Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
August 2002
August 2, 2002
Proverbs 2:10b says "....knowledge will fill you
with joy."
In the Proverbs when 'wisdom' or 'knowledge' is mentioned, it is not just
talking about a getting a higher scholastic education. It is almost always
talking about the wisdom of GOD and knowledge of Him and His ways. If
knowledge of Him and His ways "will fill you with joy", please
think about this..... WHY ARE SO MANY CHRISTIANS NOT JOYFUL? WHY ARE SO
MANY OF US SAD, UNHAPPY, MAD OR ANGRY?? I can tell you it is because of
a failure on our part to be men and women of the Word of God. We read
books and magazines about Him, go to seminars which focus on Him, watch
DVD's and movies about God, Christ, and the Christian life....but fail
at being people of the Word OURSELVES. (See Hosea 4:6)
Dear Father, open our eyes to see the connection between our unhappiness
and our failure to be people of the Word. Forgive us this great, great
sin. In mercy, let us once again be delighted with Your wisdom, that we
might be filled with true joy. Amen.
August 4, 2002
Proverbs 4:7 says "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."
We all have our 'priority list'. "I'd KILL for that!", someone
says. Another says, "I'd DIE for that!" In this day of short-cuts,
'alternatives', and 'look-alikes', the temptation to acquire or achieve
by other means what only God can do or to become only what comes from
a very personal relationship with Him, is great. To see and understand
this danger is perhaps the beginning of the process toward becoming wise
or of acquiring His wisdom. Right now, what is at the top of your priority
list? Does it have anything to do with God and His ways, His wisdom, His
understanding? Or, is it only all about you?
Father, forgive the spiritual stinginess that keeps me/us from being
wise with Your wisdom! Help us to re-prioritize our lives, at any cost.
Help us to love You, cleave to You, lean on You, walk with You....to simply
be saturated with You! We know You'll finish the task of making us more
like Your Son, Jesus.....because it cost You 'all You had' through His
death on the cross for our sins. Amen.
August 6, 2002
Proverbs 6:32 says "...a man who commits adultery
lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself."
Not much needs to be added to the straight-forward teaching of this verse.
To support the obvious, examples could be given by many Christian men
whose lives, marriages, and families have been ruined by moral carelessness.
Lest those of us who, by the grace of God, have been kept from that awful
sin feel the slightest tinge of pride, we should all read James 4:4 which
speaks of another form of adultery: friendship with the world and it's
dumb, devious, and destructive ways. Here we - all adulterers! - stand
guilty before a Holy God.
Father of purity and wisdom, we acknowledge our proneness to see and
envy the supposed 'happiness' of those people around us whose lives are
consumed by the pleasureful ways of the world: being malicious, prideful,
boastful, disobedient, jealous of others, lazy, lying, fighting, cheating,
drinking too much, carousing, adulterating, competing with others, envying,
griping....you get the idea, Father. Open our eyes to see how those sins
reveal our own spiritual adultery, lack of judgment, and proneness to
self-destruction. Grant great mercy and forgiveness to Your adulterous
children, through the precious blood of Jesus we pray. Amen.
August 8, 2002
Proverbs 8:12 (NLT) says "I, wisdom, live together
with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment."
After many years of observing Christians who have "gone off the deep
end" or who have "turned away from Christ" or "gone
down the tubes", one powerful image stands out to me: almost to a
person, they have left off being a man or woman or young person of the
Bible, the Word of God, their source of truth and wisdom. Disconnected
from the trustworthy, wise, insightful, joy-giving Word of God (see Psalm
19:7-11), they begin to entertain ungodly thoughts, and make bad decisions
reflecting poor judgment. Check with those joyful, truly Spirit-led Christians
whom you admire and see if they are not people of the Word. Most will
verify that times of falling away from the Lord and poor judgments and
bad decisions they've made came at times when they were away from God,
away from being a person of the Word of God.
Father, we know it's not a magical thing: that if we simply read the
Bible, things will be ok. The Bible is our source of wisdom for living
each day. And, because of our deep, growing love for You, the Bible has
become our reading of choice. Thank You for the wisdom of Your Word. Thank
You for teaching us truths which make it possible for us to have good
judgment and make wise decisions. You're awesome! I love You! Amen.
