December 1 – Purpose in Planning (Isaiah 25:1)

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”(Proverbs 21:5)

IN WORD:
“Haste makes waste.” It’s a proverb many of us grew up with, and it’s a reflection of biblical truth. Those who are diligent and want to accomplish much cannot approach life haphazardly. Diligence implies a plan and haste is an enemy of planning.
We who are remade in God’s image can take our cues from God. The Bible frequently refers to His plans, and we often refer to the plan of salvation, the plan for the end of times, and all sorts of other designs from His hand. We can be reasonably sure that God didn’t figure out what to do on the second day of creation after He got through with the first. His wisdom had a purpose in mind when He began. And His plans have been long and thorough. God does not make it up on the run. Neither should we.
God is certainly not an enemy of spontaneity, but He is an enemy of carelessness. Philip was responding spontaneously when God put him on the Gaza road; Peter was flexible when God told him to go to Cornelius; and Paul was able to turn from Asia to Macedonia when God redirected him. Those of us who make plans and will not diverge from them under any circumstances have made the plans God. We must always hold God above the plans, not the plans above God. But given His authority, we are urged to live wisely in this world. And wisdom calls for the intentional pursuit of a godly purpose.

IN DEED:
Consider the stewardship of your time. Is it spent efficiently? Don’t think that God wants us working as machines and suppressing individuality. And don’t think that He discourages us from being flexible and available when He directs us. But also don’t assume that He advocates a random approach to our lives. The God with a purpose bears children with a purpose. And the God who has a plan to accomplish His purposes bears children who will also plan to accomplish His purposes. Without a goal, we are aimless — even when we are incredibly busy. God calls us to aim high and to know how to get there.

“Purpose is what gives life a meaning. . . . A drifting boat always drifts downstream.” -Charles H. Parkhurst-

November 30 – God’s Way (Deuteronomy 30:19)

“. . . But in the end it leads to death.”(Proverbs 14:12)

IN WORD:
The way of human ingenuity and discernment, according to the Bible, leads to death. This verse is often applied to salvation, but it is much farther-reaching than that. It applies to all of our choices. We are confronted with constant decisions between self-will and God’s will. And the choices may be much more subtle than that: the easy way vs. the hard way, small compromises vs. absolute truth, or any other such confusing fork in the road. We don’t realize the gravity of our direction. Man’s way leads to death, while God’s way leads to . . .well, death.
Have you considered that? Any choice we make will lead to death. If we serve ourselves and cling to our false values, we will die. If we submit to jesus, we must die! But the outcome is not as uniform as it seems. This world offers us “life” and then death — forever. God offers us “death” and then life — forever. Fools choose the “life” of this world, the “life” of the party, the “life” of freedom from all responsibility. The wise choose God. Yes, that means a cross now — a daily cross, a painful cross, a difficult path of aversion to our own wills and submission to God’s. But in the end, it leads to life.

IN DEED:
Do you think that principle applies only to your salvation? Think more broadly than that. God is constantly calling us into His will. We’re afraid of Him. We’ve been convinced by a hostile world and a lying enemy that God’s will involves untold sacrifice and pain without a corresponding benefit. We think it’s all pain, no gain — or a lot of pain with a very uncertain gain. We just can’t see the blessing beyond the Cross.
But do you think you have a real alternative? That cross we carry may be painful and sacrificial — it is not the easy way. But it’s the only way. The alternative is to live outside the will of God, which equals a thousand deaths, each a thousand times worse than the blessed life of submission to the compassionate Lord. What “life” are we embracing when we opt for self-will? A momentary sense of satisfaction, perhaps. But that won’t last. God’s Kingdom will. It’s where life will live forever.

“Carry the cross patiently and with perfect submission, and in the end it shall carry you.” -Thomas ‘A Kempis-

November 29 – The Easy Way (Judges 21:25)

“There is a way that seems right to a man, . . .”
(Proverbs 14:12)

