Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

James 1:20  For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. (Amplified)

One of my all time favorite films is Chariots of Fire* – the 1981 British film that tells the
fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics.  One is Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and the other is Harold Abrahams, an
English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.

In the film, Harold Abrahams is a gifted runner who was stunned by being beaten in a race by Liddell.  He recognized the need to run faster, so he approached Sam Mussabini to become his coach.  After watching Abrahams run, Mussabini said to him, “I can find you
another two yards.”  Two yards to a sprinter can be the difference between the Gold medal and being an ‘also ran’.  Abrahams embraced the good news that Mussabini could enable him to improve.

There were things Abrahams needed to change in order to experience the excellence he was capable of – and he committed himself to that process.  This is such a vital principle that we need to understand in dealing with the ‘stuff’ in our lives that we must continue to deal with.  There are habits or remnants of habits that might not keep us from being ‘good’ or ‘better’, but they can definitely keep us from becoming the best that we can be.

Yesterday I wrote of my experience at Grad School where I was totally unaware of becoming angry.  In that classroom discussion I was so angry that ‘steam was coming out of my ears!’  Talk about being blind to the obvious!  Our anger does not promote the righteousness of God (James 1:20).  It is a habit that will promote unrighteousness.

Thank God the Lord made me aware of this problem and enabled me to effectively deal with anger over the years.  He has done the same with many Christians.  But how many of us recognize that there may still be subtle remnants of anger that pop up in our lives.  Such remnants keep us from the excellence we are capable of and that God expects from us.  Let us remember that no matter how much we improve, the Lord can always find another ‘two yards’ within us.

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*Chariots of Fire was nominated for seven Academy Awards (1981) and won four, including Best Picture. It is ranked 19th in the British Film Institute’s list of Top 100 British films.  After both winning Gold medals in the 1924 Olympics, Abrahams went on to become the elder statesman of British athletics. Eric Liddell went on to missionary work
in China.  All of Scotland mourned his death in 1945 in Japanese-occupied China.

James 1:19  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

In the mid-seventies I got to attend Wheaton Grad School.  It was one of the richest times in my life.  One of the more embarrassing and revealing memories I have of that time was in a counseling class I took.  On that particular day the instructor had us bring our
spouses with us to class, so my wife Donna was there with me.

We were all seated in a large circle and discussing some subject.  At one point I became engaged in a dialogue with another male student on the other side of the circle.  It
was a lively discussion as we disagreed with each other on whatever the subject was.

All of a sudden, the instructor who was sitting in the circle listening to all this, broke into this ‘dialogue’ the two of us were having.  She looked at me and asked, “Are you angry?”
I looked at her and said, “What?”  She pressed her point and asked, “Are you experiencing anger right now?” I replied, “Of course not.  We’re just having a lively discussion.”

At that point the whole class just exploded with laughter.  One of the guys in the class that had become a friend of mine shouted out to me, “You’re so angry, steam is coming out of your ears!”  I had no idea.  I sat there, dumbfounded, trying to grasp the reality of the situation.  How could I be so angry and not know it?

What a blessing that experience turned out to be!  I became aware of a major ‘blind-spot’ in my life and it involved something – anger – that can be so destructive.  Needless to
say this set off a process of discovery for me.  Fortunately, I wanted to change which meant that I had to learn to recognize when I was becoming angry and stop it from occurring.

Praise God for family, friends and co-workers who were willing to be a part of my repenting process.  Think of the value of being asked, “Do you know you’re becoming angry?” when you don’t want to be angry.   The Holy Spirit used their valuable input
to help me change.

1 Corinthians 7:22  For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.

Consider another time and another place.  Consider that we and our families are in a society where slavery is commonly practiced and it is not racially based – where anyone could find themselves in slavery, i.e., the Roman world.  Finally, consider that slavery is the lot we find ourselves in – and the world we live in it is accepted as a given.  There is no anti-slavery movement.  We are slaves and will likely remain so for all of our lives.

