Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

Colossians 4:2  Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

I have this thing about good endings.  If a movie doesn’t have one, I’m not interested in watching it – and my family knows this about me.  This led to one of the more embarrassing moments in my life.  A few years ago I came home and Donna and our third son Andrew were watching Hamlet with Mel Gibson in the lead role.  I like Mel Gibson movies and they always seem to have good endings so I sat down to watch it with them.

Some of you have already noticed the problem.  I didn’t know what the story line of Hamlet was.  Somehow I managed to avoid Shakespeare all my life.  When we got to the end of the movie I was stunned and cried out incredulously, “He dies!?  He dies!?!!”  To which Donna and Andrew both looked at me like I’m some kind of nut and said, “It’s Hamlet.  Of course he dies.”  With my distress overflowing, I said, “You mean you let me sit here and watch this movie knowing it had a bad ending?”  Unfortunately they were laughing too hard to talk.

You might be laughing as well as you read this.  But let’s ask ourselves, “What is a good ending?”  How do we define what that is?  Good endings are nice and we all like them but a desire for good endings can become a real problem if misapplied to another area of our lives – specifically the area of prayer.  When we pray for things, what is a good ending?  What kind of answer or response from God do we consider to be ‘good’?

The issue for us to examine is what kind of expectations and preconceived notions we have when it comes to prayer.  Is our motivation for prayer, answer driven?  Are we locked into a view that prayer only works if we get an answer pleasing to us?  Do we become disappointed or discouraged if we don’t get the answers we want?  Have we responded to what we deem a ‘bad answer’ like I did with Hamlet?

Our prayer life is not to be answer driven.  Prayer is not about getting answers – it’s about our relationship with God.  It’s about entering further into the joy and vibrant life with Him that He has for us.

To be continued…

2 Corinthians 11:2  I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Several years ago we heard a sermon where our pastor referred to a ‘godly jealousy’.  We immediately thought, ‘Wait a minute.  Those two words can’t go together!”  Even though we knew that in the Old Testament God refers to Himself as a jealous God, somehow that didn’t connect to the idea of a Christian having a godly jealousy.

Paul goes on to write in verse 3, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”  The issue seems to center upon ‘sincere and pure devotion’.  Something that belongs to God is being given to someone or something else.  Paul’s godly jealousy was concerned for their well-being and particularly for their relationship with the Lord.

We tend to forget that actions have consequences.  In Exodus 34:14 God declares, “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  In simple terms, think of God’s jealousy as both a thermometer and a thermostat.  The thermometer aspect responds to what the temperature is.  If our ‘sincere and pure devotion’ to the Lord cools – becomes less than it should be or fails to grow – the thermometer reflects this reality.  The thermostat then turns the ‘heater’ on.  By ‘heater’ I refer to those things that God brings about in our lives to help us repent and return to Him – to have our devotion to Him become more sincere and pure.

Haven’t we all declared to the Lord that we give Him free reign to do whatever is needed to promote faithfulness and godliness in our lives?  He can do anything with us – just help us to be totally committed to Him.  If our spiritual ears are becoming deaf, don’t we want Him to show us?  If our devotion to our Lord Jesus becomes side-tracked and going the wrong way, don’t we want Him to ‘throw up road blocks’ to get us to turn around?  Anything – I repeat – anything He does or allows will be for our wellbeing!

Think of all the warnings that Jesus gave the religious leaders that they were deaf to!  The reality is the same thing can happen to us. We too can be led astray from our devotion to Him.   It’s reflected in how we act, what we read, how we do our jobs, what we talk about, what we watch – all aspects of our lives are to reflect Godliness.  Let us heed Paul’s warning and renew our commitment to be sincerely and purely devoted to our Lord.

Judges 2:10  After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.

Today’s verse describes something that I simply cannot fathom.  How do a people forget they have been slaves?  How do they forget Moses and Joshua and what they did?  How do they forget the stories of being delivered by God in the most miraculous way – with all the plagues upon Egypt?

How do they stop telling the stories of walking through the parted Red Sea, and then seeing the Egyptian army swallowed up?  How do a people stop telling the stories of the miracles in the wilderness and seeing the manifestations of their God?  How does their God become irrelevant in the Promised Land?

These people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.  (Judges 2:7)  But then they did exactly what the Lord warned them might happen – they forgot the Lord who brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  (Deuteronomy 6:12)  They forgot everything He did – and they forgot Him.

Let us take care that something similar doesn’t happen to us. May the reality of His love in our lives and our lives lived for Him be rich and deep.  Not something artificial or more talk than substance.  If we ‘claim it’ without ‘living it’, may we recognize it is because we are forgetting; we are missing; we are allowing the focus of our lives to lead us astray.

We must remember the blessings that have occurred and recognize the blessings that we have.  Most of all, we must be aware of the Lord and His kindness to us in everything, no matter what the circumstances look like.  We are the richest people in the world if we have Jesus.  May the awe and wonder of that fact be the ever growing reality of our lives!

