11 OCT 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 11 OCT 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.  Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” 1 Cor. 11:31-32

Every year around July or early August, we would have to take our children to the doctor for their annual checkups before starting back to school. You could feel the tension in the car, so thick you could cut it with a knife.  Why? The kids knew from experience that the likelihood a shot was involved was pretty good.  They would ask, so why does the Doc need to see us? Will there be a shot? Until you graduate from high school, there is going to be some kind of shot.

The Doctor also looks at how you are growing, developing mentally and physically, and preparing your body to fight against the viruses that are coming.  He does this to gauge overall health and to reveal to us the truth of our current condition and areas to improve.  This is a good thing even though we don’t like the potential pain of it.  Such is the way of a spiritual examination.

How often do you take time for introspection or self-examination? What is the condition of your mind and soul? God calls us all to know ourselves, our nature, our mindset, and our motivations.  How are we applying the word and disciplines of the faith to our lives in order to be strong and to prepare ourselves against the fight that comes from the world, the flesh, and the devil? This is an important task that can be painful if God has to discipline us.

Paul told a group of believers that they were actually doing something spiritually that was wrong and it was actually affecting their relationships and body to the point of death.  He told them to examine their lives and make the changes necessary to honor God, their neighbor, and their own body.  Believers will not be condemned like the world (non-believers) for they are condemned already.  Believers will be corrected and directed back on the path that leads to life.

Have you examined yourself spiritually lately?

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:145-176; 2 Kings 22:14-23:3; 1 Cor. 11:23-34; Matt 9:9-17

10 OCT 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 10 OCT 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.  So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.  Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” Matthew 9:2b, 6

Hope is an interesting thing.  Just a little bit can cause faith to explode and move ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  This is one of the reasons why Jesus used the mustard seed as a metaphor for our faith.  Something so small can have a tremendous impact not only on us but on everyone around us.  

The passage today is one of the many stories of hope that Jesus reveals to us in the gospels.  Can you imagine the guy in this story, who was paralyzed? To this day, even with all our technology, there is no cure for this.  People are reading this who can relate to this situation.  Maybe you have arthritis, cancer, or heart issues, or are confined to a wheelchair.  Some feelings are unique to your suffering, but there is a search for even a small seed of hope.

Jesus is our hope.  He is our hope for wholeness and restoration physically, mentally, and spiritually.  As you read this short passage in Matthew, you find that Jesus doesn’t address what we think is the most pressing need, paralysis.  Jesus starts with the one that we don’t see or don’t want to admit is our biggest issue, sin.  In this life, we might live to 100, but then we die.  Afterward comes the judgment, where God puts in the video of our life and goes through it with us.  

How will measure up as we stand before a holy and perfect God? It is too late for confession and forgiveness because we are in the sentencing phase.  How do we become clean of our sins? We can’t do enough good deeds to outweigh our bad. (All the world’s religions) We can only achieve this as a gift given freely by God through his Son.  This is the beauty of this story, only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.  He is ready, are you?

Have you put your hope in Jesus and received forgiveness? 

Reading Plan: Psalm 121, 122, 123; 2 Kings 22:1-13; 1 Cor. 11:2,-17-22; Matt 9:1-8

9 OCT 23 MONDAY: A Closer Walk Devotional

 9 OCT 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So whether you get or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.  And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” 1 Cor. 10: 31, 33b, 11:1

Do you have a mentor or someone who models the Christian life for you? I have been blessed to have a few in my life: Grandpa Jim, Mom and Dad, Dale, and Jon to name a few.  All of them represent different facets of the Christian life that I can draw from.  Most of what I have learned, I have obtained through observation.  The patterns and rhythms of life, engagement with others, and personal interaction developed my walk and pattern for life.

Think about this.  Whenever you see interviews of great people, they are asked, ‘Who do you aspire to be like? Who inspired you?’  Inevitably they will say, I want to be like this person and they begin to unpack all the ways that person has affected their life.  I always like to hear these stories because it helps you see where they came from, but there is also a hope that I am modeling for someone else.

