Author: Chuck Musselwhite

Where Can You Be Found

Google maps is a great invention. Pull up the app on your phone, insert an address, and find the path of least resistance. There is one flaw. Sometimes the path of least resistance isn’t the best. I have used the map several times, and it has taken me to a service entrance or on a windy path that took twice as long. If someone was to look for you, where can you be found?

‭‭LUKE‬ ‭24:52-53‬

“And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”

After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples didn’t get into a period of mourning; they didn’t go back to their old lives. They went and worshipped Him in the temple. Their hearts were full of joy, and they made it a daily habit of going to the temple and praising God. In the Jewish culture, they regularly stopped working in the mid-afternoon and would go to the temple to worship. The Apostles used that time to preach the gospel at Solomon’s porch and worship together.

Are You Dead or Alive

Are you surprised how crazy people have become about zombies? TV shows like The Walking Dead and movies like World War Z have brought the obsession with the living dead to the mainstream. In all of these shows, the heroes need to determine if a person is dead or alive. If they are zombies, they must be eliminated. Did you know that before you came to Jesus, you were dead in your trespasses? You were part of the living dead, but Jesus in His great mercy made you alive!

‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭2:4-5

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

You have been saved by grace. That means you were guilty of your sins and deserving of the consequences, but God, in His infinite mercy, extended forgiveness, and your slate was wiped clean. This shows how deep He loves you. You were once dead but now have been made alive by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Live the life Jesus has given you. Don’t long for your old sins. Focus forward and keep your eyes on Jesus, and He will direct your path.

Choose to Forgive

One of the dangerous paths people can get on is trying to guess people’s motivations behind why they did something. The problem is that we always assume the worst in people, and it could’ve been a simple misunderstanding. When Jesus was on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive the people because they didn’t know what they were doing. Be like Jesus and choose to forgive.

‭‭LUKE‬ ‭23:34‬

“But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

Imagine the state of mind that Jesus was in as He hung on the cross. There were nails in His hands and feet, His back was torn up from being whipped, and people were mocking Him on the ground. In the midst of that, He asks His Father to forgive them because they didn’t know what was happening. You can’t imagine doing that, can you? Remember this scene if you ever wonder how God can forgive you of your sins. He came to earth to take our sins and give us His righteousness. You can’t beat that trade.

A Spirit of Wisdom

The popular in education saying is “knowledge is power.” There is some truth to that, but knowledge is only valuable when used and transformed into wisdom. There are a lot of intelligent people who know everything they should do but do the opposite. The Apostle Paul wants you to have a spirit of wisdom as you grow in your knowledge of Jesus Christ.

‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭1:17

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

In almost every one of Paul’s epistles, he writes a prayer for the people. It starts most letters like this one in Ephesians, but there are a few in the middle. In these prayers, you see Paul’s love for the people and his heart to see them grow in their faith. Each one is specific to the particular church and reflects what they are going through. Here he wants Jesus to give them a spirit of wisdom and a revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Become Like a Child

Sometimes I look at the lives of my children, and I envy them. They are carefree, and having fun is always at the top of the list. I’m usually awoken out of that daze by some drama or problem they bring home from school, and I remember why I am thankful I am an adult. Jesus tells us that if we are going to follow Him, we need to become like a child.

‭‭LUKE‬ ‭22:26

“But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.”

Jesus had a way of flipping everything common belief on its head. The greatest in His day were those who had crowds who followed them. They reveled in having others serve them and the downtrodden coming to them for charity. Jesus flips this upside down by saying if you are going to follow Him, you need to be like a child and take the position of a servant. Serving others was repugnant to the religious and political leaders. A sign of influence was how many servants you had in your house.

Do Not Grow Weary

I was writing a brief history for the webpage of the church I pastor. Part of that history was recapping all of the outreaches we have done. During the fifteen years of our existence we have had a food pantry during Covid, handed out backpacks, donated shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child, and more. Each of those outreaches had a season and then they were done. Paul reminds us “Do not grow weary in doing good.”

‭‭GALATIANS‬ ‭6:9‬

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

Doing good works for people who don’t appreciate is wearisome. Not that you are doing it for the applause, but when you’re doing something nice and people are mean and take advantage of you it can make you cynical. This was true during Paul’s time as well. He is encouraging the Galatians not to lose heart or grow weary in doing good because in due time you will reap a reward for your actions. Your work is unto the Lord and His rewards are eternal where man’s applause is temporary.

Examine Yourself

At the end of every semester, students at universities and colleges take final exams. They are tested on how much they have learned after sixteen weeks of sitting under a professor who is an expert in their specialty. Those who have mastered the curriculum get higher grades, and those who didn’t study, get lower grades….

What Are You Doing Here?

There have been times in my life where I have asked myself, “What are you doing here?” I knew I shouldn’t be there, and the results of my choosing to do it was disastrous. The whole time I knew God was there and felt His tugging me to go back to where He had me. God will not leave you, but He will ask, “What are you doing here?”

‭‭GENESIS‬ ‭28:15

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

God never goes back on His promises. He had promised that He would make a nation out of Abraham that would number as many as the stars in the sky. That promise went through Jacob. God tells Jacob in this passage that He will go with Jacob wherever he goes and will bring him back to the promised land. That’s what happened. Jacob went to his uncle Laban’s house, married Rachel and Leah, and returned to Canaan. God was with Jacob the whole time.

Walk by the Spirit

Are you one of those people who can have sturdy balance while hiking a mountain but be walking down a flat sidewalk and trip over something invisible? The difference between the two is your attention level. When things are dicey, your eyes and mind are in sync to prevent any falls, but when there is no risk of danger, your mind checks out, and down you go. That is an excellent analogy of what it means to walk by the Spirit.

‭‭GALATIANS‬ ‭5:16

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Paul uses the phrase “Walk by the Spirit” in several books of the Bible. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? It is the opposite of trusting your instincts. Solomon tells you to trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). Trusting in the Lord means obeying God’s Word and following the Holy Spirit’s leading. When the Spirit leads, he often speaks to your heart and tells you something is good or not good. It always corresponds with God’s Word and never leads you in the wrong direction.

How Are You Going to Live

Every human is confronted with thousands of decisions every day. Most go without notice. There are others that cause the blood pressure to rise and bring stress. These decisions often have to do with what we will do with our lives. Paul asks a similar question in today’s devotion, “How are you going to live?”

‭‭GALATIANS‬ ‭5:13‬

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

The church in Galatia was mired in legalism. There were Jews who were born-again believers trying to force the gentile believers to follow the Old Testament law and get circumcised. Paul wrote the book of Galatians to battle against that spirit. He expounds on the freedom new believers have in Jesus. As he starts to close his letter, he tells the Galatians not to go to the opposite end of the spectrum by using their liberty to satisfy their flesh, focusing instead on serving one another in love.