Devotionals

Galatians 3:23-29 (NLT) God’s Children through Faith

Intro: In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is teaching the Church at Galatia about the law and God’s true purpose for setting it into place—to teach humanity the need for salvation. There is some confusion as to whether or not the Gentiles [non-Jews] have to obey the Jewish rituals and certain laws in order to be saved. There were three categories of laws: Ceremonial law, Civil law, and Moral law. These new believers are struggling to comprehend the difference between faith and legalism, so Paul brings clarity.

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian [because that is now the Spirit’s job].

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

This is meaningful to understand, because we can all make faith about attending church and honoring certain things we deem sacred, but faith is really about becoming the redeemed and obedient sons and daughters of God. By faith [a gift from God], we receive Christ and new life. He brings us freedom from sin and makes us right with God. Because we cannot keep the law [in our own strength], we welcome the Holy Spirit who now writes God’s moral law upon our hearts and brings the power to honor it. Yes, we still need to obey God’s moral law because it reveals our need to wholeheartedly love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We know what is righteous and what is unrighteous because of Jesus—the Living Word of God. Now, we are free to love and serve one another. We can carry one another’s burdens, and we can share life together to help one another grow in our relationships with God. In Christ, we are all the same and share the same inheritance of grace. May we learn to love one another deeply in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for new life and the new clothes of your righteousness you have prepared for me to wear. Help me to love others deeply and make myself available to help them connect to you and your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 5 (TPT)

Intro: I love how the psalms express real feelings and emotions; today’s passage is called a lament—it expresses deep regret or sorrow. God created us to experience a full range of emotions, but sin has tainted their beauty. Learning to own and humbly bring every emotion before God is what forms us as a new creation in the image of Christ. Sometimes people think of Jesus as never being challenged by his own emotions. Not true. According to the Word of God, Jesus faced everything we face as human beings. “He understands humanity, for as a man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin (Heb 4:15). In our passage today, David prays and shares his emotions with the Lord…

Morning Watch
5 
Listen, Yahweh, to my passionate prayer!
    Can’t you hear my groaning?
2 
Don’t you hear how I’m crying out to you?
    My King and my God, consider my every word,
    for I am calling out to you.
3 
At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice
    as I prepare [lay out] my sacrifice of prayer to you.
    Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar
    and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.

Making It Right
4 
I know that you, God, are never pleased with lawlessness,
    and evil ones will never be invited into your house.
5 
Boasters collapse, unable to survive your scrutiny,
    for your hatred of evildoers is clear.
6 
You will make an end of all those who lie.
    How you hate their hypocrisy and despise all who love violence!

Multitude of Mercy
7 
But I know that you will welcome me into your house,
    for I am covered by your covenant of mercy and love.
    So I come to your sanctuary [temple of your holiness] with deepest awe
    to bow in worship and adore you.
8 
Yahweh, lead me in the pathways of your pleasure
    just like you promised me you would,
    or else my enemies will conquer me.
    Smooth out your road in front of me,
    straight and level, so that I will know where to walk.
Multitude of Sins
9 
Their words are unreliable.
    Destruction is in their hearts,
    drawing people into their darkness with their speeches [their throat is an open grave].
    They are smooth-tongued deceivers, flattering with their words.
10 
Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their own schemes be their downfall!
    Let the guilt of their sins collapse on top of them,
    for they rebel against you.

Multitude of Blessings
11 
But let them all be glad,
    those who turn aside to hide themselves in you.
    May they keep shouting for joy forever!
    Overshadow them in your presence as they sing and rejoice.
    Then every lover of your name will burst forth with endless joy.
12 
Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous.
    Your favor wraps around each one and covers them
    under your canopy of kindness and joy.

