Honest Reflections

“The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” (Proverbs 10:28 NIV).  

If you want to have a joy filled life, keep your eyes on Jesus.  This past weekend, I witnessed what that looks like. Feb. 23, 2018 was a tragic day for the Cooke family in Mt. Pleasant, SC.  A robbery attempt left a father, Mike, shot 5 times and his son, Bryan, dead. The shooting occurred just before 11:00 a.m. on a Friday morning.  The two year anniversary of that day was on a Sunday this year. I sat in amazement and watched Lynda, wife and mother, sing “God is Good,” with her sisters, at the approximate time her son had been killed.  Then I listened to Mike give us a message of love, grace, and mercy, just after the song.  What I witnessed, was people living a joy filled life because they were keeping their eyes on Jesus.  

Before Lynda started singing, she introduced the song.  She talked about how she had never known life without the trinity.  She talked about how God has carried their family through this tragedy.  She explained why she had chosen this song. Bryan had given her this song some months before.  He had told her to tuck it away for a special time. After his death, it was months before she could listen to music, much less sing.  But slowly, she found her way back to music. When she did, she found this song. A song that she has clung too in the midst of her heartache.  She knew the special time to sing it, on the anniversary of Bryan’s death. A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

One of the hardest things to accept in this life is that we won’t have all the answers.  We will never truly know why bad things happen to good people on this side of heaven. Mike and Bryan were volunteering their time to get a house ready for a homeless veteran when they were robbed.  They were serving the Lord when this tragedy happened. Why? That is for God to know and us to trust.

The service started with a song from Maverick Music, “Take Me Back”, the lyrics can be a prayer for all of us to cry out when we’re in the midst of a storm:

‘Cause when the storm’s out on the ocean

And the violent wind get’s to blowing

Oh, take me back, back

All the way back…

When it was all simple

And loving was easy

When it was all simple

And trusting was easy…

Take me back to the start, God

Where You won my heart

If you want a joy filled life, keep your eyes on Jesus.  Ask Him to take you back to where He first won your heart.  A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

Question of the Day:
Do you need to ask God to take you back to where He first won your heart?

Further Reading:  Numbers 6:1-7:89 NIV, Mark 12:38-13:13 NIV, Psalm 49:1-20 NIV, Proverbs 10:27-28 NIV

“Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24 NIV)

The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.  He says it right here. He’s responding to the Sadducees.  The dictionary defines Sadducees as: a member of a Jewish sect or party of the time of Jesus Christ that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone.  They are another set of religious leaders Jesus had to deal with during His ministry.  They were questioning Him about one of the laws on marriage. They’re question: If a woman had been married 7 times because her husbands had died, whose wife would she be at the resurrection? (Matthew 12:18-23 NIV)  Jesus responds with today’s verse.  The religious leaders learned quickly, don’t underestimate the Scriptures or Jesus.

We are no different from the Sadducees.  We underestimate Jesus because we don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.  We all share this mistake because we are all human. We don’t have the capability this side of heaven to understand the full extent of God’s power.  Even when we do see miracles happen in our own lives, we forget them too quickly. When we have problems arise, we try to fix them ourselves instead of turning to God.  We may know the Scriptures well, but we don’t always apply them to our lives. Jesus, the Master that He is, knows this about us and loves us anyway. The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.

The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.

The Israelites underestimated God when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Joshua 5:6).  David underestimated God when he saw Bathsheba on the roof (2 Samuel 11 NIV).  We underestimate God when we put ourselves before Him.  The Israelites had witnessed God do countless miracles to lead them out of Egypt, yet they didn’t trust Him for their well being.  David already had a wife, yet when he saw Bathsheba, he wanted her too. Instead of obeying God, he found a way to get what he wanted.  When we take matters into our own hands, instead of trusting what God’s word says, we’re underestimating God.

The only way to not underestimate Jesus is to let Him do the leading.  We have to wait on His timing, His answers, His provision. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts, not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).  Because we don’t naturally act or think like God, we underestimate Him.  No one thought the Savior of the World would be born in a manger, but He was.  We can’t underestimate Jesus when we follow Him. When we let Jesus do the driving, He’ll take us places we never thought we would go.  But first, we have to stop underestimating Him.

