There are some things God hates, and there are some things God loves. There are some attitudes that get His attention for the wrong reason, and other things that get His attention for the right reason. Some actions God punishes, and other things He celebrates. He curses some activities and blesses others. God actually honors certain things in our lives. One of the things He honors is faithfulness. Faithfulness reflects His nature. It is one of those areas where we can actually be like God in a very liberated fashion. God gives us faith and the ability to be obedient, but we determine how much we will exercise that faith, and how obedient we will be. God knows how much of this world is pulling us away from faithfulness to Him. So when He sees us go against that tide and do the difficult thing, He is impressed. There are multiple stories in the Bible that reflect this truth, but here is one that just nails it. The setup is, the people of God have been taken into slavery because of their unfaithfulness. They had been playing games with God for generations, specifically worshiping idols and other gods. God had prophesied that if they lived that lifestyle He would bring in enemies to punish them. This exile is the payoff for their continual life of sin. But even in their enslavement, they had opportunities to do the right or wrong things... "The king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility— young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace—and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to serve in the king’s court. Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah. Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, yet he said to Daniel, 'My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I’m afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life with the king.' So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 'Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.' He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times better than all the diviner-priests and mediums in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.(Daniel 1:3-21) It isn't difficult to be faithful on Sunday morning when the church house is filled with the presence, power, and people of God. The test of faithfulness comes when you are alone, or in a place you do not want to be, surrounded by ungodly elements. Your faithfulness can only be proven when tested, and by obedience. Don't tell me how faithful you are... Show me how faithful you are. James wrote, "Faith without works is useless." (James 2:20) Faithfulness is defined as - steadfastness in affection or allegiance; firmness in adherence to promises or in observance of duty; given with strong assurance; true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original. God has always been faithful to me in every test. (I know He has been to you as well.) God gives me the ability to be faithful in every test. The world gives me the opportunity to be faithful in every test. Our faithfulness is a sign to us, to the world, to the enemy, and to God of what we value most. Today, you can be faithful. In a culture that defines success according to so many things, I want you to know... Faithfulness is success. Say it out loud... "Faithfulness is success." God honors faithfulness... EVERY TIME. Think about that. God honors faithfulness. God is the highest. But He honors some things. When you live a life that is faithful to His will, He honors that. God will never require anything of you He won't bless. Here is a challenge... What is the world (your boss, your spouse, your friend) requiring of you that you cannot give because it would require you to be unfaithful to God? How are you going to remain faithful? What steps are you going to take to let the other person know, "Hey... I want to do the best I can for you, but I can only do what is best for you as I do what is best for God"? [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Most of the preaching, and writing, and blogging and singing done in the Christian community is to help us become more faithful followers. There's nothing wrong with that. Much of the New Testament is devoted to helping us understand the Christian walk. But I think it is good to regularly go back to the basics of who we were, who we are, and how we got here. Here is a reminder of how and why we have been saved... "For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us--not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7) It is easy to spend a lot of time figuring out how to get where we believe God wants us to be in our maturation process. But may we never become so obsessed in the becoming that we forget that we have already become. Today, rest in the things God has done for you. Think about the places from where He has brought you, how kind He is, and how much He loves you. You are now an heir in the family of God... not because you figured out how to be an heir, but simply because you were born again into it. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. I don't know what your week holds, but as you step back into your normal routine after a day of worship and rest, here is a quick cheat sheet reminder of what God requires of us in our daily life... "Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged. Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism." (Colossians 3:18-15) The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives instruction to everybody in this brief passage. He seems to be telling us to do the things we would not naturally do in the flesh, but things that we can and should do in the spirit. Here's what he didn't say... "Wives, follow your dream as you see fit. Husbands, bring your work home with you and take out your frustration on your wives. Children, find your own way and do whatever pleases yourself. Fathers, set the bar so high for your children that they are constantly missing it. Slaves, run away. Fight "the man." Get what's yours. Hate the person over you because they have more money and power than you. Only do the work that is fulfilling to you. If you don't make as much money as you think you are worth, quit, or make it difficult for those around you. When all else fails, whine and complain on social media. Eventually the other guy will pay, because we live in a world of injustice, but someday you will be on top." This is how most people today want to read that passage. Our culture does not want wives who submit to husbands, husbands who are kind to their wives, children who are obedient to their parents, fathers who are fair and faithful, slaves, or others who are accountable to people over them, or in general to be answerable