Month: January 2020

“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Matthew 8:20 NIV

An article from Relevant magazine says that the amount of money spent on Christmas presents the weekend after Thanksgiving is more than half what people donate to charities for the entire year.  The article points out interesting facts, such as 40% of food in America is wasted. One stat instantly convicted me; American homes have more TV’s in them than they do people. My husband and I have more than two TV’s in our home of two. 

Consumerism is the true religion of our day.  No one can ever get enough. We need a nicer car, bigger home, jewelry, more TV’s than people.  As Rick Warren says, we spend money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like. Not Jesus, He didn’t do that.  Jesus didn’t have a place to lay his head.  He didn’t have a house, He never drove a car.  On occasion He rode a donkey, but not often. The boats he travelled in were not yachts.  And from all of the studying I’ve done, I’ve never known Jesus to wear jewelry. Jesus didn’t come for things, He came for people.

Jesus didn’t come for things, He came for people.

The only way to break the hold of consumerism on our lives is to keep our eyes focused on Jesus.  The first commandment God gave Moses was, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:4 NIV).  The first thing God tells us to do is not put anything before Him.  Anything includes the majority of the things we think we can’t live without.  We think we can’t live without cell phones or computers, yet Jesus did. We think we need so many of the things Jesus never had.  All of those things can represent gods in our lives. They can consume us and we can miss out on the things that truly matter. We can miss out on the people God has given us in our lives.

I had lunch with a friend and her daughter.  Her daughter, only 20 years old at the time had spent 6 months in the hospital with a rare condition. To be having lunch with them was a true miracle.  There were times during her time in the hospital, we didn’t think she was going to make it. They had been stripped of all of their “stuff.” Hospital rooms tend to be drab and clinical.  For months they persevered, clinging to Jesus. And that was all they needed. They didn’t need stuff, they needed Jesus. By clinging to Him, He gave them joy in the midst of heartache. If we want to beat consumerism, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus.

Question of the Day:

Our you focused on stuff or Jesus?

Further Reading: Genesis 24:52-26:16 NIV, Matthew 8:18-34 NIV, Psalm 10:1-15 NIV, Proverbs 2:16-22 NIV

“So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.” Genesis 24:9 NIV

Back in the days of Abraham and Isaac, one way people made an oath  was by placing their hand under the other person’s thigh. Jewish tradition says this is a physical act of submission to someone in authority.  In today’s verse, Abraham has asked his servant to find a wife for his son Issac. The servant is afraid the bride-to-be won’t want to come with him.  Abraham said if she doesn’t want to come, the servant is released of his oath. Then the servant places his hand under Abraham’s thigh and promises to do all that Abraham has asked.  He lives up to his oath, Rebecca does come back with the servant and marry Issaac. Happy ending for everyone.

But what if Abraham’s servant didn’t keep his word?  What if he didn’t fulfill his oath to Abraham? The New Testament upped the game with keeping one’s word.  James tells us, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.” (James 5:12 NIV).  If we are following Jesus, all of our words matter.  Our yes means yes, our no, no. Unfortunately, in today’s world, fake news is the norm.  People not doing what they say they are going to do is a way of life. We’ve lost the expectation that people will actually do what they say they are going to do.  When did our words become so meaningless? Let your “yes” mean “yes, let your “no” mean “no.”

Let you “yes” mean “yes, let your “no” mean “no.”

Matthew tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13 NIV).  We are the salt of the earth when we do what we say we are going to do, even if we don’t want too.  If we don’t keep our word, we lose our saltiness. When we show up at an event we said yes too, even though it’s the last thing we want to do, we are salty.  When we work on our marriage by keeping the vows made to each other, we are salty. When we teach our kids there are consequences to their actions by keeping our word, we are salty.  When we let our yes mean yes and our no mean no, we are salty. Salt the earth today, do what you say you’re going to do.

Question of the Day:

What can you do today to salt the earth?

Further Reading: Genesis 23:1-24 NIV, Matthew 6:25-7:14 NIV, Psalm 9:13-20 NIV, Proverbs 3:1-6 NIV

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 NIV

There is only one way to spot truth, through the lens of Jesus.  “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37 NIV).  Exposing the truth is why Jesus came to earth. The ultimate truth, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. But there are a lot of false prophets in the world, the lies they spin so close to the truth, but not quite. They can easily deceive us.

