Devotionals

I don’t always take the time to read the product labels while grocery shopping, but I have certainly become more and more aware of the ingredients in food items these past few years. There are ingredients I must avoid due to allergic reactions, fats I should restrict for maintaining healthy blood vessels, and added chemicals I need to identify and avoid because they are harmful to my overall health. Advertising makes everything sound so good, but is everything actually good for our bodies?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul wants us to understand God has placed his label on his children; we are his offspring revealing the details and instructions for spiritual life with God. Believers bear God’s name and we communicate the life-giving details of salvation to others through our attitudes, words, and actions. We are sealed by the Spirit who desires to convey truth to us and through us. It is hypocrisy to say we believe and serve God and then follow the cultural standards of the world. Is living as an example of the world good advertising for God’s powerful Kingdom and rule?

Therefore, the ingredients we bring into our lives matter to our spiritual health. We cannot consume sin and be spiritually healthy. We cannot fill our souls with worldly ideas and still operate in the attitude of Christ. The Word of God helps to define Christ’s nature and character for us, so what we take in needs to produce Christlikeness in us. If what we take into our spirits and souls is not godly, it will not produce spiritual health.

Can you imagine God’s label of ingredients for believers reading: 50% anger, 20% immorality, 10% foul language, and 20% evil deeds to meet our 100% daily requirement for spiritual health? Ridiculous! I am so grateful for God’s grace, but I know it was not given as a gift to help me avoid the consequences of my sin. I need the power of grace to live righteously; Christ in me is all that matters for my spiritual health. He wants to help me make wise choices for what I consume…keeping me spiritually healthy.

Colossians 3:1-11 NLT Living the New Life
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming [on those who disobey him]. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for placing your label upon our lives; we desire to honor your name in how we live in relationship with you and with others. Holy Spirit, help us to be honest with you about what upsets us and makes us experience anger toward others; we need you to help us get rid of anger. Our words can be so hateful and mean; our jesting can be slanderous and cruel. We can post things on social media that are just awful about others in order to demand our own way. Please forgive us; we claim to be believers in the Truth [the Christ] and we must grow up and live in him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Every time I write in reference to Psalm 119, I like to remind us, that it contains 176 verses which are divided into 22 stanzas, and each stanza is titled with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. Today’s stanza is titles with the 22nd and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Taw (tav or taf), which means mark, sign and signature.

Do you believe that you are marked as a servant of God? Let me ask in a different way. Do you believe that when Jesus saved you, He held your heart within His hands, He washed your sins away, He baptized you with His Holy Spirit, and said to all of heaven, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep” (Luke 15:1-7) and I have a new life for my beloved?

The last verse of Psalm 119 is something you and I, as believers, need to be become very familiar with, “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me (Lord Jesus), for I have not forgotten your commands.” These words are a confession of our sin. Words that should come easy to believers. Why? Because we understand what it means to be lost, or in dead living, as we have wondering without Jesus and that is NOT where we want to be. An unbelieving heart or a heart filled with religious righteousness will struggle to confess verse 176. Why? Because they are unaware of their “lostness” or do not want to come out of their “dead living”. They enjoy their sinful way of life. You and I, as active and faithful believers, understand our desperate need to be connected to Jesus, Who is the Word of Life, and that means our thoughts, words, actions, inactions, and hearts must reflect the One Who is the Word, Jesus.

How do we allow the Holy Spirit to operate in and through us, in other words, how do we sanctify our thoughts, speech, actions, etc.? Well, we don’t sanctify ourselves, Jesus does that for us, and verses 169 through 175 point us to what we need to be doing in order to allow the Holy Spirit the room within us to produce sanctified thinking, which then produces sanctified speech, and so on.

