Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.

I grew up in a little town right on Lake Michigan across from Chicago.  Going to the beach was a favorite pastime in the summer.  There was a particular beach that we loved to go to.  It had sand dunes to climb on and big sandbars in the water that were wonderful to play on.  Typically, when we entered the water it would get a little deep but as you kept going out the water became shallow.  The water there was less than knee deep.  When there were waves, the sandbar was a great place to body surf.  Out beyond the sandbar it got much deeper going way over our heads.

Today, the word shallow often refers to something that is superficial or not really desirable.  It is not a word typically used in a positive way.  I would like to change our reference point with the word shallow because it is a very helpful and descriptive word that can shed some important light in our lives.  Think of the word shallow as it applies to the water level on a sandbar or in a swimming pool.  It simply means the water isn’t very deep.  Amplifying a bit further, the water is real, just not very deep.

Now think about the friendships and relationships we have.  Doesn’t the word shallow constructively describe many of them?  They are real – just not very deep.  Many of these people would be there for us in a time of need, but there just isn’t much time spent together.  Our lives are just so busy and we are often spread too thin for it to happen.

Depth in relationship takes effort – it takes learning to love one another.  It involves intentionality because such relationships typically don’t happen by accident.  Seeing needs and helping out; caring for one another; being in small groups together; spending time together are all ways that we can develop depth in our relationships.  Another way is sharing meals together and simply making time for each other.

We can’t do this with everyone, but there are those in our lives that God wants the relationships to deepen.  It involves reordering our priorities and pursuing activities that make it happen – and God will guide us.  Developing true community in our churches means that we must pursue the opportunities we have to develop deep, strong relationships.  They are a missing reality in so many lives today and God wants that to change.

Galatians 5:22-23   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

I grew up in southwestern Michigan which is an area that has been known as the Fruit Belt since the 1800s.  In the spring there are strawberries, followed in the summer and fall by cherries, blueberries, peaches, plums, pears, apples, and grapes.  The trees that produced much of the fruit all bore blossoms in the spring.  It was so wonderful to drive through the countryside and see fruit trees in bloom everywhere.

The blossoms, although beautiful in their own right, are a promise of something to come.  Whether the bearer of the fruit is a tree, a bush or a vine, the fruit is the natural result of the plant – and typically the fruit is supposed to be sweet and flavorful.

Have you ever been in an orchard where you could pick and eat the ripe fruit as you walked along?  Regardless where you find it, how pleasant it is to bite into sweet fruit and savor its taste.  Unfortunately, we’ve all probably tasted fruit that was anything but sweet and flavorful!   The typical result is wanting to spit it out.

The scriptures are clear that Christians produce fruit.  The question then isn’t, are you producing blueberries or grapes, but rather what does your fruit “taste” like?  The fruit of the Spirit listed above is sweet and flavorful.  The “fruit of the flesh” if you will, would be the antonyms of the fruit of the Spirit and characterized as sour and bitter.  Which fruit do we want taste in others?  Which fruit do we want in our own lives?  We have choices to make because good fruit doesn’t happen by accident.

Think of the blessing that others receive from tasting love; from savoring faithfulness; from encountering kindness – from experiencing any of the fruit of the Spirit.  God wants those who encounter us – His people – to be able to walk through the orchard of our lives and taste the sweet and flavorful fruit of His Spirit.  Once they do, they’ll be back for more.

Matthew 6:13a  “And lead us not into temptation,…”

Years ago I heard a Bible teacher give a very illuminating paraphrase of this verse: “Lord, let there not be anything in my heart that would cause you to put me to the test.”  We know from Scripture that God doesn’t tempt anyone.  (James 1:13)  But God will allow situations to arise that will reveal what is within us.  The manner in which lovers of Jesus respond is critical.

I think of King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32:31 – “But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.”  The same Bible teacher explained that the way God leaves us is to withdraw our conscious awareness of His presence.  We think we’re alone, but we’re not.

God uses these experiences in our lives for our benefit – not as ‘Gotcha!’ moments.  They are God’s gifts to us that allow us to show ourselves strong in His behalf; or to have faults within us revealed that we then can deal with.  If we have ‘termites’ or are building our ‘house’ upon sand rather than rock (Matthew 7:24-27), isn’t it critical that we find out and repent?!

