Revealing speech

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ephesians 3-4; Psalm 9

TO CHEW ON: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

Paul sets out a high standard for how a Christian should act in everyday life in Ephesians 4. In verse 29 he talks particularly about speech. There are three parts to his advice:

1. What speech should not be: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth…”

[“Corrupt” (sapros) means rotten, putrefied, of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless.]

The Amplified Bible spells out quite clearly what such corrupt speech sounds like: “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word, nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth…” - Ephesians 4:29 AMP.

This says to me that certain words, some humor, and certainly unkindness and viciousness toward others (gossip, slander) are inappropriate.

2. What speech should be: “…good for necessary edification…”

“… but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others as is fitting to the need and the occasion…” (AMP).

This says to me that helpful speech comes out of knowing the need of the person you’re talking to, out of empathy, and out of an awareness of the spiritual dimension of the situation. Good speech builds up rather than discourages.

3. What speech should accomplish: “… impart grace to the hearers.”  
“… that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it” AMP.

[“Grace” (charis) is that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, grace of speech, good will, loving-kindness, favor.]

Of course behind all speech is the mind/heart of the speaker. Jesus’ words (“‘…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks’” - Luke 6:45) remind us that at its root, speech is a heart issue.

If we’re finding the above speech standards difficult or impossible to uphold, maybe our energy would be best spent looking at and dealing with what’s in our hearts.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to see speech problems as symptoms of a heart that needs Your touch. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 9

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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)

The force in us

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: Galatians 5-6; Psalm 7

TO CHEW ON: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." Galatians 5:6

Paul states his position about the need for circumcision. He says it doesn't "avail" anything.

Different Bible translations use different words for "avail": "… neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything" (AMP); "… means anything" (NASB); "… has any value" (NIV);  "…amounts to anything" (MSG); "… there is no benefit" (NLT).

[Ischyo is the Greek word translated "avail."  It means to be strong in body, robust, in sound health; to have power, be a force, avail, be serviceable, able.]

What does avail? It's "… faith working through love." That sounds wonderful and simple, though also somewhat ethereal. What does "faith working through love" look like in real life? Other places in the Bible help fill in the picture.

• This love is a fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22.

• It grows in us as we make a home for Christ in our hearts and He reveals to us the extent of His love for us - Ephesians 3:17-19.

• It is demonstrated through the body-like workings of the church - Ephesians 4:16.

• As individuals "faith working through love" looks like:
• Obedience: "But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfect in him. But this we know that we are in Him" - 1 John 2:5.

• Love for our brothers and sisters: "He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him" - 1 John 2:10.

• Avoiding the things that are against what the Father stands for: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" - 1 John 2:15. "World" is defined in the next verse as the "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life" - 1 John 2:16.

The Message translation of this passage is so clear: "Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father" - 1 John 2:15,16 MSG (emphasis added). (See also 1Timothy 6:9-11.)

Wow! We might concur with the sentiments the Galatians may have had when they understand the extent of what "faith working through love" meant—Circumcision was a lot easier! But thank God they weren't left to do achieve this by themselves and neither are we. For it's all Jesus working both the faith and the love in us and through us by the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I need this force of faith working through love strengthened in my life. Thank You for living in my heart through Your Spirit and broadening my practical understanding of that what truly avails (counts, means something, has value, amounts to something, benefits). Amen. 

PSALM  TO PRAY: Psalm 7

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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 NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


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)

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Burning hearts

"The disciples at Emmaus"
 - Alexandre Bida

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 23-24; Psalm 119:129-152

TO CHEW ON: "And they said t one another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'" Luke 24:32

The story of the travelers meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus is one of my favourites. Perhaps it's because I see myself in those sight-restrained disciples. I've often wondered, why did they not recognize Him?

Perhaps Jesus' physical look had changed. We read the stories of other people not recognizing Him either (Mary Magdalene John 20:14; the disciples - Luke 24:36-37). He was the last person they expected to meet on that journey. And our reading says, "their eyes were restrained" suggesting that there was also a supernatural aspect to their blindness. (God operates, even in the smallest details, in the fullness of time.)

Then, after they had walked, talked, and listened to Jesus explain the Scriptures and convinced Him to eat with them, He went through those familiar motions: "… He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them…" Luke 24:30. They had seen this exact ritual before—at the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:19), the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:6) and the last supper (Matthew 26:26). What a wonderful thing for which to be recognized!

Jesus left after that. It seems His purpose was not to hang out with them in the way He had before. That time was over. Now they simply needed to know He was alive and how the events that had just taken place fulfilled prophecy.

