The Ultimate Father-Son Relationship John 5:19-20
God is called by a variety of names in the Bible, and each one sheds light on an aspect of His nature. Jesus' favorite title for Him was Father. Surprisingly, this name for God is used only 15 times in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, it's recorded 245 times!
Many of God's names speak of His majestic and lofty attributes that separate Him from mankind, but Father conveys intimacy. Jesus used this name not only because He was God's Son, but also to help people realize that Jehovah isn't some unapproachable Deity gazing down on them from a distance. Rather, He is their loving heavenly Father, who cares about them and wants to be involved in their everyday lives.
Throughout His time on earth, Christ revealed by example what this kind of love relationship was like. He depended completely on His Father for daily direction, power, and provision and obediently carried out every instruction. He often left the demands of ministry just to find a secluded place to be alone with Jehovah. We know Jesus successfully conveyed the riches of this relationship to His disciples, because in John 14:8, Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father"—he wanted to know Him the way Christ did.
Do you long for that kind of intimacy with God? He wants to relate to you as a Father to His child, and He's given you the privilege of drawing near to Him. In fact, He chose you before the foundation of the world and waits with open arms for you to enter His loving embrace.
God is called by a variety of names in the Bible, and each one sheds light on an aspect of His nature. Jesus' favorite title for Him was Father. Surprisingly, this name for God is used only 15 times in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, it's recorded 245 times!
Many of God's names speak of His majestic and lofty attributes that separate Him from mankind, but Father conveys intimacy. Jesus used this name not only because He was God's Son, but also to help people realize that Jehovah isn't some unapproachable Deity gazing down on them from a distance. Rather, He is their loving heavenly Father, who cares about them and wants to be involved in their everyday lives.
Throughout His time on earth, Christ revealed by example what this kind of love relationship was like. He depended completely on His Father for daily direction, power, and provision and obediently carried out every instruction. He often left the demands of ministry just to find a secluded place to be alone with Jehovah. We know Jesus successfully conveyed the riches of this relationship to His disciples, because in John 14:8, Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father"—he wanted to know Him the way Christ did.
Do you long for that kind of intimacy with God? He wants to relate to you as a Father to His child, and He's given you the privilege of drawing near to Him. In fact, He chose you before the foundation of the world and waits with open arms for you to enter His loving embrace.
"It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms … I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:3a & 4 (NIV)
As I walked through the grocery store one evening, I saw a sight that stopped me in my tracks. A tiny girl with sparkling, almond-shaped eyes and dark, bobbed hair smiled at her daddy as he held her hands, helping her to walk on his feet.
The little girl’s feet kept slipping off her daddy’s, so it wasn’t a perfect walk. Yet it was beautiful. Joy shone from the two as they moved in imperfect tandem. She looked at him with a grin and complete trust in her eyes. He gazed back at her with delight, confident in the knowledge that his strength would keep her from falling.
It was captivating to watch.
Soaking in this beautiful father-daughter scene brought back happy memories of dancing on my daddy’s feet as a tiny girl. It also brought to mind today’s key verse, one of my favorite Scriptures where our Father God gives a similar picture of His interaction with His children. Four important truths in these verses touch the deepest places of my heart.
1. I have to be taught to walk. ("It was I who taught Ephraim to walk …" Hosea 11:3a)
Just like babies go from rolling to crawling to pulling up to walking, we are called to growth in our spiritual lives. Instead of being content to remain Christian babies, lying on the floor looking cute but expecting to constantly be served, we need to anticipate growth. We’re not born into our new life knowing how to walk, but God wants us to learn. He cheers us on as we exercise our faith in the small, everyday things until our spiritual limbs grow strong enough to stand.
2. God doesn’t make me learn alone. ("… taking them by the arms …" Hosea 11:3a)
When we’re stronger, He helps us to stand by "holding our arms" just like the dad did for his daughter in the grocery store. God is a compassionate Father who supports us as we toddle, protecting us from many of the bumps and bruises we would have gotten without His help. Our Father holds our hands, watching our progress with loving delight. His joy isn’t diminished by the imperfection of our steps. We’re learning, and He’s there to catch us.
3. He helps us with kindness and love. ("I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love." Hosea 11:4a)
We can become so entrenched in our progress and our own efforts to walk perfectly that we forget to simply enjoy being with our Father. Like a toddler, we internally stomp our feet and declare, "I do it myself!" Instead of holding our Father’s hands and trusting in His strength and direction, we so often try to make our own way.
