June 4 – A Place of Rest (Philippians 4:4-7)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

IN WORD:
We are easily caught up in anxious thoughts. Anxiety can keep us thinking obsessively about a certain problem, occupying all of our time and energy. We pray about the situation, asking God to intervene. But still, we are consumed with it. Shedding our anxiety does not come easily.
Paul gives us wise advice. It is, in fact, a command: “Do not be anxious about anything.” How can we follow this? We can go through the motions of prayer, but how can this kind of peace sink into our hearts in the midst of a difficult problem? By praying with thanksgiving and full trust that the problem is God’s. In this kind of prayer, we transfer ownership of our situation to God. We do not need to be wrapped up in it; it is His.
There is no way to come to this place of rest unless we are able to relinquish our agenda in the situation. We must become willing for God to work it out in any way He chooses, whatever the result to us. It seems scary to relinquish control, but we were never really in control anyway. And what outcome might God work out that would not be entirely good? He is completely trustworthy with our problems.

IN DEED:
Are you going through a difficult trial? Relinquish your goals in it. In your heart, transfer ownership of the situation to God. Our anxiety comes from a false sense of control — a sense that we perhaps are responsible to manipulate the crisis to work out for good. That’s God’s job. Let go of your will, and let your heart and your mind be at peace.

“Pray, and let God worry.” -Martin Luther-

June 3 – Radical Abandon (1 Peter 1:13-16)

“Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ “(1 Peter 1:15-16)

IN WORD:
Our personal holiness is not a picky prerequisite handed down by a morally demanding God. It is the means to a fountainhead of blessing. Perhaps we thought it was a necessary inconvenience, something God required in theory, but which we could never fully attain. Perhaps we thought it was all for His benefit and not really for ours. That’s likely a problem for every Christian who straddles the fence between the call to holiness and an indulgence of misdirected desires. When it comes down to it, we don’t really believe that our becoming like Jesus — our sanctification — will really benefit us where we live today.
But we are dreadfully wrong. There is immeasurable blessing for those who will single-mindedly pursue the righteousness of God that is found in Christ. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). We are offered all sorts of riches in unthinkable abundance, yet we hang on to our withered, sinful natures as if our only security is found there. That’s often the posture of the human flesh when it is threatened by a holy calling, and it’s pitiful.

IN DEED:
Does a deep suspicion of holiness lie beneath your struggle to forsake sinfulness? In faith, do all you can to abandon it. Read of Joseph, who reaped amazing long-term benefits from his commitment to remain pure. Read of Job, who was doubly blessed because of his commitment to maintain his belief in God’s faithfulness. Read of any biblical figure — Old Testament or New — and try to find someone who was all-out faithful to God and yet was not blessed. Yes, that’s a challenge. Accept it, and be encouraged by what you discover.

“The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the power of God.” -Blaise Pascal-

June 2 – Radical Transformation (1 Peter 1:13-16)

“Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy,’ “
(1 Peter 1:15-16)

IN WORD:
Our familiarity with the gospel often dulls us to history’s most spectacular truth: Human beings can have a relationship with the unimaginably awesome God. Perhaps having heard this so many times has led us to take it for granted, but it’s Scripture’s most startling claim and a truly overwhelming thought for anyone who will let it sink in.
What makes this possible? The cleansing sacrifice of Jesus removes our impurity and makes us pure. But this is the legal side of the issue. What makes an ongoing, intimate relationship with the Almighty a practical reality? Holiness. The process of becoming like Him. Those among us who need impressive theological terms to validate a doctrine call it “sanctification.” If the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus is the basis for our relationship with God, our sanctification is its practical application. We cannot know Him well without it.
That’s what makes this truth of a relationship with God so startling. When we first learn who He is, we come face-to-face with an overwhelming obstacle: A thoroughly sinful man cannot get along with a perfectly holy God without one of them having a radical change of character, and we know God isn’t going to be the one to change. He can’t. It must be us.

