Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
May 2005
May 2, 2005
Psalm 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living
God. When can I go and meet with God?"
Back in March of 1964, Ruth and I had arrived in the Republic of Panama
to serve the Lord as missionaries. The following year, we moved to the
jungles of what is known as the "Darien Gap" where the Choco
(Embera) Indians were scattered up and down many river systems. In the
extremely hot weather, there were times when I verbally said, "I'd
love to have a cold Pepsi Cola!" At some of the frontier outposts,
you could purchase a warm bottle of soda, which, for obvious reasons,
was unable to satisfy the thirst I had cultivated for cold beverages!
One day, as the Holy Spirit was, once again, revealing some gaping holes
in my spiritual life, He led me to Psalm 42:1-2. As I read and reread
these verses under the late night and very early morning, flickering light
of a kerosene lantern, my heart was broken with the utter carnality which
had so come to possess me! I had to confess to the Lord: "Gracious
God, be merciful to me! I have come to hunger more for a big, thick, juicy
steak than I have for You! I long more for a cold bottle of Pepsi Cola
than I long for You and Your Word. Please change my heart! Please turn
that around, so that I may pant for You and Your Word instead!"
He responded in great mercy! I began to read and meditate on the Word
of God in such a way that I couldn't get up early enough to satisfy my
panting soul. Forty years later, with a memory that has been affected
by the normal aging process and past heart problems, this deer still pants
after Him. This soul still thirsts for Him. This body still longs for
Him as though it were a dry, parched land facing immediate extinction
if not quickly met with the life-giving water of His presence and His
Word! (Psalm 63:1)
Faithful Father, Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for
you (Isaiah 26:8-9). Glorify Your name in all the earth... and in this
very thirsty soul! Amen.
May 4, 2005
Psalm 4:6-8 "Many are asking, 'Who can show us any good?' Let the
light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with
greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down
and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
I have a pastor friend who is in transition at this time. He and his wife
love the Lord and have faithfully ministered to His people. Feeling the
need to move on, probably due to circumstances usually only those in the
pastorate can fully understand, it would be easy to entertain the question,
"Have we done any good here? Are we leaving a legacy, so to speak;
something that the Lord will always be able to point to - wherever we
are - and say, 'You were a faithful servant there, humbly ministering
to my people in the power of my name; so, I have tailor another place
where you will continue to exercise the gift of shepherding which I have
placed deep within your heart. Be strong and courageous, because you will
lead other people to inherit the blessings of the gospel which I have
promised to others in another place of my choosing. Only be strong and
very courageous (Joshua 1:6).'"
With all the pressures, temptations, and difficulties of the pastorate,
there always resides the sense of profound, undeserved privilege within
the heart of the shepherd. There is an abiding joy within the heart that
far surpasses the joy of the harvest of new grain or the deep red color
of new wine as it sparkles in the cup. There is a sweet, lasting peace
which allows sleep in spite of the uncertainty of future, location, or
income.
So, Father, let the glorious light of Your face continue to shine
upon my friend and his wife. May the indescribable light of the gospel
shine in others' hearts as they faithfully - and obediently - follow you,
wherever that may be. Fill them with confidence to believe that they will
indeed continue to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
(Psalm 27:13-14). For Jesus' sake, Amen.
May 9, 2005
The latter part of Psalm 109:4 makes a wonderful declaration that should
challenge every Christian, especially us men of God. David mentions the
presence of wicked and deceitful men who have been spreading lies about
him. Their words reveal the deep hatred they nurse against him as they
relentlessly attack him without cause. In return for authentic friendship
which he has freely offered to them, they have betrayed him and verbally
attack him without cause. In such a context filled with emotional intensity
and verbal violence, notice what David says: "But I am a man of prayer."
Evil may have found safe lodging within the heart of the enemy (Psalm
55:15-17); and, he may find uncontrolled pleasure in spewing out that
hatred on God's man. But the man of God finds safer lodging and comfort
in the harbor of prayer. The malice of mockers may tempt the man of God
to respond in like manner, pulling him into the same muck and mire in
which they revel and find such delight, but the man of God remains steadfast
in his resolve. He will not respond in kind. His heart is settled: "I
pray to you, O Lord" (Psalm 69:12-13).
