Discovering the truth about ourselves

"David and Nathan" - Matthias Scheits

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Numbers 33-34; Psalm 51

TO CHEW ON: "Behold You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Psalm 51:6


David prayed this prayer after the uncanny experience of having Nathan the prophet come to him and expose his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12).

Had Nathan caught him in the act?

No. It was God who revealed David's sin to Nathan—the God who:

• spotted Noah as righteous - Genesis 7:1.

• whispered the secrets of Saul to Samuel - 1 Samuel 9:19.

• alerted Elisha to Gehazi's sin of lying to Naaman - 2 Kings 5:26.

• kept Jesus in-the-know about the thoughts and attitudes of those around Him - Matthew 22:18; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17.

• gave the disciples confidence to offer the gospel to the Gentiles - Acts 15:8.

But David was a Spirit-filled man, wasn't he? Why did God need to send someone else to tell him how displeasing his sin was?

Perhaps because his involvement in that sin had opened him up to deception. Whenever his sin bothered him, which it no doubt did, he silenced the pangs of conscience or the voice of God with, 'It's no big deal' or, 'I had no other option,' or any number of other excuses we too give for committing sin. Then it took someone else, someone who heard God's voice clearly, to bring him to his senses. It was only after Nathan confronted him that he confessed to his sin (2 Samuel 12: 7,13).

God wants us to be just as scrupulously honest with ourselves—to live in truth at the deepest level. He can show us the state of our hearts. I love another David psalm where he prays: "Search me O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting" - Psalm 139:23,24.

But if we insist on living in deception, God can also send someone—our own Nathan—to tell us the truth about ourselves. The question is, will we be as receptive to such an exposé as David was? However it happens may we be as quick to acknowledge our sin and repent.

PRAYER: Dear God, please alert me to self deception. I want to have a life of truth and wisdom. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 51

MORE:  Repentance

"Repentance always brings a man to this point: I have sinned. The surest sign that God is at work is when a man says that and means it. Anything less than this is a remorse for having made blunders, the reflex action of disgust at himself.

The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man's respectable goodness; then the Holy God, who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about" - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 7 reading.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 

Discerning truth and error

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 JOHN 1-13

TO CHEW ON: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. he who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 9


This short book/letter of only 13 verses is nevertheless deep and thought provoking. Its key words are “love” (four occurrences) and “truth” (five occurrences). Its main themes are truth and error—concepts we’d expect to see addressed by the philosophical Apostle John. With efficiency John lays out the territory of each.

What is truth and how does it relate to the believer? *

• It unites them in fellowship - 2 John 1

• It lives in them forever - 2 John 2.

• They remind each other of the truth they believe and affirm it in their greeting of each other - 2 John 3.

• It manifests itself in their obedience to God - 2 John 4-6.  

What is error?

• Its advocates are deceitful - 2 John 7.

• They deny Christ’s incarnation - 2 John 7.

• They ignore the teachings of Jesus and disobey Him - 2 John 9.

• They are to be guarded against, even shunned (John tells his readers to not even invite them into their homes) - 2 John 8, 11.

In our time when a smorgasbord of Bible teaching is available through books and online, maybe we should keep some of John’s points in mind as we evaluate who speaks truth and whose teachings come with shades of deceit and error. Some questions we might ask as we evaluate what we read and hear:

• Does this teacher acknowledge the deity of Jesus?

• Does he/she teach what Jesus taught, or are they selective, leaving out controversial bits?

• Is their teaching clear or filled with questions and an unwillingness to state clearly what they believe (so that what they really believe remains fuzzy; we can’t pin them down)?

• What does their lifestyle say about their beliefs?

Such spiritual perception implies a familiarity with the Bible and Jesus' teachings on our part in the first place, so we can tell what’s off. Let’s be studious and biblically literate so we can be discriminating in choosing what teachers to put ourselves under.

PRAYER: Dear Father, please fill me with Your Spirit of wisdom so I will recognize truth and error. Amen.

* These points are taken from the Study Notes on 2 John from the NKJV Thompson Chain Bible, p. 2099.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What has God chosen you for?

Signet ring - with the image of Childeric

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Haggai 2:1-23

TO CHEW ON: "'In that day,' says the Lord of hosts, 'I will take you Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,' says the Lord, 'and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,' says the Lord of hosts." Haggai 2:23

Zerubbabel was a leader of the Hebrew exiles returning from Babylon in 537 B.C. He was a governor and is mentioned in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah. In the New Testament, he shows up in the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17 - Zerubbabel is mentioned in verse 12).

