May 4 - Justice and Mercy

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 8,9; 1 Chronicles 18,19; Matthew 21

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Our God is consistently just and also
consistently merciful! 

Sometimes it’s hard to understand holy wars in the Old Testament and God’s righteous wrath in the New Testament. Our readings today have both, but, in each case, they are tempered with gripping illustrations of God’s tender mercies. How can these two godly qualities, justice and mercy, co-exist?

God’s blessing of David and Israel, the nation he governed, included victories in battle. It’s difficult for a pacifist like me (I’ve never really been in a fight, not counting siblings) to understand the bloodshed among the armies that opposed David. I have to remind myself that these nations, and the individuals within them, had the opportunity to make the God of Israel their God. Some did and, because of God’s mercy, were spared judgment. But the ones who defied God faced the promised consequences of their defiance. 

Yet, right in the middle of these accounts of God’s judgment executed by His appointed leader, King David, is this moving story of David and Mephibosheth. Wanting to honour the memory of his friend, Jonathan, David extends kindness to his last remaining heir. Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, was often overlooked because of his crippled feet. But David does not dismiss him. Instead he offers him all of Saul’s estate and invites him to become an honourary member of the King’s family, including all family dinners. Mephibosheth is shocked by the King’s kindness, especially since his grandfather was David’s mortal enemy: What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me? (9:7,8). What an amazing picture of God, our King, noticing you and I, despite our brokenness, and inviting us to be part of His family and joint heirs in His Kingdom!

While the Old Testament often portrays God’s judgment and wrath, Jesus, in the New Testament, often shows us His mercy and grace. But today’s reading reveals that Jesus is not some milk-toast hippy pacifist, as some would like Him to be. Here He is riding into Jerusalem as King, commanding the praise of His followers. Shortly after that, He is seen overturning tables and driving money changers out of the Temple. Follow that with a cursed fig tree and some pointed parables condemning the religious rulers and you have some glimpses into God’s righteous wrath. But remember that in less than a week’s time, Jesus, God’s only real Son, will be taking God’s judgment upon Himself, extending to all of us His incredible mercy and grace. “Lord, I acknowledge that You are consistently just, and that my sins must be paid for. But I am deeply grateful that You are also consistently merciful, and that You personally paid the wages of my sin with Your own life.”

May 3 - Attitude of Gratitude

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17 ; Psalms 2; Matthew 20

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If you want to be great, learn to lay down your lives
and serve others, not yourselves.

Those who have heard me teach or preach often, know that I have one favourite theme, one string on my guitar – it’s the “A” string, and it stands for “Attitude.” I see that topic in almost everything I hear, watch, or read, particularly when I study God’s Word. Attitude seems to be important to Him as well!

The parables and interactions of Jesus in our NT reading today seem random, but a theme of attitude emerges in each story. The parable of the vineyard challenges our sense of fairness when those who worked for an hour earned the same as those who worked all day. But the owner delivered on His promise to all of them (20:1-16). Some will come into eternal life with minutes to spare (like the thief who repented on the cross beside Jesus) while others have served God their whole lives. The reward is the same, Jesus paid for it with His life, none of us deserve it, and our only response should be gratitude.

After teaching His disciples this parable and then explaining His plan to pay their wages with His own life (20:17-19), can you imagine how Jesus felt when he heard from the mother of James and John (they were called the Sons of Thunder so I guess she was Mrs. Thunder!)? She asked Jesus for preferred seating, power positions, for her boys in His coming kingdom. Jesus patiently reminded her and all the disciples of His example - if you want to be great, learn to lay down your lives and serve others, not yourselves (20:20-28).

Next, they met two blind men on the road outside of Jericho, who, unlike the disciples sometimes, had exactly the right attitude. Because of their desperate need, their approach was perfect: Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! They knew they had nothing to offer but their need and their gratitude for anything they would receive.

Our OT readings show us the attitude of this same David, the ancestor and foreshadow of Jesus, the Messiah. After hearing of God’s promise of protection and prosperity for him and his family, this is how David responded: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?....O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (2 Sam. 7:18,28; 1 Chron. 17:16,26).

My prayer today is like David’s: “Lord, I deserve nothing, yet You have given me everything I need, freely by Your grace alone. When we combine “grace” with “attitude” we get “gratitude” - all I can do is say, thank You!”