Whatever emotions you may be experiencing today, by prayer take your feelings to the Lord. Like David, express the truth of how you are feeling. The Holy Spirit will give you the guidance to know how to view each emotion and how it should play out in your life and relationships. Christ is your Wisdom, so call upon his name. Let your love for the Lord be your first and greatest choice and every emotion will need to get into agreement with the King.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the reassurance that we are all made by your hand and emotions will always play a part in our lives. Thank you for the Spirit of Truth who helps us identify healthy emotions and the power to overcome unhealthy ones. Be the Wisdom your children need, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If I’m being completely transparent with you, I used to get very anxious when I would talk about death. The thought of my own death would make me extremely nervous to the point of almost having a panic attack, and I couldn’t even discuss the death of a loved one. Those feelings were crimpling prior to knowing Christ; but, as my relationship grows with Him, death takes on an entirely new meaning.

In today’s passage, in verses 3 – 5, Peter sings praises to God that we are born again to a new inherited life in Christ Jesus. He reminds us that through our faith, God is protecting us up to when He reveals Himself in the last days for all to see. Peter goes on, beginning in verse 6, to prepare us for the last days. He knows that our faith must endure fiery trials up to that point, and we must remain strong through each trail, that includes death, and every other difficult earthly place for us and our loved ones.

As someone who LOVES Jesus and who will never stop growing closer to Him, I’m excited to say that death is no longer frightening to me because I know that it doesn’t get the last word, only Jesus gets the last word! Obviously, there is pain associated with death, sometimes physical pain and there is always emotional pain, but those are not things to be frightened about, because our hope is in the One who rose from death, and it is through His death that we have the confident reassurance that we live for Eternity now and forever. Physical death is difficult for us who are left on earth, but I can only image what the celebration looks like in Heaven. I look forward to that celebration, but until then I cling to my hope in Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT
The Hope of Eternal Life

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the resurrection in Christ that holds Your promise of the gift of Eternal Life with You. May my hope in You grow as I face trials and even death. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant

Acts 12:20-24 (VOICE)

Intro: In our passage today, Luke helps us understand the persecution that was going on against the Church because the people of God refused to be silenced. Herod Agrippa, King of Judea, has James [John’s brother] killed and Peter is imprisoned during the Passover celebration. Before Herod can bring Peter to trial, the Church prays and Peter is miraculously escorted out of prison by an angel of the Lord. When Peter cannot be found, Herod sentences the guards to death. As our passage picks up today, we have already seen the spiritual poverty of Herod. At this point, he is a lousy leader with control issues; however, the leaders of the surrounding countries indirectly mock him by flattering him in order to get what they want.

20 At this time there was major political upheaval. Herod was at odds with the populace of neighboring Tyre and Sidon, so the two cities sent a large group of representatives to meet with him. They won over one of Herod’s closest associates, Blastus, the director of the treasury; then they pressured Herod to drop his grudge. Cooperation was important to the two cities because they were all major trading partners and depended on Herod’s territory for food. 21 They struck a deal, and Herod came over to ratify it. Dressed in all his royal finery and seated high above them on a platform, he made a speech; 22 and the people of Tyre and Sidon interrupted with cheers to flatter him.

The People: This is the voice of a god! This is no mere mortal!

23 Herod should have given glory to the true God; but since he vainly accepted their flattery, that very day a messenger of the Lord struck him with an illness. It was an ugly disease, involving putrefaction and worms eating his flesh. Eventually he died.

24 Through all this upheaval, God’s message spread to new frontiers and attracted more and more people.

Herod’s arrogance is so deeply rooted in his soul, he does not even see a problem with the people exalting him. He does not publicly react in order to honor God. Herod may have had the throne for a moment, but he quickly got deposed by God’s judgment.

Even through this upheaval, the Church chose to continue sharing the message of Christ and the Kingdom grew exponentially. We are facing political upheavals as well, but continue to pray, my friends, because God is the rightful Ruler and he always has the last word! The Church needs to stay focused and keep sharing the Light of Christ! [Ps 119:105 The Word is a Lamp].

