Devotionals

I have been amazed at the number of times God has orchestrated situations to position me in the right place to receive the right information at the right time. It is almost comical at times, because I know God has arranged things for a purpose [which I may not identify immediately]. Keep in mind, these encounters may involve a distraction, detour, or even a dramatic twist to my personal plans. So, these changes escort a temptation to feel a bit frustrated as my plans get set aside. lol! Yet, God knows how to set up divine encounters and we need to be constantly aware of it, because recognizing these moments will become an ongoing part of our preparation and transformation as Christ’s disciples. We must always remember God’s ways are not our ways; God’s ways are higher (Is 55:8). The Lord has a plan and he finishes what he starts! (Phil 1:6).

In our passage today, God orchestrates a divine encounter with Cornelius—a gentile or non-Jew. Cornelius is a good and generous man who believers there is a God, but does not know he needs Jesus as his High Priest and Savior. The Lord sends an angel to guide Cornelius, so a meeting could be set up with a stranger who would share about the saving work of Jesus. How did Cornelius respond to this odd request? Obediently. We must do likewise. Be ready to participate in God’s plan of salvation!

Acts 10:1-8 NLT Cornelius Calls for Peter
1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer[centurion] named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! 5 Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. 8 He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this reminder from your Word about your miraculous work of salvation. In this way, you pursued Cornelius, so he could meet Peter and receive the Holy Spirit. Your divine encounters are precious and reveal the depth of your love for your creation. Holy Spirit, help us to hear and quickly obey, because it is an honor to be led by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When the Gospels teach there is power in Jesus’ name, it means great things are accomplished by the ‘authority’ of our Christ and his Spirit. Before Jesus ascended, he told his disciples he had been given all authority over heaven and earth (Mat 28:18). The Lord has authority over both the spiritual and natural realms. There is nothing the power and authority of Christ cannot do; he is the Creator and Almighty God. Period.

God is working in human lives and in this world all the time through Jesus. Whatever we encounter, as his disciples, is an opportunity to reveal his presence as Truth and power. When something is beyond our power to change or control, it is an opportunity for the miraculous authority of Jesus. We need to call upon the Lord and give him the authority to move and act through us; we partner with him and do whatever he asks. I love our reading for today, because I want and desperately need the authority of Jesus operating in my life, how about you?

Preceding the passage for today, the Spirit has been poured out on the disciples. As an eyewitness, Peter preaches a powerful message about the resurrected Christ and thousands of people become believers. These men and women form a community focused on the agape love of God and begin seeing signs and wonderful miracles happen through and around them.

In today’s passage, Dr. Luke shares his eyewitness story of Peter and John and Christ’s healing of a lame man who has spent his life on a mat at the Temple gate surviving on the generosity of others. To be ‘lame’ in Scripture brings the meaning of flawed, impaired, or unable to heal self. Spiritually and physically, this man is impaired and cannot walk in the Truth so, he sits outside the Temple and begs for help. The man is expecting money from the disciples, but instead he meets the authority of Jesus operating in and through Peter and John; he is instantly physically healed and his spiritual eyes are now open to follow the Truth. People watching were amazed.

Peter stands up and becomes the spokesperson. He rebukes the unbelieving crowd for crucifying their Christ (Messiah). He calls for their repentance. Peter speaks with passion, because he knows all too well his early suffering with lameness when he denies being Christ’s disciple (Lu 22:54-62). So, out of pure love for the Lord and in the power of Jesus’ name, Peter tells the people the Truth of what they have just seen…the miraculous power of Jesus to heal spiritually lame faith and physically sick lives! May God continue to heal our souls each day and use us to proclaim the Truth of the love that is transforming us!

Acts 3:11-16 NLT
11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

Peter Preaches in the Temple
12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

16 “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wholeness Truth brings to life. Believers are so blessed to be able to enjoy a thriving relationship with you and live for you—being a mouthpiece, arms and legs that go outside the church and share the Truth that heals the lame. May we desire everything you came and died to provide us. We were the lame, but through agape we can walk in the Spirit. We praise you, Lord, for what you alone have done in believers. May we trust you more each day and see the abundant increase in the authority you bring to touch lives through us. In Jesus’ name! Amen.

