DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 11.11.23

 Tastethe Goodness “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye hissaints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” (Psalm34:8-10) Psalm 34 is an acrostic psalm, with its 22 verses beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequential order. It emphasizes the believer’s eternal redemption—both in deliverance from sin and in God’s faithful guidance as we walk through our livesin anticipation of our eternal home (Romans8). We are invited to put our trust in the Lord, since Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our Provider, Protector, and Sustainer (Psalm23). Moreover, His people are commanded to taste and see that the Lord is good. “Taste” is not a bite-size, taster-spoon sampler. Rather, “taste” is a full-size meal that completely spiritually satisfies. Believer, do you taste the sustaining nourishment of Scripture? Ezekiel ate Yahweh’s words, which were “in [his] mouth as honey for sweetness” (Ezekiel3:1-3). The result of consuming His words is complete contentment in fearing Him and wanting for nothing (Psalm34:9). “Good” (pleasant, pure, practical) is repeated four times for emphasis in this psalm (vv. 8, 10, 12, 14). Yahweh’s words of Scripture are good and “sweeter than honey” (Psalm119:103-104). We can conclude with the apostle Peter, who wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1Peter 2:2-3). Are you satisfied consuming His Word? Consider this an invitation to the feast. CCM --------------------------- TheCommon Salvation “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation...” (Jude1:3) The description of our salvation as “common” does not mean that salvation is “ordinary” or “normal” but rather that salvation is available to anyone who wants it. The term is translated “unclean” several times in passages that speak of items that are accessibleto everyone rather than specialized foods or ceremonies available to just a few (Acts11:8; Romans 14:14; etc.). Right after Pentecost, the Jerusalem church experienced a quick growth in converts, many of whom were poor and needed practical help. The bond of the new church was so strong that “the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neithersaid any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common” (Acts4:32). That is the sense in which Jude speaks of a “common” salvation. The salvation is available to all. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans1:16). None are excluded from the possibility of salvation—except those who refuse to believe what God has provided through the substitutionary death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1John 2:2). But this salvation is also necessary for all. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts4:12). It has become popular today to couch the gospel message in moderate terms, making the message appear optional or a “personal” belief system. No, it is the only salvation, even if it is “common.” “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, andthe life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John14:6). HMM III ------------------- Lordof Hosts “And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.” (1Samuel 1:3) This majestic name of God, “LORD of hosts” (Hebrew Jehovah Sabaoth), occurs almost 240 times in the Bible, first of all in our text above. It is noteworthy that Elkanah, the father of Samuel, understood this name of God better than did the wicked priests,the two sons of Eli. The name occurs only once in the New Testament, speaking of oppressed laborers crying to “the Lord of sabaoth” (James5:4). A similar name, “God of hosts,” occurs nine times, the first in Psalm 80:7: “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” The combined name “LORD God of hosts” is used about 25 times, first in 2 Samuel 5:10: “And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.” In all these 270 or so references, the name is used to emphasize the mighty power of God and His great host of angels “that excel in strength, that do his commandments” (Psalm103:20). Not only is God Himself omnipotent and omniscient (after all, He is the Creator of all things!), but He has “an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews12:22) at His call. Occasionally, some of these mighty hosts have actually been seen by men, as in the days of Elisha (2Kings 6:17) and at the birth of Christ (Luke2:13). There is evidently an angelic hierarchy among these heavenly hosts. There are the cherubim and seraphim (Genesis3:24; Isaiah 6:2), for example, as well as “Michael the archangel” (Jude1:9) and “Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God” (Luke1:19). However, the great “captain of the host of the LORD” (Joshua5:14) is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He, and He alone, is the true “LORD of hosts.” HMM ----------------------- Restwith Us “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to youwho are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.” (2Thessalonians 1:6-7) The Christians in the young church at Thessalonica, very soon after accepting Christ, underwent severe “persecutions and tribulations” (v. 4). The apostle Paul wrote to commend them that God had thus judged them to be “counted worthy of the kingdom of God,for which ye also suffer” (v. 5). That is, the kingdom of God was being persecuted when they were persecuted, and God would certainly repay their tormentors in kind. The believers’ tribulations were from men. Those who were being troubled would receive “restwith us” from God (“rest” here is a noun, not a verb). The Thessalonians must realize, however, that this righteous recompense—at least in its full measure—must await the return of the Lord Jesus. They must resist the temptation to repay their persecutors in kind if the opportunity should come. “Vengeance is mine;I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans12:19). They must simply continue to “endure” and “suffer,” so that “our God would count you worthy of this calling, and...that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (2Thessalonians 1:4-5, 11-12). The Lord Jesus Himself is our example, “that ye should follow his steps:...Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1Peter 2:21, 23). “In the last days...all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2Timothy 3:1, 12), and latter-day Christians may very well have opportunity to put this ancient counsel to the Thessalonians into present practice. If so, may God give us the grace to endure as they endured! HMM --------------------- Sanctified,Preserved, Called “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father,and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” (Jude 1:1) Although the Scriptures have much to teach about each of these precious terms, Jude is the only New Testament writer to use them together in sequence. This is also the only passage that identifies specific roles for the Persons of the Trinity in the lives ofbelievers. God the Father is said to “sanctify” us (separate, consecrate), but He apparently does this through the Holy Spirit based on the Father’s foreknowledge (1 Peter1:2). We are not told all that is involved, but our sanctification does include our “belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) and the “offering ofthe body of Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 10:10), who “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1Peter 1:20). Jesus Christ “preserves” us. The common use of this term in the New Testament is to “guard” or “watch” over something or someone. The believer is most often the subject of this verb—e.g., we are to “guard” our obedience to the instructions of God (1Timothy 6:14; 1 John 2:3). Jude’s use, however, highlights the special attention our Lord gives to each of us so that our “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23). The sanctification and the preservation come with the “calling,” the invitation that is issued from God to those who are “the called according to his purpose” (Romans8:28). It is a “high calling” (Philippians 3:14) and a “holy calling” (2Timothy 1:9), and once we are “called,” God will “justify” and “glorify” (Romans 8:30). The twice-born of God are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,an holy nation, a peculiar people; that [we] should shew forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).HMM III --------------------- Emailfrom God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. �Psalm 119:98 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/email-from-god/- Listen When we want to know the will of God, we need to look in the Word of God. The psalmist wrote, �Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path� (Psalm 119:105NLT). God never will lead us contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is the clear revelation by which we measure all other so-called revelation. It is the rock of stabilityby which we measure our fickle human emotions. The way we know whether something is true or right is by comparing it to what Scripture teaches. This is important, because sometimes even believers allow their emotions to get the best of them instead of basing their decisions on the clear teaching of the Bible. God speaks to us through His Word. We find everything we need to know about Him in the pages of Scripture. Jesus said, �Look, I have come to do your will, O God�as is writtenabout me in the Scriptures� (Hebrews 10:7 NLT). The apostle Paul wrote, �All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when weare wrong and teaches us to do what is right� (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). The Bible straightens us out. It shows us what is wrong in our lives. That�s why we need to immerse ourselves in it. And as we read the Bible, often we�ll discover a certainverse that speaks directly to our situation. We�ll find the answer we were looking for. Yet sadly, many of us won�t even open it. Let�s say that you�re expecting an email from someone. You think, �I just wish he�d write me! Why don�t I hear from him?� Then one day you open your email and see a message in your inbox from the person you�ve been waiting to hear from. But instead of reading it, you get upset and think, �Whydoesn�t he ever talk to me?� You need to open that email and read the message. Some Christians never read the Bible, but then they say, �God never speaks to me. I never hear Him. Why doesn�t He say something to me?� They just need to read the Bible. It�s our email from God, our message from Him. But the words don�t simply jump out. First we must open God�s Word. We have to read it. But rather than reading God�s Word, a lot of believers go to church, listen to a sermon from the pastor, and think it will hold them over for a week or two. Can you imagine surviving on one meal per week? That isn�t much. How about one meal per day? That is tough. We need to feed ourselves spiritually more often. We need more of the Word of God in our lives. But we can�t wait for other people to prepare it and serve it to us. We mustlearn to dig in for ourselves and read the Bible. ----------------------------- It�s Okay to Ask - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. �Jeremiah 33:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/its-okay-to-ask/- Listen The Bible tells an interesting story about a man named Gideon. God told him he was supposed to lead the Israelites into battle, but Gideon was a little on the timid side.And he wasn�t so sure that he was the person God wanted for the job. So he said to God, �If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight.If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised� (Judges 6:36�37 NLT). To put it in modern terms, it would be like saying, �Lord, if this is really from You, I want to go out in the morning and find dew on my car but not on the ground or anythingelse.