After he left, the disciples recalled and recognized their reaction to Jesus on the road: "…'Did not our hearts burn within us?'…" Henri Nouwen describes how Jesus may come to us in the same way:

"Jesus joins us as we walk in sadness and explains the scriptures to us. But we do not know that it is Jesus. We think of him as a stranger who knows less than we do of what is happening in our lives. And still—we know something, we sense something, we intuit something: our hearts begin to burn. At the very moment that he is with us we can't fully understand what is happening. We can't speak about it to each other. Later, yes, later, when it is all over, we might be able to say, 'Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?' But when he walks with us it is all too close for reflection" - Henri Nouwen, With Burning Hearts, p. 50.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus help me to recognize Your voice. Thank You for the witness of a burning heart. Please stir up the coals to a hotter fire. Amen.

MORE: Inner fire

• Jesus came to ignite inner fire - Luke 12:49.

• It is kindled by meditation, and bursts into speech - Psalm 39:3.

• It is fed by fellowship with Jesus - Luke 24:32.

• The light in our hearts is a reflection of "the glory of God in the face of Christ" - 2 Corinthians 4:6.

• That inner fire makes it impossible not to speak - Jeremiah 20:9.

"So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem …. And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread" - Mark 24:33,35.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:129-152

The Bible Project VIDEO: Luke Ch. 24 (Luke Mini-series)

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Would Jesus be grieved at our hard hearts?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 1-2; Psalm 95

TO CHEW ON: "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other." Mark 3:5

In our reading today we see a rare thing—Jesus angry. What angered Him? It was the attitude of the Pharisees. They objected to Him healing the withered hand of a fellow worshipper because it was against their rules of what's allowed on the Sabbath. Mark described the source of Jesus' anger as "being grieved by the hardness of their hearts"  - Mark 2:5.

["Hard/hardness  is porosis— hardening, callousness. It's a medical term used to describe the process by which fractured bones are set by an ossifying or calloused petrifying. Sometimes it describes a hard substance in the eye that blinds. Used metaphorically porosis denotes a dulled spiritual perceptivity, spiritual blindness and hardness" - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1568.]

We find lots of hard hearts in the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments.

1. People's hearts are hard towards believing in God even after seeing supernatural evidences of Him.

• Pharaoh's heart is described as "hard" during the plagues. Repeatedly when a plague ends, he reneged on his promise to let the people go - Exodus 8:15; 9:34.

• Even the Israelites had hard hearts despite seeing signs and experiencing wonders during the exodus and the years they spent in the wilderness - Psalm 78:32.

2. Hard-heartedness toward God continued throughout Israel's OT history - Jeremiah 5:3; Zechariah 7:8-14.

3. It was often a top-down attitude, beginning with the king.

• Judah's King Zedekiah was only 21 when he took the throne and his 11-year reign was summed up: "…he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turing to the LORD God of Israel" - 2 Chronicles 36:13.

• It caused King Jehoiakim to systematically burn the scroll Jeremiah had just dictated to Baruch the scribe - Jeremiah 36:24.

4. Some hard heart causes and characteristics:

• It was caused by pride (Daniel 5:20) and the the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13).

• It resulted in a lack of compassion (Mark 3:2-6—our reading), spiritual dullness (Mark 8:17), doubt and unbelief (Mark 16:14), broken relationships (Mark 10:4,5), and a withdrawal of God's presence (through His people and the Holy Spirit - Acts 19:9).  

5. It is remedied by repentance and confession - Nehemiah 9:17.

6. If persisted in, its end consequence is judgement - Romans 2:5.

I would have loved to be a synagogue spider watching this interchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. But then the thought occurs, what if He came to my church—to yours? Is there a chance He would be grieved and angered by what He sees there of our attitude toward the withered hand types—the homeless, the mentally ill, the poor, the sexually broken, the addicts?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to see my heart as You see it, and to recognize any hard-heartedness. I need You to replace it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 95

The Bible Project VIDEO: Mark (Read Scripture Series)



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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.

An ancient father's advice

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Chronicles 25-29; Psalm 70

TO CHEW ON: “‘As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.’” 1 Chronicles 28:9

David’s advice to his newly crowned son, Solomon, is good advice for us too.

David told Solomon:

“know the God of your father…”
Know (yada) is transliterated know, learn, perceive and see, know by experience, recognize, admit, acknowledge and confess.

“…and serve Him…”
Serve (abad) - work serve, labour, serve another by labour.

“…with a loyal (whole - NASB) heart…”
Whole (shalem) - complete, full, perfect.

“… and a willing mind.”
Willing (chaphets) - desiring, delighting in, having pleasure in.

Living out this advice is bound to impact life in practical ways. In Psalm 37, written perhaps around the same time David gave the advice to Solomon (Psalm 37:25), David declares:

“Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD
And He shall give you the desires of your heart” - Psalm 37:3,4.

Notice the word “delight” - an aspect of the willing mind.

David, in Psalm 37, argues against fretting (Psalm 37:7,8), and for keeping life’s big picture in mind (Psalm 37:9-22; 34-40), trusting God to direct the steps of everyday living (Psalm 37:23,24), and of treasuring God and His word in one’s heart (Psalm 37:31 cf. 1 Chronicles 28:9).

