July 14 – Assaulted for Glory (Job 1:6-12)

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job?’ “(Job 1:8)

IN WORD:
We’d like to think that in our resistance against the enemy, God is our refuge. He is, but not in the way we think. Far from being Job’s hiding place, God became his PR firm. He makes no attempt to shield Job’s reputation from the enemy. He specifically points to His servant as a target.
Why would God do such a thing? Job has served Him well. Is this really the reward he gets? Does all of his righteous behavior really warrant the transaction made in the heavens, when Satan approaches Job’s Refuge and the Refuge points to Job? Why would God set His faithful servant up for temptation, even disaster?
Because there is an overarching purpose in this universe, and it is not the comfort of man. We like to think that God exists for our benefit, that He’s a heavenly wish-granter and need-fulfiller. And while He has committed to grant us our heart’s desires — assuming those hearts are godly — and to fulfill all our needs — assuming we look to Him in faith — His actions are not guided primarily by the welfare of man. His actions are guided first by the glory of His name. And in this case, the glory of His name called for a demon-stration.

IN DEED:
We often get caught up in human-centered thinking. We assume that God’s salvation is first and foremost about our well-being, and we even try to define ”well-being” for Him as comfort, prosperity, success, and health. God is interested in all those things; after all, He cares for us passionately. But there’s a higher purpose: His glory. This is a God-centered universe, not a man-centered one.
When you are under attack from the adversary, ask God to protect you and deliver you. But more than that, ask Him to preserve His reputation in you. Ask for His glory to be made manifest in the conflict. Ask for victory for His sake first, and for your sake second. Understand that this conflict revolves around issues much higher than you. It revolves around the glory of God.

“The glory of God . . . Is the real business of life.” -C.S. Lewis-

July 13 – The Prowler (Job 1:6-12)

“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.’ “(Job 1:7)

IN WORD:
The wise believer understands the nature of the enemy. We won’t know all of his schemes, and we won’t ever get to the point where we can outsmart him. We live in a world that he has shrouded in darkness & confusion, and we are incapable of piercing that darkness — on our own, at least. No, our task in this reconnaissance mission is to understand that (1) the enemy exists; (2) he has an agenda that aims at every one of God’s people; (3) he is not omniscient or omnipresent; but (4) he gets around.
When God encounters him in verse 7, Satan is before the heavenly throne. God knows, of course, where he has been, but He makes Satan admit his unholy agenda. He had been roaming throughout the earth in order to find and expose evidence of “unglory” — impurity and evil that might ruin God’s reputation. Peter also mentions the activity: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is no medieval superstition; this is war.
The wisdom of the believer comes in knowing of this enemy. We do not have to study his ways or obsess about his capabilities; we need only to look to Jesus. But we need to be aware that there is an evil, personal entity prowling around our doorsteps, looking for moments of opportunity. We cannot casually give them to him.

IN DEED:
Several places in Scripture urge the saints to be “sober-minded.” The activity of the enemy is the major reason for such instructions. It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life and the gifts of God; it does mean, however, that we can never let down our guard.
Look to Jesus in all things, but especially for protection. He has won the victory against Satan and hold all power over him. In a world of prowlers, that’s extremely important to remember.

“No matter how many pleasures Satan offers you, his ultimate purpose is to ruin you. Your destruction is his highest priority.”
-Erwin Lutzer-

July 12 – Constant Need (1 Kings 19:1-18)

“Elijah was afraid and ran for His life.”(1 Kings 19:3)

IN WORD:
James was right when he wrote that “Elijah was a man just like us” (James 5:17). Though most of us don’t have a ministry the magnitude of Elijah’s, we have a fear reflex equal to his. Elijah had spent the last few days proving the power of God over the empty religion of Baal. He had been viewing eternal truth with his very human eyes. Suddenly, when Jezebel sought his life, he viewed his circumstances through those same lenses, but with unexpected fear. This time, those eyes didn’t see the glory of God, only the wrath of Jezebel. He was afraid — just like us.
What is it about us that can see eternal majesties at inspired moments and then can cower at ungodly threats at other moments? Does the Holy Spirit come and go that freely from our hearts? Perhaps it’s just that we are so thoroughly infused with human frailty that we can only get glimpses of divine power. Perhaps we are simply inconsistent in our devotion. Perhaps faith is a muscle that is sometimes, for some reason, reluctant to work. Though faith is, in a sense, our resting in God, we can still get tired. We pass seamlessly from anxiety to divine glory to anxiety again, hardly ever realizing what empowers us one day and not another.
A heart of wisdom will come to grips with such human inconsistencies. We must settle in our own minds the fact that we are never self-sufficient and always dependent. Great successes do not eliminate deep needs; it’s a fact of the human condition. We have to get used to it.

