To God Be the Glory Daily Devotional

To God Be the Glory

Daily

Devotional

By Garry Glaub

Copyright © 2011 by Garry Glaub

To God Be the Glory Daily Devotional

by Garry Glaub

Published by Garry Glaub at Smashwords

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

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Dedication

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

John 21:25 (NKJV)

This is another of those books written because of what Jesus did! Though He accomplishes so much in the lives of His followers, the greatest accomplishment occurred almost 2,000 years ago on a hill outside Jerusalem. This book is dedicated to Jesus Christ, because my life never will be the same!

To God be the glory!

Preface

In his poem entitled synonymously with the first line, Edgar A. Guest penned these sentiments,

"I'd rather see a sermon

than hear one any day;

I'd rather one should walk with me

than merely tell the way."

The Christian walk is not about words; it is about actions. It is not about stories, but changed lives. It is not about emotion, but love. These 365 devotionals can be life-altering. One step in a new direction begins the journey, but we do not become seasoned hikers in an afternoon. Highs, lows, bumps and bruises will accompany each of us, but our actions speak louder than words in a world filled with difficulties. Take the challenge of letting God’s Word not only inspire thoughts, but change lives, through His love. That change begins with our own personal walks with the Lord. As those walks become closer and more frequent, His love through us can rouse a deaf and broken world from its painful slumber. Start the journey today and remember, to God be the glory!

This book began after watching the movie Julie and Julia, a story of a woman who wrote a blog as she cooked every dish in Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. That inspired me to write a daily blog about the subject that was most important in my life. That subject is God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The blog began with daily discourses of how God appeared in my life. There were days of spiritual dryness, but the Lord helped me to honor my commitment to Him and write on a daily basis. When the year had been completed, I prayed about assembling the devotionals in book form. Some had to be re-written, as they were just too personal to apply to the lives of others. Through the process, God performed many miracles, and made me continuously aware of His presence.

After the last devotional, Dave and Barbara Rann hosted a potluck dinner at their house to celebrate the year’s completion. Jeff and Kathy Kirst; Blake, Lola and Starla Goetz; Peter, Lisa, Larsen, Lela and Logan McCarroll; Tommy and Jodie Vasquez; and Paul Hansen all attended. David Harms could not make it from Oklahoma City, but sent a check to buy steaks for everyone! My Dad helped, too. The bottom line is this could not have been accomplished without so many others, who God brought into my life to raise my arms and keep them lifted up. Whenever I was weak, they kept me encouraged with His strength. Thanks to all for your love and assistance!

Table of Contents

January

New Year’s Day

February

Valentine’s Day

March

April

Passover

Easter

Israel’s Independence Day

May

Mother’s Day

Pentecost

Memorial Day

June

Father’s Day

July

August

September

Labor Day

Yom Kippur

Feast of Tabernacles

October

November

Thanksgiving

Black Friday

December

Christmas

January 1: Resolutions

On New Year’s Eve, many people across the world make resolutions, attempting to change some aspect of themselves. Typically, those changes have to do with what is on the outside, rather than what is on the inside. Losing weight, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, getting out of debt, becoming more organized and spending more time with family are some of the items that top the list of most common resolutions.

The word resolution comes from the same Old English root word as resolve, which points to making a decision or deciding upon a course of action. To be resolute is to be firm or unwavering. Yet the deeper truth of resolutions is that showers often can last longer! Comedian Joey Adams said, May all your troubles last as long as your New Years’ resolutions. Noted American author and humorist Mark Twain had this to say: Now is the accepted time to make your regular, annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Of course, we all are aware that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Fortunately, for Christians, God’s intentions in our lives supersede our own intentions, as He will complete His work in us! Resolutions can remind Christians of the great gifts God has given to each of us:

²² Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

²³ They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

With our Lord’s forgiveness of us on a daily basis, we can walk in freedom! God grants us the ability to change, yet without His presence in our lives, those changes are amazingly short-lived. Yet instead of focusing on the outer manifestations of those resolutions, God desires for us to focus on the motives within. Motives have to do with the heart, and when those motives change, actions can follow suit.

³ Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalm 24:3-4 (NKJV)

Our Lord desires for actions to change, as what others see should reflect the changes that He has made on the inside of each of us. But never lose sight that the inner changes must occur first. So as we say goodbye to one year and greet another, what changes would God like to see in our lives? At the top of the list, He always desires for us to draw closer to Him. If that is our desire, then He certainly will grant us the desires of our heart, as He desires more closeness in His relationship with us! Have we read the entire Bible? If God was giving a speech tomorrow, would we be there to hear it? He has given us His Word. By not reading the Bible, it seems as if we do not care what He has to say. Prayer is also vastly important, especially the gift He has given us to pray for others. If we often make bad decisions, we should pray for godly wisdom and let that be our resolution.

