Choose a Devotional Below:
Algebra Dog Tags Dusty Cover Loving Through the Fire Minivan Man More One Nation Under God Scapegoat Sin Doctor Speak Up Superman The Good The Bad and The Ugly The Truth The Value of You
Loading…
Reload document 
Open in new tab
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Algebra
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26, ESV)
Sometimes life’s problems get so complicated, nothing makes any sense. There just is no right answer. No possible way the problem you have will be solved. Now, some of the reason for that has to do with our current inability to comprehend things on this side of heaven. But another reason for some of life’s most complicated problems is that we may have messed up our equations. The formula we use to solve problems is just plain wrong.
Our equations get all messed up when we read the problem wrong, put things in the wrong place, or skip steps that will inevitably change the outcome of future events. Maybe you have messed up the problem: Wife doesn’t trust you? Are you trustworthy? Have no peace? Are you confrontational? Not enough money? Do you spend on needs or wants? Maybe it’s as simple as making God your priority? Whatever it is, we will continue to get the wrong answers if we are using the wrong formula. It’s just that simple.
God is our Great Teacher. And like any good teacher, it is perfectly acceptable to simply raise our hand and ask for help when we have questions. But we must be humble enough to accept His answer, even if it is an answer that we don’t want to hear. You can call Him any time and you have a classroom full of people that are struggling through the same equations. They meet together once a week in a building to help with homework. Now, solve for X.
Dog Tags
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Timothy 2:3-4, ESV)
Everyone who has served in the military has been issued a set of dog tags, which are used primarily as a means of identifying the dead and wounded. But to an honorable man, dog tags are more than just a means to identify the dead. They are earned. They are badge of honor. They are a symbol of accomplishment. They tell everyone that you belong to someone, somewhere. You belong.
These identification tags received their informal name of dog tag because of their resemblance to K-9 identification tags. They also carry vital information about you- information that is used to determine where you need to go when you die- to whom you are entrusted. Dog tags also provide a sense of security in times of need. It is not an uncommon sight to see a soldier grab for his tags in the cold, in the wind and rain, or when you are huddled together around a small fire just trying to get warm. Even if you’ve been stripped of everything, you still have your dog tags.
Whether you are a veteran, currently serving, or even if you have never and will never serve the United States Armed Forces, we have all been enlisted in the Lord’s Army. We are all soldiers of Christ and have been issued our own dog tags. And those tags are permanent. The inscription on these tags has nothing to do with a social security number or D.O.B. There is no eye color, blood type, or hair color. The only description on these tags is “Faithful” and “True.” The only name you will see is JESUS. He is who we grab for in the wind and rain. He is our security when we need hope. He is our accomplishment. He is our badge of honor. We belong to Christ. Jesus is our Commanding Officer and the only One we aim to please. We are not an army of one; we are an army for One.
Dusty Cover
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)
Many times, I hear people say that they are seeking God, praying, and maybe even reading a book about God, but they just are not hearing His voice. The first thing I ask is, “How often are you reading what He has already said to you?”
Interestingly, your attention span actually displays your desire. If you pay little attention to something, or someone, your desire for that thing or person is relatively low. The opposite is also true. A person that is very passionate about someone or something will invest considerable time and effort. This is especially true about personal relationships. Our relationship with God directly influences how we hear God and what we are ready to hear. It determines whether or not we hear from Him, how, when, where, and what we hear. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that we will always obey. What is certain, however, is that if we are not ready to listen to Him, we won’t.
The Bible is God’s Word and He speaks to us every day if we allow Him to. And the more we hear from Him the stronger our relationship with Him gets. We have the ability to come to Him confidently and unashamed- laying our burdens down at His feet and listening to His very heart speak to us. But we must brush off that dusty cover, open the Bible, and read what He is saying to us.
Loving Through the Fire
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV)
I want to tell you about a very special little girl named Grace. She is a very sweet girl with a beautiful soul but has a disfigured face. One day she went to school and was mocked ruthlessly by her school mates. This happened again and again, day after day, with cruel intent. The other kids pointed at her face and laughed at her, calling her some very hurtful names, breaking her little heart. This went on for weeks, until one day, while comforting Grace through her pain and drying her tears, her mother finally explained how she had become disfigured.