But when we do, we miss it. We forfeit the joy of His kindness and love. Instead, let’s see our own imperfections — our wobbly steps forward — as an opportunity to grab God’s hands, lean into His strength and trust Him for the next step.
4. My Father tenderly cares for me. ("… I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:4b)
Oh, how I love the last part of this passage! Do you hear the nurturing character and tenderness of God as He cares for His children? If you’ve loved a child, you probably have memories of cuddling your cheek against the baby’s softness or of carefully spooning food into a waiting mouth.
As much as we have lovingly cared for a child, God, our perfect Father, has surely set the standard in the way He has loved us. Let’s be like the little girl in the grocery store, holding God’s hands and walking on His feet. Let’s trust Him for each step and soak in His delight. He is the strong, trustworthy Father who is teaching us how to walk.
Lord, teach me to walk hand-in-hand with You as You surround me with Your love, care and delight. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"I give thanks to you, because you have answered me. You are my savior." Psalm 118:21 (GW)
As I glanced around the hospital waiting room, my thoughts drifted back to three days prior when my brother called from his attorney’s office.
"Leah, I have to have surgery right away. My neurologist told me I have a brain tumor, and my surgeon has strongly advised I get my will and finances in order, just in case …"
The MRI revealed an 8-cm mass silently sitting on top of my brother’s brain stem. The possibility of things going wrong had been clearly communicated. The words "paralysis," "blindness" and "vegetative state" invaded our conversation that day.
So there we were — three days later and four long hours into surgery — with at least four more hours to go.
Internally I was a mess, but trying my best to get a grip and keep my emotions in check. As I looked around the waiting room, I noticed no one was crying. No tears. No sorrow.
Instead of seeing doubt and despair, I watched faith in action.
Family and friends praying together, speaking words of hope and encouragement. Sharing stories and reminiscing over all the things they loved about my brother.
In that moment, I realized it was not the time to crumble in fear. It was time to stand firm in faith. To pray like never before. To trust God was with us. To ask for a miracle. And, yes, even to be thankful. Thankful that:
God was sparing my brother’s life.
God was providing an excellent neurologist and surgical team.
God was bringing family and friends together for support.
God was comforting us in the midst of a crisis.
As we waited together, we tried not to focus on the worst but to believe God for the best. Although we knew modern medicine had its limitations, we held to the truth that God has no limitations and is certainly able to do immeasurably more. And He certainly did …
Doctors speculated my brother would be in ICU for at least two or three days. God intervened and he left the ICU a few hours after surgery.
Doctors speculated my brother would be in the hospital for two weeks. God intervened and my brother was released from the hospital just two days after surgery. Two days!
Doctors speculated my brother would need extensive physical therapy. God intervened and my brother hasn’t needed any physical therapy.
God not only answered our prayers, but He exceeded our greatest expectations.
Doctors were blown away by my brother’s recovery. Although they didn’t use words like "miracles" or "the power of prayer," our family certainly did. Over and over again!
I can still remember the first words my brother spoke to me after surgery. Still hooked up to an IV with part of his head shaved and his body swollen, he slowly whispered, "Thank you, God."
Although physically weak, my brother was spiritually strong and in his own way responded like today’s key verse: "I give thanks to you, because you have answered me. You are my savior" (Psalm 118:21).
When our family celebrates Thanksgiving this year, we have even more to be thankful for: Our health. Each other. Miracles and answered prayers.
As Thanksgiving approaches, what are you thankful for? What story has God given you to share with others about His faithfulness in your life?
Don’t be tempted to keep your miracle hidden. Instead, share your story over and over again, because God deserves the glory that will come from your testimony.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for answering my prayers and performing miracles in my life every day. Just the fact that I woke up this morning and can take a breath is a gift from You. Help me to never take my health and loved ones for granted. Help me to always stand in faith and keep my focus on You when unexpected circumstances arise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"They told him, ‘This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.’" 2 Kings 19:3 (NLT)
During the fall semester of her senior year in college, my friend Sandy’s life sort of fell apart within a matter of two days. Her steady boyfriend called it quits. She got strep throat. She slept through her mid-term exams. Her beloved grandmother passed away. Then she received a letter from her college. While dealing with her Grandma’s death, her parents forgot to pay the spring semester tuition bill. All her classes had been dropped.
