Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

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.

Psalm 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Scripture plays a critical role in our lives in helping us respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  It forms the framework upon which we can evaluate whether something within us is right or wrong – whether a behavior is offensive or wicked (KJV).

A major problem that we have with the more subtle sins is that we don’t see or recognize them.  We can be blind to them and their deadly work.  It’s like our grasp of the obvious has been turned off.  We’re clueless to the red warning light flashing on the dashboard before us.

We might be blind due to the hardness of our hearts, or the blindness may stem from certain behaviors being well established habits.  Praise God when He opens our eyes to see
behaviors and attitudes in our lives that are negative and hurtful, both to us and to others.

There is a 3 letter word that can be a source of much pain and even sin.  It is the source of a most negative life habit that afflicts us all.  It is the word ‘why’.  Our response to this word profoundly affects our communications, thoughts, attitudes, behavior and relationships.  Unfortunately, once we start contemplating it, our response almost
always leads us to sin and we’re not even aware of it.

Consider the following situations:

• A friend walks by you and doesn’t speak to you.
• Your spouse forgets something important.
• Someone doesn’t return your smile.
• Someone is curt with you.

In each of these and a myriad of other circumstances our natural (fleshly) tendency is to immediately think of the question, “Why did they do/say that?”  “Why” wants to know
the motivation that precipitated the action we question.  “Why” wants to know what the reason is so we can judge whether or not we think it’s valid.  Should we be offended or hurt?  Maybe they aren’t a true friend after all, and so on…

The problem is that judging motives is forbidden by scripture.  It is something we are to
avoid like the plague.  Romans 14:10a raises the question, “You, then, why do you judge your brother?”  Instead of looking to judge, a more redemptive practice would be to use such behaviors as triggers for prayer.  Instead of indulging our own insecurities, we
need to focus our trust upon the Lord.  Allow perceived negative behaviors to roll off us like water off a duck’s back.

Instead of “Why did they do that to me?” perhaps our response could be, “O Lord Jesus, they must be struggling today.  Please show them your grace and mercy.”  Instead of taking affront, we should respond with grace.

Psalm 34:8a  Taste and see that the LORD is good;

We lived in Colorado Springs for 4 ½ years prior to moving here to Franklin.  It was our privilege to be a part of a marvelous Friday night gathering there called “theMill”.  Over 1,000 college age and 20-somethings gather each week for over two hours of worship and teaching.

The pastor of theMill was Aaron Stern.  The Lord has so gifted him in communicating to this age group.  One of the more memorable times was when Aaron spoke on this verse a few years ago.  After some preliminary comments, he brought out a box of Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.

Aaron proceeded to talk about the company that made these donuts.  He went on for some time talking about how successful they were; how they were growing; how many stores they had;  just on and on.  He then opened the box of donuts and began describing what they looked like.  How many there were in the box; what the smell was like.  Then he lifted a donut out to examine it and for everyone to see it.

He finally looked at everyone, grinned and said how it wasn’t enough to know about Krispy Kreme and the donuts they made.  He had to sample one – so he did.  Aaron proceeded to slowly take one bite after another – oohing and ahhing as he savored each bite.  He just ate the donut and said it was so good he had to eat another.  So he ate another continuing the sound effects of just super-enjoying what he tasted.  As you can imagine, the crowd was going nuts while he was doing this.

This all led him to the point that it wasn’t enough to know about God – we have to experience Him.  We have to taste him and see just how good He is.  In 1 Peter 2:1-3 Peter is giving them instructions in light of the fact that, “…now that you have tasted that the
Lord is good.”   When we walk in His ways our daily lives will be filled with ‘tasting’ Him and being consumed with His goodness.

PS – At the end of Aaron’s message he announced that out in the foyer there were Krispy Kreme donuts for everyone to taste and enjoy.

1 Chronicles 5:20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all
their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.

Today’s verse presents trusting in the Lord in a way that is probably more common to most Christians.  In the midst of a crisis, we call on the Lord.  The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh were in a battle and in the midst of it they cried out to the Lord.  God answered their prayers, because they trusted in Him.  The Amplified Bible describes this trust as ‘they relied on, clung to, and trusted in Him’.