In our reading today we see one reason he was a significant Bible character. It is because God had a specific and special role for Zerubbabel in accomplishing His purposes. Here's what God wanted to do:

"I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and those who ride in them... (Haggai 2:21-22).

Zerubbabel was the man God picked for that task:

"I will take you, Zerubbabel...and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you..." Haggai 2:23.

Throughout the Bible we can trace the pattern of God choosing an individual when He wants to accomplish some special purpose.

• When God wanted to do something about wicked humanity but still save some, He chose Noah (Genesis 6:5-14).

• When God planned to free the Israelites from the tyranny of Midian, He chose Gideon (Judges 6:11-16).

• When God wanted the Gospel spread to Gentiles, kings, and Jews, He chose Saul/Paul (Acts 9:1-16).

In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says:

God never asks people to dream up something to do for Him. We do not sit down and dream what we want to do for God and then call God in to help us accomplish it. The pattern in Scripture is that we submit ourselves to God. Then we wait until God shows us what He is about to do, or we watch what God is already doing around us and join Him"  - Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God, Workbook, p. 34.

The challenge for us, then, is to resist going down a self-determined path. It means placing our confidence in God, not ourselves. We seek God's kingdom instead of what the world approves of and admires. We look for God's perspective in every circumstance instead of looking at how circumstances can serve us. Applying this viewpoint to life and work, we wait until we perceive God's activity before we decide what projects we should work on, instead of starting something on our own initiative and then asking God to bless it.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to put this into practice in my life. I need the spiritual perception to see where You are at work. I need wisdom to understand what this means for me. I need courage to cast aside self-generated projects in favour of assignments that come from You. Amen.

MORE: Signet rings

In ancient times, official documents contained a seal.  This was an impression or imprint on the document often made in a blob of wax. It told the recipient that the document was authentic.

Such seals were sometimes imprinted by pressing the ring the ruler wore (a signet ring) into the soft wax.

Wikipedia says of signet rings:

The wearing of signet rings (from Latin "signum" meaning sign) goes back to ancient Egypt; the distinctive personal signature was not developed in antiquity and most documents needed a seal. The tradition continues, especially among the armigerous, in European and some other cultures.  

Because it is used to attest the authority of its bearer, the ring has also been seen as a symbol of his power, which is one explanation for its inclusion in the regalia of certain monarchies. 

From "Seal (emblem)"

 So we see, when God calls Zerubbabel a signet ring, He is referring to the power and authority He has given this man He has chosen for this job.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The gift of discernment

"The Wisdom of Solomon" by James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 3:16-28

TO CHEW ON: "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice." 1 Kings 3:28


Solomon prayed for discernment when God came to him and asked "What shall I give you?" (1 Kings 3:5,9). In our reading today we see in a real life situation, the answer to Solomon's prayer.

Every time I read this story I marvel at the audacity of Solomon's suggestion (cut a child in two—really?!) and the innate understanding of human nature that it showed (the strength of a mother's love for her child).

[The word discern used in 1 Kings 3:9 is the Hebrew word transliterated biyn. Some of the many English words and phrases used to render it are act wisely, consider carefully, gaze, interpret, investigate, observe, ponder, and perceive.]

Biyn occurs 28 times in Proverbs (thought to be written mainly by Solomon). These proverbs alert us to some of the many aspects of discernment.

1. Discernment is present in God, comes from God, and is enhanced by seeking after God (Proverbs 24:12; 2:6-11; 28:5).

2. It involves listening to and taking advice from the wise, and being willing to learn (Proverbs 1:5,6; 18:15).

3. Its presence or absence is revealed in the words that come out of one's mouth (Proverbs 10:13; 16:21; 17:28).

4. The discerning person learns from rebuke and reproof (Proverbs 17:10; 23:1).

5. He/she also pays attention to circumstances (Proverbs 23:1).

6. Discernment in citizens makes them an asset to the community (Proverbs 28:2; 29:7).

7. Discernment isn't determined by class or position (Proverbs 28:11).

8. Self-discipline is an aspect of discernment (Proverbs 28:7).

9. Some of discernment's enemies are scoffing, naiveté, and foolishness (Proverbs 14:6; 14:15; 15:33).

Some Old Testament characters known for their discernment (in addition to Solomon) were Joseph (Genesis 41:33,39) and Daniel and his three friends (Daniel 1:4,17).

In the New Testament Paul reiterates the fact that spiritual discernment is available only through God, the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The writer of Hebrews says that practicing and using discernment makes it stronger (Hebrews 5:14).

In these early days of 2016, let's follow Solomon's example of asking God for the gift of discernment, even as we do what we can to weave the threads of wise and discerning behavior into our lives.

