DAILY DEVOTIONALS:

 TheRock of Offense “Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains,and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.” (Jeremiah13:16) The figurative representations of Christ as the foundation rock of the great spiritual house of God (Matthew16:18; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6) and also as the water-yielding rock of sustenance in the wilderness (1Corinthians 10:4) are two of the great symbols of the Bible. But for those who reject Him, He becomes “a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense....And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken” (Isaiah8:14-15). Not only will the stone cause such a one to stumble, but Jesus said, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Matthew21:44). This figure is taken from the fall of the great image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet...and brake them to pieces” (Daniel2:34). All the kingdoms of the world were represented in the image, but “the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel2:35). “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word,being disobedient” (1Peter 2:7-8). Thus, the stone of stumbling, which is Christ, is also the Word, and it is deadly dangerous to stumble over the holy Scriptures. One should give glory to God before darkness falls and he stumbles upon the dark mountain in the shadow of death. HMM ------------------ FromDisobedience to Obedience “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.” (1Peter 1:14) A graphic figure of speech often used in the Bible is the attribution of character traits to parental inheritance. In our text, those who honor God’s laws are called “obedient children”—a term conveying the same sort of message as “children of light, and the children of the day” (1Thessalonians 5:5), as well as “children of the kingdom” (Matthew13:38). In contrast, note Ephesians 5:6: “Because of these things [that is, the sinful practices listed in Ephesians 5:3-5] cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” A definitive passage is 1 John 3:10: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Those who are “by nature the children of wrath” (Ephesians2:3) can, of course, become children of God by the new birth. This becomes the greatest of all incentives toward a godly life. The biblical terms “regeneration” and “born again” are widely misused today, but they represent wonderful, life-changing realities: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians5:8). Therefore, as in our text, we must no longer “fashion” ourselves according to our former lusts but according to our new life. “Be not conformed [same Greek word as ‘fashioned’] to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans12:2). No longer in darkness and ignorance, we now “have light” as the “children of light” (John12:36) and the “mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:16) as children of wisdom (Matthew11:19). We now have the very highest of all callings as children of God, and we must “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians4:1). HMM --------------------- Borninto God's Family “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1John 3:1) One of the most motivating truths of the Bible is the doctrine that we become sons of God when we are born again through faith in Christ. God then deals with us as a father does with his beloved children. We should therefore respond as obedient children wholove their father. The little epistle of 1 John has many references to this relationship and our consequent responsibilities. In the first place, “ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (2:29). “Whosoever is born of God doth not [habitually] commit sin;for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (3:9). Another attribute of our sonship is brotherly love: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (5:1). “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (4:7). Furthermore, each child of God should have a victorious faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (5:4). All who are truly sons of God will never lose that holy relationship. “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (5:18). This is because “greater is he that is in [us], than he that is in the world” (4:4). There are many such references in the Bible. All stress that we should reflect the character of the Father in our lives as His children. The glorious, ultimate promise is this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (3:2). HMM ----------------- Delightin the Lord “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm37:4) Psalm 37 provides cures for the fretting (Hebrew charah, “anger”) that comes in a spiritual battle. These emotions explode from the heart of the righteous saint against those who would dare lift up their hand against the Lord. This beautiful promise and command insists that we luxuriate in our Lord. He is the Lord of inexhaustible riches (Philippians4:19), and His inexpressible power is at work in His children (Ephesians3:20). Isaiah records God’s rhetorical question: “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isaiah55:2). God reminded Israel that the day was coming when they would “be delighted with the abundance of [Jerusalem’s] glory” (Isaiah66:11). Jesus also said, “How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew7:11). When we trust the Lord to give us what we need, is it any wonder that He who knows all and owns all will give us the desires of our hearts? If we long for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, why should we marvel when the King of kings grants our desires? The delight that we have in the work and ministry of the Lord is the key to His answering our “effectual fervent prayer” (James5:16). Simply stated, a human heart that is aligned with the beat of the divine heart will receive God’s bountiful answers (Deuteronomy5:29). HMM III -------------------------- SoGreat Salvation “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord,and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” (Hebrews2:3) One of the greatest words of the Bible is “salvation,” and one could expound its glories at length. Our salvation is so costly that its price was nothing less than the shed blood of the Son of God. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver andgold,...