Jesus Himself was "a man of prayer", sometimes spending "the
night praying to God" (Luke 6:12).
When the demands of God-hating people extended to God-believing people,
Daniel resorted to the practice of prayer. He went home to his upstairs
room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got
down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to God (an interesting attitude
in which to begin handling a serious problem, isn't it?) and asking God
for help (Daniel 6:10). He was "a man of prayer". And, the challenge
which the Apostle Paul gives centuries later in I Thessalonians 5:16,
carries the same spirit: "be joyful always; pray continually; give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus."
Father of mercy and grace, in the raging fires of the crucible of
life, grant that more men of prayer might be molded and formed for the
glory of God and the strengthening of the Church. Amen.
May 11, 2005
Psalm 112:4 reminds us that "Even in darkness light dawns for the
upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man."
One time I entered a repair shop to check out the cost of a repair. When
the man told me the cost, which seemed unreasonably high, I flew off the
handle and talked about calling the Better Business Bureau and all that
good stuff that an ordained minister is capable of doing. As I walked
out the store, the Holy Spirit prompted me to return and acknowledge my
wrong, "as a Christian", to the poor, unfairly accosted man.
I finally did so, and he took good advantage of my "crow eating",
and fully agreed with me as to how bad what I did really was.
I had created the 'darkness' of the situation by my own foolish anger
and arrogance. I mean, "he who DOES what is right is righteous; he
who does what is sinful is of the devil... this is how we KNOW who the
children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who
does NOT DO what is right is NOT a child of God" (I John 3:7, 10).
In the midst of the 'darkness', the Holy Spirit shone the light of truth
into my sinful, momentarily darkened heart. I had been neither gracious
nor compassionate; nor had I reflected in any way that I was a blood-bought,
saved-by-the-grace-of-God, truly born again 'righteous' man. Unfortunately,
through my carnal actions and attitude, that man had been given no evidence
of the grace of God in my life (Acts 11:23). But, though it should never
have happened in the first place, by God's grace and faithfulness, as
I returned and humbled myself before this man of the world, he would be
given opportunity to 'see' the glory of the One and Only, who came from
the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Believe me, after such
a spiritual 'licking' in my life, it has not happened again... by God's
grace!
Father, glorious Sun and Shield, thank You that Your grace teaches
us to say 'NO' to ungodliness and worldly passions; and, that Your grace
also teaches us to live self-controlled, upright, godly, gracious, and
compassionate lives (Titus 2:11). May Your 'righteous ones' live like
that today, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
May 13, 2005
Psalm 63:7 prompts fascinating thoughts: "Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings."
Thinking of the proneness of my heart apart from Christ in me, it would
be 'natural' to say, "Lord, I don't want to be standing in the wings,
sitting in the wings, or singing in the wings! Actually I don't want to
be in anybody's shadow nor do I want to be in the shadow of anybody's
wings, period! I want to be the focus at some point. I want people to
see me and be able to say, 'By golly, people like him! He's a neat guy!
I didn't realize he had so much talent and ability!' But, being in the
shadow of someone else would always mean that I'm second fiddle, second
seat, second whatever! How about a little break, here. How about at least
a small bone of first chair exposure for this big, praiseworthy pup?!"
Paul was right: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is
not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the
Lord commends" (II Corinthians 10:17-18). And, in the divine economy,
that commendation should not come until or unless the child of God, regardless
of how apt, brilliant, credible, or delightful he/she is, is willing to
stand, sit, walk, or sing in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty and
let Him receive the full brunt of the attention, glory, and praise! After
all, it is because He is our help in the first place that we have any
authentic strength or ability at all!
Father, Who alone is worthy of all attention and praise, grant me
the longing to dwell in Your tent forever and to always be willing (Philippians
2:13) to take refuge in the shelter of Your wings (Psalm 61:4). This I
pray so that You might work in me what is pleasing to You and that I might
be equipped to always do Your will (Hebrews 13:21). Amen.
May 16, 2005
Psalm 116:16 says: "O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant,
the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains."
