Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

This morning I woke up with a thought running through my mind and it was also an experience while it was happening.  The thought was, ‘How wonderful it is to be loved by God!’  I was experiencing pleasure and joy while I was thinking it.  While it is a fact that God loves us all, it is a particular delight to experience His affection; to experience the wonder of relationship with Him.

Think of the joy we have with those who love us and those we love.  Our lives are richer because of them. This week one of our dearest friends from Seattle has been with us.  Paulette and her husband Jon have been dear friends since we met in Chicago in 1978.  When they moved back to Seattle, the miles could never diminish the relationship.  We are so grateful for all the times we have been together over the years.  A highlight was when we went to Romania for the wedding of their daughter in 2003.

We joke that when Paulette and Donna get together it borders on illegal – they have such fun and enjoyment.  They are kindred spirits.  When they are together, they do everything together – work, play, shop, cook, dance, clean, read and laugh.  They have a riot watching a movie together!  The relationship is rich and filled with special and precious memories. What a joy it is to see the joy they share.

Part of the wonder of our relationship with Jesus is that He wants us to become His friends – to experience all the wonder of what that means.  Donna and Paulette enjoy each other.  It is a deep, vibrant living relationship.  They have been through good times and hard times together.  The friendship deepens because they pursue it.  That is what God offers us with Him.  His mercy and grace are doorways into His presence.  There are so many things that He does, while they are blessings in themselves, they are invitations to a deeper relationship with Him.  Let us pursue our friendship with Him.  He even tells us how to do that!  To be continued….

Romans 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

There are probably people in our lives that we wouldn’t mind seeing burning coals heaped on their head.  But the overall context of the verses we have been looking at really speaks to our attitudes and actions toward those who wouldn’t make our friends list.  Paul has been writing about being a people whose love is sincere.  This includes blessing those who persecute us; to bless and not curse; and not repaying anyone evil for evil

This is the Kingdom of God way of life – just the opposite of how our old natures want to respond.  The Message states this verse this way, ^“Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.”  Jesus takes it even further.  He tells us to, “…love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  He asks what credit is it to us if we only love those who love us; if we only do good to those who do good to us; if we only lend to those from whom we expect repayment?  Our heavenly Father is kind to the ungrateful and wicked and He expects us to be merciful just as He is. (Luke 6:27-36)

There are two examples given in Exodus 23:4-5 that flesh out this reality in a practical, helpful way.  “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. ⁵ If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.”  Think of it this way.  If we’re driving down the road and see someone who is nasty to us with a flat tire and need of help, we stop and help them.  Or if they are taken ill and we have the opportunity to help with meals or assist them in some way, we do it.

But let’s add a twist.  We must be careful not to assume that our kindness will produce an immediate change in them.  That is for the Lord to do.  How do we respond if the person we help then continues to be nasty – and then we encounter him needing help on the road again?  Do we drive by and say, “You deserve it! I’m not going to help you!”  Or do we stop again, because we have forgiven them and this is another opportunity from the Lord to bless them (and us)?  Maybe an angel did in the tire because he knew we were coming and wanted to see what we would do.

Romans 12:19  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Have you ever noted the perverse delight we experience when we are able to get even with someone who’s done us wrong?  And have you noticed how we can be preoccupied or even consumed by negative thoughts of someone who’s wronged us when they seem to get away with it?  I call that negative meditation.  I think it’s accurate to say that none of this is redemptive.

Getting even!  Tit-for-tat!  Giving them what they deserve!  In some cultures of the world such thoughts and values lead to the shedding of blood and the taking of lives.  Some of our Christian brothers and sisters face this each day because they have rejected the faith of their culture and became Christian.  Our problem isn’t that we want to kill someone, but it’s more in the idea of successfully “doing unto them as they did to us” – but in an appropriate way.

The fruit of such thoughts and actions are deadly and forbidden.  Today’s verse is Romans 12:9 Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”  This is like the Lord saying to us, “Don’t play in the minefield!”  Jesus taught us, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”  (Matthew 7:12)  This truth applies – always.  It means we act and respond to all circumstances and provocations in a way consistent with God’s word.  But in the heat of a moment or in the stinging aftermath of being hurt how do we get there?

I find that the priceless key for me is forgiveness. It is the escape hatch from this path of revenge and getting even.  Forgiveness is a decision of our will and is not dependent upon our feelings.  It is like cracking open an egg.  Once done, it’s done!  We cannot undue it.  Then we seek the Lord’s help in dealing with our anger, bitterness, frustration, etc…  Think of Jesus forgiving from the cross.  Think of Stephen forgiving while he is being stoned to death.  Think of glorifying God when we are negatively treated.  Remember that Jesus taught us to, “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” (Luke 6:38)

The Bible teaches that a man will reap what he sows.  That principle is true for everyone.  When someone sows unrighteousness, the Lord wants us to recognize that He is the one in charge of determining what they reap – and when.  When unrighteousness happens to us, let our prayer be for God to grant repentance and mercy to the one doing it.