IN DEED:
We must battle constantly agains two relentless urges: the urge to think great victories should be followed by self-sufficiency; and the urge to let visible circumstances rule our thinking. Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, gave in to both. So do we. Frequently.
Never let the visible rule. Your victory yesterday does not decide your status today. Neither do your enemies. You need God desperately every day equally, regardless of how threatening — or how successful — things look.

“O God, never suffer us to think that we can stand by ourselves, and not need Thee.” -John Donne-

July 11 – Your Mind; God’s Thoughts (Colossians 3:1-10)

“Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”(Colossians 3:10)

IN WORD:
When we are born again, we are spiritually renewed. The Bible makes that clear. We are a new creation — the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). What does that mean for our hearts? Though they were hard and resistant to God, they are now soft and inclined toward Him. What does that mean for our minds? Paul tells us here. We are given a new knowledge.
This new knowledge isn’t just a change of opinion. It’s an invasion of truth into our once-deceived souls. Now we have a radically new perspective, a vital understanding of who God is and how His Son has saved us, and a new means of making decisions. We also have a kindred wisdom with our Creator, an ability to think His thoughts and live His life. We are in a holy process of becoming like Him.
Isn’t that amazing? While many cults and false philosophies make us gods unto ourselves, Jesus makes us humans with God’s mind. It’s a foundational principle of Christianity: We who were fallen and dead are now inhabited by the One who is risen & alive.
Does that mean our thinking will never err? That we will never disagree? That our logic will be infallible? Obviously not! But it does mean that, to the degree we submit our thinking to Christ, we can have His mind. We can be led & guided, renewed & transformed, crafted ever increasingly into the divine image.

IN DEED:
Are you aware of God’s goal for your thought life? It is perhaps the most challenging battleground for a Christian. We all too easily give in to depression, negativity, deception, misconceptions, and all sorts of false perspectives. God changes that, if we will let Him. He wants us to think like Him. You do not have to convince Him to do so — He loves to. Shed the old and embrace the new. Be conformed to His image daily in your mind.

“Think through me, thoughts of God.” -Amy Carmichael-

July 10 – Escape to Reality (Colossians 3:1-10)

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
(Colossians 3:2)

IN WORD:
The core of wisdom, the heart of this transformation that we call sanctification and Paul calls the renewal of the mind, is summed up in this verse. We set our minds on different things than we once set them on. In our thinking, we exchange the temporal for the eternal, the worthless for the valuable, the profane for the holy, and the self for Christ. We no longer pursue darkness, only light. We no longer pursue money, only treasure. We no longer pursue our reputation, only His. We stand in a radically different place.
That place is where Christ is. Did you know that we are with Him? That’s the basis of Paul’s declaration: We have been raised with Him. We are seated where He is seated, and He lives in the depths of our hearts, where we once thought we reigned. It only makes sense, then, that we would be thoroughly absorbed in our new dwelling and our new life. Not to be preoccupied with eternal realities would be ridiculously out of touch with the fact of our new nature. We would be escapists, fantasizing about worthless things and neglecting unimaginable riches. We would be like pigs transformed into princes, but who still prefer slop. We’d have no sense.
Yet this is where many Christians live. We have a hard time thinking about the reality we can’t see, though it is very, very real. We’re well trained in the ways of this world, immersed in false philosophies. We harbor old thoughts. So Paul must instruct the Colossian believers who, like us, are hounded by false perspectives. Set your minds where Christ is and where, in fact, you are too.

IN DEED:
This is a discipline. We’ve perhaps been taught that disciplining the mind to think in a certain way is similar to brain-washing, an artificial escape from reality. But for us, setting our minds on the things above is an escape into reality. It puts us practically where we are positionally. It renews our minds and it makes us truly wise.

