March 10 - The Law of Love

Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

The congruence between our words and actions is called “integrity” - the “integration” of faith and works! 

Some Christians dismiss much of the Old Testament, thinking it focuses on the law while the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament seem to focus on love. Then they tie the law to “legalism,” a bad thing, and love to “relationship,” a good thing. Next they start to disconnect obedience to God’s laws with their love for God. The end result - Christians who lie, steal, dishonour their parents, and commit adultery during the week, but sing love songs to God on Sunday morning.

Jesus wasn’t the first one to connect God’s laws to love. He summed up all the commands in two: love God and love others. But He got that idea from OT law (compare Matthew 22:37-40 with Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18). The first 5 of His 10 commandments have to do with loving God; the next 5 relate to loving people. We prove our love for God by obeying His laws (John 13:34,35; 14:15).

We see this over and over in our readings today. If we love God with all your heart and soul, we will not worship false gods (13:3), we will eat what God tells us to eat (14:2,3), we will set aside our tithes for Him (14:22,23), observe the sabbath day and sabbath year, take care of the poor, and so on. We prove our love by our obedience - walking the talk! The congruence between our words of love for God and our actions is called integrity – “integration” between our faith and works.

“Lord, I want to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, my words and my actions.”

March 9 - The Lord is my Inheritance

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 10-12; Mark 16

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

When you devote your life to God’s business,
He’ll take care of yours.

We tend to speed read through the OT “law library,” as the fast-paced action-packed stories of Genesis and Exodus slows down into the fine details of God’s laws. But Deuteronomy means “the second law” because it reviews, expands, and beautifully illustrates the law. It’s one of my favourite books because it has so many memorable passages and devotional insights.

The one phrase that caught my eye and heart this time was in reference to the Levites. They were the only tribe who did not receive any portion of the promised land. This is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their fellow Israelites; The Lord is their inheritance (10:9). I love this statement. In fact, I said the same thing to my financial advisor after he reviewed my meager retirement funds!

I really do believe when you devote your life to God’s business, He’ll take care of yours. I’ve seen it over and over again, especially within my own family. Jan’s dad and mom never had high-paying secular jobs and never owned a house. They devoted their lives to ministry. Helen continued to pastor her flock of seniors at Courtyard Terrace until her 98^th birthday. Yet they never lacked for the essentials of life, and still managed to leave both a financial and spiritual legacy to their children. Their inheritance was the Lord, and their children, grand children, and great grand children got to share in that inheritance. Now that’s a retirement plan with dividends that are out of this world, literally!

That doesn’t mean we should be foolish with our resources, but the promises of provision and protection throughout the rest of our readings today apply to everyone who loves God and obeys His commands, especially those who do it full time. “Lord, You are my inheritance and while I may not have much financially to pass on to my children and grand children, You are more than enough for them too!”

March 8 - How to Fix a Stiff Neck

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 15

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Turning our heads around and lifting our heads up
regularly will prevent a spiritual stiff neck!

I have often been bothered by a stiff neck, in more ways than one. One of the perks in helping my kids with their careers was the free massages. A local massage college offered last minute bookings free to struggling actors, like my son who does occasional “extra” work (and me, his “agent” of sorts). These massage therapy students taught me how to free up my neck muscles through regular neck rotations and I’ve never felt better.

In the Bible the physical problem is a metaphor for a spiritual one (9:6,13). The Jews understood the term “stiff-necked”- they used it in reference to oxen that refused to turn their necks and change direction when prodded by the ox goad. God called His people stiff-necked when they would not respond to His prodding. The solution for a spiritual stiff-neck is much the same as the physical – regular neck rotations. Sometimes we get so focused on the present and the future, staring straight ahead, that we forget where we came from and how we got here. That’s why Moses is reminding God’s people, and that includes us, to “remember” (7:18; 8:2,18; 9:7), “don’t forget” (8:11,14,19; 9:7).

We need to turn our heads once in a while, look back, and remember that we didn’t get here through our own efforts. God brought us here – it had nothing to do with our power or strength (8:17,18) or our righteousness (9:6), but by God’s grace. When we stop looking around at what God has done for us (9:29) or looking up to thank Him every day for His provision (8:10), our spiritual necks will stiffen up. By the way, is saying grace before every meal a lost discipline, because if so, we need to find it again and fast. Turning our heads around and lifting our heads up regularly will prevent a spiritual stiff neck!

“Lord, remembering what You did (Mark 15) once a month during church communion is not enough exercise. Help me to keep my neck loose by looking back every day at what You did for me in the past and looking up with a heart of thanks for all that You’ve provided for me right now!”

March 7 - Stay Awake. Part 2

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 5,6; Psalm 43; Mark 14

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is “asleep!” 

More of the same today - me nodding off again while reading the Bible, and another reminder from those readings to stay awake. In this account it’s the disciples who can’t keep their eyes open. They know Jesus is distressed and sorrowful (14:33), facing betrayal and a possible death sentence. He urges them to stay awake and stand guard while He goes into the garden to pray. Three times He comes back to find them sound asleep (32-41).

You would think after their intense last supper with Jesus, the disciples would be aware of how important the next few hours would be. If not, what Jesus said next should have given them a clue: Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (38). We can only guess, but had they stayed awake and prayed with Jesus, maybe they wouldn’t have deserted Him during the tortuous hours ahead.

But the real sequel to this “wake-up” theme is found in the OT reading. Not only do we need to be vigilant for our own good but also to safeguard our children. As the protective Hebrew nation moved into the promised land, they were being exposed to the perversion of other nations, much like Christian families experience today. While some parents try to shelter their kids through Christian schools or home-schooling, that may not be enough. We need to help our children wake up to evil in our world and teach them how to follow God’s Word. The advice in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 applies to parents today: talking about God and His commands with our kids as they start and end each day, reading it, posting it on our walls, memorizing it, and, most of all, living it!

