Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
January 2005
January 3, 2005
Psalm 103:2 is a good, gentle reminder at the beginning of a New Year:
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits..."
I can see a more mature child deserting his parent if that parent has
had a history of mistreatment. But, the Bible says that the Lord's own
carefully attended people deserted Him; they forgot the God Who had given
them birth (Deuteronomy 32:18). By His grace they lived on a 'high plane';
through His faithfulness they were well nourished and taken care of (verse
13). He had provided for them the finest creams, the smoothest oils, the
meatiest animals, the thickest grain, and the best wine (verse 14). But,
in such a time of 'ease' and 'plenty', they only became fat, heavy, plump,
stuffed...and unruly (verse 15). In other words, they forgot all His benefits.
That is an ever present danger for us as well in 2005. King Hezekiah's
heart became proud at one point. He failed to respond correctly to the
kindnesses of the Lord to Him. Therefore, the Bible says, the wrath of
God was upon Him, and on Judah, and on Jerusalem. (II Chronicles 32:25)
It was imperative that the King repent of His pride and arrogance, which
he ultimately did, and averted the wrath of God for a time.
Father in heaven, may we see how we too are so prone to forget all
Your benefits; may we too repent and, in this New Year, walk in humility
and in great gratitude for all Your benefits. Amen.
January 6, 2005
Psalm 106:6 would not be one of those popular verses of the day in which
we live: We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and
acted wickedly.
It has never been easy for one human to confess to another (OR to God!)
that we have done wrong; that we have 'missed' the point; that we are
forfeiting something very important by our stiff-necked attitude which
resists the Holy Spirit and the person against whom we may have sinned
(Acts 7:51-52); that we have been led astray by such resistance. We not
only "do wrong", but by such resistance, but also we "act
wickedly" or perversely: that is, we pervert the truth and make it
crooked (which envelopes the meanings behind the word 'wickedly'). Can
you imagine a prayer like Ezra's in today's world? "Oh my God, I
am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because
our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens"
(9:6). Or like Nehemiah's: "In all that has happened to us, you have
been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong" (9:33).
We 21st Century Christians must come to grips - soon! - with the realization
that our pride and arrogance, represented by stubbornness and rebellion,
keep us from humbling ourselves in confession and only lead us to further
disloyalty and infidelity to God (Psalm 78:8).
Holy Father, be merciful to me; forgive the awful pride which would
keep me and my fellow Christians from honoring You through humility and
honest confession of our sins! Amen.
January 10, 2005
Psalm 10:3 is the continuation, from previous verses, of a description
of the 'wicked', from God's point of view: he boasts of the cravings of
his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
Modern Christianity dare not treat with naivete the radical intentions
of the 'wicked'! Perhaps you heard the Bill O'Reilly report on Fox News
of the four Christians in Philadelphia who were preaching the gospel on
the sidewalk. They were surrounded and harassed by a vicious activist
group called "Pink Angels". The authorities were called and
charges of "hate crimes" have now been leveled against these
four Christians for: reading passages from the Bible which condemn homosexuality
as sin; charges of inciting a riot (preaching); and, charges of using
a deadly weapon (using a bullhorn with which to preach). These four face
up to 47 years in prison and $90,000 in fines. This is only the 'tip of
the iceberg' as they say. We are in the end times when such resistance
against the teachings of the Word of God, the gospel, and those who preach
it, will only increase.
Make no mistake: the wicked 'blesses' all the wrong things. Arrogance
and inflated ideas of his own importance characterize his mind and heart.
He scoffs at righteousness and speaks with malice against God, His people,
and His ways. And, he constantly threatens oppression against those who
dare to walk with God and promote righteousness (Psalm 73:8-9); he pours
out arrogant words (Psalm 94:4) against the Lord and His people. For this
reason, Paul admonishes us to "be very careful, then, how you live
- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because
the days are evil". (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Father in heaven, prepare us to face the increasing hostility of the
God-haters of end times. For Jesus' sake, and for the sake of the gospel,
I pray. Amen.
January 13, 2005
Psalm 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will
you hide your face from me?