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me discernment that is demonstrated in wise living. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis: bitter and bound

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 8:4-24

TO CHEW ON: “But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great….And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power…” Acts 8:9, 18-19.

When the Samaritan sorcerer became a believer, the Samaritan Christians may have celebrated–as Christians often do when celebrities come to the Lord. The local papers may have been a tad more cynical: “Wizard Converts – what new trick is up his sleeve?” In his case, such skepticism would have been warranted. For as we read the whole story, we discover that all is not right with Simon’s attitude. He has an ulterior motive for following Jesus.

Though he is genuinely impressed with the signs and wonders the disciples perform and wants to be on the side of such power, he still has the mindset that this new religion is going to work wonders for business. Because when he sees the Holy Spirit coming on people in response to Peter and John laying hands on them, he comes with money and says, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Of course Peter will have none of that. With a word of knowledge he names the wellspring of Simon’s request: bitterness and the bondage to sin, and admonishes him to repent.

Sometimes I think we’re not that different from Simon. He was trying to manipulate God to achieve his own purposes. Don’t we often do the same? We ask for help in our work–not so He gets the glory, but so we do. Our prayers are full of requests designed to further our comfort, ease and well-being.

How can we know if our attitudes are wrong? And how can we deal with the roots of them? We need an outside perspective on our own heart-condition. Like the Holy Spirit revealed things about Simon to Peter, He can enlighten us by His word to our own poisons and bondages (Hebrews 4:12).

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me inner attitudes and motivations that displease You. Help me understand their origins so I can deal with them at their roots. Amen.

MORE: Peter pronounces Simon “bound by iniquity.”
“For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and a bond forged by iniquity to fetter souls” Acts 8:23 AMP

What is this ‘iniquity’?
[Iniquity: adikia – ad-ee-kee-ah: “Misdeeds, injustice, moral wrongdoing, unjust acts, unrighteousness, iniquity.”* (That sounds pretty bad!). “It is the opposite of truthfulness, faithfulness and rightness.” (Oh oh – that brings it closer to home; you mean even a little sneakiness, a shade of untruth can begin to forge a bondage?)
*From “Word Wealth” – The New Spirit Filled Life Bible.]

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Uncleanness—are you savvy?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-4:8

TO CHEW ON: "For God didn't call us to uncleanness but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8

"For God has not called us to impurity, but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity]. Therefore whoever disregards—sets aside and rejects—this disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you [is] holy—chaste, pure." 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8 AMP.


After specifically naming sexual immorality as a sin to avoid, Paul warns the Thessalonians about general "uncleanness."

[The word uncleanness (akathars) is translated "impurity" (NASB, AMP), "impure" (NIV, NLT) and "immorality" (GNT). In the Greek akathars—uncleanness— refers to physical uncleanness as well as uncleanness in a moral sense: "The impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living."]

Paul suggests that people who resist his call to pure living aren't only rejecting him, but God whose Spirit in the believer is holy—"His Holy Spirit."

As believers all these many years later we too get the gift of the Holy Spirit when we put our faith in Jesus for salvation. He makes good and sure that we know we're on dangerous ground when we're around uncleanness.

Have you ever been in the middle of a novel and realized—this book is not good for me? Or walked out of a movie that exalted immorality? Or turned off a comedy routine on TV because it was rife with dirty humor? Or purposefully avoided the astrology section of the paper? The Holy Spirit in you is behind those feelings of offense, outrage, and wanting to get and stay away from certain things.

I am currently taking Priscilla Shirer's course Discerning the Voice of God. In the workbook that goes along with the DVD lectures, Shirer gives lots of good teaching about how we can sharpen our spiritual ears to hear the Holy Spirit speak ever more clearly. Here are some bits I've underlined:

"If we want to hear God's voice clearly, we need to immerse ourselves in the Word of God" - Priscilla Schirer, Discerning the Voice of God, p. 40.

"God is doing everything to reveal His will and cause us to go after it! Through the Holy Spirit, 'He writes His laws on our hearts and on our minds, and we love them and are drawn by our affections and judgment, not driven, to our obedience' " Ibid. p. 42, Shirer quotes Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, p. 76.

"As I seek Him, stay in His Word, and continue to keep an intimate relationship with Him by confessing my sin, He transforms my mind and emotions to align with His plans" - Ibid.

"When you delight yourself in Him, you can relax in knowing that He will speak clearly to you, order your steps, and cause you to desire what brings Him pleasure"  Ibid. p. 43.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who lives in me and alerts me to thoughts, influences, reading material, and media (TV, movies, the internet, music) that will plant seeds of uncleanness in my heart. Help me to practice obedience in getting and staying away from these things. Amen. 




