25 AUG 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 25 AUG 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 

“O Lord, rescue me from evil people.  Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long.  Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips.” Psalm 140: 1-3

We officially enter the season of the presidential election this week in the United States.  Candidates fill the airways with their vision for the next four years and how they will lead.  They discuss current problems and bring to bear their strategies for fixing a problem or creating a better tomorrow.  In the process, they expose to some level their own character.

It is good for us to look at a leader’s heart, character, and background to see what kind of person they are and not just the results they plan to deliver.  Most promise more than they can actually do.  It doesn’t take long in today’s political atmosphere for it to turn into a storm of verbal fighting.  It can pour over into the rest of society as people find the leader they like and begin to imitate the leader they want to follow and sling the same mud.

 As a follower of Christ, it is par for the course to be on the receiving end of confrontation.  David experiences this as he looks to please the Lord as he leads a nation.  People talk bad about him and curse him.  People lie about what he has done or what he has said.  He knows the pain that causes and how it can destroy another person with their words.  David describes his enemies as snakes and their tongues are full of deadly venom.  If you have ever had someone talk ill of you, you can understand.

David handles these attacks first and foremost in conversation with God.  He doesn’t complain and gripe to other people, but he goes to God.  We need to learn to go to the thrown before we go to the phone or social media.  It is the Lord that gives us perspective on the realities of our time.  He is the one who allows bad things to happen for his purposes.  He is also the one who can deliver us or walk with us through the fire.

How do you deal with damaging words from others?

Reading Plan: Psalm 140, 142; 2 Sam. 19:24-43; Acts 24:24-25:12;  Mark 12:35-44

24 AUG 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 24 AUG 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 

“Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus.  As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened.  Go away for now, he replied.” Acts 24: 24b-25

You never know who you will speak to about Jesus.  The Lord can and does orchestrate divine appointments with various people up and down the socio-economic ladder.  The route to people can be much different than you might expect.  Sometimes amid great suffering and persecution, God presents a beautiful opportunity to represent him.

Paul is a great example of this excellent work of God connecting him with people so that he can share the good news of Jesus.  He made the most of his opportunities even when he was not doing well.  His eyes and ears were always open seeking the lost whether poor or rich, farmer or king.  No matter who they are, reactions to the message are still the same.

People either reject the message, hostile to the message, desire to hear more or receive it.  In the passage above, Paul has been arrested and is in a courtroom defending himself in front of the Governor and judge.  This was not a quick case, which was fine by Paul.  It gave him time to reason through the Scriptures with the Governor.  Flex was not dismissive but desired to hear more even though it scared him at times.

Paul shared regularly for two years while he was in jail.  We don’t know if Felix or others came to faith or not.  We do know that Paul remained faithful and shared the good news with everyone he came into contact with.  For a man that could make excuses, he never did.  He just shared his faith.

Are you sharing the faith where you are or making excuses?

Reading Plan: Psalm 131, 132; 2 Sam. 19:1-23; Acts 24:1-23;  Mark 12:28-34

23 AUG 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 23 AUG 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 

“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” Psalm 119:160

Many historic universities used to have the Latin word, Veritas, in their motto or as their overall goal as an institution.  Veritas means, truth.  Today the minds of our culture and institution have become confused and blind.  There is real objective truth and absolute truth in this world and all of creation.  The culture and the institution alike have denied this reality.

There is a notion of relative truth and your own truth.  These things are constantly changing so much that they can’t even keep up with their own stories.  It is probably not much different than the days of Ceasar when Pilate asked Jesus, what is truth? It may be strange to some, but spiritual reality and biblical truth cannot be understood or received without the work of the Holy Spirit.

One thing is for sure, the word of God endures forever and it is absolutely true and trustworthy.  David understands this to be true in his writings in the book of Psalms.  His testimonies of God’s faithfulness even when David is not are extremely encouraging.  We this with every writer in the sixty-six books which make up the Bible.  Jesus himself says, “Til heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Our challenge today is knowing God and his word more.  We also must testify to the truth and shed light on things that are not true.  We need this as believers, but the world needs to know it too.  The truth becomes our shield if we put our trust in it.

Are you a student of the truth?

