A reason to know, read and understand the Word:

“You and I simply cannot know all that we need to know in order to be what we’re supposed to be and to do what we’re supposed to do by means of personal experience and collective research. There is a body of wisdom that comes to us only by means of revelation. God first reveals this wisdom to use in his grand redemptive book, the Bible, and then he opens our eyes and hearts so that we can receive and understand what he has revealed. Without this ministry of illumining grace, these things would be at worst completely concealed from us and at best a whole lot of foolishness to us. We need Christ to come to us by his Spirit to reveal his mind to us so that we can think his thoughts after him.”

“Father, I need my eyes open to the mysteries of your Word. But more than mysteries, to the power, and the magnificence, and the wisdom, and the greatness, and the glories found in your Word. Open my eyes. Open my heart. As the old song says, “Open my eyes that I may see/Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me/Place in my hand the wonderful key/That shall unclasp and set me free/ Silently now I wait for Thee/Ready my God Thy will to see/Open my eyes illumine me/Spirit divine.” (Side note: Sorry about the King James English but that was the way the song was written. 🙂 ). Father God, show me your Word.”

Admittedly, there are days I just want to stop. Stop trying. Stop trying to make a difference. Stop watching my step. Stop living life on a bubble (or is that in a bubble?) Then I read something like this:

Don’t be disheartened because I feel weak. By grace my Savior lives inside me, and He is my strength.

The Scripture reading in Ephesians 3 hit on the same Scripture I was reading in an Advent devotional (yes, it is only September) as it talked about the “fullness of God.” When the fullness of God is experienced, He give the “strength to comprehend” the love of Christ. It is this fullness that I long for; it is this fullness that gives me strength to face another day; another trial; another temptation; another problem; another troublesome person.

That means-as Tripp points out- “I don’t have to fear or deny my weakness. I don’t have to swindle myself into thinking I’m strong. I can face my weakness with joy because I know I’ve been given grace for that weakness. Grace is not a thing, but a person-the Holy Spirit.”

“Father, when I get to where I don’t want to see or be around anyone; when I feel like I want to just stop trying; please give me your strength. At those moments, let me experience the fullness of Christ. Let His grace flood over me until I’m aware of You and You only at that moment.”

Am I listening? Have I turned a deaf ear? Do I turn a deaf ear?

Tripp hits me between the eyes because I often see things “for someone else” rather than for me. Sort of like what was said to me this past week: “That sermon last week obviously did no good.” How hard it was not to say, “And it is obvious this week’s sermon (on speech) obviously did no good for you.” I didn’t. Good thing. How many time have I heard or read something only to dismiss it as being for someone else?

Tripp nails it with this:

• It is tempting to resist the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.
• It is tempting to harden my heart against the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.
• It is tempting to refuse to listen to the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit.
• It is tempting to resist the personal insight-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit.
• It is tempting to run from the Spirit’s restoring and protective work.
• It is tempting to resist the Spirit’s loving work.
• It is tempting to resist the convicting ministry when I feel the instrument He uses is inferior.

“Father, you do not waste anything-time, people, resources. Forgive me when I don’t listen…for whatever reason. Please be patient with me.  Keep calling out to me with the convicting voice of the Spirit until I listen. And when I hear-even if it is true-help me to listen.”

Credit. Who gets it?

To Nebuchadnezzar (Neb) -> himself.

To me (and to borrow a Tripp phrase: my kingdom of me) -> me.

To all things -> God.

It breaks down this way:

• Neb had it all. But he also had pride and arrogance. He was foolish enough to think it was all his because of him. He took credit; allowed pride to override his good sense and better judgment; paid the price.
• I love my own little kingdom. As Jack said in Titanic: “I’m the king of the world!” I run my own fiefdom. Well…least I think and act like I do. But I don’t. If I’m not careful I’ll start thinking it is my doing (like some ruler. Hint: goes by the name of Neb) = pay the price for my pride.
• His kingdom. His rule. God is the rightful ruler and owner of all things. Give Him the majesty and glory He deserves.

Pride take credit for what it could not achieve on its own, while confidence stands strong because it recognizes the power and presence of One greater. Only divine grace can lead me from one to the other.

“Father, an old saying says ‘Give credit where credit is due.’ That goes here. I’ve just spent 1/2 hour reading and writing about that. Forgive me when I pull a Neb and think I did it.  Help me to humble myself and remember it is all You and yours not me and mine.”

This was a fantastic devotion! I love this opening line:

The Bible is not a collection of stories of human heroes. No, the Bible is the story of a hero Redeemer who transforms the weak and ordinary people by his powerful grace.

The list is endless. Moses. Joshua. Gideon. Samson. David. Elijah. Peter. Paul. Daniel. S,M,A. Stephen. So many. Contemporaries like Luther. Calvin. Tyndale. Hus. Moody. Spurgeon. Men and women who close to serve and be faithful in spite of what it meant.

The interesting thing about the Bible characters (and the others as well) is they were flawed individuals. Spurgeon smoked cigars and battled depression. Moody was overweight. Luther like his beer and had a temper.  Moses was afraid. Gideon was a coward. Samson had a “flesh” problem. Elijah ran and hid. Even Joseph, who is lauded as a bulwark of faith, had a pride issue at the beginning. But each one was transformed by the power of God’s grace. That transforming grace gave them the desire, power, and wisdom to do what they would not have been able to do on their own and make the difference they did.