She told me this story 20 years after it happened. However, all the heartbreak and mishaps didn’t strike me as much as Sandy’s reaction did. When she walked out of the post office, she headed straight to a park on campus. There, she sat by a stream. As her tears hit the cancelled-classes letter, she prayed and told God the same story she’d told me.
Rather than running home to call her parents or talk to her roommates, Sandy headed straight to the Lord. Her response to difficulties reminded me of King Hezekiah in the Old Testament.
This king had been repeatedly tested. His enemy, the King of Assyria, not only insulted King Hezekiah personally, but on more than one occasion tried to mess with his army’s psyche. His enemy kept sending threatening letters to Hezekiah and his strength ran out.
Whooped and beaten, King Hezekiah didn’t have it in him to make it one more day. "They told him, ‘This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby’" (2 Kings 19:3).
When he could take it no longer, King Hezekiah used his last bit of vigor to pick himself up and go to the Temple of the Lord. There, as we read in 2 Kings 19:14, he spread out the distressing letter before God. I love the visual of Hezekiah, the powerful king of Israel, humbly and feebly showing his troubles to God.
I often seek counsel from trusted friends before taking my concerns to the Lord. Perhaps deep down I feel I need someone with skin who can help me audibly process my problems. Godly friends are wonderful sources of wisdom and care. But rather than spread my troubles out among several friends, I want to spread them out before the One and only God first.
At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we want to help others do the same. Our deepest desire is to help women around the globe weave God’s Word into the rhythm of their lives, through the collection of ministries we offer each day.
Just imagine the peace you’d experience by showing your troubles to God, and placing His truth front and center in your day — instead of focusing on challenges that come your way.
I’m not sure what Sandy prayed that difficult day two decades ago, but Hezekiah’s prayer is recorded for us in the Bible. Next time we’re faced with hardships, we could repeat his words to God: "O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!" (2 Kings 19:15b-16a, NLT)
Lord, thank You for my godly friends and their wisdom. Quicken my spirit to turn to You when I need strength and my troubles seem overwhelming. You are my very present help in times of trouble. Help me to seek You first each and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"Come close to God, and God will come close to you." James 4:8a (NLT)
My husband is a great guy, but his dance moves leave a lot to be desired. His rhythm doesn’t match the music; he’s always a beat behind or several beats ahead.
The thing is, this does not stop him from dancing. Whether in our living room or at a wedding, he jumps in with enthusiasm. If everybody’s going left and he’s going right, he doesn’t care. He has a smile on his face. He’s having a blast.
The other night he held out his arms and asked me to dance. He switched on some tunes and off we went. He danced to his own tempo, while I listened for the beat of the music. We weren’t in sync at all.
And then I had a thought.
What if I just went with it? What if I let him lead regardless of whether he was moving in the direction or timing I thought he should be? What if I just matched his moves?
I slipped into his arms. When he was off tempo, I moved off tempo with him. When he sped up or threw in a funky and creative twist, I sloughed off my self-consciousness and matched it. Fifteen minutes later we were both breathless and having the time of our lives!
He didn’t become a great dancer in those 15 minutes, but I became a better dance partner.
In the book of James, we find a church out of sync. They’re quarreling and fighting. James exposes the heart issues behind this lack of unity — things like jealousy and being judgmental with each other — but then issues an invitation: "Come close to God, and God will come close to you" (James 4:8a).
It was a move that had the power to bring them back into harmony.
Many times we might feel out of sync as well. It could be another person, or even God, causing our hearts to struggle. We pray He will change someone else, change our circumstances or that at least change the way we feel.
James’ invitation is for us, as well. Come close to God and He’ll come close to you.
Listen closely for the rhythm of His leading. It might feel uncomfortable in the beginning. His timing in your circumstances might feel quicker or slower than you planned. His instructions might conflict with how you expected Him to answer.
But there’s a gift found when you let God take the lead. You start to understand His rhythm in your life and in your thoughts. Your will begins to align with His.
Whatever You say, Lord, I’ll listen.
Wherever You are leading, Father, I’ll go.
Whatever You ask me to do, I’ll do it.
Wherever You are leading, Father, I’ll go.
Whatever You ask me to do, I’ll do it.