We PRAY, we PRAISE, & we EVANGELIZE…wait, Jen…I am not good at evangelizing. Yes, you are! God created each one of us to share His Word, and that is all evangelism is, sharing God’s Word. Don’t over think it, just allow the Holy Spirit to move within you and through you to bring God’s Word, His love, into someone’s heart. Sure, some people will evangelize to groups of people, but others are called to evangelize one-on-one. Just remember to not over think it, allow the Holy Spirit to operate within you and by the Word of God, speak the love of Jesus into someone else’s life TODAY.

Psalm 119:169-176 (NLT)

Taw

169 O Lord, listen to my cry;
give me the discerning mind you promised.

170 Listen to my prayer;
rescue me as you promised.

171 Let praise flow from my lips,
for you have taught me your decrees.

172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
for all your commands are right.

173 Give me a helping hand,
for I have chosen to follow your commandments.

174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue,
and your instructions are my delight.

175 Let me live so I can praise you,
and may your regulations help me.

176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,
for I have not forgotten your commands.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being our Sheppard and for coming to save each one of us from our sinful life of dead living. Holy Spirit, be our Guide as we pray, as we praise, and as we share your Word with others. Help us to laid down our insecurities, those places that the enemy seeks to hold us back from praying, praising, and evangelizing. We want to be close with You, and we trust that You will break down those walls that keep us from growing with You. We ask this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Our attitudes and actions throughout our lives either validate or invalidate our faith. We cannot separate faith from obedient actions to God’s Word [prophetic guidance], because together faith and actions make a whole. It’s like the body and spirit coming together at creation; it’s worshiping God in Spirit and then living the Truth (John 4:24).

When a believer has genuine faith, they produce works of love and compassion; they manifest the heart of Jesus in the natural realm. If a person claims to be a believer, but never produces the righteous fruit of God’s love, then it is likely they have had a religious experience but not tasted an intimate relationship with Jesus. Religion based on Jesus’ work on the cross for salvation may connect people to God’s family which is good, but a personal relationship with Jesus calls for the applied Truth that brings new life and transforms the heart.

In our passage today, James presents several examples of faith in action, by highlighting the faith and deeds of a Jewish man, Abraham, as well as a Gentile woman, Rahab. Abraham was a man of faith; a wealthy and respected person [a friend of God]. Rahab was a woman of faith with a questionable reputation; an innkeeper and marginalized woman of little importance [but later is listed as a mother in the lineage of Jesus]. Yet, both of these people demonstrated their faith in God by their actions. Both Abraham and Rahab are biblical heroes of the faith; most assuredly both were affirmed as a part of God’s family in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, because they put their faith to action (Gen 12:1-3; Josh 2:8-11).

You and I must do the same each day. We want our faith in God to be genuine and powerful. Anyone can attend a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue; that takes only a decision and does not translate into a life that pleases God. Instead, like Abraham and Rehab, believers in Christ must not only verbalize the truth, we must put the truth into practice. I pray we take the opportunity by faith in the compassion of Christ, to share good deeds, today.

James 2:17-26 NLT
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the conviction of the Spirit who guides us into genuine faith and good deeds. Help us to remain stable, loving and humble in our actions. May the faith we proclaim honor your name and your compassionate mercy. May we continue to grow in this personal relationship with you, Jesus; to know the Truth that sets us free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

As much as I anticipate and enjoy a beautiful sunrise every morning, there is something equally awe-inspiring about a color-filled sky at sunset [especially as it momentarily reclines over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico]. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known!” (Ps 19:1-2).

God displays his presence, nature, and character throughout all his creation. With the rising and setting sun, we should give thanks for God’s merciful nature and faithful promises. In fact, as his human creation, we should humble our rebelliously prideful souls, bow in worship, and turn from evil to live for God, because faith in our Creator’s plans and promises, through his glorious Son, is the only acceptable response to our merciful and gracious Maker. Presently, I pray you can see the faith of believers—in the Son’s power to save, deliver, and guide lives into righteousness—is being tested by God.