IN WORD:
When given a choice between an easy option and a difficult one, which are we most likely to select? All other things being equal, the easy one. But all other things are not equal. Our choices have far-reaching ramifications, and God usually has a preference in them. And, not surprisingly to us, His will has little to do with what’s easy.
The United States Declaration of Independence asserts our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That’s ingrained in us. We are not often encouraged to do difficult things unless the rewards are great — and clear to our senses. No, more often we prefer the path of least resistance. We’ll work for a self-serving cause, or even a selfless cause we feel passionately about. But we do not see God’s benefits easily. We are unaware of His rewards, unfamiliar with His Kingdom’s ways, and often unconcerned with the glory of His name. We are creatures of the easy way.
That’s a natural tendency of a fallen humanity, and cultural ideals and elders who know better try to train us otherwise. But, like the Israelites in one terribly lawless period, everyone does as he or she sees fit (Judges 21:25). We forget that God never asked us to do what seems right in our own eyes; He asks us to do what is right in His eyes. Before the Holy Spirit lovingly invades our lives, we have no spiritual discernment and are guided by impure minds. At the time, that seems like a satisfying independence. But in truth, it’s a scary way to live.

IN DEED:
Consider God’s ways with those in the Bible. If difficulties indicated being out of God’s will, Paul had most certainly gone astray. (His hardships are itemized in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10). If obedience were always an easy decision, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was pointless. No, our God calls us to hard things. We don’t like that, but we need to get used to it. It’s a temporary but certain component of the Kingdom of God: The way that seems right often isn’t.

“I was not born to be free. I was born to adore and to obey.”
-C.S. Lewis-

November 28 – Understanding Life (Psalm 39:4-6)

“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”(Psalm 39:4)

IN WORD:
How long do you have left to live? It’s a sobering question for this sobering reason: We don’t know the answer. We can’t know, unless God has given us some peculiar revelation that most will never receive. Whether we’ve just been given a clean bill of health or diagnosed with a terminal disease, we still don’t know how long we have in this world. The diagnoses of doctors are always subject to human error. Furthermore, a perfectly healthy person can be killed in a car accident. Only God knows the day of our passage out of these earthen vessels.
Many people would prefer not to consider such questions. They are too morbid, perhaps. But David wants to know; he asks God to show him, to remind him of how transient his life is. No, he isn’t necessarily asking to know the date of his death. He wants the sense of urgency that reflects the reality of our short lives. He wants to make every moment count.
So should we. Far from being a morbid thought, understanding the brevity of our earthly life spans will bring us a sense of focus like nothing else will. We will begin to strive for what is important and forsake whatever isn’t. We will get our priorities straight. Ask anyone who has been given only a short time to live. Understanding life’s uncertainty can lead to a remarkable shift in values.

IN DEED:
Do you want that kind of focus? Don’t wait for a doctor’s diagnosis. Go ahead and choose a time. What length would give you a proper perspective and help you live with the right priorities? A year? 5 years? 6 months? You decide. Then go ahead and live as though you have only a year left, or however much time you’ve chosen. Assume, for example, that God will take you home one year from today. Watch your priorities change. Watch your relationship with God and with others transform. Begin living in the light of eternity, and understand the life God has given us.

“It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day.” -Matthew Henry-

November 27 – Gratitude Remembers (Psalm 105:1-7)

“Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.”(Psalm 105:5)

IN WORD:
Many people are waiting to be thankful until they have something to be thankful for. It’s a flaw of fallen humanity. We are always looking forward to what we want and always aware of what we don’t have. For most of us, the glass is always half empty — at least.
What is our remedy? It’s given often in Scripture. We are to be “rememberers.” God urges us to rehearse His past mercies intentionally and actively. Whenever we begin to focus on what we are lacking, we’re to redirect our focus to what we’ve been given. The change in attitude that will result is remarkable. Joy begins to resurface and faith gets stronger.
That’s what Psalm 105 is all about. It is a brief summary of history from the call of Abraham to the victories of David. It reminded Israel’s worshipers that God began a great plan with His people and would certainly continue it. It encouraged them to count the miracles He had done. It helped them think of God as their Provider, Deliverer, Protector, Strength, Warrior, and more — just in case they had forgotten, as fallen human beings are prone to do. It stirred up a sense of destiny and a confidence in God’s ability to bring them through. It created the context for true worship.

IN DEED:
Don’t we need such reminders? We easily forget God’s providence, salvation, and love. We fear that He might not protect us this time, or that He might not hear our prayer this time, or that He might abandon His plan for us. An intentional memory of His works will help us dispense with those lies. It will cultivate all the things we need to believe in Him and worship Him again.
Try making a list of all the things you are thankful for. Remember God’s past mercies and write them down. Try composing your own psalm of remembrance. Then read over these things often. Set them to music if it helps. Let your mind be saturated with the goodness of God, and you’ll be amazed at how the goodness of God becomes real.

“Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies.” -Charles Edward Jefferson-

November 26 – Gratitude Believes (Psalm 105:1-7)

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
(Psalm 105:4)

IN WORD:
Faith without thankfulness is like a huge, unanswered question. It comes to God with possibilities, but has no assurance that He will address them well. It knows He can do good things, but it doesn’t know that He will. Forgetting the God of the past, it tries in vain to figure out the God of the present and the future. It is weak.
Faith with thankfulness doesn’t just look for the Lord, it looks to the Lord. It knows who He is. It remembers past mercies and bases today’s needs on their proven source. It comes to God with possibilities, not knowing how He will address them, but knowing He will address them well. It is not a tentative question about God; it is a knowledgeable statement. It understands His grace.
We need no reminders to seek God; it is a natural impulse, especially when we’re in trouble. No, our problem is remembering how to seek Him. Paul’s letters are abundant in instructions to utter prayers filled with thankfulness. The faith that Jesus always applauded was a faith that acknowledged up front who He was. We may have lots of questions when we come to God, and we may be confused about many spiritual issues. But we have no reason to ever come to Him questioning His goodness. Our gratitude for what He has done in the past will prepare us to know what kinds of things He will do in the future. It will get us in sync with His heart.

IN DEED:
Are your prayers filled with fear and confusion? Do you wonder if God will be good to you? There is no need for such uncertainty. Scripture is filled with His goodness, and so is your life. Look between the hardships and the pain and see that He has granted life and redemption. There are always blessings to find — far more than we can count.
Gratitude makes faith strong. Thankful people understand the God who is strong. They see His face and are not afraid. They aren’t just hoping for His goodness. They’re expecting it.

“Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.”
-John Henry Jowett-

November 25 – The Joy of Gratitude (Psalm 105:1-7)

“Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”
(Psalm 105:3)

IN WORD:
The hearts of those who seek the Lord are often tentative and fretful. Why do we approach God this way? We’re not sure of how we’ll be received. We know He is loving, but we also know He is holy. We know He is near, but we also know He is utterly transcendent, completely different from what we can imagine. We know that He is light, but we also know that “clouds and thick darkness surround him” (Psalm 97:2). Everyone who ever got a glimpse of Him really couldn’t explain it to others very well. The mystery is too great. So we sometimes seek God with a little fear or a little pessimism. We’re not sure what we’ll find on the other side of the mystery.
Psalm 105 gives us other instructions. Yes, He is mysterious, shrouded in transcendence, incomprehensible in His holiness. But we can still approach Him with joy. We can rejoice because we know that everything He does is good. It may be hard and it may be confusing, but it will be good. God never spurns those who approach Him with an elementary understanding of who He is.
How does this help us? Our natural tendency, like Adam & Eve, is to hide from God. We don’t necessarily sit behind the bushes hoping He won’t discover us, but mentally we’re not entirely open to Him. We dress up our prayers to sound right to His ears, we dress up our deeds to appear worthy before Him, and we dress up our worship to appeal to His glory.

IN DEED:
In doing so, we sometimes hide things. We don’t come to Him boldly, as the writer of Hebrews encourages us to do (Hebrews 4:16). We’re spiritual actors when we don’t need to be. We underestimate His mercies. We’re not quite sure who He is.
Gratitude reminds us never to underestimate him. It reminds us of what He has done, what He has forgiven, and what He has promised. It acknowledges who He is. And it sends us into His presence with joy.

“The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.” -Mother Teresa-

November 24 – An Act of Gratitude (Psalm 105:1-7)

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”(Psalm 105:1)

IN WORD:
We know both by way of Scripture and by the impulses of our hearts that God is to be thanked. There is no way to understand the profound implications of His grace and to remain thankless in our attitude. In fact, Paul links gratitude with a true knowledge of God and the desire to glorify Him (Romans 1:21). It’s a scriptural principle: To know what God has done is to be thankful.
What does that mean for us? Is it simply an attitude of the heart? Though it begins there, we know there should be more. When we are truly grateful fo another person, we want to do things for him or her. Do we have the same impulse with God? Does our gratitude result in an intense desire to offer some gift to Him as an act of devotion? If so, Psalm 105 gives us at least one natural response to His grace: We can make Him known.
God’s grace is deeply personal, but it is not private. Scripture tells us repeatedly that God desires a reputation among our families and among the nations. From the people passing through the Red Sea to the recipients of Jesus’ miracles, the natural response to God’s mercy has always been a deep desire to tell about it. The glimpse that the Bible gives us of gratitude is a spontaneous proclamation of His goodness. If we have no urge to tell, perhaps we have no deep awareness of His works. His goodness is too good to keep to ourselves.