Sometimes the situations we encounter reveal our unbelief or lack of faith.  When we see our deficiencies, they are not putdowns – but are revelations that enable us to change for the better.  The Holy Spirit is working within us to conform us to the image of Christ in every area of our lives.  The opportunity to repent is such a gift from God!

God wants and expects excellence from us in every area of our lives.  If we think we are only capable of mediocrity, we will be content with mediocrity.  But with the Holy Spirit we are not only capable of excellence; we are held accountable for it as well.  Not in a judgmental way, but as recipients of the greatest gifts ever given: the new birth and the Holy Spirit.  This news isn’t meant to intimidate us but exhilarate us!

God is working incessantly within us to enable us to become a glory to Him.    He is the Master Craftsman.  When people see us (the work of His hands), His intent is for them to recognize His craftsmanship.  They will see Him in us; and experience Him when interacting with us!  We are an intimate part of the process so let’s embrace it with the passion it deserves.

Mark 3:1-6  ¹Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ²Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. ³Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”   ⁴Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.  ⁵He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

It is difficult to find words to describe everything contained in these few verses. So many big things happen.  Jesus had compassion on a crippled man and does a wonderful miracle.  Jesus not only discerned the stubborn hearts of the Pharisees, he was angry with them.  The Pharisees were unable to see their own stubbornness and unbelief.  In the face of the miraculous, they were blind and deceived.  I think this is one of the most frightening things in the scriptures.  They saw Jesus and wanted to kill Him.

How could anyone see such a wonderful miracle and not be moved and humbled by it?  These religious leaders believed in God, yet the condition of their hearts made them blind to God right in front of them.  They were witnessing a demonstration of the power of God unlike any seen in the history of mankind.  Yet they failed to see Immanuel, (God with us) in their midst.

Surely they too had family or friends who were sick, crippled or in bondage.  Jesus was doing miracles everywhere.  Why didn’t they go and get them and bring them to Jesus?  Instead, the Pharisees become so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus – because He did the miracle on the Sabbath.    How could these men not recognize the wonder they were beholding?  They clung to arguments rather than recognizing the Son of God – right in front of them.

I think of Isaiah 6:9, 10   ⁹ He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

We must recognize that the same spiritual deafness and blindness can happen to us.  We can miss God working in our lives and right in front of us through the ‘callousing’ of our hearts.

Matthew 14:28  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Have you ever dreamed of what it would be like to be in the boat with the disciples when Jesus walked on the water?  How would we have responded to seeing Him?  Remember it was a very windy night and the disciples were struggling to survive let alone get across the lake.  In the midst of it, they saw a figure walking on the water that was about to pass them by and were terrified.  They thought it was a ghost.  But then Jesus spoke to them saying, “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”

Even then they weren’t sure it was Jesus as indicated by Peter’s response, “Lord if it’s you…”  Isn’t it amazing that Jesus chose a stormy night – and not a calm one for this encounter.  (Note: God does the same thing with us.)  Imagine Peter’s excitement when he heard (above the sound of the wind and waves) the Lord say “Come”.

I wonder what went through Peter’s mind.  Did he simply want to be with Jesus?  Or was it more, “I’d sure like to do that!”  Whatever, Peter didn’t allow the risk involved to stop him.  Picture him trying to hang on to a bouncing boat as he got his legs over the side and then began to walk.  Peter experienced an incredible wonder – before he began to sink.  Remember the water wasn’t flat or calm but was wind-swept waves.   Peter did walk on the water and came toward Jesus.

Then his focus shifted from Jesus and the wonder of what he was doing, to the adverse conditions around him.  Although he did succumb to fear and begin to sink, Jesus was right there to rescue him.  Peter experienced the miraculous because he responded to the opportunity that Jesus gave him.  He didn’t allow fear to keep him in the security of the boat.

God uses the same principle in His dealings with us.  In the midst of our often difficult circumstances, He will give us opportunities to respond to Him.  We have to have ‘eyes’ to see the opportunities and the willingness to respond.  In spite of the safety of the ‘boat’ – our lifestyle and circumstances that we are comfortable with – will we overcome our fear and the risk involved to respond to the Lord bidding us to come?  It’s amazing the wonders He has for us to experience if only we will respond to Him.

