DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.6.24

 WaitingPatiently “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.” (Genesis49:18) This heartfelt cry of the dying patriarch Israel expressed his lifelong, but still unfulfilled, yearning for the coming of God’s promised Savior. This is the first occurrence in the Bible of the word “salvation” (essentially the same in the Hebrew as “Jesus”). It is also the first occurrence of “waited for,” meaning, essentially, “looked for” or “waited patiently and expectantly for.” This attitude of Jacob (Israel) has been shared by the people of God even to the present day. Significantly, the first occurrence of the equivalent Greek word in the New Testament expresses the same concern on the part of no less a man than John the Baptist when he inquired expectantly of Jesus: “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew11:3). Even though He has indeed come, bringing salvation, we still must wait patiently for the complete fulfillment of His promises when He comes again. It was the prayer of Paul that the Lord would “direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waitingfor Christ” (2Thessalonians 3:5). It is not only believers who wait for “the redemption of our body.” Because of sin, “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now,” and “the earnest expectation of the [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” whenit “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans8:23, 22, 19, 21). Finally, it is significant that the last reference in the Bible to waiting for something once again deals with the same promise. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude1:21). It may seem long, but the promise is sure. “Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews9:28). HMM --------------------- WhenGod Doesn’t Hear “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah59:1-2) People often complain that God doesn’t hear their prayers, especially when God does not respond in the way they would like. But He can hear, all right! “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?” He even hears our thoughts. “Thou knowest...my thought afaroff” (Psalm94:9; 139:2). It is not that God cannot hear, but it may be that we have not met the conditions for answered prayer so that He will hear. Probably the most important of these conditions is obedience to His Word. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,” said Jesus, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John15:7). But, “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm66:18). “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James4:3). There are other conditions, of course. “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James1:6). “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,” said Jesus (John14:13). “If we ask any thing according to his will...we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1John 5:14-15). Even if we do meet all the conditions, however, He may not answer immediately or in the way we prefer, and He might even answer no. After all, He knows better than we just what is best for us, and He will see that “all things work together for good” for us if we truly “love God” (Romans8:28). But, first of all, we need to check our lives in relation to His Word. Then, “if our heart condemn us not...whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments” (1John 3:21-22). HMM ------------------- Trustin the Lord “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” (Psalm37:3) Sprinkled throughout this psalm are various pictures that provide the assurance of God’s victory—not only in His eternal plan, but also in and through the lives of His precious saints. Trust is the most basic of the characteristics of our relationship with the Lord and sets the foundation for all the rest. The Hebrew word carries the meaning of confidence or boldness and is often used in such a way that it would imply we are to “gain support” and “lean on” the One in whom we trust. The expanded definition of trust is contained in Proverbs: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wisein thine own eyes: fear the LORD and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones” (Proverbs3:5-8). But merely having great confidence in the God of creation is not enough. We must “do good” (our text). The entire New Testament book of James is devoted to this theme: “Faith without works is dead” (James2:20). “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke6:46). “O that there were such an heart in them,” God told Moses, “that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!” (Deuteronomy5:29). If we would enjoy the blessings of God, we must embrace the plan of God. If we are to expect the promise that we will “dwell” and “be fed,” then we must submit to the instructions of our Lord, who told us to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew6:33). HMM III ---------------------- TheThree Appearings of Christ “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; butinto heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” (Hebrews9:24) Although we usually think in terms of two appearances of Christ, once at His first coming and again at His second coming, the ninth chapter of Hebrews specifically refers to three “appearings,” each involving a different Greek word. With reference to His firstappearing, we read: “Now once in the end of the [age] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (v. 26). The word used here means “to make manifest.” It is the word used in 1 John 3:5: “He was manifested to take away our sins.” His second coming is the topic in Hebrews 9:28, where the word means to show oneself visibly. “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” But there is also a third appearing mentioned in Hebrews 9, and this is the one in our text referring to Christ’s present and perpetual appearance on our behalf in the presence of God in heaven. The word here means “to inform,” referring to His advocacy onour behalf as our “defense attorney,” so to speak. Not only did Christ die for us; not only will He come for us; right now, He is interceding for us! This work of Christ on our behalf is vitally important, although we do not think of it nearly as much as we do His two other appearings. This appearing affects us right now, every day, and is of infinite value. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins” (1John 2:1-2). “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews7:25). HMM ------------------------ Signsof a Working Conscience - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. �Proverbs 14:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/signs-of-a-working-conscience/- Listen You�re never going to stop sinning as long as you�re breathing. But there�s a difference between being a sinner and living in a pattern of sin. And if you�re a true Christian, you won�t livein a pattern of sin. The Bible says, �Those who have been born into God�s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God�s life is in them. So they can�t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God� (1 John 3:9�10 NLT). For example, if you�re a Christian and start to contemplate doing something that is sinful, and you�re aware that it�s wrong, that is a good sign. It�s good to come under the conviction ofthe Holy Spirit. And if you end up doing the wrong thing anyway and then feel deep guilt afterward, that, too, is a good sign. It means that your conscience is working. Our consciences are like smoke alarms. The purpose of a smoke alarm is to alert us to danger�or the need to change the battery. In the same way, our consciences tell us that what we�re doingis wrong. However, you need to be concerned when you can contemplate a sin and don�t feel any conviction about it. You also need to be concerned when you can go through with that sin and don�t feelany guilt whatsoever. That means your conscience isn�t working. When God deals with us when we go astray, it�s an indication that we are children of God. The writer of Hebrews said, �My child, don�t make light of the Lord�s discipline, and don�t give upwhen he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child� (12:5�6 NLT). The fact that God convicts you and that He disciplines you when you have gone astray says that you are a child of God. If your children do something wrong and you discipline them, you�re simply doing your job as a parent. That is your responsibility. However, if someone else�s children misbehave, that is notyour responsibility. Their discipline is the responsibility of their parents. In the same way, God disciplines us because we are His children, and He loves us. Maybe you�ve been doing some things you shouldn�t be doing, and you�ve sensed the discipline of God in your life. Or, you�re feeling guilty. If so, rejoice. It means that your conscience isworking. When you don�t feel the guilt anymore, when you can sin again and again and feel nothing, that means you�re getting a hardened heart. The Bible warns, �There is a path before each person thatseems right, but it ends in death� (Proverbs 14:12 NLT). If you feel guilt for your sin, here�s what you need to do: Go to Christ. He will forgive you. That is why He died on the cross. ---------------------------------- Standing on the Liberty of God - Bill Wilson � www.dailyjot.com There are a lot of bad things going on in the world-the Hamas war, the lack of jobs, politicians releasing criminals that kill steal and destroy lives, the underhanded dealings of the IRS,government spying, giving Iran nuclear capability, celebrating debauchery�it all seems overwhelming. Each problem seems to be building on the other far faster than we can mentally process them. There are those who predict the end of America. Others say judgmenthas come. Still others are oblivious to anything but their daily schedule. But they all feel the frustration. It is like a demonic spirit that has engulfed our nation and is strangling its good sense. In this time, remember who you are. If you are a follower of Christ, the Messiah, then you know his promise. The entire Bible is given to us as the word of God, as is Jesus Christ. In Christ is our salvation and in the Bibleis instruction on how we are to work out our salvation here on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, �And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.� The promiseof eternal life, knowing the end game so to speak, should give us all the confidence to speak boldly as we ought to speak and having done all, to stand. Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 that �see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass,but the end is not yet.� Isaiah 54:17 says, �No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants ofthe LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD.� Likewise, Isaiah 33:14-16 says, �The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlastingburnings? He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that keeps his hands from the holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high:his place of defense shall be the fortresses of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.� As the LORD says, your heritage�your prophetic place�is in his righteousness and it is you who shall have a place of defense in the fortress of rocks, dwelling on high with bread and water.Do not be overwhelmed by the things of this world. As Paul said in Romans 12:21, �Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.� Let�s not sit around wringing our hands over the unrighteous, but rather seize our place in the righteousness of the LORD.You don�t have to be enslaved by oppression�it has no authority over you. So stand in that gap. Be that royal priesthood. Obey God rather than man for the night is far spent and the day is at hand. Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of lightand let your light so shine. -------------------------- Wayward Hearts - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org �My wayward children,� says the LORD, �come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.� �Jeremiah 3:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/wayward-hearts/- Listen When we hear the word backslider, we tend to think of those who have completely abandoned their faith and turned their backs on God. And certainly, they could be classified as backsliders.But there are also Christians who are backsliding and aren�t even aware of it. No one plans on backsliding. It often happens gradually. It happens subtly�so subtly, in fact, that you may not even know it is happening. The Bible warns us about backsliding and says thatone of the signs of the end times is that people will fall away from the faith. So, what should we do if we have backslidden? God tells us that we should return to Him. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, �My wayward children . . . come back to me, and Iwill heal your wayward hearts� (Jeremiah 3:22 NLT). God also warned, �Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not tofear him� (Jeremiah 2:19 NLT). And Jesus said to the church of Ephesus, �Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first� (Revelation 2:5 NLT). We might say, �I would never fall in this area,� or �I would never, in a million years, commit that sin!� But we need to be careful. That could be the very area in which we fall into sin. We don�t know how wicked our hearts really are. Jeremiah 17:9 says, �The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?� (NLT). We all have the propensity for doing the wrong thing. Like the hymn says, �Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.� So, don�t ever say you would never do this or thatbecause the fact is that you�re fully capable of that and more. An unguarded strength is a double weakness. When Peter denied Jesus, his first step down was self-confidence. He said to the Lord, �Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you� (Matthew 26:33 NLT). What moved Peter to say this was Jesus� revelation that Judas was a traitor. Peter effectively was saying, �Look, I don�t know about James and John, the so-called Sons of Thunder. And I�mnot sure about Matthew and some of the others. But I�m going to tell You this: I will never let You down.� It was self-confidence. The Bible says, �Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall� (Proverbs 16:18 NLT). Are you in a fallen state? Are you in the process of backsliding? You are going either forward in Christ or backward. Either you are progressing spiritually, or you are regressing. But themoment you put your spiritual growth into neutral, you will find yourself going in the wrong direction. Don�t rest on your laurels. Don�t live in the past. We need to be constantly growing as followers of Jesus. ----------------------------- TheHeaven of Heavens �But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; howmuch less this house that I have builded?� (1Kings 8:27) The term �heaven� is not just a general term for where the souls of the righteous go after death. The Bible actually speaks of the �third heaven,� the realm to which Paul was once temporarily �caught up into paradise� (2Corinthians 12:4). The term is also applied to the realm of the atmosphere and to the realm of the stars (e.g., Genesis 1:14, 20). In fact, the Hebrew word shamayim is actually a plural noun, often rendered �heavens� as well as �heaven.� The concept of �first heaven,� �second heaven,� and �third heaven� may also have another meaning, depending on context. For example, Peter speaks of �the heavens [which] were of old,� �the heavens...which are now,� and the �new heavens� that God has promised(2Peter 3:5, 7, 13) in the ages to come. The phrase �heaven of heavens� actually occurs at least six times in the Old Testament. Presumably, the �heaven of heavens� is where God now has His heavenly throne and to which, after His resurrection, Christ �ascended up far above all heavens� (Ephesians4:10) to be seated at the right hand of the Father. It is beyond all the stars and galaxies and presumably has no end. It may be synonymous with the third heaven (the extra-biblical literature speaks of a �seventh heaven,� but this idea is not in the Bible). Someday, however, the heavenly Jerusalem will come �down from God out of heaven� (Revelation21:2), and �the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it� (Revelation22:3). The heaven of heavens will be on Earth (the new earth) and we also shall be there�with our Lord�forever. Therefore, sing praises �to him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens� (Psalm68:33). HMM ----------------------- Our Greatest Intercessor - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Who then will condemn us? No one�for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God�s right hand, pleading for us. �Romans 8:34 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/our-greatest-intercessor/- Listen Sometimes, we look at our lives and wonder why God would choose us. But here�s what we need to realize: God doesn�t just see us in our weakness; He sees us for what we can become. We might see a lump of clay; God sees a beautiful vase. We might see a blank canvas; God sees a finished painting. Where we see problems, God sees solutions. Where we see failure, God seespotential. And where we see an end, God sees a new beginning. Maybe you�re thinking, �Well, I�ve failed horribly in the past.� The good news is that God can forgive you and recommission you. We see that played out beautifully in Matthew 26. In the upper room, Jesus had just revealed that one of the disciples would betray Him. They all began to ask Jesus, �Am I the one?� Then verse 25 tells us, �Judas, the one who would betrayhim, also asked, �Rabbi, am I the one?� And Jesus told him, �You have said it� � (NLT). Judas left, and then Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples. They broke the bread and drank the cup. And on the way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus dropped another revelation onthem: �Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, �God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered� � (verse 31 NLT). The passage goes on to say that Peter declared to Jesus that He would never betray Him, and the other disciples said the same. Luke�s account of these events adds a detail we don�t find in Matthew. Jesus went on to say, �Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer foryou, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers� (22:31�32 NLT). Would that alarm you if Jesus said that to you? Imagine yourself sitting with Jesus, and then He turns to you and says, �Oh, by the way, the devil has been asking for you by name.� �The devil? You mean like Lucifer himself?� �Yeah. That�s right.� You see, the devil is not the equal of God. God is omniscient�He knows everything. He is omnipresent and omnipotent�He is everywhere and is all-powerful. Satan knows some things. But he canonly be in one place at a time, and his power is limited. But he still is a powerful spiritual being. And for the devil himself to actually request someone is significant. Why would Satan ask for Peter? Maybe it was because he saw him as a threat. God isn�t the only one who recognizes leadership;Satan does, too. The good news is that Jesus was praying for Peter. And Jesus is praying for you too. Christ is in your corner. He is interceding for you. And because of that, you never will be separated fromGod. Without the prayers of Jesus, Peter wouldn�t have stood a chance. Nor would we. ------------------------------- CeremonyBecoming the Occasion �The LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.