You rediscover how to trust and depend on Him. You start to go against how you feel to choose what leads you into compassion or wisdom, rather than anger or jealousy or words that cause harm.
Dance with Me.
That’s our invitation from a God who knows exactly what He wants to do inside of you, in those trying circumstances, within that relationship or in that hard place.
Until the other night, if you’d asked me about Richard’s dancing, I would have said his lack of rhythm was the problem. But now I know that I was listening to the wrong beat all along.
Lord, I’ve been out of sync with You. Thank You for your invitation to come to You. I’m holding out my arms and aligning my moves with Yours. Help me trust and depend on You completely. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Sufficient Grace
2 Corinthians 12:7-10I thought the Christian life was going to be easier than this. Have these words ever entered your mind? Sometimes we come into the family of God thinking that our heavenly Father will fix all our problems and devote Himself to our happiness and comfort. However, that is not the reality portrayed in Scripture. Paul was a man whom the Lord used greatly, and yet his life was anything but easy.
In fact, at one point, the apostle thought his pain was too much to bear, and he begged God to remove it. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Lord to relieve our suffering, but what should our response be if He doesn’t? Paul probably had no idea that His experience would find its way into the Bible, to comfort and guide believers throughout the ages. The promise God gave him applies to us as well: “My grace is sufficient for you†(v. 9).
God’s grace could be defined as His provision for us at the point of our need. The problem is that sometimes it doesn’t seem as if the Lord truly is meeting our need. But He frequently sees deficiencies, outcomes, and complications that we don’t. His goals for us involve spiritual growth, the development of Christlike character, and strong faith. And trials play a vital role in achieving these.
The important issue is how we respond. If all you want is relief, you could descend into anger and doubt. But if your desire is to become the person God wants you to be, you’ll see each trial as an opportunity for Christ to display His character and strength in you.
The Power of a Discerning Spirit Hebrews 5:11-14
In a world filled with endless sources of information and opinions, believers need to develop a discerning spirit. Otherwise, how will we know what is true? Much of what we see and hear is based on a worldly perspective that is influenced by Satan, the Father of Lies. Deception is found even in the religious realm: cults mix lies with enough truth to make some people consider them legitimate Christian institutions.
The only way believers can guard against deception is to ground themselves in God's Word. The more time you spend filling your mind with the Lord's thoughts, the more discerning you will be. However, just knowing biblical truth isn't enough. You must put what you learn into practice so that it becomes more than head knowledge.
The goal is to let God's Word become such an integral part of your thinking that it guides all your decisions. Even if the situation you're facing isn't specifically addressed in the Bible, scriptural principles provide the needed wisdom for every choice. In addition, the Holy Spirit was given to each believer as a Helper, whose job is to guide you into all the truth (John 14:26; 16:13). However, your responsibility is to put God's Word into your mind so that He can bring it to your remembrance. If you neglect the Word, you'll lack discernment.
What are you allowing into your mind? Is Scripture high in your priorities? Unless you're careful, worldly thinking will overpower spiritual discernment. It's difficult to keep God's perspective in the forefront if you spend two or three hours in front of the television and only ten minutes in the Bible.
Victory Over Guilt
John 3:16-17
At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.
Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.
Confronting guilt in this way replaces the weight of shame in our heart with peace and joy, which are far lighter and more freeing. And an amazing side effect is that we have wisdom to share. Openness about our past mistakes, resulting consequences, guilt burdens, and forgiveness can reveal the Lord to those in our sphere of influence. Through our witness, God may reach others who need their guilt chains broken.
The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.
Understanding Guilt
John 8:1-11
Guilt over doing something that violates the conscience is a normal emotion. However, living under a cloud of remorse for no discernible reason is not. The Lord designed feelings of culpability and regret to serve as a reminder that a person has done wrong and needs to repent. But Satan twists those emotions to imprison men and women: those living in shame are uncertain of God's love and often lack self-confidence.
Good guilt--the Lord's effective tool for prompting repentance--is a gift that helps us find the right path. However, the Devil encourages false guilt, which involves taking responsibility for things outside our control and then suffering self-condemnation for not changing the outcome. This unhealthy type of guilt is also a widespread problem for those in legalistic churches or lifestyles--certain behaviors or thoughts are labeled as wrong, and then people feel ashamed for doing or thinking those things.