to others, and ultimately to God. But see, the world didn't write God's Word... so they don't get to make it up on the fly. You have now heard the truth. So whatever you are up to today... you are not your own. So live in accountability to God and other humans. You will be glad you did. Trust God to 'take care of' that person or organization that is doing wrong. But as for yourself, be faithful in the role God placed you. Otherwise, you will be one of those people God has to 'take care of.' It is Sunday... so I am dressed up.. as much as I can dress up. As I sit here eating biscuits with my daughter Anna at my Sunday morning McDonald's table, she asks me about a cross pin in my sport jacket lapel. "Where'd you get that?" I got it from a dear friend whose elderly husband had been one of my closest companions in ministry. He had a cross pin, and I'm sure I probably complimented it one time. After his passing, she gave me the pin. It means a lot. Brother Long was a very straightforward man from another era. He had strong beliefs, and he wasn't afraid to express them. He never learned the 'art' of political correctness. He called his method, "the direct approach". He was a man's man who expected a man to have a man's haircut and not wear jewelry or clothing designed for women. He was a man's man... which means he treated his wife with great respect, as he did all women. I've never met a politically correct liberal who treated women better. He did not set out to offend anyone, but if someone was offended by his opinion, he felt like they were even, because he was offended by their opposite opinion. Not only did he use the direct approach, he expected the same from others. He wore his Kentucky WIldcats gear proudly. He sported his Republican candidate bumper sticker proudly. He called it 'advertising'. When I saw him with a Wildcats hat, I may say, "Nice hat." He would say, "Yeah... doing a little advertising." He advertised those things he believed in. Mostly he advertised his faith. He loved Jesus, and he was glad to let people know it. While W.B. knew that Jesus was the most offensive thing he could 'advertise' in a culture that is opposed to Christ, it didn't matter. I think he liked the fact that Jesus used the direct approach. Jesus told us of our sin, and the consequences that go with it. "Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) But He was just as direct with the cure for the sin in our lives. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) And Christ was direct in His approach to the cross, where He sacrificed Himself to make a clear path to the Father. As His earthly ministry flourished, He knew His mission called Him to death before resurrection. The Bible tells us, "When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51) Jesus used the direct approach. But some Christians use a veiled approach. Some believers are kind of incognito, or undercover. You really can't see Christ in their life. You can't see the cross. Jesus was killed in public humiliation, but He went through it for us. So how can we blend into the culture when Jesus took such a direct approach to free us from the very sin that put Him on the cross? Anna asked where I go the cross. I know where Jesus got His cross. It was from me. I got mine from a friend who would gladly advertise Jesus. When Anna tried to take a picture of my cross pin for this devotional, it was difficult to see the cross in the picture. Apparently the flash was causing it to blend into the rest of my jacket pattern. When she turned the flash off, the cross shown brightly. We need not shine a light on the cross... we just have to let it shine for itself in our lives. Don't hide it. Don't try to make it impressive... just take up your cross and follow Jesus. Some will be offended, but others will look and believe. Jesus said about His ministry on the cross, "The Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God." (John 3:14-18) Lift Him up today. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. We live in a Christian culture where an element that claims to believe in justice does not actually believe in justice. Well... they believe in nice justice... but they don't believe in the judgment of God. They want people to live in peace, but they don't want anyone with a sword to bring or enforce the peace. They want comfort, but they don't want the discomfort that comes with establishing a comfortable place. They encourage people to seek the good, but are opposed to anything that smells like judgment. But as we know, there can be no peace in this world without force, and no justice without judgment. The Psalms make up the largest section of Scripture. In those songs we find all of the elements of God... mercy, grace, holiness, love, truth, protection, justice, judgment, punishment, etc. Here is a great Psalm that requests justice and judgment from God. Listen to my words, Lord; consider my sighing. Pay attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to You. At daybreak, Lord, You hear my voice; at daybreak I plead my case to You and watch expectantly. For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with You. The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all evildoers. You destroy those who tell lies; the Lord abhors a man of bloodshed and treachery. But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your faithful love; I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You. Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my adversaries; make Your way straight before me. For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues. Punish them, God; let them fall by their own schemes. Drive them out because of their many crimes, for they rebel against You. But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You. For You, Lord, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield. (Psalm 5) God cares about the righteous. And part of the way He cares about the righteous is by dishing out judgment to those who celebrate wrong and oppression of the righteous. Every time a judge decides for the innocent, he decides against the guilty. It is the only way it can be. I want you to know it is okay for you as a believer to pray for God's judgment on those who do wrong. Just make sure you are in the right when you request it. I hope today that God stops and deals with child abusers, wife beaters, terrorists, abortion doctors, drug dealers, etc. I don't just hope He protects the innocent... I hope He forcefully stops the wicked. His ultimate will is to save people. But if they will not be saved, my He stop them so the righteous can flourish. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
Categories |