May 2 - Jesus “Needles” His Disciples

Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 16; Psalms 106; Matthew 19

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If we want to follow Jesus into eternity,
we must be willing to leave everything else behind.

One of the more controversial conversations of Jesus ended with this statement: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (19:24). The person on the other end of this discussion was a sincere young man who simply wanted to know how to receive eternal life. He had kept God’s commandments from his youth, but according to Jesus, he also needed to go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (19:21). After that conversation killer, the young man walked away discouraged because he was very wealthy.

So what did Jesus mean by the camel comment? Some have taught that there was a short gate in the outer wall of Jerusalem called the “Needle’s Eye,” where camels needed to kneel and be unloaded before entering the city of God. While this story beautifully illustrates how we should approach God, it lacks historical support. More likely, Jesus, the Master Teacher, was using a common Jewish teaching technique called hyperbole - exaggeration to make a point. He used it often, like removing a plank from our eye (Mat. 7:3-5) or swallowing a camel (23:24).

The point He was making is the need to love God first, above everyone and everything else. The commands He talked about with the rich ruler covered those which relate to loving our neighbor as ourselves. But when Jesus asked the young man to sell his assets and give to the poor He was questioning whether he loved money more than God. The truth is, if we want to follow Jesus into eternity, we must be willing to leave everything else behind (19:29). That’s what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). The money is not the barrier; it’s the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10). From our OT reading we can see that you can still be rich, as David clearly was, as long as you put God first, as David clearly did.

“Lord, I will seek You first today, setting aside the other things of life I tend to worry about. You reminded me today to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Mat. 6:33,34).

May 1 - Who Is The Greatest?

  Read today’s texts first: 1 Chronicles 14,15; Psalms 132; Matthew 18

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
We can only be great when we completely
depend on the One who is the greatest!

Muhammad Ali was mentioned in the news recently - on April 28, in 1967, Ali dodged the war draft for religious reasons. A year before his conversion to Islam he said these now famous words: “I must be the greatest. I showed the world. I talk to God every day. I know the real God. I shook up the world, I’m the king of the world. You must listen to me. I am the greatest!”

I’m sorry Ali, but if you knew the real God you wouldn’t have boasted “I am the greatest” and you certainly wouldn’t have embraced Muhammad as your god. Every man worshipped as a god is now dead; every man-made statue once worshipped as a god was never alive. But the one, true God, who created all of us and this world we live in, is not dead. He’s alive and well, and He stands alone as the Greatest!

In our OT reading today, the Philistines learned that the hard way! They had heard about David’s coronation as King and decided to assert themselves, mustering their “full force” against him at Baal Perazim, which ironically means “God has broken through.” The true God did indeed break through and the Philistines were routed. They abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire (14:12). David was consistently successful in battle and in life because he consistently “inquired of the Lord” (14:10,14).

David illustrated what Jesus was saying in our NT reading. The disciples aspired to greatness, as do we (18:1). Unlike Ali, we know God is the greatest, but we still want to be among the greatest in His Kingdom. Jesus responded to them, and to us, by holding a little child and saying, whoever takes the lowly position of this child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (18:4). The great quality of child-like faith is complete trust. Like David, we need to realize we can only be great when we completely depend on the One who is the greatest!

“Lord, You stand alone as the greatest, the real God, the King of the world. Any great plans You have for me depend on how much I will depend on You!”

May 1 - May Devo - Bloom Where You Are Planted

My dad loved to spend his spare time gardening. As the youngest of six kids, I discovered the only way to hang out with him was by offering to help. When I did that, I learned a lot about flowers, but even more about life.  When I complained about the rain, dad would say, “April showers bring May flowers!”  When I complained about my school, my friends, or my family, he would say “bloom where you are planted!”  What he was saying (I learned later in life) was, “stop complaining about your surroundings; instead focus on making the world you live in a better place!”

The Bible often reinforces that idea. When the Apostle Paul said we should learn to be content no matter what our circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13), he was  saying “Bloom where you are planted.” When Jesus said not to worry about     tomorrow because tomorrow would take care of itself (Matthew 6:25-34), he was saying “Bloom where you are planted.” In writing to the Corinthian Church, Paul said, “Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you” (1 Corinthians 7:17). He was reminding them and us to bloom where we are planted.

This Missionary Poem carries the same wise message:

Bloom where you are planted,

Shine where you are sent,

Know that God has used you here,

Just the way He meant.

