Devotionals

Intro: Sometimes the take away message we read and receive from the Word of God is simple and straightforward. For example, when Jesus comes to live on the inside of us, we become a living container for His holy spiritual presence. Whether or not someone understands “how” such a thing is possible, the concept or plan of God to live within us is pretty simple and forthright. God with us!

Jesus tells the unbeliever Nicodemus he must be born again; born of the Spirit. (John 3:3-5). When we are born again, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live on the inside of believers [those who accept Christ’s sacrificial death for our sins]; it is the work of the Spirit who seeks to help us live like Jesus. The Spirit is like an internal GPS [God’s Positioning System]. So when believers choose to live like the world, our consciences and convictions fight an inner battle as the Spirit rises up to be our Protector and Rescuer from evil. If we demand our own way, we grieve the Spirit with our sin which sears our consciences. When believers choose disobedience and practice sin we are resisting the blessings of the rebirth.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul gives the early church in Corinth what can be viewed as a warning, as well as encouragement. He warns them to be diligent with their relationships, because many of them have been slipping away from their devotion to God. They certainly love God and desire to serve Him; however, because of their binding relationships with unbelievers, their vision of God begins to change. It can be terribly hard to stand solid on our convictions of Truth from the Spirit when many people we love have a very different view.

Paul encourages these early Christians by giving them examples of just how different the life of a Christ follower must be then an unbeliever. A believer works in the power of the Spirit by the grace of God. Paul wants these Corinthians to understand they are allowing themselves to be vulnerable and influenced by the world in their thinking instead of allowing the Spirit to renew their minds. Paul never tells the Corinthian believers to leave their unbelieving spouses or families. He does not teach them to refrain from reaching out to unbelievers with the liberating gospel of Christ. He simply encourages them to understand the battle going on between light and darkness, so they must press in deeper for the grace of God to remain faithful to the Truth.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 NLT The Temple of the Living God
6:14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
“I will live in them
    and walk among them.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
17 
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
    and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
    and I will welcome you.
18 
And I will be your Father,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

7:1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we feel such a pull from the world. The enemy works to make us feel guilty if we disagree with others even though we love them. Truth is not agreement with the world; truth is agreement with you, Lord. So, help us to share and speak the Truth of Christ in your agape whenever we can do so. We know Light and darkness will never coexist; there will always be a separation in Christ. Yet, Holy Spirit, help us to be people of influence and integrity in all of our relationships, so we represent you well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Children are gifts from God to help us learn and better understand: 1) How Father God loves us, 2) How we should love our heavenly Father in return, and 3) How we are to love our children and everyone else. As parents, we are to honor God by how we live. We are to teach our children to follow our lead in honoring God, as well as honoring us as parents. Lastly, we are to instruct our children in the ways of agape love [Father’s love], and to lead them toward righteous living by our example.

Children tend to mimic their parents, so we need to keep our lives aligned with God, because our habits will become our children’s habits. When we are willing to humble ourselves under the authority of God as parents, we are less apt to portray a prideful attitude in front of our children. When we take responsibility for growing our spiritual lives, our children are more apt to be influenced toward a relationship with God, as well.

Loving God is more than just an emotional response to His love; we are to love God by keeping His commands. So, we need to teach our children to love God, by honoring His Word. If parents do not know Scripture, they cannot teach their children the Truth. Being a good person is important, but being a saved person by faith through grace because of Jesus and His commands is what our children need to see and understand.

In our passage today from the gospel of Luke, Jesus brings instruction to His disciples about allowing children to come to Him. The disciples are under the impression Jesus has better things to do than to be cornered about children; but, Jesus takes this time to educate his disciples in the Truth of how little children understand faith better than many adults.