Question of the Day:

What area of your life are you underestimating Jesus today?

Further Reading: Numbers 4:1-5:31NIV, Mark 12:18-37NIV, Psalm 48:1-14 NIV, Proverbs 10:26 NIV

“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” (Mark 11:28 NIV).

Avoid traps by asking the right question. Jesus would have been considered a sage.   A sage is a wise or holy figure, often an older man, who possesses insight or understanding beyond that of ordinary people.  When His authority was questioned, he answered as a sage would do, with a counter question:

“Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!” (Mark 11:29-30 NIV).

The religious leaders didn’t have an answer to Jesus’ question.  Therefore, Jesus didn’t answer theirs:  

“So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (Mark 11:33 NIV).  

The truth is, the religious leaders already knew where Jesus’ authority came from, they just didn’t want to admit it.  They realized that if they acknowledge John’s power came from God, they would have to acknowledge Jesus’ authority as well.  When Jesus’ authority was questioned, He responded with a counter question. Avoid traps by asking the right question.

Avoid traps by asking the right question.

The saying, “When you point a finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you,” has possible origins from the Navajo Indians.  The Navajos considered it serious business to accuse someone. When you point a finger at someone, you’re ignoring your own faults. The Navajos believe you must  look at your own faults before you look at the faults of others. Jesus says the same thing with different words:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV).

The religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus because He was threatening their authority.  Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. We are all hypocrites, whether we admit it or not. Jesus exposes the hypocrisy within ourselves with His truth.  We battle Jesus’ authority in our lives, just like the religious leaders did. We want our own way, instead of His. When we give Him authority over our lives, He’ll provide the right question to ask when we are being trapped.

Question of the Day:

Whose authority are you submitting to today, Jesus or yours?

Further Reading: Numbers 2:1-3:51NIV, Mark 11:27-12:17 NIV, Psalm 47:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 10:24-25 NIV

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

The best security blanket is God.  He is our strength and rescue at all times.  Right now, whatever you are facing, you can take refuge in Him.  You can wrap yourself up in His arms, just like a child with a security blanket.  He will pull the cover over your head, letting you nestle into His shoulder, and He will protect you.  He is always there, waiting for You to turn to Him. His arms are wide open, holding the corners of the blanket.  He’s waiting to fold you into His arms. He is the best security blanket you will ever find. Nothing can compare to Jesus.

The reason children (and adults) use security blankets; because they “make you feel safe and protected, which increases your brain’s serotonin levels and decreases the presence of stress hormones.”  We all want to feel secure, but security is hard to find in today’s world.  Everything changes so quickly. Days turn quickly into weeks, then months, then years.  Kids grow up and leave, jobs end, marriages end, lives end, all things that can leave us feeling helpless and alone.  With an ever changing world, finding a place of security can seem hopeless. But it’s not, God doesn’t change. God is our hope, our security; He’s unchanging.

God is our hope and security, He’s unchanging.

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6 NIV).  God doesn’t change, because He doesn’t, we aren’t destroyed.  This passage of scripture represents a cycle we all follow:

“God initiates a relationship and blesses us, God calls us to honor him, and we promise to serve and worship him alone, yet we soon drift into complacency. We are easily enticed by the flickering lights of temptation, so we wander and stray. Ultimately, we defy our Creator, falling into dark pits of sin with dreadful consequences. We hit rock bottom, we get fed up, we long for change, we cry out for mercy, God hears and restores, we promise to never leave him again . . . but, in time the cycle begins again.”  Louie Giglio

The moment we cry out for mercy  is the moment God wraps us in His arms.  He secures us in His steadfast love that is unwavering.  Even knowing, as Louie says, we’ll leave Him yet again, He will always be waiting for our return.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even our own imperfections (Romans 8:38-39 NIV). God is our hope and security, He’s unchanging.

Question of the Day:

How has God been unchanging in your life?