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that during every upheaval, you are testing the character of leaders to see if they will honor your name and heart. I pray for my heart to be in sync with your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 4:23-31 (TPT)

Peter and John have an astounding influence upon people simply because of the time they have spent with Jesus—the Living Word. Since Christ’s ascension and the impartation of the Spirit these men are bold in their witness, they operate in divine Wisdom, and they have the power to heal broken lives. So, in order to control Peter and John, the council threatens them with harm if they speak further about the goodness of God or the righteous name of Jesus. Here is Peter and James’ fearless response to the council’s threats, “You can judge for yourselves—is it better to listen to you or to God? It’s impossible for us to stop speaking about all the things we’ve seen and heard!” [Acts 4:19-20]. The council had to release them, because they could not diminish the power of Christ in these men. Let’s read on…

The Church Prays
23 As soon as they were released from custody, Peter and John went to the other believers and explained all that had happened with the high priest and the elders. 24 When the believers heard their report, they raised their voices in unity and prayed, “Lord Yahweh, you are the Lord of all! You created the universe—the earth, the sky, the sea, and everything that is in them. 25 And you spoke by the Holy Spirit through your servant David, our forefather, saying:

‘How dare the nations plan a rebellion,
    ranting and raging against the Lord Most High?
    Their foolish plots are futile!
26 
Look at how the kings of the earth take their stand,
    with the rulers scheming and conspiring together
    against God [the Lord] and his anointed Messiah!’

27 “In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with Jews and non-Jews, met together to take their stand against your holy servant, Jesus the Messiah. 28 They did to him all that your purpose and will had determined, according to the destiny you had marked out for him. 29 So now, Lord, listen to their threats to harm us. Empower us, as your servants, to speak the word of God freely and courageously. 30 Stretch out your hand of power through us to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of your holy Son, Jesus!”[servant]

31 As they prayed the earth shook beneath them, causing the building they were in to tremble [an earthquake]. Each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the word of God with unrestrained boldness [freedom of speech/Gk word used is Parresia].

Think about this amazing prayer that was offered by the Church—a people devoted to God. Essentially, in the power of the Spirit, they pray to receive the ability to speak what is on their minds without restraint and with great confidence. They desire to be honest—hiding nothing—so they can speak directly to the hearts of other people. The Greeks put into place what is known as the Parresiastic Contract: “If you tell me the truth no matter what that truth turns out to be, I will not punish you.” This contract was an essential part of Athenian democracy. It is a proclamation of boldness that is not tailored to make everyone happy but to speak the truth in spite of what it may cost. Speaking truth was to be protected.

Therefore, these believers pray for God to empower them to speak the truth about the love and goodness of God, as well as the power that flows from his name. Jesus prayed for the disciples before he died, “Your Word is truth! So make them holy by the truth” (John 17:17). If God’s Word says something that you or I do not want to hear, we may criticize the biblical version, interpretation, or decide it is archaic and no longer valid. However, I want you to think about God and how strongly he feels about the Truth. Jesus identified himself, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father [our destination] except through union with me [faith in me]. To know me is to know my Father, too [John 14:6]. To understand the Word of God properly, we must know Jesus. When we come across those passages in Scripture that cause us to question a further meaning, may we pray and thank the Father for giving us Jesus and then ask the Spirit to make us holy by the truth.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for setting me free to speak the truth. Open hearts to receive it and make us holy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 8:21-30 (TPT) “I Am Not from This World”
21 One day Jesus said again, “I am about to leave you. You will want to find me, but you will still die in your sins. You won’t be able to come where I am going.”

22 This so confused the Jewish leaders that they began to say, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What’s he talking about—‘You won’t be able to come where I am going’?”

23 Jesus spoke up and said, “You are all from the earth; I am from above. I am not from this world like you are. 24 That’s why I’ve told you that you will all die in your sins if you fail to believe that I AM who I AM.”

