Tag Archives: salvation

September 16 – A Prayer For Our World

Leave a reply

Daniel 7-9

Reading Daniel’s vision reminds me that there are forces of evil out there. There has been since Satan and his followers fell from heaven. ISIS, murderers, liars, thieves, adulterers, bullies, and the like are tools of our enemy against a Holy God.

We act like it’s about us.

But evil is Satan’s tool in his war against God. I think if we want Satan defeated in this country and in our world, if we want to put a stop to the evil around us, our prayer should be like Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9:

Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, we have sinned. We haven’t listened to You. We are ashamed of ourselves in light of Your righteousness. We are rebellious and disobedient, so You have allowed us the consequences for our sin. Even in that, we’ve not turned to You. Now, O Lord, Your Name is a reproach to those around us. The name “Christian” is hated and scorned, and meaningless. So God, not because we have any merit on our own, not because we deserve Your mercy, but for the sake of Your Name… forgive us. Bless us in the sight of nations. Let unbelievers recognize Your compassion to those who humble themselves before You, who turn from their wicked ways, and who follow You alone. Not because we deserve it. But because by doing so, people may come to You. And You deserve that.

September 4 – I’ve Got Confidence

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 24-27

All the cities Ezekiel is pronouncing God’s judgment over were cities that had things going on. They were successful merchants and traders, or they housed mighty warriors. They were sailors. Bakers. Jewelers. People living in comfort.

But they denied God, and God was going to demonstrate what the consequences are for sin. Nothing they had placed their confidence in would be able to save them.

Where have I placed my own confidence? Is it in myself? In having a healthy body? Career advancement? My family? My possessions? What about my reputation, or my generosity?

God would have me see that anything I think I have or am cannot stand against God’s holiness. He is the ultimate authority, the final Word. If I’ve placed my confidence in anything other than God Himself, I will be as devastated as the people I read about today.

Oh, I’ve got confidence. But it isn’t in me! I have confidence in God. I believe He is who He says He is, and means what He’s said. I’ve got confidence that God is going to carry me right into eternity because I have accepted His gift of grace through the blood of Jesus.

I have confidence to face today because God has promised to go with me. God is my confidence.

 

August 31 – Don’t Squander The Gift

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 16-17

The analogy in chapter 16 spoke to me today as if I read it for the first time. A baby is born, unloved, uncared for, discarded, thrown into the open field to die, abhorred. It’s a picture of a helpless one without hope.

But God came along. He saw the newborn squirming in its own blood, and said, “Live!”

That’s a picture of me. I was dying in my own filth, abhorrent to my God. But He looked at me who was without hope, and gave me hope. He gave me life. He gave me Himself.

In the analogy, God nurtures the one He saved. “Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments…” (16:7) I relate to that. I have also enjoyed the benefits of growing in the Lord, of getting stronger, of becoming the woman He wants me to be, and I am blessed because of Him.

But, sadly, the analogy does not end well. That baby saved by grace, grew up to become a harlot. She used the beautiful jewels given to her by God, and made idols from them. She used the embroidered cloth, and the bread and honey, for her idols. She even became a harlot who paid her lovers instead of receiving payment for her favors. How degrading. How deplorable. How can that even happen?

I’m just reminded not to get too comfortable in my relationship with God, not to get too confident in my position as His child. I don’t want to neglect to recognize Satan’s attacks, his subtle attempt to lure me away from the One who saved me. And I never want to squander the precious gift Jesus has given me.

Ezekiel’s analogy has me wanting to protect what is mine through grace, by protecting my relationship with the One who saved me.

August 30 – Think Again

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 13-15

You all know who Noah, Daniel, and Job are, right? These men had testimonies that rivaled no one. They were godly, obedient, trusting men who had close relationships with God Himself.

But Ezekiel tells us that even if these three were alive, they wouldn’t be able to deliver their sons or daughters from God’s wrath.

Dear one, if you are counting on your parents’ relationship with God, or your spouse’s relationship with God, to get you into heaven, think again. It’s your relationship with God, your acceptance of His grace, that will make the only difference when you see Him face to face.

Not even your godly grandmother can prevent you from God’s wrath against your sin. Only Jesus can do that.

So the next time you start to think you can ride your dad’s coattails into heaven…

think again.