Romans 12:18  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

When I read this verse I think of the many wonderful things the Bible has to say about peace, and peacemakers.  I think of Jesus – He is the Prince of Peace.  In the midst of turbulence and strife we can be filled with peace because we have learned to trust in Him.  In Isaiah 26: 3 it says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Have you noticed that we can share the peace we have with others?  It’s like the widow’s pot of oil in the Old Testament – there is a never ending supply.  We must understand the powerful impact God wants us to have in the lives of those around us, particularly when they are upset and stressed out.  The words we speak, and the manner in which the Spirit leads us to do it can have such a redemptive impact.  In Proverbs 25:11 it says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  Our faith and trust in the Lord make us immune to their lack of peace – their nervousness and anxiety.  In fact our destiny is to be peacemakers.  Remember in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  (Matt 5:9)

The more we walk in God’s ways – meaning bringing our lives into conformity with His word – the more we love Him.  The more we love Him, the greater the blessing we will be to all around us.  When we are faithful to Him, we won’t rise to provocation or insist on having our way.  We acknowledge when we are wrong and others are right.  We apologize and ask for forgiveness.  We are other oriented.  Instead of contributing to the anxiety and unrest, making bad situations worse, He will use us to defuse the unrest and turn the situations in a redemptive direction. He will use our righteous responses (meaning doing things His way) to positively impact the situations we find ourselves in.

The themes our lives are to involve love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace.  These qualities are so evident in the verses of Romans 12:9-21 that we have been looking at.  It’s like peace is the fruit or guest that comes when the other three are present.  Psalm 85:10 presents such a beautiful picture of what God does in us when we love Him: “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”

Romans 12:17  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

Back during the depression my father worked in a bank. One of his memories was that the tellers at the bank he worked at were not trained to spot counterfeits by looking at examples of counterfeit currency.  The focus was upon learning what the genuine bills looked like.  They became so familiar with the real that when they were flipping through the bills, a variant would stand out no matter how small or subtle the difference was.

Taking a look at today’s verse, consider evil and wrong (the opposite of right) as counterfeits.  We can spend our time focusing on what not to do, but that raises the question of how do we know whether an action or attitude is evil or wrong.  It makes a whole lot more sense to focus on learning what is right.

What is the right way to respond when evil is done to us or those we love?  How do we determine what is right when in the midst of turbulent circumstances?  Let’s consider another illustration that we can relate to.  Why do pilots get trained and licensed to fly on instruments?  The reality of flying is that all manner of weather is encountered.  We’ve all heard the stories of pilots in flight simulators who fly them ‘into the ground’ because they lose their bearings.  Their instincts are telling them they’re doing fine, but the instruments indicate they are headed for disaster.  Pilots must trust their instruments when they are flying in adverse conditions.

These two illustrations present a unique picture for us.  God’s Word is the ultimate and absolute source of defining what is right.  It contains the principles and instructions that provide the basis for recognizing what is right in every situation.  The Holy Spirit in essence becomes our ‘instrument panel’.  He communicates to us the insights and understandings needed to safely navigate every situation – no matter how difficult or confusing.  We learn His voice.  He brings to mind appropriate understandings of God’s word that apply to the situations at hand.  We learn to trust Him, not our instincts, public opinion or what seems right.  We look to Him.  It doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes, but by doing this we become increasingly aware of our dependence upon God.  The more we look to Him and live out His ways, the more right choices we will make.

Good Morning! Today is our grand-daughter Gabi’s 8th birthday in Brazil.

Romans 12:16  Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. (The Message)

Have you noticed that Jesus could relate well to anyone?  Tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, Samaritans,  – everyone that the Pharisees had an attitude about.   What an example Jesus is for us.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, appear to be a strong example for us on how not to relate to others.  They put people into categories and were consumed with pride and arrogance. Their blindness to this condition caused them to miss the miracle-working Messiah who was right in front of them.

Unfortunately, there are cultural tendencies that we live with that encourage us to look down upon people that are members of various groups.  This can lead us to be proud or arrogant about groups we might belong to.  If we have experienced such condescension or discrimination, we know first hand how refreshing it is to have relationships where this negative baggage is not present; where we are treated as people of worth.  Living out today’s verse is imperative for us, in all the circumstances of our lives: church, work, daily interactions, family and friends.

At Williamson Christian College (where I work) we are experiencing the blessing of having an incredible mix of students from about 18 different countries.  We have home grown Americans, immigrants, refugees and foreign students.  Although the majority of our students are Christian, there are any number of other religions represented including Hindu, Islam and Buddhist.  We have the honor of serving them all – helping and enabling them to pursue their education.

Our college and curriculum are Christ-centered and the students all understand that.  What an opportunity for us to live out our faith!  Our faith is reflected in how we as staff get along with and serve one another.  It is revealed in the quality of relationships that faculty and staff and students have with each other.  Students are not required to become Christian to attend WCC, but they are going to be exposed to the Christian faith; both in terms of teaching and in the overall experience they have here.  The qualities reflected in these verses of Romans 12:9-21 (that we have been looking at) are required of us, in order for the Christian faith we demonstrate to be the real thing!

Praise God we get to worship together this weekend!

