August 23 – The Spiritual Side of Money (Luke 16:10-15)

“If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”(Luke 16:11)

IN WORD:
There is an unexpected subject of which the Bible speaks in more than 2,300 verses. It is referred to more often than heaven, hell, salvation, or many of the other key doctrines of our faith. To have been given such attention in the word, it must be of great interest to God. But the topic is often considered un-spiritual. The topic is money.
Mammon. That un-righteous stuff that implies that we must account for every ounce of productivity, every moment of work, and every act of service because we do not trust each other. Think about that: We only have money because we need to keep track of the things we’ve done and the products we’ve traded.We can’t rely on others to be fair, so we’ve established a system of fairness. We’ve placed value on various currencies and used them to keep track of what is due to us. We compete with others for the limited resources at hand. We have money because we fell.
Heaven won’t be like that. If we were to speak of heaven in human terms, we could trust everyone to freely provide their products and services because we would freely offer our products or services. The store would give us its goods because its workers would trust us to give ours. There need be no accounting in heaven, because all things are abundantly available and everyone is completely reliable.
The fatal flaw in philosophies such as communism and socialism is that they seek a heavenly economy in an ungodly society, and that just won’t work. But we’re under no such illusion. Money is inherently corrupt because of the context in which we live. Our use of it, however, is intensely spiritual.

IN DEED:
Have you considered the emphasis your Father places on your use of money? Or have you wrongly seen it as peripheral to the spiritual life rather than a central means of grace? Use it often, but use it well. It is a deeper spiritual issue than you might have thought.

“One fifth of all Jesus had to say was about money.”
-Billy Graham-

August 22 – Prayer & Poverty (Psalm 82:3-4)

“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”(Proverbs 21:13)

IN WORD:
When most of us cite hindrances to prayer, we mention the obvious: sin, misplaced desires, doubt, enmity with others, and the like. Few of us recall verses like this one that makes God’s response toward us contingent on our response toward others. But the Scripture is clear, and the book of Proverbs and other Old Testament passages are quite emphatic about it: God is intensely compassionate toward the poor, and His followers must be as well.
There’s logic behind that. Those who really understand what God has done will reflect His grace in their attitude toward the oppressed. In a very real sense, we were all broken and destitute. We needed compassion and restoration, and God gave it to us. He is the One who gives to the poor. He urges us to recognize our poverty so we will be blessed by His grace (Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20). Anyone who understands that and accepts it must go and do likewise. Otherwise, we are guilty of an extreme hypocrisy. We receive mercy without extending it. We take but do not give.
We may be content to help the poor whenever we encounter them, but God is more intentional than that. He seeks them out, just as He sought us. He is the Provider who meets the needs of those who cry out to Him, and often, He meets their needs through us. We must be available.

IN DEED:
So how does our reaction to poverty enhance our prayers? Those who understand God’s compassion for the needy — those who have experienced it and then represent it to others — are best able to understand God’s will and pray with passion for His purposes. The heart of compassion that beats in God’s Spirit is the heart of compassion that beats in us. That puts us in deep fellowship with Him. And deep fellowship is what prayer is all about.
Are your prayers going nowhere? Check your concern for the poor. Does it reflect God’s? If not, seek a change. Those who meet others’ needs will see God meet their own.

“He who wants anything from God must approach Him with empty hands.” -Robert C. Cunningham-

August 21 – Prayer & Purity (James 5:16)

“The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”(Proverbs 15:29)

