Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
August 2003
August 11, 2003
Proverbs 11:3 reminds us that the integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Just two hours ago I was in a store where a nice lady was complaining
to the clerk that she was tired making so many calls to the company and
having them tell her that everything will be taken care of!, and it's
not.....yet....after 3 months. Her credit bill showed they charged her
$160 for something they said they'd cover. I knew I had a long wait when
she announced that I'm not leaving the store until this is taken care
of! Fortunately, there was an unusually gracious young man who soothed
her emotions and convinced her to leave things in his hands. Duplicity
and other forms of perverseness, including the refusal to do what is right,
produce undesirable consequences for anyone (Proverbs 21:7; 28:18). As
you and I hope in the living God and walk with Him, we can leave things
in His hands and expect integrity and uprightness to protect us (Psalm
25:21); He will never prompt us to walk in any other way.
Father of righteousness, teach us to fear duplicity. Prompt us to
walk in godly integrity and uprightness of heart, for Your name's sake!
Amen.
August 14, 2003
Proverbs 14:17 says that "a quick-tempered person does foolish things,
and a crafty person is hated."
A heart that angrily devises wicked schemes is detestable to the Lord
(Proverbs 6:18). He would much rather see our temper under His control
(Proverbs 16:32) and consequently be slow to anger (James 1:19). Why?
Is He trying to limit our freedom as some people would say? Is He expecting
too much of us? Of course not. He is intimately aware of the sinful human
nature and it's capability (Jeremiah 17:9), and is therefore trying to
help us recognize and, by His grace, deal with those things which He hates.
We reveal our anger through annoyance (Proverbs 12:6); through doing obviously
foolish things, like putting a foot through a door or smashing our fist
on the table (Proverbs 14:19); through stirring up dissension in conversations
(Proverbs 15:18); through committing many different kinds of sins, and
maybe even being ignorant or unwilling to believe we're sinning so much
(Proverbs 29:22; Ecclesiastes 7:9). He wants the truly righteous persons
(those born from above, with the life of Christ in them) to dislike, hate,
and turn away from all forms of anger (Ephesians 4:31) that we might truly
please Him.
Father of mercy, help us to recognize sins of anger and wrath in ourselves.
Teach us to hate what You hate. Train our stubborn wills in righteousness
for the sake of Your holy purposes in us. We pray this humbly in Jesus'
name. Amen.
August 16, 2003
Proverbs 16:33 says, The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision
is from the Lord. (One process of old: each individual would bring an
identifiable marker which would be placed in a container, which was shaken
until one of the markers came out.)
Can you imagine the elder board of a church saying to the church family,
"We will not be choosing our next pastor in the traditional way of
listening to some tapes of his more powerful messages, looking at his
education, reflecting on his summa-cum-laude life accomplishments, or
putting him through hours of interviews with each of the search, elder,
deacon, and finance committees. This time, we are going to draw straws
to determine which of the three candidates is the one the Lord has for
us." Some of us might withdraw ourselves in disgust from such a church.
But the focus of this scripture is not so much on the uncertainty or supposed
instability of the process but on the indisputable, sovereign authority
and ability of the Lord to carry out His will even in such an apparently
tenuous, flimsy way of decision-making. He used ungodly sailors to ferret
out Jonah (Jonah 1:7). After his suicide, Judas' place in the elite group
of Apostles was filled by Matthias through casting the lot, or 'drawing
straws' as we would say today (Acts 1:26). Bottom line: the 'Lord of the
lot' can be trusted!
Sovereign Lord, Your dominion is an eternal dominion; Your kingdom
endures from generation to generation. You do as You please with the power
of heaven and the peoples of the earth (Daniel 4:34,35). We love You.
Help us to confidently trust Your sovereign grace and direction in our
lives. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
August 18, 2003
Proverbs 18:8 reminds us that the words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Many years ago, Ruth and I remember our home church experiencing a split.
It was a sad time, for sure. But the one recurring scene I recall was
that of groups of three or four people sort of clandestinely (Psalm 64:2-4)
huddled together in corners of the church building or going off alone
into small Sunday School rooms. I later learned that they were all 'chatting'
about the things they disliked about the church and it's leadership. They
were plotting what course of action they would take. They were not talking
with the leadership itself; but with each other. Choice morsels of slander,
gossip, and innuendo entered minds and hearts of innocent people....and
then into their 'belly', so to speak, prompting them to leave the church
in a huff. Tongues, like sharpened razors, plotted destruction (Psalm
52:2). Publicly and privately, careless, reckless words were spoken (Proverbs
12:18). Friendships were violated (Proverbs 16:28). All of this in direct
defiance of the Lord and His Word (Leviticus 19:16 - Romans 16:17,18).
In the midst of such spiritual devastation, how grateful we were - and
still are - for Paul's words of comfort: the God of peace will soon crush
Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20).
Heavenly Father, we agree with You that "no man can tame the
tongue" (James 3:8).
Only You can. Please - in Jesus' name! - tame our tongues. We ask this
for the sake of friendships, marriages, churches, families....and most
of all, for Your sake! Amen.
August 21, 2003
Proverbs 21:3 says: to do what is right and just is more acceptable to
the Lord than sacrifice.