In our passage today from the writer of Hebrews, it is clear obedience to God is what brings blessings. Now, in order to walk in the obedience that pleases God, we need to know how God designed us to live and what pleases him, right? Well, these heroes of the faith—listed in Hebrews chapter 11—based their trust and decisions on the Word of God to their hearts. They were convinced that God would do as he promised, even though following him called for sacrifice on their parts. These heroes knew allowing God to reveal their individual life paths—who they were created to be and how they were created to live in his character despite their human strengths and/or weaknesses—was the only way to live in the glory of the Son.

God has promised to bless those who place their faith in him, so we can be a blessing in the world. Blessings come from an intimate relationship between God and human beings resulting in favor, provision, and protection. Believers are to be channels of those blessings. In fact, God established religious and government institutions, in order to help fellow human beings recognize the righteous authority of God’s rule over ALL creation and to lead the world by example into a life of faith in our Creator (Ro 13:1). However, it seems clear every day the sun rises and sets, the eternal Son is being diminished in the eyes of the people by the very groups of leaders designed to help them cling to God’s authority and promises found in his Living Word. We cannot displace and dishonor our Creator’s rule and anticipate being able to appropriate the power or blessings of God for lives and lands—such a notion is deception-led and irrational at its core.

Scripture teaches us about the blessings of God and how to appropriate his power for living. By faith, we need to anticipate the power and blessing of God by living according to his planned design for us. By faith, we need to acknowledge it is only through obedience to God we enjoy the blessing and peace or well-being he offers. Lastly, by faith, we need to accept and follow the true Source of eternal power over hearts and lands. Otherwise, we are on the wrong side of an all-presence, all-knowing, and all-powerful eternal Ruler.

May we return to the fear the Lord and quickly gain some wisdom before it is too late. “Fear [holy awe/respect] of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment” (Prov 9:10). “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Gal 6:9). The Wisdom writer proclaims, “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak” (Prov 12-13). Pause and Ponder!

Hebrews 11:17-22 NLT
17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

Prayer: Lord, please make your glorious Son shine in our hearts today and help us to live by placing our faith in you. We accept the testing of our faith; it is such an honor to serve you as you have so mercifully saved the faithful from the penalties of sin and death. We pray for our hearts and our lands to return to your Righteous rule. You are the Giver of miraculous blessings and perfect justice, so may the leaders of our religious and government institutions wake up to proclaim the Truth. Then, send your Spirit to bear witness to the Truth. Your Word teaches there is a way that seems right to the human soul [mind, will, emotions], but it ends in destruction. We know you said it and your Word will fulfill it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Christian message is about faith in God’s power and compassion to touch and restore lives. Surrendering to the will of God is the purpose of genuine faith. Certainly, we must remember it is the power of God that actually performs a miracle, not the faith of human beings. Only God can do the supernatural and impossible. However, we do have a responsibility to use faith in cooperation with God’s power and aligned with his will to be done.

Preceding our passage for today, Jesus, Peter, James, and John are returning from the Mount of Transfiguration. It has been a miraculous time on the mountain with the glory of the Christ, but it is time to descend to the valley of human need. At the base of the mountain they meet up with the other disciples, a crowd, and a desperate father asking for mercy and a healing touch for his demon-possessed son. I can only imagine how awful it was for this father to watch his son suffer for years with such injuries and seizures.

We need to remember the disciples had been given the power in the past to cast out demons (Matt 10:1). In our passage, their failure was brought to the forefront and we can surmise the disciple’s faith was not in appropriating the power of Christ; rather, their failure came from misdirected or vacillating faith. Interestingly, this father does not waiver in his faith. Sure the disciples fail to cast out the demon, but this man’s faith is in Christ not the disciples. So, this father goes to the source of the power—Jesus—and the miraculous happens. At the rebuke of Jesus, the demon leaves and this boy receives a new life.

This passage begs us to look at our faith and where we place our trust. When things take time and the results we pray for are not immediately obvious, where do we find our faith? Is it still in Christ’s power? Or is our faith resting primarily in our natural ability, skills, or plan to get things done in human strength? We can be powerful when we draw on Christ’s powerful anointing, but he must send us. So, we need to rebuke the temptation to do things in our own strength apart from God.