If we are focusing on God, and deepening that relationship, He will help with all those other issues that seem to grab the spotlight in the hopes and dreams of unbelievers. Each year, we are one year closer to seeing His face. Each day, we are one day closer to sitting at His feet. Each moment, we are one moment closer to the Lord calling us home! On the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, God’s chosen people made atonement for their sins. This is a great time to reflect on our sins of the past year, ask for His forgiveness and pray for His help in following the straight and narrow path that leads to life with Him, in Him and through Him! Happy New Year!

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8 (NKJV)

January 2: Denial

Most people think that denial is duh river in duh country of Egypt. Yet denial is a powerful aspect of life. One way or another, each decision is a denial of sorts. Either we are denying the flesh or denying the Spirit; there is no middle ground.

Today, we live in a culture with a pervasive denial of responsibility, yet that attribute did not begin in modern times. By comparing the reigns in Israel of King Saul and King David, one of the most significant differences occurs not in their propensity to make mistakes but in the manner the kings handled those mistakes. While David asked for the Lord’s forgiveness, Saul typically walked in a more prideful way, blaming each error-plagued situation on extraneous people or circumstances. That behavior is paramount in politics, yet it reaches every level of humanity. A man who owns his mistakes is bigger than he who plays the blame game. God is ready, willing and able to forgive us for all mistakes if we are humble enough to ask Him, but without ownership, that is impossible. By blaming others for causing our sin, we are making excuses for behavior that has no excuse. Our minds are capable of rationalizing any behavior, yet when we want forgiveness, God desires to hear our broken hearts.

Peter demonstrated the most serious aspect of denial when he denied the Lord on the night before the crucifixion. Moments after bragging to Jesus that he loved the Lord more than all others, Peter displayed the typical result that occurs when we brag and rely on ourselves. Reliance on self leads to failure. Sadly, some Christians feel that there are sins that would cause God to turn His back upon us, but He did not turn His back on Peter after the triple threat of denial. Truly, each sin that we commit is a denial of Jesus, for as Christians, God has cut the chains. We are no longer bound by sin, but instead, sin becomes a choice. Often, we do not remember making that conscious choice to fall into sin as believers, but usually can remember a time when our focus upon the Lord began to waver. Satan continues to lead his demonic host in spiritual battles against God’s people, and he performs that job well, having had many years to perfect those abilities. For example, a well-placed advertisement can cause a man to stumble into lust, without considering that potential mistake when opening the magazine. That simple stumble can lead to more problems and more sins, if not kept in check. In the same manner that a sailor can find himself far from his planned arrival when his two-week journey is one-degree off course, a Christian can get lost quickly if his spiritual compass is not pointed to true north.

Another important message concerning denial in the Bible comes from the words of Jesus:

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV)

Denying self involves ignoring the desires of the flesh. Taking up the cross is an additional step allowing Christians to become a part of the crucifixion of our Lord. For Jesus, the cross was not a burden, but a gift. He gave His life so that we might live, and we know that the greatest love is to lay down one’s life for a friend. Romans 6:3 reminds us that we are baptized into Christ’s death, and to take up the cross is to be willing for our old sinful selves to die, as our Lord gives us new lives in Him! That is the willingness to give all of our lives to God, not just parts of them. Are we willing to give Him our spouse, our children and our career? Are we willing to give Him our past, our present and our future? He requires all of us! While the world reminds us to, Deny, deny, deny, Christians should follow God’s plan to deny self, while confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior! His power is so great it cannot be denied!

³² "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV)

January 3: Be strong and of good courage

Herman Melville said, Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver, but less daring. Many aspects of life can change our perspective when familiarity increases. Certainly, a battle-tested veteran reacts much differently than a novice in his initial battle, and often can forget when confronted with that novice that they, too, once were in the same position.

When Moses passed the baton to Joshua to lead the Jews into the Promised Land, he repeated the words, Be strong and of good courage, in Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:7 and Deuteronomy 31:23. We can get an inkling of where Moses had heard those words, as soon after, when God speaks to Joshua, our Lord also repeats those words in Joshua 1:6, Joshua 1:9 and Joshua 1:18.

⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

Joshua 1:5-7 (NKJV)

Strength and courage came easier to Joshua than to most before entering the Promised Land. Other than Joshua and Caleb, all of the adults who departed Egypt led by God died in the wilderness, due to their disobedience of the Lord. That lengthy list included Moses and Aaron. In those 40 years, the Jews had seen many hardships that had become nothing more than dust in their pasts, thanks to the protective hand of God. Yet when Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land, all but Joshua and Caleb returned greatly disgruntled at the presence of powerful giants. While all others demonstrated cowardice and weakness, we see the opposite in the words of both Caleb and Joshua:

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.

Numbers 13:30 (NKJV)

⁷The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ ⁹ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.

Numbers 14:7-9 (NKJV)

Life experiences in the lives of Christians should lead us to the same conclusion. Strength is not muscular power. Neither is it physical presence. Instead, it is the unwavering path that leads us to God. It is the strength of conviction that what He tells us in His Word is truth! At the same time, courage is not reliance upon self, but instead, is reliance upon our Lord, who has promised to never leave or forsake us. Though the giants surpassed the Jews in size, strength and numbers, those giants paled in comparison to God. When we feel overmatched and defeated, we have lost sight of the fact that we are soldiers in the army of the Lord!

Strength and courage cannot exist without God, yet our ability to rely on those attributes increases along with our faith, based on God’s continued presence in our lives. After Job had endured a great trial, it is difficult to imagine that he ever questioned the Lord again! In that manner, God uses trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him, and additionally, increases our strength and courage. Battle-tested Christians often can endure stronger attacks from the enemy, as what really increases is the ability to rely on God! Instead of praying for trials to end, pray for strength and courage to increase. We should desire to fight valiantly for the Lord! In any battle, we should fear God, not man, for He alone is worthy.

³ "Great and marvelous are Your works,

Lord God Almighty!

Just and true are Your ways,

O King of the saints!

⁴ Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?

For You alone are holy.

For all nations shall come and worship before You,

For Your judgments have been manifested."

Revelation 15:3-4 (NKJV)

January 4: A calming influence

One of the oddities of farm life is what occurs immediately after a chicken has lost its head on the chopping block. Without eyes to see or a brain to think, that dead chicken frantically runs for a few moments before dropping dead. There is something unsettling when watching this headless dash! Yet all of us know what it feels like to make a mad dash without sight or a plan before crashing to a halt.

As Christians, that unplanned sprint is synonymous with the flesh, or reliance upon self. When relying upon God in the midst of turmoil, it does not matter what we see in front of us. God is not limited by what we can see! In fact, He is not limited by anything, including time!

³⁵ On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, Let us cross over to the other side. ³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?

³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still! And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!

Mark 4:35-41 (NKJV)

If God is not panicking in a situation, there is no reason for us to panic. To simplify that statement, understand that God never panics! On that day described in Mark, in the midst of what others perceived as turmoil, Jesus was sleeping restfully. While God does allow trials in each of our lives, any turmoil is perceived rather than actual, for He holds our hands throughout each difficulty. If we had to face those trials alone, turmoil would be more than perceived, but there is nothing too difficult for us to face with God in our lives.

Sometimes, God places people in our lives that need godly advice in the midst of trial. Often, we can see their inability to trust the Lord, and the same trial seems to repeat itself. Yet a great place to begin is a reflection upon our own lives, remembering first that God demonstrated enormous patience with us, and expects us to exhibit that same gift of the Spirit when dealing with others. When our storehouse of patience is running low, we can have the tendency to scream, Shut up and sit down! Yet that is not what Jesus had to say. He said, Peace, be still! Certainly, Jesus was speaking to the waves, but the same words pertained to the people! Fear reveals a lack of trust in God.

For we walk by faith, not by sight."

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

Like the headless chicken, when our eyes no longer can see in the darkness around us, we still should have spiritual sight through our faith in a God who never will leave our sides. That promise does not change when the waves get larger, when we fear for our very lives. Even in the midst of the noisiest storm, we can have the ability to be still and know that He is God! Crashing waves may sprinkle a mist upon us, but with God on our side, we always will remain above water! We should keep our eyes on Jesus and our trust in the Almighty God!

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Matthew 14:31-32 (NKJV)

January 5: The rod of God

Regardless of the size of a factory, all workers have a common purpose, to put out the best product. It has little to do with the position of the worker, as they might be on the assembly line, in management or an engineer involved in design. Collectively, they work together to achieve a finished product. Whether a skilled laborer, someone who brings previous knowledge and experience to the position, or an unskilled laborer, someone who learns all necessary components while on the current job, all involved are integral parts of the finished product.

