Choose Life

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Moses was about to deliver his last message to the Israelites. They had been out of Egypt for quite some time and they had many things to remember. Like the plagues that had been visited on the Egyptians that led to their freedom. Like walking through the Red Sea on dry ground. Like the daily provision of food in the form of manna and quail. Like divine guidance in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. Most assuredly it was their God who sustained them in the desert those many years. They were, indeed, the children of God.

And now, their journey had come to an end. Moses will address them a final time. “You’ve got a choice.” he told them. “You can choose life or death, blessing or curse. By the way, choose life.” Then, he told them how to do that, and it wouldn’t come just because God had been with them in the past. They had to choose Him now.

It’s the same with us. As Christ followers, a vital, vibrant spiritual life doesn’t miraculously happen because of something in your past. Maybe you said a prayer somewhere way back there and you think, “I made my God-choice, now I can live my life.” That isn’t the truth of Scripture. 

Like Moses, God invites us to choose Him daily, moment by moment. Choose life. Choose a godly life. A powerful life. A peaceful life. A contented life. A full and abundant life. 

No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, you have an opportunity to choose God more fully than you’ve known Him before. Go for it with all your heart.

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him. Deuteronomy 30.19-20

Young and Strong

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I’m troubled that many young people think they cannot be strong or mature or successful as a Christ follower until they are older. The Apostle John didn’t think so and neither do I. In his first letter, he told the young men that they had overcome the wicked one. I don’t know the age that he had in mind, but he singled them out just as he did the fathers [1 John 2.14].

So let me start with a strong word: It’s a MYTH that young people can’t be strong in their faith. The young men that John spoke about stood their ground against the false teaching and prevailing trends of their day. They didn’t back down. They weren’t intimidated. They prevailed against the bombardment of sinful influences.

How can that be? How could they be so strong? Where did they get such courage and wisdom? John said that it was because God’s Word had taken up residence in their hearts! The Greek word indicates that it wasn’t merely a visitor from time to time, but that it had settled in their souls.

Dear young one, there is no shortcut to spiritual strength. Your strength is a product of holy reverence and love for God and His Word. Perhaps the spiritual weakness so many young people experience is due to their unwillingness to exercise spiritual discipline. 

Weakness in not an inevitability because you are young. When God’s Word has settled in your soul, when your spirit and will submit to the application of God’s Word, you can be strong too. You can overcome temptation. You can resist the wickedness of your culture. 

Strong Christ followers read and obey the Word. They love the Word. And like the Psalmist, they think about it (meditate) day and night [Psalm 1.2].

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:14

Proclaim

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I love the New Testament Greek word translated proclaim. It is used many ways such as, to advertise or publish. Among its many usages is the idea to divulge, meaning, to make known private or sensitive information, in other words, to make something known that otherwise would be unknown. 

Whether it is to proclaim, advertise, or divulge, proclamation has always been an integral part of Hebrew worship. Hear the Psalmist proclaim “O my soul, bless GOD, don’t forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. GOD makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love." [Psalm 103.2-8 The MESSAGE Paraphrase]

Every Christ follower has opportunities to speak for God as an ambassador [2 Corinthians 5.20]. When those times come, you have the privilege to announce the excellencies - the mighty, heroic deeds of God - who called you into His service.

And like the Psalmist, don’t forget the other benefits from God: security, care, affection, holiness, compassion, and so much MORE! You are an ambassador of the living God. What an honor to advertise, publish, and divulge the excellencies of the One who has granted us so much. 

That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

How Great Thou Art

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

There are many good things about living in the little town of Julian, California. One of them is that it is considered a “dark zone.” That simply means that you have a grand view of heaven at night. With little to dim the twinkling of billions of stars, it’s easy to be overcome by the greatness of God and say, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” [Psalm 8:1.

A pastor from Sweden, Carl Boberg, was overcome too. He sat down and wrote a poem to express his worship of God’s majesty. It came to us in English through Stuart Hine and is a beloved hymn — How Great Thou Art. If your church has a hymnal, pick it up and read each stanza. If you can’t find a hymnbook, Google it. Each line reveals his “awesome wonder” as Pastor Boberg considers God’s creation, His might and power, and His wonderful works. 

Singing How Great Thou Art is one of the ways I maneuver through the mess of human life. When life gets messy with its hurts and pains, disappointments and failures, betrayals and brokenness, I lift my eyes and, yes, my hands, to the One whose power and love for me never changes. 