Matthew 17:14-20 Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing your powerful grace as you send us to touch the lives around us. We are so grateful for your power in working salvation and deliverance. Only you can bring the miraculous. Our faith is in you alone. We pray for our country, today, as we remember the precious lives lost in the terrorist attack twenty-three years ago.  Evil is always seeking to rob, kill, and destroy lives. May we hunger for righteousness, humble ourselves before your throne of grace, and pray for your power to rebuke evil across this land! We know evil masquerades as light, but actually brings death through deception. Help us to be alert and wise. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

For many reasons and in many circumstances, anger is present; evil is actively crouching at the door of the human soul (Gen 4:7). Even the people who rarely find themselves getting angry, are facing the temptation to lose the righteous battle for love and self-control. Yet, the Lord has told us we must subdue that which is unrighteous and be its master; otherwise, it will master us (Gen 4:7). In the midst of hostility, we do get weary in doing what is righteous, don’t we? (Gal 6:9).

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews wants us to know even in the midst of hostility and feelings of rejection, God is present and lovingly using these things to transform us. So, let’s look at two words in our passage this morning that are commonly misunderstood: discipline and punishment. Now, most of the time we use human images and perspectives [e.g. as parents, children, bosses, employees, law enforcement, etc] to be our guide for understanding these two words, but we really need to press in for discernment in the wisdom of God. Human thinking will fail us.

It is by faith, we belong to the Lord and are learning to live under his authority. Our heavenly Father actually has perfect love for us and knows how to get our attention. It would be a sin to see ourselves other than sons and daughters of God following Christ for the purpose of being made in his holy image. So, if life brings discipline or punishment, it is for our good to move us toward righteousness and his glory (Ro 8:28).

God disciplines his children. The Hebrew root of the word ‘discipline’ translates instruction or training in obedience. God disciplines his disciples by helping us learn holiness. Jesus guides us by his humble example and submission to the Father. The work of the Holy Spirit bears witness to the Truth of the Word in our spirits and helps us to subdue all unrighteousness that seeks to master our souls. We can never be separated from the love of God, so let’s not forget we are being faithfully guided toward the narrow and righteous Door leading to eternal Life. Therefore, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Ro 8:37).

God also punishes his children. The Hebrew root of the word ‘punishment’ translates attending to. We receive equal consequences for our righteous or unrighteous attitudes and actions. We learn by the consequences we face. When we sin against God or others, God attends to it by letting us face the consequences of our unrighteous action. When we choose righteous actions, God attends to it by welcoming us to experience his blessing and glorious presence.

Judgement will come in the future, when those who have chosen to live in unrighteousness and death will be held accountable for their actions—the ones whose names are not written in the Book of Life (Rev 20:13). But, for those who call upon the name of the Lord and live in the Life Christ provides, we are assured of a heavenly home in the glory of God. Oh, the JOY that floods my soul at the thought!

Hebrews 12:3-13 NLT
3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words [proverbs] God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the discipline you lovingly bring to our lives. As your sons and daughters, we know you want to teach us the Truth about your holy nature, so we will leave our sinful one behind. Thank you for your patience when you must punish us for selfish living. We were not born again to remain selfish; love does not demand its own way. So, we ask for your holy presence to protect us as you continue to form us in the loving image of your Son; the Righteous One. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The writer of Hebrews starts chapter 11 with the Biblical definition of faith – “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (v. 1) The writer goes on to mention some of the Great Examples of Faith as seen throughout the Old Testament. “Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.” (v. 2) In other words, these biblical “heroes of faith” are called that because of their obedience to God and enduring faith no matter the circumstance, and that was seen as a “good reputation”.

Jesus is the true Hero of Faith. He has the best reputation and is our example of obediently enduring all circumstances, including pain and suffering, so that each one of us can be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life with Him. We must press into our faith, through daily prayer, daily time in God’s Word, and allow God to hold us as we cling to Him in all circumstances so that our faith will not waver.