When Grace was just a baby the family’s home caught fire. Her mother woke up and saw the fire blazing through the house and jumped out of bed. She ran into the nursery, reached through the fire that had already engulfed the nursery, and pulled her little girl from the burning crib, saving her life. Through her own tears, the mother looked down at her daughter’s beautiful face and rolled up her sleeves, exposing her own scars. Her arms were badly disfigured, much worse than the daughter’s face, and they were extremely painful to the touch. By the time her mother was finished recounting the event, Grace had stopped crying. Her face was now adorned with a brilliant loving smile rather than tears. She looked up at her mother and said, “I’m not ashamed of my scars anymore mommy. Now, I am proud to show them to everyone because now I know how much you love me!”
I pray that we will understand more fully the love that Christ has for us. I pray that we will be able to see through our own painful scars and tears that this world has laid upon our faces and, instead, see the scars that Jesus still bear from saving us. I pray that we will more fully see the beauty that Jesus shows us in His ultimate sacrifice- the sacrifice that saved us from the flames and loved us through the fire.
Minivan Man
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, NIV)
It’s interesting how we value things differently at different times in our lives. I bought my first car at age fifteen. It was a 1976 El Camino. Shortly after my first car I bought a 1966 Mustang, then 1967 Mustang, then a 1972 Chevelle. The list of muscle cars increased and so did the list of speeding tickets and the numerous other youthful indiscretions. I drove fast and recklessly to have fun, with little to no regard for anyone else on the road. I was only concerned about myself. I was a danger to others and a bad example. I was immature.
These days I don’t drive a Mustang, I drive a minivan. I don’t drive fast and reckless; I drive like an old man. I don’t drive to please myself; I drive to take my family where they need to go. You see, my responsibilities have changed. I am no longer responsible for only myself. I am also responsible for the lives of my entire family. My life used to be mostly about me. If I got into an accident as a youth it was my life that would primarily be affected. But if I drive irresponsibly these days, I could endanger my entire family, and that’s not a risk I am willing to take.
I have come to respect and value the minivan man much more than the muscle car man. Instead of racing from stoplight to stoplight to be first, I set the cruise control to save gas and wear and tear on the breaks. Rather than ride the bumper in front of me, I remember the precious cargo that I carry in the backseat behind me. I smile as my children tell me kid jokes and I tell them dad jokes. We sing way out of tune on our way home from school and do homework before dinner. I have matured and become a complete square- a minivan man- and I love it.
More
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NKJV)
A few years ago, a popular potato chip company came up with the slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one!” That company understood and marketed the human craving for more. They knew that once you have a taste of what you crave, you will just want more. But that craving for more can be very harmful, because more is never enough.
When you imagine your perfect life, what does it look like? More obedient children? More respectful wife? Bigger house? Nicer neighborhood? More money? If you had everything you think you want would you truly be content? Adam and Eve had it all. Adam had the perfect respectful wife and Eve had the perfect loving husband. They had the perfect home, perfect neighborhood, perfect life, perfect weather, the perfect relationship with God and money was no object. There were no politicians or lawyers. Everything was perfect and theirs for the taking, but it still wasn’t enough. They wanted more. Eve allowed herself to doubt God’s command and she allowed her desire for what God had forbid to grow.
When you find yourself wanting more, recognize it for what it is: temptation to covet. Trust God to provide all of your needs, and your wants will be satisfied in Jesus Christ. Don’t let your heart lead you to want for more worldly treasure, desire heavenly treasure. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT) The only thing you need more of, is Jesus.
One Nation Under God
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.Claiming to be wise, they became fools, Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:18,21-22,24,26-28,32, ESV)
A nation needs law and order so that its people may remain peaceful. Laws are meant to protect the people from evil, but what happens when the laws become evil and the people themselves approve of such evil laws? In most pagan cultures, including the society that Paul is addressing in the book of Romans, there was no general protest within society against the prevalent wickedness. That is a picture of the general moral degradation of a society: the permissiveness of wickedness. In other words, their society was rotten, and no one cared.
Our country was founded by Christians that desired to worship God in accordance with the Bible, free from the tyranny of an unjust governing body. The founding fathers built every foundational aspect of this nation upon biblical principles, and as a result, our nation has prospered for almost 250 years. Sadly, our nation has turned its back on God. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it was actually a constitutional right to murder a life while still in the womb. Then, on the 26th of June 2015, the Supreme Court again ruled in a manner that defies God and His laws, ruling that it is actually a constitutional right for two members of the same sex to “marry.” Although God has clearly defined marriage as one man and one woman in a life-long covenant with God, our unelected court has trampled on a Christian sacrament. What a disappointment the Supreme Court has become.