Ever had a situation where your child disobeyed you and to cover up their
guilt, they offered a sacrifice to you: they brought you a cold soda or
quickly tried to do something nice for you? As our children were reaching
teenage years, I recall needing to make an adjustment in how we carried
out discipline. During childhood, a parent tells the child what to do
and expects him/her to obediently do it; if not there are undesirable
consequences. Depending on the parents' submission to the Lord and His
Word; depending on the child's submission to the parent and the Holy Spirit,
this process eventually gets to the point where, when the child, now a
young person, asks if they can do something or not, and you simply say,
"We've given you a lot of teaching. I believe you'll do what is right!",
and you walk away, leaving the decision to them. And, what a joy it is
to watch your child just simply do what is right and just! This scripture
reminds us that if this scenario excites and delights us as humans.....how
much more delight and joy does it bring the heart of the Lord God!
Thank You, faithful Father, for teaching and training us to do what
is right and just in life. In these troubled times, grant us the courage
to continue making right choices and decisions for the glory of God. Amen.
August 23, 2003
Proverbs 23:10,11 says, "Do not move an ancient boundary stone or
encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case against you."
In both Exodus (22:22) and Deuteronomy (27:19) there are general warnings
to not take advantage of the poor and powerless, such as widows and orphans.
The Lord is quickly aroused to protect the oppressed and weak because
they are so often maligned and taken advantage of (Psalm 12:5). The extent
of His retribution, be it immediate or eventually in eternity, is something
to be feared, not laughed at (Proverbs 22:23). The Lord Almighty, our
Redeemer, works vigorously to defend those who cannot defend themselves
(think, for example, of abortion and euthanasia). He promises rest to
those who need rest; and it is not beyond Him to allot (eventual, eternal?)
unrest to those who have so capriciously oppressed others (Jeremiah 50:33,34).
Holy Defender of the weak and defenseless, teach us to fear You (Malachi
3:5). Forgive our lack of concern for those who cannot speak up
for themselves or defend themselves. May we never intentionally or inadvertently
oppress the alien, the fatherless, or the widow (Jeremiah 7:5-7). For
the sake of the gospel we pray. Amen.
August 25, 2003
Proverbs 25:11 reminds us that a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold
in settings of silver.
"She always seems to know exactly what to say! I love it!" "His
words are always so timely and appropriate!" (Proverbs 15:23) It's
such a blessing to be in the presence of righteous people who have spent
much quiet, reflective time in the presence of the Holy One. They've humbly
and carefully listened to instruction from the Holy Spirit and applied
it first to their own lives. Then, in seeking to sustain the weary and
needy around them, they faithfully and prudently pass on His wisdom (Isaiah
50:4,5), even those insights which may be difficult to communicate or
to be received (Ecclesiastes 12:10,11). Their words are tempered by grace
(Colossians 4:6). Their love for Christ, His Word, and His ways is what
drives them to be peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17,18). No wonder they
raise such a harvest of righteousness wherever they go! Be sure to thank
the Lord today for those wise, faithful servants of His whom the Lord
has brought into your life. And, remember that God's plan is for you to
become the same in someone else's life (II Timothy 2:2).
Father of wisdom, tame our tongues (James 3:8). Capture our hearts
with that which is holy and righteous (Colossians 3:1). And, make us faithful
in passing it on to others (II Timothy 2:2). For Jesus' sake, Amen.
August 27, 2003
Proverbs 27:9 says: perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the
pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.
Throughout my many years in ministry, I have learned to value the input
of those around me. To be surrounded by men and women who love Christ
and who want His will more than anything else, is invaluable. To listen
to their observations, advice, and counsel is like smelling the fragrance
of an expensive, exotic perfume. I just love to 'smell' such 'perfume'!
Just today, in our elder's meeting, I was so pleased with the men whom
the Lord has given the church as His elders. To listen to their honest
interaction and sense the earnestness of their hearts to seek unity in
the context of righteousness was wonderful! (Psalm 133:1,2 Psalm 45:7,8)
And, speaking of perfume, you and I are humbled and incredibly privileged
because "our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. To
those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But
to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume" (II Corinthians
2:15,16).
Precious Father in heaven, Your input into our lives through others
is such a gift! Help us to be more thankful for those friends from whose
wise counsel You wish for us to learn and grow. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
August 30, 2003
Proverbs 30:18,19 say: There are three things that are too amazing for
me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the
way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the
way of a man with a maiden.
The word used for 'amazing' means 'great', 'difficult/complex', 'wonderful',
'marvelous'. Ultimately, the beauty, complexity, and wonder of each of
these goes back to and is attributed to the living God, creator of heaven
and earth (Genesis 14:22). So, since mankind's proclivity is to worship
and serve created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25), to admit
at all the beauty and glory of these four things which point back to Him
is interesting indeed. Actually, these things, wisely used, can be a great
help as witnessing tools. We can ask probing questions and carefully direct
them back to our Creator and Savior. Where does the ability to be 'amazed',
to 'understand', or to discern and conclude the complexity of things come
from, for example? And, is it possible that these amazingly complex and
impressive things just 'happened' or is there some order to it all? And,
if there is order, Who is in charge? One of God's problems with Job was
that we humans tend to obscure His counsel without knowledge. Another
problem is our slowness to admit "surely I spoke of things I did
not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:2,3).
Wise and discerning Father, Creator of heaven and earth, through the
revelation of things in general around us, draw men, women, young people,
and children to faith in Yourself and in Your Son, Jesus, the Savior.
We truly stand in awe of You! Amen.
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