April 26 – Anatomy of a Temptation (Genesis 3:1-7; Proverbs 16:25)

“Did God really say . . . ?” (Genesis 3:1)

IN WORD:
We don’t need the serpent to speak these words to us anymore. We speak them to ourselves. That’s where all temptations begin: questions and confusion over what God really said. Sometimes it’s a legitimate confusion, but frequently it’s not. Somewhere deep inside us, we want a reason to go ahead and disobey. We want to “unintentionally” miss the will of God because we have our own will to appease, and it’s far more appealing. So we question the clear wisdom of our Creator and muddy the waters, trying to arrive at a point where we can say, “I just didn’t know. The right thing to do wasn’t clear to me. It was a complex issue.”
You know the routine. Every human being has practiced it. The gymnastics that the human heart will go through to justify our wants is impressive. It takes considerable training and remarkable flexibility. But it is a tragic exercise with tragic consequences.
Psychologists call our thought processes “rationalizing,” but the biblical word for it — or at least what precedes it — is temptation. The cravings of our flesh, the lust of our eyes, the pride of the self — these are the drives that compete with the holiness offered by our God. The enemy has done a masterful job of coloring those impulses brightly and painting holiness blandly. He doesn’t want the latter to have any appeal because it would result in a glory that he can’t stand. It would honor God and. It would fulfill the image of God in us. To him, that would be an ugly, ugly scene.

IN DEED:
Are you skilled in the art of rationalizing? If you are a human being, you must answer yes. The clever serpent got the ball rolling in the Garden, but it has rolled freely ever since. There are depths to this art form of talking ourselves into disobedience that’s we are often not aware of. Ask God to reveal them to you. He wants you to have discernment.
Can you pray that today? Ask God to give you clear insight into the mind games we play. Let His Word hold full sway over your thinking. Learn to recognize temptation.

“Temptation has its source not in the outer lure but in the inner lust.” -D. Edmund Hiebert-

April 25 – The Faith in Thanks (Psalm 50)

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
(Psalm 50:23)

IN WORD:
To most of us, giving thanks comes in the aftermath of a gift. We receive, and we are grateful to the giver if, in fact, we welcome the gift. It would be odd among sinful human beings to give thanks before a gift is given. Generosity can never be presumed among us. We must see it before we acknowledge it.
Negative as we are, we often treat God like a sinful human being. We will give Him thanks when we see His blessing. If we don’t see it, we withhold our gratitude. We base it on a false assumption about His character — that He might not be a Giver. Why? Because we haven’t seen it with our own eyes. But God doesn’t work that way. His character is constant. We can assume His generosity. He is a Giver by nature, and we can acknowledge Him as such right now, even before we think we’ve received His bounty. Not only is it appropriate to give Him thanks after a blessing, it is right to give Him thanks beforehand. And it is not only right, it is often a prerequisite. If we don’t, we may not receive what He is prepared to give.

IN DEED:
It is a strange dynamic to human eyes: Those who have never seen or expected God’s blessing will never receive it, while those who have will receive more. Does this seem unfair? It isn’t. Pessimism about God is faithlessness, and God does not honor faithlessness. He honors faith. Faith sees God for who He is before He has proven it yet again. It sees past blessings in the life of the believer, in the history of His servants, and in the Word of God. It knows that when God says He will deliver, He will. When He says He will provide, He will. Faith does not wait to find out who God is and what He is like. It already knows. It takes Him at His Word, and it is thankful in advance.

