Posted by Charlie on Sep 8, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Jeremiah 42, 43, 44; Psalms 48; Revelation 13
Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”
Jeremiah 42:5-6
When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie….”
Jeremiah 43:1-2
Observation
These chapters of Jeremiah help build an understanding of why God was so fed up with the people of Judah. Though they approached Jeremiah and requested that he inquire of YHWH for them, they were merely looking for a rubber stamp approval of the direction they were determined to go. When Jeremiah’s response didn’t match their intentions, they called it a lie and did what they wanted anyway.
Application
This is a good reminder that when I seek God regarding a decision of direction in life, I need to be open to what he desires. It’s easy to get an idea and then pray a, “Please bless me God…” prayer without being responsive to what God is actually saying.
Prayer
Father, I’m involved in a lot of plan-making at the moment. Please give us wisdom and guide us faithfully in ways that please you. I don’t want to do anything that I will regret here or in eternity because I was insolent and wouldn’t listen to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: disobedience, obedience
Posted by Charlie on Aug 12, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Jeremiah 10, 11, 12; John 14
“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, LORD.” And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.”
Jeremiah 11:2-8
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
John 14:21-24
Observation
When I think about raising children, one of the goals is to set down rules and boundaries that will result in the shaping of a child’s character and behavior. If I have done this well, when the child is grown he or she will be a responsible, loving person who knows right from wrong and how to live in proper relationship with self, God, and others.
So, much of the gist of parenting is, “If you love me you’ll keep my commandments.” It isn’t because I’m an ogre or an authoritarian jerk. It’s because I love my children and want them to become loving, responsible adults. If they refuse rules and instruction they will turn into selfish, insufferable messes.
Application
God is in the same boat. He know that left to my own devices, I too will run amok in the things that really matter in life. I noted a couple days ago that Israel and Judah’s disregard for God’s commands, which, first and foremost, included loyalty to him, led to gross social injustice and evil practices that became worse than the nations around them.
A fast perusal of the Ten Commandments will reveal that they are all about relationships. The first four deal with my relationship with God, and the next six with my relationships with the people around me. Jesus boiled it down further: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and your neighbor as yourself. If I love him, then I’ll keep his commands, which are to love him and love others.
The promise that goes along with this is pretty cool: God will come to me and make my home with him. Not bad!
Prayer
Father, please lead me in your ways today. Purge the lies in my life that cause me to stray from your commands and cleanse me from sinful ways. I want my mind to be fixed on what pleases you today. I love you and so desire your presence with me. Teach me to love, and grant that my life might reflect your heart and your character. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: 10 Commandments, commands, disobedience, love, obedience, parenting
Posted by Charlie on May 25, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Kings 10, 11; 2 Chronicles 9; Psalm 136; Romans 6
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
1 Kings 10:23
But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
1Kings 11:1–3
Observation
It seems oxymoronic that the man acclaimed to be the wisest who ever lived set the stage for the greatest disaster in Israel’s history through his blatant disobedience to God’s revealed Word. The downfall of his later years is frightening. I’ve heard it said that seventy percent of leaders do not finish well. It is sad that Solomon was one of them.
Application
In 1 Corinthians 10:12 Paul warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” God has given me the incredible gift of freedom. It is a gift to be cherished, enjoyed, and exercised, but only within the boundaries of God’s revealed Word. If I stray from what I know pleases God, I must not be deceived into thinking my fate would be better than Solomon’s.
Prayer
Father, today I rejoice in being your child, and in being free in Christ Jesus. Please grant me wisdom today to walk wisely with you. Please abide with me today, I ask in Jesus’ strong name, amen.
Tags: disobedience, finishing well, wisdom
Posted by Charlie on Apr 12, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2, 3; 2 Corinthians 12
Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
1 Samuel 13:8–9
Observation
Saul is faced with a thorny dilemma in this passage. He has been instructed by Samuel to wait for him to arrive and offer a sacrifice before proceeding into battle. Samuel is delayed, and Saul’s soldiers are steadily deserting. After seven days of watching his army dwindle, Saul is faced with a choice. Should he continue to wait while he appears increasingly weak and inept to his subjects, or should he take matters into his own hands, offer the sacrifice himself, and then move ahead into battle without Samuel? He weighs the situation and opts to offer the sacrifice, only to have Samuel arrive as the coals are still smoldering. Samuel rebukes Saul for his disobedience to God, and declares that the kingdom will go to someone more worthy.
Application
What would I have done had I been there in Saul’s place? It’s easy, from the comfort of my home in 21st century America, to say that I would have waited for Samuel. In the heat of the moment, with soldiers deserting, no ability to communicate with Samuel, who is days overdue, and a hostile Philistine force breathing down my neck, the sacrifice would have looked like a tempting option.
Saul didn’t have the benefit of a look into chapter 14 to discover that God would miraculously deliver the Philistines into Jonathan’s hands. My circumstances are a bit different from Saul’s, yet I find there are times when God’s help seems overdue. How often do I pull the trigger on the sacrifice and miss the blessing of God’s response to patient obedience?
Prayer
Father, thank you that you can deliver by many or by few. I entrust my life’s circumstances into your hands today, and ask you to be God over all that concerns me. Please grant me eyes to see where you are at work today, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: choices, disobedience, obedience
Posted by Charlie on Apr 2, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Judges 13, 14, 15, 16; 2 Corinthians 2
“For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Judges 13:5
Observation
Samson is the poster boy for the fact that God chooses to work through imperfect vessels. One of the things I appreciate about Scripture is that it doesn’t sugar-coat the lives of people in history. Were I to write the story of Samson as fiction I would have him keep his Nazirite vow and he would be doing mighty deeds in the name of YHWH until Israel was freed from the Philistines, and he would be doting over his great grandchildren up to his death at a ripe old age.
The reality, however, is that he was a man of undisciplined passion who had a weakness for women. How might his story have read if he had managed to keep his unbridled hormones in check?
Application
This story serves up both an encouragement and a warning. The encouragement is that I don’t have to be perfect for God to work through my life. It depends more on him than it does on me, which is a good thing.
The warning, however, is that there are consequences to straying from the narrow road of God’s will. He will work his purposes in the world whether I obey him well or not, but if I desire to live a life marked by his blessing it will only come through obedience to his ways.
Prayer
Father, thank you that my imperfection doesn’t pose a problem for you. Thank you that you actually work through my weaknesses. Please help me, in my weakness, to live today in a way that is pleasing to you, that I may enjoy your blessing as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: blessing, disobedience, obedience, weakness