Note: One of my favorite authors is John Ortberg.  He has a wonderful book on this very subject that I highly recommend titled, If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.

Psalm 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

When I was a little boy I had a book about Grandpa Bunny Bunny.  He was the founder of Bunnyville and the father and grandpa of many little bunnies.  He was dearly loved by them all. He taught his children and grandchildren how to paint Easter eggs and spring flowers and autumn leaves.  People would see the incredible beauty around them and wonder where it all came from.  But the little bunnies would laugh, because they knew it was Grand Bunny Bunny’s doing.

Then came a day when Grandpa Bunny Bunny told all the little bunnies that it was time for him to leave – and then he was gone.  A few days later, after a rain, there was a sunset of incredible color.  All the little bunnies who loved him so, knew that he was still painting.  The colorful sky was the work of their beloved Grandpa.  In my family, we referred to such colorful sunsets as “Grandpa Bunny Bunny” skies.

So many people are blind to the wonder of creation.  Others, instead of recognizing the heavens as evidence of His existence, struggle with questions that deny the reality of what they are seeing.  The heavens declare God’s glory – but they are also designed to provoke a response in each of us to find the One who created them.  The “creator” wants to be found by the “created”.

When we look at the stars and the skies; when we see a glorious sunset or enjoy the beauty around us – we get to recognize them as the work of our beloved Lord.  They are not the work of some omnipotent, unknowable, distant being.  We are able to view the wonder in the context of our love relationship with Him.

While God’s greatness and power are beyond our imagining, it never ceases to amaze me that through Jesus, we belong to Him – and that He loves us so! As I sit and write this, I’m laughing and grinning with joyous wonder because He made me His.  The God who made the heavens knows my name and made me one of His sons.  WOW!  The wonder of the heavens pales in comparison to that!

Proverbs 31:10-12       A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.  ¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  ¹² She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

I am the richest man in the world!  I have the Lord and He gave me Donna.  My August 25 and 26 devotionals describe the extraordinary way that the Lord brought us together.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be loved the way she loves me.  I never imagined how wonderful marriage could be.  It’s so incredible to be able to spend your life with the one person you would rather be with than anyone else.

When Donna smiles at me and I see the twinkle in her eyes, the thrill that goes through me is beyond words.  Even more amazing is the fact that our love not only hasn’t grown old – it’s gotten better with time.  We ‘get to’ spend every day of our lives loving one another, and we both understand that is a choice the Lord expects (and requires) us to make!  Right choices lead to blessing and wonder.  Wrong choices lead to pain, separation and becoming a statistic.

We both recognize that what the Lord has given us is priceless and our commitment to Him requires us both to guard and protect our marriage.  We do not have the option of indulging sinful behavior that undealt with, could damage what we have.  We know that one day we will give an account of how we have loved our spouse.

The grace of God, the enabling power of His Spirit and our commitment to His Word and to each other have enabled us to navigate the difficult times.  These were (and are) times when our actions and attitudes haven’t been what they should be.  The Lord has enabled us to recognize our sin and repent and ask forgiveness of one another.  We cannot overemphasize the importance of ‘I’m sorry’, ‘Please forgive me’, ‘I was wrong’, ‘I forgive
you’.

We are so grateful for the fact that we recognize that forgiveness is not optional.  It is an absolute requirement of our faith and so vital to our existence.  Best of all is the fact that we are committed to loving our God most of all.  Loving each other is part and parcel of
loving Him.  In fact, loving our spouse is a primary way we show our love for God.  The more we love Him, the more we love each other – the more our lives express love for each other.  He is the center of it all.

I thank God that 46 years ago today, Donna and I were married.  Our love and appreciation for each other is the best it’s ever been – with the best still to come!

1 Peter 2:19  For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

We have a tendency to expect positive results when we do the right thing.  Nothing wrong with that, but we must be aware that often that isn’t the case.  Peter is talking about us bearing up under the pain of unjust suffering because we are conscious of God – just like Joseph did.

Joseph refused to yield to the temptation presented by Potiphar’s wife.  Day after day she talked to him and he repeatedly refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.  When she caught him by his cloak one day, they were the only ones in the house and Joseph fled.  She proceeded to lie to Potiphar accusing Joseph of being the one wanting her.