As Christians, we are all unskilled laborers, though God continues to give us on-the-job training. Every talent and ability that we have comes from Him! Though the human tendency is to look at Billy Graham and see him differently than the man steadfastly teaching Sunday school to the second-graders, the difference between those two men is not in natural talent, but in God-given calling. If size of ministry was a measuring factor in godliness, righteousness or significance, then how would we measure Jesus? Truly, how many people were following Him at the time of His crucifixion? Though one week before that pivotal event, Jesus rode from the Mount of Olives on a donkey and the mob hailed Him as King of the Jews. Within the week, the mob asked Pontius Pilate to release Barabbas, not the innocent Jesus. Other than John, His disciples all went into hiding, confused how it was possible that man could kill God! Certainly, they doubted. Yet including His closest friends and disciples, and the women brave enough to remain with Jesus at the cross, there were less than 20 followers. Does that make Joel Osteen, Rick Warren or Benny Hinn more important than Jesus?

¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

John 13:16-17 (NKJV)

As Christians, God calls all of us to be laborers in the harvest. Some plant seeds, others water the seeds and others reap the crop, but none of those jobs is greater in importance. Though God called Moses to lead the children of Israel, it had nothing to do with the power of Moses. According to Exodus 3-4, Moses had no confidence. He gave God seven excuses why he should not be the one in that position, including a problem with stuttering. Yet God chose Moses specifically. Our Lord also placed a support team beside Moses:

⁸ Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Exodus 17:8-13 (NKJV)

God could have won this battle without Moses, and did not need Aaron, Hur or Joshua either. In fact, God did not need the army to lift a hand. Yet God involves us in His processes. That involvement increases our faith! When Jesus walked on this earth, He did not do the baptizing, but called His disciples to perform that task (John 4:2)! It does not matter if the rod of God is in our handx, nor does it matter if we help others to raise it. Some cannot even see those holding up the rod, as they are involved on the front lines of the battle. Wherever God has called us to be is the perfect place, but He does not call us to sit on the couch, believing that we have no talents or abilities that He can use. Step out in faith and get involved in serving Him! Ministry to family comes first, but no matter how busy we are in our careers, God desires for us to be involved in His harvest!

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Luke 10:2 (NKJV)

January 6: Declaration of faith

A wise man once said, Faith isn’t faith until it is all you are holding onto. While many walking this earth believe that religion is nothing more than a crutch to give hope to the hopeless, their belief takes more faith than a belief in God. Yet belief in God is nothing without acting upon that belief. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote:

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

James 2:19 (NKJV)

When God created man, He placed inside each individual the knowledge of Him, and then when He created the heavens and the earth, He surrounded us with evidence that pointed to Himself. Life, for each of us, becomes that search to not only find God, but to know Him. Once we know Him, the desire grows to know Him more deeply. Yet it all comes back to that faith. All of us know what occurs when we rely upon others. People eventually will let us down, regardless of their desire to please. In the same manner, we let others down, and we also let ourselves down. Our decisions without God lead us down destructive paths, and when we get to a breaking point in that journey is when God enters the picture. When life is going smoothly, what percentage of people offer praises to the Lord? Certainly, the hotline to God starts ringing more frequently when our marriages fail, when our family members have serious illnesses and when we lose our jobs and cannot pay the bills. But God desires to be our confidante in every situation, not just the difficult ones!

Abraham gave us an example of faith in action. At the age of 75, God promised him that he would have a son, and through that son, God would multiply Abraham’s descendants exceedingly. Yet Abraham hit a speed bump in the road when he began to wonder how God could provide a child through the loins of a senior citizen. Though Abraham’s wife Sarah was 10 years younger, how could she become pregnant, after remaining barren throughout her youth? At Sarah’s suggestion, Abraham slept with her Egyptian nurse, Hagar. With Abraham well-advanced in years, likely in his mid eighties, he fathered Ishmael.

Yet this was not the child to continue the line of the Jews, as God had promised. Instead, God also multiplied Ishmael’s descendants exceedingly. In fact, the Arabs that have come from Ishmael, and Abraham, greatly outnumber the Jews, and to this day, seek to kill the Jews. God’s plan remained in place, though it conflicted man’s understanding of what was possible with the Lord’s miraculous hand. At the age of 100, Abraham fathered Isaac, with his 90-year-old, barren wife, Sarah. Years later, God asked Abraham to sacrifice that son upon an altar!