August 10, 2002
Proverbs 10:20 (NLT) says "The words of the godly
are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless."
What a wonderful blessing to have a godly friend close by when you're
going through difficult times. Because of their intimacy with Christ,
their accountability to Him, and their practical knowledge of the Bible,
their words are like sterling silver: of value, shiny, Christ-honoring,
and spiritually helpful. (see Proverbs 15:23 and 25:11). On the other
hand, I have often feared that those Christians with problems who listen
instead to non-Christian neighbors or quasi-'Christian' friends whose
hearts are not with the Lord and not familiar with the Bible, are making
a grave mistake. The Bible is clear; those people won't be able to give
advice that is biblical and ultimately helpful. They're the wrong people
to listen to when you need to hear what God has to say.
Father, give us the wisdom to form friendships and acquaintances with
those who are 'worthy' because they are godly and wise. For in my difficult
hours, the worthless and foolish ranting and raving of those not walking
with Jesus will lead me astray; that's not what I need. I need to hear
from You. For the glory of God in my friendships I pray. Amen.
August 12, 2002
Proverbs 12:23 (NLT) says "Wise people don't make
a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly."
The world is full of foolish people who are "educated beyond their
intelligence", as one of our Profs used to say. I love being around
biblically wise people. In conversation, they don't look for opportunities
to talk about what they know, though they may have vast knowledge of many
things. During dialogue, they seem to have no ego need to reveal their
smarts, intelligence, or the vast extent of their education. Here's why:
the truly wise person knows that it's not about what you know, but Who
you know. In their hearts they know that whatever good there may be about
who they are or what they've accomplished (including their education or
knowledge), it's still not about them; it's all about Jesus.
Wise Father, thank You for teaching biblical truths and revealing biblical
principles to our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Let our focus be not
on what we think we know or who we think we are, but on Jesus Who is our
all in all! Amen.
August 14, 2002 (Happy 87th birthday, mother! I love
you!)
Proverbs 14:20 (NLT) says "The poor are despised
even by their neighbors, while the rich have many 'friends'."
For years I've been fascinated by the human desire for acceptance. People
flock to, fawn over, and grovel at the feet of those they consider to
be 'rich', whether their richness be material wealth, physical attractiveness,
or emotional exuberance that makes them more noticeable than others. The
'poor', of course, are those who are not wealthy, not physically attractive
or who are not out-going and vivacious. They're not only not sought after;
they're 'despised', unattractive to those unable or uninterested in cultivating
new friendships or in making accurate value judgments regarding the true
character of people around them, regardless of life status.
Precious Father, how may 'poor' people must I have disregarded in one
way or another through the years?! Grant great forgiveness for my conditional
love. Help me to be a lover of all people; to not despise anyone. Help
me especially to be a friend to sinners (Matthew 11:19), as was Jesus
my dearest Friend.....in whose name I pray. Amen.
August 16, 2002
Proverbs 16:6 (NLT) says "Unfailing love and faithfulness
cover sin; evil is avoided by fear of the Lord."
I recently had to ask forgiveness of quite a few people. The understanding
forgiveness and love I received from them was precious ('covering' sin
the right way). It could have been different, however; I 'stewed' for
about 36 hours, before I realized that what I was doing was blame-shifting,
dodging the truth, and protecting 'self' ('covering' sin the wrong way).
Of course, it wasn't long before the Holy Spirit reminded me of two things:
1) that there is always a certain 'evil' in avoiding the truth; and, 2)
that to humble one's self and admit the truth is to truly 'fear the Lord'.
It also pleases the Lord, and sends the enemy scampering to look for another
sucker to deceive.
Father, thank you for the constant reminder that the 'self', my old
nature, is "rotten through and through" (Romans 7:18 NLT). Thank
you for the Spirit's faithfulness in (a) revealing the truth and (b) granting
the grace to admit that truth. Help this proud man to walk more humbly
before you in the fear of the Lord. Amen.
