowing truths of Scripture. It is getting to know God. All the depth and reality of our experiences of God are directly related to how well we know Him. In fact, every facet of the Christian life grows out of our knowledge of God. Jesus defined eternal life this way, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent “ (John 17:3). Eternal life isn’t a thing, but a Person, and is enjoyed in relationship with that Person.

It is out of knowing God that Paul has no fears about the things he has entrusted to Him. Whatever we commit to God, He undertakes to look after. When we submit to Christ, He places God-given desires in our hearts, so that His will and His plans become our will and our plans. Paul describes God’s will as “his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). That doesn’t mean all is going to be smooth sailing, but when we see it to be good and perfect, we will also discover it to be pleasing; that is something which gives us deep satisfaction, fulfillment and purpose. And those are plans we wouldn’t change under any circumstances.

Dear Lord, to know You is to trust You. Help me to totally submit to You so that I may experience your will in my life. Thank You, Lord. 

Am I hesitant to entirely submit to Christ, because of concern what His plans for me might be?

“They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” —NEHEMIAH 8:8

In the book of Nehemiah there is a great work of God going on in Jerusalem. The city walls, which had been left in ruins for 140 years since the Babylonian invasion, have been rebuilt, but more importantly, there is also a work of God going on in people’s hearts.

After the city walls had been completed, the Jewish community took part in the ‘Feast of the Trumpets’, one of the seven annual celebrations of the Israelite people. Something extremely noteworthy took place. It was not Ezra, the high priest and scribe, leading the ceremony, who initiated the reading of Scripture, but the people themselves. They had all assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate and told Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. They wanted to hear it.

As Ezra read aloud from daybreak till noon, the people listened attentively. That would have been five or six hours straight for seven days. In our day, we complain a lot about short attention spans, but we cannot underestimate the capacity, especially of young people, to hear and retain. There is power in the Word of God, and one of the signs of a work of God is an appetite for His Word. The Levites instructed the people from the Law of Moses, so that they could understand what was being read. This is what preaching is supposed to do. It sets the scene for worship and worship sets the heart for preaching. They are intrinsically linked.

The Word of God must always lead us to God Himself. As it was in Nehemiah’s day, when the Book of the Law was read, the people didn’t need to apply it. It applied itself. Nehemiah 8:9 says, “For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.” They were greatly moved in their hearts and that is because the Word of God reveals primarily two things: we see God in His righteousness and ourselves in our sin. The people were moved to weeping, confessing their sin and worshiping. 

There is a time to weep and a time to grieve our sin, but in a wonderful way, the weeping turns to joy. This is not the joy of being forgiven, but is the joy derived from the Lord Himself who strengthens, energizes and motivates us. It is the most liberating feeling, not only of being cleansed of our sin and forgiven, but clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Reading the Word of God feeds and nourishes our souls like nothing else will.

Thank You, Lord, for these wonderful events in Scripture that teach us about You, and how much closer we are drawn to You because of it. 

How much time do I spend in the Word of God?