Ruth  2:10-12  ¹⁰ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

I find such delight in reading about Ruth and the ways she responds to the difficulties and reality of her life.  She has wonderful attitudes; she works hard; she loves Naomi and cares for her; by doing the right things, she is blessed by the Lord.  What an example her story is for us!  In spite of all the difficulty in the situation she and Naomi found themselves in, she was simply concerned with caring for Naomi and making their situation better.

The quality of Ruth’s life was recognized by those around her and by Boaz who she encounters in today’s verse: ¹¹ Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. ¹² May the LORD repay you for what you have done.  May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 

Proverbs 13:9a says, “The light of righteousness shines brightly,” How true this was of Ruth!  Her reputation preceded her and the quality of her life was apparent to those around her.  Boaz’s comment about her taking refuge under the wings of the LORD, the God of Israel, is a picture of God’s protection.  By doing the ‘right things’, Ruth put herself into a position to encounter God’s best for her.

God led Ruth to Boaz’s field, where she was safe. The timing of Boaz’s arrival on this day was perfect for her.  The Lord caused her to find favor with him and he became God’s ‘hands extended’ to her, to protect her and provide for both Naomi and her.

Isn’t Ruth’s life and Boaz’s response a perfect illustration of Matthew 5:15?  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  The simple reality of our lives is that God wants others to see Him when they observe us!

The Lord loves right attitudes.  He loves the right and appropriate things that we do.  He loves to provide his blessing and protection to us.  He loves to guide us in the path of righteousness that He has for us.  He loves to see His plan unfold in our lives.  He loves it when we love Him.  No matter what difficulties we find ourselves in, He is for us and with us.  May our lives ever reflect these wondrous realities!

Ruth 1:16  But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

This is another of my favorite verses in the Bible.  It speaks of such devotion, commitment and love.  Ruth had lost her husband, but her mother-in-law Naomi had lost her own husband and both her sons.  Naomi and her family had moved to Moab from Bethlehem ten years earlier due to the famine in the land.  Both sons had married there in Moab.

Into this situation of grief and difficulty came word that the LORD had come to the aid of His people in Judah and there was food there.  Naomi and the two daughter-in-laws (the other being Orpah) prepared to return to her home in Bethlehem.  Once on the road, Naomi lovingly instructed the two women to return to the homes of their mothers.  She believed this was best for them because her misperception was that the LORD’s hand had been against her.

After weeping and protestations from the young women, Orpah returned.  But Ruth clung to Naomi and spoke the wonderful message of today’s verse.  Why did Ruth do it?  Was her mother’s home not desirable?  Was she motivated by her love for Naomi, and therefore wanting to support her in this time of grief and change?  Whatever it was, her commitment was complete because she declared, “Your people will be my people and your God my God”.

Ruth wasn’t aware that God was guiding her – that He was in the midst of her strong commitment to stay with Naomi.  She was simply responding to the conviction in her heart that she belonged with Naomi and would not leave her no matter what it brought.  In the midst of all of this, her direction was clear and she was committed to it.

Little did Ruth know that her destiny required that she come to Bethlehem– and that she be there as a young woman eligible to be married.  It’s difficult not to conclude that the whole move to Moab by Naomi and her family was ultimately designed by God to get Ruth and bring her back to Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is where the prophet declared that the Christ would be born (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-6).  Ruth’s commitment to return to Judah with Naomi enabled God’s destiny for her to unfold.  It required her to be there, in Bethlehem, because only there would her life became part of the genealogy of Christ, our Messiah – the son of David, the son of Abraham.

To be continued…

Philippians 1:3  I thank my God every time I remember you.

While the New Year is a time for making resolutions, let’s take some time to remember the very special people that God has used to bless and help us over the years.  They may be life long friends or they may be individuals that God brought into our lives for one moment in time.  As I write this I think of a lady who was sitting next to us in a meeting 40 years ago.

Donna and I were as poor as church mice, and living on faith.  An offering was being taken and we had only $5.  We prayed and knew the Lord wanted us to put it in the offering, so we did.  Then this lady next to Donna turned and gave her a $10 bill.  We don’t know her name, but we thank God for her.

Think of people who have helped us when we needed it.  When Donna and I were going through a difficult time in our marriage in 1992, the Lord provided Ric & Val.  What priceless friends they became.  He was (and is to this day) a marvelous counselor but they were so much more than that.  Their love and friendship provided a safe-harbor for us to address the issues confronting us.

At work back around 1990 the Lord provided Mindy a systems specialist who helped me navigate implementing major accounts on a new claims system.  She became a priceless resource for me and helped me innumerable times through the years.  I remember being in one meeting where I was representing marketing and the technical discussion was over my head.  Then someone made a statement and Mindy spoke up.  She said, “Don you need to ask about what he just said because it will negatively affect marketing and your accounts.”  Thanks to her, something I would have missed was caught and changed.  She also was a Christian who has prayed for my family and me for years.