This event is such a wonderful example of God’s ‘normality’ – His people are in situation; they pray and trust Him and He answers their prayers.  The goal is to make this ‘our
normality’ – but with the recognition that it applies to every area of our lives.  We must avoid at all cost life-habits that in reality say, ‘When all else fails, trust God.’  Or, a more positive way of saying this negative is, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’

Here is where our relationship with the Lord becomes so vital.  Walking in His ways is a primary way of learning to trust Him.  His ways bring blessing and when we walk in them we experience Him more and more.  We learn that God can’t be unfaithful or unloving or uncaring.  He is always there.  It becomes a given in our hearts and minds that God is intimately involved in our situations because that is the way He is.  No matter what happens, He is there with us and for us.

We can experientially learn the reality that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego expressed to the king when confronted with being thrown into a blazing furnace.  They declared to him that their God was able to rescue them and they believed He would …but even if He didn’t….  Their trust and confidence was in Him!

Our confidence and trust in Jesus is not predicated on the outcome – it becomes experientially a given in our lives.  No matter what – He is true and we stand securely in that knowledge and relationship.  It is not just a theological truth we affirm – it is the reality that we experience with Him.

Ephesians 4:32a  Be kind and compassionate to one another,…

I am sitting in my leather recliner typing with Pappy, a small Poodle, squeezed in next to me on the seat. My left arm is resting on his back as I type. It’ funny, when I went to sit down, he was off to the side but when I sat down, he was already in the chair next to me. Pappy is Tom & Karen’s dog.  They are good friends of ours and Pappy is a good friend of Snuggles, our Pekingese.

Yesterday, Donna and I were talking and we both expressed how much we appreciate the fact that when we go out of town, Tom & Karen watch Snuggles, and when they are out of town, we get to watch Pappy.  It is a twofold blessing.  The blessing to us isn’t just when our pet is being watched by them.  There is an equal blessing to us when we watch their pet.  We know how we feel when we’re the ones traveling.  We don’t worry about Snuggles because she is with them.  Likewise, they don’t worry about Pappy, because Pappy is with us.  While it’s wonderful to save the cost of a kennel, the blessing is far more than monetary.  It is a very special kindness that both couples are able to experience – and one that any owner of a pet can appreciate.

Stop and think about the wonderful blessing of ‘kindnesses’.  Can you think of incidents in your life where similar types of kindnesses occur?  I’m talking about where we experience an awareness of being blessed; where we want to say thank you to the one(s) extending the kindnesses to us.  Kindnesses can be big or small.  Sometimes the smallest things done at the right time can bring extraordinary blessing.  They are like seasonings in our lives –
making things ‘taste’ better.

How about where we are the ones seeing the needs of others and helping them?  Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  We don’t ‘do’ to ‘get’ – but He was describing something that is to become a way of life for us.  It is the wonder of being other-oriented.  Today’s verse can be viewed as a command that we have to do (which it really is) or we can view it as one of God’s keys to great blessing: we get to be kind and compassionate!

An important thought to remember:  kindnesses are actions – not just feelings of good will.  They are things we do.  It is seeing opportunities around us and responding where we are able.  Remember how blessed we are when others see our need and are kind to us.  Let us do likewise.

Hebrews 12:1-2a  In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,…

If someone were to ask you what the primary purpose of prophets in the Old Testament was, what would your answer be?  Looking at this verse, you might say they were raised up to speak what God wanted said.  That’s true but that’s not getting to the heart of it.

Think of who they were speaking to; what they were saying; and why it was being said.  The prophets were speaking to the Israelites – the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.  They were typically telling them to repent, come back to God and obey His commands.  The reason these things were being said was two-fold: 1) They were God’s people and 2) They were not walking in His ways.

But there is so much more to it than that.  God loved them and wanted them to love Him
in return.  He wanted His people to be blessed not cursed.  The fact that they were the children of Abraham was important, but the crux of the issue was how they lived their lives.  Did they walk in His ways?