Self-condemnation stunts a relationship with Jesus. Instead of enjoying the peace of God, people who are trapped by shame fear His rejection and feel driven to prove their worth. Trust is nearly impossible because they are waiting for God's judgment to rain down. Their guilt even colors how they see themselves: rather than saying, "My action is wrong," they say, "I am bad."
Jesus did not come to accuse or condemn us. Christ restored our souls and made us righteous before God so that our guilt is removed. If our Savior forgave the woman caught in an adulterous relationship, just imagine how ready He is to take your shame away too (John 8:11).
Victory Over Unforgiveness
Daniel 6
Immediately after teaching His followers to pray, Jesus gave a warning about allowing unforgiveness to reside in the heart. He said that those who refuse to forgive others won't be forgiven by the Father.
Do not misunderstand Jesus' meaning here. Believers don't lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their unrepentant attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. The Lord cannot ignore sin, and His Spirit will bring wrong behavior to the believer's attention until he or she deals with it.
Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Often people don't feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them. But a resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. The Lord knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult.
You won't deal with a sin until you see it as God does. So assume full responsibility for your unforgiving attitude, and acknowledge that it is a violation of His Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against the other person(s). As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude.
A bitter and resentful spirit doesn't fit who we are in Christ. Nor is it healthy to carry an angry attitude through life. That's why Scripture emphasizes the need to forgive. Choose to be liberated from your burden--Jesus promised to make us free when we release our sins to Him (John 8:36).
The Sleeper
“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.†(Ephesians 5:14)
The message in our text provides an attention-getting warning to those who claim to be Christians but indulge in or even allow the evil practices of Ephesians 5:3-7. A Christian does not, and indeed cannot, live a life of fornication, or uncleanness, or covetousness, or filthiness, or foolish talking, or jesting (vv. 3-4), for no such person “hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God . . . for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience†(vv. 5-6). Those who practice such things are “fools†(v. 15).
While we as Christians must always be willing to bring the saving message of God’s grace to the sinner, we must not be “partakers with them†(v. 7) in their sins and indeed must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness†(v. 11). Instead, we must “reprove them†(v. 11), pointing out the consequences of their actions and focusing their attention on Christ, who “hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour†(v. 2) in payment of their penalty. All that must be done is to accept this forgiveness. In doing so, we who are “light in the Lord†(v. 8) will shed light in their darkness, for “all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light†(v. 13).
As children of the light (v. 8), our lives must exhibit the “fruit of the Spirit . . . goodness and righteousness and truth†(v. 9). We must prove “what is acceptable unto the Lord†(v. 10), “walk[ing] circumspectly, . . . wise[ly]†(v. 15), “redeeming the time, because the days are evil†(v. 16). The sleeper in our text, whether he be an unbeliever or a professing Christian, is “asleepâ€â€”locked in moral insensibility. “Awake, Sleeper!†Paul would say, “and accept the God-given remedy for your plight!†JDM
In a world filled with endless sources of information and opinions, believers need to develop a discerning spirit. Otherwise, how will we know what is true? Much of what we see and hear is based on a worldly perspective that is influenced by Satan, the Father of Lies. Deception is found even in the religious realm: cults mix lies with enough truth to make some people consider them legitimate Christian institutions.
The only way believers can guard against deception is to ground themselves in God's Word. The more time you spend filling your mind with the Lord's thoughts, the more discerning you will be. However, just knowing biblical truth isn't enough. You must put what you learn into practice so that it becomes more than head knowledge.
The goal is to let God's Word become such an integral part of your thinking that it guides all your decisions. Even if the situation you're facing isn't specifically addressed in the Bible, scriptural principles provide the needed wisdom for every choice. In addition, the Holy Spirit was given to each believer as a Helper, whose job is to guide you into all the truth (John 14:26; 16:13). However, your responsibility is to put God's Word into your mind so that He can bring it to your remembrance. If you neglect the Word, you'll lack discernment.
What are you allowing into your mind? Is Scripture high in your priorities? Unless you're careful, worldly thinking will overpower spiritual discernment. It's difficult to keep God's perspective in the forefront if you spend two or three hours in front of the television and only ten minutes in the Bible.
Victory Over Guilt
John 3:16-17
At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.
Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.
