Just a Passin’ Through

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I’m preparing for an upcoming trip to the Holy Land. One of the most important things I have to have to travel outside the U. S. is a Passport. The Passport is proof of my citizenship. But as I was thinking about it, I wish I could have Heaven as the place of my permanent citizenship, because that’s where I’m heading; that’s my home! It’s like the old country preacher who was asked where he was headed. He replied, “"Heaven. Just passing through town on my way." I love that!

The truth is, we are strangers and sojourners here on earth. We were made for eternity, not the temporal things that surround us. Like Abraham long ago, we “long for the [eternal] city, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” [Hebrews 11.10].

We’re planted here for now, temporarily. After all, there are bills to pay, families to raise, relationships to enrich, and responsibilities aplenty. Just don’t get too attached. Keep your “Passport” handy. Keep your bags packed and ready at all times. This layover won’t last long. We’re heading for heaven, and just a passin’ through town on our way! 

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3.20

The Pursuit of God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

It hardly seems possible, but J.I. Packer’s classic work, Knowing God, is about 45 years old, as it was first published in 1973. What a book! It has inspired in many, including myself, the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God. Interestingly, in 2006, Christianity Today voted it in the top 5 books shaping evangelicals.

I can think of nothing more noble than the pursuit of God — knowing Him. I hope it is high on your list of priorities because, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” [Proverbs 9.10].

As Solomon was about to inherit the throne from his father, David, he received this wise counsel, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” [1 Chronicles 28.9].

Jesus went so far as to say that our eternal destiny requires a knowledge of the holy, “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” [John 17.3]. Knowing God is eternal life. It begins right here, right now, when we become partakers of His nature through Jesus. 

Is is really possible to know God? Sure! Here is God’s word by the pen of Jeremiah, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” [29.13].

Make the pursuit of God your highest priority. When you do, you’ll be less distracted from other meaningless pursuits that demand your time and energy. More than anything, God wants you to diligently seek to know Him.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8

From Discipline to Delight

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Are you looking for something that will REALLY transform your life? I’m serious. Are you tired of merely going through the motions? Do you want to make a change so that this will not be just another year, month, or day in your life?

I hope you’re ready for this: Spend time with God in His Word! Get to know the Sovereign of the universe. Time in the Bible is not like reading a book from Oprah’s approved list. This is a book filled with the very words of God to you. 

If you want to “delight yourself in the Lord,” you have to spend time in the Word. It may not be easy at first, especially if you seldom open your Bible. But I can tell you from personal experience that if you accept this challenge to read the Word daily, even if just for just 30 days, you will begin to see a transformation in your life.

Here’s how it works.

Discipline: Start with a set amount of time each day to spend in the Word — 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, it doesn’t matter at first, just make the commitment. Try to do it before you do anything else. Say this, “I will not do anything else until I get my XX number of  minutes with the Lord in His Word.”

It may be challenging and grueling at first, but over time, it gets easier. It may even become addictive!

Desire: Over time, you will begin to desire God’s Word. You no longer think of it as discipline, but you actually start looking forward to it. You develop a hunger for more of the Word. You begin to see God’s Word as food for your famished soul. In other words, it no longer feels like a burden or obligation.

Delight: Over a period of time, your desire turns to delight, like the blessed man who “delights in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night” [Psalm 1.2]. The Psalmist didn’t tolerate God’s Word like we do broccoli. No. His heart’s cry was, “Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” [Psalms 119.97].

When the Word is your delight, reading it becomes your favorite part of the day, the best part of your week, and the most treasured moments of your life. The effects of which will transform your life .  

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalms 42.1

Who’s On First?

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

It only happened once in my short baseball “career.” While playing high School ball back in the 1960’s, I hit an inside-the-park home run! I knew I had at least a double when the ball went over the fielder’s head and hit the fence. But the ball took a strange bounce off the wall, and scooted away from the fielder. By the time he chased the ball down, I was rounding third base, and before they could relay the ball to the catcher, I had crossed home plate. More about that in a moment.

Some Christ followers never experience the fullness of God because they refuse to put Him first. The Scripture teaches that we must do that, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” [Matthew 6.33 - emphasis mine].

Relegating God to anything but first is foolishness. To seek His kingdom first, is to seek His authoritative rule in your life. To seek His righteousness first, is to live the way God requires His people to live — to follow the Book, God’s governing guidelines. We must do that first because without them we are meandering about without the rightful support of the King.

