August 4 - To Whom Shall We Go?

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6

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Serving God brings freedom -
Freely helping yourself leads to bondage!

Peter had his inspired moments. In today’s reading, after Jesus offended the hangers-on looking for another free lunch, He looked at His remaining disciples and asked, “You do not want to leave too, do you?... Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (6:67-69). When we get to know the One who created us, we should finally realize there is no one else who knows us better, who loves us more, and who we can trust more fully.

Even Josiah, the youngest king of Judah, figured that out early in his life. After discovering a copy of God’s Word in the Temple and seeing how far his people had strayed from God’s laws, he tore his royal robes in repentance.  Though he was personally right with God, he identified with the sins of Judah, feeling deep remorse on their behalf and bravely leading them in a complete reformation. His epitaph is impressive: Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses (23:25).

Notice how compliance to God and His Word brings freedom, whereas defiance against Him brings bondage. The message from the god of this world, since the day he slithered up to the first man and woman in the garden, is “serve no one, make your own decisions, look out for número uno!” In other words, he is saying, “be your own god!” It’s the oldest lie in the book, and Josiah’s successors illustrate the consequences of believing that lie. The first, Jehoahaz, was literally put in chains by Egypt’s Pharoah (23:33); the second, Jehoiakim, was enslaved by the King of Babylon (24:1). If you set out to serve yourself you end up serving Satan (Rom. 6:16).

“Lord, there is no One else I trust with my life, nowhere else I can go for direction, for this life and the life to come!”

August 3 - When God is Unmoved

 Read today’s texts first: Nahum 1-3; John 5

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When we move away from God?
Good luck with that! 

Yesterday we saw how easily God’s heart is moved when we move toward Him. But what happens when we move away from Him? The city of Nineveh and the religious rulers in our readings today provide clear examples.

About 100 years before Nahum’s prophecy, Jonah had a whale of a visit in Nineveh. When he was vomited up on their shores, seaweed in his hair, his skin bleached from stomach acids, the entire city repented. Evangelists today should try that look instead of $1000 suits - it may be more effective. But things changed a century later as once again the citizens of Nineveh set their hearts arrogantly against God.

This is what Nahum said to them: The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Nineveh]; he will pursue his foes into darkness (1:7,8). In 612 BC, Nineveh was so devastated by the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians that it was completely leveled and covered by desert sands. Archaeologists doubted it even existed until A. H. Layard began excavations in 1845. Once again, Bible history and prophecy was confirmed!

Fast forward to the story of Jesus healing the lame man in Bethesda. It is a moment of incredible compassion and power, and you would think everyone would be ecstatic. Not so much, especially the religious leaders. Jesus healed the man, and the man picked up the bed he had lain on for 38 years, on the Sabbath, of all days. Gasp, how terrible! (Jesus performed a lot of healings on the Sabbath - makes you think!).

As they tried to stir up the crowd against Jesus, he said this: You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts (5:39-42). When you refuse to come to Jesus, watch out! Death awaits.

“Lord, where else can I go? Who else has the words of eternal life (John 6:68). I set the course of my life to draw closer to You each day!”

August 2 - The Lord Was Moved

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; John 4

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When we move toward God,
God is moved!

So often in talking to preChristians about Jesus, I’ve heard these words, “I’m not good enough to be a Christian. God could never forgive what I’ve done!” In response, I often tell the story of Nicky Cruz. He was the notorious leader of the Mau-Maus, a vicious street gang from New York. Nicky would slit throats because he liked the smell of blood, but he was the first gang member converted under David Wilkerson’s ministry (check out The Cross and the Switchblade). His transformation led to the founding of Teen Challenge. If God could forgive Nicky and change his life so powerfully, no one is beyond His love.

The same could be said of the two stories in our readings today. Manasseh was without a doubt the most evil king of Judah, worse than even the worst king of the northern tribes, and apparently worse than any of the pagan kings around them. Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites (33:9). He undid all the good his father, King Hezekiah, had accomplished during his extended life, desecrating the very Temple of God with an Asherah Pole.

But when God stopped Manasseh by having him dragged into exile, he actually repented! In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God (33:11-13). That phrase “The Lord was moved” shocked me. I know God is merciful but after what Manasseh had done why wasn’t God angry or at least a little cynical?

Fast forward to our story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus felt compelled to travel through Samaria, instead of skirting around the region as most self-respecting Jews would do! Apparently His heart was moved by not only a despised half-breed Samaritan, but a woman (in those days Rabbis didn’t waste their time teaching women). Worse yet, she was an immoral woman, who had been married five times and was now living with a man who was not her husband. But Jesus changed her life that day, so dramatically that many from her town also became followers of Jesus (4:39-42).

“Lord, no matter how good or bad I think I’ve been, I need Your grace and I’m never beyond it. When I move toward You, You are moved!”

August 1 - Hope to High Heavens

 Read today’s texts first: Isaiah 65,66; Psalms 62; John 3

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B.I.B.L.E.- Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.
Today’s topic: Heaven - read all about it! 