IN WORD:
As much as we’d like to think that there is no correlation between our sin and the depth of our prayer life, the biblical witness is clear: The sin in the heart affects the prayers of the mouth. There is a cleansing that must happen before we enter the throne room of God. There is an emptying that must take place before God occupies the throne of our heart. The interference must be dealt with so the communication will be clear.
God takes sin seriously, far more seriously than we do. A heart that tolerates it is in no condition to commune with the Holy One. If prayer is fellowship — and it is — there can be none of it when a corrupt soul tries to get intimate with a spotlessly pure God. Like oil and water, there is no intermingling between the Holy and the profane. Sin and prayer do not mix.
The principle raises a serious concern for us. We know deep down that we are sinful. How then can we ever pray? By the purifying that comes through Jesus. He has made us clean. He has opened the curtain at the entrance to the Holy of Holies. We may enter in and fellowship with the righteous God. But we take this for granted. Perhaps we thought that it was a once-for-all event, that salvation implied a permanent cleansing. It does, of course — we are forever seen as righteous in God’s eyes. But that righteousness must be lived if faith is to be vibrant. A disobedient soul will find little in common with the Lord of all creation. Some know their position in Christ but will not live it. Prayer cannot thrive in such a context.

IN DEED:
Have you ever felt that your relationship with God, while genuinely secure, functions awkwardly? Do your prayers seem out of sync with his will? By His mercy, God is calling you closer. You must drop your sin to draw near to Him, but it is an infinitely worthwhile exchange. Sin hinders prayer and fellowship. Confess it, repent of it, right your wrongs, and get closer to the heart of God.

“As long as we meddle with any kind of sin we shall never clearly see the blessed face of our Lord.”
-Julian of Norwich-

August 20 – The Persecuted (Psalm 9)

“O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 9:13-14)

IN WORD:
The book of Hebrews tells of Old Testament heroes who were persecuted — stoned, sawn in two, put to death by the sword, destitute, and mistreated. They suffered such things because they were looking ahead to a resurrection, a new Kingdom, a city built by God. They knew where their true lives were invested, and they refused to hang on to the pleasures of this world. Why? Because the pleasures of this world are superficial and short-lived. The Kingdom is deep and eternal.
You can always tell the difference between a believer who has planted his feet in this world and one who has planted them in the Kingdom. Though all Christians live in both worlds at once, we choose daily which one we will invest in. Those who invest in the things of this world are shaken when this world is shaken. Those who invest in Kingdom endeavors can persevere through anything. They lose nothing when the stock markets fall, when wars threaten lives, when terrorists rampage, or when treasures prove transient. Their lives are not based on shifting sands but on eternal streets. They know where they’re headed.

IN DEED:
Persecution, perhaps more than any other event, reveals how eternally focused a believer is. We never seek it, of course, but when it comes our faith is purified. We find out where we stand and what our hearts treasure. We discover whether we have been living an eternal vision or tolerating a temporary lie.
Do you know where you would fix your gaze if you were persecuted? Would suffering shatter your dreams or cause you to embrace them more deeply? Your answer will indicate where you’ve staked your life. Answer with an eye on forever.

“Prosperity has often been fatal to Christians, but persecution, never.” -Amish Bishop-

August 19 – The Peacemakers (Psalm 37:30-40)

“Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”(Psalm 37:37)

IN WORD:
How do you feel when someone offends you? It’s usually a burning reaction, a sense that your reputation has been assaulted and the offense must be addressed. We react to insults and pushy people with outrage, at least internally if not externally as well. It is nearly impossible for us to resist the urge to get the last word in, to settle the verbal score, and to put people in their place when our dignity has been slighted. We want to fix their misconceptions.
Many people are confrontational by nature. Others avoid confrontation on the outside, but steam about offenses on the inside. Neither approach makes for peace. Human relationships can be volatile, and our handling of them determines whether we live at peace in this world and at peace in our hearts. A person in conflict does not generally rest well at night. We know, deep down, that we were made for fellowship.
Jesus blessed the peacemakers. He gave profound promises to those who would pursue relationships of integrity and support. When we do, we find a common theme: The greatest threat to peace is the pride of the human heart. It isn’t content to let others be wrong about something. It feels compelled to set things straight. The result is an escalating competition to determine whose opinion will win.

IN DEED:
It requires a deep maturity to respond to criticism and complaint with affirmation and encouragement. The pride within us does not want to just let offenses go unanswered. The person who can respond to an insult with a compliment is a person who has mastered pride. In doing so, he has become a peacemaker — an ambassador whose interest in his King’s reputation is deeper than his interest in his own.
Jesus told us to respond to evil people with good intentions. That’s an honorable, peaceful response. It doesn’t deny legitimate conflict, but it defuses it. Have you mastered pride enough to do that?

“Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.” -Matthew Henry-

August 18 – The Pure in Heart (Psalm 51)

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”(Psalm 51:10)

IN WORD:
Jesus calls the pure in heart “blessed.” It is an elusive purity for us. We have a hard time maintaining inoffensive thoughts for long periods of time. We are tainted with misplaced motives and petty agendas. If we’re really honest with ourselves and our God, we know the truth: Our corruption runs deep.
Jesus knows the impossibility of a pure heart, and he offers to fill us with His purity. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, with an emphasis on the holy. Even so, our purity fluctuates as widely as does the vibrancy of our relationship with Him. What can we tell ourselves to avoid discouragement?
We must remember the essence of biblical purity. It is single-minded devotion to God. It does not imply that we will always have perfectly sinless thoughts. It means that the direction of our lives will be solidly, irrevocably invested in Him. When arguments between self and sacrifice resound in our hearts, the godly impulse will eventually win the argument. Perhaps we may fail many times. Regardless, our desire for godliness must remain steadfast. The “steadfast spirit” must constantly be renewed.

IN DEED:
God knows the frailties of our character. The human heart is a fickle thing; it caves in to the voices of this world and the compulsions of our flesh. But it is redeemable, utterly redeemable. “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Have we forgotten the call of the Holy God? He understands our imperfections, but He calls us above them. The pure in heart — the steadfast, passionate, faithful lovers of the Savior — are a work in progress. But it is a relentless work. Our direction never changes. God will always show more of Himself to those blessed enough to crave purity.

“If there is joy in the world, surely the man of pure heart possesses it.” -Thomas A’ Kempis-

August 17 – The Merciful (Jonah 3:1-4:11)

“I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”(Jonah 4:2)

IN WORD:
One of the more colorful examples of the need for mercy in the Old Testament is a negative example: Jonah. He knew that God was a compassionate God, and he did not want God to show compassion to the Ninevites. So he disobeyed. When he was compelled to obey, he complained. Somehow, the compassion of God did not translate into the compassion of Jonah.
Do we find ourselves in such a predicament? Having been abundantly blessed with God’s mercy — the unmerited grace and forgiveness we’ve received for our rebellion against the Most High — do we then stand in judgement of others? The idea is ludicrous, but nearly all of us are guilty. Jesus has a Beatitude He’d like us to hear: “”Blessed are the merciful, for they will; be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7). The implication is sobering: Those who are not merciful will not be shown mercy. That has to hurt. We know it has applied, at least in some degree, to each of us.
Those who have not shown mercy have never understood God’s. They just don’t get it. They don’t understand the depths from which we’ve been saved and the relative pettiness with which we judge others. They still think an attainable righteousness is the key, and they compel others to strive for it.

IN DEED:
Have you ever found yourself passing judgment on someone else and then remembering the guilt that we have all shared before God? That is the prompting of the Holy Spirit, reminding us that we, too, are worthy of judgment and unworthy of mercy. Let the reminder sink in. God overflows with compassion for those who are lost and sinful, and if we are to be like Him at all, we must share that compassion. We must understand mercy.

“Do you wish to receive mercy? Show mercy to your neighbor.”
-John Chrysostom-

August 16 – Those Who Hunger & Thirst (Psalm 42)

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”(Psalm 42:1-2)

IN WORD:
When Jesus told His disciples that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed and will be filled (Matthew 5:6), was He reminding them of this psalm? Perhaps. Or maybe He was reminding them of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!” (Isaiah 55:1). Those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are meek will find in themselves a holy hunger gnawing at their souls.
Jesus was no stranger to Old Testament imagery. His Spirit had inspired it, and His humanity had been educated in it. When He announced the Beatitudes, He had recently reminded the enemy that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). Later, He would announce Himself as the bread of life and the source of living water. It was true that all who hungered and thirsted would be filled, and it still is; we can be filled with Him.