IN DEED:
Far too many Christians are content with the legal basis of their salvation without taking too much thought to apply it to their daily lives. But we cannot know Him — really know Him, as in a relationship — unless we become like Him. That will hurt. It does painful damage to our sinful nature to become holy. We are slow to let it go.
Have you assumed that God would never ask you to forsake some of your natural tendencies? Don’t. He certainly will. That sin you tolerate? Let it go. However painful it is, let Him rework you. Abandon all that isn’t just like His pure, perfect character. Be holy.

“To love Jesus is to love holiness.” -David Smithers-

June 1 – Kingdom Currency (Galatians 3:22-29)

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”(Galatians 3:26-27)

IN WORD:
How do you relate to God? Most people, after being saved by grace through faith, then quickly embark on a hybrid life of faith and legalism. It isn’t that we don’t believe in God, or even that we don’t trust Jesus for salvation; the problem is that our belief is often based on the quality of our works. When we serve God well, we assume He looks on us favorably. When we stumble, we assume He turns His back on us until we repent.
There’s an element of truth in that; we know that God looks with favor on the righteous, and that He disciplines His children who tolerate sin and rebellion in their lives. But in accepting these truths, we often take it a step further: We begin to relate to God on the basis of what we have and haven’t done. We pray with more confidence when we’ve been good, and we serve with more enthusiasm when we’ve been obedient. We forget how dependent we are as children of grace. We begin to base our faith on how well we’ve done rather than how good He is. We begin to think of obedience as a means to stay in His good graces and not as a response to the fact that He has already made us righteous.
We stand holy before God. No, we aren’t righteous in ourselves, but we’ve been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. We’ve been given a sacred right to speak to the Eternal One about the problems of today. And while we speak, we dare not assume that the quality of our works procured that right. God only accepts one currency in His Kingdom, and there is no exchange rate. Our business with Him must be done only with the currency of faith.

IN DEED:
What currency do you try to pass off in the Kingdom of God? Is it ever anything other than faith in the righteousness of Jesus Himself? If so, remind yourself daily: Only Jesus is acceptable to God — for prayer, for ministry, for anything. And we are only “in Jesus” by faith.

“Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe.”
-Thomas Merton-

May 31 – Humble Reminders (Daniel 4:28-37)

“Those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37)

IN WORD:
Somewhere deep inside, we know the truth about ourselves: Everything we have was given to us. None of us asked to be born or specified the conditions under which we came into this world. We did not choose our talents or our physical features. We did not select our place of birth or our native language. We may have been industrious and careful in choosing our paths, but our drive and our wisdom was given to us by our Creator. We did not make our own circumstances, build our own brains, or control our own relationships. Everything we have is a gift.
Even so, we take an awful lot of credit for the good things God has given. We take pride in our work, display our accomplishments, advertise our abilities, and use our relationships for our own esteem. For people who were created, we act an awful lot like creators.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon during the time of Daniel, made that mistake. Having seen ample evidence of God in Daniel’s dream interpretations and in the survival of three guys in a furnace, Nebuchadnezzar nonetheless gave himself glory frequently. He had built a golden representation of himself to be worshiped, and he credited himself with the power and glory of Babylon.
God gave the king a clear reminder that all gifts, all power, all wisdom, and all authority come from above. He humbled the king with insanity. He demonstrated the lowliness of human achievement. He undid the king’s pride.

IN DEED:
God will undo our pride too. Perhaps we aren’t as arrogant and bold as Nebuchadnezzar was, but we often need reminders of our neediness. We can’t relate to God properly unless we understand that all we have and all we are is by grace. When we take credit, we deny God’s generosity. That is not a minor offense. His love will correct us.
Wake up each morning with a self-reminder that your life is all about grace. It will keep you humble and it will open God’s arms to you. It will ground you in the truth.