The parallels between the book of Isaiah and the whole Bible continue in today’s readings. The last book of the Bible, The Revelation, is about the final battle between good and evil and the hope of heaven for those who are victorious. The last two chapters of Isaiah carry the same theme.

First, from Isaiah: Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more (65:17-19).  “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure” (66:22).

Now check out The Revelation: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (21:1-4).

Two prophets, two prophecies, centuries apart, but the hope of heaven is the same. Being sure about heaven is important when you orient your life based on your eventual destination. I’ve bet everything on the hope of heaven, and when Jesus, in our final reading, promises eternal life to those who believe in Him (3:16,36), it is a sure bet.

“Lord, the hope we have is not just wishful thinking. I can bet my life it is as sure as You are and as true as Your Word!”

August Devo - Path of Most Resistance

“Get strong; stay stable!”  This is the motto of our Physiotherapy Team who work together to help our residents regain strength in their arms and legs, which in turn helps them to avoid falls.  Their favourite techniques include isometrics, or resistance exercises.  We get stronger when our muscles push against other muscles or against something that pushes back.

In the early days of the Russian space program, they learned this the hard way.  When their first cosmonauts touched down after 211 days in space, they suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates and heart palpitations. They couldn't walk for a week, and after 30 days they were still undergoing therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts.  At zero gravity, the muscles of the body begin to waste away because there is no resistance. To counteract this, the Soviets began a vigorous exercise program for their cosmonauts. They invented the "penguin suit," a running suit laced with elastic bands designed to resist every movement the cosmonauts made, forcing them to exert more strength. It worked!

This principle applies to our entire life, especially spiritually.  We often long dreamily for days without difficulty, but God knows better. The easier our life, the weaker our spiritual fiber. Strength of any kind grows only by exertion, through resistance. The Bible reminds us that “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. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees” (Hebrews 12:11,12 NLT).

 

Eileen Egan worked with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity for 30 years.  On one particular day they were experiencing a litany of problems. When Eileen complained to Mother Teresa, she suggested substituting the word “problem” with “gift.”  So Eileen rephrased her complaint, “Mother, today we have been given a basketful of gifts!” The same could be said of the many “gifts” we may be unexpectedly receiving right now!

“When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2,3 NLT).  The Bible has it right, and so does our rehab team: “Get strong; stay stable!”

July 31 - Cry Out to Jesus

 Read today’s texts first: Isaiah 63;64; Psalms 107; John 2

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Crying out to Jesus is the simplest
and purest form of prayer.

The gripping message of a Third Day song came to mind during my readings today. Here is the chorus of “Cry Out To Jesus:”

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

Psalms 107 is a similar song, with each of its verses describing a different group of troubled people. But the refrain for all is the same: Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress (107:6,13,19,28). We see the contrast in both Isaiah and John.

Isaiah describes the awesome earth-shaking power of God (64:1-4), the filth of our sin (64:6), and the incredible grace of God to deliver us when we cry out to Him (63:9; 64:4,5).

John describes two events in the life of Jesus that illustrate His justice and mercy. His justice comes out in the literal cracking of the whip and overturning of tables in response to reducing worship into commerce. His personal care comes out in the unusual miracle of turning water into wine, at a wedding of all places. Now that’s not normally an illustration of God’s grace (other than the symbolism of wine and His blood), but it stands in such sharp contrast to the holy, wrathful Jesus in the story that follows. It’s not evidence of a split personality, but of a loving, gracious, and intensely personal God.

“Lord, when I cry out to You, no matter how badly I’ve messed up my life, You consistently meet me wherever I am and deliver me from my distress!”

July 30 - The Ultimate Confirmation

 Read today’s texts first: Isaiah 60-62; John 1

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When Jesus declares a prophecy applies to Him then proves it is true, that is the ultimate confirmation! 

We’ve been looking at numerous messianic prophesies sprinkled throughout the book of Isaiah. Some are more obscure, like the description of Christ’s crucifixion (50:6), woven within another narrative. Some are obvious, clearly separated by the surrounding context, like all of chapter 53. But the most compelling prophecies are the ones Jesus Himself confirms. When He stood up in His hometown synagogue, He asked for the Isaiah scroll. When He found Isaiah 61, He read the first two verses:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (61:1,2).  Then He says Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing! That should be the ultimate confirmation.

Ironically, it wasn’t enough for the citizens of Nazareth. After all, they watched Jesus grow up as a normal kid in a normal family. When Jesus declared that Isaiah was talking about Him, basically proclaiming Himself as the Messiah, His friends and neighbours said, “isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Things escalated to the point they tried to push Him off a cliff (so much for supporting your hometown hero). Then, as further proof He was who Isaiah said He was, Jesus walks through the mob unscathed and sets out to fulfill every word of the prophecy!

“Lord, You were sent with a purpose determined before the world was formed. Thank You that I was included in Your eternal plans!”