IN DEED:
Do you have that urge for others to know how good your God is? Then you understand: You have recognized His work within you and you are grateful for it. In all of the overflow that begins this psalm, there is a direct, vertical worship of God, and there is also a horizontal relationship with others that gives us ample opportunity to declare what we know of Him. We are to “tell of all his wonderful acts” (v. 2). The gifts of God are public domain. He is worthy of the highest reputation we can proclaim.

“Thanksgiving is good, but thanks-living is better.”
-Matthew Henry-

November 23 – Anatomy of a Surrender: Faith (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
(2 Corinthians 7:1)

IN WORD:
The flesh-life and the faith-life stand in stark contrast to one another. One sends us in search of the things we think will give us enjoyment, security and love. The other sends us to God. Those two paths are so similar in their agenda that we often get them confused. Sometimes we even think God gave us our idols to comfort us. Maybe He did, but that was before we began to depend on them. Now they must go.
But those two paths are so different in direction that they cannot, under any circumstances, co-exist. We will choose one or the other. As surely as we can’t drive on two roads at once, we can’t pursue God and pour idolatry at the same time. To embrace one is to reject the other. We cannot worship God as an add-on to all the comforts, pleasures, securities, and emotional dependencies we’ve built our lives on. They must be dethroned and God must reign. It’s only right.
Faith can grasp that and let go of everything but God. People, places, possessions, pastimes — they are wonderful gifts from our Father, but they are not our treasures. He is. Only He can be. No other treasure is appropriate and no other treasure will fulfill. That’s the conviction of biblical faith. God is worth everything.

IN DEED:
Faith has the power to surrender all to Jesus, not just during the closing hymn at church but on Mondays at work or on Saturdays at home. Faith is wise enough to see through the idols we’ve constructed and to know how empty they are. Faith is discerning enough to understand: No matter how hard it seems, obedience is always the right choice, the way to receive God’s blessing, and the thing that will satisfy us most. God has designed us that way. When we try to satisfy ourselves with other things, we are reaching in the wrong direction and falling for a lie. The faith-life experiences God’s best — at all costs.

“I do not want merely to possess faith; I want a faith that possesses me.” -Charles Kingsley-

November 22 – Anatomy of a Surrender: Trust (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
(2 Corinthians 6:18)

IN WORD:
We don’t get to our point of surrender unless we have come to a place of trust. It may be a scary trust to forsake all those false comforts we’ve depended on in exchange for the invisible blessing of God. But it will require at least some trust. No one can loosen his grip on his counterfeit securities without first understanding this vital truth: God has promised His fatherhood to us, and we can count on His loving care. Nothing He has asked us to do will harm us. Everything He asks us to do will bring blessing.
Do you really believe that? If you have died the death of surrender and trusted that God’s instructions are worthwhile, however painful, then you have begun to realize: Those things you clung to were worthless. They are like a plastic trinket that a child refuses to trade in for a diamond ring because he’s grown attached to it. The absurdity of our idols begins to dawn on us. What we held on to for so long wasn’t worth hanging on to. When we’re dealing with God, a trust exercised always becomes a trust vindicated. We will not second-guess our sacrifices. Why? Because He gives us ample reason, at least in the long run, to be glad we made them. He never end up owing us anything. The blessing that follows obedience is always well worth the cost that accompanies it.

IN DEED:
Is trust an issue in your struggle with sin and idolatry? Do you cling to habits, possessions, security, or affections from a fear that God will ask you to give them up and not make the sacrifice worth-while? That’s always the lie of idols. The enemy convinced our first parents that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, that He was withholding something valuable from them. Do not be deceived by such slander of our Father. Good fathers always want the best for their children, and our Father is always good. You can count on that. His blessings for obedience are incredible. He is far more trustworthy that our idols.

“Obedience is the child of trust.” -John Climacus-