Pastor Johnnie's Devotional Archives
November 2005
November 3, 2005
Psalm 53:2 is a sweet, reassuring reminder that "God looks down from
heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any
who seek God."
To those who have concluded or are in the process of wrongly concluding
that Almighty God does not care for them, this scripture should bring
a measure of hope and encouragement. From His throne, the Lord carefully
observes the happenings on this terrestrial ball (Psalm 11:4), His eyes
running to and fro to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed
to Him (II Chronicles 16:9). He gazes at His beloved children, perceiving
where they're at and contemplating with pleasure where they'll go if they
remain under the blessing of His sovereign leading; for He who forms the
hearts of all considers everything they do (Psalm 33:15). His eyes are
on those who truly fear Him (Psalm 33:18). When they're in trouble, imprisoned
by an evil habit, bad decision making, or an ungodly attitude, He hears
the groans of the repentant prisoners, and delights in releasing those
condemned to death (Psalm 102:2). His eyes are on ALL their ways; nothing
is hidden from Him before whom everything is clearly exposed. Nor is sin
concealed from His eyes (Jeremiah 16:17).
Our awesome, gracious, and glorious God fills heaven and earth; and in
that context He is interested to see if there are any among his created
beings who have a growing grasp of what's going on, and who, therefore,
seek Him, longing for His touch, desirous of His intervention, crying
out for more of Him.
Father, as the deer pants for streams of water, so pants my soul for
You. Though You may appear to be silent for a period of time; though You
may seem so distant, so far away; though I may wrongly fear that You are
uninterested in me, I know Your eyes are on those who fear You. As I make
my way to my eternal home in Your presence, may I be known as one who
seeks You and who accepts Your input for every step of my temporary sojourn
here on earth. Amen.
November 7, 2005
Psalm 77:10 "Then I thought, 'To this I will appeal: the years of
the right hand of the Most High God'."
We've all had circumstances of life in which we felt like 'checking out'
or like rebuking our Father for what was happening in our lives, or complaining
for what we felt He should or shouldn't have done - or be doing! - on
our behalf. Whatever the struggle Asaph was going through prior to his
writing this Psalm, we get a sure sense of the emotional and spiritual
stress he must have been experiencing. Would he find comfort in going
to the local library and reading up on melancholy and it's 'benefits'
or adverse side effects? Would his troubled soul find acceptable solace
in the counsel of a good friend, or in a different diagnosis of his condition,
or in a better medication? Just where would he go? To whom would he look
for encouragement and enduring, spiritual sustenance?
Hmmmm. I know what I'll do, Asaph says. I'll review the years I've already
had with the Lord. I'll reflect on some of those former times (Psalm 77:5)
when, like other saints of old, I had come to the same conclusion as they
came to: that there is no god - Ever! Anywhere! - who has done what the
Lord has done (Deuteronomy 4:32-34) on behalf of His people! I too had
heard of His fame. I too have stood in awe of His greatness and marveled
at the deeds He performed on my behalf! (Habakkuk 3:2-13). I too have
witnessed His right hand, majestic in power for my benefit (Exodus 15:6).
With the Lord's help, I will replace depression with the joy of the Lord
(Nehemiah 8:10). I will refresh my weak heart by reviewing His works and
by considering the significance of all His mighty deeds! (Psalm 77:12)
And, as it would be said of Jacob and of Israel for centuries to come,
so it will be said of me, by God's grace: Hey! Take a good look at me
and "see what God has done!" (Numbers 23:23)!
Glorious Father, You are holy and Your ways are holy. What god is
so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display
your Power among the peoples. With Your mighty arm You redeemed Your people....
and me! (Psalm 77:13-15) So, I worship You both for who You are and for
all the mighty deeds You have done! May I continually offer You the sacrifice
of praise! Amen.
November 14, 2005
Psalm 74:10 "How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe
revile your name forever?"
