Posted by Charlie on Aug 16, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18
“Do you think you are a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
declares the LORD.
But you have eyes and heart
only for your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence.”
Jeremiah 22:15-17
Observation
Though Josiah was a righteous king, his son, Jehoiakim, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. This passage in Jeremiah, which is directed at Jehoiakim, really caught my attention this morning because it contrasts the worldly viewpoint of success against God’s perspective on what makes a man successful in life. Solomon was right when he said there is nothing new under the sun—the modern emphasis on swimming with the sharks, getting to the top by the power of intimidation, and the accumulation of status symbols is as old as Eden.
Application
From God’s perspective, inner character is what truly makes a man. A person of character deals justly, regards the plight of the needy, and knows and understands God’s heart. That is the true measure of success.
Prayer
Father, I want to be successful in your eyes. Please lead me in the understanding of your heart, and help me today to walk in ways that please you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, needy, poor, success
Posted by Charlie on Jul 19, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3:13
Observation
The six verses at the end of James 3 are so loaded with rich content I could spend days unpacking them, but this morning I’m just going to hone in on one major train of thought.
According to verse 13, who I am inside will leak out, and will eventually be evident to everyone around me. If I’m wise and understanding, the good conduct that flows from my relationship with God and my inner state of spiritual growth and maturity will naturally manifest itself in good deeds.
There’s an almost hidden nugget in James 3:13 where it says to show my good works in the meekness of wisdom. Meekness, once again, is the Greek word prautes. As I work my way through the New Testament with my radar up watching for that word, I’ve been amazed at how often it appears in crucial passages about Christian character. It makes sense, because Jesus used that word in its adjective form to describe his own character: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am praus and humble in heart…” (Matthew 11:29).
Application
In verse 13, prautes is used to describe the link between balanced godly character and the exercise of wisdom, which makes sense. If my inner life is marked by an even temper, balance, tranquility, and an unpretentious heart, I’m exemplifying the character of Jesus, and wise conduct will flow naturally.
How do I nurture prautes today? If prautes is one of the primary character traits of Jesus, I need to make sure I’m pressing through whatever distractions are thronging me and touch the hem of his garment every single day. Only coming to him and openly allowing his life to touch mine will yield a character like his.
Prayer
Father, I hunger and thirst for you. Please forgive me for allowing other things to get in the way of my relationship with you. Grant that I can touch the hem of your garment today. Please pour out your Spirit afresh in my life today, and build your character in my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, meekness, prautes, wisdom
Posted by Charlie on Jul 10, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Micah 5, 6, 7; Hebrews 7
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Micah 7:18–20
Observation
Since I am a man given to transgression and sin, it’s vital that I understand what God is like. God reveals some very important information about himself in these verses. He pardons iniquity, passes over transgressions. He doesn’t dwell on anger because he delights in steadfast love. The Hebrew word for steadfast love is chesed— a word I looked at on June 1 in my journal. It is the word that describes the overwhelming love God has for his people—a love that reaches beyond his judgment and seeks the restoration and highest good of those he loves.
Application
One of the great truths of Scripture is that I am made in the image of God. Because of that, as I live in an abiding relationship with him he intends for my life to exhibit character that reflects who he is. Micah 6:8 is a familiar and powerful verse: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The word, “kindness,” in this verse, not surprisingly, is chesed. Proverbs 19:22 reaffirms the importance of this character trait: “What is desired in a man is… chesed.” In fact, if I go back to the passage in Micah 7 I quoted at the beginning of this journal entry and note the things that describe God’s character toward me, it doesn’t take much extrapolation to realize that these are the characteristics he wants to build into my character—pardoning iniquity, passing over transgression, leaving anger behind, delighting in chesed, and walking in faithfulness.
Prayer
Father, please help me abide in you today, and grant that my life might become a reflection of your character. Thank you that you display all of these wonderful attitudes toward me. Please help me today to show them to everyone around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, chesed, faithfulness, lovingkindness
Posted by Charlie on Jun 24, 2009 in
Devotions 2 Kings 11,12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11
Observation
Paul warns Timothy against disputes over questionable doctrines and the distraction of seeking to be rich. Then he reminds Timothy how to acquire genuine riches: Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. I want to take a moment to unpack each of these words.
Righteousness in Greek is dikaiosune, which means “the state of him who is such as he ought to be.” In Paul’s theology this means being acceptable to God through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, but on a broader scale it includes the concept of wholeness—being rightly related to God, to others, and to myself.
Godliness in Greek is eusebeia, which means a deep reverence and respect toward God.
Faith, pistis, means, well, faith—complete trust or confidence in God. It’s interesting to note, though, that pistis also means faithfulness, which reflects a depth of character in those who possess it.
Love, agape, is a purely biblical word. It is a love that says, “It’s not about me….” God demonstrated it in the way he bought my redemption at his expense.
Steadfastness, hupomone, is, according to Thayer, “the characteristic of a man who is unswerved [sic] from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.” ‘Nuff said.