Then into our lives comes the Gospel!  We become born again, when called to faith in Christ Jesus.  We are transformed and become freed men and women, even though we still find ourselves in slavery.  Slaves yet free.  They are independent of each other!

Our focus becomes sharing the love of Christ with other slaves and becoming the best slaves that we can be.  Possibly, God will use us to reach our owners with the Gospel and transform them.  This is not done with the purpose of being set free from slavery.  It is done in joy because of the wonder of the love of Christ.

Yes, we might hope to one day be freed from slavery, but just like Joseph, we live our lives in a way that honors our God.  Our lives are so transformed we want to share the love of Christ with everyone.  This sharing is far more than just words about Jesus.

Think of slaves shivering outside in the cold and we, as Christian slaves, taking them blankets and something warm to drink.  We do it not to tell them about Jesus, although that might result.  We do it because it is a kindness that we would want if we were in their
situation.  We see needs and meet them as we are able.

We must fight the tendency to view the Gospel through the lens of our culture and circumstances rather than recognizing that the Gospel enables us to live first as citizens of His Kingdom.  We are able to experience His love and prosperity no matter what our situation.  We are free – even if we are slaves.

Psalm 29:2  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Our God is wonderful all the time.  But having said that, He does some of the most special things in our lives to bless us and communicate that we are His.  In a worship service I experienced something wonderful yet difficult to put into words.  As we were singing the Revelation Song, I was caught up in the absolute wonder and majesty of who God is:  Holy,
holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings.

Then in the midst of this glorious worship of our King, He did something that I didn’t expect.  I don’t know how to describe it, but He provoked the joy-filled realization within me that I was His son who brought Him pleasure.  One minute I was part of creation worshipping and adoring Him – the next I was a son basking in His pleasure.  The only thing I can think of to describe what happened was – it was like He winked at me!

Over the years I’ve seen the President do that.  In gatherings he would see someone dear to him and would make eye contact and wink with a hint of a smile.  In the midst of all the seriousness, he subtly acknowledged the relationship and brought pleasure and blessing to the recipient.  We’ve probably all experienced something like that with a loved one.

The wonder of belonging – we are not our own, we are His!  Jesus isn’t an add-on to our lives; He becomes the very core of our being.  Seven days a week we are His and He is ours.  While duty and responsibility play a roll in our lives, there is so much more.  We get
to live for Him basking in the warmth of our relationship with Him.

The Lord is the God of the universe, but He is also our Father.  We are family.  When we love Him we bring Him pleasure.  As we worshipped, I moved back and forth between awestruck creature and beloved son – enjoying and being enjoyed by His Lord.  It’s like they were the two sides of the same coin.  What a marvelous combination!   May we respond to Him with lives that increasingly reflect a true and vibrant love for our God.

Colossians 1:9  For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all
spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Back in the 1990s many of us were involved in Promise Keepers – a wonderful move of God among men.  In 1996 PK held a large conference for pastors in Atlanta and most of the pastors of St. Luke’s, the church we were attending in Akron, OH were able to attend.  While there, they were exposed to the marvelous study Experiencing God by Dr. Henry Blackaby.

In January 1997 St. Luke’s kicked off a church-wide 13-week study of Experiencing God.  Before the study, there were about 15 weekly home groups, during the study the number of home groups expanded to over 50.  It was truly an extraordinary experience for the entire church.

One of the most important lessons from Experiencing God is incorporated in today’s verse – and that is the importance of being filled with the knowledge of God’s will.  We each
have a tendency to focus on, “What is God’s will for me?” – a much more subjective and self-centered approach.  Unfortunately, this can lead to a lifestyle that is more about us than about God.  We become pre-occupied with ourselves rather than seeing the larger picture.

Our focus should instead be on knowing what God’s will is – for all believers – and doing it.  Doing God’s will is like Basic Christianity 101.  Through faithfully living out God’s will in our daily lives, God will make clear where He has unique things for each of us.  His specific will for “me” is to flow out of a life centered on pleasing to Him – being Christ-like in every situation.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Years ago my mother had a powerful experience with the Lord.  It involved the death of a good friend.  He was a younger man with a wife and a young son.  They attended the same
church with Mom and Dad and had been dear friends for years.  His wife had been Mom’s nurse when I was born.  Mom had a strong relationship with the Lord but she just couldn’t understand how this young Christian man could die and this family suffers such loss.