“May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day.”
-Kate B. Wilkinson-

July 9 – Beautiful Timing (Romans 8:18)

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

IN WORD:
Some flowers will bloom within days of their planting. Others will not bloom for years, and then only for a short time. What is the difference? Only the God who has ordained the beauty of His creation to be made manifest in different ways and at different times.
You probably know people who bloomed as soon as they were planted. Perhaps you are one of them. Many of us, however, find the early bloomers frustrating. They remind us of what we would like God to accomplish in our lives. We grow impatient with the seasons of God, wondering if He will ever bring us into our own personal promised land, as we once hoped He would. We forget the valuable lesson of this planet’s diverse flora. Growth, maturation, and fruition vary widely among species. And in God’s mind, every Christian is a distinct species. We are all different.
We are all one in Christ, of course. But nowhere in Scripture do we find a God who deals uniformly with His people. There are people who never seem to suffer, and people who seem to suffer incessantly. There are people who bear fruit nearly their whole lives, and those who bear fruit only for a moment. There are people who live for decades and people who live for brief minutes. And God has His hand on all of them.

IN DEED:
Are you a people watcher, frustrated with how bountifully God has dealt with other Christians and wondering if He will ever do the same with you? There are many possible reasons for the delay, ranging from sin in your life to the special nature of the gifts he has given you. But consider the God who makes all things beautiful. He is crafting a global testimony to His glory (Habakkuk 2:14). Why would He leave you out?
Consider the promise of Romans 8:18: Current sufferings do not compare to future glory. The set your heart on the future glory. Know that in His time, God will make all things — even your life — extremely beautiful.

“God’s fingers can touch nothing but to mold it into loveliness.”
-George MacDonald-

July 8 – God of All Seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

“A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.”(Ecclesiastes 3:7)

IN WORD:
If we really want to understand how this passage is to play out in our lives, we need only to look to Jesus. We could make a case that every time under heaven was fulfilled appropriately by Him. A time to be born? Yes, in the fullness of time, in fact. A time to die? Yes, at God’s appointed moment. A time to kill or to tear down? Yes, an evil climate of false beliefs had to be assaulted. A time to heal or to build? Yes, and He is still healing and building today. Moreover, He scattered and gathered, embraced and refrained, tore and mended, was both silent and outspoken. He loved people and hated sin — He still does both. He declared war on the kingdoms of this world and proclaimed eternal peace, the “shalom” of God. Jesus did not make his seasons either/or propositions. He understood God’s timing better than any other.
We need to be similarly discerning about God’s timing. We need to know the circumstances that call for war against evil and those that call for peace instead of conflict. We need to understand when to violently plow unbroken soil and when to gently plant seeds. We need to remember how God confronted us with our own sinfulness and yet patiently led us to repentance. We need to consider the God who has a time for everything from bold opposition to humble encouragement. Most of all, we need to dispense with the idea that Jesus came to affirm everyone and take hold of the idea that He came to radically change and reorient people, cultures, and kingdoms. And we must remember: The new creation will not co-exist with the old one forever.

IN DEED:
By observing God’s own activity, we can know that there is, in fact, a time for everything. The God who stepped into His once-perfect, now-rebel world has a plan for uprooting and planting, killing and birthing, warring and making peace. Blessed are those who understand what He is doing and get in on it.

“The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.” -Leo Tolstoy-

July 7 – Fruits of Sin (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

“A time to die . . . To kill . . . To tear down . . . To weep . . . To give up . . . To throw away . . . To hate . . . For war.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:2-8)

IN WORD:
Far from giving us license to kill — or to hate, destroy, or any other such negative activity — the Scriptures give us perspective on the fruits of fallenness. We live in a broken world, and we are broken people.
If everyone got along, living according to God’s righteousness, there would never be a time to kill or to go to war. But such is not the case. There is evil in this world, and there are times to oppose it, even violently. If sin had not introduced death into this world, there would never be a time to uproot, to tear down, or to throw away. But again, such is not the case; there is decay in this world, both physically and with our projects, ideas, and dreams. Seasons cultivate productivity, but they also imply an end to it. The cycle of life includes both origins and expirations, celebration and sacrifice. Such is the stark reality of trying to build permanence in a transient world. It can’t be done. Nature and God dictate against it.

