Do Not Lose Heart

 February 1, 2024

Thursday

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (NASB 2020) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

There came an age when I noticed that I was getting older. I think I was in denial for a long time. I kept thinking I could do everything I could always do. This is when I realized I couldn’t.

Yet, I have realized something else, as well. I am being renewed day by day in my spirit. I know the Lord better than I ever did before. I grieve over my sins more than I did before. I pray fervently more. There is more joy in seeing people come to know the Lord. There is more joy in seeing a wayward person recommit himself or herself to the Lord. People mean more to me.

That’s the way it is when you have more years behind you than you have in front of you. The things that are important become important to you.

If I remain faithful, the rewards that I will receive will be mine in eternity. (I say if because I know that I can turn from my walk with the Lord as I turned from my sinful life to walk with the Lord.) I don’t want to lose those rewards by acting like this life is eternity. What has been given is no true sacrifice because it becomes a reward in eternity. What has been suffered for faithfulness to the Lord will be a reward. This life is truly for a moment.

I see too many people who think this life is all there is. They think money will buy them everything they want. The think others should know who they are and honor them. They think their own Christian lives should be soothing rather than serving. They see only what their humanity allows them to see. I wonder if they realize that it will all be gone some day. I wonder if they know that they are not building rewards for themselves in heaven.

There is a glory in eternity for the Christian who serves the Lord that has no comparison on this earth. Sure, we serve the Lord because we love Him, but we also have rewards that await us if we are faithful. It’s worth continuing to serve Him here and forever.

When the Lord Is Your Song

 January 31, 2024

Wednesday

Psalm 118:14 (NASB 2020) 14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

The Lord is my strength. This is an oft repeated statement in the Bible. I need to hear it because I start living as if I have the strength. From the earliest age I can remember, I have been claiming to do things all by myself. I can do insignificant things without the Lord’s strength. Others can do some amazing things without the Lord’s strength. No one can do the most godly things without the Lord’s strength.

John 15:5 (NASB 2020) 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Jesus said I could do nothing apart from Him. I believe Him. Trying to do things apart from Him wears me out. It is like lifting a car without a jack. It may be possible but you can do nothing to the car while you are holding it. Why would I do so? Why would I try? I need the jack to be my strength to hold up the car. I need the Lord to be my strength.

The Psalmist says that the Lord is my song. Songs evoke emotions. Some songs are just fun. Some songs make us laugh. I remember praying about giving to the Lord’s cause for a special offering. My wife and I both came up with the same number. Since we give more than a tithe anyway, this was simply a gift for the Lord’s purpose. The amount my wife and I came up with was $500. We didn’t really know how we could replace that money but we felt that obedience was a part of knowing that God will provide. Maybe two weeks later we received $5000 that we weren’t expecting. I laughed and laughed. It was like a song had been sung I was so happy in singing it. I believe this closely resembles what the Psalmist was saying when he said the Lord is my song.

Of course, the Lord is my salvation. He came for me years ago and I gave my life to Him. He became my salvation that day. He is my salvation today. He will be my salvation tomorrow. I can depend upon this throughout eternity.

Now, I am ready to follow the Lord today. He is my strength and song. He is my salvation.

God's Mercy Never Ends

 January 30, 2024

Tuesday

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NASB 2020) 22 The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations is not a book I often read. To tell you the truth, it is depressing. So much of the book is exactly what the name implies-lamenting. However, I get it. Sometimes it is good to lament why you are in your present circumstances. Many times we need to say, “I have no one to blame but myself.”

But coupled with our lament I need to remember God’s mercy and compassion. Even in my deepest pit I have God’s presence when I reach out for Him. I have His love when I remember my salvation. I have His provision when I breath. 

There is no end to His mercy. If I were stand before Him as He judged me, I would be found guilty. My sins would ever prove that I earned eternal death. Yet, because of the blood of Jesus, I have eternal life. I will be guilty but will not know His wrath because Jesus paid that price for me. I will be declared forgiven then as I am declared forgiven now. I know that daily.