Luke 18:15-17 NLT Jesus Blesses the Children
15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Prayer: Father, it is so important for parents to introduce their children to Jesus and His righteous way of living. As parents and grandparents, may we pay attention to our attitudes and actions around our children and grandchildren, so we can emulate the love you have given us from above. As a spiritual family, may we make children a priority and may you trust us to care for many. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The Spirit of Truth is such a good Teacher of righteousness for God’s children. We are so blessed to have our Helper. It’s important that we listen to the Spirit because God has expectations for how we conduct our lives and the Spirit has been given to us as a Gift to guide us into living lives pleasing to the Lord. One thing we should never lose track of is God’s desire for His children to walk in integrity. Dishonesty has no place in the family of God; therefore, the Body/Church must adhere to the character of our Head—Christ—the Truth. Otherwise, we are not genuinely interested in living for Jesus in sincerity; because, when we are dishonest we have opened the door for the father of lies—Satan.

The early Church had its issues; dishonesty in the hearts of some believers was one of them. Telling the truth is a choice each day. We are never exempt from Satan’s attempts to deceive us or tempt us to do the things we know have no place in our lives. We will all be tempted to lie, because Satan wants us to serve him. God’s ninth commandment is clear; we must not bear false witness—lie (Ex 20:9). When we lie, we are only loving ourselves. Jesus summed it up: “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).

In our passage today from the Book of Acts, the believers find themselves surrounded by persecution; many people struggling to buy goods or make a living in the midst. So, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the believers volunteer to share their possessions in order to eliminate poverty in their spiritual family. Many people shared the belief that every aspect of their lives—including wealth—belonged to God first.

Ananias and Sapphira choose to sell some land and give the money to the Church who would then distribute it among those in need. No one forced them to sell or make this decision; no one told them to give all of the money from the sale of the property to the Church. It was not demanded or even expected of anyone. So, the fact that this couple lied about the true price for which they sold the property would lead us to believe they wanted to look more generous and be honored by others more than wanting to honor God in Truth.

Acts 5:1-11 NLT Ananias and Sapphira
1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

Prayer: Lord, although there are many parts of this passage that may be difficult to understand, we know how you feel about walking in the Truth—because you are Truth. Help us to lean on the work of the Holy Spirit to groom us each day with integrity. May our garments remain unstained by dishonesty. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When King David wrote Psalm 86, he knew that only God could help him, and especially during his times of trouble. We learn in the Old Testament Books, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, that during David’s times of trouble, when he experienced great pain, anxiety, fear, grief, betrayal, hunger, violence, sin, loneliness, and tremendous loss, he called upon God. David’s response to trouble was simple, he prayed and cried out to Almighty God, “I will call to You whenever I’m in trouble, and You will answer me.” (v.7) David’s faith allowed him to trust in God to answer his prayers, to cover him with His protection, to shower him with His mercy, to forgive his sin by His unfailing love, and to fill him with His joy, no matter what was going on within the physical world around David.

Friends, you and I face trouble, just like David, and God is looking to answer us, He actually wants to use everything within our lives, especially our trouble, to work together for our eternal good (Romans 8:28). We just need to find ourselves having a heart for the Lord like David (Acts 13:22) because with a sold-out heart for the Lord our faith grows and we begin to trust God more and more, we see His protection for our lives more clearly, we are quicker to recognize His mercy, and we want to turn away from sin and seek His forgiveness because all we want is His unfailing love and His joy to fill us to overflowing.

Prayer can seem difficult at times or challenging for some people. Eight years ago, to the month, Pastor Mary shared an acronym with me to help during my times of prayer with my daughter, Hannah. She said while you are praying, breakdown the word, P.R.A.Y. and go in this order: P – Praise (spend time being grateful to God, thanking and praising Him for all that is good within your life), R – Repent (spend time asking God to forgive your sins, and to lead you away from those places of sinful living within your life), A – Ask (ask God what you want, not necessarily for “things” but places within your life or people you want to see Him bless), and Y – Yield (remember that God’s timing is not your timing and His ways are not your ways, so have humble patience and be willing to wait and shift to His ways and timing of your asks because His ways are higher than our own and are ultimately the best for our lives).

Psalm 86:1-13 (NLT)

A prayer of David.