August 18, 2002
Proverbs 18:22 (NLT) says, "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure
and receives favor from the Lord."
Through the years I have discovered and come to more deeply believe the
truth that the Lord really does know exactly what (and 'who') each of
us needs, both men and women. (Philippians 4:19) The word 'finds' implies
that I was looking. When I saw Ruth for the first time, I did look. And,
I was smitten. From that point on, I admit that competitive sports and
other 'important' things suddenly began to take second place in my life.
As time went on, I learned how much 'beauty' she really had....on the
inside. And, as our friendship and relationship grew, I could point out
the 'favor' (grace) of God in my life as 'need' after 'need' in my life
was (and has continued to be) perfectly addressed by Him through her.
All that superintended by the sovereign God who loves me more than I will
ever imagine! Truly, He has given me a treasure whose depths I have yet
to fully plumb! I am humbled by His wonderful gift of grace to me!!
O Giver of invaluable treasures, truly I (we) have received great favor,
great grace from Your hand. Help me (us) to highly esteem the life partner
You've given and protect her as the treasure she truly is! Amen.
August 20, 2002
Proverbs 20:6 (NLT) says "Many will say they are loyal friends, but
who can find one who is really faithful?"
I immediately think of three perspectives: (a) The earthly (from a human
point of view, friend to friend). Wow, could each of us fill the books
with failure there, huh? (b) The heavenly (from God's point of view, His
friendship with us). Does anyone have any legitimate complaints against
Him for failed faithfulness or loyalty in His friendship with us? And,
(c) The earthly/heavenly (our friendship to Him). This one concerns me,
as I'm guessing it does Him as well. The problem I have is this: if every
Christian who proclaims faithfulness and loyalty to Jesus Christ is really
faithful and loyal.....why is the ratio of believer to unbeliever getting
smaller? Why are fewer and fewer Christians living 'victorious' lives?
Why is the number of divorces among 'Christians' matching - and almost
surpassing! - the number among non-Christians? Why are so many 'Christians'
stagnating, disconnected, and uninvolved? Could the Lord say of me or
of you... "He (or she) says he's (she's) a loyal friend....and he
(she) sure is! He's (she's)a faithful servant, living for me, and truly
seeking to do my will!"?
Search me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23,24). O precious, faithful
Friend of sinners, convict me when my proclamations of faith and loyalty
are mere 'hot air' to impress others....or You. Forgive me for such presumptuous
sin. Renew me for loyal obedience and faithful service to You and to Your
church! Amen.
August 22, 2002
Proverbs 22:9 (NLT) says "Blessed are those who are generous, because
they feed the poor."
Years ago, I remember speaking with a husband who had been married to
his wife some 25 years or so. She was suffering a physical problem that
could have been taken care of by about $150 worth of medical attention
and medication. "It's too much!", he snipped. I knew he could
afford it, and commented that he should re-think his decision, for the
good of his relationship with her. No way. About 2 weeks later, he came
home with a brand new watch that cost him "Only $100! Such a deal!"
Personally, I was shocked, and told him so. I asked him to think about
how his wife might be assessing his 'priorities', and how she could truly
come to the conclusion that he cares MORE for himself than he does for
her. Generosity is a way of life. It's not a one-time, grand finale, grandiose
act of kindness. The truly generous person is that way in every area of
his/her life, including spiritually.
Generous Father, Who did not hold back Your only Son, but generously
gave Him up as a sacrifice for stingy, self-consumed sinners such as I,
forgive us for not loving You generously. Forgive and remove our self-love
and teach us to be generous in every area of our lives.....because of
Jesus! Amen.
August 24, 2002
Proverbs 24:30,31 (NLT) says "I walked by the field of a lazy person,
the vineyard of one lacking sense. I saw that it was overgrown with thorns....."
(read verses 30-34)
We're all potentially lazy from a physical point of view, aren't we? I've
been tired before and said to someone, "I feel lazy; like doing nothing."
Those around me, obviously understanding what I was saying, have said, "Yeah!
I know what you mean. I feel the same way! You deserve a break. Let loose.