� (Isaiah61:1) �Philadelphia, July 5, 1777. My dear Daughter: Yesterday being the anniversary of American Independence, was celebrated here with a festivity and ceremony becoming the occasion....The thought of taking any notice of this day was not conceived until the secondof this month, and it was not mentioned until the third. It was too late to have a sermon, as every one wished, so this must be deferred another year� (John Adams, from Adams Family Correspondence: June 1776�March 1778, 274). John Adams made two observations that should be remembered today. First, the idea of �taking any notice� of the significance of the day was �not conceived� for some time, and second, �every one wished� to hear a sermon rather than hold a celebration. We havecome far! But note the Creator�s idea of independence. The text in Isaiah 61 is what the Lord Jesus quoted in the synagogue in Nazareth as He assumed His public ministry. �This day,� Jesus declared, �is this scripture fulfilled in your ears� (Luke4:21). God�s great liberty is of the spirit and of the mind, not merely of the land and the national population. The independence of Christ will heal the brokenhearted. It grants deliverance to the �captives� and new sight to the blind. The liberty ofthe King of kings and the Creator of the ends of the earth will set at liberty the bruised. Be grateful and celebrate the wonderful liberty that God has granted the United States. But pray, �Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven....For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen� (Matthew6:10, 13). HMM III ------------------------ HaveWe Forgotten? - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. �Psalm 9:17 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/have-we-forgotten/- Listen In the immediate aftermath of the unthinkable 9/11 attacks, we saw a dramatic return to faith on the part of many Americans. People were holding prayer meetings on street corners and gatheringin neighborhoods to hold vigils. Members of Congress stood on the steps of the US Capitol building and spontaneously sang �God Bless America.� On the Sunday following 9/11, Americans packed their local churches. People were trying to make sense of it, and they were turning to God for answers. There also was great concern that terroristswould attack again. So we prayed. But things didn�t stay that way for very long. Interestingly, just ten years later during a 9/11 commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero, not a single person offered a prayer. Not a single pastoror minister of any kind gave thanks to God for His protection and mercy since then. Have we forgotten that God came through for us? Yes, we want to thank God for our security and our experts who do their best to protect our nation. But we also have to acknowledge God�s mercy. At the same time, it raises a question: Whenwill America wake up to its spiritual need? The answer is not a political one. We�re in a political cycle now, and there�s a lot of talk about who will occupy the White House for the next four years. As Christians, we should register,vote, and find political candidates who represent a biblical worldview as much as possible. But at the same time, we must understand that no congressman or congresswoman, no senator, and no president can turn our country around. Not a single person can. It is not a political answer that America needs. It is a spiritual one. And the only real answer is a spiritual awakening. A spiritual revival must sweep America. God initially gave the following words to the nation of Israel, but they apply to our nation as well: �Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seekmy face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land� (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT). We want God to heal our land. All too often, we�re more focused on who is in the White House than what�s going on in God�s house. When God looked at a nation that was having problems, He pointed His finger at His peopleand said, �If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face . . .� So often, as Christians, we�re quick to point out all the problems in our culture. But God is saying, �You know, I have been looking at you�you who are called by My name, you who are partof the body of Christ, you who are in the church. And the question is this: Are you experiencing spiritual revival?� If we as God�s people want to turn a nation around, then we need to live as we should. ------------------------------- TheNature of Our Calling �Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to hisown purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.� (2Timothy 1:9) Our �calling� (Greek klesis) to follow Christ was not a matter of human decision and certainly was not based on human works, for it was issued in Christ before He even created us. In some inscrutable way, we were a part of His eternal purpose, andit was altogether by His grace. We were �chosen...before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love� (Ephesians1:4). Our calling is therefore a most �holy calling,� that is, a sacred calling to be consecrated and separated unto God. It is, moreover, a �heavenly calling,� one originated in heaven by our heavenly Father, centered in His divine will and purpose. In the Father�s sight, in Christ Jesus we are nothing less than �holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling� (Hebrews3:1). We should therefore be able to say with Paul: �I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus� (Philippians3:14). The high calling is not quite the same as the holy calling or the heavenly calling, though all are components of one great whole. The word translated �high� is only so translated this one time. It is the usual word for �up� or �above.� Thus, the prize toward which we press is the �up calling.� It is similar to what is expressed in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, where we are promised that one day all who are in Christ Jesus, dead or living, will be �caught up together,� thereafter to �ever be with the Lord.� He has called us before the world began, He is calling us daily to a heavenly walk with the Lord, and He will call us up to His eternal presence some day soon. HMM --------------------