Every day, believers live before the face of Father God. As well, every day the believer faces temptation to sin. When we try to hide from the Lord, he finds us and disciplines or corrects us. Scripture teaches this holy rebuke leads us on a transformational journey; in this way God loves our souls into wholeness (Heb. 12:6).

The word, ‘rebuke’ in Scripture involves a corrective action; it encourages repentance of sin, a turn toward the Truth, and welcoming the work of the Spirit for transformation. It does not involve tearing down a person or heaping a load of guilt on him or her. The goal of rebuke is restoration. It is accomplished by exposing sin and how it is seeking to destroy souls. When a person turns back to God, forgiveness is given and the work of faith to pursue righteousness is restored.

Believers are called to rebuke one another or speak the Truth in love, as well. This is how we support and encourage one another to press on toward God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). Because of the constant temptation before us, we can get terribly distracted and wander off course. The world tempts us with a lot of bright shiny objects—something visually appealing but temporal—that draws our attention away from the most important or eternal things in life.

In our passage today, Luke teaches a rebuke must reveal the big picture, because we are not called to point out every sin we may see in a person. We do bring sin to a person’s attention in order to restore him or her to God and many times to others. Forgiveness is the purpose and rebuke helps to accomplish that godly goal. Who needs forgiveness? The answer is everyone! We may not like being confronted with our wrong attitudes or actions, but we all need forgiveness and by the grace of God we can find the Way.

Luke 17:1-4 NLT Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith
1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the tremendous work of the Truth to bring the necessary rebuke to our lives. We need the Truth spoken to us in love, because that is how you raise us as your children. Becoming offended by the Truth causes us to wander longer and experience more suffering. May we be quick to listen to the rebuke of the Spirit, as well as the love motivating our brothers and sisters to get our attention. We can certainly be blind to our own issues and we need your love to save us. Thank you, Lord, for your faithful love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It can be challenging for Christians to understand the difference between the commands [Heb. Mitzvah] mandated by God compared to the doctrines or teachings adopted by a religious organization. God’s commands are very specific laws about the principles that govern God’s Kingdom in a way that pleases him. God has an expectation about these laws. Doctrines are more generalized and some may be open to interpretation.

In the Old Testament Torah, God gave the Israelites Ten Commandments—moral Laws—of love ( Exodus 20:3-17). These laws involve absolute expectations, social and personal directives, and patterns for leading one’s family. The Israelites struggled to understand and obediently honor these Ten. Yet, later the religious leaders of Israel made things much harder for the people by adding to the Ten Commandments for a total of 613 rules—[Heb. Mishnah Oral law/tradition] —a kind of doctrine for guiding daily life. For example, the Sabbath (Mitzvah #4) was a day of rest to be kept holy, so later the Mishnah sought to define the work that could or could not be done on the Sabbath. The Mishnah was meant to help people better know God, but it complicated a relationship to the point of despair.

In the New Testament, Jesus consolidated the Father’s commands for the people as follows, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Mat 22:37-39). We must remember the commands of God have been written on the hearts of believers. When we break God’s commands of love, even if we do not want to acknowledge the Truth, we know it.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is addressing the church in Corinth. Love is lacking and Paul rebukes the people for coming to the table to remember and partake of Christ’s love when they are obviously not loving God wholeheartedly or one another as much as they love themselves. The people are gathering for what is called a “love feast” and although they bring food they are far from sharing love.

So Paul gives instructions as to how the Lord’s Supper should be observed as a whole by the congregation: 1) thoughtfully as Christ sacrificially died for our sins; 2) worthily out of reverence and respect; 3) prayerfully to confess our sins and poor attitudes; 4) orderly and in a unified manner. Before coming to the table of the Lord, we are to seek to resolve our differences with others; this removes the barriers that affect our communion with God.