From earliest childhood we demonstrate our concern for issues of time
and endurance. "How long til we get there, mommy?" How long
before we eat? I'm starved!" "How long does Jimmy get to swing
before it's my turn?!" "How long do I have to sit in the corner
facing the all?" "How long before I'll be able to stay up late
watching TV like you do?" "How long before I can date, daddy?"
Then, into our late teen and adult years, the message changes a bit to:
"How long must I put up with this woman/this man?!" "How
long do I have to suffer from this cancer?" "How long before
I get out from under the stress of this situation?"
It would certainly demonstrate honorable behavior on behalf of us Christians
if we were to make the almost unheard of, radical shift from self-focused
matters of time to an enduring care for the holiness and character of
God. Of course, to make such a concerted effort toward that end may push
the already mocking and vicious enemy to the point of persecuting the
church; but that is where I think we are headed before too long, anyway.
May we be prepared by already being in the habit of worshiping the Lord
in the beauty of His holiness!
Father, we freely admit to the selfish bent of our hearts, sometimes
maybe unaware or at other times just simply unconcerned that the enemy
is mocking You and reviling Your name. Grant us the grace to powerfully
represent You and Your Son, Jesus, as we seek to be holy like You are
holy! Amen.
November 18, 2005
Psalm 78:35-36 "They remembered that God was their Rock, that God
Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter him with their
mouths, lying to him with their tongues..."
As a youngster I recall being impressed with the possibility of "speaking
with a forked tongue". Even now, smiling as I write, I can't think
the phrase or even say it without lowering my voice to properly mimic
how I heard it said in the black and white movies: "Hmmm. He speak
with forked tongue!"
Actually, FTS (the forked tongue syndrome) is with us from birth. So,
as soon as a child is able to communicate and evaluate circumstances of
life, and determine whether it will go well with them by telling the truth,
or if it will go badly for them, they have this innate ability for twisting
the truth to make it agreeable with their already developing sinful goals.
They learn early to flatter others for their own advantage (Jude 16).
Fortunately, children also reveal telltale signs that they're lying. And
a good parent will talk seriously with them and, with their Bible open,
walk them through the truth about lying, teaching them about sin, sacrifice,
and salvation. The more advanced children become in this expression of
the sin nature, however, they can eventually look you square in the eye
and tell you a bold faced lie! Really scary because such arrogant mouths
reveal closed, calloused hearts (Psalm 17:10)!
The Bible tells us that to try to flatter or impress God by doing nice
things and saying things which are in total disagreement with where we're
at spiritually in our hearts, is to lie to Him. Heart and mouth must be
in sync (Deuteronomy 5:28-29 Isaiah 29:13). If our mouths lay claim to
heaven (Psalm 73:9), then our heart should be playing the same song. There
should be no dissonance.
Father of truth and righteousness, may our mouths and our hearts -
in perfect harmony! - reveal the glorious presence of Jesus in us. Amen.
November 21, 2005
Psalm 121:7-8 "The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch
over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now
and forevermore."
I can almost hear some saying, "Say what?!" Others I can almost
hear thinking, "Sure He will... so, there must be some mistake here!
What about all those Bible people who were cut to pieces by sword, or
thrown to the lions, burned at the stake, or brutalized in other unthinkable
ways? Am I missing something here? Isn't THAT 'harm'? Didn't they lose
their lives? Was He on coffee break or something that He couldn't watch
over their coming and going... and He missed protecting them from death?"
David stated, "If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the
Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will
come near your tent." Psalm 91:9-10
Solomon declared, "No harm befalls the righteous..." Proverbs
12:21
Paul asked, "WHO shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble?
Hardship? Persecution? Famine? Nakedness? Danger? Sword? No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors." Romans 8:35-39
Jesus said to pray this way: "...deliver us from the evil one."
Matthew 6:13
Paul affirmed, "The Lord will rescue me and bring me safely to His
heavenly kingdom." II Timothy 4:18
Martyred saints of old, credited with unbelievable faith in God and confidence
in the ultimate fulfillment of what God had promised, did not receive
the ultimate fulfillment of that promise; rather they died, some in absolutely
horrible ways. And, the Bible reveals the glorious truth that, given their
ability to see beyond their immediate suffering to the truthfulness of
God and the reality of heaven, the 'harm' they received was no 'harm'
at all; merely a means to an end while God accomplished His holy purpose
in the inevitable uniting of us together with them, in the body of Christ.