1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.
2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
4 Give me happiness, O Lord,
for I give myself to you.
5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
6 Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me.

8 No pagan god is like you, O Lord.
None can do what you do!
9 All the nations you made
will come and bow before you, Lord;
they will praise your holy name.
10 For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.
You alone are God.

11 Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,
13 for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being there during all of my troubled times. I need for You to take the wheel of my life and be my Navigation System. Forgive me when I am not in alignment with Your plan for my life. Please allow me to quiet the noise of this world, so that I may receive from You, Holy Spirit. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Everyday, I am blessed by the reality that I am known by Almighty God; He sees and knows me. Wow! What an awesome epiphany, right? Now, John and I have been married for 45 years, but I’m sure even though we have been sharing day-to-day life all this time, there are still some things John does not know about Mary. He might be able to predict how I might see things or respond to things based on our many years together, but I bet I could still bring forward a few surprises. Honestly, some days I surprise myself! Only Jesus can give us “self-understanding.”

With Jesus nothing is hidden or undiscovered about our nature, thoughts, or character. He sees and knows everything about us and what we will think or even do in the future. That knowledge helps me understand my identity better, because God reveals who I am moment by moment making it clear that I am known by Him and I’m a part of His plan. If you have invited Jesus into your heart—the core of your being—you are known by God, too; He sees and knows the real you—nothing hidden or undiscovered. You are an open book to God. Frankly, even if you wanted to hide things from God; you could not. He is the Revealer of Truth!

I do not need another person to tell me who I am, because I am known by My Creator. I do not need to fear my future, because my steps are ordered by Almighty God. I am blessed beyond measure by God, because He has chosen to KNOW me! It’s a truth that is too much for us to wrap our thoughts around. So, let’s just admit we “know” we are “known!”

In our passage today, David has an epiphany that he, too, is known by God. Psalm 139:1-6 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David
1 
O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for knowing us as your children; for seeing us in light of Christ and blessing us with your glorious presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Today, we continue to look at Scripture as it aligns with the season of Epiphany—the appearance of Jesus as the Chosen One of God who will die for the sins of the world. Sudden epiphanies are glimpses and gifts from God; He wants to reveal His plan for salvation to the world. As well, God wants to use each of his children to be a part of His plan. So, John the Baptist is given a specific assignment from God—to baptize with water in order to reveal the Messiah. John obeys the Word of the Lord and a manifestation of the Truth follows. Pause and think about that for just a minute.

What is involved in this revelation? The Word is sown into John’s heart and he must choose to act by faith—John obeys and actually does what the Lord has told him to do. But, Satan always comes to steal the sown Word and stop God’s children from fully trusting in Him. Satan uses the religious leaders to try and stop John. However, John is not fooled by evil; his obedience is what sets him up for the next layer of Truth to be revealed. He will see something he could not have imagined apart from the Word of God. Now, John will have greater opportunities to passionately testify to the truth of Jesus; to testify to the Light who gives light to everyone. And, FYI, that testimony catches fire and connects the disciples with the call of Jesus on their lives.

We need to hold fast to the Word sown in our hearts; it brings wisdom. If you are reading the devotions, participating in Bible Study, and attending worship opportunities, the Word is being sown in your heart. Therefore, we need to put into practice what we have heard so, like John, we can see and testify!

John 1:29-34 NLT Jesus, the Lamb of God 23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
    ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”
24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”
26 John told them, “I baptize with [in] water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.[Son of God]”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for John the Baptist and his obedient faith to hang onto your Word. Not only did you reward him with greater revelation, you have rewarded us by his faith example. Help us to hang onto your Word and allow the Spirit to lead us into the deep waters of faith and redemption, so we can experience the revelation of Truth you have for us. Please put a testimony on our lips. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: As we continue on in this season of Epiphany—celebrating the manifestation of the Christ—we know human beings are plunged into the dark waters of creation in order to find the cross in the waters of redemption. We are baptized through salvation in the Spirit. God works to recreate each of us in His image: breathing the life of the Spirit into us and guiding us along the path toward divine wisdom. As we seek and encounter the Light of Christ, we are allowed to know God’s will, spiritually see the perfect righteousness of the Lord, and begin to hear His voice in our spirits in order to learn a new way of living. Believers leave foolish and flesh-driven desires behind. Our assignments begin as we obediently do what the Word and Voice of God instructs. Christ makes us alive to the heavenly realm and beneficiaries of the wholeness only God can bring; we become witnesses to the Truth while still residing in a dark world. This is where Spirit-led believers face the struggle.