It appears that Potiphar believed his wife for Scripture says, “he burned with anger.”  I’ve often wondered if he ever asked for Joseph’s side of the story – and would he have believed him if he did.  Potiphar then took Joseph and put him in prison.  Joseph did what was right and wound up in jail.  In spite of doing right, because he was conscious of God, he experienced even more pain of unjust suffering.

“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (Gen 39:20b, 21)  In the midst of it all, Joseph could see that God was there with him.

Do we understand the importance of maintaining a godly attitude and godly behavior when in trying situations?  We too can be falsely accused.  We can be fired or receive unfavorable treatment because we refuse to go along with illegal or unethical demands.  We can lose sales or clients because we are unwilling to lie or deceive.  We can face the loss of “friends” because we refuse to participate in activities that are sinful.  If our focus is Jesus, we will make the right decisions and do it with grace – not self-righteousness.  Our goal is to do it right.  Wherever we wind up, the Lord will be there with us

Genesis 37:36  Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

Life is filled with all kinds of experiences – many good, some not-so-good, and some downright awful.  I think at this point, Joseph probably viewed his situation in the downright awful category.  How do you adjust from being free and part of a family – deeply loved by your father, and suddenly find yourself as a slave – sold by your brothers no less – in a foreign land?

Joseph had a short time to come to a decision on how he was going to respond to his situation.  He might have viewed escape as impossible and viewed slavery as his lot for the rest of his life.  His attitudes and demeanor could have played an important role in who he was purchased by.  Did he realize or have a clue that the events of his life were being orchestrated by the God of his fathers?

He was purchased by Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.  At this point, the scriptures note that, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” – so much so, that Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and was giving him success in whatever he did.

Remember, this is occurring long before Moses and the law.  Joseph’s knowledge of God would have been from the stories passed on by Abraham, Isaac and his father Jacob.  Yet Joseph responded rightly to what was occurring in his life.

While it is difficult for us to relate to being sold into slavery, there are those in the world right now that are having this happen to them.  Famine, plague, war, bombings, slavery, natural disasters – they are occurring now, all around us.  In our lives it might be loss of jobs, or loved ones – disappointments, accidents, bankruptcy, acts of violence, persecution.  These things happen – things that we don’t want – wouldn’t choose – wouldn’t want to happen even to people we don’t like.  But they happen to us or people we care about.  God expects us to respond consistently with our faith – not like the world responds.

As Christians, our Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  In the midst of every situation, no matter what happens, He is there.  There is nothing He cannot redeem.  Pray that this knowledge of the Lord being with you – ALWAYS – becomes a rock-solid reality in your heart.  It will transform you – and those around you.

Genesis 42:21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.”

Today’s verse is from the remarkable story of Joseph.  His brothers have come to Egypt for grain and find themselves being treated as spies by the Governor of Egypt who is Joseph.  He had recognized them and when they bowed down to him, he remembered his dreams about them.  But they did not recognize him.

Joseph spoke harshly to them and held them in custody for 3 days.  When told that they would be allowed to return home by leaving one of the brothers in custody in Egypt, the brothers spoke today’s verse to one another.  In spite of his pleadings, they remembered their cruelty to him.

Picture the scene 21 years earlier when Joseph found his brothers near Dothan.  A young man of about 17, he was simply obeying his father in finding his brothers, to see how they were doing.  He had no idea what lay in store for him – what God had in store for him.  When he got to them, they stripped him of his richly ornamented robe and threw him into a dry cistern.

Can you imagine what Joseph was experiencing?  He faced the anger of ten older brothers who wanted to kill him.  It’s possible that he heard them debating over whether to kill him or not and how they would cover it up if they did.  At this time, the caravan of Midianite merchants passed by.  Joseph finds himself being pulled up out of the cistern, not to be set free or killed, but to be sold as a slave and taken to Egypt.

Think of Joseph as the caravan moved on to Egypt.  Did he have any hope of seeing his father again or his brother Benjamin?  Did he have any thoughts of the dreams that he’d had?  Was he grateful for simply being alive – that they hadn’t killed him?  Did he cry out to God?

Did he have any idea that being sold into slavery by his brothers was God’s plan for his life?