Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
July 2002
July 2, 2002
Regarding wisdom, Proverbs 2:1 (NLT) says "My Child,
Listen to me and treasure my instructions."
There are so many 'things' vying for our attention, calling out for us,
so to speak, to cherish and treasure them above everything else in our
lives: sports, culinary delicacies, sex, liquor, drugs, pornography, real
estate, freedom from restraint, self, recreation, racing, flying, work,
pleasure, rest, vacation, animals, cars, homes, restaurants, etc., etc.
The process goes something like this: we see these things, 'taste' them
and 'listen' to them, allowing ourselves to be tempted to forget or neglect
that which is so transcendingly valuable - the wisdom of God! Jesus Himself
is wisdom ( I Corinthians 1:24; Colossians 2:3) Picture Him personally
calling to you, "My child...my precious child, listen to me. Please
listen, and learn to treasure my instructions more than anything else!"
Heavenly Father - Daddy - re-tune our ears to hear YOU and to cull
out the worthless idols which claim so much of our time, our energy, our
emotions. Teach us to truly treasure You and Your invaluable Instruction,
the Bible. Humbly, and with profound spiritual hunger we cry out to You....in
Jesus' name. Amen.
July 4, 2002
Proverbs 4:13 says "Hold on to instruction, do not
let it go; guard it well, for it is your life."
July 4: Independence day. For the born-from-above Christian, spiritually
speaking, our day of independence doesn't mean independence from God in
order to carry out our own agenda. It does not mean independence from
Him Who bought us through the shedding of His own precious blood on the
cross. Nor does it mean independence from the Spirit of truth! Never!
Rather, "through Jesus Christ the spirit of life has set me free
from the principle of sin and death." (Romans 8:2) Being truly set
free for God's glory; that's my real independence. Independence from the
power and penalty of sin; independence from the judgment of eternal separation
from the presence of Almighty God. Independence for the purpose of living
for Him Who set me free! That's my true life. May we hold on to that instruction,
not letting it go; but guarding it well! Happy 4th!
Holy Father, Giver of our glorious independence, grant us the grace
and spiritual resolve needed to live as 'independently' as You planned
in the salvation provided us through Christ's death on the cross. Amen.
July 6, 2002
Proverbs 6:6-11 (NLT) says "Take a lesson from the
ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they
have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard
all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long
will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson:
a little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands
to rest -- and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will
attack you like an armed robber."
In His grace, the Lord God has determined that we very intelligent humans
learn some needful lessons from other, much smaller, members of His creation:
the ants. This passage, of course, is not promoting 24-hour-a-day workaholism.
Rather it is a gentle reminder that laziness, a proneness to sleep a lot,
a careless approach to work that needs to be done, and failure to see
the value of healthy teamwork, are all potential characteristics of laziness
and ultimate poverty, both materially and spiritually.
Dear Father of the ants, thank You for using the little things to teach
us such big lessons. In our proneness to carelessness, don't let us miss
what You're constantly trying to reveal to us through the ants and others
members of Your incredible creation! In Jesus' name we humbly plead. Amen.
July 8, 2002
Proverbs 8:34 (NLT) says "Happy are those who listen
to me (wisdom), watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside
my home!"
Perhaps you've noticed how happy those Christians are who make it a habit
to read the Word of God and get their signals for life from Him and not
from other sources..... It seems like it must be an adventure for them;
listening, watching, and waiting excitedly for God to speak. It's not
always what they would like to hear, but it is God Himself Who is speaking.....to
them personally. And, they've learned that there is no better counsel
than His; no greater joy than to humbly submit; no happier Christian than
the one who listens and obeys.
Father, Your wisdom far surpasses the frothy, oft meaningless 'stuff'
the world proffers. The joy and happiness we derive from walking with
You, listening for Your counsel, watching for Your wise intervention,
and waiting to enjoy Your personal input is unparalleled! I love You!
I'm so glad I didn't go the other way (Isaiah 30:19-22). Amen.
July 10, 2002
Proverbs 10:19 (NLT) says "Don't talk too much, for
it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!"
How often I've been in conversations which I suddenly 'sensed' were not
going in the right direction; that if I continued to speak, I would either
gossip or slander or lie or exaggerate or become angry or misrepresent
the facts, or whatever. The Holy Spirit is so faithful to give that uncomfortable
'sense' in my heart; to warn me ahead of time that if I continue, I will
most likely sin against Him. Unfortunately, I haven't always been sensible
(obedient, either!); I haven't stopped the flow of verbiage (I'm rebellious,
too!), revealing the foolishness (and stubbornness, to be honest!) of
my human nature apart from the Holy Spirit's control. (See Proverbs 17:28)
Dear Father, it's me again. You know, 'the mouth'. Were it not for
Your Spirit's gentle warnings to my heart, I'd get in much more trouble
than I do. Please work on my will, that I might want to be increasingly
sensible and obedient by 'turning off the flow' of unnecessary and useless
talk. Amen.