Today, we are seeking for our faith to grow from the first two verses of chapter 12. First, we see that it directly connects to chapter 11, and our biblical brothers and sisters are a part of the “huge crowd of witnesses”. We know that in order for our faith to grow and firmly last, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, the One Who is the Champion of Faith. We cannot forget that Jesus suffered, so we can expect to suffer. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. (Romans 5:3-5)

I want to leave you with a quote I came across in my studies that touched my heart, “suffering stretches the capacity of our soul for intimacy with God and with other people.” Be blessed today, my friends.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

God’s Discipline Proves His Love

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for stretching our faith. Help each one of us to cling to You more than we ever have. Help us to grow in our time with You, in our trust in You, and in knowing just how much You love each one of us. We do not want to waver in our faith, so guide us, Holy Spirit, today and every day until we see Jesus face-to-face. In Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

When we invest our time learning Scripture and what it teaches about God, as well as what it means as it transforms our lives, it prompts the reader to notice a striking contrast between the world’s way of striving [struggling to reach what is temporarily perceived as good but elusive] and God’s Kingdom way of thriving [resting and trusting in the eternal goodness and sufficiency of the ever-present Christ]. These are two very different viewpoints; yet, both having the potential to steer or direct our lives. Jesus came to offer human beings spiritual life and the opportunity to thrive [breaking forth and growing stronger] (John 10:10). Our perspective makes all the difference. Are we striving or thriving?

For the believer, it is in Christ we live, move, and exist (Acts 17:28). Therefore, we should not only notice these striking opposites, but actually experience the physical, emotional, and spiritual difference Christ makes in our lives. We belong to Christ and we commit ourselves to feed on the truth, walk in his integrity, and radiate his character as we trust in God. He is “Jehovah Jireh”—the LORD will provide!

Jesus is God’s finest provision for us; our Father has promised to meet our needs, as well as bring the resources for growing and thriving. According to God’s Word, the righteous [those who place their faith in Christ’s righteousness] can thrive in every season because God is faithful even in times of adversity (Ps 92:12-13). We are saved by grace through faith for the glory of our God! (Eph 2:8). The Apostle Paul announces to the church in Philippi, “I have learned the secret of living in every situation…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:12-13). Paul is thriving!

In our passage today, Jesus encounters a non-jewish woman and mother of a young girl striving to overcome a demon—evil spirit. Even in her present unbelieving state, this mother recognizes that Jesus is the promised Christ and, by faith, she presses in for the grace [Bread or spiritual sustenance] his presence provides to bring her daughter from striving to thriving, “Lord, help me!” (Mat 15:25). Jesus is moved with compassion to feed—just as he was with Israel in the wilderness—even though his disciples are weary. Faith in Christ heals, blesses, and grows lives. Christ wants his followers to learn the secret of living strong in every situation…

Matthew 15:21-31 NLT The Faith of a Gentile Woman
21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for healing our souls from the work of evil by bringing new life to our spirits. You are so compassionate; you never turn a worshiper away. You offer refreshing relief in order to help us thrive in a world that seeks to diminish and destroy the truth. Develop within us great faith and help us to discover the secret of living and thriving in every situation. We believe truth leads the way to Kingdom life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Concentrated flavors and food items line the grocery shelves and coolers. More than just removing a significant amount of water, many concentrated foods have a higher density of flavors and or nutrients. For example, I just recently purchased a package of very tasty concentrated beef protein sticks—filled with dense protein and good fats that I can grab on the go. It was a wise purchase as sometimes I need to eat something that will give me the fuel to keep going until I can eat a meal.

Moving beyond concentrated physical food, truth is concentrated fuel for our souls and the Book of Proverbs many times provides profound and nourishing wisdom in a simple concentrated sentence. Essentially, a proverb is a statement of truth that wraps up an enormous amount of wisdom which has the potential to change a person’s life for the good. Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs which is filled with principles for wise living. Within the sentences, we will recognize problems common to humanity, our need for wise counsel, and the call of God for correction.