“He who can give thanks for little will always find he has enough.” -Anonymous-

April 24 – Real Refuge (Psalm 37:39-40)

“The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”(Psalm 37:40)

IN WORD:
What does it mean to take refuge in God? It means to have faith that what He says is true; He will deliver those who call on Him. It means to appeal to Him in times of trouble; prayer is a powerful resource. But most of all, it means that we decide not to take refuge in ourselves, in others, in worldly wisdom, or in human strategies. We take refuge in Him, and Him alone.
What do you do when you’re in trouble? If you’re like most believers, you figure out a strategy and ask God to bless it. In His mercy, He may. But He calls us to a better way. When God tells us He is our refuge, He asks us to forsake our former allegiance to other sources of protection. Are you sick? First acknowledge that no medical treatment will work unless God is the Healer behind it. Are you in conflict with someone else? First acknowledge that no words of yours will change another’s heart unless God is the agent of change. Are you in financial distress? First acknowledge that no amount of income will help unless God is the source. And having acknowledged all of this, look to Him constantly. Follow His instructions for action, but know first that your action is God-directed and not a futile means of self-help.
God is a Deliverer for those who recognize how helpless and vulnerable they are. He is not a Deliverer for those who try to add Him to their own self-effort.

IN DEED:
“God helps those who help themselves” is a catchy saying, but it is not biblical. Rather, God helps those who know how helpless they are and who appeal to Him — on His terms — for deliverance. That’s not quite as catchy, but it is true. Those who want God to be their stronghold in times of trouble, must actually depend on God as their stronghold. The deliverance is His, and His alone.

“Dear Lord, although I am sure of my position, I am unable to sustain it without You. Help me or I am lost.”
-Martin Luther-

April 23 – Repentability (2 Samuel 12:1-13)

“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ “
(2 Samuel 12:13)

IN WORD:
Scripture is rich with the theme of humility. Jesus’ first beatitude should not have been as shocking as it was: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Peter’s mini-sermon on Proverbs 3:34 was nothing new: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5-6). Humility is good in God’s sight. It always has been.
Nowhere does humility show itself more clearly than in our ability to repent of our sins. David was confronted with his sin by Nathan’s incisive parable on sheep stealing. Many of us would have responded with an indignant “How dare you?” Or a “Who do you think you are?” But not David. David’s response, when he saw his sin, was grief. He was humble enough to acknowledge his own depravity. He was firmly rooted in the reality of man’s corruption. His level of “repentability” ran high.

IN DEED:
What do you do when confronted with your sins? Do you get defensive? Are you resistant? That may depend upon the one who is pointing out your sins to you. A friend’s rebuke is hard to take, a stranger’s harder still. The Bible rebukes us frequently, but we find it easy to ignore the Word when we want to. There are lots of pages to turn to when we want a more uplifting, encouraging thought. Regardless of where the rebuke comes from, we don’t usually want to be bothered with messages about our own corruption. We’d rather dwell on how far we’ve come than how far we have to go. We don’t like reminders of how long we’ve been disciples, we are in need of great mercy.
Test your level of “repentability.” Evaluate your response when you are confronted with your sin, either by another person or by the Word of God. Take your cues from David. Let humility be your guide, and see the mercy of God.

“No man ever enters heaven until he is first convinced that he deserves hell.” -John Everrett-

April 22 – Solidarity In Suffering (Hebrews 13:1-3)

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”(Hebrews 13:3)

IN WORD:
At any given time, many of God’s saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be a product of circumstances. It can be financial debt, a broken relationship, a physical ailment, or any other constraining situation.
A huge problem in the church is when Christians look at their imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. Paul probably had experienced such a phenomenon. We read his prison epistles and marvel at his suffering for the cause. But many of his contemporaries may not have marveled. They may have seen his trouble as a sign of God’s disfavor and wondered why someone with so much potential had fallen to such depths.
God’s prisons are full of His loved ones. He uses those experiences mightily, as He did with Paul, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the disciple, and numerous other biblical examples. In fact, most of those whom He has used in powerful ways have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

IN DEED:
Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don’t despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.
Do you know someone in prison? Do not condemn. God is highlighting the current witness of His saints and preparing them for future fruitfulness. It is never His intention for His church to turn on its visibly fallen. Solidarity is His prescription for believers. Pray for those who suffer and meet their needs however you can. Demonstrate your solidarity with a captive saint today.