The very first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice described his duties this way: “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” John Jay, First Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Feb. 28, 1797, Letter to clergyman Jedidiah Morse. If Christians remain silent and refuse to elect Christian representatives of a Christian nation, our nation will not be Christian. We will never again be one nation, under God.
Scapegoat
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, NIV)
In the Old Testament, God gave His people many things in order to establish them as His own people and tell the story of redemption. He gave them the law to show them His standard and that they would need Him to fulfill it. And He gave them priests, prophets, and kings (earthly kings were a concession because of their hard hearts) as types to foreshadow the One that would come to save them. One particular detail of great importance in God’s story of redemption is how He illustrated the sacrifice for His people’s sins. This is the illustration of the Scapegoat.
Every year, the high priest would sacrifice a goat for the sins of the people. He would kill a blemish free goat as the blood sacrifice for their sins and sprinkle blood from that sacrifice on the people, covering everyone. Then the priest would take another goat, lay his hands on it, and symbolically place all the sins of the people on it. They would then release that goat into the wilderness, where the goat would take away the sins of the people… for a time. It was a temporary measure that would only last for one year. The priest would have to do it all over again, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, until the ultimate Sacrifice- the Lamb of God- would take upon Himself all of the sins of the world.
Jesus is the law perfectly fulfilled. He is the perfect Priest, the perfect Prophet, the perfect King, and the perfect Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. No more scapegoats.
Sin Doctor
When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw [Jesus] eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:16-17, NIV)
Sometimes I catch myself surprised by the actions or attitude of a fellow Christian (or my own for that matter). It’s like I expect that all these people here in this building, praising and worshipping God are “good people” and these “good people” would never act in a way that was contrary to the Word of God. They would never curse, or swear, or lie, or cheat, or steal, or gossip. They just have a permanent smile plastered on their face and walk around encouraging and helping others. Then I wake up.
Just because people go to church does not mean they are perfect, nor does it mean that Christians who sometimes make mistakes are hypocrites. They are just people. They will make mistakes, and so will you and me. We are human. You will never find the perfect church full of perfect people. And if you do, please do not become a member; you’ll ruin that church.
We will find imperfect people in a grocery store, in a bank, at work, in traffic, and yes, even in church. But we are working on it. We try every day to get better. We are sinners that have been saved by grace so that we may give grace. Our churches are more like hospitals for broken people than anything else. We are all broken, sick and diseased people in need of the cure, and Jesus is the One and only “Sin Doctor.” He is the only cure for our disease. No one else can heal our hurts and we need no appointments. Do you need to call the sin doctor?
Speak Up
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT)
On January 30, 1933, Adolph Hitler was named chancellor- the most powerful position in the German government. Hitler was the leader of the right-wing National Socialist German Workers Party called, “The Nazi Party.” They believed that Germans were superior to other races and began to put into practice their hateful ideology of exterminating Jews, Christians, Gypsies, and the handicapped. The evils of those days were allowed to continually grow and destroy life because righteous people did not speak up and stand up for what is right, until it was almost too late. The United States finally got involved to protect the persecuted, the weak, and the helpless, but it was only after we were the ones attacked.
America’s isolation from war ended on December 7, 1941, when Japan staged a surprise attack on the American military installations in the Pacific. The most devastating strike came at Pearl Harbor. In just a two-hour attack, Japanese warplanes sank or damaged 18 warships and destroyed 164 aircraft. Over 2,400 servicemen and civilians lost their lives, many of whom drowned, trapped inside naval vessels. It was horrific. Neither the spread of evil, nor the persecutions of God’s people are new to this world. Both of these atrocities will remain until the world is made new, but we Christians will always have a responsibility to defend the weak. We must be the mouthpiece for those that cannot speak and we must stand up for those that cannot stand against their enemies. If America is silent while injustices and atrocities are prevalent across the globe- if we remain silent as millions of beautiful babies are being butchered and murdered in the womb and if we are silent when our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are being arrested, tortured, and executed for no reason other than their faith- who will speak for them?
Written after he had been imprisoned for eight years in concentration camps as the personal prisoner of Adolf Hitler, German theologian Martin Niemoller describes the incremental process of persecution this way: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. And then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Speak up for your brothers and sisters, created by God, who are now being mutilated and murdered in the womb. Speak up for your brothers and sisters that are being tortured, crucified, and beheaded across the globe. Speak up for injustices wherever you see them. If you don’t speak up now there may be no one left to speak up when they come for you.