That was the moment when Abraham understood that he was holding onto God and only God. When works go hand-in-hand with faith, that faith springs to life. Abraham trusted God’s request, without knowing God’s reason or asking why God would request this act of obedience. Because God never had let Abraham down, he trusted that God was going to perform another miracle. Of course, He did! At the last moment, God provided a substitute sacrifice in the place of Isaac, an unblemished, male ram, and just as promised, God blessed the descendants of Isaac exceedingly. By faith, Abraham exhibited his trust in God.

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ⁶ just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed. ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Galatians 3:5-9 (NKJV)

While Abraham’s blood may not run through our veins, we are in the same family of God. Just like Abraham, without reaching the end of ourselves, we cannot find the beginning of God. Our God is the only god, not limited by man-made laws or people. He can perform the greatest miracles without straining. Remember, He breathed the world into existence. There is nothing so great that He cannot accomplish it or so small that He does not notice it. We should let our faith in God affect every aspect of our lives, and let that faith speak loudly to a deaf world, which is crying out in its pain for help.

⁴ And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. ⁵ Then He brought him outside and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. And He said to him, So shall your descendants be.

⁶ And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:4-6 (NKJV)

January 7: Life’s rollercoaster ride

Everyone blessed with the gift of life finds themselves riding on an intense rollercoaster, complete with loops, sharp turns, precipitous highs and unfathomable lows. Emotions seem to mark each aspect of that journey with joy and sorrow carrying us through one hill; pleasure and pain rounding us through a curve; and celebration and grief joining us at the journey’s end.

Often, we focus on others, who seem to be experiencing more highs than lows on their rollercoaster rides. Comparing ourselves to others tends to cloud our judgment, as we only see those people when they are soaring above the crowd. Somehow, we miss those comparisons when our friends and foes are taking a subterranean plunge. As Christians, God directs our journeys through life. By focusing on others, we lose sight of the fact that His plans have a purpose, individually, in each of our lives. Without difficult times, how special would joyful times be?

In the same way that God created the seasons of spring, summer winter and fall, our lives have those same seasons. Christian lives also contain distinct differences as we draw closer to God. Looking back, there is nothing like that initial season, the honeymoon with God. Becoming a Christian and feeling the enormous burden of sin removed brings us joy, relief, hope, love and many other feelings and emotions. Typically, the trials begin soon after, as we head into a new season. The first trial in the life of a Christian teaches us that God never will walk away. From that point on, the trials get more difficult, but our abilities to rely on His power continue to grow stronger still. Most Christians would not reflect upon this season as the easiest, but it might be thought of as the most special.

Additionally, we have seasons that contain mountaintop experiences. There is nothing like that closeness to the Lord. When we are sitting with God on the peak, we can look down and around, seeing the past problems that He carried us through, seeing the difficult paths that brought us to the mountaintop, and seeing the valleys that lie ahead. It is the calm before and after the storm, with rest for the weary and refreshment for the soul. The Bread of Life gives us food, the Living Water gives us drink and Jesus gives us rest in Him:

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

Another season occurs when Christians come to the end of their journeys. Friends and families grieve, as we will not be able to create new memories together on this earth. But for Christians, a different journey begins. When we leave this earth, God grants us righteousness in Him. Sin no longer will darken our days, as that nature will be gone forever. Pain and tears also will disappear with God’s miraculous provision. Illness, disease and injury will be gone, too. There will be no more brokenness, despair, anger, depression, blame or imperfection. When watching an older Christian approach death, we can see God grant them increasing serenity as that day approaches. And in addition to being with our Savior for all of eternity, we get to share that with our fellow believers!

Enjoy the ride! Each day is a gift, and it does not matter if we are presently on a path that involves the lowest low, the life that has been given to us is precious. Every aspect of the journey is a new lesson, created by God to draw us closer to Him. There is no better place to be than exactly where God wants us! Embrace where He has us today!

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

January 8: Doers, not hearers

We are surrounded by broken people in a broken world. Watching the nightly news reminds most of us that we somehow have remained unscathed throughout another day of murders, rapes, robberies and disasters. Though not being directly involved in the various tragedies, unscathed is the wrong word. As Christians, if we are not somehow touched by the magnitude of events in the lives of our fellow humans, we cannot be walking with God’s love.