� The next morning, the fleece was just as Gideon asked. Then he asked the Lord for one more test, saying, �This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it iswet with dew� (verse 39 NLT). The next morning, Gideon woke up to discover that God had again confirmed His word to him. We don�t need to ask God for dew on animal skins, but we can ask Him to confirm His word to us. This can come in a lot of ways. God can speak to us through circumstances aswe sense that something is the will of God and doors are opening for us. But we also must have God�s peace when we�re asking God to lead us. Perhaps there�s a stirring in your heart. You�re dissatisfied with where you are and sense that somethingnew is about to happen. And then, when you take that step of faith and find yourself in the will of God, He floods you with His peace. The peace of God confirms that you�re moving in the right direction. Colossians 3:15 tells us, �And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful� (NLT). God wants to reveal His will to us. But just as important as the will of God is the timing of God. Sometimes we have the right idea, but we�re a little slow about getting to it. At other times, we have the rightidea, but we�re a bit ahead of the Lord. For example, God called Moses to deliver the Israelites, but Moses was about forty years off. He had the right idea but the wrong timing. Maybe you�re in the process of discovering God�s will for you. Or maybe God has shown you His will, but you�re a little slow in getting to it. Or perhaps, like Moses, you�rea little ahead of His will. Know this: God has a plan and a purpose for your life. ---------------------------- Tandem Walking - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? �Amos 3:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/tandem-walking/- Listen It was a unique time in human history. Before God�s judgment of the earth by water, people were very wicked�so wicked, in fact, that God was sorry He made them. Here�s how the Bible describes this time: �The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistentlyand totally evil� (Genesis 6:5 NLT). Yet in the midst of this dark environment was an individual who walked with God. His name was Enoch, and he showed that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Enoch also was a prototype of a generation of people who will not see death but will be caught up to meet the Lord in what the Bible calls the Rapture. And we could be thatgeneration. The Bible says, �Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him� (Genesis 5:23�24 NLT). When you�re walking somewhere, it means you�re making progress. You�re moving toward a destination, going from one place to another. In the original language, the word the Bible uses for �walking� carries a lot of meaning. We also find a helpful verse in Amos 3, which says, �Can two people walk togetherwithout agreeing on the direction?� (verse 3 NLT). Together, these passages give us a good picture of what it means to walk with God. �Walk together� means walking in tandem or harmony. Think of a bicycle for two, a tandem cycle. If the rider in front is pedaling away while the rider in back is hitting thebrakes, that is going to slow things down. The same is true of two people in a canoe. They both have to work together in perfect rhythm. If one person digs in the paddle like a brake, it will hinder both of them fromgoing where they want to go. The idea is that both need to get into harmony. Both need to move together. And that is what it means to walk with God. As followers of Christ, we need to get into harmony with God. It doesn�t mean that God needs to get into harmony with us. But often we think that is the case. We want Godto bless the plans that we�ve made apart from Him. Jesus said, �But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!� (John 15:7 NLT). We like the second half of the verse about asking for anything we want. But let�s not forget the first half: �But if you remain in me and my words remain in you . . .� Ifwe�re doing that, then we�ll start asking for what is aligned with God�s will. And that�s what prayer is all about. In the same way, to walk with God means to get into harmony with Him. Are you walking with God today? ------------------------------- Exaltingthe Anointed One �The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORDshall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.� (1 Samuel 2:10) This is a remarkable prayer, uttered under divine inspiration by Hannah, thanking God for the miraculous birth of Samuel. It contains the first explicit reference in the Bible to the Messiah (�anointed,� in the Hebrew, is Messiah, equivalent to the Greek �Christ�). Hannah's prophetic prayer predicts the ultimate exaltation of Messiah over all the adversaries of the Lord to the very ends of the earth. Hannah also prophesied the coming of the Lord�s great King. Yet thiswas during the time of the judges, long before the people of Israel even began to request a king. In fact, the entire prophecy is the first of many similar prophecies throughout the Bible that look forward to the return of the Lord �out of heaven� to judge all nations, to destroy His enemies, and to establish His anointed one as King of the earth. There is nothing comparable to this prophecy in the earlier books of the Bible, but it is a theme often emphasized in the Psalms and in the books of prophecy, as well as in the New Testament. For example, note David�s great prophecy: �The kings of the earthset themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed ....Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath....Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion....and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession� (Psalm 2:2, 5-6, 8). There are many similar later prophecies, but it is significant that the first one also contains the first mention of Messiah, and that was from the lips of a humble, but devout, mother. HMM --------------------------- Learning to Walk with God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. �Genesis 5:23�24 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/learning-to-walk-with-god/- Listen Some people falsely envision God up in Heaven, eagerly awaiting the moment He will bring judgment on the earth. But that is not what the Bible says. In Ezekiel 33:11 we read, �As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked waysso they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?� (NLT). And 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, �The Lord isn�t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed,but wants everyone to repent� (NLT). When we look at our world and how wicked things are, we wonder, �Lord, when are You going to come and establish Your kingdom? Why haven�t You brought judgment?