When the Lord turns His face away from us or withdraws His gracious touch
from us for a period of time, it is to ultimately strengthen our faith
and our confidence in His almighty power and sovereign wisdom. Of course,
for us that time seems interminable! 'Death' may be at work in us while
other Christians around us are experiencing prosperity and great happiness
(II Corinthians 4:10-12). The task of 'not losing heart' during that time
of seeming 'darkness', is difficult at best. Why? Because it seems like
we're wasting away, we're dying, as it were (II Corinthians 4:16). And,
to add to the darkness of it all, "the wicked are allowed to gloat"
in arrogance over our us, boasting of their seeming 'victory' as we appear
so utterly 'helpless' (Psalm 94:3-4). We are seen as "fools for Christ":
weak, scraggly looking, brutally treated, cursed, persecuted, and considered
the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world (I Corinthians 4:10-13).
But, with an uncanny sense of timing, "the morning" will come
when the darkness will be dispelled; when the sense of loneliness will
be swallowed up in the glory of His presence; when the overwhelming purposes
of His will for us will (may) be revealed. He will satisfy us once again
with His unfailing love and with an overwhelming sense of His presence.
Once again, we will sing for joy and be glad that we're alive to fulfill
His purposes on earth (Psalm 90:14-15)!
Gracious Father, in the seeming darkness of the 'night' help us to
trust You implicitly (Psalm 119:55). Grant us the ability to arise at
midnight to give You thanks (Psalm 119:62); to accept in our hearts the
many days You may have hidden Your face from us, so that a deeper sense
of obedience to You, Your Word, and Your holy purposes might grip our
hearts (Psalm 119:67,71). It is truly for Jesus' sake I pray. Amen.
January 16, 2005
Psalm 116:12 says: How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?
Romans 1:21 reminds us that by nature, we humans are not thankful; we
do not naturally say "Wow! Thanks". It is a grace that is taught
us by well-meaning parents or others who are interested in forming us
into 'better' social beings. With so many lacking that needful instruction,
we live in the midst of millions of ingrates! We are surrounded by those
who somehow feel that they 'deserve' whatever good can come their way
and they are under no obligation to either recognize that goodness or
to give thanks for it.
NOT SO THE CHILD OF GOD! From the beginning stages of our spiritual growth
after our new birth, we are taught and then reminded of all the 'benefits'
that are ours through the sacrifice of God's precious Son, Jesus, on our
behalf. And, we are counselled: "don't forget all his benefits..."
(Psalm 103:2). When the truly born again child of God understands that
in mercy, God has not given us what we deserve (Romans 12:1); that instead,
in an unbelievable expression of His grace, He has given us everything
we don't deserve (Ephesians 2:8-9), the natural outflow of thanksgiving
is such that we cry out: How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness
to me? In fact, so powerful - and compelling! - are His outpourings of
love, mercy, and grace, that every true child of God joyfully concludes:
I can no longer, in good conscience, selfishly live for myself! With my
whole being, I must live for and humbly serve Him Who died for me (II
Corinthians 5:14).
Father in heaven, forgive our general lack of gratitude, and our propensity
toward lack of regard for You for the many wonderful benefits You have
graciously and abundantly poured out on us. Grant us truly grateful hearts,
for Jesus' sake. Amen.
January 19, 2005
Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul."
I just read one man's comments about Microsoft's new AntiSpyware (free
download, by the way!). "AntiSpyware looks for spy-botish activity
in your PC and thus it can flag any code in your PC's memory that merely
acts suspiciously." In comments about possible future costs for this
fine service, the writer says, "Microsoft must, absolutely must,
keep AntiSpyware free. First, because there's something openly creepy
about a company selling one product that causes a huge problem (namely,
Windows, which offers slightly better defense from attack than a note
from your mom) and then also being in the business of selling a second
product to fix it."
I'm smiling big time! Aren't you glad that for the struggling Christian
there is a 'perfect' solution which doesn't need one backup after another
to correct what the previous 'help' might not have addressed? By glorious,
divine design, the Word of God is so wonderfully rounded ('perfect', that
is) that it "revives the soul", it "gives joy to the heart"
and "gives light to the eyes". For the child of God who submits
to that Word and finds all his/her help therein, the Word of God not only
gives flawless warnings regarding the dangers of life; it also gives help
in time of need, and deliverance from those dangers. What incredible 'rewards'
(See Psalm 19:11)! The laws of the Lord are sure; they're rock-solid.