I remember so clearly her describing the experience afterwards.  She was downstairs in the
basement doing laundry.  She was overcome with sorrow over the death of this friend and just couldn’t understand how it could happen.  He and his wife were so young; life was there to be lived with his family; how could this happen?

She was standing in front of the washing machine, tears coming down her face, repeating over and over to God, “I just don’t understand.”  Into that moment, the Lord spoke to her so suddenly and clearly, that she never doubted that it was Him.  He said, ‘Louise – You don’t have to understand.  You have to trust!”

This had an immediate and profound impact on Mom.  While she still didn’t understand, she turned to the Lord, and released it to Him.  In Him, the edge of the pain dissipated.  In
Him, she found peace.  In Him, she found refuge.  She was no longer a tormented ‘prisoner’ of having to understand this death.  She was able to mourn in a healthy place.

Today we remember 9/11.  Twelve years ago our world changed when we experienced this horrific attack upon our country.  So often we struggle with trying to understand events that happen.  Today’s verse is a powerful answer – not a cop-out.

Tragedy occurs all around us: flooding, earthquakes, explosions, accidents, unexpected deaths or injuries.  Life is filled with them.  Usually they are things we read or hear
about. But, sometimes they are near and we or our loved ones are stricken.  In those times we are to trust in the Lord.  He has a way of comforting and bringing life to us when we don’t understand.  He is our source of mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.  (Heb 4:16)

When I woke up this morning….

… the word ‘holy’ was there – in mind.  It’s fascinating the way the Lord will give me a thought that when I awake, it is just there in the center of my mind, with an attraction to it that makes it undesirable to turn way.  Such thoughts stimulate curiosity, wonder and
excitement within me because I know the Lord has something for me to explore and be blessed by.  This doesn’t happen everyday, but when it does, I love the adventure it brings.

I think it’s accurate to say that for most Christians, ‘Holy’ is a word that is used today primarily in connection with the Spirit of God: the Holy Spirit.  Many of us love the old hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy” because it so wonderfully addresses the majesty and holiness of our God.  But this morning I was aware that the focus wasn’t to be upon how this word describes God but upon it’s application to us.

In looking through the Scriptures to discover the path to explore this with today, I was attracted to the prophecy given by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, following the
birth of John.  He had been silent for months, unable to speak, because he didn’t believe the angel Gabriel when told about the birth of this son.  In the midst of praising God after informing everyone that the baby’s name was to be John, he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophecy how God had come and redeemed His people.

In the midst of the prophecy is this description referring to the people of God, “To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our foes, might serve Him fearlessly ⁷⁵in
holiness (divine consecration) and righteousness [in accordance with the everlasting principles of right] within His presence all the days of our lives.” (Luke 1:74-75 – Amplified)

What a picture!  God has delivered His people so that they might serve Him fearlessly in holiness and righteousness! – That we get to live in His presence all the days of our lives!!  This picture is to describe us!!  In helping us understand this, the Amplified Bible gives the thoughts of divine consecration and living in accordance with the everlasting principles of right.  This is how our fearless service to Him – and our very lives are to be
lived out.

Peter writes wonderfully of this in his first epistle, “[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].  ¹⁵But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.”   (1 Peter 1:14-15 – Amplified)

Do we understand that this is not a burden to bear – but a never-ending gift to enjoy?  Let us renew our commitment to embrace the joy and wonder of living such lives.

John 16:33  I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world.  (Amplified)

“God will make a way where there seems to be no way.  He works in ways I cannot see.  He will make a way for me.”  These are the words of a wonderful song that speak to the heart of the issue for us.  We are surrounded by tribulation, trials, distress and frustration – just like Jesus said.  But in the midst of it all, we have reason for good cheer.  Jesus has overcome the world.