We've all heard of foxhole prayers. Perhaps even some of us have prayed
them at one time or another during our lifetime. One certainly understands
the psychology and the motivation behind such serious 'prayers' when the
scenario is a foxhole with mortar and other smaller, deadlier shells flying
indiscriminately overhead and all around. Lord, get me out of this, and
I mean it: You've got me for the rest of my life. Seriously; I'm not trying
to fake You out... this time! You realize, of course, that after the last
time I made it out OK, there were too many other constraints on my time,
my life, and my money to fulfill my foxhole vow. I thought for sure if
anyone would understand that kind of predicament, it would be You! So,
hear me out on this one: this time, it's different. Free me from the chains
of this unfortunate situation in my life, and I'll serve You for ever!
OK? Now, please... do Your thing immediately, if not sooner!
Now it's not that there haven't been similar prayers in the Bible which
were answered by God in His mercy (see II Chronicles 33:10-13). It's just
that if our motivation to pray and our seeming availability to serve God
is always due to imminent danger or to potentially harmful circumstances
from which we need to be delivered, and seldom due to our understanding
of grace, redemption, and forgiveness, something is dramatically wrong
in our spiritual life!
How glorious is the more predominant biblical motivation to serve the
living God: You have freed me from my chains! There was no reason for
You to do such a thing, since, by nature I am sold into sin (Romans 7:14)
and I know full well that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful
nature (Romans 7:18). So, Lord, based solely on Your great mercy and unlimited
grace poured out on me, I humbly offer myself to You as Your servant.
Thank You, Father, for freeing us from the chains of sin and guilt.
Whoever is wise, let him consider the great love of the Lord and serve
Him with all his/her heart! (Psalm 107:43) Amen.
May 19, 2005
Psalm 89:6-7 "Who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who
is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy
ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him."
Those who know me well know that I LOVE anything up in the sky. From our
missionary days in the Republic of Panama, our pilots and others will
recall the sheer pleasure I had flying in the sweet Cessna 185 which had
been converted and equipped for very short, jungle airstrip missionary
service.
Like my grandsons do when they're elated, I smiled and giggled all the
way through 5 different, high-flying, fast, straight up, twisting, looping,
frontward, backward roller coaster rides a couple weeks or so ago, when
to my great surprise, the waiting lines were unusually short at Great
America.
So, when I read about the skies above and the angels of the Lord and any
other heavenly 'beings' I'm not aware of up there, I'm truly fascinated.
Psalm 113:5 asks a great question regarding the Lord Who sits enthroned
and exalted over all the nations of the earth. "OK guys; I'm ready
to write down the names you come up with. Who is like the Lord our God?
I mean, He's so far "up there" He has to stoop down just to
check out the heavens and the earth!!" Who'd you say? Astro WHO?
Naught!!
Even among the great gods of history about whom we have read in books,
legendary stories passed down through generations, and the many medieval
type movies we've seen with their many deities, there is no one like God!
Three things come to mind as I sit here smiling at His greatness "in
the skies": He is majestic in holiness! He is awesome in glory! He
is constantly 'busy' working miracles on our behalf! (See Exodus 15:11)
Chuleta! I love You, Lord; and I lift my voice to worship You!
Father, my heart is heaven bound! Whom have I in the lower skies or
in the higher heavens but You? (Psalm 73:25) Even with all the toys, gadgets,
earthly bling-bling and other unnecessary paraphernalia laying around
or calling for my time or my finances, earth has nothing I desire; diddly-squat!
You are awesome! You are worthy of absolute trust! Thy kingdom come...
soon! Amen.
May 23, 2005
Psalm 123:2 "As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look
to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy."
In my younger days, from time to time, one would hear the saying: When
the going gets tough, the tough get going! With some help, I learned that
the interpretation was meant to depict tough people turning around and
running away, with their tails between their legs, as they say. But, for
some strange reason, divinely overseen I believe, my take on that was
most often: all right! Things are tough, but by God's grace, we are a
match for this circumstance He has placed in our way. So, let's be strong
and courageous! Let's not sit around and do nothing; let's get going to
do all we can to see the will of God fulfilled! As I grew older, I could
see more clearly the carnal danger of that, though God's instructions
often had the Lord's people NOT moving and running around, creating an
unmistakable cloud of dust through their beehive of activity, but rather
standing still to see the salvation of the Lord. David often said, "I
waited patiently for the Lord..." (Psalm 40:1). How often do we read
that and come away saying, Patience is definitely a virtue. Then we give
the Lord a few minutes to 'come through' or to 'do His thing' and we think:
I've done all I can do. No sense waiting further on Him; I've certainly
gone above and beyond the call of duty! If the great, all powerful God
wanted to do something as simple as what I've been waiting on Him to do
or asking Him to do, He certainly would have done it by now!!