Gentleness in Greek is praupatheia, and is the equivalent of prautes, which I wrote about on June 8. Though I’ve given the definition before, it affords repetition because it is such a crucial characteristic of a mature disciple. “A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control. The word is best translated “meekness, ” not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.”
Even though all these words are all nouns, I think it is helpful to consider them in a more verb-centric way. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness are not things—they are really action words that only have teeth when they are put into motion and practiced.
Application
Wow! In one short verse Paul has provided a thorough summary of what a mature disciple should look like. Now it’s time to go look in the mirror and ask God where I am in my process of growing in these areas. In verse 20 Paul exhorted Timothy to guard the deposit entrusted to him. I am under the same charge.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you have already modeled all these qualities perfectly, and trained up your disciples to be like you. Please build these characteristics into my life in increasing measure, and grant me the grace to be a model and mentor for others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, faith, gentleness, godliness, love, righteousness, steadfastness
Posted by Charlie on Jun 14, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13,14; Philippians 4
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Philippians 4:5
Observation
In keeping with my recent word studies on kindness (Hebrew: chesed in Proverbs 19:22) and gentleness (Greek; prautes in numerous passages), Philippians 4:5 caught my attention today. I happened to be reading the English Standard Version or ESV, which is not my normal translation, but one I like a lot, and the ESV rendered Philippians 4:5, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Since I’m used to the New King James rendering of “gentleness” I thought further investigation was warranted.
I discovered that in Philippians 4:5 Paul used the word epieikes, which differs from prautes in meaning. Prautes refers to a gentleness that comes from strength and power of character that is under control—meekness. Epieikes refers to a character that is reasonable, equitable, fair, and moderate. In other words, one who is not argumentative or proud, but who, with patience and balance, holds winsomely to the truth.
Application
All of these words describe the person God desires me to be. A man who has a lovingkindness that is faithful to those around me, overlooking faults and seeing the potential in others. A man who has a deep strength of character, but rules my own spirt well—keeping a temper that is under the control of the Holy Spirit. And a man who avoids extremes and is able to influence others out of patient reasonable adherence to the truth of Scripture. Such a man I am committed to increasingly become.
Prayer
Father, thank you that all of these qualities reflect who you are. Please build your character in me, and grant that you might rub off onto others as I interact with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, gentleness, reasonableness
Posted by Charlie on May 12, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Samuel 21,22, 23; 1 Thessalonians 1
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, “It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2 Samuel 21:1
Observation
Generations before Saul, Joshua made a hasty vow to the Gibeonites that Israel would be at peace with them, not realizing they were close neighbors. Saul, in his zeal, attacked the Gibeonites in violation of Joshua’s vow. God noticed.
Application
God takes my promises seriously. I need to be careful to pray for wisdom and guidance before I make a decision that will affect my future or the future of others around me, and I need to hold to my word. Character is doing the right thing even when it is costly to me.
Prayer
Father, please guide me and give me wisdom in my daily decisions, and grant me the character and maturity to follow through with my word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, integrity, promises
Posted by Charlie on May 4, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Samuel 8, 9; 1 Chronicles 18, 19; Psalm 2; Matthew 21
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
Matthew 21:10
Observation
In Mathew 21 Jerusalem was swarming with visitors for the Passover, at least in the hundreds of thousands, and the triumphal entry of Jesus got noticed and spoken about throughout the city. As Jesus approached the week of his crucifixion, he dramatically upped the ante in his confrontation with the chief priests and religious leaders. This fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey,” was highly intentional on the part of Jesus.
I can only imagine the frustration of Annas and Caiaphas. A member of the small, but influential sect, the Sadducees, Annas held a dynastic grip on the high priesthood, and was adept at using it as a means of generating great profit from the “business” of temple worship. Caiaphas was his son-in-law, and was essentially a cog in Annas’ high priestly machine.
Think about how thoroughly and deliberately Jesus messed with them in chapter 21. He entered Jerusalem in a way that would be recognized by anyone in the ancient world as the declaration of a king visiting a city in peace. Then he immediately went for the jugular by cleansing the temple of Annas’ “business enterprise.”
The particular racket Jesus addressed in this case was the defrauding of worshipers for profit. There were three main scenarios. In one case a worshiper would bring a sacrificial lamb to the temple. The temple worker would examine the lamb and say, “You can’t sacrifice that! The Law says it has to be without blemish. This lamb is an offense to God.” Then the “blemished” lamb would be taken from the worshiper, and a “proper” one sold to him for a price. The “blemished” lamb would then be turned around and sold to someone else as a “proper” one for profit.
The second scenario involved the pilgrim who traveled a great distance to attend Passover in Jerusalem. Because of the long journey it was easier to take money and buy an animal to sacrifice once he arrived in Jerusalem rather than attempt to bring one along. The sale of a lamb at the temple probably was originally intended to benefit the worshiper, but under the dynasty of Annas it was an enterprise designed for profit, with price gouging during Passover.