Further Reading:  Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54 NIV, Mark 11:1-26 NIV, Psalm 46:1-11 NIV,

Proverbs 10:23 NIV

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44 NIV) 

If you want to become great, serve others.  Jesus came to serve: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV).  I haven’t done a scientific survey, but I think each of us has a secret desire to be great.  We all want to be recognized for our contributions to the world. I want to be a best-selling New York Times author.  We all have dreams of greatness. But in order to be great, we need to serve others. Greatness comes by way of service.

Greatness comes by way of service.

 The more I get to know Jesus, the more I love Him.  I hope and pray the same for everyone who reads these devotionals.  Jesus came to serve us in love and truth. His humility is what makes Him great.  When Jesus was faced with any situation, He led with grace. He led with mercy. He led with love.  He set a standard of service to others we can only hope to achieve.

Putting others before ourselves is not a natural instinct for humans.  Our natural instinct is to put ourselves first. But that isn’t what Jesus called us to do.  Our greatest commandment is to love God, love others (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).  Our priorities in life are God and others, ourselves last.  Using the gifts God gave us to serve others is when we feel His pleasure. 

Writing these devotions is my gift to God, an act of service for the love of writing He gave me.  I ask Him for inspiration in the words I write. I want all glory to go to Him. I try hard to not make it about me.  Mark Batterson said in a recent message, “What we don’t turn into praise, turns into pride.” I give God the praise for my writing, the gift is from Him.  

God has given each of us gifts.  This article has great tips on how to identify your gifts.  When we identify what our gifts are, we can then offer them back to God. Knowing our gifts can help us identify where we can serve others. When we serve others, we will be great.  The greatness comes not in being lifted up and exalted, but in loving another. When we serve, we are loving those God has given us to love. And when we love, we feel God’s pleasure.  Greatness comes by way of service.

Question of the Day:

Who can you serve today?

Further Reading: Leviticus 25:47-27:13 NIV, Mark 10:32-52 NIV, Psalm 45:1-17 NIV, Proverbs 10:22 NIV

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10: 27 NIV).

God can do what you can’t.  However, just because He can, doesn’t mean He will.  What we think we want and what is actually best for us are two different things.  We have limited perspective on the situation, only God knows the full story (1 Cor. 13:9 NIV). 

I’m currently studying the book of Acts.  This morning I saw something I had never seen before when I read this verse:   “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me” (Acts 20:23 NIV).  Paul is speaking, he’s about to depart from Ephesus for Jerusalem.  And he knows, wherever he goes, he is going to face hardships and prison.  Yet he is going. This verse convicted me instantly this morning of my selfishness.  God can do what we can’t, but that doesn’t mean He will.

God can do what we can’t, but that doesn’t mean He will.

This morning, before I had read that verse I had just written in my journal.  “Lord, I pray this is a good day filled with nothing but good news.”  Then I read this verse and felt humbled. Paul’s words instantly reminded me that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart, God has overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV).  Does that mean we can’t still pray for good days?  Of course we can. But that doesn’t mean we’ll have a good day.  We will face prisons and hardships wherever we go.

Our prisons are different from Paul’s.  In today’s world, a lot of the prisons and hardships we live in we create ourselves: debt, insecurity, jealousy, unforgiveness, rebellious hearts, selfishness.  Our humanity will always be a source of constant battle, the flesh against the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:17 NIV).  But this is where God really can help us find victory, when we yield to the Holy Spirit.  At the end of my journal entry this morning, I wrote those words, “Lord, may I always yield to Your Spirit.”  I’m praying for a good day. God can give me a good day. But that doesn’t mean it will be a good day. God’s ways are always better than ours.  God can do what we can’t, but that doesn’t mean He will.

Question of the Day:

How does knowing God can do it, but may not, make you feel?

Further Reading: Leviticus 24:1-25:46 NIV, Mark 10:13-31 NIV, Psalm 44:9-26 NIV, Proverbs 10:20-21 NIV

“ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV

Happy Leap Day! According to Wikipedia: “February 29, also known as leap day or leap year in the Gregorian calendar, is a date that occurs in most years that are divisible by 4, such as 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024…. A leap day is observed because a complete revolution around the Sun takes slightly longer than 365 days. It compensates for this lag, realigning the calendar with the Earth’s position in the solar system; otherwise, seasons would occur at a different time than intended in the calendar year.”