IN DEED:
Think of Ecclesiastes as a description of life in a fallen world, and contrast it with the promises of God’s Kingdom. Are all of these times inherent in both? No, the Kingdom of God will not be a place of war and weeping, death and destruction, or any other such evidences of corruption and decay. The Kingdom of God will flourish with life, love, and a Lord who does not change with the seasons. It will take our former futility and turn it into future fruit.
But for now, understand the broken world we live in. Don’t try to dress it up as your heaven. Don’t hope for the times of love and faithfulness while ignoring the times of grief and despair. God has not redeemed a nation of escapists; He is cultivating a people of perspective. We understand the nature of our world, and we look forward with hope toward the nature of His Kingdom. Even now, we have begun to get seasonal glimpses of it — all in His time.

“The world rings changes; it is never constant but in its disappointments.” -Thomas Watson-

July 6 – A Time for Good (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

“A time to be born . . . To plant . . . To heal . . . To build.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:2-3)

IN WORD:
We have no trouble seeing God as the source of life, health, and happiness. But those who are alienated from God, both within the body of believers and without, may consider themselves excluded from such blessings. For people whose lives have been marked with pain and strife, the blessing of God seems far, far away. Perhaps they’ve even lost sight of the benevolent, loving God. Perhaps they’ve grown hopeless.
Dark seasons in a person’s life will do that. They will obscure the goodness of God and make us think that we’re all alone in this world. They turn faith into skepticism, hope into cynicism. In the dark night of uncertainty, people who once held onto God will either hold Him tighter or let go altogether. When the temptation to let go comes, it’s important to remember: There’s a time to be born, to plant, to heal, to build. There’s a time for life and blessing. There’s a season for the goodness of God in the life of one who believes, and it’s certain to come.
A popular interpretation of this passage — perhaps aided by the melodies of past generations — implies that a season for everything means we can take just about any approach to life we choose. “A time for everything” can mean, if misinterpreted, that anything goes. But the heart of this passage is all about discernment. It keeps us from becoming proud and reckless during times of prosperity and from becoming dark and dreadful during times of scarcity. It keeps our perspectives in balance so that we don’t get too high during high times or too low during low times. And it reminds us to discern the difference, knowing that our actions depend on the big picture of changing seasons, not on the weather today.

IN DEED:
If you are a believer going though a low time, know that it will end. God has His seasons, and many of them are good. He never deprives His children of all good seasons. The light will come, the cold will thaw, and God will bless your life — in its time.

“See that you are not suddenly saddened by the adversities of this world, for you do not know the good they bring.”
-John of the Cross-

July 5 – Constant Change (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

IN WORD:
The human experience is filled with anticipation of the good things and dread of the bad. We have dreams, goals, hidden desires, and needful impulses. When we most expect fruit and fulfillment, we find none. Often when we expect barrenness, God gives fruit. The seasons of life frustrate us.
The writer of Ecclesiastes — Solomon, most likely — is aged and philosophical, and while he does not embody the hope that Christians have been given, he knows a thing or two about finite life in this physical world. He has seen emptiness and futility. And, apart from God, he has seen meaninglessness. If there is no God, if no afterlife, if no hidden hope that we cannot see, then there’s no point to any of this life that we’re living. And still, blind to a discernible purpose, Solomon is able to say: “There is a time for everything…”
Solomon has seen seasons come and go. He knows the cyclical pattern of living is not just a matter for meteorologists, it’s also a matter for relationships, labor, and the myriad emotions we have. In our lives, there will be unfruitful seasons. There will be times of discouragement and even despair. There will be pointless tasks and conflict. Interspersed with all the joys of the human experience, there will be latent seasons, periods of fallow ground and backward regress. It won’t be all good, all the time.

IN DEED:
That’s important for us to know. We’ll drive ourselves crazy if we don’t understand that there are seasons in our lives. If you’re particularly fruitless now — or even fruitful — know that it’s only for a time. If a relationship is difficult — or even perfect — it, too, is only for a time. We have to get used to constant change.
Many Christians kick themselves or question God when life isn’t running smoothly. Don’t do that. It’s only for a season. Do not expect your entire year to be warm & sunny. Part of it will be cold & rainy. And if you’re in winter now, know that spring is on its way. It’s time always comes.

“After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn. And after every storm, there come clear, open skies.”
-Samuel Rutherford-