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter 1:18-19). Nevertheless, there are only three verses in the New Testament in which the word is preceded by an adjective. These three descriptive terms are, therefore, very significant. The first of these is the one in our text—“so great” salvation. The adjective hereis used only one other time in the New Testament, where it is translated “so mighty” (Revelation16:18), describing a cataclysm so great that every island and mountain will disappear from the earth! Unlike everything else in our lives, our salvation is unending: “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews5:9). Salvation is not merely the impartation of a better life in this life; it is everlasting life in the future life, in the presence of its divine “author” (or “cause”). The third adjective is quite different. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation” (Jude1:3). Our salvation is also common! This same word is applied by Paul to “the common faith” (Titus1:4). Basically, it means “ordinary.” Thus, despite the infinite and eternal values associated with our great salvation, it is also very common and ordinary! Salvation is for anyone, and whosoever will may come! HMM -------------------------- AnApproved Workman “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing theword of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15) Teaching God’s Word of truth properly and effectively is not play; it is hard work! The command to “study” means, literally, to “labor earnestly.” There are far too many unprepared teachers of the Bible today, not even to mention false teachers. “My brethren,be not many masters [that is, ‘don’t many of you try to be teachers’], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James3:1). A workman who has presented himself for testing and has then passed the test is an “approved” workman, and he will certainly have spent much time training in his profession before presuming to make application for a job. In this most important of all vocations,it is vital that the Word be “rightly divided,” for if, when the test comes, he cannot do this, he will “be ashamed” for presuming to engage in such a vital occupation without the necessary calling, training, or dedication. The Lord had to train His disciples before they were ready to start teaching the Word on their own. The apostle Paul also, even though he had already received the finest schooling in Israel, still had to be specially prepared for three years after becominga Christian before he was ready (Galatians1:15-24). The equivalent of three years’ full-time study seems a good minimum before one should presume to take on a regular ministry of teaching or preaching the holy Scriptures. Every Christian should seek to win people to Christ, of course, as soon as he himself meets Christ. He should also begin immediately to search the Scriptures (e.g., the Bereans, in Acts 17). But an “approved workman” needs to be thoroughly taught and to have studied in the Word himself. HMM ----------------------------- Fearlessin a Frightening World - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. �Psalm 91:4 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/fearless-in-a-frightening-world/- Listen Fear is an overwhelming emotion that can take hold of us, causing complete irrationality. Sometimes fear can be more devastating than the very thing we are afraid of. But God says that as followers of Jesus Christ, we don�t have to be afraid. Why? Because He is with us. Psalm 91:4 tells us, �He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you withhis wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection� (NLT). The psalmist went on to say, �Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. . . . Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying aroundyou, these evils will not touch you� (verses 5, 7 NLT). God will put His wings around us. He will protect us. And because of this, we don�t have to be afraid. However, what the psalmist isn�t saying is that God�s people will be immune to difficulties in life. There are Christians who have faced calamities and hardships. And there are Christianswho have been victims of crimes. Therefore, these verses don�t give us a carte blanche promise that we never will face any difficulty. Instead, they give us a promise from God that He will be with us, no matter what we go through. And He will see us through. Interestingly, the devil quoted a passage from Psalm 91 to Jesus during His temptation in the wilderness. Matthew�s Gospel says, �The devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highestpoint of the Temple, and said, �If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, �He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won�t even hurt your foot on a stone��� (4:5�6 NLT). The devil was referencing verses 11 and 12 from Psalm 91, but he took the passage out of context. He was attempting to use Scripture to say that Jesus could recklessly test the Lord withoutconsequences. Jesus, however, brought it back into context and replied, �The Scriptures also say, �You must not test the Lord your God�� (Matthew 4:7 NLT). We should not go out and unnecessarily endanger our lives. It�s a clear violation of Scripture and obviously tests the Lord. God has a work He is going to do in our lives. And until He is done with that work, we are indestructible. We see this illustrated in the story of the apostle Paul after he was shipwrecked.As Paul attended to a fire, a poisonous snake bit his hand. But Paul simply shook off the snake into the fire. Paul wasn�t affected by the venom because God wasn�t finished with Paul yet. In the same way, God will keep us on Earth and be with us here until He has completed His work through our lives. There are so many things today that can strike fear in our hearts. Yet aswe look at a frightening world, we can have courage, not because of who we are but because God is with us. --------------------------------------- Angelic Intervention - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. �Psalm 34:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/angelic-intervention/- Listen The world of angels is a vast, intelligent, powerful, invisible world of mysterious spirit beings. In the troubled times in which we are living, it certainly gives us hope to know there areangels around us, angels watching over us, and angels guiding us. But the promise of angelic involvement is only for the child of God. The Bible