Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
April 2004
April 1, 2004
Psalm 31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to
shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
The thing that impressed me as I read this was David's decisiveness. He
didn't say, I'm giving thought as to whom I am going to trust. Nor did
he say, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to trust in You; I just need to
weigh all my options carefully. Nor did he say, Tomorrow I will trust
in You. Rather, in You, O Lord, I have taken refuge.
Taking refuge in the Lord was no new thing to him. His 'family' had been
doing this for a long time already (Psalm 22:4) So, David has already
placed his trust in and taken his refuge in the Lord. From experience,
he knows that to trust in Him, he won't be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23)...ever
(Romans 5:5)! Those who put their trust in the Eternal God will never
be put to shame (Romans 10:11).
We have so much to learn about trusting You, Dear Father. We are so
prone to run first to counselors, judges, close friends, and so many others.
No wonder we're not sooner delivered. No wonder we often experience the
shame of defeat. Forgive our lack of trust; teach us to always find our
refuge in You. Amen.
April 3, 2004
Psalm 33:11 is a great reminder: The plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
The idea behind 'stand firm' here means to take a stand; no moving; holding
one's ground. I would guess that the Lord is (this is only from a human
point of view, of course) sorely tried when we pray in such a way as to
remove the pain of our lives, suspend the trauma of any form of tragedy,
or desist from testing our faith through trials; in other words, to just
make our lives more 'livable' for us. It is more than difficult for us
humans to submit to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity
with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11), even the death of His own
Son (Acts 4:27,28). But, when we finally do accept that His purpose will
prevail (Proverbs 19:21), that no one can thwart Him (Isaiah 14:27), and
that He does everything He pleases (Isaiah 46:10) for good and holy purposes,
there can be no better place of rest for the authentic child of God. We
must learn to spiritually relax in the experiences of our lives and let
Him show His greatness and His holiness as well as to make Himself known
in the sight of many nations (Ezekiel 38:23)
Holy Father, the purposes of Your heart will stand regardless of our
earth-tethered resistance. Teach us, train us to (more quickly) approve
what Your will is in our lives - Your good, pleasing and perfect will
(Romans 12:2). Amen.
April 5, 2004
Psalm 5:3 is a beautiful verse: In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
The phrase 'in the morning' is used of the end of night, the coming of
daylight, or the coming of sunrise. The idea, of course, is the bright
joy that comes after a night of distress, as well as the goal of learning
righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).
Have you discovered, as I have, that the Lord's 'nights' are often NOT
nights of 24 hours? They may represent several days, weeks, months, or
for some, even years. Nonetheless, in our distress, even in our great
need, we continue to pour out our hearts to Him before dawn (Psalm 119:147),
and in the morning, at noon, and in the evening hours (Psalm 55:17). We
do so with expectant hearts, keeping watch, watching closely, waiting
for His gracious response 'in the morning'.
O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You,
my body longs for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water
(Psalm 63:1). In our frequent frustration, let us not fail to hear Your
voice; grant us the grace to wait expectantly for Your faithful response.
For Jesus' sake, Amen.
April 7, 2004
Psalm 7:9 O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an
end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.
When a student is doing research, the Professor says, Dig deep! I want
as much information as you can find! Of course, God, Who is all-knowing,
is not a student in search of information He doesn't already know. He
is actually scrutinizing and examining hearts and minds. Why? To strengthen
those whose hearts are fully committed to him (II Chronicles 16:9); and,
of course, to make the righteous secure.
Just what is He looking for? Internal qualities which reflect a knowledge
of God (I Samuel 16:7). Healthy heart motives (I Chronicles 28:9). A clean,
wholesome mouth (Psalm 17:3). An idolatry free life (Psalm 44:20, 21).
Wholehearted commitment to Him (Jeremiah 11:20). Daily conduct, in general
(Jeremiah 17:10).
Righteous Father, bring to an end any hostility toward You that may
be in my heart, so that I might rather please You through righteous living
and experience the security You intended I have. In Jesus' name, Amen.
April 9, 2004
Psalm 39:1 I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from
sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence."
Solomon once said (Proverbs 10:19): When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise. I presume that we all, from time
to time, become wordy and 'talk too much'. We feel we're in 'safe' company,
and we sort of let down our guard. We may flatter others or boast of some
personal accomplishment (Psalm 12:3). We may mistakenly assume that we
are masters of our own tongues and that in the various battles or circumstances
of life, we procure our own 'victory' by careful manipulation and use
of words (Psalm 12:4). Enter the muzzle guard!
We must always keep a tight rein on our tongues (James 1:26); we must
constantly be on guard so as to keep the whole course of our lives from
suffering calamitous circumstances resulting from unwise use of that small
part of the body which is also called "a world of evil" (James
3:5,6).