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:145-176; 2 Sam. 18:19-33; Acts 23:23-35;  Mark 12:13-27

21 AUG 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 21 AUG 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“I look up to the mountains-does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Psalm 121:1-2

 I was driving down the road the other day and the car’s license plate in front of me said, NUTN EZ.  I laughed, but there is some truth to that. In this life we will have trials, the Lord said. People can think that they will never face challenges, suffer, or experience death.  There is a feeling of invincibility that it won’t happen to you. Eventually, it does and all the insulating factors they have built around themselves are gone.  They stand naked and afraid looking for solutions.

Desperation sometimes leads to poor choices, but it can also lead to foundational clarity.  People look at horizontal solutions to get them through the problem or suffering.  They look to the latest psychological approach thinking the solution is within themselves.  They look to religious practices of the far east, like mindfulness and meditation.  Sometimes these work for a temporary fix.  These things are a false hope.

Others like David, leave all the world’s ways behind and find vertical soul-utions in God himself.  If God is the maker of heaven and earth, is there any problem that he cannot solve? If Jesus faced all the issues and challenges that we face plus suffered and died a horrible death, is there anything he cannot advise us or care for? David had a relationship with God and knew His character.  David to his cares for him because God would provide real and lasting solutions that would extend into eternity.

Are you putting your hope in Jesus or still exploring the world’s solutions?

Reading Plan: Psalm 121, 122, 123; 2 Sam. 18:9-18; Acts 23:12-24;  Mark 11:27-12:12

20 AUG 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 20 AUG 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“He said to them, The Scriptures declare, My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17

At the beginning of this passage, Jesus curses a fig tree for not producing fruit even though it is not in season.  It seems strange except that the fig tree represents Israel and the life that they were living.  For all extensive purposes, the fig tree looked great on the outside, but it lacked fruit.  When people are healthy and faithful, there will always be fruit regardless of the season.

If you have no fruit in your life, the root cause is often unfaithfulness and/or worldliness.  Jesus shows this when he enters the temple and becomes angry at what was being done.   The leadership created a marketplace within the temple to make themselves wealthy.  He exposed their lack of trust and dependence on God for their lives and their dissatisfaction with the level of material status they were enjoying. They had become a fruitless and faithless people.

Their pursuit of wealth created a stumbling block for those that came to pray and worship. The temple was made for the people of God to pray and worship, not to conduct business.  The church today and individual Christians are the stones of God’s temple and our lives are made for his purposes, not our own.  God expects that we are faithful, fruitful, and making a clear path for those to connect with the Lord.

Does Jesus need to clear out the Church today?

Reading Plan: Psalm 106:1-18; 2 Sam. 17:24-18:8; Acts 22:30-23:11;  Mark 11:12-26

11 AUG 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 11 AUG 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“How long has this been happening? Jesus asked the boy’s father.  He replied, since he was a little boy.  The spirit often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him.  Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.  What do you mean, If I can? Jesus asked.  Anything is possible if a person believes.  The father instantly cried out, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Mark 9:21-24

Sometimes we face problems that are so big that no one has an answer or solution.  I’ve taken my car to several places or back to the same place repeatedly to get the thing fixed.  They cannot figure it out.  There was a time that one of my kids had a health concern, but at the time there was not any medicine or treatment for it.  It lasted for eighteen years! There was always a concern for a short life or complications that would always be there.

When we are faced with great problems, it can cloud our judgment because all we see is the big issue and nothing else.  Sometimes it causes us to doubt, which is normal.  We doubt when people have failed us or have not been truthful.  There is a sense that doubt is an inability to believe in something or someone.  It causes us to question.  Are they trustworthy? Capable?

Then there is unbelief.  That says I won’t believe it despite the evidence or testimony.  We find this with Martha after Lazurus’ death, Thomas, and the Father in Mark’s passage.  The father asks for help and questions Jesus’ ability to deal with the son’s condition.  No one else was able to fix this problem that has been going on for years.  Thankfully, Jesus condescends to those he intends on manifesting himself toward.  Jesus rebukes the man for his unbelief thereby clearing the fog of his problem to see Jesus for who he is.

Jesus gave faith to the man and healing to his son.  Both are great miracles.  You may be struggling with something in your life.  Do you have a challenge with family? Work? Health? Know that Jesus is ready, willing, and able, and will walk with you through it all.   He is worthy of your trust.

Does God need to help you with your unbelief?

Reading Plan: Psalm 88; 2 Sam. 12:1-14; Acts 19:21-41;  Mark 9:14-29

10 AUG 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 10 AUG 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak of his praises.  I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.” Psalm 34: 1-2

The Lord commanded everyone, to Love the Lord your God will all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Do you with your all? All the time? With your time? The answer is probably, no. When we don’t intentionally prioritize the Lord, our nature fills that space in our lives with other things.  We begin to love other things, many of which, are not wicked in and of themselves.