Now we have Jesus.  He offers the opportunity, through faith in Him, to become God’s people to all mankind – not just the children of Israel.  He provides the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him so that they can walk in His ways and be His people.  We need to understand that this is so much more than what we do on Sunday mornings.  Our involvement with a local body of believers is merely the tip of the iceberg.  It is the other 90% of our lives where we communicate our love – or lack of love – to our God.

We must grasp the fact that God’s desire now is the same as it was then.  He wants His people to love Him – to walk in His ways – to reflect His glory.  He wants the world to see His reflection in His people.  In the Old Testament they were not born again.  They still had to contend with their sinful natures.  But we are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  We
have such an advantage over them. While we still struggle with temptations and sin, we don’t have our old nature as a deck stacked against us.  Let us re-commit ourselves to saying Yes to His Spirit and His word as they call us to live lives worthy of our God.

Who are our companions?

Yesterday we talked about the idea of companions – not being people but instead referring to the attributes that characterize our lives.  We were looking at affliction and used the example of Frodo and the Company of the Ring.  The journey he volunteered to undertake to destroy the ring of power (affliction) was made so much better by the companions who
began the journey with him.  Instead of Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam, etc… we considered joy, hope, patience, faithfulness and prayer as the ‘companions’ of affliction and how powerfully they impact our lives (Romans 12:12).

This idea of referring to attributes as ‘companions’ has really captured me because I’ve never thought of it this way before.  If you’re a parent and your child is going out to be with friends, you’ve asked that child who are they going to be with – who are they hanging out with?  When the son or daughter provides the names of the friends, it’s not the names that are so important; it’s the attributes we associate with those names that characterize those
individuals.  Do they have good character?  What kind of reputation do they have?

Likewise, who are our ‘companions’?  Consider the ‘companions’ listed in these two
verses:

  Colossians 3:5a  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

This reminds me of the red and white  stones I encountered on my trip to Afghanistan in 2007.  We visited villages far from metropolitan areas.  Along side some of the roads we traveled on were sections where every few yards there were small stones that had a brush-stroke of paint on them.  The stones were painted either red or white.  What did they mean?

Afghanistan had experienced years and years of war resulting in many minefields – areas where explosive devices had been planted.  The white stones indicated fields that the military had ‘swept’, meaning they had been cleared of the mines.  The red stones indicated fields that had not been swept free of mines.  To walk in those areas marked by the red stones would likely result in serious injury or death.  No matter where we were going we paid attention to red stones and avoided those areas.

The Scriptures warn us that the earthly nature ‘companions’ of the first verse are ‘red stones’; they result in serious harm and we are warned to avoid those ‘fields’.  Those of the second verse are ‘white stones’ and the serious dangers have been removed.

Who are our companions?  Do we surround ourselves with white stones?  Or do we have a mixture of red and white stones?  – meaning we have danger areas in our lives that can cause great harm both to ourselves and those around us.  Jesus wants our ‘fields’
swept clean!

Romans 12:12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Isn’t it fascinating that of the six items identified in the above verse, only the one we generally perceive as negative is a given in our lives?  All of the others can be companions that radically change the nature of our journey.  The Lord of the Rings offers another helpful picture in this regard.  Remember the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring, when they are discussing the ring and how to destroy it?  In the heaviness of that discussion, Frodo steps forward and says “I will take the ring though I do not know the way.”

For this difficult journey (think affliction), Frodo knows that at least he will have Sam with him.  But Elrond informs him that they will not be alone.  There is to be a ‘Company of the Ring’, and that company will include those most important to him.  Great is Frodo’s joy when he finds this out because he knows and trusts most of these companions.  They will make the journey so much better for they will help him find the way and he won’t be alone.

Affliction is our journey.  But instead of us having Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Sam, and the others accompanying us, we have the opportunity to have Joy, Hope, Patience, Faithfulness and Prayer as our companions.  We are not alone in the midst of the afflictions we face.  These are the ‘companions’ that the Lord wants us to cultivate and have because He knows how incredibly important they are to our journey.