Superman
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3, NIV)
In 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought each other in a boxing ring in Zaire, Africa. It was one of the most anticipated boxing bouts of all time and was dubbed, “The Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali was best known for his taunting and his arrogant attitude throughout his boxing career. Leading up to, and well after the fight, Ali continued to praise himself by saying things like, “I am the greatest! I said that even before I knew I was,” and, “It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I am!” Lost amongst all the talk of the upcoming fight was the most impactful part of this story: the plane ride to the fight.
Ali boarded the airplane bound for Zaire and sat down in a huff. Instructions were given for all the passengers to fasten their seatbelts and remain seated for the duration of the flight. After a few moments the flight attendants walked through the aisles to ensure that all of the passengers were safely and securely fastened into their seats. When one of the attendants saw that Ali had not fastened his belt, she politely asked him to follow the instructions that he had just been given. Ali replied, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt!” The flight attendant smiled warmly and replied, “Superman also does not need an airplane. Now, buckle up sir.”
Sometimes we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We are only special because God says that we are special and because He has created us in His image. God gives us all unique gifts. He has given some of us some amazing talents that should certainly be utilized and shared with the world, but those talents should always bring glory to God, not us.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18, ESV)
If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you are most likely familiar with the term, “The Good News” or, “The Gospel.” It is saving grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ- our redemption and forgiveness of sins through His finished work and sacrifice at the Cross. This is a point of emphasis for every single Christian church, and rightly so. As Paul emphasizes: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16, NIV) That’s definitely good news, but there is also the bad news and the ugly news.
The bad news is that those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will have no defense when they are judged by God. Everyone is guilty of sin (Romans 3:23) and the entire world, from beginning of time till the end of time, will be held accountable to God for their sins (Romans 3:19). No one will be justified on their own merits (Romans 3:20). The only defense is Jesus (Acts 4:12). The “ugly news” is that our salvation had to come through the ugly brutal torture of God Himself. To impute the righteousness of the Savior and be found “not guilty” in the eyes of God, Jesus Christ had to endure the most horrific torture you could conceive of and take upon Himself all of your most wretched ugly sins. He had to take all of the ugly to bring the beauty. That is the good news, the bad news, and the ugly news.
The Truth
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, ESV)
This is a difficult verse for many modern “liberal Christians,” if there is such a thing. You see, many people have bought into the world’s lie that there are many truths and that all truths are equally valid. If you are one of these people, I’m sorry to break it to you, but there is only One objective truth. His name is Jesus and you are damned to eternity in hell without Him.
We have all heard the popular retort to the gospel, “that’s your truth, but that’s not my truth.” It sounds innocent enough, but it’s a seed that is planted and grows exponentially in the garden of deceit. When Jesus says that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except by Him, He is telling us that there is an exclusive door into heaven and the He alone holds the key. The door to heaven cannot be opened by any other than Jesus Christ. It is a singular and exclusive use of the word, “the”; Jesus never said He was one of many different ways, different truths, and different ways to life. The next time some starts spouting off about your truth and my truth, just quote this Scripture: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, ESV) Because that’s the truth.
The Value of You
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalms 8:3-4, NIV)
What are you worth? Are there different monetary values assigned to different cultures, races, sexes, or ethnicities? Are you worth more because you are older and wiser or because you are younger, cuter, and cuddlier? Does physical appearance factor into determining value? Does your income, home, vehicles, or social status play any part in your market value? Who has the right do define the value of you, and what is that value? All of these variables play a part in the world’s value system, but not in God’s.
Regardless of how we may feel at times and what society often tells us, we do not have unqualified “right” to our own bodies, nor do we have the right to determine our own worth; God alone has that right. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV) God alone defines our value. Not you. Not me.
Perhaps we may feel that our previous sins, or a lack some particular sins, may increase or decrease our value, but is not true either. Not even the original sin of mankind takes away the image of God. We reflect an eternal God that knew us from before we were made- the One that purposely called us into being. Humans, although fallen, are sacred because we carry God’s image. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, ESV) Nothing else in all of God’s creation has that honor. God creates and fashions our lives in the womb, and He has a plan for our lives. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV) 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. (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV)
We have been bought. The price that was paid for you and I was not cash or bond, nor was it silver or gold. The price that was paid for you and I was the life of the Son of God. The blood of Jesus Christ paid the debt that we could not. Please understand, the value of just one human life is worth more than every penny in the world. So, before you begin to think down about yourself and devalue yourself or others, think about the value that our Heavenly Father places on you. You are the most expensive things in all of creation. That is the value of you.