Jesus was confronted by a lawyer interested in eternal life. That lawyer appears to be involved in the interpretation of Mosaic law, rather than a man involved in the judicial system. The lawyer asked the Lord how to gain eternal life. As He often did, Jesus answered a question with a question, getting him to look inside for the answer. Certainly, there is much deeper comprehension when issues are applied in a personal manner, as most of us have great difficulty learning from someone else’s mistakes. When questioned, the man answered rightly; at least they were the right words. He said that if we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and in addition, love our neighbors as ourselves, we will be saved, paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

That seems to suggest that we can be saved by following the law, rather than by accepting Jesus into our hearts as our Savior. Salvation can be obtained by following the law, but one infraction is failure. While it is a path to salvation, it is not a path that sinners can take, and we all are sinners:

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Galatians 2:16 (NKJV)

Instead, Jesus demonstrated His position as the ablest teacher by pointing the man’s thoughts to a more accurate interpretation of those verses. Jesus shared with him the story of the Good Samaritan.

³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?

³⁷ And he said, He who showed mercy on him.

Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.

Luke 10:30-37 (NKJV)

First, we notice that the ones unwilling to help a brother in need were religious men, well-educated in the Old Testament law, just as the man who originally asked Jesus the question. Instead, the man willing to come to the man’s aid, through much personal sacrifice, was looked upon as an untouchable, a Samaritan. There was a long history of animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Remember, when Jesus offended the Jews, they could come up with no more offensive insult than calling Him a Samaritan (John 8:48). Samaritans did not feel any more warmly for the Jews. This enmity had existed for centuries. When the Jews were taken into Babylonian captivity, the Babylonian king did not desire for the land to become fallow, so he sent people from Babylon to live in the land. (2 Kings 17:26) These were non-Jewish colonists in a land that had been given to the Jews by God.

When the Jews returned, both co-existed, but not peacefully. In fact, when Alexander the Great came through Israel and treated the Jews favorably, the Samaritans also claimed to be of Hebrew descent. Yet soon after, the Samaritans assassinated a governor appointed by Alexander, leading the well-known conqueror to take Samaria. The city of Samaria, the capital of the northern section of Israel, remained the center for the worship of false idols. Most of those in Jerusalem not interested in following God’s laws found their ways to that idolatrous city, which was very similar to most of our cities today. Samaria’s religion was of an a la carte variety, mixing parts of God’s law with other beliefs. Yet God tells us who He is in His Word. We cannot change Him by picking and choosing which aspects we like! That makes the tale of the Good Samaritan much more meaningful.

As Christians, we are not called to come to the aid of our fellow believers any more readily than we are called to help all brothers in need. It does not matter how dirty they appear, or whether or not we share the same social status. God created every single human and by His hand, each one is fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Would Jesus walk past a broken man, lying on the ground? Sadly, with the Lord living inside of us, there are frequent occurrences when we carry Jesus right past those who are hurting. Just as in the parable shared by Jesus, we should not let our religion give us a sanctimonious stance in relation to those who do not know Him. Is there a more amplified message than love? We are not responsible for how those broken people receive our hand of compassion, but through the Holy Spirit, those deeds are seeds to plant of the love of God. It is nothing to be a hearer of the Word of God and everything to be a doer of that same Word! Share the love of God with others, just as He shared it with us! Above all, have compassion, feeling the pain of others. Never lose sight of the fact that God could choose to place us in that same position, as we have not earned any better treatment. Instead, God has shared His compassion with us! Go and do likewise!

²⁰ "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15:20-21 (NKJV)

January 9: Temptation before ministry

When Jesus taught in the Temple during Passover, both Mary and Joseph thought He was with their large party returning to Nazareth, after traveling to Jerusalem for the feast. At the age of 12, Jesus still was a boy by earthly standards and Jewish standards, as well. In the Middle Ages, rabbis set the age standard of 13 for a boy’s bar-mitzvah, but boys younger than 13 who were advanced in their religious training and knowledge were allowed to take part in religious ceremonies. Certainly, Jesus had that ability at a very early age.

⁴⁶ Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.

⁴⁹ And He said to them, Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Luke 2:46-50 (NKJV)

Interestingly, though Jesus’ knowledge of the Scriptures amazed the best-educated rabbis, He was not to begin His ministry for 18 more years! Instead, Jesus continued to grow in every way and was still subject to His earthly parents.