I watched a Ted talk on “How to Spot a Liar” by Pamela Meyers.  Her studies have found some interesting statistics.  In the first 10 minutes of conversation between friends, on average 1 lie is told.  If you are talking to a stranger for 10 minutes, on average they lie to you 3 times.  The majority of lies told are little white lies, meant to protect, not meant to harm. The average person lies between 10-200 times a day.  She also discusses how our bodies betray us when we lie.  If a liar is saying no, when the answer is actually yes, unless they train their head to stay still, his head will bob up and down, saying yes while his lips are saying no.  Her study proves we are all liars, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not. Lying is a part of our lives, discerning the truth is the challenge.

 Lying is a part of our lives, discerning the truth is the challenge.

Jesus’s remedy for identifying liars in our life, look at the fruit they produce  (Matthew 7:16 NIV).  The proof is always in the pudding.  When a person is following Christ, you will see the fruits of the spirit in their wake: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).  If they aren’t producing that kind of fruit in their life, they are false prophets.  They are liars who have not taken responsibility for their lies. Liars weave their tall tales so intricately it looks like a spider’s web.  Eventually, that web will break and the truth will be found. Truth always survives when the web disintegrates. The person who brings the truth is Jesus.  When we keep the Son in our eyes, false prophets don’t stand a chance. The easiest way to spot a liar is to keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Question of the Day:
What truth is Jesus trying to tell you?

Further Reading: Genesis 20:1-22:24 NIV, Matthew 7:15-29 NIV, Psalm 9:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 2:16-22 NIV

“But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26 NIV

“But Lot’s wife looked back…”, we don’t have to know anymore facts to understand what the problem is.  Five small words pack a hard punch. Here is the rest of the story. God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities.  God has sent angels to tell Lot and his family to get out of dodge, make sure they don’t look back. His wife, whose name is never known in the Bible, looked back.  The rest is history.

We can suffer the same consequence as Lot’s wife, we just don’t know it.  I met a lady years ago who was very angry with God. Her marriage had failed, she blamed God.  She had done everything “the right way,” maintained her purity until their wedding night. Why did her marriage fail then?  In her mind, that one act of obedience, staying pure, should have guaranteed her a perfect marriage. But it didn’t, because perfect marriages don’t exist.  The saddest part, the divorce was almost 2 decades old, but she was still stuck in the past. In essence, her life had become a pillar of salt because she was more focused on the past than today.  Avoid the salt, stay focused on today.

Avoid the salt, stay focused on today.

Everyone has a past.  Everyone has been hurt.  Everyone has an injustice that must be made right.  Everyone has a story. We can’t let the past hurts and injustices stop us from continuing our story.  The tension we live in between focusing on the past, staying present in the moment, and dreaming about the future is real.  If we get too focused on the past or the future, we have allowed salt into our lives. We are missing out on the moment. We’re stuck. We have become, like Lot’s wife, a pillar of salt.

But there is hope, there is Jesus.  He is the One who can help get you moving again.  He is the One who’s love and mercy can heal a broken heart.  He is the one that gives you hope and a future. He is the One who helps you forgive. He is the One that calls you to trust Him, believe in Him, love Him.  He is the One.

A pastor friend of mine taught me this saying, “Keep the Son in your eyes.”  I use it often to refocus my thoughts when I’m not in the present. When we keep Jesus front and center, we won’t have time to look back.  When we follow Jesus closely, when we keep the Son squarely in our eyes, we will live in the moment. We will seize the day with all we have.  We will avoid the salt.

Question of the Day:

Where is your focus; past, present or future?

Further Reading: Genesis 18:16-19:38 NIV, Matthew 6:25-7:14 NIV, Psalm 8:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 2:6-15 NIV

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 6:1 NIV

I remember a drama I saw at James City Community Church in Williamsburg, VA.  They had several people sitting in a row of chairs on the stage.  An usher was passing the offering plate across the row. As he passed the plate, the person whose turn it was to donate would tell you what he or she was thinking.  One woman felt guilty, so she was throwing everything she had in the plate, shoes, earrings, etc. One person had nothing, but placed an empty envelope in the plate so no one would know.  And one person had a big check, literally an over-sized check. As he put his offering in the plate, he made sure to show the check to everyone. He wanted everyone to know how much money he gave.  Today’s verse addresses that guy, the one who wants everyone to know all He is doing for God.