Confronting guilt in this way replaces the weight of shame in our heart with peace and joy, which are far lighter and more freeing. And an amazing side effect is that we have wisdom to share. Openness about our past mistakes, resulting consequences, guilt burdens, and forgiveness can reveal the Lord to those in our sphere of influence. Through our witness, God may reach others who need their guilt chains broken.
The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.
Understanding Guilt
John 8:1-11
Guilt over doing something that violates the conscience is a normal emotion. However, living under a cloud of remorse for no discernible reason is not. The Lord designed feelings of culpability and regret to serve as a reminder that a person has done wrong and needs to repent. But Satan twists those emotions to imprison men and women: those living in shame are uncertain of God's love and often lack self-confidence.
Good guilt--the Lord's effective tool for prompting repentance--is a gift that helps us find the right path. However, the Devil encourages false guilt, which involves taking responsibility for things outside our control and then suffering self-condemnation for not changing the outcome. This unhealthy type of guilt is also a widespread problem for those in legalistic churches or lifestyles--certain behaviors or thoughts are labeled as wrong, and then people feel ashamed for doing or thinking those things.
Self-condemnation stunts a relationship with Jesus. Instead of enjoying the peace of God, people who are trapped by shame fear His rejection and feel driven to prove their worth. Trust is nearly impossible because they are waiting for God's judgment to rain down. Their guilt even colors how they see themselves: rather than saying, "My action is wrong," they say, "I am bad."
Jesus did not come to accuse or condemn us. Christ restored our souls and made us righteous before God so that our guilt is removed. If our Savior forgave the woman caught in an adulterous relationship, just imagine how ready He is to take your shame away too (John 8:11).
Victory Over Unforgiveness
Daniel 6
Immediately after teaching His followers to pray, Jesus gave a warning about allowing unforgiveness to reside in the heart. He said that those who refuse to forgive others won't be forgiven by the Father.
Do not misunderstand Jesus' meaning here. Believers don't lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their unrepentant attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. The Lord cannot ignore sin, and His Spirit will bring wrong behavior to the believer's attention until he or she deals with it.
Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Often people don't feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them. But a resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. The Lord knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult.
You won't deal with a sin until you see it as God does. So assume full responsibility for your unforgiving attitude, and acknowledge that it is a violation of His Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against the other person(s). As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude.
A bitter and resentful spirit doesn't fit who we are in Christ. Nor is it healthy to carry an angry attitude through life. That's why Scripture emphasizes the need to forgive. Choose to be liberated from your burden--Jesus promised to make us free when we release our sins to Him (John 8:36).
The Sleeper
“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.†(Ephesians 5:14)
Maker and Owner
“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.†(Jeremiah 27:5)
“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.†(Jeremiah 27:5)
“The earth, the man and the beast†are the three entities which God is said to have “created†(Hebrew bara—note Genesis 1:1, 21, 27) in the Genesis account of creation. However, they are also said in Genesis to have been “made†(Hebrew asah—note Genesis 1:25-26; 2:4), and that is the emphasis in our text above. Of course, both aspects were accomplished in the six days of creation week, after which God “rested from all his work which God created and made†(Genesis 2:3). This statement makes it abundantly plain that the present processes of nature do not “create†(call into existence out of nothing) or “make†(build up into more complex forms) anything, as our modern theistic evolutionists and evangelical uniformitarians allege. God has rested from both of these works, except in occasional miraculous intervention in the present laws and processes of “nature.â€
Now, because God did create and make all things, He also “owns†all things. “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof†(Psalm 24:1). “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills†(Psalm 50:10). “The LORD hath made all things for himself†(Proverbs 16:4).
Therefore, all that we possess—as individuals or as nations—has simply been entrusted to us as God’s stewards, and “every one of us shall give account of himself to God†(Romans 14:12). Without a doubt this accounting will be of our handling of our goods, our minds, and our opportunities, among others. For “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful†(1 Corinthians 4:2). Let us be thankful—not covetous; and industrious—not slothful; in everything He has entrusted to us. HMM
Business Structure: Servants
“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.†(Colossians 3:22)
“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.†(Colossians 3:22)
Most of the world accepted slavery as ordinary social strata for much of recorded history. Slavery was certainly normal during the time of Roman domination and therefore public routine when the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church.
