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.
Lost and Found
My wife used to work as a 6th-grade teacher at a Christian school. Several times a year, the school would hand the “lost and found” on the playground fence for the students and parents to reclaim the sweatshirts and jackets left behind. You would arrive at school to pick your child, and you couldn’t see the playground because the lost items covered the whole fence. By the time the students were picked up, most items were reclaimed. Today we look at another case of Lost and Found. In this case, a father had lost a son but had found him again.
Luke 15:31-32
Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one the better known in the Gospels. There are several facets to the story. First, a son demands his inheritance before his father has died. Second, that son goes and blows it all partying and ends up hungry and homeless. Third, the son returns, and the father rejoices, but the brother who remained is bitter. Almost everyone has a prodigal in their family. It’s the person who veered off the path, made some poor choices, and ended up in a proverbial ditch. How to handle them when they return is a challenge. Some are thrilled, and others are resentful. We need to take the father’s posture in this parable because He represents God.
Singing a New Song
When you go through a significant change, it produces a profound impact on almost every area of your life. That change often changes your outlook on life and causes you to speak and act differently. Society calls it “Singing a different tune.” When you let Jesus into your heart, and he comes and cleans house and fills it with His Spirit, you start singing a new song. All those old things are in the past, and new life has sprung forth.
Isaiah 12:2
“Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust him and not be afraid, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.”
Isaiah chapter twelve is a short song that God gave to the people. God wanted to be the strength and song for the Israelites. Isaiah recognized that. Sometimes singing it in a song can help people remember better. That is the case here where Isaiah declares God is his salvation and the source of his strength. Because of this, Isaiah will sing about his trust. Do you have the song of salvation in your heart? Are His praises continually on your lips?
Looking for the Lost
There is a funny video floating around on social media with the voice of a comedian talking about how his wife is perfect, never does anything wrong, but can never find her phone. It’s funny because it’s spot on. People looking for their lost cell phone or asking people to call it is a commonplace today. Jesus came to earth looking for the lost. He wanted to share the Gospel with them so that they could be saved.
LUKE 19:10
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Do you realize that Jesus actively seeks you when you are lost and headed towards hell? People don’t look for Jesus; He looks for you. Let that marinate for a second. What other god or religion has the leader looking for their followers? Most require the follower to go on a pilgrimage and inflict great harm on themselves to find what they are looking for. Jesus was in heaven, but came to earth, suffered on the cross, and was resurrected to find you. You do very little work in the salvation process.
Do It Through Faith
The start of a new year brings optimism and a renewed sense of purpose. You want to put away all of the bad stuff of the previous year and replace it with the good habits that will bring needed change. There may be a list in your mind or on paper of all you want to accomplish. It can be easy to treat our faith the same way. You want to do good works for the Lord, and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you do it through faith.
GALATIANS 3:2
“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Galatia was an area in what we would know as central Turkey today. Several churches were started by Paul and Barnabas that saw both great fruit and brutal persecution. The most difficult challenge wasn’t from the persecution but the infiltration of Judaizers into the church. These men brought heavy requirements like circumcision and following the law. The new converts were starting to abandon Paul’s teaching of being saved by grace and replacing it with works. Paul counters that by asking them if they received the Spirit by anything they have done or faith.
Rebuild Your Life
The word “redeem” in the New Testament is a financial term and means “bill paid in full.” It was often used when it came to slaves debt. When that slave worked off the debt, the creditor would stamp “redeemed” on the invoice, which meant his debts were paid in full. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the debt of your sin and stamped redeemed on your heart. You’ve been redeemed to rebuild your life.
PSALMS 78:35
“And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.”
Israel had a pattern of forgetting God and then crying out to Him when they were in a hole where they couldn’t get out. It usually started with sin but then devolved into idolatry. God would get angry and be ready to judge them, and Israel would beg for forgiveness. God would forgive them in His infinite mercy and let them start fresh. Sadly, Israel could never break that pattern. They were sent off into captivity as judgment, and only a remnant returned to the Lord.
Live the Crucified Life
There is a leadership quote that applies in many areas of life. It goes, "You will not change until the pain of not changing exceeds the pain of changing." That is true when it comes to faith in Jesus. As long as your life is fine, you do your own thing. It's not...
