April 8 – Eternal Returns

“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.”(Proverbs 14:14)

IN WORD:
Can you imagine being one of the first stockholders in the automobile industry, where the horseless carriage was seen as a foolishly impossible endeavor? How much would your stock be worth today, over a century later? Wise and early investments, given time, become amazingly profitable. In fact, almost every economic investment, given enough time, produces exponential returns far overshadowing its initial cost. A few dollars invested wisely hundreds of years ago could be worth millions of dollars now.
The principle of “investment plus time equals profit” not only applies in the world’s economy, but also in God’s. Faithfulness, given time, has profitable results. And in God’s economy, the time is not measured in years but in eons. Our investments are eternal. Their profits never stop coming in.
The same principle also applies in the negative. Faithlessness bears a burdensome interest, and it never stops accruing without divine intervention and a repentant reversal. Or, as Paul says hundreds of years after Solomon: “A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). It is foolish to expect otherwise, as so many do, thinking that recklessness will have no negative outcome. It is just as foolish to think that faithfulness may never be rewarded, even though it may be long in coming. God does not operate that way. Wisdom recognizes His character and knows that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

IN DEED:
Learn to see your actions today as eternal investments. They may not bear immediately visible profits or losses, but the profits and losses are given an eternity to work themselves out. Their scale can be massive. A wise word, a timely gift, or a simple act of service can compound daily for all eternity. God. Already knows their future value. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, how much will today’s investment be worth? More than we can ever imagine!

“God has given us a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends.” -Jeremy Taylor-

April 7 – Deepen Your Shine (Daniel 12:1-4)

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”(Daniel 12:3)

IN WORD:
People spend thousands of dollars to last longer. Exercise, cosmetics, plastic surgery, self-help advice, nutrition plans — in other words, the entire self-preservation industry — is huge business. We like life, and we want it to last, not just in some ethereal, non-descript expectation of a life hereafter, but in a real, fulfilling, purposeful eternity. We don’t just want “forever.” We want to know we will enjoy it.

Daniel is told what makes or breaks eternity in the resurrection: righteousness. Loving it, drinking it in, leading others to it, investing in it. Righteousness is the key. The quality of our righteousness on earth has everything to do with the quality of our eternity. And those who are wise know it.
Those who are wise also know that there’s a problem. We are inherently unrighteous. An eternity based on earthly righteousness is a devastating predicament for people who are, in their very genetics, infected with corruption. Are there any who can really lead others to righteousness? Will any shine like the brightness of the heavens? Or is the promise empty?
We who know Jesus know the answer, of course. Righteousness is a gift from a holy heaven to an infected race. It comes from outside of ourselves, available only through faith in its Giver. Those who are wise will tell others about this gift. Those who want to shine will know the Source of light and will be completely preoccupied with Him.

IN DEED:
You probably know of the Bible’s imperatives about evangelism: We are commanded to spread the gospel of salvation throughout the world. Have you known also of this promise in Daniel? Evangelism is one way to make an investment that never, ever ceases to bring abundant returns. God promises that sharing the Light with others will forever deepen your own shine.

“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset.”
-Thomas Watson-

April 6 – An Enemy’s Hunger (Proverbs 25:21-22)

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”(Proverbs 25:21)

IN WORD:

If we ever needed any evidence that God’s character is not instinctual for us, this is it. Giving our enemies food to eat and water to drink goes against every principle of justice we’ve cultivated from the early days of sibling rivalries and onward. The self-promoting impulses of fallen humanity do not allow us to look out for our enemies and bless them with favor. If we wanted to do that for them, they wouldn’t be our enemies.
It take a lot of faith to act in such a way. The Holy Spirit must radically renew our minds, and then our minds must trust that God will honor our behavior. It feels like going out on a limb, doesn’t it? To treat an enemy well risks the possibility of his taking advantage of us, of his getting the upper hand, of our accounts being so out of balance that we’re even more vulnerable than when we first felt offended. Treating an enemy with favor means tat we have decided, in faith, that God is the keeper of our enemy’s account as well as our own. We cannot do it unless we trust that He will work justice out in the end, and that we’re actually improving the welfare of our rival. Human logic does not lead us to such conclusions. Only faith can do that.