Today, in our passage from the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul has an epiphany of the Christ that knocks him off his high horse! Paul has been living his life in spiritual arrogance and pride; so, God interrupts his journey and calls for change. Paul has not only mistreated the people of faith and propagated a false narrative of the Christ, he has sought to snuff out the life-giving work and direction of the Spirit. The darkness has blinded Paul; Satan has invaded his thoughts. Therefore, God humbles Paul and sets him aside for a bit to gain a new perspective—a heavenly one from the Righteous One. Many new experiences face Paul; the struggle for righteous change.

Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. He is cunning and his works either make us question the full counsel of God, or he lies to us about our identity and power in Christ. He is not bothered by religious rituals; he just does not want us to put our wholehearted trust in God. Never forget, Satan wants you to put on a victim mentality about your life. Christ came to bring a message to your mess through the waters of redemption and give you a new perspective of what victory looks like in His Kingdom. You and I must live in the light of Truth, as well. When we know the Word of God and seek wisdom, we know the Voice of the Savior who speaks Truth and are instructed how to apply it. Christians live in the light by rejecting the work of darkness. Run from sin, by running toward righteousness. Now is the time!

Acts 22:2-16 NLT
2 When they heard him speaking in their own language [Hebrew/Aramaic], the silence was even greater.

3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. 4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

6 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene [from Nazareth], the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me.
10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
11 “I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. 12 A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. 13 He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him!

14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this word, today. The mercy you extended to Paul is the mercy we all need; thank you for waking us up with a call to righteousness. Give us eyes to see the Truth, so we will not be spiritually blind. Help us to walk in the glorious Light of Jesus, so we will not waste a precious second of our time here on earth to make a difference for You and Your eternal Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

George Campbell Morgan was an evangelistic Bible teaching preacher in the early 1900’s and when speaking about Psalm 69 he said, “Perhaps in no psalm in the whole psalter is the sense of sorrow profounder or more intense than in this. The soul of the singer pours itself out in unrestrained abandonment to the overwhelming and terrible grief which consumes it.”

Today we will be looking at the first three verses of Psalm 69. Many credit King David as the author, while some say that the Prophet Jeremiah wrote it. Even though these two brothers of faith lived about 400 years apart, God uses their recorded testimonies for you and me so that we can keep learning from them and growing as we journey along on our own faith walks.

David, Jeremiah, and each one of us have experienced moments when we feel like we are completely drowning, where the waves of life are crashing into us, flooding over us, and we just cannot seem to find a foothold. In these moments Jesus tells us to look up (at Him), to not be afraid, and to take courage because He is with us (Matt 14:27).

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” Psalm 34:18-19

Psalm 69:1-3 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”

1 Save me, O God,
for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
and the floods overwhelm me.
3 I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being all we need in our times of great trouble and despair. Help us to fully rest in You and to trust that You have, are, and will use all of our painful trials for good. We love you, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: I am sitting quietly this morning and praying for the Word and the Spirit to guide me deeper into the Truth. I want God to increase my understanding of the miraculous works of His love, what it looks like from His perspective to really love my neighbor, and how I must love myself in a way that pleases Him—every area of my life needs to grow in wisdom [applied Truth]. To love God, my neighbor, and myself is to be attentive to God’s work of bringing wholeness to my soul; to allow a great conformity to His image [nature/character], so I can live authentically for His glory. I will always need to grow and, by acknowledging my need, I know God will be faithful to provide. Do you find yourself, today, with a desire for more of God’s wisdom operating in your life?