Now, back to my home run. The next batter was standing near home plate when the pitcher turned and threw the ball to the first baseman. The umpire raised his hand and yelled, “You’re OUT!” I was called out because I hadn’t touched first base.

Missing first base means nothing else matters. If you don’t touch first base, it doesn’t matter that you touch second base, third, or home plate. It didn’t matter that I got high-fives from every teammate and coach. It didn’t matter the number of screaming parents in the bleachers. I missed first base, and nothing after that mattered. 

I think there is a lesson to learn from my experience. If we fail to seek God first, all else is for naught. 

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day. Psalm 25.5

I Will Rejoice

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

OK, I usually don’t put stuff like this in print, but a few days ago, I fell flat on my back in the front yard. I was pulling something (backwards) to the backyard and not paying close attention, when I stumbled over a tree stump that was sticking up from the ground about two inches. Wham! I went straight down. Here we are, about three days later and I’m still quite sore from the fall, but doing very well.

As I reflect on things in my life right now, apart from some scrapes and bruises, I’m doing pretty well. I just have to keep in mind that life is like this; ups and downs, a fall now and then, cuts and bruises, you know what I’m talking about. Let’s call them trials. They are inescapable and unavoidable. 

The challenge during our trials and tribulations is, will we continue to trust the Lord and be joyful in Him?

The prophet Habakkuk wrote about a dismal period during his lifetime. The crops were a miserable failure. The flocks and herds were scattered and/or gone. It was hard to find food to eat. So, what do you do in times like that? You could get bitter and cynical. You could throw in the towel. You could even curse God and die! But not Habakkuk. He would rather be joyful! He said, “I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

How could he possibly do that? He knew only too well that joy is not an issue of emotion but of the will. I don’t have to “feel” thankful to give thanks, and neither do I have to “feel” joy to rejoice.  Anyone can rejoice when everything is going as planned. It hardly takes any effort to rejoice on mountaintops. But rejoicing in the “valley of the shadow of death” is another thing altogether. 

I know all of you know what I’m about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway. Life does not always turn out the way we expect it to, or want it to. Life is filled with dead-end streets, potholes, detours, and dry water holes on the way to heaven over which we have no control.  What we can control, however, is our joy level. I choose, as Habakkuk did, to be faithful, thankful, and joyful, until the day I die! How about you?

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3.17-18

Take Time for God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

A pastor friend of mine told me about a successful businessman who said, "It's not that I don't believe in God, it's just that I don't have time for Him. If I did all the things that God wanted me to do, I'd never have time left for business." 

Now, that’s quite a statement, and very revealing. “I don’t have time for God” is a conscious removal of God from one’s heart and mind, and a real tragedy. 

In order to understand God and Christ, we must spend time getting to know them. Sure, it requires time in the Word, but if we don’t spend that time, we rob ourselves of the truth of God’s redemption and salvation. 

Every Christ follower knows that we need to keep God close. It’s worth every minute we spend in the Word, and obedience to it. When someone tells me they don’t have time to read the Scripture, I usually say something like this (tongue-in-cheek, of course), “If you can’t find time to read the Bible, just turn the TV off for 15 minutes. I know it’s difficult, but you’ll survive!”

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10.4

God, Your Friend

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

How do you see God? Seriously, what is your perception of Him? Do you see Him primarily as the Sovereign, a King? True, He is the King of all. But thinking of God only as a King may make Him seem to be unapproachable, distant.

Do you see Him as a judge? True again. He will judge the living and dead. But those who see him primarily as a judge may have a tendency to cower before Him in fear and trepidation.

How about a friend? Do you see God as your friend? 

I think many Christ followers don’t relate to God as a friend, especially when it comes to exposing your heart to Him. Since we all have human frailties, faults, failures, and an on-going struggle with sin, we find it difficult to take them to the King or to the Judge. But it’s not nearly as difficult to do with a friend. 

As you think about your views of God, don’t forget to add “friend” into the mix. Talk with Him like you would to your best friend, freely and honestly. Share everything with Him, your successes and, yes, your failures too. Don’t sugar-coat your failures or foibles to make them more palatable. Give them to God, your friend, just as they are.

When you relate to God this way, you will begin to experience a closeness and intimacy with Him, and the divine help that comes from it.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18.24