“Tell me how much you know of the suffering of your fellow men, and I will tell you how much you have loved them.”
-Helmut Thielicke

April 22 – Solidarity In Suffering (Hebrews 13:1-3)

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”(Hebrews 13:3)

IN WORD:
At any given time, many of God’s saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be a product of circumstances. It can be financial debt, a broken relationship, a physical ailment, or any other constraining situation.
A huge problem in the church is when Christians look at their imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. Paul probably had experienced such a phenomenon. We read his prison epistles and marvel at his suffering for the cause. But many of his contemporaries may not have marveled. They may have seen his trouble as a sign of God’s disfavor and wondered why someone with so much potential had fallen to such depths.
God’s prisons are full of His loved ones. He uses those experiences mightily, as He did with Paul, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the disciple, and numerous other biblical examples. In fact, most of those whom He has used in powerful ways have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

IN DEED:
Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don’t despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.
Do you know someone in prison? Do not condemn. God is highlighting the current witness of His saints and preparing them for future fruitfulness. It is never His intention for His church to turn on its visibly fallen. Solidarity is His prescription for believers. Pray for those who suffer and meet their needs however you can. Demonstrate your solidarity with a captive saint today.

“Tell me how much you know of the suffering of your fellow men, and I will tell you how much you have loved them.”
-Helmut Thielicke

April 22 – Solidarity In Suffering (Hebrews 13:1-3)

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”(Hebrews 13:3)

IN WORD:
At any given time, many of God’s saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be a product of circumstances. It can be financial debt, a broken relationship, a physical ailment, or any other constraining situation.
A huge problem in the church is when Christians look at their imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. Paul probably had experienced such a phenomenon. We read his prison epistles and marvel at his suffering for the cause. But many of his contemporaries may not have marveled. They may have seen his trouble as a sign of God’s disfavor and wondered why someone with so much potential had fallen to such depths.
God’s prisons are full of His loved ones. He uses those experiences mightily, as He did with Paul, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the disciple, and numerous other biblical examples. In fact, most of those whom He has used in powerful ways have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

IN DEED:
Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don’t despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.
Do you know someone in prison? Do not condemn. God is highlighting the current witness of His saints and preparing them for future fruitfulness. It is never His intention for His church to turn on its visibly fallen. Solidarity is His prescription for believers. Pray for those who suffer and meet their needs however you can. Demonstrate your solidarity with a captive saint today.

“Tell me how much you know of the suffering of your fellow men, and I will tell you how much you have loved them.”
-Helmut Thielicke

April 21 – Mercy’s Victory (James 2:8-13)

“Mercy triumph’s over judgment!” (James 2:13)

IN WORD:
When someone sins against us, we are driven by a sense of fairness. We want the sin acknowledged, repentance demonstrated, and restitution made. Within our minds are detail-sensitive measuring devices that scrutinize others’ actions to make sure we are treated fairly.
When we sin against someone else, we have an entirely different approach. We are driven by a sense of mercy. We expect people to cut us a certain amount of slack since, after all, only bitter, judgmental people get uptight about the little things. We forget that we ourselves are often uptight about the little things.
Jesus said to take that mercy-driven mind we have when we offend and apply it to the times when we are offended. “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” (Luke 6:31). The sense of fairness we have when we are wronged was assumed by God Himself and poured out on the crucified Jesus. We are no longer entitled to it. He declared once for all that justice is His, not ours. We are left only with mercy. And thank God for that. It’s all we need.

IN DEED:
God’s judgment is the natural result of His righteousness. It is integral to His character. But His mercy exceeds His justice. Only God could have conceived of a plan to exercise judgment in such a merciful way. In condemning our sins, He laid them all on His own flesh and took the condemnation Himself. His judgment was undergirded by grace.
God tells us to be like Him. If we are to have His mind and be steeped in His wisdom, we must let our own mercy triumph over our indignation. God has given us sure footing for grace and none at all for judgment.
The next time you need someone to cut you some slack and forgive, make a note of the feeling. Savor it and cultivate it. Then remember it the next time you are outraged at another’s fault. In doing so, you will apply mercy’s victory to your own heart. And you will understand God’s.