“He that is down need fear no fall, he that is low no pride.”
-John Bunyan-

May 30 – Fertile Lives (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
Most of us try to get through life on human wisdom. Some of us succeed. Others of us make so many mistakes that we die with innumerable regrets. If only we could get guidance from above, we would get this “life” stuff right. If only we could hear the voice of the One who knows. If only.
The truth is that we can. The Voice has spoken. His words are available to us. But there’s a catch. We have to be willing to obey it. Otherwise, we won’t have what Jesus calls “ears to hear.” Those who obey what they already know of God have their ears opened to more; and those who have their ears open are readily obedient. It’s a precious cycle, conceived in the mind of God: Obedience begets hearing, which begets obedience, which begets hearing, which . . . You get the picture.
The life of faith is a life of obedience, and a life of obedience is a life of faith. The root of the problem is that most of us have trouble, however minor it may be, with obedience. We lose our “ears to hear,” and as a result, we fall back on human wisdom. Our lives never match those of the biblical heroes. Why? Human wisdom would not have pushed Abraham up a hill to sacrifice his son; it would not have led God’s people to the edge of the Red Sea with an army in pursuit; it would not have marched around Jericho 7 times and blasted a trumpet for the wall to fall; it would not have matched David with Goliath in the valley; and most strikingly, human wisdom would not have vilified the Son of God on a cross in order to save a wretched race.

IN DEED:
Really, when it comes down to it, would you prefer to live by human logic that results from losing your ears to hear? Or would you prefer the cutting-edge, risky-but-real life of a true, radical believer? The answer isn’t clear for everyone. But we’ve seen who lasts. Your Bible is full of their stories. They lived by faith, not by sight.

“You honor Jesus when you act in faith on His Word.”
-Ed Cole-

May 29 – Fearful First Steps (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
The problem most of us encounter in this life of faith is that we must base our decisions, our futures, our families, our jobs — our everything, in fact — on realities we cannot see. Not only can we not see them clearly — though God will open our eyes to them more clearly if we ask — those around us cannot see them, either. That’s where the misunderstandings, the rejection, and even the ridicule come in. When we live by faith, we are at first uncertain of where we’re going. We can’t see very far in front of us. And our family members and friends are watching. While we’re barely understanding our next steps, they can’t understand them at all.
The principles of this world are all based on sight. Our human culture like tangible evidence. It has learned to thrive on the limitations we’ve been given. But start bucking those limitations and see how quickly your peers back off. When you refuse to live by sight, you refuse to play the games of this world. You reject its most foundational beliefs. Religion is only speculative, we’ve been told. Our world doesn’t mind us believing whatever we want, as long as we don’t base our lives on the unseen. But when the eyes of faith are opened to the greater reality of God’s Kingdom, the label of “unstable” or even “crazy” comes quickly.
Just ask Abraham, whose mission it was to move to a place he would be told of later, and who was promised a most improbable son. Or Moses, who was called to demand from a hostile ruler the release of a million profitable slaves. Or Elisha, who was surrounded by a vicious army, but more greatly encompassed by heavenly hosts. Or Mary, who bore the Son of God by quite unconventional — and socially unacceptable — means.

IN DEED:
Are you afraid to live by faith? Welcome to the club. But the faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11 was made of such a club. Be bold and forsake nearsightedness. Faith sees more than sight ever can.

“The ultimate ground of faith and knowledge is confidence in God.” -Charles Hodge-

May 28 – Fallen Faith (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
Of the three approaches to decision making we usually take, the third — supernatural guidance — can be the most rewarding. It can also be the most disastrous. It all depends on where we place our faith. Just as it is possible to walk by faulty sight, it is possible to walk by faith and still be wrong. Living by faith rather than sight is no guarantee; faith can be misplaced.
Consider all of the supernatural offerings our world lays before us: seances, mediums, horoscopes, channeled, spirit guides, psychics, and more. The more overt of these are laughable to the ordinary believer. But they can also take highly subtle forms. Don’t believe it? Go to a bookstore and read excerpts from the self-help section. Some of it is human or even biblical wisdom dressed up as something new. But much of it has cultic connotations. Our age is not lacking in mystics proclaiming the way to happiness, the way to fulfillment, the way to self-actualization. The problem is that unless it comes from God’s revelation of what’s really real, it’s always the wrong way.
All supernatural sources of guidance apart from God are forbidden in Scripture — even when dressed up as “advice” and marketed to a general audience. The Christian who seeks them is an idolater. It is a slap in God’s face to seek advice from horoscopes, un-biblical gurus, and anyone else falsely claiming wisdom from above. It suggests that there might be a higher — or at least more accessible — source than God. But He is the ultimate authority and He is available. Why go anywhere else?