(See Hebrews 11:39-40)
Mysterious but glorious God, dispel the darkness of our finite minds
through unwavering faith in Your promises. Forgive the accusations we
have often leveled against You, caused by ignorance and our inability
to 'see' and understand Your eternal purposes. Remind us often that without
faith, it is impossible to please You (Hebrews 11:6). Amen.
November 26, 2005
Psalm 137:4 "How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign
land?"
The songs of the Lord were intended to be sung "in the land of the
living" (Psalm 27:13), in company and in beautiful harmony with the
Lord's people. After all, what song about the Lord could we sing if we
were living in sin (i.e. in a foreign land)? For example, if we slip into
self-loathing that goes beyond the parameters of "godly sorrow that
leads to repentance" (II Corinthians 7:10), we discover that there
is no 'song' to sing, except that of repentance, which will soothe the
troubled soul. If we find ourselves gloating over the hardships of an
enemy, we are in a foreign land. The only 'song' that will bring reconciliation
is the 'song' of confession (Proverbs 24:17-18). If we are overcome by
trouble and sorrow to the point of accusing the Lord of injustice, we
are in a foreign land. The only 'song' that will bring the comforting
peace of forgiveness is, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and
done what is evil in your sight" (Psalm 51:4). If we choose to commit
adultery or fornicate with 'strange' men or women or other gods, we are
in a foreign land. The traditional songs of worship and praise are totally
out of place in such a 'land'! Only the 'song' of brokenness will suffice
to bring back the spiritual wholeness which we have carelessly traded
for the treasures of Sodom or Egypt.
Christian, are you in a 'foreign' land right now? Is there sourness in
your soul, a bitter taste in your mouth, frustration in your spirit? How
can you think that you're able to sing the Lord's glorious song in that
sinful land? How long do you think can you last in that condition, knowing
that you are in defiance against God Almighty? Remember: "The Lord
our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against
him" (Daniel 9:9). Consider: "the Lord our God is righteous
in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him (Daniel 9:14).
Holy Father, "we do not make requests of you because we are righteous,
but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord,
hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city
and your people bear your Name." (Daniel 9:18-19) Amen.
November 29, 2005
Psalm 40:3 "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our
God."
I'm fascinated by this verse, perhaps because early this morning, I'm
asking myself, "If He has put a 'new' song in the mouth, what was
the 'old' song? And, why aren't we still singing the 'old' song? What
was wrong with the 'old' song that we needed a 'new' one?"
On the other hand, maybe the answer is within the heart of every born
again Christian. I'm guessing the 'old' song had little to do with the
Lord except to complain about His dealings in our lives in some way. I'll
bet the 'old' song was full of accusation or innuendo regarding the way
He "let us suffer"! Who needs patience that badly anyway?! (See
James 5:10) I'm pretty sure the 'old' song described how merciless we
felt He had been from time to time, what a raw deal we were getting, and
how seldom He was "on time" when we needed His input or intervention
(Deuteronomy 4:31)! I'd lay money on the possibility that the 'old' song
was more full of questions (Why? When? How come?) than of statements of
fact (I am unworthy! You are awesome! You are gracious! You are merciful!
You are full of compassion! You never fail! You're always with me! I love
you!).
For you and me and every child of God, the 'new' song is obviously related
to our new life through faith in Christ. So, today, let's resist the minor
chords and negative words of the 'old' song. Let's sing the song we were
truly born to sing, a hymn of praise to our God: Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Worthy is the Lamb,
who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and
honor and glory and praise! (Revelation 4:8; 5:12)
Thanks, merciful Father, for putting a new song in our hearts and
in our mouths! May the glorious harmony of our earthly choir truly please
you! Amen.
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