July 12, 2002
Proverbs 12:11 (NIV) says "He who works his land
will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."
It's great to see an industrious person working hard for their wages.
Their sense of responsibility assures that, eventually, all the tasks
around the house will be taken care of, and the family will be provided
for. On the other hand, there is a mindset today that almost encourages
irresponsibility. While children are ignored, spouses disregarded, and
home maintenance neglected, someone chases after lottery and other forms
of 'get-rich-quick' schemes, thinking that in one big win they'll be taken
care of for the rest of their lives and be able to live on easy street.
Families who have greatly suffered and ended up languishing in poverty
from chasing these fantasies, are innumerable!
Father in Heaven, inside us all is that dream to win big at something
we've not worked for, and to live 'happily ever after'. We would hesitate
to call it 'laziness' or 'lust' as You might; but deep inside we sense
that it's not good for us to think that way; and some of us may know of
others who have become 'poor' because of it. Please grant us Christians
today the good judgment to be hard-working, diligent, and tireless in
the tasks which need to be done at work, around the home, and in the familial
responsibilities we've incurred through marriage and child-bearing. Thank
You in advance for graciously answering this important request. Amen.
July 14, 2002
Proverbs 14:4 (NLT) says "An empty stable stays
clean, but no income comes from an empty stable."
I'm glad both Ruth and I enjoy having a clean, neat home. For us, it sort
of makes hospitality more fun and enjoyable. But, there have been many
times we didn't get the house 'clean enough' before people came; and we've
learned that it is better to have friends around than to sit in this lovely
home, clean and neat, but have no friends to share it with. As a kid,
from time to time I had opportunity to help a family friend milk his cows.
My job? To keep shoveling the manure troughs and spray for flies.(Mother,
I really DID try to keep my shoes clean!). Can you imagine a dairy farmer
having a 'clean' barn? No dirt, no manure (with flies, worms, and maggots),
no animal noises, no bad smells. Someone might even nominate him and his
clean barn for some kind of prize 'cause they've never seen one so clean!
But, I forgot to say that there are no cows to milk, either.....and therefore
no income. Which do you think the dairy farmer would prefer?
Father in heaven, help us to have a right focus and correct value system
when it comes to ministry and wise use of our lives and the gifts You've
given us. May we tirelessly labor til Jesus comes, grateful that You didn't
leave us alone in this world with nothing to do except sit around, 'veg'
and 'look good'. Amen.
July 29, 2002
Proverbs 29:2 says "When the godly are in authority,
the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan."
It's great to have a born again President, isn't it? Someone who says
he stands for righteousness....and then stands. Sure, he'll end up doing
or perhaps saying things that I may not agree with; but he is God's man
for us at this time in our history, and in that I can rejoice, not groan.
And, I have the privilege of praying for him (and other leaders, Christian
or not) so that we all might "live in peace and quietness, in godliness
and dignity". (I Timothy 2:2)
Father, by nature I 'groan' and complain a lot; and, with so many godless
people in authority, it makes it easier for me to do so. Then, when an
authority figure who professes righteousness comes along, it's easy to
be cynical of him instead of prayerful for him; to wait for the 'bad'
to happen, and then say, "I told you so!; He's as bad as the others!".
Remind me often to obey You by faithfully and humbly praying "for
kings and all others who are in authority" Amen.
July 31, 2002
Proverbs 31:25 speaks of the virtuous and capable (vs.
10) wife: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs
with no fear of the future."
What a joy it is to watch young mothers and single women mature into godly
women. Emotionally and perhaps even physically strong, but not losing
the appearance of dignity which maturing, godly men long to see in women
of poise and healthy spiritual bearing. They (godly women) trust the Lord
and seek to please Him. No wonder they face the future with humble confidence
instead of fear!
Dear Father, thank You for delivering so many 21st Century Christian
women from the need to compete with the male ego or to stoop to rudeness
and crassness in order to be accepted. Bless each mother, wife, woman
in Your Church with increasing biblical humility and maturity (Isaiah
30:15; 48:18) that reflects the strength and dignity of Your presence
in them! And, teach us spiritually hungry men to recognize, promote, and
be grateful for such sweet 'grace' in our midst! Through Jesus we humbly
pray. Amen.
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