25 So they asked him plainly, “Who are you?”
“I am the One I’ve always claimed to be.” Jesus replied. 26 “And I still have many more things to pronounce in judgment about you. For I will testify to the world of the truths that I have heard from my Father, and the Father who sent me is trustworthy.” 27 (Even after all of this, they still didn’t realize that he was speaking about his heavenly Father.)

28 “You will know me as ‘I AM’ after you have lifted me up from the earth as the Son of Man. Then you will realize that I do nothing on my own initiative, but I only speak the truth that the Father has revealed to me. 29 I am his messenger and he is always with me, for I only do that which delights his heart.” 30 These words caused many respected Jews to believe in him.

In our passage today, Jesus continues to speak to the crowd, religious leaders, and the disciples. This time his teaching comes as a warning. They need to understand life from a divine perspective, because they are trying to use their human intellect to comprehend the divine mysteries and character of God. So, Jesus sets them straight. Here’s what he says, “You are all from the earth; I am from above. I am not from this world like you are. That’s why I’ve told you that you will all die in your sins if you fail to believe that I AM who I AM.” Much like many people in our world today, these folks are not even close to identifying or understanding the truth because they do not accept the One True God, nor believe his Word offers precious salvation. Deception is always waiting for the open door of unbelief.

Over and over again in Scripture we are reminded through each lesson that God’s thoughts are not human thoughts and his ways are not human ways. As the Creator of heaven and earth, God has a whole different perspective of life and reality than you and me. While we tempted to focus on the earth and all of life’s temporal challenges here; God knows the name of every human being on earth who has never accepted the Christ and therefore will not be with him in eternity and he weeps. God is love so he pursues every person and longs to welcome him or her into relationship if they will accept his gesture of love; his willingness to die for their sins. He wants to tabernacle with every human being, but he never violates a person’s freedom of choice. May we take our eyes off from our problems long enough to understand the heart of God and how this evil world must break his heart. May we weep with him and know that he wants to reveal his love in us to others. Do something selfless: Exalt Christ—God incarnate—and be a lesson of love for him, today.

Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to use my human understanding to either accept or reject your Word, help me quickly call upon the Spirit of Truth. I stand against any deception that may try to creep into my mind and instead reach for your Word that gives me Wisdom and understanding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 4:8-10 (VOICE)

This morning, my heart is excited and longing to enjoy the presence of Papa God…so, I put on humility knowing I need the mercy, grace, and love of the One who has been pursing me from the beginning. My soul longs for him, so I come to the Word hungry and willing to learn. Papa has been pursuing you, too. He is calling to you, “Come closer today, child, so I can love you more.”

James 4:8 Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other.

9 Now is the time to lament, to grieve, and to cry. Dissolve your laughter into sobbing, and exchange your joy for depression. 10 Lay yourself bare, facedown to the ground, in humility before the Lord; and He will lift your head so you can stand tall.

For the past year and a half, we have been persistently told by the CDC we must diligently wash our hands in order to rid them of germs and viruses that have the ability to make us sick unto death. The CDC proclaims the mission of “saving lives and protecting people.” This government agency has been put into place to defend America from physical health threats. There is physical truth in the work of this Center and I am grateful for their “critical science.” Therefore, I diligently wash my physical hands. However, according to the Word of God—Absolute Truth in every area of life—sin makes human beings a whole lot sicker than COVID or any other health threat. In fact, sin brings certain and eternal death and it doesn’t matter how many times and for how long you and I wash our physical hands with antibacterial or disinfecting soap. Sin is the biggest global threat for death to humanity, because it separates us from the loving salvation and care of Creator God.