People like the big giver have to list everything they are doing all of the time.  They do this to let you know how “holy” they are. But who are they really trying to impress?  They aren’t impressing God, in truth, they aren’t impressing others either. People really don’t care what other people are doing, unless it directly affects them.  And they aren’t serving God, according to Matthew. They are not storing up riches in heaven, they’re performing for the wrong audience. They want people to applaud them for what they’re doing, they aren’t satisfied with the applause of just One.  Living for an audience of One requires no applause.

Living for an audience of One requires no applause.

Giving credit where credit is deserved can be one of the hardest things we do.  When we do our good deeds in private, we’re allowing God to have the glory. We’re giving Him the credit for what He has enabled us to do.  We can do nothing without Him. He gave us the air we breathe, if we can’t breathe, we can’t live. God is the author of life. Yet we take the credit for the work God has done.

When we perform our good deeds in front of others, we’re taking the focus off of God and putting it on ourselves.  We’re waiting for the compliments from other people telling us how great we are for all we do. But we couldn’t do anything if it wasn’t for the blessings God gives us.  We’re forgetting that part of the story. We’re not giving credit where credit is due. Live for an audience of One today, let Him be your reward.

Question of the Day:

What audience are you performing for today?

Further Reading: Genesis 16:1-18:15 NIV, Matthew 6:1-24 NIV, Psalm 7:1-17 NIV, Proverbs 2:1-5 NIV

“Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” Genesis 13:9 NIV

We pick up today’s story when Abram (Abraham) and Lot are about to part ways. Abram is Lot’s uncle.  They have been traveling together since God told Abram to move. Now they have arrived in the promised land, there is plenty for both of them.  Abram gives Lot the choice of which way he wants to go. Lot chooses the land that looks the best.

Forks in the road happen often in life.  We’ve been traveling along with a companion, now it is time to part ways.  Sometimes this happens after a short period of time, sometimes after years of traveling together.  When I was in undergrad, I felt like every semester I had a new set of friends because of the classes I took.  In each class I would have a friend, we would study together, commiserate together, and do life together for that class.  When the class ended, we would part ways. Maybe we would have a class together again, maybe we wouldn’t. Our time had come to part ways. Parting from people is inevitable, parting from God is impossible.

Parting from people is inevitable, parting from God is impossible.

The beauty of God is we never have to part from Him.  He will be there, just like He was with Abram and Lot, helping us say goodbye.  As children grow up and move out of the house, God will help fill the void of their absence.  When marriages fail, God is there to pick up the pieces. When death separates us from the ones we love, God is there to comfort us.  We find God in the people He places in our lives.

God is in the friend who drops by for coffee when we get home from dropping off our child at college for the first time.  God is in the friend who sits up with us all night, listening to us pour out our broken hearts. God is in the people he sends to surround us when we’’ve suffered a heartbreaking loss.  God is with us through His people, through His spirit and through His word. We may have to part ways with people, but we never have to part ways with God.

Question of the Day:
How has God been with you as you’ve parted ways with someone?

Further Reading:Genesis 13:5-15:21 NIV, Matthew 4:12-25 NIV, Psalm 6:1-10 NIV, Proverbs 1:20-23 NIV

“Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” Genesis 11:7 NIV

The title of today’s devotion originated from Apollo 13, a manned spacecraft which had just experienced an explosion.  The astronauts command center was Houston. The quote, is actually “OK Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” The words were changed to make it more impactful in the movies.  For us, as Christ followers, our communication issues started with today’s verse. God is speaking. He has just come down to see the Tower of Babel that is being built.  He immediately realizes the heart issue going on in the people. They are proud of their work, so proud, they’ve forgotten about God.  Today’s verse is God’s response to the problem.  He confuses their language. They can no longer communicate with each other. 