Some of us - right now! - have been divinely placed in circumstances which
require patience, humility, and a slave mind set. Naturally, by virtue
of our very self-focused nature, we will react against those lesson producing
qualities and insist that the Lord bring deliverance, provision, direction,
and help now, if not sooner! Unfortunately, that lack of patience will
result in demanding of God a solution which too often ends up short circuiting
the very process by which He has planned for us to grow.
Dear patient Father, give this poor, scurrying around, nervous soul
the unhurried mind set to "look to the Lord until He shows us His
mercy". Teach us to pray and not give up! (Luke 18:1) Amen.
May 26, 2005
Psalm 26:8 is a beautiful, thought-provoking, heart-challenging scripture:
"I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory
dwells."
If some Christians were honest, they would admit, "I don't 'love'
the house where the Lord lives. He's too stringent for me; too confining,
too restricting, and far too demanding; I'm much more 'comfortable' in
my own home!" Of course you are, for obvious reasons! But, because
of that unhealthy mind set and the disobedience, spiritual indifference,
and the dissing of Bible truth it produces, some of us live in homes where
things take place that shouldn't be taking place: screaming, yelling,
taunting, reviling, hating, and competing, to identify just a very, very
few. Instead of the home being a haven of rest or a carefully cultivated
garden for planting and growing the fruit of the Spirit in its residents,
it's more like a boxing or wrestling ring, or a gymnasium overrun with
unruly, self-consumed athletes. Like in the days of the Judges, everyone
is doing "that which is right in his own eyes!"
Let's briefly reflect on what spending time with the Master in His beautiful,
founded-on-love-and-designed-for-hospitality house will do for you. It
will give you an idea of how genuine love mercifully covers a multitude
of sins. It will enhance your understanding of the authentic peace which
comes from being rightly related to Him and to one another. By observing
Him and listening to Him in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, and back
yard, as it were, it will improve your ability to speak and act and interact
with grace even when the worst is known about a person. It will instruct
your heart in ways not necessarily desired by those who have no interest
in allowing Him to turn their life around. It will equip you to walk in
love, mercy, compassion, and grace in your own home. It will impact your
life with His glory in such a way that to continue further in any sinful
words, thoughts, actions, or attitudes presently practiced in your own
home, will be totally impossible except with deep conviction overwhelming
you. No wonder we love being in His home!
Father, thank You for all I 'see' and learn in Your home. I truly
do love any place where Your glory dwells! May I practice in my own home
all I learn in Your's! Amen.
May 30, 2005
Psalm 130:2 says: "O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy."
Each of us has an endless list of things which we faithfully bring before
the Lord in prayer. Hopefully, as those who not only revere His name,
but delight in doing so (Nehemiah 1:6, 11), we pitch our tent in His presence,
praying day and night for that intervention without which we will feel
there is no need for living. Our thoughts may deeply trouble us; we may
slowly be becoming distraught over the voice of the enemy and the stares
of the wicked (Psalm 55:1-2). But we plead with Him to consider our cries
for help; we earnestly give vent to sighs which emanate from the depths
of our soul, to which we ourselves cannot give specific wording, but which
He understands and interprets perfectly on our behalf (Psalm 5:1-2). With
hearts growing increasingly faint and perhaps sorely tempted to doubt
Him, in whatever situation or circumstance of life we find ourselves,
wherever we may be, even from the very ends of the earth, our cry reaches
His attentive ear: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I! (Psalm 61:1-2)
Thank You, gracious Father, that Your ear is tuned to our cries for
mercy. May we faithfully trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not
lean on our own feeble understanding. We humble ourselves before Your
glorious presence. Though a thousand other voices from the world may call,
Yours alone will we train our hearts to hear. Yours alone will we, therefore,
obey. Let Your ears be attentive to our cry for mercy! Amen.
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