DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 1.21.23

TheMighty Hand of God “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fearthe LORD your God for ever.” (Joshua4:24) The testimony of Joshua to the children of Israel as they entered the promised land reminded them of the tremendous strength in the mighty hand of God whom they were to fear and trust forever. This is only one of about 20 references in the Scriptures to God’smighty hand. Moses had often recalled how “the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy7:8). The first reference to God’s mighty hand is in Jacob’s dying prophecy concerning Joseph. “His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob” (Genesis49:24) Like those of Joseph, our hands also can be strong when they are placed in the mighty hands of God. Some may note that this is only a figure of speech, for God is Spirit and has no physical hands. Yes, but “he that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he thatformed the eye, shall he not see?” (Psalm94:9). God indeed is God of the mighty hand! The final reference to God’s mighty hand and the only specific reference in the New Testament is in the apostle Peter’s exhortation to humility. “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,that he may exalt you in due time” (1Peter 5:5-6). Our human might is only a vapor, but “in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isaiah26:4). Jesus said concerning His followers, “They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John10:28). HMM -------------------- TheHonest Use of Scripture “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such likethings do ye.” (Mark7:13) Jesus uttered these sharp words of rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees, who had encumbered the plain teachings of Scripture with numerous “interpretations” that enabled them to ignore whatever teachings they found inconvenient. The Lord Jesus Himself alwaystook the Scriptures literally and as of divine authority, and so should we. Furthermore, He taught that every word was true and authoritative: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew5:18). He also said that “the scripture cannot be broken” (John10:35). Skeptics may pose certain difficulties in the Bible, evolutionists may ridicule its account of creation, and sinners in general may try to wriggle away from its moral constraints, but the Scripture cannot be broken! Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me, and receivethnot my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John12:48). He Himself is the living Word of God, and we dare not tamper with the written Word inspired by the Holy Spirit. Christ, of course, could and did in some cases extend and apply the Old Testament Scriptures, because He Himself was their Author, butHe never questioned their factuality or literal accuracy, and neither should we. Nevertheless, many modern “Christian” intellectuals and cultists are following in the example of the Pharisees rather than that of Christ, “wresting” the Scriptures for their gain but “unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:16). God has spoken plainly in His Word. It is our responsibility to believe and do what He says. HMM ------------------------ VisibleLove “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1John 3:18) It has become popular for Christian organizations to cite this verse as their mission to help the poor and struggling peoples of the world. There is no doubt that God’s people are to give alms to the poor and represent Christ even with a “cup of cold water” given in His name. But this passage emphasizes how the believer is to treat another Christian brother or sister, and not about the needy unbeliever. The continuing message in this small epistle begins with our fellowship “in the light” (1:3-7), producing love that is perfected by keeping God’s Word (2:5), which in turn is necessary to abide in the light (2:10-11). This commandment is as old as the beginning(2:7) but also “new” in the sense that it now includes both Jew and Gentile (2:8). The vivid example of love is clearly displayed by the substitutionary atonement of our Lord Jesus (3:16), whose selfless and sacrificial love demands both sympathy and empathy toward our brothers and sisters in Christ (3:17). It also demands specific actionin “deed and truth” (3:18). Our precious Lord did feel for us, but He also did for us. The external action in addition to the internal attitude is certainly parallel to showing our faith by our works (James3:18). We must be doers of the Word and not just hearers only (James1:22). The emphasis on works by the apostle James is certainly in keeping with the apostle John’s insistence that the love for our brother be “in deed” as well as “in truth.” HMM III ------------------ HeavenlyCalling “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that areheavenly.” (1Corinthians 15:48) In a wonderful sense, Christians are just passing through this world on their way to the permanent home awaiting them in heaven. “For our conversation [or ‘our citizenship’] is in heaven” (Philippians3:20). Christ has prepared a “place” for us there (John14:2), and it is there that we have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1Peter 1:4). In view of such a glorious future, we ought to live not as those who are “earthy” but, as our verse says, as “they also that are heavenly.” We have, indeed, been made “partakers of the heavenly calling,” and so should always, in all we do, “consider the Apostleand High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Hebrews3:1), for He represents us even now in the heavenly places. He has gone “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews9:24), and we have, in effect, already been made to “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians2:6). We may not appear to be very heavenly now, in these poor bodies made of Earth’s dust, but “as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1Corinthians 15:49). As Paul vividly expresses it, the Lord Jesus Christ “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians3:21). “The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:52). Christians, indeed, constitute a heavenly people with a heavenly calling, even while still on Earth. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians1:3). HMM ------------------------ False Heroes and Fake Idols By Rev. Kyle Norman “Why by spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy.” (Isaiah 55:2) The other day I was shopping in our local discount store, the kind that specializes in trinkets not exceeding a few dollars. I found myself in the toy aisle looking at the various figurines and figures on display. As I spanned the selections, my eyes restedupon an action figure, a superhero. This muscle-bound superhero was dressed in a blue suit, with red boots and a red cape; a bright yellow “S” was displayed upon his chest. The packaging around this hero proudly heralded “Up, Up, and Away!” You may think you have guessed the name of this superhero, but you would be wrong. The name given to this toy was “Super-Heroic Man!” Super-Heroic Man is distinctly not the beloved hero of comic-book fame – but he looks the part. He is the spitting image of the well-known superhero, but at the end of the day, Super-Heroic Man is nothing more than a cheap knockoff, a figure wrapped in fakery and façade. There is a big difference between what is real and what is fake. That which is real has intrinsic value for us. For example, we readily accept the difference between the value of gold and that of iron-pyrite, known aptly as “fools gold”. Similarly, saltwater, while looking identical to the water of freshwater springs, will never quench our thirst. In fact, mistaking salt water for fresh water could be detrimental to our health. Whether it be in the realm of action figures, precious metals, or natural thirst-quenchers,the difference between that which is authentic and true, and that which is a lie, is significant. Why is it that we look for our spiritual comfort or healing in vain efforts or in human-bound work rather than the grace of God? Why do we find it so easy to turn to cheap knockoffs when it comes to our spiritual lives? Can false idols really satisfy? Dothey ever free us from our sins or liberate us from the spiritual weights that we carry upon our shoulders? This is the question that God asked the people of Israel as they struggled through the exile. Despite the many invitations given to them to turn to the Lord, to receive blessing and life, the people frequently chose to follow their own wishes. Instead of redemption given by the Lord, the people chose a façade of salvation brought about by false idols and fake gods. And time after time, God asks the most important of questions: “Why?” Why choose that which is insufficient? Why chase after that which offers no life and no freedom? Intersecting Faith and Life. When it comes to why people may turn to Fools Gold or Super-heroic Man, the answer appears relatively simple. People turn to these cheap imitations because they feel they cannot afford the real thing. The cheapness of the objects becomes part of their attractiveness.Why spend your money on an overpriced action figure when you can purchase one that looks the same at a reduced cost? And while this makes sense when it comes to commercial products, it breaks down when we think about our spiritual lives. This is because the true life that God offers us costs us nothing. Our spiritual satisfaction is given to us out of the bestowal of grace.We need not earn it, merit it, or purchase it. And because it is free, no matter where we are, or what may be struggling with in life, we can be assured that the grace of God is offered to us; here, now. When we invest our spiritual health in that which is fake, we ultimately pay a higher dividend. The inauthentic will never truly satisfy or nurture. Salt-water will never quench and the not-bread will never satisfy. And while we may, at times, feel thatwe are moving into freedom and life, in the end, we will always find ourselves suffering from weights that we do not know how to handle. Liberation is never achieved, and all the baggage that we thought we were moving away from still lingers upon our wearysouls. In the end, false idols and fake heroes offer no life, no healing, no redemption. But God’s invitation to us is to enter true satisfaction, a satisfaction that comes from a life rooted in grace. God’s love is constant and unceasing, freely offered to us in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life and life to thefull” (John 10:10). True life, and authentic soul-deep satisfaction, await