IN DEED:
We tend to think of discontentment as an ungodly character trait, but there is a godly side of it. The discontent soul knows that something is wrong deep down inside. It knows that hole that Augustine, Pascal, and many others have referred to: the God-shaped vacuum in every human heart. And no matter how much it tries to fill that hole with pleasure, work, people, or things, the vacuum remains. It was carved out for God, and only God can make it whole.
Do you hunger and thirst? Do not make the mistake of trying to satisfy your cravings with worthless things. Only God can effectively occupy your heart. Commune with Him there. Ask Jesus to bless you with His presence today.

“It is a sure mark of grace to desire more grace.”
-Robert Murray M’Cheyne-

August 15 – The Meek (Psalm 37:1-11)

“The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”
(Psalm 37:11)

IN WORD:
When a wild horse is trained for service, he is ridden until his will is broken. It may take great patience, but if the rider can persevere longer than the horse can buck, the victory is won. The will is broken and the horse is compliant, ready for useful service.
When Jesus told the meek they were blessed, He implied a gentleness, a humility, a submission that an untamed will does not know. He also invoked Psalm 37. It was a promise that those whose will is ruled by God — in other words, those who have been broken — will come into His inheritance. It applies to Israel’s kingdom and the ever-elusive Promised Land, as this verse may have originally intended. It also applies to anyone who knows good things come from God. We are His children and He will bless us with a lavish inheritance. We are suitable for it if we are meek.
Why is meekness so valued by God? Because it defers to Him. It does not take matters into one’s own hands, but acknowledges the ability of the One on whom we depend. God is honored by such deference. It allows Him to work in our lives without onlookers confusing His work with our self-efforts. It does not accomplish its own agenda to the negligence of Kingdom concerns. It’s the appropriate way for a flawed and finite human being to relate to a holy and infinite God. It lets Him accomplish His will.

IN DEED:
Where are you on the meekness scale? No, God is not asking you to be timid and weak. He is, however, asking you to be gentle and unassuming, compliant and broken. He does not honor an untamed will. He honors those who rely on Him to accomplish His purposes in their obedient lives. Eternal fruit can grow from such a life. And eternal fruit is a greater inheritance than we can imagine.

“Meekness is the mark of a man who has been mastered by God.” -Geoffrey B. Wilson-

August 14 – Those Who Mourn (Psalm 38)

“I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.”(Psalm 38:6)

IN WORD:
We would not normally consider those whose eyes are rubbed raw with grief to be blessed. But there is a despair that is honored by God. It is despair over the human condition, despair over our sin, despair over the ravages that this planet has seen since the Fall. God gives us a word of hope: There will be comfort in the end.
David grieved over his sin with Bathsheba (Psalm 51). But that is not the only psalm that begins with despair; many of them do, and they almost always end in joy. Those who cry to God in their distress will eventually find their crying utterly worthwhile. It’s a promise: He turns our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). Those who sow in tears will reap in joy (Psalm 126:5). It’s a repeated story throughout Scripture: Dread, despair, hopelessness, tears, and pain will end in victory, promise, hope, comfort, and peace when God is involved. He always brings life.

IN DEED:
What do you do with your pain? Do you allow it to discourage you and destroy your faith? Do you lose hope in the midst of a trial? Don’t. God does not mean for you to become so pre-occupied with trouble that you lose sight of Him. He especially does not want us to become so pre-occupied with our sin that we lose sight of His forgiveness. There is no comfort in that. And God is a God of comfort.
The sorrowful soul is blessed indeed if the sorrow is one of repentance and truth. Our lament over the ways of this world and the ways of our own heart is entirely appropriate, and God wants all of us to spend some time there. But He does not want us to stay there. In the midst of our pain, God speaks promises. In the depths of our sin, He speaks redemption. In the far reaches of our grief, He reaches even farther. He promises comfort to those who know the grief of this world. He offers Himself in comfort.

“In every pang that rends the heart, the Man of Sorrows has a part.” -Michael Bruce-