August 27 – Comfort Zones

Leave a reply

Ezekiel 1-4

I almost never sleep through the night. I toss and turn, covers on, covers off, until it’s time to get up… and I fall into a deep sleep. Ugh!

If I lie too long in one position my body begins to ache. So reading what God told Ezekiel to do makes me very glad He wasn’t talking to me! The prophet was to build a ramp, pitch a camp, put battering rams against it, and face the city of Jerusalem. Then Ezekiel was to lie down on his left side, (I assume on the ground in sight of the people) and take the sin of Israel on himself. Then he was to lie there on his left side for thirteen months without turning from side to side.

And if that’s not hard enough, after the 390 days, God told Ezekiel he was to turn over on his right side, take the sin of Judah on himself, and lie like that for forty more days. No turning allowed. In fact, God was going to tie him up so he couldn’t switch sides even if he wanted to.

I am reminded that God is more interested in getting His message out there than He is in my comfort. He is serious about sin, and He wants people to know that. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one goes to God except through Jesus, and God wants people to know that. People who die without Christ go to hell. God wants people to know that, too.

And everyone who humbles themselves and repents of sin can be saved. That’s the message God is passionate about. That’s what He wants everyone to know. And if you have to take a stand for the Truth, or lose your house, your health, your career, or just get up out of your recliner, that’s secondary to getting the message out there.

Dear God, Forgive me if I am more concerned about the size of my paycheck, the air-conditioning in my home, what kind of car I drive, or if I have a sinus headache, than I am about lost souls. I want your passion for sinners to be my passion. Please give me the courage and the strength to get out of my comfort zone and get your message across. I want to say, “no matter what the cost,” and mean it. Show me how I can serve You today. And may I do what you ask without thought of my comfort. 

August 24 – Cow Tipping

Leave a reply

Jeremiah 46-48

Jeremiah has recorded the prophecy God gave him concerning His judgment on the nations. As I read them I am impressed with the reality that these nations think they have things figured out. Some are proud of their land, some their possessions, some their military strength.

God calls them arrogant. They are self-assured and self-reliant, not to mention worshipers of imaginary gods.

I chuckled at what God said about Moab (48:12) The days are coming when God “will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.”

Ever been cow tipping?

The thing is, folks, God is going to have the last word. Whatever it is you think you’ve figured out on your own, accomplished on your own, believe in apart from the Bible, can’t stand when you get pushed.

I know cow tipping is an urban legend. But whether we’re talking about cow tippers or vessel tippers, the point is God is greater than any theology, religion, accomplishment, or anything you think is keeping you secure. He can topple it all in an instant.

Myself, I am secure in my relationship with God. I don’t fear His judgment because I’ve accepted what His Son did on my behalf on the cross. My life, my future, my hopes and dreams are in His hands.

So give me a shove, Satan.  You can’t topple me when God is standing with me. And you’ll never have the last word.

August 17 – Don’t “Should”

Leave a reply

Jeremiah 30-31

There is a former student of mine, the mother of four, a young woman who loves her husband and who is loved by him, yet who battles depression and the all-too-often desire to stop living. She’s not a Christian. She reads self-help books, listens to Oprah, and tries to follow the advice of friends who tell her she shouldn’t feel that way, that she should be thankful, that she should tap into her own strength and pull herself up.

But I think all those “should’s” just make it worse.

I thought about her today as I read these chapters. God is telling the Jews that they have a serious injury, an incurable wound.

There is no one to plead your cause; no healing for your sore, no recovery for you. (30:13)

God even goes a step further and tells them to  quit crying about it. Felling sorry for yourself doesn’t change a thing.

Wow, God. Thanks for the encouragement. I feel so much better now.

Read on. God gives more than just a sympathetic pat on the back.

For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds, declares the Lord. (vs 17)

The truth is we all have reason to loathe ourselves. We’ve all done things to be ashamed of, to be sorry for. But trying to fix things by our own efforts is a bit like putting a bandaid on that incurable wound. We may feel better for a time. But when we fall (and we always fall) that wound bleeds a bit more. We feel worse than before, more useless, more of a failure than before.