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:51-52 (NKJV)

The beginning of His ministry had nothing to do with Jesus being ready, but everything to do with God preparing the other pieces of the puzzle. Of course, all of those occurred in God’s perfect timing and He could have had it all ready when Jesus was 12. But by the age of 30, Jesus had demonstrated His work ethic. He was not lazy, depending upon the provision of earthly parents, but instead, certainly helped support the household as a carpenter. He grew physically and intellectually, and was respected by others for His integrity and honor. Additionally, His actions pleased God the Father.

Still, before beginning His ministry, two important events needed to occur. First, Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized. John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, and obviously, John realized that Jesus should have baptized John. Yet this was an act of obedience and submission. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, and with Jesus being without sin, He did not need to repent. Some believe that circumcision is synonymous with baptism for the Jews, yet Jesus also had been circumcised like all Jewish boys on the eighth day of life. Instead, by His baptism, Jesus identified Himself with sinners. Remember, on the cross Jesus not only bore our sin, but became sin for us, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21. Additionally, the baptism of Jesus brought Him into the priestly order of Melchizedek, who was a king and a priest, unlike all of the Levites, who were only priests. We can see the Levitical rites of becoming a priest in Exodus 29, which also included baptism:

"And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water.

Exodus 29:4 (NKJV)

After His baptism, attended by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Jesus immediately departed into the wilderness to endure 40 days of temptation, directed by the deceiver of the brethren. Many misunderstand that trial, thinking that because Jesus is God that it was simple to endure and deny the wiles of Satan. Yet He was tempted in every way imaginable, tempted in all of the ways we are tempted. Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to endure, just as we are. For we have the same Holy Spirit dwelling inside of each of us as believers. Interestingly, God the Father did not deem Jesus ready and prepared for ministry until these events had taken place. Jesus did not begin His ministry until the age of 30, yet in our culture, we often place people into ministry when they are much younger.

Can those younger than 30 relate to the older congregation, based on the difficulties of life endured by all of us? Have those who are younger grown in stature and knowledge, and grown in favor with men and God? Enduring all temptations prepares a path for ministry, and just as the Prodigal Son felt the need to sow his wild oats as a young man, most people are much different at 20 than they are at 40. Regardless of age, an important factor in any ministry is that ability to endure. Certainly, temptations and trials grow stronger for those who lead the battle charge. Satan hates anyone who works for the kingdom of God. The more love we have for the Lord, the more hate Satan carries for us!

This is not reserved for pastors, teachers and worship leaders. Every person who has come to the Lord is a minister of the gospel to those God places in our path. That ministry truly will begin upon similar steps taken by our Lord: growth in knowledge of God’s Word; growth in morals and ethics to gain favor with others; maturity, both spiritually and emotionally; a public profession of faith and repentance through baptism; and a period of test or trial.

Christians all will have those periods of trial. Moses had three different periods of 40 years in his life: 40 years in Pharaoh’s court, 40 years in Midian and then 40 years leading the Jews in the wilderness. His desert time prepared Moses for ministry, just as the 40 days of Jesus in the wilderness prepared our Savior. If we desire to be used by God in ministry, we should be ready for our time in the desert, for we cannot pass a trial without learning to rely on God, rather than self, to endure.

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: ² "Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house, ³ from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

Numbers 4:1-3 (NKJV)

January 10: Practice what you preach!

Most people are disgusted by hypocrisy, which makes perfect sense, as all of us take our turns as hypocrites. Pointing at hypocrites exposes our own hypocrisy! We comment about the idiot driving in front of us, who forgot to use his turn signal, and then moments later, we also fail to signal when turning! Typically, the traits in others that bother us the most are ones we see in ourselves. The word hypocrite in Greek (hupokrites), referred to a stage actor, and in the same manner, hypocrisy reflects an act that does not coincide with our claims.

Most anti-Christians are turned off by the hypocrisy of those espousing Christian beliefs. Part of that has to do with their misinterpretation of Christianity. Christians are not better than non-Christians! There will be some people in heaven who have committed many more sins than some of the people in hell. Instead, the difference is the forgiveness of Christians by the hand of Jesus, as we must ask for His forgiveness. Certainly, churches are filled with sinners. That being said, our testimonies could be much more powerful if we were able to practice what we preach. Another way of saying that is to let our walk reflect our talk.

In Greek, the word for walk is "peripateo. In 335 B.C., the philosopher Aristotle founded the Peripatetic School in ancient Greece, where people were heavily into philosophy. People of that time frequently discussed the meaning of ultimate reality. The school’s name refers to the act of walking, and as an adjective, peripatetic" is often used to mean wandering or walking about. Aristotle said philosophy had no meaning unless it affected the way we live.