says, �For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him� (Psalm 34:7 NLT). Throughout the Bible we find stories of angelic intervention, and one of the most known stories of angelic deliverance is that of Peter, whom King Herod put in prison for preaching the gospel.Herod also had imprisoned James before Peter and had put him to death. The great apostle found himself chained to guards in a Roman prison, and it was a relatively hopeless situation. So, what did the church do when they faced this crisis? Did they organize aboycott of all products made by Rome? Did they picket the prison? Did they organize a march? No, the Bible says they began to pray. And in answer to their prayers, God dispatched an angel who literally opened the door for Peter�s deliverance. When we pray, God may send angels to bringthe answers to us. The Book of Daniel gives us an interesting behind-the-scenes look at angelic involvement in the prayer lives of God�s people. The prophet was praying on one occasion, and immediately, hisrequest was heard in Heaven, and an angel was dispatched with the answer. But while the angel was on his way to Daniel, an apparently high-ranking demon power opposed him. This angel sent from Heaven was unable to subdue this demon power, so the Lord called out one of the higher-ranking angels, Michael, and sent him to intervene and set the other angel free. Meanwhile, Daniel wasn�t even aware of what was going on. All he knew was that he offered his prayer to God. But instead of getting an immediate answer, he waited and waited. Sometimes, we pray for something that we believe is the will of God, something that we think God should do, and then we wait and wait. We might be praying for the salvation of a loved one,for physical healing, or for divine guidance. Yet we hear no answer. And we falsely conclude that God isn�t listening. But we never know what is going on behind the scenes. There may be an angelic battle happening, even while we�re praying. For twenty-one days, this angel was hindered, but finally, the praying prophet received an answer. This Old Testament account makes clear that delays are not necessarily denials. If somethingdoesn�t happen as quickly as we would like it to, it doesn�t mean that God isn�t listening. It just may be that something else is happening. We don�t know how many times angels intervene in our lives, getting us out of tight situations, protecting us from harm, and even speaking directly to us. They are indeed, as Billy Grahamreferred to them, God�s secret agents. ------------------------- The Way of Obedience - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. �Philippians 3:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-way-of-obedience/- Listen When people think about the way of following Jesus Christ, the way of obedience, many of them foresee misery and restrictions. Most nonbelievers view the Christian life as one of gloom and,worst of all, boredom. They tend to see Christianity as a list of all the things they shouldn�t do: drinking, smoking, partying, and sex outside of marriage. In a nutshell, they think the life of a Christian isno fun. Before I was a Christian, I felt that way. I thought Christians lived the most boring lives on Earth, always going to church and Bible studies and prayer meetings. It sounded about as appealingas having liver for dinner. But a person�s priorities change when they put their faith in Christ. And they find that as a Christian the opposite is really true. Christians have found that the holy way�the godly way,the way of obedience�is, in reality, the happy way. We see this illustrated in the parable of the Prodigal Son, a story about a young man who left his father�s house trying to find happiness, attempting to gain fulfillment from the things hethought would make him happy. Based on his actions, he apparently thought that nice clothes, fine food, and big parties would make him happy. Yet it�s noteworthy that when he came back to his father�s house, he realizedthat everything he was looking for in life was there all along. When the Prodigal Son finally returned, what did the father do? He said, �Bring the finest robe� and �We must celebrate with a feast� (Luke 15:22, 23). He gave his son fine clothes and finefood. Everything that the young man wanted in life could be found in a relationship with his father. Often, as Christians, we talk about what we gave up to follow Jesus Christ. But what did we really give up? For some, it�s an addiction to drugs or alcohol. For most, it�s guilt, emptiness,and loneliness. And, of course, there�s that ever-present fear of death. Thus, we could agree with the words of the apostle Paul, who said, �I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everythingelse is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ� (Philippians 3:7�8 NLT). Happiness is always connected to holiness. But happiness is not something that we should seek outright. Rather, we find happiness as a result of seeking holiness. That is why, even when ourDeclaration of Independence includes the phrase �the pursuit of Happiness,� pursuing happiness�in and of itself�is generally a futile search. Philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, �The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.� And another wrote, �There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting whatyou want. The other is getting it.� We find that to be true as well. Everything we need in life to be happy, everything we need to be fulfilled, is found in a relationship with God, our heavenly Father. ---------------------------------------- The Wrong Way to Search for Happiness - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. �Psalm 119:1 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-wrong-way-to-search-for-happiness/- Listen Many people today who are searching for happiness never will quite find it. As we look at celebrities with all their accomplishments, all their fame, and all their money, so many of them livemiserable, empty lives. They�re searching for something in the wrong way. Happiness is a by-product of holiness. You get your life in order, and happiness soon will follow. That is why nonbelievers never will know true happiness. They�ll go after the devil�s cheap counterfeits, which are shallow, because they have no deep well from which to draw. The world�sconcept of happiness depends on good things happening. In Psalm 119, we have God�s original design for happiness. We discover how