Did you know God tells us to wash our hands, too? However, we are to wash our hands, because we have dirtied them with the deadly sin of the world. Our hands are actually physical, emotional, and spiritual implements. Hands have much more than germs on them; we have soiled them by selfish pursuits, disrespectful attitudes leading to wrong behaviors, and spiritual acts of rebellion against our Father and his commands. Yet, look at what it takes to really enjoy the presence of Papa; we need to wash our hands [open our spiritual minds/hearts for transformation], humble our minds/hearts [turn away from sin] by facing the ground from which Almighty God [by his authority] formed us, and weep for how we have treated the righteous presence [heart] and will of our Creator. If we will humble ourselves, the Lord will heal us, cleanse us from unrighteousness, and draw us ever closer to his heart. When we are not germ-laden and diseased by the sin of this world, we can stand tall and strong as children of the Day because God tabernacles (dwells) with us. Honor what God commands so you can shine for God my friends! The world is in desperate need for your radiant example of the Kingdom’s CDC. You are called to live as Christ’s Devoted Children who love God’s Word, because it brings eternal life. “The sting of death is sin…but God gave us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:56).

Prayer: Father, I wash my hands from sin this morning by being real with you about every struggle within me against your Word and authority. I long to live in a way that pleases you; however, I know every day I need your help to do so. Starting with this fresh new day, I turn to ask you to lift my head and make me stand tall in the Light of Truth you alone have the authority to outline. Make me shine for you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today begins Sukkot, which is commonly called the Feast of Tabernacles or in some translations the Festival of Shelters, and it lasts through next Monday. If you were not able to worship with us yesterday and glean from Jay Graves who taught about Sukkot, or if you did not get a chance to read Friday’s devotion, these 7 days are a time for us to “tabernacle” or “shelter” with the Lord as we reflect on His miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt. We must remember that this miraculous deliverance is directly connected to us, in the present day, as it illustrates how God seeks to free us from the bondage of our sin and the slavery we have to this world. He wants to abundantly bless our lives. But life is hard, and our circumstances are often extremely difficult. So, how can we seek God’s blessings during these difficult times? Well, we MUST remember to seek shelter (time) with Him, no matter how difficult the circumstances, because God knows our devotion to Him. He knows that the people who revere and honor Him are the ones who truly understand what it means to fear the Lord. It is in that high place of fear (reverence) where we can enjoy real time in tabernacle (residing) with the Lord, and then we can enjoy His blessings to come.

Psalm 128
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table.
4 That is the Lord’s blessing
for those who fear him.

5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.
May Israel have peace!

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Shelter. We honor Your Holy Name, and we cannot thank You enough for our blessings. We lift those up to You who need Your healing touch, on their bodies, for their souls, and to align Your Holy Spirit to the spirit that dwells within each of us. May Your Spirit guide each of us today, Lord Jesus. Guide our actions, speak our words, and allow us to listen as You would listen. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant

Romans 11:25-32 (VOICE)
25 My brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be in the dark about this mystery [sacred secret]—I am going to let you in on the plan so that you will not think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has been hardened [stubborn and unwilling to learn something new] to the good news until the full number of those outside the Jewish family have entered in.

26 This is the way that all of Israel will be saved. As it was written, so it also stands:
The Deliverer [Rescuer] will come from Zion;
    He will drive away wickedness [the evil one] from Jacob [Israel].
27 
And this is My covenant promise to them,
    on the day when I take away their sins.

28 It may seem strange. When it comes to the work of the gospel, the fact that they oppose it is actually for your benefit. But when you factor in God’s election, they are truly loved because they descended from faithful forefathers. 29 You see, when God gives a grace gift and issues a call to a people, He does not change His mind and take it back. 30 There was a time when you outsiders were disobedient to God and at odds with His purpose, but now you have experienced mercy as a result of their disobedience. 31 In the same way, their disobedience now will make a way for them to receive mercy as a result of the mercy shown to you. 32 For God has assigned all of us together—Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders—to disobedience so He can show His mercy to all.