What a great application this is to our Christian beliefs. If the Bible does not affect our lives, either we truly do not believe what we claim to believe or we are unwilling to follow God. Often, it comes down to sheer laziness. We continue in our sins when we try to fight that battle under our own power, alone. Following the teachings of the Bible is not a water faucet that we can turn on or off in a moment’s notice, as God does not perfect us instantly. Yet He does promise that He will complete His work in us. The path to God is a slow, progressive journey. That is why it is called a walk! Sometimes, it is easier to understand the meaning of a word by looking at the antonyms and synonyms. For instance, a walk is not a run. Nor is it a crawl, a ride or soaring above others.

Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

–Albert Camus

Certainly, Jesus desires to lead us beside still waters and in the paths of righteousness, but He walks beside us. The Christian walk is an act of friendship by our Savior, who carries on a conversation with us every step of the way, if we are willing to both talk and listen. Talking to God involves prayer, while listening to God comes from the reading of His Word! If we choose to pray without ceasing and continuously study the Bible, we will grow closer to Him!

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Christianity should not be words, but works, as God calls us to practice what we preach. Let our actions speak to an unbelieving world! He has a calling on each of our lives. Are we walking in a way that honors Him?

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,

Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV)

God calls us to follow Him, not just to hear Him! Jesus gave us the best example, as God came to earth as a man, demonstrating how to act, live and walk. If we emulate His behavior, hypocrisy will fade from our lives. Practice reveals repetitive, learned behavior. If we continue to follow God’s laws, we will get better at following Him. Then, we can practice what we preach!

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)

January 11: To owe or not to owe

We all struggle when measuring our own actions against the actions of others. Yet instead of measuring ourselves against others, we should measure our lives against the real benchmark, the life of Jesus. He never sinned. Additionally, He never acted in a way to glorify Himself, but instead, those actions always pointed to His Father.

On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Jews attend services at a temple, fasting and praying in reflection upon the previous year. On that day in Old Testament times, the high priest performed sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. Today, without a temple to perform sacrifices to cover those sins, each Jew assesses whether or not they are a good person or bad person based upon the deeds of the year. Basically, the wealth of labor dictates the final result, at least by their own measurements. By performing more good deeds than bad, they believe they are good people. That is the same system most people in the world desire, but it is not the system that God has constructed.

God’s measurement is not a balance sheet, filled with our assets and our liabilities. Instead, He has told us in His Word:

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 6:23-26 (NKJV)

The word for sin in the Greek is hamartia, and the term comes from archery. When a shot did not hit the bull’s-eye, it was called a sin. It did not have to be far from the target, but even the narrowest of misses was still considered sin. That is the same in our lives, where we can have the best intent, and still miss by the narrowest of margins. In God’s eyes, that is still sin. A great example would be a white lie, even with the intent of not hurting someone’s feelings.

God knew that we could not live perfect lives, so He put a plan in place to remove that sin from our lives. In order to remove the sin, we need a scapegoat. Yet before we see the need for a scapegoat, we have to recognize the spiritual condition we are in without God. We are spiritually destitute! When faced with a righteous God, we have absolutely nothing to offer! All of the people who found themselves in the presence of God in the Bible felt so unworthy, they put their faces in the dirt! We are able to have a relationship with God only because He allows that relationship. Why would the Creator of all want to have a relationship with us? It is a kind of love we never have been faced with.

⁴ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt ⁵ But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Romans 4:4-5 (NKJV)

Which system works better for us? If judged on works, we certainly will be found to owe, and the penalty will be far worse than debtor’s prison! Instead of a system of works, those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are under the system of grace. He paid the price for each of our sins through His death. When He died, He said, It is finished, letting us know that He already has accomplished the payment for us. Walk with joy in the miracle of the grace of Jesus!

And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

January 12: Why do we continue to fail?

One of the most memorable openings of any television show was the horrendous crash of the skier in ABC’s Wide World of Sports, paired with the line, The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Each of us knows the emotions associated with both scenarios. When defeat is temporary, rather than permanent, we are pressed to turn the tides, for when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Why does God put us in positions where we will fail?

We tend to complain when the skies open and the rain starts to fall upon us, desiring sunny skies all of the time. Yet we somehow forget that if the skies are always sunny, it is called drought! Those failures teach us patience. Patience is the ability to take a large quantity of