IN DEED:
How do you treat your enemies? Maybe you claim you have none; congratulations. But there are certainly people who rub you the wrong way. How do you deal with them? Do you hold grudges? Do you look for ways to avoid them? Do you secretly hope that God will humble them and vindicate you?
Perhaps He will. If you really believe in His goodness, you are free to let Him handle justice on your behalf. You are free to behave in extraordinarily unexpected and godly ways by blessing those who curse you, giving to those who have cheated you, or complimenting those who have insulted you. Trying to make their lives uncomfortable, though natural, tells God we don’t believe in His justice. Treating an enemy well honors His merciful will.

“In Jesus and for Him, enemies and friends alike are to be loved.” -Thomas A’ Kempis-

April 5 – A Pageantry of Need (Psalm 65)

“Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house.”
(Psalm 65:4)

IN WORD:
Imagine a homeless man pushing his grocery cart on the sidewalk in front of an open-air buffet restaurant. Hungry for a meal — just one good meal — he stumbles back and forth. People sit at sidewalk tables, feasting on a lavish spread of the finest foods. Imagine a sign in front of the restaurant reading: “Free buffet. All you can eat. Everyone welcome.” Still, the man wanders on the sidewalk. Everything he needs for the moment is offered, but he won’t sit down. Perhaps he doesn’t understand the sign, or doesn’t believe it applies to him, or feels like he’s too dirty to fit in. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to leave his empty bottles outside in his cart. Regardless of the reason, he hungers while others eat.
That’s how many Christians approach God’s promises. We loiter in front of His Word, but we don’t understand it, don’t believe it applies to us, or think we’re too dirty to fit in. Often, we won’t let go of the trash we’re hoarding. Regardless of the reason, we hunger while others eat. The banquet of God waits for us, but we can’t relate to it, so we don’t even ask. We won’t go sit down. We take some sort of perverse pride in our homelessness, mistaking our poverty for true spirituality. We think we’re much less pretentious than those who are feasting. We just don’t get it. The buffet is for us. God’s promises are lavished upon us with His own Son as the guarantee.

IN DEED:
Blessed are those who accept God’s promises like children, who are too innocent to ask questions or to be suspicious of His extravagance. While homeless people parade in front of His storehouse, clutching their carts, those who simply take Him at His Word, avoid the absurdity of the picture. They understand: We have a God of enormous abundance, and we are a people of enormous need. It’s a simple relationship. He invites us to display our poverties before Him so He can show the world His mercies. What prevents us from receiving His bounty with open arms?

“You never pray with greater power than when you plead the promises of God.” -William C. White-

April 4 – Watch Your Diet (Philippians 4:8-9)

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

IN WORD:
What would we expect of someone who feeds only on fast food and unhealthy snacks filled with sugar and fats? A healthy body? Long life? No, we would expect physical health to be largely the product of physical intake. Is it any different in the spirit?
Modern culture is saturated with unhealthy spiritual food — from the lusts of the flesh and the eyes, to the human pride of the self-life, to elaborate and deceptive world views and philosophies. Hundreds of television channels, dozens of newspapers and magazines, unlimited cyberspace images, and a number of other media compete for our attention. We let many of them actually win our attention. And much of what we feed on is unhealthy. In our pursuit of wisdom, our minds often hunger for genuine nutrition.
It is unreasonable to think that hours of digesting unhealthy material will result in healthy minds and spirits. “You are what you eat” applies not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual. Consuming all the wrong things will have all the wrong results. It’s a natural law. There’s no way to take in junk without becoming junky!

IN DEED:
God calls us to watch our diets. It pleases Him when we care for His temple, our bodies. But it pleases Him much more when we care for our minds. Our thought life is where His Spirit most prefers to work, shaping uncluttered hearts and imparting wisdom to uncluttered minds. Even so, we do not make a smooth highway for Him into our souls. Through our entertainment, we let ourselves be bombarded by a relentless PR campaign for the ways of the world. Find a balance. Watch what goes into your mind. Without hindrance, let His thoughts nourish you.