“The more godly any man is, the more merciful that man will be.” -Thomas Benton Brooks-

April 20 – Fallen (Romans 3:10-18)

“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”(Ecclesiastes 7:20)

IN WORD:
Ecclesiastes is a depressing book. No one can accuse it of pious platitudes designed to put a positive spin on the world around us. It tells the truth, at least from the perspective of where a fallen humanity sits. If we depend on our eyes for the truth, we will end up saying the same things as “the Teacher” who wrote it: “Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
The good thing about Ecclesiastes is that it sends us in search of a Savior. In its cold, hard assessment of who we are, it drives us toward the only One who can remedy our situation. But in order to know Him, we first need to embrace the harsh reality: “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”
We accept this truth as basic, but we hardly live like we believe it. We put our hopes in politicians and policies. We admire entertainers and athletes as role models. We feed on the affections of friends and loved ones. We build up our own potential as the thing that, if we apply ourselves diligently enough, will make our lives meaningful. We invest such extreme emotions in fellow human beings — and ourselves — forgetting one critical foundation stone on which the gospel is laid: Every human being has the potential, even the probability, of letting us down.

IN DEED:
It’s only natural. We take our eyes off the invisible God and put them on visible mankind. We expect our dreams and desires to be fulfilled by others, or at least by ourselves. We develop a worldly focus and invest our energies into the plans, people, and places of this planet. Then, when we least expect it, our dreams are shattered. We should have expected that. No human being can live up to the expectations we have. No one is righteous enough.
There is one exception, of course. It’s the exception Ecclesiastes points us to: the Savior sent by God. In a fallen world, we need to keep turning our eyes toward Him — for everything. He will never disappoint us.

“We are not part of a nice, neat creation . . . ; we are part of a mutinous world where rebellion against God is the order of the day.” -Samuel Shoemaker-

April 19 – Where’s Your Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

“Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.” (2 Corinthians 5:2)

IN WORD:
There is an impulse deep in our hearts for the things of heaven. God placed it there. He shaped us for eternity, and somewhere deep within us, we know that. We may have distorted that impulse when our first parents ate the forbidden fruit or when we deliberately sinned against God, but we still have it. We want heaven, and we want it now!
Have you noticed all the ways we try to get it? We look for heaven in lots of places — the spring catalogs, the vacation brochures, the real estate guides, the novels and movies that engross us, the satisfying relationships we pursue, the American dream we’re promised, and more. You name it, we’ve placed our hope in it. We welcome poor substitutes.
Perhaps we thought of our personal goals as an innocent search for satisfaction, but they went deeper than that. We were driven by our impulses for the eternal kingdom, trying to satisfy our hearts with things that don’t measure up. That’s why we always want more, no matter how much we have. Everything we think will satisfy us won’t — not in the long run. Eternal impulses are not content with temporal treasures. Our hope is like an itch; it is cured with a divine balm, not an impatient scratch.

IN DEED:
Where have you sought to secure your heaven? Even if you’ve placed your hope in the Kingdom of God, you still may be tempted to secure your kingdom by your own means. Have you insulated yourself in the most comfortable neighborhoods, padded your accounts with the most comfortable margins, gotten away from it all with the most comfortable respites, and escaped into the most comfortable fantasies? You may be entertaining false hopes. You may have cultivated your own parallel false kingdom next to the eternal Kingdom of God.
Resist that urge. God has called us into a relationship with Him. Let that be your treasure. Handle the things of this world loosely. Look for heaven where heaven really is.

“Heaven will be the perfection we have always longed for.”
-Billy Graham-