God’s timing includes Leap Years.  I have known 2 people in my life that were born on Leap Day.  They have to wait four years for an actual birthday party on their actual birthday.  Birthdays are one of my favorite celebrations. They break up the humdrum of life, every month, someone has a birthday to be celebrated.  I can’t imagine having to wait four years for a birthday party. Of course, they celebrate each year around the date, but it’s not the same.  God’s timing is perfect. He gives people born on Leap Day an extra special birthday only few have.

There’s no further reading for today, the Bible plan didn’t incorporate Leap Year into its schedule. Today’s verse reminds us, to God, a day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day.  We can’t understand His timing, on Leap Day or any day. Our minds literally can’t comprehend God’s clock. We can trust that His timing is always perfect.  

We can trust that His timing is always perfect.

Don’t let anything stop you from enjoying this perfect day.  There won’t be another one for four years. Relish in the moments as God unfolds the day before you.  Write down anything special that happens. Whatever prayers He answers today, write them down as a reminder of His perfect timing.  Make this day special somehow.  

Throughout God’s word, He has His people set up altars of remembrance, as Joshua did, to remind them of what He has done for them (Joshua 4:8-9).  Today, as God answers prayers on this special day, a day that won’t happen again for four years, create an altar of remembrance.  Ways I have created altars of remembrance: pick up a seashell from the beach, save the scorecard from a special round of golf, save a napkin from a restaurant.  Find a token to remind you of what happened. I have a jar labeled, “Lovely Moments” where I put my reminders of what God has done for me in those moments. When I need encouragement, I look through my jar and remember.  Each one is a reminder, God’s timing is always perfect.

Question of the Day:

What token will be your altar of remembrance for today?

“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” (Proverbs 10:19 NIV)

One way to get out of trouble is to stop talking. “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind,” Rudyard Kipling.  Our mouths are what get us into trouble.  We say the wrong thing, we tell a secret, we spread gossip, three easy ways we get in trouble with our mouths. If you want to get out of trouble, keep your mouth shut.

The pastor told this joke in his sermon this week.  Three pastors are on a fishing trip. They decide to confess their faults to each other.  The first pastor said he loves to drink alcohol. Every other week, he sneaks out of town to go get drunk.  The second pastor said he loved to gamble. In fact, he had gambled away the church’s mission fund. The third pastor said he should have gone first.  His fault was that he loved to gossip. He couldn’t wait to go home and tell everyone what he had just learned. All three of them got into trouble because of their words.  Trouble is compounded with words, the prudent hold their tongues.

Trouble is compounded with words, the prudent hold their tongues.

When Jesus is in front of His accusers, He remains silent (Matthew 26:63).  He’s about to be crucified, yet He remains silent. Jesus said very few words as he was sentenced.  He was silent as He carried His cross to Golgotha. He said very few words as He hung on the cross. I’ve always marveled at Jesus’ silence at such a time.  Now, I’m beginning to understand His silence. Words would have done no good. Nothing Jesus could have said would have stopped the inevitable. He knew words would just cause more upheaval and trouble. He knew the only thing to do was be silent.

When we are under attack, we want to strike back with our words.  We have all had great one-liners run through our head we’d love to say to someone who has hurt us.  But if we actually said them, they would only cause more heartache, more pain. Those are the thoughts we need to take captive (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV).  Those are the times we need to keep our mouth shut, not saying a word.  Jesus set the example. He let them draw their own conclusions, He knew He would never change their mind.  He also knew, in time the truth would be revealed. He knew He was about to change the world. Trouble is compounded with words, the prudent hold their tongues.

Question of the Day:

What trouble do you need to stop by not talking?

Further Reading:  Leviticus 22:17-23:44 NIV, Mark 9:30-10:12 NIV, Psalm 44:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 10:19 NIV

“Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7 NIV).