Let that other stuff go. You can do it another time." Some possible
forms of laziness are evident: tall grass, unkempt lawn, over-weeded flower
garden, filthy car, smudged windows, scraggly beard, dirty fingernails,
unwashed clothes.... the obvious stuff. Now think about 'spiritual' laziness.
There's a subtle aspect within that laziness which is somewhat frightening.
A person is able to go to church and sing, worship, praise, lift hands up
to the Lord, read the Bible, (the external) etc..... but, lazily, doesn't
deal with significant sin in other areas of the life (the internal): pride
or arrogance; disobedience to the Lord in moral areas; self-focus; anger,
stinginess, lack of forgiveness, independence, arguing, etc., etc. Oh that
we would think of the eventual results of that kind of laziness (see verses
32-34), humbly confess it, and become spiritually fruitful for His glory.
Dear Father, open my eyes to actually see the real laziness which is within
me. And grant me spiritual courage to deal with the weeds of sin! Amen.
August 26, 2002
Proverbs 26:18,19 (NLT) says "Just as damaging as a mad man shooting
a lethal weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, 'I was
only joking'."
This is an interesting comparison, isn't it? How many foolish things do
we do in 'jest' or as a 'joke', 'fooling around', not realizing the potential
long-term, emotional damage possibly being caused to someone?! "Aw,
c'mon; he can take it! He's a big boy!" Almost the entire chapter
26 of Proverbs speaks of the 'fool' and the foolish things he/she characteristically
does, and the damage he/she can cause. Friendships between Christians
must take on greater significance if we hope to impress the world with
the gentle sweetness (authentic power) of community, fellowship, and meaningful
relationships which should be so evident within the body of Christ. Are
you guarding and nurturing your friendships as you ought?
Father in Heaven, help us to truly (biblically) love those we call
our friends. May we so nurture our earthly relationships that the world
can't miss the fact that we are Your children (John 13:35). For the love
of Christ, our best Friend, we pray. Amen.
August 28, 2002
Proverbs 28:5 (NLT) says "Evil people don't understand justice, but
those who follow the Lord understand completely."
Most people would not connect their misunderstanding of or their deliberate
disdain for God's justice with 'evil'. They would not make the connection
that their anger and complaints against God are a form of 'evil'. The
authentic disciple, however, follows the Lord, reads and trusts His Word;
and though he/she may not totally comprehend, they "understand completely"
that the sovereign Lord does all things well, and that "without faith
it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). "For everything
comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his
glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen." (Romans 11:36)
Father of unsearchable wisdom and unparalleled justice, thank You for
opening our eyes and hearts of faith to see and to know the truth and
the fairness of Your ways. Be merciful to us in our times of legitimate
questioning, since we often cross the line between seeking the truth and
simply venting our wrath on You for what we just don't seem to be able
(or want) to accept by faith. Thank You for Your incredible patience with
us. We're grateful for the faithful way You nurture us with grace and
truth. We love You! Through Jesus we gratefully pray. Amen.
August 30, 2002
Proverbs 30:20 (NLT) says "Equally amazing is how an adulterous woman
can satisfy her sexual appetite, shrug her shoulders, and then say, 'What's
wrong with that?'"
Two nights ago, during a piece on how the authorities were cracking down
on prostitution in a Chicagoland neighborhood, the news showed some prostitutes
walking down the street. The arrogance they flaunt and the arguments for
acceptance of their sinful activity with which they attempt to convince
others, merely reveals the hard-heartedness of every human being. We all
eventually display the foolishness of our sin in one way or another, don't
we? If we think we've successfully hidden it from God or others, inside
we're making excuses to legitimize our doing it. And, if others see it
and mention it to us, we excuse it by trying to focus on others doing
it and exonerate ourselves. Bottom line, we all argue, "What's wrong
with THAT?!" at one point or another.
Father in heaven, it must grieve you greatly to see all of us prostituting
ourselves in one way or another for the sake of satisfying the lusts of
our flesh. Teach us to honestly and humbly face the sin within us, and
to hate it through confession. May we learn to love You more than we love
pleasing ourselves. Through Christ we pray, Amen.
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