you. And while this invitation is free, without money or cost, it does demand a response. “Come”, the Lord says. Come all who are thirsty. Come all who feel empty and lost. Come all who feel completelyraw before God. Come and receive. In fact, this grace-filled invitation closes the entire scriptures. Sitting on the throne of heaven, Jesus beckons us to come to him. In words echoing the prophet Isaiah, the Lord calls out: “Come all of you who are thirsty;let them come; and whoever wishes let them take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). ------------------- How to Find Yourself - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who lovedme and gave Himself for me. �Galatians 2:20 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/how-to-find-yourself/- Listen What does it mean to take up the cross? Sometimes people think it means that whatever is bothering them or plaguing them is their cross to bear. But that isn�t what Jesus meant when He said, �If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me� (Luke 9:23 NKJV). The cross symbolizes the same thing to every person. It speaks of dying to ourselves and putting God�s will before our own. Taking up the cross is exchanging our plans forHis plans. It�s when we stop trying to seek life and instead seek God. So many people today are trying to find purpose in life. What is life about? What is the meaning of it? The meaning of life, the purpose of life, is to know God. And the best life to live is the Christian life. To live it the most effectively, we must take up our cross and followJesus Christ. The Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford said of the cross, �Christ�s cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sailsto a ship, to carry me forward to my harbor.� It�s through death to ourselves that we find life. It�s through exchanging our plans for God�s that we find the best. We find life as it was meant to be lived. The apostle Paul said, �I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith inthe Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me� (Galatians 2:20 NKJV). When we lay aside our personal desires and ambitions, God will reveal the desires and plans that He has for us. ------------------------- Seeking God's Will 1 John 5:14-15 Parents train their children to do many tasks�from knowing which clothes match to handling money. Perhaps the most important skill we can teach is how to follow God�s direction. We are blessed that our omniscient and mighty Father is willing to make His way known to us. He wants to reveal exactly what to do in every situation. In fact, He promises this: �I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye uponyou� (Ps. 32:8). Let�s explore how to discern God�s will at each crossroad of life. The first step is to make sure that we have repented of all sin. Listening to God while holding onto iniquity in our heart is like using a foggy and unreadable compass. After confessing and repenting, we can ask for direction. Next, we should read Scripture regularly with a seeking, open heart. The Bible is like a lamp on a dark path (Ps. 119:105). Thelast step involves God�s indwelling Holy Spirit�the wonderful gift that the heavenly Father has given each of His children. The Spirit provides truth and guidance as we read the Word and pray. We should listen patiently for His leading, which is often communicatedquietly to our hearts as we spend time with Him. When asking the Lord to reveal His will, we shouldn�t expect instant answers. The discipline of waiting builds character, and besides, rushing the process may lead to a path that misses God�s best. Take the time to seek Jesus� plan for your life, rememberingHe'll provide all you need to follow Him. ---------------------- Muscular Christianity - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, �These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.��Acts 17:6 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/muscular-christianity/Listen Some Christians have been raised in Christian homes, while others of us have lived on both sides of the fence. We know what it�s like to live without Christ and how emptyand pointless it is. Then we made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and incredible changes took place in our lives. We discovered there is a God who loves us and has a unique, custom-made planfor our lives. We also discovered that becoming a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and having the assurance of Heaven. We realized that being a Christian means following Jesusnot just as our Savior but also as our Lord. The problem is there are people in the church today who name the name of Christ but haven�t discovered what it means to follow Him. They haven�t discovered that being a Christianis more than just saying a prayer and then going on their merry way. And sadly, many are settling for a brand of Christianity that isn�t biblical, one that embraces Jesus as Savior but neglects Him as Lord. It is big on self-esteem, but itis small on self-denial. It celebrates success but repudiates suffering. This brand of Christianity is not changing our world. The church of the first century, the church we read about in the book of Acts, transformed their culture. People described Christians as �these who have turned the world upsidedown� (Acts 17:6 NKJV). If our faith is not turning us upside down, then it certainly isn�t going to turn our world upside down. We need to get back to the Christian life as it�s presented in the New Testament, which was a muscular Christianity and not a watered-down, anemic version of it. We need afirst-century belief system, the kind the apostles lived and that Jesus taught, the kind that can turn our world around. ------------------------ Walkby Faith �For we walk by faith, not by sight.