IN DEED:
Seeking supernatural guidance is a biblical mandate. But we must take this mandate with care and discernment. It cannot be just any supernatural guidance; it must be God’s revelation. Do not trust your emotions, your common sense, or the spiritual seductions of this age. Depend on God alone. Dare to live by genuine, exclusive faith.

“The essence of faith is being satisfied with all God is for us in Jesus.” -John Piper-

May 27 – Fallible Logic (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
Consider the second approach of human wisdom — common sense. It is higher and more noble than the selfish life of those who are subject to their emotions and desires. It is based on the best logic we can muster. We make lists of pros and cons; we evaluate the risks involved in each course of action; and we determine the clearest, safest, most profitable direction. It is the best, most reliable path that human reasoning can offer. But it is profoundly human. And it is still sight, not faith.
In essence, the common sense approach is an intellectual way of “playing the odds” in life. It is not much different than a gambler at the track who has thoroughly studied the horses and calculated the best candidates to win, place, and show. We can approach life with the same mind. We aim for the best education, locate in the safest, most comfortable area, plan for the most satisfying career, and save for the future. Nothing is wrong with any of those activities if they are built on a foundation of eternal wisdom and under the guidance of God. But we often skip the foundation and miss the guidance. We trust in our own devices and place our bets on the best life we can. In short, we exalt our limited logic over the voice of the Eternal. Even if we succeed in the eyes of men, we fail in the eyes of heaven.

IN DEED:
As we have learned, God’s prescription for our wisdom is to find His. His is thoroughly sensible, but it only appears so with the eyes of faith. Eyes that see beyond the ambitions of this world to the true values of the eternal Kingdom will have different criteria for making decisions. Faith often forsakes the things of this world for the lasting treasures of the Kingdom. Faith looks not for the longest physical life possible but for the most fruitful life possible. Faith understands that God’s wisdom often appears absolutely senseless to those with worldly sense. His Word is full. Of examples: Conservative sight does no miracles; “risky” faith does nothing else.

“Everything Jesus Christ taught was contrary to common sense.” -Oswald Chambers-

May 26 – Fleeting Emotions (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)

“We live by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7)

IN WORD:
We fallen humans generally make decisions by sight, and sight usually takes one of three forms: (1) We let our emotions be the guide. In other words, we do what we want to do, and pride & feelings rule; (2) We take a common sense approach, evaluating the pros and cons and the risks involved in each course of action; (3) We seek supernatural guidance, often in pagan ways — by stars and horoscopes, mediums and spiritists, and even best-selling self-help gurus.
There are profound problems with each approach. Consider the first one today. It traps many believers. God created our emotions and He intends for them to be fulfilled, but He does not intend for them to rule us. If they did, our lives would be roller-coaster rides, up & down with every whim & trend. There can be no consistency in such an approach to life, and there can be no worship of God. God transcends our feelings, and when we elevate them above His wisdom, we are placing ourselves on the throne of our own heart — where only He belongs. Emotional guidance is a disastrous way to live. It sets the course of our lives based on the mood of the moment. We end up living with immeasurable regrets. Sooner or later, we find out: He who does whatever he wants at any given moment is like an animal — and a fool.

IN DEED:
God’s prescription for our wisdom is to find His. His is constant; His is eternal; His is deeply rooted in reality — the way things really are. It is not trendy, and it is not superficial. In short, His wisdom is everything our emotions are not.
A believer who forsakes his or her own feelings for the much more reliable guidance of the eternal God has become wise. That believer must realize that feelings are not forever shunned; God created us for emotional fulfillment. But we are much more fulfilled when He fills us, not when we try to fill ourselves with our own shortsighted cravings. Sight is limited; faith is not. We must walk by faith, not sight.

“Faith is the bird that sings while it is yet dark.” -Max Lucado-