The most common term (and the term most often used by the apostles) is doulos, a bondslave, purchased by an owner and viewed as property under the legal system of Rome. Many of the biblical instructions are given to the doulos of a household or business enterprise.
The English word “employee†of today is essentially the same as the servant of biblical times. The “master†of today purchases service with wages rather than buying the life of the “servant†from a slave broker. The biblical instructions to employees are just as valid today as they were to the doulos of Bible times.
- “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers†(Ephesians 6:5-6).
- “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour†(1 Timothy 6:1).
- “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward†(1 Peter 2:18).
All similar commands insist that a godly doulos should give the same effort and same quality to his employer as he would to the Lord Jesus. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness†(Romans 6:17-18). HMM III
Watch in Prayer
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.†(Colossians 4:2-3)
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.†(Colossians 4:2-3)
This strong command is composed of two very similar Greek terms—gregoreuo, meaning “vigilant†or “alert,†and agrupneo, meaning “be awake.†A similar emphasis is at the end of the classic passage identifying the armor of God: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints†(Ephesians 6:18).
Our watching must also be with a conscious attitude of thanksgiving during “every remembrance†of each other (Philippians 1:3), particularly since the intercessory request should be focused on asking our Lord Jesus to provide an open door (Revelation 3:8). The Lord is indeed the One who opens the door, but the process for obtaining His action is recorded in Luke 11:9-11. We must ask for the gift of the open door, seek to find the door that He is opening, and then knock once we are at the door that He is ready to open for us.
However, as Paul notes, when the Lord opens a “door of utterance,†the spoken Word of God conveys the power of God—and that message and its power will bring the attention of the Enemy. “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries†(1 Corinthians 16:9).
Any fear that might lurk in our minds should be overridden by the necessity to be spokesmen for this wonderful “mystery of Christ.†There is no “salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved†(Acts 4:12). HMM III
Redeem the Time
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.†(Colossians 4:5-6)
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.†(Colossians 4:5-6)
Time is the most precious resource available to us. Obviously, it becomes available moment by moment, and there is absolutely no way to recapture what has moved into the past. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom†(Psalm 90:12).
Our lifestyle should be recognizable from the wisdom that comes from the “fear of the LORD†(Psalm 111:10). So much so that our everyday conversation should not be “in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual†(1 Corinthians 2:13).
“Every idle word that men shall speak†will one day be evaluated “in the day of judgment†(Matthew 12:36). It is clear that “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil†(Ecclesiastes 12:14).
That is why we are to “redeem the time.†The Greek term is exagoradzo, meaning to buy up or to make the most of time “because the days are evil†(Ephesians 5:16). Our speech must be consciously planned to “answer every man†in such a way that it is “alway with grace, seasoned with saltâ€â€”two apparently opposite characteristics.
Our words should be “as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones†(Proverbs 16:24), “but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it?†(Mark 9:50). It is the combined power that is important; “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear†(1 Peter 3:15). HMM III
Godly Examples
“Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.†(Colossians 4:15)
“Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.†(Colossians 4:15)
The pastoral epistles, which included the letter to the church at Colossae, were written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome approximately 60 through 62 A.D. Three cities (Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae) were close together and were near Laodicea. Paul instructs Nymphas to read the Colossians letter to the church at Laodicea.
There is a group labeled “fellow workers†(Colossians 4:11)—Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Marcus, and Justus. They were the men who ministered to Paul in Rome. There were also friends from the third missionary journey: Epaphras, Demas, Nymphas, and Archippus from the cities around Colossae who kept in close contact and probably supported Paul financially. Luke, the “beloved physician,†apparently joined Paul on the second missionary journey on the trip to Rome (Acts 16—the “we†passages).
Several godly attributes are identified. “Beloved brother†is used to emphasize the intense relationship that Paul had with some of these men. “Faithful minister†(a “deaconâ€), along with “fellow servant†and “fellow worker,†stresses the service Paul enjoyed with them. “Fellow prisoner†is an obvious identification.
“Labouring fervently†(the Greek word agonizomai) is used to speak of Epaphras (Colossians 4:12), who was always praying for the church at Colossae with great zeal. This and other lists such as the 16th chapter of Romans give us precious insight into the lives of godly men and women who shared the lives of key leaders and made their ministry more effective.
May it please the Lord Jesus to have us so named in “the books†of eternity (Revelation 20:12). HMM III
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