The ‘world’ would have us believe that our only reality is to be dominated by anxiety and fear.  Since so much of the negative stuff going on is beyond our control, we are tempted to succumb to the world’s view that we are – or about to be – victims.  The question, “What if…?” becomes a dominant theme in our thinking.  The anxiety and fear provide a fertile ground for anger and resentment that will have a profound negative impact in our lives
and relationships.  We struggle with feeling trapped with no way out.  If life was a Monopoly game, we feel like we’re stuck in Jail.

Fortunately, Jesus has “Get out of Jail” cards for us!  We don’t have to remain mired in the world’s emotional/mental responses to tribulation, trials, distress and frustration.  Better still, the Lord lets us know that it’s not just having those negative feeling go away, He
enables us to have good cheer in the midst of it all.

We, as Jesus followers, are equipped to walk through everything with courage and confidence!  We are not victims!  Think of the ‘refreshing breeze’ we can be to those around us.  Think of being asked, “How can you be so calm and cheerful with all this junk going on?”  No matter what happens to us – the courage, confidence and joy are to be constant.  We are not victims.  Jesus has overcome the world and we are in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:7  We live by faith, not by sight.

Do you remember a song by James Taylor titled ‘You’ve Got A Friend’?  The words fit the times many of us are going through and I’ve got some of the words below.  Who is the friend you think of when you read them?

When you’re down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
And you know where ever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.  Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.

When I think of this song I think of Jesus.  When I’m down and troubled, I think of Jesus.  When nothing is going right or if the sky above turns dark and full of clouds, I think of Jesus.  The friend who is there when I call out His name is Jesus.

The eyes of faith see Him because He is with us.  The eyes of sight won’t because they’re focused on other things.  I think of Lucy in the Narnia tales.  She was able to see Aslan at times when the others couldn’t because of her faith.  Walking by faith is a skill to be learned and life is filled with so many things to distract us from it.

The reality of His presence with us is a whole lot more than just a warm feeling or a sense we’re not alone.  He changes us!  He changes how we relate and respond to everything going on around us.  He speaks, ‘Peace’ to the storm raging within us just as He did with the disciples in the boat.  And we find ourselves filled with awe at His power just as they did.

Matthew 7:1  Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Judging others can be a bit like having termites in the house – the problem is there for a lengthy time before we become aware of it.  Then we have to discover how extensive the problem is and deal with it.  A powerful example of judging wrongly comes from CS Lewis’ book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

In a house on an island, Lucy discovers a Magician’s book that offers her all kinds of opportunities – not all of which are appropriate.  She speaks the words of a spell that will enable her to know what her friends thought of her.  As she’s looking at the pictures in the book, she is aware that she is seeing and hearing two classmates, Anne and Marjorie,
speaking about her on a train back in England.  The conversation does not go as she expects.

Anne asks Marjorie if she is going to continue spending so much time with Lucy; she asserts that the last term (at school) Marjorie was crazy about Lucy.  Marjorie replies that
she wasn’t crazy about Lucy, saying, “I’ve got more sense than that.  Not a bad little kid in her way.  But I was getting pretty tired of her before the end of the term.”

Lucy explodes with indignation calling Marjorie a “Two-faced little beast.”  She then realizes that she’s talking to a picture in the Magician’s book, but still is distressed by
this perceived betrayal by her friends, particularly Marjorie.  Lucy had really befriended Marjorie, but she now wonders if her other friends are the same.

A few minutes later, Lucy sees Aslan in the room with her – He had been there all the time.  He speaks to her about eavesdropping on her two friends and how she had misjudged Marjorie.  Aslan tells her, “(Marjorie) is weak, but she loves you.  She was afraid of the older girl and said what she does not mean.”

We are too prone to snap-judgments, and thinking we know why someone did something.  Doing so is sin and has such significant consequences – spiritual and otherwise.  Instead of judging, we must release things to the Lord and look to Him. I thank God for how He has used this scene to warn and keep me from making the mistake of judging others.  Pray that He will do likewise for you.