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.

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?