Wise Father, set a guard over my mouth; keep watch over the door of
my lips (Psalm 141:3). For Your sake as well as for the sake of my family,
my church, my self, and the world around me, I pray. Amen.
April 12, 2004
Psalm 12:1 reveals a cry I believe is heard in every generation: Help,
Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among
men. The 'godly' refer to 'proper' people, the righteous remnant left
in the world, intended by God to represent Him in dark times. Their partners
- the 'faithful' - are those righteous supportive persons, the holders/pillars
of the door (of righteousness, so to speak).
Jesus Himself warned that one sign of the end times would be the love
of most will grow cold because of the increase of wickedness (Matthew
24:12). Campbell Morgan said: The failure of godly men and faithful souls
is always the gravest peril which can threaten a nation or an age.
This spirit is poignantly described as early as Genesis 6: the motives
of the human heart being only evil all the time. Today, seemingly the
voices of so many generations once known to promote justice and righteousness
are now silent. From God's point of view, it must sometimes seem difficult
to find even one person (Jeremiah 5:1) who still stands for Him, who has
not been swept away (Micah 7:2), who will faithfully support the way of
righteousness (Isaiah 63:5) for the glory of God.
Thank You, glorious Father, that you have left a righteous remnant
on earth, of which we are a part. Keep us from the 'coldness' of which
Jesus spoke. May we live and so walk in truth, light, and spiritual victory
that many others might come to saving faith in Christ while there is still
time. Amen.
April 14, 2004
Psalm 114:7 says: Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the
presence of the God of Jacob.....
Hey! Look! It's God! C'mon, let's go get his autograph! And, maybe he'll
change these yucky potato chips into something I like better!
Last night I was reading and watching the news at the same time. The news
ended and the David Letterman show came on. In his opening comments, he
referred to Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion, and said that there was Heinz
Ketchup on the table when they were partaking of 'the Lord's Supper'.
There was great, raucous laughter.
As seen in today's and many other verses (e.g. Job 9:6; 26:11 Psalm 77:18;
97:4, 5; 104:32), the earth handles the glory and presence of the Lord
more appropriately than we do! To tremble and writhe in pain, full of
travail and anguish would be acceptable demeanor for His created beings.
How unfortunate that we treat Him so differently - yet how fulfilling
of what the scripture says about us: although they knew God, they neither
glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became
futile and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:21).
Glorious Father, open our eyes that we might see You in all Your glory...and
tremble in Your presence as we should! In Jesus' name, Amen.
April 16, 2004
Psalm 16:7 says: I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night
my heart instructs me.
Built into the phrase "who counsels me" is the idea that the
Lord meets with us (if we're willing to take the time) and gives us guidance
(if we're willing to take advice). In eternity past, He devised a plan
for us; but in the moment of His counseling with us, we think it's being
made up right then. It's for sure a plan that cannot be improved upon
(if we're willing to submit to something that doesn't have our 'seal of
approval' on it). And, the end results of His plan for us is a purpose
far beyond what we're capable of imagining (if, for Him and His purpose
for our lives, we're willing to set aside our own agenda and plan).
And, guess what....when things seem 'darkest' (think: night) and we're
ready to check out, He is there to probe, examine, and test our hearts
to determine the level of our spiritual resolve (Psalm 17:3). So, in those
'night' hours of life, may we be found accepting His counsel and trusting
in Him!
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Amen (Psalm 63:1)
April 18, 2004
Psalm 18:29 is a wonderful reminder to the weak and weary (as well as
the strong and healthy) child of God: With your help I can advance against
a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
Christ disarmed the evil rulers and authorities, shaming them publicly
by His victory over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15). So, the wise
child of God will quickly recognize that, whether weak or strong, the
key for 'victory' in any battle is the Lord God, not ourselves or what
we can or cannot do. 'With His help' is a confession of sorts. It's an
admission of our own human weakness and inability. It's a humble acknowledgment
that His power is made perfect in (my) weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).
So, I do not put my trust in bow or sword or eloquence or superior wisdom
(so terribly detrimental in times of spiritual warfare!) lest the cross
of Christ be emptied of its power (I Corinthians 1:17; 2:1).
Father, we echo the words of your people, Israel, as they reviewed
the faith of their fathers: it was not by their sword that they won the
land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your
arm, and the light of your face.... for you loved them. (Psalm 44:3) Teach
us to distrust our own perceived abilities and strengths, but to trust
in the Lord with all our hearts! Amen.
April 20, 2004
What powerful encouragement we find in Psalm 20:1 May the Lord answer
you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect
you.