The other day a dear friend thanked me for having a graphic “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” on the Connect2Christ Church electronic sign. I am not surprised at all by her comment, but it blessed me that she affirmed the magnitude of the message. Do you pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem which is also known as Mt. Zion?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul imparts the Truth of God’s sacred plan to the believers in Rome and beyond. He encourages believers to identify with Jerusalem; to nurture a kinship with Israel. No arrogance against the Jews is valid before God. Jesus himself taught there and attended the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:14). So many of Christ’s teachings and miracles took place in and around Jerusalem. It remains the Cornerstone that joins the Jewish and Christian faith in worship of our Creator and Lord. As believers, we are instructed to pray for Jerusalem, because our spiritual life and energy flows from the root, Israel. God is the Gardner who has engrafted non-Jews with Jews. We pray for Israel to recognize Jesus and receive their Christ—Messiah. It was always a part of God’s plan to connect the human creation with himself—He is the Tree of Life.

Next Monday, we begin our celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles—Sukkot—recognizing the miracle of when God delivered Israel from Egypt—a land that played two roles: a place of refuge from famine or threat, as well as a place of bondage and slavery. This world can be both, right? God always wanted to be the King of his creation and to tabernacle with us; for this reason the Lord came to save and redeem the world with his own holiness. One day, Christ will return to rule in the realm called the New Jerusalem or Zion filled with people who have been clothed with glory and beauty because they have chosen Christ as King (Rev. 14:1-2).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for connecting your spiritual family to the root of Israel in order to bring salvation. Please come and bring the world under

Proverbs 30:5-9 (TPT) A Pure Heart Is Filled with God’s Word
5 
Every promise from the faithful God
    is pure and proves to be true.
    He is a wraparound shield of protection for all his lovers
    who run to hide in him.
6 
Never add to his words,
    or he will have to rebuke you and prove that you’re a liar.
7 
God, there are two things I’m asking you for before I die, only two:
8 
Empty out of my heart everything that is false—
    every lie, and every crooked thing.
    And give me neither undue poverty nor undue wealth—
    but rather, feed my soul with the measure of prosperity
    that pleases you.
9 
May my satisfaction be found in you.
    Don’t let me be so rich that I don’t need you
    or so poor that I have to resort to dishonesty
    just to make ends meet.
    Then my life will never detract from bringing glory to your name.

According to the main writer of Proverbs—King Solomon—“The fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom which [if you live right according to the Word] will result in good judgment…multiply your days…and, add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer” (Prov 9:10-12). In our passage from Proverbs today, we witness the sayings of Agur who is known as being a wise teacher [he models wisdom]. So Agur, knowing the value of wisdom and applying it to his life, asks God for two things before he dies: 1) To rid him of everything false hiding in his heart, so he can live according to the Truth of God’s Word and promises; and 2) To meet his needs for survival, but feed his soul [mind/will/emotions] with prosperity, so the Lord remains first in his life.

If you were given an opportunity to make only two requests of God between today and when you die, what would you ask God to do? This is a hard question to answer, because there are so many people and situations in our world that need the miracle-working touch of God. However, Agur wisely chooses to ask God to help him get his heart right before he dies.

For the believer, this is exactly what Christ—our High Priest—serves to do in a person’s life. Christ has been made wisdom for us and we need to listen to the Word and ask Christ to rid our soul of lies and help us live in the Truth, so He can be the wisdom and prosperity that satisfies our souls (1 Cor. 1:30). There is nothing in this world that can satisfy or replace the abiding presence and shalom of God. Be wise like Agur by making sure today your heart is right before the Lord.

Last evening, began what is called the Sabbath of Sabbaths or Yom Kippur—a solemn day of atonement when we seek to shed our sin and be reconciled with Creator God—and tonight it will end. This is your appointed time to ask the Lord to forgive your sins of dishonest living against His holy commands of Truth, so you can get your heart right before Almighty God, because only He can satisfy your life and give rest for your soul.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for you to rid my heart of any lie hiding within—take away any hypocrisy so I am genuinely living in the Truth. And, Lord, make my soul prosper as only you can. Impart to me the sense of well-being that only you can give. Draw people worldwide to your heart today, help them ask for forgiveness, and impart the life of Christ to them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.