God wants us to know that we don’t have to manufacture a feeling of healing. HE IS THE HEALER. We don’t have to pull ourselves out of the pit. He died, went into that pit Himself, so we wouldn’t have to live there. He rose again so that we could be born again ourselves, be free from the power of sin, and know the joy that comes from having our sins forgiven.

I think the only “should” we should listen to is the one that tells us we should go to the Father, repent of our sins, and let Him heal us. There is a sense of relief in that “should.”

August 13 – Roots

Leave a reply

Jeremiah 14-17

It’s been a hot and dry summer here in Ohio. The grass is brown, the flowers have wilted, leaves on trees droop. The last few days there has been an occasional shower and even a few heavy rains, but so far it doesn’t seem to have had much effect on the landscape.

In fact, I went out in bare feet yesterday to get the mail, and the grass was still dry and brittle. It’s been that parched here. Even a bit of rain isn’t enough to quench the ground.

Jeremiah says people who put their trust in mankind, or even in themselves, are like that. (17:5-6) Like tumbleweeds in a desert, like a desolate land of salt, they are cursed with a thirst that cannot be satisfied. Oh, many will say that’s not true, that they are just fine without God. Jeremiah says they’re so used to living in the wilderness they won’t even see when prosperity comes.

Then the prophet goes on. People who put their trust in the Lord are blessed!

For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. (17:7-8)

We who plant ourselves close to the Living Water will have deep roots, we won’t fear the heat of battle or hardship, and our faith will stand firm even when things around us dry up. Then, because of our witness, people will want what we have. We’ll bear fruit!

Where are your roots planted?

 

 

August 5 – Repentance

Leave a reply

2 Chronicles 32-33

In church-speak you often hear that we are told to “repent.” But what does that mean, really? Is it an admission of guilt? An apology? A feeling of regret? Those certainly are facets of repentance. True repentance goes further than that, however.

There is a picture of repentance here in 2 Chronicles. Manasseh is a good example of what it means to repent.

He was an evil king, a worshiper of false gods, a king who practiced divination and consulted mediums and spiritists. He even was brazen enough to erect idols right inside the house of God. They don’t come much worse than old Manasseh.

But Manasseh eventually humbled himself “greatly” before God. Manasseh prayed, and God forgave him.

Now here’s where the picture of repentance comes in. Manasseh changed. He removed the foreign gods from the temple, took down the altars he’d built, and set up the altar of the Lord for sacrifices to the only True God. He ordered the people of Judah to serve God, too.

Scripture tells us often to repent. Manasseh’s story demonstrates that no one is too evil for God to forgive if that heart is willing to change. A repentant person doesn’t look the same as he did before, doesn’t go to the same places, laugh at the same dirty jokes, doesn’t disrespect God’s Name, or treat others dishonestly. A repentant heart looks like Jesus.

Two things I take away from Manasseh’s example today: 1. no one is too far gone for God to forgive, and 2. people can change, and do change, when they give their lives to God.

August 4 – Your Children’s Children

1 Reply

2 Kings 20-21

Every time I read this account of the life of King Hezekiah, I get angry. Why God answered his prayers I don’t know. When God promised to heal the king in three days, Hezekiah asked for a sign. He couldn’t wait three days? Then, when God told Hezekiah that because he had sinned, Babylon would defeat the nation, steal everything Hezekiah had worked for, and capture Hezekiah’s sons, Hezekiah thought, “Is it not so, if there will be peace and truth in my days?”

Yes, Hezekiah your life will be just fine. It’s your children and your children’s children who will realize the consequences for your sin. Happy?

I know Hezekiah did a lot of good while he was king. I just happen to think he ended badly. And his son, Manasseh brought back idol worship when he became king. In fact, under Manasseh’s reign the Jews acted worse than the heathen nations around them.

Then when Hezekiah’s grandson Amon became king, he continued where Manasseh left off. Quite a downward spiral that began, I believe, with Hezekiah’s self-serving attitude.

Just wondering, parents, what is it your children are learning from you? Obedience? Worship? Self-sacrifice? Integrity? Compassion? Love of Scripture? The fear of God?

You may be doing alright in your personal walk with the Lord. But what about the dear ones who are following you? Are you preparing them to know God, to love and serve Him? Or are you satisfied knowing you’re ok, and let them fend for themselves?

I think you know how I’m praying.