� (2Corinthians 5:7) Although today�s verse appears in parentheses in the King James Bible, it is a most important concept in Scripture and is the summary of an extensive passage that precedes it. Beginning with 2 Corinthians 4:8, Paul continually contrasts the seen and the unseen,finishing up with the admonition to �walk by faith.� �We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed� (vv. 8-9). Though we have trials on the outside, through faith we have inward triumph. �Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus...that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh� (vv. 10-11). Even though �death worketh in us,� that same persecution results in �life in you� (v. 12). Through faith weknow �that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus� (v. 14). �Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory� (vv. 16-17). �If our earthly house [i.e., body] of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens� (5:1) �that mortality might be swallowed up of life� (v. 4). The death and decay of this life will ultimatelybe eradicated. We know this to be fact, for He �hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit� (v. 5) as a guarantee of our resurrection, if indeed we have been born again by faith, the same faith by which we walk. �While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal� (2Corinthians 4:18). JDM ------------------ Passingthe Scripture Test �In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.� (Genesis1:1) Scripture begins with the historical account of the origin of the universe. The first verse of our God-breathed message opens with an unmistakable statement. In fact, Genesis 1 and 2 are so clear that even my four-year-old granddaughter comprehends without question that in six 24-hour days, God created everything. The Hebrew verb bara means to bring something into existence out of nothing. The beginning chapters of Genesis have been the universal confidence of God�s chosen people down through history until the introduction of the erroneous theory of evolutionand natural selection. In light of this, ask yourself a few simple questions. Do you believe Scripture is the authoritative Word of God? Do you believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis 1�2? Do you submit to Scripture? Some cloud the origins discussion with �modern science,� but this is not relevant to the question. True science necessitates verification by repetition, and creation cannot be repeated. Creation had only one observer, and He recorded exactly how He accomplishedHis creative task. Additionally, creation was supernatural�a series of instantaneous and inexplicable non-repeated miracles. Finally, the creation account is not to be messed with (Revelation22:19). How did you fare in the Scripture Test? Correctly answering means you believe in the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture and that it�s inerrant, authoritative, and complete. Incorrectly answering means you have a compromised view of Scripture. Here�s a follow-up question for all of us: If Genesis can�t be trusted, exactly where do we start believing the Bible? CM -------------------- Prepared to Pay the Price - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, �Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.� �Luke 9:57 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/prepared-to-pay-the-price/- Listen Some people start their new life in Christ with great promise but then suddenly fall away. Others start off with no apparent promise whatsoever, but they seem to gain strengthas time goes by. The Bible tells us, �The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit� (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NKJV). Nonbelievers can get excited in the emotion of a moment. Maybe they admire a Christian�s commitment, joy, and dedication, so they say, �I like this. I�m going to become aChristian.� But are they prepared to really be a Christian? Do they understand what it means? The Bible tells us about a man who approached Jesus and said, �Lord, I will follow You wherever You go� (Luke 9:57 NKJV). Matthew�s Gospel tells us that he was a scribe (see8:19). That detail may not mean a lot to us today, but it is significant. The scribes were authorities in Jewish law. They were the scholarly class of Jewish society. And typicallythey were teachers themselves, not followers of other teachers. So, it was notable for a man of this social position to go to Jesus and say what he said. This is what we might call a celebrity convert. If you looked at Jesus� ragtag littlegroup at this point, you would have expected Him to say, �Buddy, come on board! I would like you to stand at the front of the line.