4 MAY 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 4 MAY 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye: Hypocrite! First, get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Luke 6:41-42

My kids’ teacher used to say, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.  Having good self-awareness is important in life.  We can think too highly of ourselves and come off as arrogant or foolish in the eyes of other people.  In this passage, Jesus is speaking about how we engage other people and our own soul condition.

Judging and condemning others is not our role as a believer with one exception.  We cannot judge people that are not Christians, but we are to judge those that are.  (1 Cor. 5:12) We are to help each other become the person that God wants us to be and that requires discernment, judgment, correction, and love.  Iron sharpens iron by scraping, not beating.  Beating warps and damages the steel.

You might have the gift of seeing other people’s sin (tongue in cheek), but not be able to see your own.  For us to become useful instruments in the hand of God, we need to honestly and humbly deal with our own sins before we help others with theirs.  Both brothers in this story need to be sharpened and developed, so we have to deal with issues of sin directly.  We can’t leave each other in sin, because that is not the loving thing to do.  We both get stronger when this is done right.

Are you damaging or sharpening others?

Reading Plan: Psalm 50; Prov. 4; Col. 2:8-23;  Luke 6:39-49

3 MAY 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 3 MAY 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“My child, never forget the things I have taught you.  Store my commands in your heart.  If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.” Proverbs 3:1-2

The purpose projected by the writer of proverbs is to seek wisdom and cherish it like the treasure that it is.  The problem is, we seek after everything that our flesh desires.  Our own self-interests captivate our lives to the point we become addicts to pleasure.  The sad reality is that nothing in this life really satisfies and we are left wanting.  

There are times when I am hiking through the mountains and I just get so thirsty.  When I get that drink of cool water, it just hits the spot.  You know that feeling, right? Nothing satisfies like water.  God has created in each and every one of us, a thirst and a hunger.  In this life we can feel it and try to satisfy it with relationships, food, drink, materials, and other ideas the world offers us.

The longing and thirst still remain because nothing in this world satisfies this kind of thirst, but God himself.  God has revealed himself in the Scriptures of the Bible and he says that we cannot live on bread alone, but from every word that comes from the Father.  When we inwardly digest it, there is satisfaction and life.  It hits the spot like nothing else.  His words to us ring clear if we want to be satisfied in this life. Surrender your life to him and get his word into your heart.  Then you will find satisfaction.

Are you dissatisfied with this life? 

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:49-72; Prov. 3; Col. 1:24-2:7;  Luke 6:27-38

2 May 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 2 MAY 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“My child listen to what I say and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.  Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  Search for them as you would silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5

Fear the Lord.  Let that sink in for a moment.  Whenever I hear someone speak about the fear of the Lord, they are quick to rephrase it to mean reverence or awe or shift our view to another more enjoyable attribute.  They water it down to make it more palatable for your senses so that it is not too salty. Are we missing something when we do that?

Yes! We lose the very thing that the author intends for us to find, wisdom and understanding.  When we look at the law, the ten commandments, it reveals to us our own human nature.  It reveals sin in our lives and our false self-assessment to be good people.  We are torn up from the floor up, broken beyond repair.  We would like to think we can fix ourselves, but all attempts at self-improvement fail.  Putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t change the fact that it is still a pig.

More importantly, the commands teach us about the nature of God.  He is holy.  God is completely perfect and sinless.  No one can stand before God in their sinful state and survive.  His Holiness will pronounce judgment and pay out the wages you have earned which is death.  That is scary! Terrifying! 

It is at that moment that the law becomes our schoolmaster that begs for salvation.  Jesus holds the keys to life and death, and makes the choice to give it or not.  Awe and reverence come after you have been shaken to repentance, but fear opens the eyes to see who God really is and our need for him.  It makes us desperate for a cure and to have peace with God.

Do you have the fear of the Lord?

Reading Plan: Psalm 45; Prov. 2; Col. 1:15-23;  Luke 6:12-26

1 MAY 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 1 MAY 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.  All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” Col. 1:9-10

When you pray, do you primarily list your needs and the needs of others? Does it resemble a shopping or Christmas list? Many of us rattle off a list of things we desire and of course “to bless” us or our family and friends.  Maybe we are pleading for God to get us out of a jam or trial.  Those may not be bad things present to the Lord, but there may be a more fitting conversation to have.

Paul gives us some insight into his prayers for himself and others.  When praying for himself, he is asking for boldness from God to be faithful and to share the good news with those that he meets on his journey.  When Paul prays for others, he desires that God would make them into the person that He desires.  There is an expected hope that people reach spiritual maturity.

To have ‘complete knowledge’ is to become mature in this life to the will of God and understand how to live in it.  He doesn’t want people to just go through life, but to grow through life.  If you are mature, then you will know how to please God and be filled with joy no matter where you live on earth.  You can live under harsh governments and immoral and hostile societies, and various socio-economic conditions.  You can be fruitful no matter where you are planted.

When you pray, leave that Christmas list in the drawer.  God is not Santa.  He is more concerned with your development and holiness than your happiness.  You will find true joy when you start asking God to make you into the person He desires and start obeying what He has already written in His Word.  

Are you praying to God for stuff or your maturity?

Reading Plan: Psalm 41, 52; Job.23:1-12; Col. 1:1-14;  Luke 6:1-11

29 APR 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 29 APR 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.  I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” 3 John 3-4

When you are a practitioner of disciple-making, there is a great deal of time invested and caring for others.  Jesus himself modeled his patterns, teaching, and formation to the twelve and others for three years.  His intention from the beginning was to develop these men so that they could eventually make disciples on their own.  They eventually would do so.

When you invest deeply with a few people at a time, there is no guarantee that the disciples will in fact take the baton and start living out what you have imparted to them.  As a matter of fact, many don’t and that is a painful reality.  Sometimes the people you have invested in take more time to get on their feet and then put into practice what was learned.

I can attest that It is such a great feeling of joy to know that your spiritual children or even your own children are following the truth and living out the faith.  John experiences this and writes to his disciple Gaius.  John hears how Gaius’ faithfulness has impacted others, and it moves John to praise and thanksgiving.  There is some affirmation towards Gaius in what he is doing, and thankfulness that God is allowing John to see the fruit of his labors.  

Are your disciples faithful and making disciples?

Reading Plan: Psalm 30, 32 Dan. 6:16-28; 3 Jn. 1-15;  Luke 5:27-39