God’s compassion toward me never fail. His love never ends. His work on me never ends. His taking me through whatever I am going through never ends. Yet, I have done nothing that He couldn’t have done Himself. I have not earned this compassion any more than I earned my salvation.

God’s mercy and compassion are new every morning. I don’t have yesterday’s left over mercy and compassion. I don’t get tomorrow’s mercy and compassion because I don’t need it yet. I get mercy and compassion for today. It is present with me right now.

Knowing that God has given me new mercy and compassion today reminds me that He has not forgotten me. He is working to bring me closer to Himself with each moments. I may not see Him doing so. I may not feel that He is with me. Neither of these make a difference. He is doing this. I know because His mercy and compassion are new everyday. Truly He is faithful.

What I Can Do

 January 29, 2024

Monday

Philippians 4:13 (NASB 2020) 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

This is a very abused scripture. Many have applied it to anything they want. This scripture does not give me permission to do whatever I want. It only assures me that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I must remember that it is His strength I am depending upon. I can’t say I can do all things. I can’t without His strength. Paul has just recited how he can endure hunger and plenty. These were the reasons he knew that Christ was strengthening him. It wasn’t his strength that mattered. He is saying that he would not have been to weather the two extremes without Christ.

I have been reading a book by someone who walked with the Lord over a hundred years ago. He said that he feared the plenty more than the poverty. Hard times drive us toward God for comfort and strength. Abundance has a tendency to think we can do all things without God. Many people are no longer in church, having quiet times, giving, and serving because they have so much. Maybe we should pray even more when we have plenty so that we don’t wander away from His strength.

I must remember that He must be with me on whatever I need strength for. In other words, I can’t expect His strength if I am walking away from Him and not with Him. I heard a guy speak about writing a song that was published and sung all over the world. He knew that God was working with him when he wrote the song. Then, he wrote a set of songs and asked God to bless them. These songs went nowhere. He did the latter songs in his own strength. We can’t expect to ask for his blessing on the things we do in our own strength.

Challenges require I depend upon His strength. Challenges cause me to walk a closer walk with the Lord. So, knowing I need His strength, I walk with Him in things I couldn’t do without Him. I will be successful as I do His will because I do it in His strength.

Do You Still Have the Love of God?

 January 28, 2024

Sunday

Romans 8:38–39 (NASB 2020) 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I read this scripture more often after my failures than my successes. After I am down, even know that the failure was my fault, I need to head that God still loves me. It truly makes sense that God loves me all the time. Think about it: If God demonstrated His love toward me, that while I was still a sinner that Christ died for me and greater love has no man than the one who lays down his life for another, then in my opposition to God I received the greatest love that can be given. God’s love toward me is never greater or less.

Maybe this is why Paul went to such lengths to tell us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. His list wasn’t intended to be complete. Paul just wanted us to know that God’s love is complete.

There is someone I am thinking of right now who has heard the gospel numerous times. God loves him so much that Jesus died for him. This guy does not know God’s love. This world has such a tight grip on him that he believes that the world will ultimately satisfy him. He doesn’t know God’s love nor can he without stepping over the line to repent of his sins and commit himself to Jesus. He sees this as suicide. Yet, God still loves him.

I have been to prisons and jails to visit people. One of them was unrepentant. He pretended to be so while in prison but immediately went back to his old ways once he got out. God loves that man.

I have seen drug users and dealers. Some of them are both. They prey on others. The users steal and con every one they can to get another hit. The dealers sell their poison to take the lives of others. Yet, God loves them.

Some of the people who come to our food pantry abuse the system. They are driving nice cars. They go from one food pantry to another- sometimes on the same day.  They are taking what could be going to others who truly need help. God loves these people.

But before I stand in condemnation of those I have mentioned, I remember what a sinner I was and what a sinner I continue to be. In each time of repentance God has taken me back. Why? Because God loves me.