1 Corinthians 11:27-33 NLT Order at the Lord’s Supper
17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

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

33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sacrificing your life to bring us the New Covenant of Grace. We know your beautiful commandments, because we have them written on our hearts by the Spirit. As our Savior, you fulfilled these Laws on our behalf; we could not have obediently fulfilled them ourselves. Therefore, help us to examine our hearts for unconfessed sin. As well, please help us to look at our spiritual family through the eyes of your love and seek to come to your table not as a ritual, but sincerely honoring the true One—Bread of Life—who heals all of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 38 is one of several penitential or confessional psalms. Within this Psalm, David allows us to feel the very painful and dark places of his sinful guilt. We experience his physical, emotional, and spiritual pain which he openly expresses to God.

A few years ago, when I initially studied Psalm 38, I asked myself if my relationship with God was as intimate, as David’s was with God, to the point where was I actually grieving when I sinned against Him and others, and was I as honest with God when I sought for His forgiveness?

Friends, David most likely penned this psalm in response to his adultery with Bathsheba and his involvement in her husband, Uriah, being killed at battle so that David could marry her. I think we all can agree that David’s decisions were sinful and most certainly not guided by the Holy Spirit. I also think we can all experience his appeal for God’s forgiveness, and his understanding that he stepped into sinful places that resulted in excruciating pain. David’s plea for God’s forgiveness revealed his trust, faith, and hope that God would not forsake him, and that by remaining obedient to God, He would come and answer David.

The relationship that you and I have with Jesus should surpass all of our earthly relationships. Jesus should come before our biological family, before our spiritual family, and before our friends. Why? Well, when our hearts are in oneness with Jesus, we stand firmly by faith with Him, and thus our decisions are guided by the Holy Spirit and are not moved towards sin, rather our choices reveal the heart of Jesus. This intimate relationship with Jesus, then allows all of our other relationships to be guided by the His pure and holy love.

NOTE: please do not get misled by earthly “thoughts” of the word intimate. I encourage you to look up some synonyms and the Biblical definition. As Christ’s Family, we most certainly want a closeness, togetherness, affinity, rapport, attachment, familiarity, confidentiality, friendliness, comradeship, companionship, amity, affection, warmth, understanding, close relationship, close attachment, etc. with our Lord of Lords, our Kind of Kings, our Healer, and the One Who is forgave us of our sins and is coming back for you and me, JESUS!

Psalm 38

A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage!
2 Your arrows have struck deep,
and your blows are crushing me.
3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
4 My guilt overwhelms me—
it is a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and stink
because of my foolish sins.
6 I am bent over and racked with pain.
All day long I walk around filled with grief.
7 A raging fever burns within me,
and my health is broken.
8 I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.

9 You know what I long for, Lord;
you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
All day long they plan their treachery.

13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord.
You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me
or rejoice at my downfall.”

17 I am on the verge of collapse,
facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 I have many aggressive enemies;
they hate me without reason.
20 They repay me evil for good
and oppose me for pursuing good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my savior.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for Your forgiveness. Help us to remain intimately close with You so that we are disgusted by sin. Holy Spirit, guide us to quickly recognize sin before it takes place and to rebuke it in the Name of Jesus. Quicken us, Lord, to seek Your forgiveness and to extend Your forgiveness to others. Thank You for never abandoning us, and for always being available. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

God created us and the seasons in our lives to shape us and fulfill his plans for us (Ecc 3:1). Every season of life provides new learning experiences that prepare us for the next—childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and retirement—bringing varied opportunities and challenges for discipleship growth. Although life will always serve up a generous portion of unwanted change, there are times and stages in which we grow exponentially because we simply must pick up our cross, adhere to our faith, and follow Jesus one step at a time.

The season I am presently in has brought more spiritual growth than I could have possibly imagined; ways that pushed me to grow in trusting God for his strength. According to Scripture, every season is valuable, but certain stages in life bring situations that apply the most pressure to our souls for the greater outcome. With new levels of growth come new worldly temptations from evil. Yet, we must remain committed to the values of God’s Kingdom of Love—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit (Ro 14:17).

In our passage today, the aging Apostle John is writing his first letter to reassure believers, through all generations and in every season of life, to place their confidence in God and grow in their faith and love. Yes, John is the apostle we most associate with love. John challenges believers in all seasons of life to make a choice to love one another the way Christ loves us. To love difficult people means we need to lay hold of Christ’s strength, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil 4:13).

