DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 11.12.22

 NeverForsaken “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that dothgo with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy31:6) The promise that God will never leave or forsake His people occurs often in Scripture. It was given here through Moses to the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the land promised long ago to Abraham. Two verses later, it was then repeated personallyfor Joshua, who was to be their leader in the coming battles. Essentially the same promise had been made to Jacob as he began to assume his God-ordained role. “Behold, I am with thee,” God had said, “For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Genesis28:15). It was again repeated directly to Joshua by God. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua1:5). David passed on the same promise to Solomon as he became responsible for the kingdom and for building the great temple. “[God] will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD” (1Chronicles 28:20). “I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isaiah41:17) was the Lord’s promise still later to the faithful Israelites. And we can rejoice today in this same wonderful promise. “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews13:5-6). This remarkable verse has five negatives in the Greek, so that it could even be rendered literally as something like: “I will never, never leave thee, and never, never, never forsake thee.” Surely this is one of the greatest of God’s “exceedinggreat and precious promises” (2Peter 1:4). HMM ------------------ ForUs “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans5:8) “Christian” liberals for many generations have scoffed at the biblical doctrine that the death of Christ could serve as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Like all other religions, their form of religion assumes that each person isresponsible for his own salvation, which must somehow be earned by his own good deeds and religious observances. Some have a very rigid code of ethics, some talk of mental attitudes that ascend to higher planes through meditation, some emphasize only love,others simply feel that the good must somehow outweigh the bad. All rely on human abilities to gain salvation. Nevertheless, the Bible clearly teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans6:23) and, as our text emphasizes, “Christ died for us.” This pungent phrase, “for us,” appears repeatedly in the New Testament. Listen to this refrain: “[God] spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all” (Romans8:32). “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1Corinthians 5:7). “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Galatians3:13). “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians5:2). “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus2:14). “Christ also suffered for us” (1Peter 2:21). “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (1John 3:16). Hereby we perceive His great love for us! He was delivered up for us, sacrificed for us, made a curse for us; He gave Himself for us, suffered for us, and laid down His life for us. We were helpless, lost in sin, altogether unable to pay forour sins, but “Christ died for our sins” (1Corinthians 15:3), and we are saved! HMM ------------------- Whereto Bestow Our Wealth “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: Andhe thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?” (Luke12:16-17) God called this rich man “thou fool” (Luke12:20) because, rich as he was in his own eyes, he was “not rich toward God” (v. 21). Instead of choosing to bestow his goods on others in need or on any kind of ministry for God, he decided to build more barns, and “there will I bestow all my fruits andmy goods” (v. 18). The barns did not need them, however, and neither did the rich fool, for he died the very night on which he made this selfish decision. The intensity of his self-centered nature is pointed up by the fact that he used personal pronouns (I, my) no less than 11 times in three verses (vv. 17-19). Furthermore, no counselor advised him on this course of action. He just “thought within himself” (v.17) to keep it all for his own comfort and pleasure. Jesus told this parable not just to rebuke selfish rich people, however, but to warn all of us against the wicked sin of covetousness “which is idolatry” (Colossians3:5). “Beware of covetousness,” He said in introducing the parable, “for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke12:15). Complaining American Christians (and almost all American Christians are wealthy compared to multitudes in many other nations) need to hear the ancient word of the psalmist still relevant today: “Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of hishouse is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him....Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm49:16-17, 20). HMM ------------------ ChristOur Leader “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews2:10) The Lord never asks us to go anywhere that He has not gone before. He is the captain (literally, the “leader”) of our salvation, and we only need follow our divine leader. The same word is used in Hebrews 12:2, where we are exhorted to be “looking unto Jesusthe author and finisher of our faith.” “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1Peter 2:21). “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince [same word] and a Saviour” (Acts5:31). The same wonderful truth appears under various figures. He is our Shepherd, for instance, and He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” (John10:27-28). He also illumines our path. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John8:12). He guides us along the way by His indwelling Holy Spirit. “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth....and he will show you things to come” (John16:13). With such a dauntless leader, a perfect example, a loving Shepherd, a clear light, and an infallible guide, we are (or should be) happy to follow Him, even if the way sometimes seems steep and hard. He is the goal and prize at the end of the journey. For Him, Paul said, “I have suffered the loss of all things...that I may win Christ...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the markfor the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians3:8, 13-14). HMM ----------------- AskWhat Ye Will “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John15:7) The precious promise in this verse has been an inspiration to the faithful down through the centuries. It becomes even more amazing when attention is paid to the original Greek language in which it was written. Abiding implies a close personal fellowship with someone; in this case, the personal, loving Lord Jesus: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (v. 9). Such an abiding on our part will be evidenced by obedience, love forHim and for the brethren, and joy (vv. 10-14). Our minds and hearts will be in total harmony with His, guided by such a walk and His words. “Ye shall ask” does not carry the proper force in English. This is a command in the imperative mode in Greek—a challenge, if you will. He challenges us to “ask what ye will” (literally “whatever ye desire”) and see Him faithful. Desire speaks of something differentfrom need; indeed, it speaks of an “inclination.” He is not afraid we will ask for selfish inclinations, for if we “abide” in Him, our desires are His desires, and we will naturally ask for those things that glorify Him. “Herein is my Father glorified, thatye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (v. 8). Notice the word “done,” which in Greek stems from the word meaning “to come into existence.” God will answer our unselfish prayers, even if He has to transcend natural law or even create something to do so. He even challenges us to “ask” without hesitation,as implied by the Greek construction. If we meet the condition of “abiding” in Him, as a branch “abides” in the vine (vv. 1-5), He will place in us the desire to bring forth much fruit (v. 5) to His glory and to our everlasting delight. JDM ---------------- How�sYour Focus? - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org �Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.� - �Matthew 5:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hows-your-focus/- Listen What does it mean to have a pure heart? We use the word �heart� today to refer to our emotions. We might say, �My mind tells me one thing, but my heart tells me another.� We tend to equate the heart with gut-levelreactions, emotions, and feelings. In contrast, we think of our minds as more logical. The Bible, however, doesn�t make these distinctions. The heart, mind, and will are intertwined. Jesus said, �Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God� (Matthew 5:8 NKJV). This statement is part of the Beatitudes, and each beatitude connects to the others. Jesus also said, �The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be fullof darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!� (Matthew 6:22�23 NKJV). When the Bible speaks of purity of heart, it means purity of logic. It means purity of will. It basically means that purity is permeating our lives. It also speaks of thosewho have a singular focus, who know where they�re going. From the original language, the word �pure� could be translated into �single� or �without hypocrisy.� The apostle Paul wrote, �Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do� (Philippians 3:13 NKJV). And David said, �One thing I have desired of theLord, that will I seek� (Psalm 27:4 NKJV). He also prayed, �Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me� (Psalm 51:10 NKJV). Purity is having a singular purpose. When you�re pure in heart, you�ll have a singular, clear focus in life. ----------------------- Godliness and Persecution - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org �Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.� �Matthew 5:11 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/godliness-and-persecution/- Listen If you�re living a godly life, your very presence can be an irritant to some. The example you set is a rebuke to a person who isn�t living a godly life. It�s not so much whatyou do to that person but who you are, what you stand for, what you believe, and whom you follow that irritates them. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, �Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness� sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven� (Matthew 5:10 NKJV). Righteousness, by its very nature, is confrontational. Even when we aren�t preaching it, it confronts wickedness by its very contrast to it. Jesus pointed out, �For everyonepracticing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed� (John 3:20 NKJV). Persecution can show itself in a lot of ways. Sometimes, it�s through force. For instance, all the apostles except one died the death of a martyr. Throughout church history,millions of Christians have also died as martyrs because they refused to deny their faith in Jesus Christ. Even in the United States, we face persecution, although not on the same level that many believers around the world face it. Persecution isn�t limited to someone strikingor threatening you. It can also include harassment