What Will You Receive at the Judgement Seat of Christ?

 January 27, 2024

Saturday

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB 2020) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

Many people think that trusting in Jesus for salvation is all there is to it. If you want to be faithful and keep His commands, that’s fine but it will make no difference in heaven. This is wrong! There are rewards that we could have if we are faithful that will go with us into eternity.

Now, I know it seems so self-serving to think that I am working for the rewards I have in heaven. I am not working for salvation but something awarded to me when I get there. I suppose if that was all I was doing, I would be looking at the apparent success or failure I am having on earth. I could congratulate myself with each person baptized. I could hold my head above others for greater and greater attendance. The problem is that I would not be serving the Lord but myself. Serving myself receives all the rewards on earth.

Faithfulness is a very private matter. It is between yourself and the Lord. It may not receive any accolades from those on earth. It might not be noticed by anyone on earth. Faithfulness may be found in witnessing to a person who will never give his life to the Lord. It may be found in preaching messages that cause no one to change their lives. It may be found in giving so that no one knows who gave.

Yet, just as the Lord noticed the widow who gave two cents, the Lord notices the faithfulness of those who do what He says. He notices forgiving those who have been vicious in their attacks on you. He notices the prayers that shed tears for others. He notices love given to those who are opposed to being loved. He notices the kindness given to the poor person who could never repay.

All believers will stand before Christ’s judgement seat. Some will get to heaven with the smell of smoke on them. Some will have a glorious entrance. Faithfulness on earth will be remembered in heaven. 

So, we listen and do without fanfare to see our rewards in heaven. 

New Strength for Those Who Wait

 January 26, 2024

Friday

Isaiah 40:31 (NASB 2020) 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

It is hard to wait for the Lord when you believe you have waited beyond a reasonable time. You become like Saul who would offer the sacrifice before Samuel arrived because Samuel didn’t come when Saul thought he should. We pray for God to act and He assures us that He will. Then we wait what seems to be an intolerable amount of time. If we are not committed to waiting we will act on our own. This will wear us out because we will be acting in our own strength. If something is so important that we have prayed about it, our own strength will never suffice.

Waiting has an assurance. Like eagles we Will be stronger even as we age. We will receive new feathers by which we will fly even higher. We will be better than the youths who grow weary for we will run and not get tired. We will walk when walking is necessary and not get weary.

Many years ago, I was on the staff of a church when the pastor left. The rest of the staff was asked to preach in his absence with the exception of Sunday mornings. I was asked and did so because it was my duty. Up until that point I didn’t want to be a senior pastor. I didn’t want to preach every Sunday. In fact, I didn’t necessarily want to preach. I was content with teaching.

Something happened when I spoke to the congregation on a Wednesday night. I felt God nudge me to preach but I wanted to make sure. I prayed for God to tell me if that was what He wanted me to do. Maybe two weeks later, the Associate Pastor led the staff in a devotion. While he spoke I knew God was telling me to become a preacher. I committed myself to praying that some church would call me as pastor.

Eight years and three months later, a church did just that. I had prayed almost every day that God would act in the hearts of a pastor search committee to listen to Him and call me. There were many days that I didn’t believe it would happen. It was also humbling to see others on staffs called to be senior pastors while I continued being a staff member. However, I knew I should not try to get ahead of the Lord. Waiting was the best action I could take.

Waiting for the Lord may be the hardest thing we ever do. Waiting puts our complete dependence upon Him. It gives us strength that will suddenly leave us if we stop waiting and take action on our own.

I can attest that when I waited that I flew at first, then ran and finally walked. The euphoria of flying came as I heard God say that He was calling me to be as pastor. The continued praying after some time kept me running toward His calling. The determination came in the walking. It was when I walked that I got closest to Him. I believe it was because I was walking with Him.

So, I encourage everyone who must wait upon the Lord. (That is actually all of us, all of the time.) Wait for acting without Him leave you on your own. It will wear you out.