 

Love where you are living,

Serve where it’s His will,

Know that God has plans for you,

Only He can fill.

 

Grow where you are going,

Weep when you’re in pain,

Know that God restores your soul,

Makes you whole again.

 

Pray when you are breathing,

Laugh when you exhale,

Know that God is near you,

Never will He fail.

 

Cherish all the memories,

Make a brand new start,

Know that God has placed you

Forever in our hearts.

April 30 - The Miraculous in the Mundane

Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalms 68; Matthew 17

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
We can be ourselves with God; He knows us better than anyone….When it comes to God’s presence,
passion is more important than protocol! 

Today is the last day to file our taxes and, coincidentally, today we read about Jesus paying His. He notes the irony; technically, he is the King of Kings but here He is required to pay taxes to an earthly king (17:24-27). What is remarkable about all of our readings today is how the miraculous presence of God is lived out in the mundane matters of life.

In our OT stories we read about David bringing the Ark of God’s Presence back to where it belongs - Mt. Zion, the eventual location of the Temple. When God is taken for granted, things will not go well, as Uzzah learned the hard way (6:6,7 - hopefully he wasn’t an ancestor of the Buzza clan). But when God’s presence is accepted gratefully and respectfully, as Obed-Edom and his family discovered, God’s blessing is poured out (6:10-12).

When some may consider certain behavior or dress (or undress) inappropriate in God’s presence (eg. Michal, David’s wife - 6:17,20), David showed us that passion is more important than protocol (6:16,21,22). He said, I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes (6:21b-22a). Attitude is everything. When we truly love God and are genuinely grateful for His presence in our everyday life, we don’t have to be stuffy or uptight. I say this to help those who tend to judge fellow parishioners based on the way they dress and act in church. We can be ourselves with God; He knows us better than anyone!

Our NT reading illustrates the same thing. It starts with a glorious revelation of God’s presence on what became known as the Mount of Transfiguration and ends with Jesus and Peter filing their taxes. Notice that Matthew, the former tax collector, is the only gospel writer to include this story. He obviously had a special appreciation for the way Jesus, King of Heaven, dealt with terrestrial trivialities. Even in that very ordinary moment, the extraordinary, miracle-working power of God was present (17:27).

“Lord, as I send my tax returns in today, I know that You are with me. You know me and care about me even in my most mundane moments. I say with David, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah (pause and think about it!) (68:19).”

April 29 - Show Me a Sign

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 4,5; Psalms 139; Matthew 16

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Don’t seek after signs; seek after God and He will
confirm everything we need to know!

One of my favourite moments from Bruce Almighty is Bruce crying out to God for a sign. After driving around a road sign saying “caution” and a truckload of other warning signs, Bruce crashes his car into a lamp standard. This is where he gets angry at God: “Smite me oh Mighty Smiter, c’mon answer me!” When his pager starts beeping with a number he doesn’t recognize, Bruce mutters to himself: “Sorry, don’t know ya; wouldn’t call you if I did!”

That scene is typical of most sign-seekers. It certainly describes the religious rulers of Jesus’ day, who couldn’t recognize a sign from God if it smacked them in their forehead phylacteries! The sign Jesus suggested they look for was the “sign of Jonah”, a reference to His impending death and resurrection (Mat. 16:4; 12:38-41).

The most powerful proof of God’s existence and His plans for us is found in this indisputable fact: Jesus actually lived among us, told us He was sent from God, and then proved it by dying for us and rising from the grave! Anyone with an open mind and an open heart that disputes this truth needs to investigate the evidence for himself (or study the research of other former cynics, like Frank Morrison, Josh McDowell, or Lee Strobel).

If that’s not enough, just take a look in the mirror. Consider, like David did, where you came from! For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (139:13,14). David wasn’t stupid; you can’t have trillions of cells appear from nothing by accident and assemble themselves into a living, breathing, seeing, walking, talking, thinking human being. Those who believe that are like the idiot who looks at a painting and says there is no painter, or a building and says there is no builder!

That’s why David said, The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” .... The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God (Psa. 14:1,2). That’s the real issue. We shouldn’t seek after signs; we should seek after God. Once we do that, believe me, He will confirm everything we need to know!

“Lord, You have fully convinced me that You are real, You are alive, and Your Spirit is with me right now. In fact, the presence of Your Spirit is a deposit, a guarantee, that everything You promised us is true” (2 Cor. 1:20-22).