Only One Gave Thanks
Every church has more needs than it can meet. It’s supposed to be that way because our trust and reliance are to be on the Lord. Our hearts are to be filled with compassion for the lost and hurting, and when we can’t meet their needs, we are to cry out to Jesus to meet them. When Jesus encountered ten lepers, He healed them all. Only one gave thanks.
LUKE 17:15-16
“Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.”
Leprosy is a horrible disease. It eats away at your skin and body parts until you die. Modern medicine has created a cure for it today, but it was a death sentence back in Jesus’ day unless God healed you. When Jesus encountered ten lepers along the road to Jerusalem, they begged to be healed. He told them to show themselves to the priest, which was custom for lepers to do when healed. One of the ten returned praising the Lord and thanking Jesus for healing him. Jesus asks why the other nine hadn’t come back and given thanks.
The God Who Works Wonders
Have you heard of the seven wonders of the world? There are two classifications, ancient and modern. The world’s modern wonders include the Great Wall of China, the ancient city of Petra, and the Colosseum in Rome. Millions of tourists visit these attractions each year. Did you know that you follow the God who works wonders? There are no other gods like Him.
PSALMS 77:13-14
“Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples.”
Our God is holy, mighty, and works wonders. He makes His strength known by working wonders among His people. There are no other gods like Him. As a follower of Jesus, you can put your complete trust in Him because He is both holy and strong. You can trust His word because His way is perfect, and you can rest in His power because He will protect you. No one can separate you from His love.
Take Baby Steps
One of the memorable moments is when your child takes their first steps as a parent. Babies don’t come out of the womb walking. They need to learn. Those steps don’t come easily. The baby needs to learn to control their body by rolling over, then crawling, followed by pulling themselves up, and finally taking that first step. There is a spiritual principle to learn in that process. It is being faithful in the little things. Learn how to take baby steps.
LUKE 16:10
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”
Jesus lays out one of the essential principles humans need to learn. The principle of “Baby Steps” is vital to spiritual growth and maturity. You have to start small and learn to be faithful with what you have before being trusted with more. If you are impatient with what you have and are expecting more, ask yourself if you are faithful to what you have right now? Getting ahead of yourself will only lead to failure. Ask God what lessons you need to learn to move to the next step.
Become Complete
If your email inbox or social media feed is like mine, it is full of advertisements with programs for you to become the new you. Whether it’s for a revolutionary diet or for a workout program that will make you look twenty years younger, all of them promise more than they can deliver. Today’s passage challenges you to become complete in your faith. This is something that you can accomplish.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11
“Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
The Apostle Paul writes his farewell to the Corinthians. He encourages them to become complete, be comforted, and like-minded. The church in Corinth had a problem with spiritual maturity and unity. Paul wants them to work on these areas, but what does it mean to “become complete?” It’s not becoming perfect but growing in your knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians thought they were experts in a few areas, but they lacked in many of the vital ones.
Light Up Your World
There are few things more painful than stepping on one of your kid’s blocks in your bare feet in the dark. I’m exaggerating, but at that moment, the surprise pain as you grope around for the light is brutal. Turning on a light before you entered the room would’ve reduced the risk. Jesus came as a light to a dark world, and He calls you to light up your world.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
In John 8:12, Jesus tells His listeners that He is the light of the world. The Apostle John tells us in John 1:4 in Him is life, and that life is the light in us. So you are to shine that light to the whole world. Don’t hide it under a bushel but be like a city on a hill whose light is seen from afar. You should light up your world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Follow the Light
There are some drawbacks to conserving energy. Some light switches have sensors that shut off lights if they don’t detect motion. This can leave you in a pitch dark room. If you are not careful, you could stumble and hurt yourself. You need to follow the light to get out. Two thousand years ago, some wise men followed the light to Jesus.
Matt 2:9-11
After listening to the King, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
We don’t know much about these wise men. Even their name is misleading. They were called Magi, where we get our word magician, but they weren’t sorcerers. They were probably what we would call professors, experts in areas like math and science. Legend has it that Daniel initially trained them, and that’s how they knew to look for the signs the King of the Jews had been born. What we do know is that they traveled a long distance to follow the light.