Romans 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

The Amplified Bible adds a bit of understanding to this verse, ”Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].”  Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.  When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

I can sure relate to that little boy.  There are times when friends or co-workers are suffering a loss or are in a very painful situation and I just want to be near them – and ‘help them cry’.  Unfortunately, we can become paralyzed because we don’t know what to say.   This can lead to saying or doing nothing out of fear of being embarrassed or causing more hurt.  The Lord wants us to move forward, not hold back.  It’s helpful to recognize the value in quiet presence.  Often it’s not what we say, but the thoughtfulness of being there – our presence, a gentle touch, a compassionate smile.  Sometimes a simple phone call to friends who are in mourning can mean a great deal.  We briefly tell them we love them; are praying for them and just wanted them to know we cared.  If ever there was a time when, “It’s the thought that counts,” applied, it’s in times of mourning.

The other side of the coin is rejoicing with those who are rejoicing.  One of the wonderful attributes we can develop is that of having vicarious pleasure when wonderful things happen to people we care about.  This is the opposite of jealousy.  Dear friends of ours have had their home on the market and it just sold.  At the same time they found a wonderful home that they are buying.  What a time to rejoice with them!  Part of the rejoicing will mean we get to help them move.  That is part of our rejoicing with them!

Hopefully we are making a priority of building lasting relationships.  It’s so important that we are close enough to those around us so we know what is going on.  Friends – particularly Christian friends – are so wonderful to have when it comes to sharing the highs and lows of life.  That’s what friends are for – we get to be there for each other.

Good Morning! 

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Continued…

It’s fascinating that this issue of blessing those who persecute Christians is a topic that I have been unable to move past.  As we’ve noted, persecution in western countries is much different than that which is experienced elsewhere but of late I’ve noticed three different situations in the news where Christians have experienced varying degrees of persecution because of their biblical beliefs.

Some colleges are forcing Christian students, who have a counseling major, to choose between their faith and continuing in the counseling program.  The Christian faith is being viewed by some as incompatible with their Counseling Department requirements.  Earlier this week a high court in England ruled against a couple wanting to be foster parents because of their Christian faith.  The judges said Britain was a “largely secular”, multi-cultural country in which the laws of the realm “do not include Christianity”.

The third instance is that of a Christian high school wrestler in Iowa who forfeited his match in the first round of the state tournament because it involved wrestling a girl.  The young man who happens to be the son of a Christian pastor noted his conscience and his faith as the basis for his action;

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan [another female wrestler who made it to the state championships] and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most high-school sports in Iowa.”

Among media commentators, the young man has been both belittled and honored.  He was ranked 5^th in the state and could have won the championship, but there was something more important than winning.  He chose the path consistent with his faith. 

In all three examples mentioned above, the individuals encountered issues because of their commitment to their faith.  Hopefully all of them were able to bless and not curse the ones persecuting them.

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Continued…

Yesterday morning I received a wonderful reply to Monday’s devotional.  Dr. Sharon Landers, our EVP of Academic Affairs forwarded me the verses of Matthew 5:10-12.  This was the text for Sunday’s message at her church.  When I read them, my first thought was how glorious they are.  My second thought was that I must have really been tired to not think of such rich words from our Lord.  Sharon made the observation that the rejoice command is the one we sometimes skip over. Here are the verses:

Good Morning – it’s March 1.  For most of my life I lived in the North.  This was my own personal holiday because for me it marked the end of winter.  I’m still having difficulty getting used to 60s and 70s in February!!

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

What does it mean to be persecuted?  Can we think of a time or times where we believe we have been persecuted?  Do those experiences, if we had them, seem more like they fall in the categories of insult or disrespect?  Or, do they fall into the category of physical threat or intimidation?  Were our lives at risk?   Do we view persecution to be more of a general category where Christians as a group are ‘persecuted’ by being discriminated against?  Might the Supreme Court decision in 1963 banning organized prayer in public schools be an example of such ‘persecution’?

When it comes to persecution here in the West, it is a different world than that which many Christians deal with particularly in the Middle East, parts of Africa or the Far East.  I think it is accurate to say we would prefer to be prohibited from publicly reading or displaying our Bible than to be arrested for having one. Likewise, we would rather be ridiculed for our faith than to be imprisoned and tortured.  Think of being forced to choose between Jesus and a son or daughter or spouse.  If you choose Jesus, the likelihood is that you will never see your family member again in this life.  This has been happening for decades in other parts of the world.

Persecution runs the gamut from being picked on or discriminated against to martyrdom.  The amazing thing is that our response to those who do the persecuting is to be the same – we are to bless them.  Hating them or cursing them isn’t an option.  Not even cursing under our breath.  This means that annoyance, anger, disgust and other ‘fleshly’ responses are off limits too.

I cannot help but think of two different scriptures that speak to this topic.  Jesus’ statement in Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  Then there is the wonderful attitude expressed by the Apostles in Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”  We must learn to bless those who persecute us.  We must learn to be the expressions of the Kingdom of God that He wants us to be in the face of opposition.  Our goal must be to do it His way – bless and not curse!