Remember, to love a person with God’s love is to want the Lord’s best for him/her; to help that person by speaking the Truth in love and sharing what we have learned in our relationship with God and through his Word. We seek to shine the Light of the Savior’s love for others, because the world puts up a fierce battle for control. A lust for sensual pleasure, power, and possessions attacks the soul of every human being; we must choose to love God more than self.

John wants us to understand the powerful pull of the world to draw believers away from living in God’s love. We must not allow ourselves to be vulnerable by loving the world’s ways—or the things it uses to tempt us—more than God. Ways to fulfill selfish worldly pleasure is on temptation’s table all the time; things that do not come from God or please him. However, may we crave the things of God more than anything the world has to offer. Eternal life is both a gift and a choice.

1 John 2:12-17 NLT
12
I am writing to you who are God’s children
    because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.[through His name]
13 
I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
    because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
    because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 
I have written to you who are God’s children
    because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
    because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
    because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
    and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Do Not Love This World
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of eternal life and for the ability to choose to grow in every season of life. We belong to you, Lord, and are grateful for the privilege to serve and honor your righteous plan for our spiritual maturity. Continue to make us strong disciples who faithfully live to please you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps 118:24). Like the psalmist proclaiming praise to the Lord for our very lives, we rejoice because the godly can enter the very presence of divine Love and receive mercy and salvation to live in his victory (Ps 118:20-25). As we read our devotional, today, let us be mindful we have been given life and the choice of the will. Will we rejoice and be glad?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us people typically fall into one of two categories: 1) Those who live by selfish flesh [foolish] or, 2) those who live by the Spirit of God who is Love [Wisdom]. The flesh [sinful nature led by lies/deception] and the Holy Spirit [godly nature led by Truth] are at war all the time, so a choice to love God and others must be made by the will.

Jesus has made a way out of this spiritual battle, so the command of God is to choose wisely and live in the Truth. Keep in mind Truth is a person—Jesus. He came that we might have life more abundantly and to be our peace in the midst of the struggle we may face in our flesh (Jo 10:10). Jesus has already fought the spiritual battle and we must now keep walking in the character of our loving Christ—the Supreme Victor!

The Apostle Paul reminds us when we belong to Christ [made him Lord/Center of life] and allow the Spirit to liberate us from sin [unbelief/rebellion against God], we face NO condemnation [punishment for breaking God’s law], because we are listening to and seeking to obey the Voice of the Lord. If there is no condemnation from God, we cannot allow the enemy power to condemn us either. Our minds must stay fixed on the Truth. Believers no longer follow the selfish demands of the sinful nature, because our greatest allegiance is to follow the Truth.

The battle will always be fought in the mind; therefore, we must allow Truth to renew our minds and get us ready for the victory Jesus wants to bring those who belong to him and are led by the Spirit. So, live in the peace of Christ, today, and rejoice because you please God!

Romans 8:1-11NLT Life in the Spirit
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Prayer: Lord, because we belong to you, we thank you for the victory that is ours today in Christ Jesus. We will seek to walk with the Spirit of Truth, seek to lay hold of your strength despite our personal weaknesses, and seek to take spiritual authority in the power of divine Love everywhere you lead us, today. By the choice of the will, we will rejoice and be glad in it. In Jesus’ name.

We must walk mercifully through life, because we never know the things other people may be dealing with in their souls. Most people can cleverly put on an outward smile, but be filled with sorrow, fear, bitterness, or even anger on the inside. Frankly, as believers, we can be blind to certain things within ourselves that need God’s attention; behaviors that may be hindering our nearness to God or harming our souls without our awareness.

In our passage today from Luke’s gospel, the Pharisees and religious leaders have expectations not only for Jesus but for others, as well. These leaders want to think of themselves as “clean” or pure examples of righteousness. Yet, Jesus can see their hearts [inner life] and he calls their souls, “filthy!”

The Pharisees were always worried about being defiled by unclean [unholy] things or people; therefore, they neglected the infirm, outcasts, and needy. They believed if they touched anything unclean, they would not be able to perform their religious rituals in the Temple; things that made them feel important. Jesus wanted the Pharisees and religious leaders to understand he came to share the love of God with the world and everyone needs transformation even the Pharisees. But, instead of the Pharisees leading people toward God, they confused them and embraced a religion of their own making rather than helping others open their hearts to the truth.