“No one would allow garbage at his table, but many allow it served into their minds.” -Bishop Fulton Sheen-

April 3 – Flexible Obedience (Numbers 9:15-23)

“At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out.” (Numbers 9:23)

IN WORD:
We serve an unpredictable God. He is not unreasonable, and He is not inconsistent, but He is unpredictable. No human has ever fathomed His ways. As much as we try to make the spiritual life of discipleship a formula — and check out the shelves of your local Christian bookstore if you don’t believe we have done that — God will change directions on us. Why is that? Does He enjoy being elusive? Does He like to taunt us by always staying out of our reach?
No, God does not tease. But anyone who follows Him must quickly learn: He is not a formula. He does not repeat the same methods over & over again. He does not let us get into a habit of obedience-by-memory that does not engage the spirit. There is a great mercy in that. He is a God of relationship, and He only allows us to relate to Him. We cannot memorize Him, we cannot learn His principles apart from His person, and we cannot substitute His Law in place of His Spirit. He desires to be known, and while His past deeds help us know who He is, His present direction can only be found in a vital relationship with His person.

IN DEED:
God is looking for those who have the flexibility to pick up and go when He says to pick up and go, and to sit down and stay when He says to sit down and stay. Sometimes He will have us camp for several days, sometimes only for several minutes. Sometimes He will lead us for miles, sometimes for a few feet. The disciple who says, “The God who led me five miles yesterday will lead me five miles every day,” does not know the God he serves. He’s into religion, not faith. There’s a huge difference.
In your discipleship, are you depending on principles, or are you looking for God? You must be available to do what He commands today, not what He commanded you last time. Know the difference. Know your God.

“The evidence of knowing God is obeying God.”
-Eric Alexander-

April 2 – Avoiding Wastelands (Galatians 5:16-26; 6:7-8)

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

IN WORD:
What would you say if someone offered to sell you a piece of beach property at a seemingly affordable price? Sounds good, doesn’t it? But what if the property was a wasteland — the site of toxic dumping, the end of a sewage line, or used for some other objectionable purpose? The prospect of owning it would be unappealing to say the least. Why? Because there is no value in such a investment.
That image is an accurate picture of a choice we must all make. We can either live in the Spirit or live in the flesh. If we sow the seeds of the flesh, we are investing in worthless land. It won’t last. It can’t be developed. It will leave us with nothing in the end; the sinful nature is destined for destruction.
When we think of sowing to please our sinful nature, as Paul says (v. 8), we immediately think of overt, fleshly sins: sexual immorality, substance abuse, greed, etc. But we rarely consider the more subtle seeds of our sinful nature. If we sow seeds of self-effort, we will reap its rewards: a few accolades, perhaps, but nothing lasting. If we sow seeds of self-righteousness, we end up with self-righteousness which cannot stand before God. If we sow seeds of self-sufficiency, we reap only what we can provide for ourselves; and it is never enough. Living in the power of the flesh is perpetual futility. It accomplishes nothing eternal.

IN DEED:
One of the great mysteries of sin and self is why we invest in them. Like the beachfront, the investment may have natural appeal. But a self-directed life is deceitful. It promises us success but delivers nothing that lasts. Even its noblest works are corrupt. What a disastrous investment! When we buy bad merchandise, we get — well, bad merchandise. When we cultivate the flesh, we get the flesh.
Sow eternal seeds. Live by the power of the Spirit. Be forever joined to the plan, the purposes, and the Person of the incorruptible God. And enjoy reaping what you’ve sown.

“We share in the divine nature through our sharing of the Spirit.” -Athanasius-

April 1 – Waiting in Faith

“It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
(Lamentations 3:26)

IN WORD:
Waiting quietly is not what most of us do best. We prefer to be activists, at least in the matters that pertain to us. Perhaps we like to maintain an illusion of control. Perhaps we just don’t trust other people as much as we trust ourselves. Regardless, it’s against our nature to wait patiently when we think we might be ale to affect an outcome.
We make a statement when we act. We are answering all our questions about God: Does He care? Does He have a will in the situation? Does He intervene in our affairs? Does His Word have something to say about our situation? Every time we act, we are answering these questions one way or the other, at least for the matter at hand. Maybe we don’t realize how loaded with meaning our behavior is, but it is profound. Almost everything we do indicates our beliefs about God.
God tells us how to approach life. We are to come to every situation with faith, an expectation of His goodness, and a desire to do His will. While we would like these heart attitudes to be instantaneous, they rarely are. They take time, and therefore we must approach each situation with time and thoughtfulness. Whenever we find ourselves in a difficulty, instead of barging our way out of it along the path of least resistance, as we are prone to do, we must first ask the Lord His will, wait for His answer, and let Him take the initiative by preparing the way before us. His way is not necessarily an instant way.