Just like He does today. For me. For you.

“Father, what great examples of people transformed by you. You gave them what they needed to influence those around them. You can and will do the same for me. Help me to stand for you.”

The dichotomy: Submission = Freedom.

Grace calls me to submit. But it offers me true freedom like I’ve never known before.

What is true freedom? It definitely isn’t self rule.

• It is not found in doing my own thing.
• It is not found in putting myself at the center of my own universe.
• It is not found in rebellion to authority-God’s or others.
• It is not found in writing my own moral code; i.e. what I say goes. I decided what’s right and wrong.
• It is not found in getting my own way.

All I’ve listed above is not freedom; it is bondage. Freedom is not found in no authority, especially God’s. It is found in willing submission to His authority. That’s why I wrote at the beginning Submission = Freedom.

The key though is submitting to the right authority. I have two- me or God. I can be my own ruler; my own king; my own rule-maker. OR I can submit to God as my rule, my king and my rule-maker. The latter seems like the wiser choice.  🙂

“Father, submission is so hard. It requires laying down my life. Giving up claim to my “territory.” But it really is the only way to live. Help me not to be afraid of submission, but to find true freedom in it.”

So…he starts out with a question. A simple one. But not an easy one. A simple one in that I will say, “Bill” in answer to it. But not an easy one because he is not asking about surface, facts, or name and number. He’s asking who I am. Really. Deep inside. He’s asking what is my identity.

God calls me to live a wise and righteous life, then he connects me to the One who is wisdom and righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I can find my identity in one of two places.

• Myself. I can find it in my job. “I’m Pastor Bill.” My family. “This is my wife. My girls. My grandson.” I can find it in my cycling. “I’ve ridden over 1100 miles this year.” But all that is for nothing. It is temporary and has holes. I can lose my job. I can mess up as a husband and father and grandfather. I can quit cycling (or worse have a wreck).  🙂

OR

• In Christ. I’m a sinner. A fallen creature. I cannot pick myself back up. I can put Him at the center of all things and allow Him to be my identity.

The cross makes a way for the One who is everything that I’m not to become for me and in me everything I need.

“Father, finding my identity in me will not cut it. I’m a fallen creature with a rebellious heart. I need to see myself in You. Who I am to you. Be all I need. let me search no more except to fall deeper in love with you.”

The way I see it is fear can do one of two things to a person: it can paralyze me from doing anything, or it can motivate me to move. But the fear spoken of here is neither. Maybe a little of the first but this devotion also gives a 3rd type of fear. The fear of God.

I agree with Tripp: “Fear in a believer is a function of forgetfulness. To the degree that I forget who God is, who I am as His child, and what I have been given by His grace, fear is my default emotion.” When human fear takes presence over godly fear, I’m in trouble. When godly fear overwhelms human fear I can win.

Fear (human) is defeated when fear (godly) takes control of my heart. I am secure. I have peace. Psalm 111:10 is right on the money: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.”

“Father, I need a healthy fear.  Not a paralyzing fear. A healthy fear of You which then helps me overcome. Replace my ‘forgetful fear’ with a ‘remembering fear.’ Bring to mind-when I get lost-the myriad of times you have come through for me. Take my focus off myself and put it on you.”

One of the “side effects” of being a Christ-follower is the temptation to be less than real. To pretend that everything is okay. But, as we all know, such is not the case. To expect a trouble-free life is ludicrous. As Tripp says:

Real faith never calls me to swindle myself into thinking that things are better than they are. Biblical faith is shockingly honest and hopeful.

There is a tendency to pretend. For some reason those who follow Jesus have been duped into believing and sharing and saying that “all is well.” We are or seem to be afraid that to show weakness, to show a faith struggle, to show any sign of vulnerability is bad. To go along with that is the heretical word of faith movement that says, “God wants you healthy and wealthy. Just name it and claim it and it’s yours.” That’s simply not true! God never promised us ease.

The faith of the Bible will never call me to deny reality in any way. The faith of the Bible is so in awe of the grandeur and glory of God that it is able to look at the darkest of realities in life and not be afraid.

“Father, you have never asked me to pretend. You have never hidden the harshness of following You. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego are a perfect example. ‘Our God will deliver us, but even if not we will not bow down.’ True to You= furnace.  Help me stand firm even in the harshest of times. And help me not to pretend.”

My thoughts on today’s could literally be wrapped up into 2 statements:

But here is the dilemma: my purification from sin-that work that will not end until every last microbe of sin is eradicated from every single cell of every heart of every believer-is a lifelong process and not a single event.

While that is certainly true this is also true:

Jesus doesn’t send me out with a pack of principles and promises. He doesn’t just guide my travels with a set of rules. No, he does so much more. He comes with me. He knows that I’ll never make it unless he is with me in every moment of every situation, location, and relationship. He is not a rescue squad that leaps into action in my moment of trouble. He’s there with me in trouble because he’s been there with me all along.

Dilemma? He is there. Alone? He is there. Unsure? He is there.

“Father, thank you that you are there-all the time; in every situation; no matter where I am; no matter who I’m with-you are there. What an amazing truth! What an amazing God!”