There are so many people that God has used in all our lives.  Ask Him to help you to remember them and the situations that someone blessed you in.  Sit with a spouse or family member and help each other remember and focus on the positives.  It is such a blessing to have our hearts filled with gratitude when we remember those God has put in our lives.  Then take one more step and write, email or call and share today’s scripture with them and how they have made a difference in your life.

Micah 6:8  He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? (Amplified)

Donna and I watched an old black & white movie on TCM that truly touched us deeply.  This 1944 film was the second film featuring a young Gregory Peck in the leading role. His role was that of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission in China.  His moving performance led to his first Oscar nomination.

The name of this movie is The Keys of the Kingdom and is based on the 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin.  The story is so wonderful, I was hoping that it was based on a historical figure.  Although it is not, that did not diminish the power of its message.  I found myself relating to the struggles that he faced.  So many aspects of the Christian life – the joys and the hardships – are presented in this movie.  Many of them are worth noting but the one that I want to focus on is one that repeatedly stuck me throughout the story.  I was repeatedly touched by the refreshing and vibrant humility that the character of Father Chisholm possessed.

Father Chisholm experiences many difficult challenges over the six decade span of this story.  I found myself being convicted of my own pride in watching how Father Chisholm responded with humility and dependence upon God.  Yes it was a movie, but I found myself repenting and being inspired to Godliness by watching the story unfold.  I am embarrassed to say that I had forgotten just how moving and inspiring true humility is.  “…Biblical humility is not the inverted conceit which disguises itself as lowliness.” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, pg 223)  It is a virtue that God prizes.

I am so grateful for the book and the movie because God has used both of them to provoke me to pursue walking humbly with my God in a renewed way.  Pride can be so subtle and so pervasive in our lives.  Fortunately, God enables us to see our shortcomings and embrace the process whereby His Spirit will enable us to become more like Jesus.

Titus 2:11-12 ¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Have you ever thought how important it is to be teachable?  It is a quality that we must cultivate and protect.  It is not a given that being teachable is an attribute that we will have or retain if we have had it.  The more we become set in out ways, the more unteachable we can become.   Often teachable moments occur when we have to change; do things differently; do them better; to quit doing things that hinder us.

Unteachableness has a way of diminishing our grasp of the obvious.  Worse, it can be a fruit of pride – we know best!  We’ve been there and done that.  Who are you to tell me?!!  We might not think these thoughts but the net result is that we don’t change much anymore.

Years ago we heard a Bible teacher share a truth that has been dear to us ever since.  He said, “The way to stay free is to be a lover of the truth.”  When we love the truth we will hear it and respond to it no matter how it comes.  God sometimes sends the truth in some very unattractive packages.  He might pick the person we know who annoys us the most to be the one to bring us a corrective word.  We then face the problem of rejecting the truth because we reject the messenger.

Remember, repentance is a way of life for us.  When we learn new things it’s not unusual for it to mean we repent and embrace a better way. Jesus will show us how to be more courteous, kinder, more thoughtful, more considerate, more giving, more compassionate, etc…  The Holy Spirit will also show us the things in our lives that stand in the way of these positive attributes developing into what they can and need to be.

The grace of God teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and “Yes” to Godliness.  It is a lifelong process because we give the Lord a lifetime supply of stuff to work on in our lives.  Praise God for His patience and His unchanging commitment to help us become like Him.  A life of godliness is the sweetest life of all.

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

We are thrilled with the birth of Jesus and the miracle of a virgin giving birth to the Christ as foretold by Isaiah.  But have you considered what God had Mary and Joseph walk through to bring this about?  Who would have believed what they said – other than Elizabeth and Zechariah?

We are all aware that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph when the angel appeared to her and she conceived Jesus by the working of the Holy Spirit.  Joseph became aware of her being pregnant and was planning to divorce her quietly.  But then the angel appeared to him in a dream explaining everything so he took Mary home as his wife.  But…

What did Mary say to her parents and friends when asked about the pregnancy?  How likely was it that they believed her explanation?  Did she tell Joseph what happened?  If so, he didn’t believe her prior to his dream.  What did Joseph say to his friends or his relatives?  Would they have believed him?

Think of the looks and comments that reflected suspicion that the baby was due to him, or worse, some other man.  How likely was it that anyone believed that her pregnancy was due to God’s direct intervention?  On top of this, consider the thought that this “scandal” likely followed them, all the days of their lives.

Yet this was their destiny.  God chose them for it – knowing that it would be hard, but that He would be with them.  Mary and Joseph were chosen to raise His Son!  Imagine being entrusted with Jesus!

This Christmas season, remember Joseph and Mary and the difficult path they had to walk to fulfill God’s plan for them.  They chose to say “yes” to God no matter what difficulties obedience entailed.  They responded with faith.  May we respond as well to whatever God may ask of us.