“Lord, thank You for the opportunity I now have to spend more time with my grand kids. Help me as I help them wake up spiritually, learning to hate evil and love You and Your Word!” 

March 6 - Stay Awake

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 3,4; Psalm 36; Mark 13

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Like frogs in a simmering kettle, we think we’re lounging in a hot tub but we’re really just neck-deep in “hot water!” From comfort to compromise to comatose! 

Normally I get excited when it’s time to read God’s Word each day, but I must confess - I remember a day when I fell asleep reading these passages, several times! There was a good reason. We had just spent the week looking after our three grandkids and their dog, Sadie Belle. Let’s just say I had renewed appreciation for my parents who raised the six of us (although we were exceptionally good and mature well beyond our years). My grandkids were also exceptionally good, but Sadie was not (still is not) well trained. She did live up to her breed name (a cockapoo), leaving plenty of cucca and poo on every carpet in the house. Where's Cesar Millan when you need him?! 

So when I read the last two words from Mark 13, “stay awake,” I really felt convicted. Spiritually, this is exactly what can happen to any of us at one time or another. We get caught up in the demands of every-day life and forget what and Who we are living for. If we are not alert, we can become like the godless world we live in. Like frogs in a simmering kettle, we may think we are lounging in a hot tub but we soon discover we’re really just neck-deep in “hot water!” From comfort to compromise to comatose!

The readings in both Deuteronomy and Mark carry warnings coupled with prophetic consequences for disobedience: listen to the rules (4:1), observe them carefully (4:6), be careful and watch yourselves closely (4:9), be careful not to forget (4:23), watch out (13:5), be on guard, be alert (13:9,23,33), stay awake (13:35,37)! What was promised in Deuteronomy came true in startling detail; the same will happen for the end times prophecy predicted in Mark 13.

“Lord, I may get tired at times physically, but I can never nod off spiritually. Reading Your Word each day helps me stay alert to possible compromise and keeps me out of hot water!”

March 5 - Little is Much

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 1,2; Mark 12

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

God delights in using little things, little amounts and little people to accomplish much! 

I love the truth found in the old hymn, “Little is Much When God is In It.” It was written by Kittie Suffield, who ministered with her husband and the pastor’s son from their home church in Ottawa, George Beverly Shea. They lived this message and God blessed their humble beginnings as evangelists to impact a world through the Billy Graham ministries.

What made me think of the song was the contrast between the Pharisees and the widow in Mark 12. The religious rulers had everything you might think you need to make a difference in the world: intelligence, education, knowledge of God’s Word, power, wealth, influence. And yet, most of them used all their resources to draw attention away from Jesus and toward themselves. The widow, on the other hand, seemed to have none of those things, but she gave all of what little she had quietly to Jesus - no bragging, no fanfare, no one noticing - except Jesus. Those who have much are often afraid to give it away (like the rich ruler from Mark 10), but those who have little to give seem less hesitant to give everything. We see in our Old Testament readings how untrained nomads defeated one warrior nation after another, led by a grizzled 120 year old shepherd named Moses. That reminds me of an encouraging list of heroes from the Bible:

Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David was an adulterer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Martha worried about everything, Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons, the Samaritan woman was divorced several times, Zaccheus was too short, the disciples deserted Jesus, Peter denied knowing Him, Paul persecuted and killed Christians, Timothy had an ulcer… AND, oh yeah, Lazarus was dead!

“Lord, You seem to delight in using little things, little amounts, and little people to accomplish much. I trust that You can still use me in my advancing years and with all my inadequacies as I surrender what little I have to You!”

March 4 - The Power of Forgiveness

 Read today’s texts first: Numbers 34-36; Mark 11

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY

If you want to understand the words of Jesus,
look at His actions. They were always congruent!

At the height of the Word Faith movement, a song popular at their conferences worked its way into our Foursquare churches. It was based on the words of Jesus found in Mark 11:24: whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours.  Unfortunately that promise was often attached to personal prosperity. You got the impression that if you weren’t wearing a thousand dollar suit and driving a BMW you were somehow lacking in faith.

If you want to understand the words of Jesus, look at His actions (they were always congruent – it’s called “integrity”). He didn’t focus on His own personal needs. He gave up family, friends, regular income, the comforts of home, food, sleep, safety, and eventually His life. We don’t read about Him praying for a bed to sleep in, a home-cooked meal to savour, a new robe to wear, a fancy chariot to ride around in, or an investment portfolio large enough for a comfortable retirement. Despite knowing He was destined for torture and death, His prayers always seemed to focus on the needs of others.

Unfortunately, prosperity teachers would dismiss His example with another verse taken out of context: He became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Paul’s example (11:27) gives the balance we need to understand he is referring to spiritual riches.

The context for Mark 11:24 comes in the next verse. Jesus strangely connects our relationship with God to our relationship with others. If we can’t quickly forgive others, how can we expect God’s forgiveness or, for that matter, His answers to our prayers. The authority Jesus taught about and demonstrated in His own life (from this chapter alone: His triumphal arrival in Jerusalem, His withering words to the unfruitful fig tree, cleaning up His Father’s house) came from an unobstructed relationship with His Father.

“Lord, You are not my celestial bell-boy standing by to serve my needs. I am here to serve You by serving others. Help me to keep my heart right and my prayers answered by quickly forgiving anyone who may have offended me.”