� Instead, Jesus said something that almost seemed to repel the man: �Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head� (Luke9:58 NKJV). In a sense, Jesus was checking his motives. We want the glory, but are we prepared to make the sacrifice? Are we ready to take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ? Are we prepared to obey God? ------------------------------------ Four Important Questions - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. �1 Corinthians 10:23 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/four-important-questions/- Listen There�s a common question Christians ask that may indicate a spiritual problem in their lives: �Can you be a Christian and still . . . ?� (Fill in the blank.) In other words, �Can I get away with this and still technically be saved?� Instead, what we ought to ask is, �Because I am a Christian, how can I best serve the Lord? What can I do to grow spiritually?� If you�ve ever wondered about what�s okay for a Christian to do, consider these questions. Does it build me up spiritually? Does this thing that you want to do promote growth in your Christian character? Some things in life can tear you down because they tear youaway from the people of God or dull your hunger for the Word of God. Does it bring me under its power? Some Christians say they have the freedom to do a certain thing because they can handle it. They can control it. But does it bring them underits power? Can they go through a day without it? If not, then it isn�t freedom. Do I have an uneasy conscience about it? There might be something that you feel uneasy about doing. It just doesn�t feel right. Romans 14:23 says, �For whatever is not fromfaith is sin� (NKJV). We�re all different. One believer may do a certain thing, but that very thing could harm you spiritually. Could it cause someone to stumble? You may have the liberty to do something, such as go to this movie or watch that TV show. But if it bothers another believer, be sensitiveto that. As Christians, we don�t live unto ourselves. We have an effect on others. All too often people who are interested in following Jesus don�t want to let go of things that will slow them down. We need to count the cost. ----------------------------- HowAre You Living? �But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away witha great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.� (2Peter 3:10-11) Peter tightly grips his quill, carefully writing his final words upon the parchment, as the sands in his hourglass of time are quickly running out. Soon neither his voice nor quill will serve the Savior again in his earthly role. Take a moment to ponder these last words. What kind of person should you be? If our Lord Jesus is coming soon, how should these words impact your life and way of living right now? He says, �What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation andgodliness� (v. 11). Notice the missing question mark even though it appears to be written as a question. In fact, �what manner of persons� comes from the Greek word potapos. Rather than a question, the phrase assumes �an exclamation of astonishment,� without expecting an answer. One person translates the phrase this way: �What devout and dedicated livesyou should live!� Therefore, these verses become a challenge to conform to the life-changing reality of eternity. If the glorified Lord Jesus is coming to take you to be with Himself, to deliver you from judgment, to present you with a glorified body, and to take you into thekingdom of eternal righteousness, then now is the time to begin living in the reality of this eternal truth. CM ---------------------------- Playing for Time - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then He said to another, �Follow Me.� But he said, �Lord, let me first go and bury my father. �Luke 9:59 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/playing-for-time/- Listen If you didn�t understand the culture of the day, it would seem rather heartless of the Lord to say what He said: �Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach thekingdom of God� (Luke 9:60 NKJV). Jesus had just called someone to follow Him, but the man replied, �Lord, let me first go and bury my father� (verse 59 NKJV). It would seem to us that this man�s father justdied, and he was getting ready to bury him. But that wasn�t the case. This was a Near Eastern figure of speech referring to a son�s responsibility to help his father in the family business until the father died andthe inheritance was distributed. So, when Jesus said, �Follow Me,� it appears the man already was a believer, and this was a call to service. It seems as though the Lord was calling him to a deeper levelof commitment. But this person was making excuses. He was saying, �I have to wait until Dad is gone and the inheritance is divided. I can�t make a commitment like that right now.� He wasplaying for time, believing that when his father eventually did grow old and die, Jesus would be long gone and he wouldn�t have to worry about it. Has God called you to serve Him in some capacity? Maybe He has spoken to your heart and said, �I want you to serve Me with the gifts that I have given you.� But you�re saying, �I would love to, but I am so busy here. I have this business. I have this passion. I�m a little too busy to serve You right now. I have bills to pay, funto experience, and family to be involved with. I just don�t have time.� Don�t be like this person and make up excuses. Respond to His call.