I recently attended a church service that has an interesting practice. They have a responsive bi-lingual scripture reading in their service.  When we attended, one person read in Korean, the congregation read in English. I had never heard the Bible read in another language before that day.  I didn’t understand what He was saying, but I felt the power of the words. When we are following Jesus, it doesn’t matter what language we speak.

When we follow Jesus, it doesn’t matter what language we speak.

Talking to God can seem like the hardest thing to do.  This morning, in my Bible reading I read a verse that immediately convicted me of some pride issues in my own life.  I realized I had taken credit for work God had done. I don’t ever want to take credit for work God has done. And yet, we as a people can easily take credit for work we did not do, just like the people of Babel did.  They were proud of themselves for building the tower, but they didn’t realize, without God, none of it would have happened. They needed God’s reminder of who truly was in control, just like we do. I needed God’s reminder this morning too.  If I didn’t talk to God, I would have missed the reminder.

Talking to God isn’t has hard as people think.  The simplest prayers are the most powerful: “God help me;” God show me the way;“”God give me words.”  God isn’t expecting perfection, He just wants you. He is our command center, just like Houston was Apollo 13’s.  All we really have to do is say, “Ok God, we’ve had a problem here.” God will know exactly what you are talking about, and like with the people of Babel, He has a solution.

Question of the Day:

What problem do you need to give God today?

Further Reading: Genesis 11:1-13:4 NIV, Matthew 5:1-26 NIV, Psalm 3:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 1:10-19 NIV

 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13 NIV

The covenant God is making above is with Noah.  The world has been flooded, God has done a massive cleaning job of the earth.  Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives are left to start the world again. They have been commanded to be fruitful and fill the earth,” (Genesis 9:1 NIV).

Noah had a tough journey in his time on earth.  The Bible isn’t clear how long it took Noah to build the Ark, but it’s estimated between 100 and 120 years.  Everyone thought Noah was crazy when he started building the Ark, no one believed God would flood the earth. Most people did not believe in God when Noah started building the Ark, they thought he was nuts.  Can you imagine the ridicule he endured day after day? But build it he did, and into the history books of the Bible he now lives.

Have people ever thought you’re crazy for following God?  I know I have been perceived as crazy. People don’t understand why we do the things we do in God’s name.  We have to be very careful when we’re following God not to interject our will into situations, and then blame it on God.  The truth is, when God asks us to do something, we don’t often know why. God wants our obedience, not our commentary.

God wants our obedience, not our commentary.

Noah didn’t argue with God when he told him to build the ark, he just started building.  He trusted God, day after day, he kept building. For decades, he persevered under the taunts and jeers of those around him.  We can learn from Noah’s dedication. We can apply the same principle to our lives.

Walking with God requires daily interaction with Him.  Each day, we move forward, little by little in our relationship with Him as we trust Him a little more.  Each day, when we apply His word, His teachings, His ways to our lives, we’ll grow closer to Him. Wherever you are in the journey, it’s just the beginning.  Each day His mercies are new, His direction different. But if we don’t seek Him, if we don’t cling to Him, trust Him, follow Him, we’ll miss the boat. If Noah hadn’t stayed the course, day after day, for years, he would have missed the boat.  But instead, at the end of the flood, he offered praise to God.

We may not understand why God nudges us to text a friend, buy lunch for a stranger or donate to a charity, but God knows why.  God created each of us for a special purpose. The lives we interact with each day are unique to us. When we’re following God, we can impact those lives for Him.  But first we have to follow Him, daily, just as Noah did, then He will direct our steps.

Question of the Day:

What is God asking you to do for Him today?

Further Reading: Genesis 8:1-10:32 NIV, Matthew 4:12-25 NIV, Psalm 4:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 1:20-23 NIV

“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Matthew 4:7 NIV

This verse, found in Matthew comes from when Jesus is being tested by Satan after 40 days in the desert with no food or water.  To set the scene, Jesus has just been baptized by John in the Jordan river. Heaven has opened up and Jesus has been filled with the Holy Spirit.  God proclaims,  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV).  The very next verse, we find Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.  But the tempting doesn’t start until after 40 days of fasting and prayer for Jesus (Matthew 4:2-3 NIV).  This is how Jesus started His three year ministry, by fasting and praying in isolation, seeking the will of God.  His first assignment, endure Satan’s taunts.