Jesus is Wisdom incarnate, so we must read the wisdom writings with Jesus in mind who emulated them perfectly (1 Cor 1:30). We are being made in the image of Christ (1 Cor 15:49). Did you know there are thirty-one chapters in the Book of Proverbs? One chapter a day for most months; then it’s time to start over. If we truly desire to apply the Word of God, Solomon’s wisdom literature is packed with highly concentrated truth nuggets to sustain spiritual life. So, dig in…

Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
    Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Prayer: Every day we need you, Lord; your wisdom sustains us and helps us navigate in this menacing and sinful world. In reverence and deference to you and the way you get truth to our hearts, we submit to the work of the Living Word and ask for you to keep us moving forward in spite of the obstacles we may face each day. Allow Wisdom to rise up within us and helps us radiate your glorious image, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is a constant battle to separate the petty in life from the holy. The Bible defines pettiness as “small trivial matters that cause division and start arguments.” We can all be petty at times, but Jesus is never involved in it. That comes from our flesh; a sinful attitude and behavior that surfaces when we have to prove we are “right!” Some stuff in life we try to champion can be really petty and useless. There are much more valuable ways to spend our time and efforts. Little foxes can spoil the vine; can cause damage to our relationships, hinder our personal growth, and set us up for negative consequences in life.

In our passage today from the gospel of Mark, Jesus is dealing with the petty when he wants to share the holy. The Pharisees rewrite God’s Word, because they champion their teachings over the mitzvahs or commandments of God. They miss the valuable lessons from God, because they are focused on minutiae. Think about how petty the Pharisees focus is in this moment. These leaders want to be right and are willing to take a stand and prove to the Living Word of God their interpretation of God’s Word is biblical. Jesus sets them straight.

When a prideful ego and pettiness become inseparable friends, disaster is sure to follow. Jesus tells the Pharisees they are using their teachings to mislead and manipulate the people causing them to neglect their responsibilities to care for their aging parents. The Pharisees care about petty things; Jesus cares about the heart being filled with holiness.

We do not take care of our families, friends, or those in need, because they deserve it. We take care of each other, because God commands it. We love each other the way God loves us. If we stayed focused on the holy love of God, our sin would have no room to grow or gain power through our actions. Never forget, sin starts as a thought in the mind and soon develops into messy and miserable lives.

Mark 7:9-23 NLV 9 Jesus said to them, “You put away laws of God but keep your own teaching. 10 Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother.’ ‘He who curses his father and mother will be put to death!’ 11 But you say that it is right if a man does not help his father and mother because he says he has given to God what he could have given to them. 12 You are not making him do anything for his father and mother. 13 You are putting away the Word of God to keep your own teaching. You are doing many other things like this.”

14 Jesus called the people to Him again. He said, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand this. 15 It is not what goes into a man’s mouth from the outside that makes his mind and heart sinful. It is what comes out from the inside that makes him sinful. 16 You have ears, then listen!”

17 He went into the house away from all the people. His followers began to ask about the picture-story. 18 He said to them, “Do you not understand yet? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a man cannot make him sinful? 19 It does not go into his heart, but into his stomach and then on out of his body.” In this way, He was saying that all food is clean. 20 He said, “Whatever comes out of a man is what makes the man sinful. 21 From the inside, out of the heart of men come bad thoughts, sex sins of a married person, sex sins of a person not married, killing other people, 22 stealing, wanting something that belongs to someone else, doing wrong, lying, having a desire for sex sins, having a mind that is always looking for sin, speaking against God, thinking you are better than you are and doing foolish things. 23 All these bad things come from the inside and make the man sinful.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us understand the power of the petty that leads to sin and rebellion against your holiness. We need help with our thoughts, so please continue to renew our minds with the Word. Fill us with your love, so we have no room to wander into sin and selfishness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.