January 2018 Archives
Deliverance Will Come
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Defend me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men (Psalms 59:1-2).
I was struck last night by how much faith and trust David had in God. Although he was a man of war, David did not use his weapons to extract vengeance on his enemies. Instead, he cried out to God, knowing that God would move on his behalf. There were times he got discouraged and thought God had forsaken him but, more often than not, he praised God for His greatness and trusted Him to answer his petitions.
I doubt anyone reading this has been relentlessly pursued by someone trying to kill them, but I wonder how many have given those who have wronged them over to the Lord, trusting Him to deal with the situation. Maybe you wanted instant payment for that wrong, so you have taken it upon yourself to get it.
I think of the widow in Luke 18 who petitioned a judge for justice. In spite of being persistently turned down, she continued to ask day and night until he finally relented. Verse 7 says, “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?”
I think many times our prayers aren’t answered because we give up too quickly. If the answer doesn’t come when we want it, we look for other ways to get what we want instead of waiting for Him to provide the perfect solution.
If you are asking deliverance of the Lord, whether it’s justice for wrong done to you, financial provision, healing, or anything else, I encourage you not to give up. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking, willing to do whatever He asks of you. He hears your cry, but the answer will only come in His time. Be patient and trust in Him.
Keep Moving Toward God
Notice that all those who have made a deep impression on the world, and have shown most brightly, have been men who lived in a dark day.
These words from D.L. Moody jumped out as me as I began my devotions the other morning. He went on to give Biblical examples of people who made a difference in the midst of trying times.
I don’t know about you, but I look at the world around me, and it feels hopeless. How did John Wesley and George Whitefield get so many to stand and listen to them preach for hours? I’ve heard stories about old-time preachers whose mere presence would move people to repentance. That doesn’t seem to happen today.
I ponder this a lot, and I still have more questions than answers, but one thing that occurs to me is that we live in more of an entertainment age today. I expect that there are few Christian leaders who spend hours in God’s presence, who will turn off the television to study their Bible and strive to obey it. Maybe the coldness is not because of more sin in the world; maybe it is due to more lukewarmness in the Church.
First Peter 4:17 tells us that judgment must begin in the house of God. We should be on our face every day, asking God to show us the things that displease Him and give us the strength to turn from those things. When you begin to see the world as people who are on their way to Hell, it should sober you. But you can’t help others find their way to God if you don’t know the way yourself.
For some, you may be so far from God that it will seem impossible to get back to where you need to be. Start with one area at a time if need be. As long as you are moving toward Him, you will find Him.
*Quote above taken from the devotional, They Walked With God, published by Moody Publishers. Copyright 1993.
Give God Your All
This past year, I have been burdened about the state of Christian marriages. I know of several couples that have split up recently, and it breaks my heart. This morning, as I read Jeremiah 3, I was reminded that worse than being unfaithful to your spouse is being unfaithful to your God. You cannot love the world and love God. One or the other will have your allegiance.
Thankfully, God is still willing to forgive those who bow before Him in contrition. He longs to be in relationship with you. And with God, you do not need to part at death. Your life with Him can be eternal.
I hope you will evaluate your goals and dreams, your activities and passions. Are you walking with the Lord, or are you living for yourself? Is pleasing Him important to you, or are you more concerned about pleasing people?
Happy New Year 2018!
Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope you all had a blessed weekend. I have been doing a lot of praying, and I believe my verse for this year is going to be Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” I’m still learning what it means to do justly, but I desire to love mercy and to walk humbly. I am convinced that, if everyone walked this way, the world would be a perfect place.
Besides studying to grow spiritually, I will also be working on my physical health. I am doing much better than I was a year ago, but I desire to keep making progress so that the setbacks are minimal.
One of my brother’s frequent hashtags is #ReadOldDeadGuys. A couple weeks ago, I found a devotional featuring excerpts from such old dead guys. I have already started it and am excited to be able to glean from their walk and wisdom. For those of us who are relatively young, time will tell what kind of a legacy we will leave. Those who have stood the test of time, who were faithful to God and family, who didn’t give the lusts of the world a second look–they are the ones that I want to learn from.
Have a blessed year continuing to grow in the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.