In 1969 I went on a short-term mission trip to Columbia with a group of high school and college students.  I wound up losing about 20 pounds on the trip fighting off Montezuma’s revenge.  Included in our adventure was a very difficult trek of several miles back through the mountainous jungle to a village.  When it was time to return from the village, I was exhausted with no strength, facing miles of muddy mountain trails.  (Think of the muddy slides in Romancing the Stone – we did that.)  Thank God that on this return trip there were donkey’s to carry our backpacks.  I didn’t have to carry that weight – and I had a staff to lean on!  We still had to walk out of the jungle but my load was lighter.  The Lord enabled me to do it, one step at a time – for miles!!  That is an example of how these marvelous companions can impact our journey!

One more thought about the Company of the Ring.  I particularly like Frodo’s joyous reaction upon learning that Aragorn (Strider) will be with him!  Aragorn is the true king.  In addition to the above companions, we too have the true King with us as well.  Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us.  These other companions all enable us to better experience the wonder and blessing of His presence.

Ephesians 3:17-18  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

The Lord of the Rings is a marvelous trilogy.  In the 1st book, The Fellowship of the Ring, there is a scene where the group is trying to get into Moria.  In order to continue their
journey they must enter and get through this vast dwelling place of the dwarves under the Misty Mountains.  But in order to get the stone doors to open, they have to figure out a subtle riddle that is inscribed on the doors,  “The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak friend and enter.”

Gandalf spends quite a bit of time speaking every password that he can think of.  Finally, Frodo comes up with the answer:  Mellon, the elvish word for ‘friend’.  It was there right in
front of them.  Gandalf speaks “Mellon” and the stone doors open in the nick of time and they enter this underground world.  Their reality was that they couldn’t enter in until they came up with the key to open the door.

This morning I woke up thinking about Jesus.  I was aware of how everything that we do is about Him.  But more than that is the awareness of His love and sacrifice for me.  Three
days ago I wrote about Donna’s experience when God gave her a vision of Jesus on the cross:

 “As she looked on, she noticed blood dripping from His hands.  Suddenly
it was personally real to her that Jesus had died for her! She
began to weep and couldn’t stop as she realized that Jesus had loved her enough to
die for her, not just “the world” but her, personally.”

Jesus is right in front of us.  He is the way we enter in, when we through faith allow Him to enter into us.  How often are we like Gandalf, trying to think of some way in when the answer is right before us?  When we embrace Jesus, we enter experience first hand His incredible love for us.

One of my favorite stories is told of Dr. Karl Barth.  He was considered by many scholars to be one of the most brilliant theologians of the 20th Century.  Once when he was lecturing at Princeton Theological Seminary, a student asked him what was the greatest truth he had ever learned. Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said: “The greatest truth that I have ever learned was at my mother’s knee, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’”

It sounds so simple yet it unlocks the most incredible door to love vast as the ocean.  Such is the love of Christ!

Proverbs 16:3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. (Amplified)

Yesterday I wrote about this verse and how God will cause our thoughts to become agreeable to His will when we commit what we do to the Lord.  One of the wonderful things that God does with this is put us into ‘divine appointments’.  I was reading in my journal from four years ago about how God did exactly this with my wife Donna.

It was Sunday June 24 and we were living in Colorado Springs.  On this particular day Donna had a ‘bee in her bonnet’ about going to look at a new subdivision of 24 homes in Manitou Springs.  Upon arriving there she recognized the salesperson as Jill – someone she had worked with at a different subdivision when Donna had a job as a temp employee.  They talked and Donna wound up sharing the events in her life since they had worked together – particularly focusing on her termination the previous August of her job as a sales coordinator with a wonderful new home builder.

Donna shared how much she loved her job – and how she cried all the way home after being told they had to let her go (due to the downturn in the real estate market).  But she
recognized that she had two choices 1) blame God and react negatively, or 2) recognize that God was closing one door but others would be opened.  She shared with Jill how she chose to look to God, making the right faith response.

The very next day, Jill was let go by her employer.  She just could not get over the fact that
Donna had been there less than 24 hours earlier talking to her about that exact experience!  Jill had never had anything like that happen before.  They both were so blessed by this Divine Appointment.

It is important to recognize that it became a Divine Appointment because of what was shared.  If Donna hadn’t shared her experience, the opportunity would have been missed.  But by doing so, Jill was able to experience the Lord’s love and concern – plus through Donna, He showed her the way to go and an example to follow.