A Glimpse of Heaven
Sometimes, you are hiking in one of the national parks in the United States, where everything fades into the background, and the beauty of your surroundings encompasses you. That’s how I felt when I was in Glacier National Park. Its stunning beauty takes your breath away. That is one of the images I get when I try to picture what the shepherds in the field experienced when the Heavenly host appears. They got a glimpse of heaven.
Luke 2:8-11
And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
You’re Having a Son
It was nineteen years ago this week where my wife told me she was pregnant. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life. No one told us that our son would be autistic and all of the struggles associated that come with that. It wouldn’t have changed anything. Mary was visited by an angel who told her, “You’re having a son.”
Luke 1:29-32
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High
The encounter between Gabriel and Mary has many implications. Not only does Gabriel tell Mary that she is going to have a baby boy, but he tells her what to name her and how his life will turn out. Thoughts must’ve flooded Mary’s mind as she contemplated being the mother of the Messiah. It would be too much for anyone to take in, but she didn’t overreact but pondered it in her heart. Her son would be great and called “Son of the Most High.”
A Light to the Nations
What does your country do for Christmas? Does it have some celebrations or traditions that are specific to your culture? I would love to hear some of them down in the comments. For our family, Christmas lights are a big tradition. We decorate our house and love to make hot chocolate and hop in the car and go and look at how other people have decorated theirs. Since the kids were little, we have done it, and they still love it as teenagers. Did you know that lights on Christmas are a tradition born in Scripture? Jesus was called to be a light to the nations.
Isaiah 42:6
“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming Servant who is given as a gift. He would be a light to the nations in a dark world. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” Jesus is the light of the world, and those who believe in Him will never walk in darkness. (John 8:12) Jesus is a gift of light to us in this dark world. In that light is the life that we desperately need.
Finding God in Your Weakness
There is the story of a boy with cerebral palsy who went to his church’s summer camp. He struggled through most of the events and even had difficulty speaking where the other boys could understand. At the end of the camp, the pastor asked if any boys wanted to give a testimony. The boy got up from his seat and struggled to get to the front of the room. Some of the other boys were giggling and pointing. When he got there said in his slurred speech, “I love Jesus, and he loves me.” There wasn’t a sound in the room as he walked back to his seat. Finding God in your weakness is one of the most important lessons you can learn.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:30
“If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.”
The Corinthians goaded Paul into boasting about his accomplishments. It pained Paul beyond imagination to do it, but he relented. He knew his resume was more impressive than anyone the Corinthians could put up, so it was fruitless to even talk about it. After he is done, he tells them that if he has to boast, it will be how God worked through his weaknesses. He was not too proud to admit his faults.
God Is My Portion
In Charles Dicken’s classic, “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge demands that his worker, Bob Cratchit, works on Christmas Eve. Scrooge barely pays Cratchit enough to feed his family and doesn’t give him anything for Christmas. Through it all, Cratchit, who has a young son who is not well, thanks the Lord for providing for them and chooses to remain with Scrooge even when everyone tells him to quit. Bob Cratchit knew that God is my portion forever, even when times got tough.
PSALMS 73:26
“My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
All of us have days where it feels like our heart is going to fail. There are numerous causes for those feelings, but the feeling is the same. David had those days when Saul was chasing him and when Absalom was usurping his power. Anything that David tried to do in his flesh failed him. At those low moments, God showed David that He was everything David needed.
Are You Properly Armed
There is a lot of debate about firearms in the United States. With multiple mass shootings each year, many are crying out for the abolition of guns, while others say they have the right to defend themselves. As a Christian, you don’t fight with manufactured weapons because the war you are in is spiritual. Are you properly armed to fight this battle?
2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-4
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
We exist in the middle of a spiritual battle. Most Christians are unaware, and others deny its existence. Do so at your own expense. God is using you to reflect the light of Jesus into a dark world, and Satan is doing everything he can to stop it. If you walk out your front door each morning unaware or ill-prepared, you will be blindsided by the constant attacks of the enemy. You need to properly arm yourself with the right battle gear and weapons to fight this war.