They are altogether righteous; that is, they are totally flawless, never
needing urgent 'updates' to cover the discovered 'oops!' in the system.
Father in heaven, today, and every day, may we Christians be men and
women and young people of Your Word; grateful recipients and users of
this unbelievably perfect Source of help! Amen.
January 21, 2005
Psalm 21:1 is a song we all could sing every day: "O Lord, the king
rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!"
Obviously, this is not your typical king, cherishing inflated ideas of
his own importance; acting as though the world revolves around him; accepting
Another's credit for fame and greatness. The 'wise' king is wise, if we
can say it that way, because from childhood (Psalm 71:17) he 'listened'
as he was taught, learning directly from God Himself. There is a long
history of "Wow!" and "This is incredible!" and "Thank
You for teaching me this awesome truth!" coming from David. And,
by the time he himself is king, he has already seen that there are those
who trust in chariots and horses and 'stuff' like that; but, by experience,
he knows the supreme value of trusting in the name of the Lord our God
(Psalm 20:7-8). So, of course, when the topic of strength or subject of
victories comes up, he's going to identify, clearly focus on, and rejoice
in the (only) One Who deserves all the credit! The wise king doesn't waste
time on self-focus; he rejoices in GOD (Psalm 63:11). He is anxious to
dispense GOD'S righteousness and justice (Psalm 72:1-2), never his own!
He is quick to let others know that all he is or ever will be, depends
on GOD (Psalm 62:7)!
Glorious and patient Father, forgive our dullness of hearing (Luke
24:25); forgive our proneness to accept glory; forgive our failure to
detect and hate our sin (Psalm 36:1,2) of self-flattery and pride. Teach
us to recognize that every victory comes from You and that our rejoicing
should never be in ourselves, but in You alone. Amen.
January 24, 2005
In Psalm 124:1, David makes a statement that he repeats in verse 2: "If
the Lord had not been on our side...".
The Spirit-taught child of God will be careful not to succumb to the idea
that "if the Lord is on our side we'll never have problems which
might endanger or end our lives". In this very chapter, we see an
enemy who was attacking. That enemy's anger was flaring up against David,
threatening to "swallow us alive". He refers to the enemy's
animosities as "the flood", "the torrent", and "raging
waters", all of which were threatening to sweep them away.
Martyred missionaries and murdered soldiers of the cross of the past might
be tempted to conclude that this generation of ease-seeking, suffering-avoiding
Christians does not truly know the God for Whom they lived and died. And,
because of the atrocities perpetrated against so many of God's children
throughout the centuries, modern Christians would wonder, "What did
they do to deserve such an ending to life?!" To such, we repeat Jesus'
own words: "Not my will but Your's be done!" He knew the bottom
line of which Paul so confidently wrote: "If God is for us, who can
be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
It is not our temporary comfort in this life that is so important; it
is, rather, the fulfillment of God's will. So, it behooves us to firmly
grasp this truth: "We are more than conquerors through him who loved
us", and ask God for the grace to not doubt in the dark times what
we know to be true in the light; because we know the story's ending!
Victorious Father, reveal to us and teach us the oft unsought, seemingly
undesirable truths related to You being "on our side" that we
might be prepared to walk with You and live for You, come what may. Amen.
January 27, 2005
Psalm 27:13 sounds better - to me - in the KJV: I would have fainted unless
I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
My personal translation goes something like this: "What on earth
would I have done if I had not believed that I really was going to see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living?!" When going
through difficult times, even the most stalwart of Christians might tend
to faint, to be downcast and disturbed (Psalm 42:5), to be afraid (Psalm
56:3), or to lose heart (II Corinthians 4:1). What holds us together at
times like that is a simple, very basic, yet very profound and sometimes
complex faith which says, "When the smoke clears, when the waters
subside, when the noise dies down, I firmly believe that the Lord will
still be on His throne; I'll still be His child; He'll still be my Father;
and, by golly!, His purposes for me will have been advanced whether I
'see' it or not!"