to find and maintain holiness and, as a result, happiness in our lives. First, we learn that if we want to be holy (and therefore happy) people, then we are to walk in an undefiled way. Verses 1�3 say, �Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructionsof the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths� (NLT). But walking speaks of progression and moving forward as opposed to simply sitting still. So, if you want to be a truly happy and holy person, then it means that you should not only avoid whatis wrong but also embrace and actively engage in what is right. While Scripture tells us in many places what we should not do, it also tells us what we should do. Those who see the Bible and the Christian life as merely a list of rules and regulationshave not carefully examined the manual. Yes, God tells us what to avoid. Yes, He warns us of things that are perilous to our spiritual health. But at the same time, He tells us what to engage in and what we must do. The Bible tells us to �run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts.� But it also tells us to �pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace� (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT). The Bible alsotells us, �Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won�t be doing what your sinful nature craves� (Galatians 5:16 NLT). Those who are merely trying to avoid what is evil are missing it. There is more. It is not just what you do not do; it�s also what you do. We must engage in spiritual growth. We must engagein godly living. And we must walk in the way of the Lord. Yet there are many Christians who put in the bare minimum. They engage in spiritual pursuits only when it�s necessary, generally during times of crisis. When everything is going well, whenthe sky is blue, when the sun is out and the birds are singing, they don�t really have a thought about God. But when a crisis hits, when the storm clouds gather, suddenly they are calling on the Lord out of necessity. That is not the way to live. ---------------------------------------------- Deadto Sin�Alive unto God �For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: neverthelessI live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.� (Galatians2:19-20) One of the greatest doctrinal truths of the Bible is that the Christian life is one of victory over sin. The law of God has condemned us as lawbreakers (James2:10), but Christ died for our sins, and �ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ� (Romans 7:4). We should live in victory over sin, but somehow we still stumble. �If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.� The remedy for such lapses is at hand, of course. �If we confess our sins, he is faithful and justto forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness� (1 John 1:8-9). Nevertheless, if Christ is really living in us by His Spirit, if we have really been born again, then we cannot continue to live in sin. �How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?� (Romans 6:2). �Knowing this, that our old man iscrucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin� (vv. 6-7). The secret to making this doctrine practical reality in our lives is simply the motivation of gratitude. In the words of our text, �the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.� We already have the necessary resources: forgiveness, freedom from guilt, eternal life, and the indwelling Spirit of Christ. We must simply avail ourselves of His power, because He loved us and saved us. �Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord� (Romans 6:11). HMM ------------------------- WithYour Whole Heart - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. �Psalm 119:2 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/with-your-whole-heart/- Listen If you want to be holy (and happy as a result), then you must actively walk in God�s ways. But what does it mean to walk in God�s ways? According to Scripture, it means walking in the law of the Lord. And the law of the Lord is not something that we should fear or shun. Some Christians say, �I�m not under the law; I�m under grace.� Now, in a sense, that is true. As believers, we are no longer under the curse of the law, which we were unable to keep with ourown strength. But also understand that Jesus said, �I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose� (Matthew 5:17 NLT). We don�t keep the law to earn the approval of God. That, however, doesn�t mean we disregard it. It doesn�t mean that we say, �I�m not under the law anymore, so I can do whatever I want.� The principles of the law, the Ten Commandments, certainly still apply in our lives. The difference is we don�t obey because we have to; we obey because we want to. That law, instead of beinga list of rules that we can never follow perfectly in our own strength, is now written on the tablets of our hearts, as the Bible says (see 2 Corinthians 3:3). God�s rules become our delight. They become our joy. We obey them because it�s our desire to obey them. We don�t see these principles as restrictive; we see them as protective. It reminds me of the day years ago when a little finch landed in our backyard. I saw the little brightly colored bird just sitting there, and I walked over to it, expecting it to flutter away.But it stayed where it was. Then I bent down and held out my finger, and it hopped right on. I walked inside with the little finch still sitting on my finger and said, �Hey, Cathe, look what I just found in the yard!� �Where did you get that?� she asked. �It was just sitting in the yard.� �Well, what do we do with it?� �I don�t know,� I said. �It looks sort of miserable. It won�t move.� Then, I asked my son Jonathan to see if we could borrow a birdcage from one of our neighbors. When he brought one back, I opened the door to the cage, and the little bird hopped in and startedchirping. It was jumping from perch to perch. It was the happiest bird I�d ever seen. What I found interesting about that bird is that it enjoyed captivity. Some would see a cage as restrictive. But for that little finch, the cage represented protection that kept the predatorsaway. Some people look at the law of God and see it as restrictive, as something that stops them from really enjoying life. But it is protecting us from things that can harm us. It�s the way tolive life to its fullest. Thus, the law of God is something that we should want to wholeheartedly keep.