Let’s remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom—learning to live in the Light. Living in the fear of the Lord is more than an attitude of respect, it is an obedient choice to live in Christ and reflect the Light of His wisdom. Simply practicing a religion will not position us on the righteous path toward wisdom. We need Jesus—who has been made wisdom for us—and we need to follow Him along the narrow way—the ongoing route of godly wisdom.

So, our passage today from the Book of Wisdom helps us understand: 1) we must all start on the same foundation of a relationship with Christ, and 2) our lives will all be governed by Christ’s boundaries of love based on what God has already declared in His Word. Jesus is the Living Word. Evil has no authority over the life of a believer, therefore, we cannot give it room in the inn of our hearts. Otherwise, we are inviting suffering into our lives rather than blessing. Wisdom helps us become quick learners with vision to change direction, because we can all find ourselves wandering off toward our unrighteous and selfish inclinations. The seeds of wisdom help us from the time of childhood all the way through adulthood; everyone needs godly wisdom or we will quickly find ourselves supporting what is worldly rather than what is righteous before God.

Proverbs 22:1-6 AMP
1
A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches;
And favor [grace] is better than silver and gold.
2 
The rich and poor have a common bond;
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
3 
A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it],
But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].
4 
The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord
Is riches, honor, and life [eternal].
5 
Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them];
He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.
6 
Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents],
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live with integrity, so we may enjoy your beautiful grace each day. May your wisdom protect us from evil and the consequences of sin. Holy Spirit, help us to teach the younger generations about you by sharing our lives and the things we have learned. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: There are many words in Hebrew that do not translate perfectly into English. The word “kindness” is one of them. In Hebrew—chesed (hesed)—often translates as “loving-kindness,” and means giving oneself fully (loyally), with love and compassion or mercy; however, chesed is actually much more. Essentially, it is a covenant term; it stands for the attitude—by which both parties in a covenant—must honor and express themselves toward one another.

God’s chesed never lets go of his people; even when God’s people act faithless, He remains faithful. So, Jesus becomes the mediator for those who connect to Him by faith. Believers have a covenant of love with God through Jesus Christ as He teaches us how to live in the chesed of the Father. We return the chesed of the Lord by obeying His commands to love God wholeheartedly and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. By the way, the New Testament Greek equivalent of the Old Testament Hebrew chesed is charis translated into English as “grace.” We are given chesed/charis by God and we reciprocate to God and our neighbors in kind. In this way, we are blessed to be a blessing.

In our passage today from the Book of Proverbs, wisdom reminds us chesed is revealed by our trust in the Lord and our willingness to apply the Truth (Christ) to our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 is my life verse; God planted it in my heart many years ago. I quote it to myself aloud often—especially when I am tempted to go my own way. Our inclination is to use our human understanding to decide what God desires from us. That can be very dangerous, so we must instead trust God’s plan, seek God’s will, and watch for divine doors to be open. Wisdom teaches us to store God’s commands in our hearts, so we can trust, seek, and watch for the Truth.

Proverbs 3:1-12 NLT Trusting in the Lord
1 
My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
    Store my commands in your heart.
2 
If you do this, you will live many years,
    and your life will be satisfying.
3 
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
    Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
    Write them deep within your heart.
4 
Then you will find favor with both God and people,
    and you will earn a good reputation.
5 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.
7 
Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 
Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.
9 
Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 
Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.
11 
My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
12 
For the Lord corrects those he loves,
    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us in a perfect covenantal way. You are so faithful in all you extend to us of your nature even though we are so undeserving. Thank you for Jesus who’s sinless life covers and represents us in his righteousness. Thank you for correcting our sin and helping us trust your abundant loving-kindness and grace. Holy Spirit lead and help us turn in the direction of Truth. May wisdom help us remember this lesson, today, and may we be willing to extend grace to others as you have commanded. In Jesus’ name. Amen.