Devotions

A good soldier is always prepared. They know their role and stay away from anything that will hinder them in battle. As they await orders from their commander, they are always training to improve their skills and knowledge. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a soldier in His army. Prepare your mind for action and keep sober.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:13

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

We are called to be holy. Holiness is the embodiment of who God is. He is perfect and without defect and wants His children to be the same way. We won’t obtain that this side of heaven, but He will draw us closer through His sanctification program. Too many Christians like to see how close they can live to the dark side of the world and still keep our life intact with God. That only results in failure.

Ever wish you could be one of those witty people who always have the perfect comeback? I am more like Forrest Gump, who is still answering a question twenty minutes ago. It’s only after I’ve driven away do I come up with the perfect one-liner. If you are like me, Jesus has the best advice. Rely on Him for the perfect words to say.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:14-15‬

Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Jesus is prepping the Disciples for what life is going to be like after Him. They are going to be persecuted and brought before judges and rulers. He tells them not to worry about defending themselves beforehand but to rely upon the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say. When they do that, they will speak in such a way that it will dumbfound their enemies.

My Mom used to get so mad at me when I would say, “I swear to God.” She would tell me that swearing was a sin and that we weren’t supposed to use God’s name in vain. I would feel so convicted back then, but today it makes me chuckle. It’s easy to miss the meaning of specific passages because of deeply held beliefs. James tells us that you should swear by anything, but let your yes be yes.

‭‭James‬ ‭5:12

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.”

To swear by something means to take an oath or promise to do something. If you swore by God or Jesus, it was a binding oath. If you swore by heaven or earth, it was non-binding. A non-binding oath was like keeping your fingers crossed behind your back. James was condemning these kinds of oaths. He was all Christians to consider their words and the promises they made. That’s why he says, “Let your yes be yes.”

Have you ever gone to a construction site and seen the remnants of the builder’s work? There are bits and pieces of wood, cement, and tile that were cut off to make the larger piece fit. Most of the debris is unusable for anything else, so it is thrown away. Jesus is a foundation for the church. If you choose to build your life upon Jesus, you will never be discarded.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:17

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE’?”

Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:22, a Messianic prophecy about the leaders (builders) of Israel rejecting Jesus, the chief cornerstone on which His church will be built. The Psalmist prophesied this over one thousand years earlier. Think about that for a second. God spoke thru a prophet during King David’s time, and it came to fulfillment during the time of Jesus. As believers, we need to read and understand prophecy. There are over 300 prophesies in the Old Testament about Jesus.

The pews of churches are filled with people bravely putting up a front that everything is good, and they have it all together while privately they are sinking

When I was young, I heard a Sunday School lesson on, “Ask, and it will be given to you.” The teacher added to that lesson, “If you believe with all of your heart, God will answer it.” I went home and proceeded to ask God for a new bike. I didn’t get one even though I asked Him for weeks. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized I had the wrong motives. Asking with the right motives behind your prayers will ensure that God hears them and increase the likelihood of Him answering.

‭‭James‬ ‭4:3

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Some people wonder why their prayers aren’t answered. In a previous devotional, I talked about not getting what you want because you don’t ask. Today, I want to look at another reason your prayers aren’t being answered, wrong motives. James, blunt as always, tells his readers that their prayers aren’t being answered because they want to spend it on selfish pleasures. God will not honor those prayers because they’re bad for us, and they don’t glorify Him. He wants to answer our prayers and give us the desires of our hearts as long as those desires align with His will.

Fire can be a powerful tool when it is under control. It’s when it turns into a wildfire that houses can get destroyed and lives harmed. When life gets difficult it can feel like we are in the midst of the fire and everything around us is crashing down. Scripture shows us that Jesus is right there with us in the midst of the fire.

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3:25

“He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is one of the classic Sunday School stories of all time. Friends of Daniel, they resolve not to bow down to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s huge statue. They are reported and this makes Nebuchadnezzar furious.

For those in the United States, today is Thanksgiving. It is a national holiday where we remember how thankful we are for the founding of our country. The early settlers dedicated a feast after surviving their first winters and for a good harvest. Most of us in the USA will be feasting as well. God lets us know that He is our creator, and we should enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:3-4
Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

Psalm 100 is one of the Psalms you need to bookmark. Verse three and four is one of the highlights. For me, The Psalmist wants us to know that the Lord is God and He made us. You would expect to hear this in the Bible, but this is only a set up for the main point, the creator of the earth is also our Shepherd and wants us to know we are the sheep of His pasture. With that knowledge, it is easy to understand why we should enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving.

One thing that gets me down as a pastor is watching extremely talented people waste those talents by letting them sit idle. God has uniquely gifted everyone to serve Him, and we are expected to use those talents for His glory. When we do, there is a promised reward. When we don’t, it disappoints God, but it will also bring with it a consequence. Use your talent.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:26

“I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.”

This passage comes from the end of the parable on the Talents. If you remember, three servants were given Talents by their master, who was going away on a long trip. The first servant was given five talents, the second was given two talents, and the third was given one. During the master’s absence, the first two doubled their talents while the third one buried his.

No one likes someone who is all talk but no action. It’s true in the workplace and on the playing field. You either put up or shut up. The same can be said for those who follow Christ. There are some who want to give the impression they are wise when, in reality, they say it, but they don’t show it. James says to practice what you preach.

‭‭James‬ ‭3:17

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

James is very clear when he says wisdom is shown, not spoken. Lots of people love to quote wise sayings but do not show the wisdom in their own life. They desire to tell others how to live but don’t want to emulate it themselves. A truly wise person is someone who speaks softly but lives loudly. Their actions scream much louder than their words.