Paul, in his message to the Church at Corinth, was trying to help them better interact with other people.  He wanted them to be selfless for the sake of others so that they might impact people for the Kingdom and maybe save some.  If they focused on living all of life for the glory of God and modeling the Christ-life Paul was modeling, then they would see the fruit of their labors.  There is a two-part process, first don’t just talk about it, live it.

If you are going to talk the talk, then you must walk the walk.  Second, be intentionally seeking to invest in others.  These relationships don’t just happen.  Ask God to give you someone to invest in and then start looking.  When you invest in another, you grow too because God is developing you at the same time.

Can you say like Paul, imitate me as I imitate Christ?

Reading Plan: Psalm 106:1-18; 2 Kings 21:1-18; 1 Cor. 10:14-11:1; Matt 8:28-34

8 OCT 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 8 OCT 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Peter finally came to his senses. ‘It’s really true!’ he said.  The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” Acts 12: 11

Have you ever wondered why God saves some and lets others die or perish? In all of the readings today you see an attribute of God play out that is always there in Scripture but shocks us if we are honest.   God’s sovereignty and power are on full display from the beginning of Scripture until the end.  God is the only being with complete autonomous free will and chooses to do things or not to do things to fulfill his plans and desires.

God healed a dying king and extended his life by fifteen years, blessing the man and glorifying Himself.  We don’t have a problem with that.  We give God a hearty thumbs up and a good job.  Then we see in the book of Acts, Steven is stoned to death, Paul is spared, saved, and given an extraordinary ministry.  We scratch our heads a bit and maybe start to fuss about God being fair.

God doesn’t explain himself either, nor does he have to.

James the brother of John is put to death by Herod and Peter imprisoned, but then set free from jail and possible death. Why? Jesus in Luke’s passage, passes by sick people to raise a boy who is about to be buried. Why?  The bottom line is that God is not like us.  His ways are not our ways and He does as He pleases and has plans that weave from the beginning of creation to the end of time as we know it.  

It is a wonder that he spares any of us and chooses to bring some into everlasting life.  According to His law and judgment, none of us are worthy, but He chooses to show mercy and grace to those He wishes.  For those who are being saved, the message is the power of God to deliver us into His presence when we die.  What about everyone else? We pray and share the good news and leave them in the hands of God where mercy and grace are vast.

Do you struggle with the way God does things? 

Reading Plan: Psalm 118; 2 Kings 20:1-21; Acts 12:1-17; Luke 7:11-17

7 OCT 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 7 OCT 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Cor. 1012-13

One day I was having a conversation with a friend and he began to tell me of all the problems and struggles that he was having.  He had personal health issues, lost a spouse, and job issues due to his health.  He was going through his own personal tornado of stuff.  As I listened, he said, ‘Well, like the Lord said, he won’t give you more than you can handle.”  Internally, I began to sigh and it probably showed on my face.  Normally, I keep a pretty good poker face, but not this time.

I knew this person was trying to comfort himself with God’s word, but he misquoted and misunderstood the text.  He is not the only one.  Many people say this and are disillusioned when God actually gives them more than they can handle.  God does give you more than you can handle, but he is always with you and is there to preserve you through it or deliver you into his presence.  Paul tells the Church in Corthin, that their temptations are common to all men.  God in his mercy, doesn’t allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle.

First, God doesn’t tempt you, either Satan brings it or your own desires. (see James 1) All sin is premeditated.  We know it, entertain it, and then execute it without help from anyone. Temptation leads to sin and sin leads to death.  God may test your faith to make it stronger, but he never puts you in a position to sin within the testing.  In his mercy, he shows you how to escape temptation so you do not sin.  The key is to learn to pay attention to the exit signs.  

The Holy Spirit will give you insight as he gives you notice when temptation is creeping in.  It’s like he gives you pause to see it and to choose to escape or engage it.  These moments create a hatred for sin and a softening of your heart to choose smartly.  How are you doing with this? If you are struggling, ask God to help you see the exit and to use it when it is offered.

Are you seeing and using the exits from temptation?

Reading Plan: Psalm 107:33-43, 108: 1-6; 2 Kings 19:21-36; 1 Cor. 10:1-13; Matt. 8:18-27