How often do you start anything out like Jesus?  How often do you take time to get alone with God and pray?  Have you ever considered fasting and praying? When you are enduring the taunts of Satan, have you ever thought it is a way to glorify God?

We want Jesus’s blessing for what we are doing, but we don’t want to ask Him first if we should even be doing it.

I remember when I bought my first car after I had some success in my career.  It was a lazy Saturday, I was spending it with a friend. We decided to go looking at cars.  I found a fully loaded, custom Mazda Tribute that someone had ordered and then refused once it arrived.  I loved it immediately, and with no money down decided to buy it. I was driving 50,000 plus miles a year for my job, I thought I deserved the car.  It was while the salesman was running my credit I thought about God. I went to the bathroom, got on my knees and asked God’s permission to buy the car.  I didn’t ask Him IF I should buy the car, I asked Him for His permission. I told Him if He didn’t want me to buy the car, don’t let the transaction happen.  The transaction did happen, I drove home with the car and a $611 car loan for the next five years. Because of all the miles I drove for work, the car was quickly worth less than the amount I owed on it.  God used this car to teach me a valuable lesson. Seek Him first.

I didn’t seek God first in that purchase.  I just told God what I was doing and asked Him to bless it.  If I had truly prayed and sought Him, I wouldn’t have bought the car.  I would have known I couldn’t afford it and I didn’t need it. The car did become a financial burden, but through it God taught me a valuable lesson.    Through it, God taught me to seek Him first.

Question of the Day: 

Where are you placing God in your decision making process?

For Further Reading:  Genesis 5:1-7:24 NIV, Matthew 3:7-4:11 NIV, Psalm 3:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 1:10-19 NIV

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 NIV

My heart aches for Eve in this moment.  I know how she feels, I’ve experienced that moment in time when I realize I’ve been deceived. Eve has just realized the mistake she has made. She has been living in the garden with Adam, life has been amazing as they’ve lived their days in the lap of God’s luxurious blessing.  Then one day Satan started whispering in her ear, in the form of a serpent. “You can eat from that tree. What does God know? He’s trying to keep you from having fun? One bite won’t hurt?” Slowly Eve begins to believe the serpent’s lies. She begins to think she deserves to eat of the forbidden fruit.  She has a right to taste of it’s delicious nectar. God wouldn’t deny her one bite. She begins to believe that she knows more than God does, especially about her own life. I’ve fallen for the same lies.

I’ve believed that I was deserving of a blessing God didn’t intend for me to have. I’ve believed that God doesn’t want me to have fun like the rest of the world.  I’ve listened to the lies that Satan whispers, “Just one bite won’t hurt you.” My battle with weight loss is a perfect example of falling for lies. I’ve had a bad day, things didn’t go the way I expected, I deserve that piece of cake. But the cake isn’t going to solve my problems, it’s only going to make it worse.  Just like eating the fruit changed everything for Adam and Eve. God has given us so much, yet we deceive ourselves into thinking we need more. We think we deserve everything, when in reality, we deserve nothing.

We think we deserve everything, when in reality, we deserve nothing.

Deserve means “to merit, to be worthy of.”  When we decide we deserve something, we’re making a decision that is truly God’s to make.  The sadness in this thought process, we’re selling ourselves short when we make that decision.  Adam and Eve were living in the lap of luxury in the Garden of Eden, yet it wasn’t enough for them.  They thought they needed more, they thought they deserved it all. In hindsight, I bet they wish they hadn’t taken that bite.  I know, I’ve regretted the bite I’ve taken that I shouldn’t have. But there is hope, God’s grace is there for us in our darkest moments.  God was there to clothe Adam and Eve in their sin, with His love and grace. He’ll do the same for us, once we follow Eve’s example and say, “I was deceived.”

Question of the Day:

Is there an area of your life where you have been deceived that you need God’s love to pour into today?

Further Reading: Genesis 3:1-4:26 NIV, Matthew 2:13-3:6 NIV, Psalm 2:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 1:7-9 NIV