IN DEED:
Ask yourself why it is hard to wait sometimes. Is it impatience with the situation? A desire to be in control? A suspicion that God is not going to intervene? Let God search your motives, and then search His will. Wait quietly until He reveals it. Doors will open and victories will fall into your hands, rarely in your timing, but always in His. Waiting quietly demonstrates trust like nothing else. It is a way to honor Him.

“Simply wait upon Him. So doing, we shall be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded.” -Vance Havner-

March 31 – The Unseen Battle (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

“What I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”(2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

IN WORD:
Any wisdom we acquire that does not include a very real sense of the unseen world is severely deficient. The enemy has designs on us as the body of Christ — to destroy our unity — and on us as individuals — to keep us ignorant of our union with Jesus. He is no abstract force; he is a malignant personality with a malicious plan. We who believe are in his sights.
The enemy will draw near to you, but Jesus will draw even nearer. Never forget that. For the Christian, our proximity to Jesus is always greater than our proximity to the evil one. “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
That perspective must always be maintained, or the battle is lost. The enemy can’t steal your salvation, but he can steal all its pleasure — your joy and your peace.

IN DEED:
Spiritual warfare looks awfully physical sometimes. It takes wisdom to see the battle behind your battles and to respond appropriately. Know that the enemy loves your conflicts, not simply because they are conflicts, but because they distract you from God’s business — and, if you aren’t careful, from His character. Satan loves to obscure the glory of God’s name, and when he can degrade your spiritual health in a conflict, the glory of God’s name is certainly obscured. Satan retreats when you stand firm — when you keep your peace, maintain your joy, act in humility, and demonstrate love — even in the midst of conflict. Especially in the midst of conflict. He would rather not give you an occasion to show God’s character in the fire, so if you’re going to show God’s character anyway, he’ll eventually put out the fire. He’ll be back with another strategy later, but he’ll lose this one — if you stand firm.

“If you don’t believe in the devil’s existence, just try resisting him for a while.” -Charles Finney-

March 30 – Mysteries of Majesty (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6)

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

IN WORD:
Human nature like to boil things down into understandable parts. We like elegant theories that explain varied situations with one simple truth. We like to analyze books and movies, categorizing their parts and breaking out their themes. And we like theological truth; we like to fit everything into doctrines and creeds so that we can understand the nuts & bolts of God.
The problem is that God doesn’t fit. Whatever systematic way of thinking man can come up with, it is too small to explain God. Whatever principles we can identify in His Word, they are too narrow to define how He relates to us. We simply can’t get a handle on Him. He’s too expansive. We’re like earthbound ants trying to get a handle on the moon. We know God’s there; we can describe what we see; and we can speculate about how He will behave. But we can’t know.
That doesn’t mean that doctrine and theology aren’t important. They are — extremely so. They give us a framework to discuss the glory of our Creator, and they help us understand patterns He has used in His dealings with us. But they do not define Him, and they do not capture Him. They do not reduce Him down to a manageable formula.

IN DEED:
We can count on God’s character. We know He is holy, loving, righteous, omniscient, omnipotent, merciful, and more. And we know that these attributes of His will not change. They, along with His Word, are forever reliable. But that doesn’t mean that we have a handle on Him. No one has explained Him fully. No one has come up with his formulas, because He is not a formula God.
Is that unsettling? It is to many people. We like predictability and explanations. But a god we can explain isn’t God. Remember that when your life seems out of control, because it really isn’t out of control. It is under the control and hand of the mysterious, mighty God.

“A religion without mystery must be a religion without God.”
-Jeremy Taylor-