Luke 11:37-52 NLT Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

43 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. 44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.”
45 “Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

46 “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. 47 What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago. 48 But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments! 49 This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’

50 “As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world— 51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.

52 “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”

Prayer: Father, we thank you for lifting the burdens off from our souls and helping us to live in your liberating love. We pray for opportunities to help others see and understand the Truth of your love, today. May we be a help and not a hindrance for others to hear and know the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The word of some people is just not worth a lot of confidence; some people we may deal with in life and business simply lack integrity. In Hebrew, when a person walks with integrity, he or she speaks the truth and practices righteousness. There is harmony of the inner person with the outer person. Integrity is associated with the Hebrew word shalom—wholeness. In ancient Israelite culture, integrity was valued and revealed in a relationship with God and with his or her community. For example, the patriarchs Job and Noah, were described as models of righteousness or integrity.

For the disciple of Christ, walking in integrity is our way of life and conduct. Integrity brings many benefits: security, preservation, and blessing. We avoid so many pitfalls when we run from dishonesty and into integrity. We need to pray all the time to be people who can be trusted based on our integrity; we represent Christ.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul helps us understand how suffering for the sake of integrity brings us to an end of ourselves, because then we can experience the fullness of God’s character. If we are honest, none of us would delight in running to a place of suffering. Yet, Paul helps us understand the faithfulness of God to run to the aid of his sons and daughters who boldly stand in integrity against evil accusations.

Initially, Paul went to Corinth to bring some constructive criticism to church drama. The church faced some real issues and Paul thought they would be able to bring reconciliation and a solution to their problems before he returned. They did not mend their ways in Christ’s love. So, Paul decided to write a letter rather than revisit Corinth, because he did not want to refuel the initial issues. In changing his plan to personally return, some of his accusers decided he lacked integrity and could not be trusted. Paul explained it was not indecision that held him from returning, it was God’s love and concern for them. Paul did not want to rebuke them further; they were in God’s hands now.

2 Corinthians 1:12-19 NIV Paul’s Change of Plans
12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity[a] and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.”

Prayer: Lord, integrity is a big deal with you and how we treat other people matters. Please help us to be people of integrity. We pray for our “yes” to be “yes” and our “no” to be “no.” May we be people of the Word and of our word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I have mentioned before that Psalms 120 – 134 are known as the Psalms of Ascent. These psalms were most likely sung by the Israelites as they traveled (or ascended) Mount Zion to enter Jerusalem’s Temple for worship at three appointed feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

Today we are looking at Psalm 120. In verse 5 the psalmist mentions Meshech and Kedar. Meshech, is believed to be present day Turkey, and was far north of Israel, while Kedar was a powerful tribe of Arab nomads in the desert east of Israel. The psalmists’ metaphorical use of these two geographical locations would have put the psalmist as living in a barbaric foreign land that was at war, and where the psalmist did not belong.

Right away, within the first two prayerful verses, we see the psalmists’ trust and love for the Lord with a cry for His help. The help the psalmist is seeking is from evil: evil words, liars, deceitful people, and deceptive tongues. In verses 3 – 4 the psalmist shifts from prayer to warning. This warning is for those who stand in rebellion against God, His Word, and His people. God’s people are protected as long as they do as Paul instructs in Ephesians 6:10-20 and constantly wear The Whole Armor of God. The final pieces of the Armor align with verses 3 – 4, “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” We see in verses 6 – 7 that the psalmist is tired of evil and longs for rest in the Lord’s shalom, the peaceful wholeness of God where there is no evil.

Friends, we can endure the present world, even with the evil around us, because by our faith and salvation in Christ Jesus our eternal future is certain. So, we must trust, love, and rest in God and His divine plan, as we continue to grow even closer to Him today through His Word.

Psalm 120 (NLT)

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.

5 How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
6 I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
7 I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being our shalom, the only True place of rest while evil surrounds us. Holy Spirit, please continue to stir within each of us to hate that which is evil and to cling to the One Who is Truth and Love, Jesus. Help us to remain clothed with every piece of Your armor, today. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.