They can become not just a barrier to our relationship with God, but an idol.  Take a moment this week to see how you spend your time and money.  We all operate on some kind of spending plan and looking at will reveal where our heart is.  How much time do we spend in conversation with God? When was the last time you prayed? Served others? Shared the gospel? Read the Scriptures? Worshiped by yourself, with family, or with other believers?

How much of your finances are dedicated to the spread of the Kingdom? Do you give to missionaries? Local church? Are you generous in giving to meet the needs of fellow Christians or family members? Do you seek out opportunities to give? How you spend your time and resources reflects or demonstrates your love for the Lord.  That is worship in your everyday life.  The psalmist goes on to state that he verbally testifies to the goodness and greatness of God.

Do you tell God how thankful you are? Do you tell others what God is doing and has done for you? Do you boast about God? He expects us to ascribe to him the glory that is due.  God is not a genie to serve our needs and fulfill our wishes.  He is the Lord and the authority of the universe and our lives.  There are people who are helpless and broken that need to hear that He is there for them like he is for you.

Does the Lord receive praise from your lips and daily life?

Reading Plan: Psalm 34; 2 Sam. 11:1-27; Acts 19:11-20;  Mark 9:2-13

9 AUG 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 9 AUG 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Then calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Mark 8:34-35

One of the great things that Jesus does in his ministry is being forthright and blunt.  He does not sugarcoat his call on your life and does not hide the difficulties you will face.  There are things that will be true about your life if you desire to belong to Jesus.  There are no rose-colored glasses or promises of health, wealth, and prosperity on this adventure.  If you are being told that by a pastor or friend, they are promoting a lie.

If you want to follow Jesus, you must give up your life and the way you desire to live it.  That is a hard thing to do for most people.  They have plans, dreams, and goals that they want to achieve.  Jesus says, what will it mean to you if you gain the world and lose your soul? The rich young ruler walked away because he loved his life, his possessions, and the future he was building.  Jesus did not die for you in order for you to do what you please.

You were already living for yourself and God was paying your wages in death. When you understand that Jesus purchased your life with ‘his’ death, you will live for him and not yourself.  Jesus gives you life in exchange for the death you were supposed to die.  If you think you are his follower and don’t do what he says, you will face a horrible reality.  Jesus will say he “never” knew you.  

We are also to take up our own cross.  We must understand that we will suffer for being a Christian.  We will be mocked and dismissed because of him.  We will be insulted and labeled with many names and lies.  We will lose jobs, be beaten, jailed and some killed because we belong to him.  If we are not receiving any of this, we may not be living for him.  If you are obedient to Jesus you will see fruit and will suffer.

Are you living your best life now or living for Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:97-120; 2 Sam. 9:1-13; Acts 19:1-10;  Mark 8:34-9:1

8 AUG 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 8 AUG 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.  Then they will not be like their ancestors-stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.” Psalm 78:7-8

As a father of seven children, my heart desires that my children will surrender their hearts to God and live a life that is pleasing to Him.  There are two sides to the same coin of salvation.  There is man’s point of view and God’s.  We look to our point of view and become frustrated with our children and other people when they are not surrendering or following the Lord.

As spiritual fathers or mothers, we pour into the people that God has given us.  We teach them the things of God and explain the Gospel to them so they can understand.  It can feel like you are teaching algebra to a two-year-old.  My dad can relate to the frustration of teaching me algebra when I was about fifteen.  I swear that I took a few years off of his life.  

The point is, we desire the people we love to have what we have. When they don’t, it is disappointing and frustrating.  We can often blame ourselves, thinking we didn’t explain it correctly or live it out in front of them. If that is you, take a deep breath and exhale.  It is not up to you.  Salvation is up to the Lord alone.  Man cannot change the condition of his own heart, nor can he gain spiritual understanding apart from God.

The Lord alone must open our minds and enable our hearts to receive the message.  The Scriptures are clear, the Lord will not save everyone.  Many will remain stubborn, rebellious, and refusing to give their hearts to God.  God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are still there.  In this, we find peace as we invest in others because it is about God and not us.

Is your hope anew on God or your ability?

Reading Plan: Psalm 78:1-39; 2 Sam. 7:18-29; Acts 18:12-28;  Mark 8:22-33