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Take charge of thoughts and actions

 TODAY'S SPECIAL: Colossians 3:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17

To what extent are we responsible for our thoughts, emotions and the actions that spring from them? Is there ever a time where we could say we were helpless to curb actions provoked by rage, jealousy, covetousness etc.?

Paul writing to the Colossians would say "No." Using words that indicate we are responsible for the way we react and relate to others, he lays out at least four ways in which we can take charge of our emotions and our actions:

1. We need to put off some things (apekduomai = to strip off from oneself): anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, lying, the old man and his deeds. It sounds so easy, as if one could just peel off, like an outfit of clothes, these habitual ways of feeling and reacting. In reality, it takes time, focus and effort. Like all actions, these "old man" ones start in our minds. So we need to start by tossing the rags of angry and malicious and blasphemous and filthy and lying thoughts into the trash.

2. We need to put on some things (enduo = to clothe or be clothed with, in the sense of sinking into a garment): the "new man" with his attitude of mercy, long-suffering, bearing with others, forgiveness, love.

3. We need to let peace rule in our hearts (brabeus from brabeuo = to act as umpire). This is how I see it working: I perform an action, say I react impatiently while I'm in the lineup at the supermarket. Later, as I reflect on my day, I sense dis-ease. Why this un-peace, I ask myself. Then I remember my impatient reaction and realize I need to come to terms with such impatience. The lack of peace is the umpire that declares something is "foul" and brings me face to face with things I need to deal with and dispose of.

4. We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (enoikeo = dwell, inhabit). As we marinate in God's word (read it, memorize it, think about it, apply it, talk about it), we gain wisdom. The evidence of such a word-saturated life is an encouraging attitude that instructs with a wise heart and a worshiping mouth (Colossians 3:17).

It all builds toward the goal of "whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person" (Colossians 3:17 - Amplified).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to work Your plan in my life today. Make me alert to the things I need to put off, and willing to dress myself in right ways of thinking and acting. Help me to saturate myself with Your word and be sensitive and obedient to the umpire of Your peace. Amen.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

wisdom (wiz' dɘm) n.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 8:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "Receive my instruction, and not silver,

And knowledge rather than choice gold;

For wisdom is better than rubies,

And all the things one may desire

cannot be compared with her." Proverbs 8:10-11

The story of young King Solomon asking for wisdom above everything else has always intrigued me. How did he know to ask for something so wise? Which prompts me to ask, what exactly is wisdom? How do we know if we've found it? How do we know if we're wise -- or foolish?

My old Funk and Wagnalls College Dictionary defines wisdom: 1] The power of true and right discernment; also conformity to the course of action dictated by such discernment; 2] Good practical judgment; common sense.

Of course the Bible puts its own shades of meaning onto the word. Let's do a little drilling down to see what this most desirable quality is from a biblical perspective.

We'll start with today's reading—Proverbs 8—which is a poem devoted almost exclusively to wisdom. In it wisdom speaks telling the excellence and benefits that she has to offer. We see that wisdom is a focus on the excellent, the right, the true (Proverbs 8: 6-7). It is righteousness—not crookedness or perversity (Proverbs 8:8). It is associated with prudence, knowledge and discretion (Proverbs 8:12). The wisdom-seeker may need to expend some effort to gain it (Proverbs 8:17) but the search is worth it because of wisdom's lasting results (Proverbs 8:18-19).

The Bible speaks of wisdom in many other places as well. We learn that:

• The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10).

• The main source of wisdom is the Bible (2 Timothy 3:15).

• Wisdom involves more than head-knowledge It also calls for action (Matthew 7:24-27).

• Wisdom that is "from above" is winsome in its behaviour (James 3:17).

• The ability to speak with with wisdom at the right time is a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:8).

• Godly wisdom may not agree with the wisdom of secular society (1 Corinthians 2:6) .

These facts about wisdom are wonderful to know. But one needs a whole new batch of wisdom to know how to apply the theory to the challenges of modern life as they relate to:
- parenting
- family relationships
- our jobs (employer/employee relationships; business ethics).
- the positions we take personally and as churches on moral issues in a society where shifting public opinion has become the standard.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be a lifelong wisdom-seeker and wisdom-applier. Amen.

MORE: Wisdom test

Test your Bible knowledge about Godly wisdom in an online test.

Today is  the first Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Trinity Sunday. The liturgy for today begins with the following collect:

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From the archives.)