Those who know anything at all about the name of the Lord, will trust
in Him because He has never forsaken those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10).
The Lord is the strong tower to which we run and find safety (Proverbs
18:10) when there is adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, or trouble.
The idea behind His protection here is that He places us too high for
capture; beyond the reach of that which would grip our soul and do us
harm. My problem is not what I believe about the Lord or His name. It's
that, in the dark times, when there is no light, I get terribly impatient.
I tend to light my own torch and walk in that light; my proclivity is
to provide myself and my 'problem' with personal enlightenment or with
other means which I choose to get me out of or to avoid the pain of the
difficulty I'm going through. This cannot bode well for me, frankly (Isaiah
50:10, 11). Could this be one reason why Peter said, after you have suffered
a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory
in Christ, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.? (I Peter 5:10, 11)
Father of grace and eternal purposes, our spiritual vision is so unbelievably
limited. Open our eyes, please. Let us fully understand the exalted place
of our protection and defense in You. Keep us from concocting our own
solutions, which always lead to further distress and torment of one sort
or another. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
April 22, 2004
Psalm 38:8 says: I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of
heart.
Yesterday, I spent significant time in the ICU at a local hospital. A
neighbor of our daughter and family, with whom I had just a few days ago
spoken and shoveled some sand as we set up a sand box for our grandchildren,
had suffered an aneurysm on the job. He was now basically brain dead,
and some 20 or so family members were filing in and out of the room, saying
their final farewells before life support was removed. The cries and groans
of anguish were hard to take; but I stood by the door, like a soldier,
praying for each one as they entered and left what had become a tomb for
the living. By God's grace, there were opportunities to speak and pray
several times with total strangers, most of who, I am guessing, are headed
toward a Christ-less eternity.
How many spiritually feeble and utterly crushed people are we around on
a daily basis, whose groans of anguish are expressed in one way or another
as they seek to live life 'on their own', a life never intended by their
Creator to be so lived? May we be faithful to speak of eternal things
with them. May we never feel that the arm of the Lord is too short to
save, nor his ear too dull to hear (Isaiah 59:1).
Precious Father, make me more sensitive in heart to those around me
who are so blinded they will not see their real need of the Savior. May
today be the day of salvation for someone whom You bring into our lives,
planned or unplanned. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
April 26, 2004
In one of David's conversations with the Lord (Psalm 26:8), he said to
the Lord: I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your
glory dwells.
With all the 'culture wars' going on in the world and some of those 'wars'
spilling over into the church; with a growing, almost overwhelming emphasis
on numbers, seeker-sensitivity, professionalism, comfort, coffee, and
food courts within the church, it has become more difficult to identify,
in the mixed crowd, those who may be there for the right reason (honestly:
this is an observation, NOT a judgment). For example, when was the last
time you heard someone say, Hey! Let's go to church again! (Psalm 122:1).
You know what? I'd rather spend 1 day at church with fellow Christians
than 1000 days elsewhere! (Psalm 84:10). Man! I can't wait til next Sunday
comes around, to be with the Lord's people and to worship Him with them!
(Psalm 84:1, 2) Boy I remember when we were part of a vast group of people
who loved Jesus so much, we couldn't get enough of Him or of each other!
(Psalm 42:4) Lord, I wish we could just be together with other Christians....and
YOU all the time! (Psalm 27:4-6).
Lord, I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your
glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you
(Psalm 63:2). Amen.
April 30, 2004
Psalm 30:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your
name lead and guide me.
I like Mike! I want to be like Mike! was a passing fad, wasn't it? So
have been all the other 'Mikes' of the world as well. After Jordan's extramarital
escapades, and some of the other questionable ownership, coaching, and
playing decisions he made after leaving Chicago, it wasn't long before
even the most diehard fans were 'dissing' his name and looking for someone
else upon whom to pour their praise.
Not so with the living God! A Rock and a Fortress, His name has outlived
a gazillion others' names which, through the centuries, have been in papers,
TV commercials, self-named magazines, and other forms of personal and
self promotion. We praise and exalt Him, Who, for the sake of His name
brought our deliverance, granted us forgiveness of our sins which are
so great, and Who continues to guide us in paths of righteousness (Psalm
23:3; 25: 11; 79:9), that we might be for the praise of His glory (Ephesians
1:12). No wonder we sing: His name is wonderful!
Gracious Father, we are Your children. If, by Your grace, You don't
strengthen us to live as children of the light, Your sweet name will be
(even more) vilified by the ungodly (Joshua 7:9). So, for the sake of
Your name, lead us, guide us, and cause us to shine as bright lights in
this sin-darkened world til Jesus comes. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
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