The third scenario involved a temple tax that was only acceptable in a particular coinage. The worshiper was forced to exchange money for the temple coins at an unfair rate of exchange.
Jesus held nothing back. He opened pens and overturned tables. When they questioned his authority he threw it back in their faces. Then he told parables about sons and vinedressers that unmistakably showed the corrupted high priests for who they were. It is no wonder that by Thursday they would be out for blood.
Application
I live in a politically correct world. The recent episode in which Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was punished by the Miss USA pageant for holding to a biblical worldview is only one example of the fact that Christians can still pay a price for holding to the truth. The challenge is to walk with Jesus so closely that I come to resemble him. He was the most winsome individual to ever live, and at the same time, had an uncompromising strength of character that would stand against the entire political machine of his day.
His disciples became like him. I want to become like him too.
Prayer
Father, please help me to walk closely with you today. Please cleanse my heart of all that offends, and change me day by day into a man who has the winsomeness and character of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tags: character, confrontation, truth
Posted by Charlie on Apr 24, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 28, 29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart….
Matthew 11:29
Observation
Yesterday in Matthew 10:25 Jesus said, “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!”
I’m supposed to grow to be like Jesus, which raises a relevant question: What is Jesus like? Since he is God revealed in the flesh it will teach me a lot about what God is like. One of the words used to describe God is praus (noun: gentle) or prautes (verb: gentleness). Not surprisingly, this set of words also describes what the believer is supposed to be like. Here are a few examples:
Behold, your king comes to you, righteous and delivering. He is gentle and mounted on a beast of burden, even the foal of a donkey. (Zecharaih 9:9, Septuagint)
(Bonus observation: Praus is the word the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) uses to describe Moses in Numbers 12:3, And the man Moses was gentle exceedingly above all the men of the ones being upon the earth.)
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…. (2 Timothy 2:24)
Application
The invitation by Jesus to take up his yoke is calming. I often think of God as King and Judge, the almighty one who speaks galaxies into being, who will put his adversaries under his feet. But at the same time, God is the one who loves me with an unfailing love so deep that he bore the price of my sins just so I can be his forever. Jesus, who is my peek at what God is like, describes himself as gentle and humble. He holds out an invitation to take his yoke so I can learn to be like him.
Prayer
God, I want to be like you, growing in gentleness toward those around me. Please build your character in me as I walk together with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, gentleness, prautes
Posted by Charlie on Apr 23, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 27; Psalm 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10
Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.” David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.
1 Samuel 27:10–12
Observation
Even though Saul ends chapter 26 with a declaration that he will stop hunting David, David knows in his heart he is still in grave danger. In a desperate move, David flees to the land of the Philistines to escape the hand of Saul, and stays there for a year and four months. In order to convince Achish, king of Gath, that he is loyal, David devises a ruse where he raids the far-flung enemies of Israel, but makes it look to Achish as though he was actually raiding into Israel.
Application
I see this as a low point for David, where he bends the means to justify the ends. I think this is perhaps the most deliberate and premeditated compromise of character in David’s life. In the next chapter he comes within a hair’s breadth of having to go into battle with the Philistines against Israel, and probably heaves a secret sigh of relief when he is sent away.
I suppose there are times when deliberate dishonesty is justified if another higher principle is at stake, such as Corrie Ten-Boom lying about hiding Jewish people from the Nazis in her home during World War II. The problem I see with David’s situation is that he entered into a relationship of trust with Achish, who was providing him protection, and for a year and four months David’s loyalty to Achish was all a lie.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, though I be tempted to compromise my character for the sake of my convenience, safety, or personal gain, let me find the strength in you to remain true in all circumstances. As you said in today’s New Testament reading, may I always acknowledge you before men, and may I find my life and strength in you day by day. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Tags: character, lies, truth
Posted by Charlie on Apr 16, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 18; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 11; Matthew 3
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
Psalm 11:3
Observation
Psalm 11 is a Psalm of perspective. David begins with an affirmation that his trust is in YHWH, and then he recounts his observations about the way the wicked are seeking to violently uproot the righteous. He then asks the question, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Application
We live in a largely post-Christian nation today, and everywhere I look it seems as if the foundations of righteousness are being destroyed. In some cases those who do not embrace a Christian faith are actively seeking the destruction of the church and her influence.
David gives an answer to this dilemma in the rest of the Psalm:
The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.
I see a few personal lessons in this Psalm.
- There is a cosmic conflict between God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom. It’s just a fact of life on this planet that it affects everybody.
- The LORD tests the righteous. Some of the cosmic conflict serves as a testing ground where my character and faith are forged.
- God is on the throne of heaven and he is the winner of the cosmic conflict in the end. Though I may be dismayed at the gains the enemies of righteousness might make in a particular battle, I know that God will bring justice in the end.
- Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Prayer
Father, thank you that you are King and Lord over all creation. Thank you that even in the most discouraging battles you are able to build faith and character in those you love. Please guide me, my family, my church, and all those who seek to follow you today, that we might see your deliverance and uphold what is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, cosmic battle, faith, righteous, wicked