If you want to be a better listener, you have to work at it.  Listening is a skill, if you aren’t a good listener, you can’t be a good communicator.  Solomon says it bluntly in Proverbs: “Listen before you answer. If you don’t, you are being stupid and insulting” (Proverbs 18:13 GNT).  Full confession, one of my worst faults is interrupting people.  God is helping me do better, but I have a long way to go. One of the reasons I interrupt is because I think I know what the other person is going to say, which is impossible for me to know.  I have had to work at my listening skills to become a better listener. The One I try to listen to most, is Jesus.

James gives us practical tips on how we should communicate with each other.  “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James 1:19 NIV).  The first thing he tells us to do is be quick to listen.  If we’re listening, we can’t be speaking. If we’re going to listen to Jesus, we must first be quiet.  The hardest part of quiet time with God, for me, is the actual quiet time. The waiting period for Him to respond to what I have said.  I lift up prayers expecting immediate results, but that is not what happens. God isn’t a vending machine in the sky, waiting to meet our every need.  God is our Creator who wants us to learn to listen to Him.

God is our Creator who wants us to listen to Him.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, talks about how creation is groaning (Romans 8:22 NIV).  God is speaking to us all of the time, He speaks through His people and His creation.  If we don’t know how to listen, we’ll miss what He’s saying.

To be a good listener we need to put our agenda aside.  We need to not assume we know what God is going to say. We have to wait and give Him time to speak.  We need to find quiet time to be alone with Him. We can meditate on His word and let it speak to our hearts.  And we can’t interrupt until He is finished. God may take days, weeks, years to answer our prayers, we have to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Question of the Day:

Where do you’re listening skills need work?

Further Reading:  Leviticus 20:22-22:16 NIV, Mark 9:1-29 NIV, Psalm 43:1-5 NIV, Proverbs 10:18 NIV

“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.  By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is  with me—a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:7-8 NIV).

The only way to live life in the deep end is with God.  Deep calls to deep, heart calls to heart. In this Psalm, David’s heart is crying out to God’s heart.  God’s love is the answer to David’s cry. The deep connection I have with God is in my heart. Our hearts are where God meets us.  When we connect with Him, we’re opening up the corners of our hearts and presenting them to Him. God doesn’t do shallow, He does deep. 

I chose today’s scripture because of the beauty of the words.  David’s cries are poetic as he openly implores the Lord for help.  The deep connection shared between David and God is easily seen. This morning, as I write this, it’s the sixth anniversary of my mother’s passing, a day I did not think I would survive.  I remember, being on my knees, crying out to God for help. I didn’t know how I would go on without her in my life. But here I am, six years to the day later, He’s carried me all the way.  He answered the deep cry in my heart with His daily love, HIs night song has been with me. God doesn’t do shallow, He does deep.

God doesn’t do shallow, He does deep.

If God did shallow, our struggles wouldn’t be so hard.  We wouldn’t have to make the hard choices of what the right thing to do is.  God wouldn’t care. But He does care. He understands how difficult life’s pressures are, He uses those situations to refine us.  Diamonds are made because then endure high temperatures and pressure over a long period of time. God uses our struggles to create diamonds.  When we open our hearts to Him, as we reveal it’s deepest secrets to Him, He refines us.

When my mother died, God used her death to refine me.  I drew closer to Him as the days and weeks passed, allowing Him to be my comforter.  He began to show me things about my mother I had never known. I began to understand why she had done some of the things she did which I never understood.  I began to see clearly, my Mom was following Him. She was setting an example for me to follow. My Mom wasn’t a big talker, but her actions spoke volumes. As St. Francis of Assisi encouraged us to do: she preached the gospel always, using words only when necessary.   I didn’t see it clearly until after she was gone. God doesn’t do shallow, He does deep.

Question of the Day:

What in your life is God using to take you deeper with Him?

Further Reading: Leviticus 19:1-20:21 NIV, Mark 8:11-38 NIV, Psalm 42:1-11 NIV, Proverbs 10:17 NIV