� The reason Jesus hasn�t yet returned is that God is waiting for more people to believe. He wants you to know Him, have faith in Him, and be ready for His return. The Bible talks about a man named Enoch, who walked with God. But it appears from Scripture that he didn�t start walking with God until his son Methuselah was born. Genesis5:21�22 says, �When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters� (NLT). His son�s name helps us understand why Enoch began walking with God. The name Methuselah means �when he is gone [or dead], it shall be sent.� God revealed to Enoch that whenthis child died, judgment would fall on the earth. And Methuselah lived 969 years. That tells us a lot about the grace of God. The revelation that God would send judgment when Methuselah died prompted Enoch to get right with God. And the Book of Hebrews gives us insight into his relationship withGod: �It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying��he disappeared, because God took him.� For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God� (Hebrews 11:5 NLT). Maybe Enoch said to his wife one day, �I�m going for a walk with God,� and he never came home. Yet he did go home�he went to his heavenly home. He started his journey on Earthand ended it in Heaven. Some people have the mistaken notion that God is very difficult to please. He is not. He loves us. He knows all about us. Our failures do not come as a surprise to Him. Hewants the very best for us. He is patient with us. His resources are at our disposal. Our lives can please God. We start by finding out what God specifically says pleases Him. And the Bible gives us some very clear truths that it identifies as things that pleaseGod. ----------------------------- Things That Please God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don�t forget to do good and to share with those inneed. These are the sacrifices that please God. �Hebrews 13:15�16 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/things-that-please-god/- Listen Sometimes we�re not in the mood to praise God. We might not be feeling well. We might be dealing with a problem. Or we might have just had an argument with a family member.And then when we go to church, the singing starts and we just don�t want to sing. However, our worship is pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:15 says, �Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to hisname� (NLT). That is why it�s called a sacrifice of praise. Yes, God can see our hearts. But God wants to hear it from our lips. It doesn�t matter whether we have any singing ability. Our worship pleases God. Another thing that pleases God is giving to the work of His kingdom. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, �I don�t say this because I want a gift from you.Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need�and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God� (Philippians4:17�18 NLT). Some people get uptight in church when an offering is received. Yet the Bible promises God�s blessing if we will give to the Lord. Jesus said, �Give, and you will receive.Your gift will return to you in full�pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back� (Luke 6:38 NLT). We cannot outgive God. It is a privilege. It is a joy. And it pleases God when we invest in His kingdom. It also pleases God when we are witnesses for Him. Every Christian is a witness. But before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with God. It is the overflowof our lives. For some Christians, it�s a big deal to talk about their faith. But if we�re walking with God and our lives are pleasing to Him, we will find that Jesus overflows into ourlives. One of the greatest compliments a nonbeliever can pay a believer is when they say, �I don�t know what you believe. I don�t know what it is about you that makes you the way that you are. And I don�t know where you get this special something. But whateverit is, I want it.� That is when we can say, �Let me tell you about my faith in Jesus Christ.� I came to Christ because of the powerful testimony of a group of kids on my high school campus who truly knew what it was to walk with God. Before I heard a sermon, beforeanyone talked to me about my need for God, it was their lifestyle that got my attention. Would your lifestyle reach anyone? People are watching you. Are you being a positive witness for Jesus Christ? ----------------------------------- Filled and Fulfilled �For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that yemight be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.� (Colossians 1:9) In this prayer, Paul sought for the Colossian Christians the full knowledge of the will of God. For the Christians at Rome, he prayed they might be filled �with all joy and peace in believing� (Romans15:13). For the Ephesians, he prayed they �might be filled with all the fulness of God� (Ephesians 3:19), and then urged them to �be filled with theSpirit� (Ephesians 5:18). He wrote to the Philippians, �And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; ...Beingfilled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God� (Philippians 1:9-11). For the Colossians, he alsoprayed for their �full [same as �filled with�] assurance of understanding� (Colossians 2:2). Together, all these prayer requests constitute an ideal description of a complete Christian�an ideal for which we should all strive and pray�both for ourselves and for others. Summarizing again, the list is as follows. �[Filled] with all joy and peace in believing.� �Filled with the fruits of righteousness.� �Filled with the knowledge of his will.� �Filled with the Spirit.� �Filled with all the fulness of God.� �[Filled with] assurance of understanding.� It is also worth noting that the Greek word for �filled� is the same as for �fulfilled.� When a Christian is �filled� with all these wonderful realities, he becomes a �fulfillment,� as it were, of God�s purpose in creating and redeeming him. His ultimate goal,of course, is to measure up to �the fulness of Christ� Himself (Ephesians 4:13). HMM ------------------------