or even mockery. Maybe people have ostracized you because of your faith. Maybe you know what it�s like to lose a position because of your commitment to Jesus Christ, or to be the odd one outin your family because of your convictions as a believer. That, too, is persecution. Yet, what does the Bible say about this? Matthew 5:10�11 tells us that we�re blessed, a word that can also be translated into �happy� in this passage. If you�re pure in heart,merciful, and all the other things the Beatitudes list, then you�re acting like Jesus. And that will bother some people. -------------------------- The Safest Place to Be - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. - Matthew 8:23 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-safest-place-to-be/Listen When I read through the Gospels, I find it interesting how many times storms hit the Sea of Galilee. In a technical sense, Galilee isn�t a sea; it�s a large freshwater lakeabout thirteen miles long and seven miles wide. However, the perils in the Sea of Galilee are infamous. One moment it can be sunny and calm, and moments later, a storm is brewing. This is due to its unique geography. Mountainswith deep ravines surround the sea, which is well below sea level. The ravines serve as gigantic funnels that bring winds whirling down on the lake without notice. These gales, strengthened by a thermal buildup in the low valley, violently suck the cold airdownward. This simply means that it can be smooth sailing one moment and horrendously stormy the next. That was exactly what happened in chapter 8 of Matthew�s Gospel. As Jesus and the disciples made their way across this lake, a violent storm suddenly came upon them. In the same way, storms will unexpectedly come into our lives, spoiling our plans. Most of us don�t like storms: they hit with great force, and we don�t know how long theywill last. We call on the Lord to stop the storms, and sometimes He does. However, sometimes, instead of calming the storms, the Lord strengthens us through them. The disciples had no reason to panic that day because Jesus was with them on the boat. When Jesus Christ is in your life, you have no reason to be afraid. You�re safer withHim in the night than you would be alone in the daytime. You�re safer with Him in the storm than you would be in a quiet, restful place. It�s better to be with Jesus in any circumstance than to be anywhere else without Him. -------------------------- Peace in the Storm - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. �Matthew 8:24 The violent storm didn�t awaken Jesus, but the cry of His disciples did. In one sense, He was asleep, but in another sense, He was not, because the Bible says of God, �Indeed,he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps� (Psalm 121:4 NLT). This is a beautiful glimpse into the humanity and divinity of Jesus. What could be more human than sleeping after a long day of work? And what could be more divine than rebukinga storm and watching it stop a moment later? Jesus told His panicked disciples, �Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!� (Matthew 8:26 NLT). This verse goes on to say that Jesus �got up and rebuked the wind andwaves, and suddenly there was a great calm.� Mark�s Gospel adds that Jesus said to the sea, �Peace, be still!� (Mark 4:39 NKJV). A more literal translation of the phrase would be �Peace, be muzzled!� It�s as though Jesuswere speaking to a wild animal. Indeed, Jesus was speaking to Satan, who was behind this storm. The Devil was trying to stop Jesus from reaching His destination. On the other side of the lake, Jesus would find two severely demon-possessed men, and He woulddeliver them from their suffering. This reminds us that Satan is always on duty. He doesn�t rest. In fact, the Bible describes him as �a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour� (1 Peter 5:8 nlt). Thisis the reason that a spiritual battle will ensue when you try to save someone from Satan and bring them to Christ. The Devil doesn�t want to let his captives go. Jesus didn�t promise the disciples that the journey would be smooth sailing, but He did say, �Let us cross over to the other side� (Mark 4:35 NLT). In the same way, the Biblesays that God will complete the work He has begun in you (see Philippians 1:6). You will reach the other side. --------------------------- Demonstrating Faith - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violentthat no one could go through that area. - Matthew 8:28 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/demonstrating-faith/- Listen You may be surprised to know that demons and the Devil himself are neither atheists nor agnostic. You could even say that, in a very limited sense, they are quite orthodoxin their beliefs. They believe in the existence of God. They believe that Jesus is coming back, even if some liberal theologians don�t believe this. They also believe in the divinity of Christ, as shown by what two demon-possessed men said to Him when He arrived in the region of the Gadarenes: �Why are you interferingwith us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God�s appointed time?� (verse 29 NLT). Now, I�m not suggesting that the demons and the Devil trust in God. The Bible teaches the very opposite of this. It tells us that Satan is in rebellion against God and hatesGod and His people. The Devil knows that his days are numbered. He knows that his time is short. That�s why he goes out of his way to wreak so much havoc in the world. However, the Bible also says, �You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror� (James2:19 NLT). The demons and the Devil know that Jesus is powerful. At the same time, they acknowledge that something is true without believing in it. James shows us that we, too, can be quite orthodox in our beliefs. That is, we can believe that the Bible is God�s Word and that Jesus is God�s Son without this belief affectingthe way we live. James goes on to say, �Can�t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? . . . Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works� (verses 20, 26 NLT). If we say that we have faith in Jesus Christ, then let�s show it by the way we live. ------------------------- Createdto Rule the Day �And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night:he made the stars also.� (Genesis1:16) It seems that throughout history, mankind has ignored or distorted the purpose for which God created the sun. Many cultures have even worshiped the sun, teaching that the sun was the source of all being, even human life. Temples were built in its honor, humansacrifices were made to appease it, whole civilizations were dedicated to its worship. The nation Israel, which had lived among sun-worshiping Egyptians for centuries, was warned not to �lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and...[see] the sun, and...be driven to worship� (Deuteronomy4:19) under penalty of death, �for the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God� (Deuteronomy4:24). One of mankind�s primary purposes is to worship God, but the sun was created by God for man�s benefit. He is a God of grace and desires to �freely give us all things� (Romans8:32). The purpose of the sun is no mystery. Its Creator says that along with the moon and stars it is �to divide the day from the night...and...be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years...to give light upon the earth� (Genesis1:14-15). There will come a time, however, when the sun will no longer be needed by God�s people, for in our eternal home �there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light� (Revelation22:5). �And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof� (Revelation21:23). Best of all, we shall be with Him. JDM ---------------- Wordsof Peace and Truth �And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom ofAhasuerus, with words of peace and truth.� (Esther 9:30) The book of Esther is unique in that it contains no explicit mention of God. Yet, the hand of God is more evident in this book than in almost any other. It was after their remarkable deliverance from the genocide that had been contrived for them by Haman thatMordecai wrote his �words of peace and truth� to all the Jews, establishing an annual holiday to commemorate the providential winning of peace with their enemies, with the triumph of truth over evil and deception. This incisive though unusual combination of words (�peace and truth�) was also used by Hezekiah when the Lord promised safety for his kingdom as long as he lived. �Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?� (2Kings 20:19). Similarly, God promised His people delivery from their Babylonian captors: �I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth� (Jeremiah33:6). Finally, through Zechariah, God promised His people a future lasting peace that they were to commemorate four times a year with �joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace� (Zechariah8:19). Men have longed for peace through the centuries, but it continues to elude them. After the so-called �war to end all wars,� Armistice Day was established to celebrate the lasting peace the war supposedly secured. Now, of course, it is called Veterans Day�stilla day for honor, but hardly one of light and gladness. Peace can only endure in truth. Although God was never named in Esther, He was there! Mordecai�s �words of peace and truth� implicitly spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. There will only be real peace when men accept the real truth. HMM ------------------------ A Dangerous Lesson - by Greg Laurie � www.dailyjot.com Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might �Ephesians 6:10 Some people think they can take on the Devil. Maybe you�ve even seen some TV preachers mocking the Devil and calling him names. Yet the Bible tells us, �Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation,but said, �The Lord rebuke you!�� (Jude 1:9 NKJV). If someone as powerful as the archangel Michael would not engage with the Devil, then how much more should we keep our distance from him? James tells us, �Resist the deviland he will flee from you� (4:7 NKJV). In the book of Acts, we find a story about some men called the sons of Sceva who thought they were exorcists. By the way, there are people today who say they have the ministryof exorcism, but there�s no such ministry in the Bible. We find examples of demons being cast out, but no one was called to be an exorcist. In fact, the Bible�s only mention of exorcists refers to people who weren�t even believers to begin with. Here�s the trouble that the sons of Sceva got themselves into. They found a man who was demon possessed and told him, �We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches� (Acts19:13 NKJV). The evil spirit replied, �Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?� (verse 15 nkjv). Then the man attacked them and almost killed them. We need to keep our distance from the Devil. He�s a lot more powerful than we may think. Don�t play around with sin, and don�t play around with Satan. Instead, here�s what we need to do: �Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might� (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV). Before it says anything about putting on the armor of God,the Bible tells us to stand in the Lord and in His strength. It tells us to stand in His might.