We are safe in the arms of God! If you know it, sing it … 

Oh Lord my God

When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds

Thy hands have made

I see the stars

I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout

The universe displayed

Then sings my soul

My Savior, God, to Thee

How great thou art

How great thou art

Then sings my soul

My Savior, God, to Thee

How great thou art

How great thou art

When You Pray

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Is there a Rule Book for prayer? In my lifetime, I’ve read many books on prayer. I’ve even written a book about it: “But You, When You Pray.” It contains my thoughts about the Lord’s Prayer. Rather than rules, here are some guidelines that will help you if prayer has become a burden rather than delight.

Be aware of to Whom you are speaking. Think about it this way, it’s easy for the mind to wander if you’re in a conversation with someone you find boring, isn’t it? In prayer, you’re in the presence of the Almighty. How could that ever be boring! I would argue that it is insulting to God to be bored in His presence. So, set your heart and mind as befitting those who enter the presence of ultimate greatness.

Don’t ask God for what is improper. It’s profane to implore God’s blessing to fulfill sinful desires. God doesn’t want everyone driving a Rolls Royce! 

Pray with passion. Cute little prayers repeated perfunctorily will get you nowhere. People who pray this way often feel they are fulfilling an obligation to God. Prayer should never be considered the performance of a task to God. 

Accompany your prayers with repentance. I call this being submissive to God. John Calvin said that submission “casts down all haughtiness, [and] we have numerous examples in the servants of God. The holier they are, the more humbly they prostrate themselves when they come into the presence of the Lord."

When you pray, remember who God is and remember who you are. If you keep these two things in mind, your prayers will be characterized by adoration and confession. Prayer is a priceless treasure that God has offered to His people.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 1 Peter 4.7

Rejected by the World

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

An old, country proverb goes like this: You can judge a man’s character by who his enemies are. It’s a spiritual truth as well. The “world” loves its own. When you became a Christ follower, you came “out of this world.” And since you are no longer “of the world,” it hates you [John 15.19].

This shouldn’t take any of you by surprise. The “world” has always been like this. It showed its hostility toward Jesus, you should expect the same. 

Unrighteousness has always hated righteousness. The Apostle John relates the tragic story of Cain and Abel in which Cain killed his “righteous” brother [1 John 3.12-13]. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, accurately summarized the treatment of righteous prophets by Israel who killed the prophets and stoned the ones sent to her [Matthew 23.27]. Peter went so far as to say the reason unbelievers malign and denigrate Christ followers is because they won’t participate in their excessive debauchery [1 Peter 4.4].

Perhaps this hatred is caused by holy living and sound doctrine. The righteousness of a Christ follower is a living rebuke of their sin and a reminder of a coming judgment when all will give an account to God for their lives on earth. 

Have you experienced that? When Jesus spoke for God and exposed the utter unrighteousness of people, He was resented, resisted, and rejected. Christ followers will experience the same. But please remember, you may be rejected by the world, but you are accepted by God. 

Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. 1 John 3:12-13

Let's Eat

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

My Mother told me about a time she was babysitting our son, Greg. She and my Dad had gotten busy doing something and didn’t stop for lunch. Some time in the afternoon, my son pull on my Mom’s dress and said, “Grandma, let’s eat!”

The body needs food for strength. It’s the same with your spirit. You need spiritual food to stay strong. The best food you can “eat” is the Bible. In it’s pages, you’ll find water, milk, bread, and meat (the Bible is called all of these things) for your spiritual life. It provides everything you need for sustenance.

Maybe the reason some Christ followers have so little success in winning spiritual battles is they are starving to death. It’s critical that we feed on the Word of God. What I find interesting is that when I eat food, I get full. But when I eat the Word, I get hungrier! The more I “taste and see that the Lord is good,” the more of Him I want. 

So, how do you fill up on God’s Word? Here are a few suggestions:

Receive the Word with your ears. Go to church and listen to the Word of God as it is taught by gifted teachers.

Read the Word with your eyes. Find time every day to get away with your Bible and read the text. If you start with just 5 minutes a day, it won’t be long until you’ll crave more. 

Write the Word with your hands. As you study, take note of what God teaches you. Write the lessons down. Tell your loved ones and friends what you are learning.

Reflect on the Word with your mind. Stew on it. That’s an old fashioned way to say, meditate on the Word.

Remember the Word with your heart. Commit God’s Word to memory. You may not have a Bible handy when you need it. 

Search for the LORD and for His strength; always seek His presence. 1 Chronicles 16.11