For the child of God, dying is part of living, if I can say it that way.
Paul says "we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who
are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that
his life may be revealed in our mortal body" (II Corinthians 4:10-11)
So, we may be hard pressed on every side, but we're not crushed; we may
be perplexed but not in hopeless despair; we may be persecuted, but we'll
not be abandoned; we may be struck down, but no way will we be 'destroyed'
(II Corinthians 4:8-9). How can we say that? Because in faith, we fix
our eyes and our faith on Him Who is eternal. Our confidence is steadfast:
I truly believe I will (always) see the goodness of the Lord in the land
of the living, be that in life here on earth or in eternal life in heaven
in His presence!
Thank You, holy Father, that you have delivered me from death and
my feet from stumbling so that I might walk before You in the light of
life! (Psalm 56:13) Amen.
January 28, 2005
Psalm 128:6 is a powerful challenge to every authentic Christian family:
...may you live to see your children's children.
Just yesterday, I read the following jokes: "Having had it with Adam
and Eve, God's punishment was that they should have children of their
own!" "Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own
children!" And, finally this one: "We childproofed our homes,
but they're still getting in!"
When raising their own children, few families give careful thought to
the next generation - their grandchildren - which, by God's grace, will
be born from their children's marriages. We hear our growing kids' objectionable
words; we observe their sometimes questionable actions and witness the
angry expressions and body language of their attitudes and say, "I'll
sure be glad when they grow out of this!" The problem is that they
may seem to 'grow out of it' when they get into mature 'youthdom' and
adulthood; but unless their words, actions, and expressed attitudes have
been brought into alignment with and under the control of biblical principles
by godly parents, you can count on seeing it all over again; if not before,
for sure in their own little, born sinners children.
Wise Solomon counsels Christian parents: "Do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many
years..." (Proverbs 3:2). He also has a thought provoking word for
those who one day will become grandparents: "A good man leaves an
inheritance (apply 'spiritual' here!) for his children's children..."
(Proverbs 13:22). So, please do things God's way now! And, may you live
to see your children's children.
Thank You, Father for Your words through Jeremiah: "I will be
their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action so that they
will always fear me for their own good and for the good of their children's
after them." Amen.
January 30, 2005
Psalm 30:1,3 "I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of
the depths... O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me
from going down into the pit."
For years I've been personally troubled by the seeming lack of understanding
of the mercy and grace of God by those who claim to be His children. Why
do there seem to be so many 'Christians' who deal with the issue of sin
so lightly, so almost as though "its-really-not-a-big-issue-what's-your-problem-pal"
kind of attitude? Somewhere in the history of sharing the Gospel, the
message must have 'taken a turn' in the road. It must be so, because there
are so many 'Christians' whose conclusion regarding salvation is that
they were "not really all that bad" before becoming a Christian.
They "came to Jesus", or they "walked the aisle",
or they "gave their heart to Jesus", or they "hooked up
with the Man upstairs", or they fulfilled some other cliche popularized
by well-meaning evangelists and preachers. BUT they did not understand
that God was bringing them "out of the depths" of hell-deserving
sin! They were not really that bad of a 'sinner' themselves! After all,
they had not been on drugs or killed anyone or done some of the other
"horrible sins which deserve severe judgment". Many saw themselves
as 'better', if we can say it that way, because, as they were eventually
counseled, too bad an opinion of yourself would result in low self-esteem.
They failed to be taught that their nature is utterly sinful; that any
form of disobedience and rebellion was sufficient sin to merit severe
judgment; their sin of evil thoughts and snarly attitudes were sins enough
to condemn them to eternal separation from God. They came away from their
'salvation experience' with a deficient understanding of the gospel; a
deficiency that is producing entire generations of 'Christians' whose
'faith' is more in themselves rather than it is in God, Who pours out
torrents of mercy on totally undeserving sinners.
We need to get back to the "there is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned
away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good,
not even one" gospel of grace (Romans 3:10ff). Then, perhaps we'll
see a quality of Christianity and church life which is more in line with
the biblical pattern.
Father, deliver us from a shallow understanding and application of
the gospel. For the sake of the dying world around us, I pray. Amen.
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