In this day of distraction and many shiny things to explore with the accompanying temptation to give one’s heart and mind to them, David’s simple advice to Solomon may be more difficult for us to follow than it would seem. Yet I believe it is the solution to many of the issues we deal with—stress, worry, decision-making, and being scorned, overlooked, and ignored by the world as people of faith, to name some.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I want to know You and serve You with a loyal (my whole) heart, and a willing mind. Please nudge me today when my heart wanders to lesser things.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 70

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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.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Practical piety

Shopping carts of the homeless - Photo V. N.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 5-8; Psalm 61

TO CHEW ON: "Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 7:12


The people's representatives Sherezer, Regem-Melech, and his men came to the temple priests with a question: "Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?"

It is likely that they were inquiring about commemorating the destruction of the temple in 587 B.C. (according to the writer of my Bible's study notes, D.W. Shibley - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1255).

God's message back to them through Zechariah may have come as a surprise. It contained no congratulations for their past piety. Instead, it pointed out things they had left undone: practicing true justice, showing mercy and compassion, treating widows and orphans well, and acting with integrity toward their neighbors (Zechariah 7:9,10).

These lacks, God said, were proof of the actual condition of their hearts—stubborn, refusing to hear, and hard ("hearts like flint") toward what really mattered to God (Zechariah 7:11,12).

I think there is a warning in this vignette for us too. We also easily reassure ourselves with spiritual activities and practices even while we may be glossing over the hard but practical aspects of obedience and what it means to love God—that is, to love our human brothers and sisters. Often our lack of love comes out in how we treat the poorest.

For me right now, I think of the homeless that trek the streets of my town. For the last few years I've seen them outside, summer through winter. The places they call home remind me of the tent city ghettos I've seen in the photos of faraway cities. I must admit these scenes stir up mixed feelings in me... not all of them positive.

I often ask myself—how do I show justice, mercy, and compassion to these, whose problems are complex (mental illness, addiction, poverty)? Is our household doing enough by supporting the local Salvation Army and the home missions arm of our church? May God never have to say to us (to me) "they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders and stopped their ears… yes, they made their hearts like flint."

PRAYER: Dear Father, I bring to You the homeless and poor in my neighborhood. Please give me creative ideas of how to show mercy and compassion to them. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 61

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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.

Real change is an inside job

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 12-13; Psalm 52

TO CHEW ON: “Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.” Nehemiah 12:43

Nehemiah completed the task he got leave from his job to do. Nehemiah 12 describes the dedication of the finished wall. It was a great celebration with  music, instruments, choirs and  sacrifices. Then Nehemiah went back to Babylon to work for Artaxerxes.

Sometime later, when Nehemiah returned to visit Jerusalem, he found, to his great dismay, that a lot of people had slipped back into their old ways.

• Some of Israel’s enemies and critics had infiltrated the temple and leadership (Nehemiah 13:7,8; 28).

• Since offerings were no longer being collected and stored for the Levites, they had to go back to farming to make a living (Nehemiah 13:10).

• People were working on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 13:15).

• Gentile merchants were allowed into the city to set up markets on the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:16).

• The people were again intermarrying with their idol-worshiping neighbours and forgetting or not even learning the language of Israel (Israel 13:23,24).

And so Nehemiah had to clean up again (Nehemiah 13:30,31). His zeal for obedience and holiness is a testimony of how much he feared and respected God and cared for the well-being of the people.

This passage leaves us with some thoughts to apply to our lives.
1. The rebuilt wall that was meant to set Jerusalem apart from its pagan neighbours was ineffective because the people’s hearts, from the religious and political leaders down, had not changed. Real change is effective only when it starts from inside.

2. Nehemiah’s zeal in building the wall in the first place and then his coming back and putting things right shows a respect and fear of God that we seem to have lost in our after-the-cross church era. Though we don’t fear God’s judgment as Old Testament people of faith did, God hasn’t changed. I sometimes wonder whether our casual attitude toward sin might be putting us on a more dangerous path than we realize.


PRAYER: Dear Father, change me from the inside so that my heart is to do Your will, because I love You and regard You with a realistic respect and fear. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 52

MORE:  Change Me on the Inside




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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.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Are we perverting God's word?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 23-25; Psalm 19

TO CHEW ON: "'And the oracle of the Lord you shall mention no more. For every man's word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.'" Jeremiah 23:36

In his diatribe against the false prophets of Judah, Jeremiah lays bare what these prophets are all about. He accuses them of being self-appointed (Jeremiah 23:21), of prophesying lies as they interpret any old dream as a message from God (Jeremiah 23:25), of putting their words in God's mouth (Jeremiah 23:31,32), of being a burden to God instead of speaking God's burden (oracle) (Jeremiah 23:33 especially clear in the Amplified), and of perverting God's words (Jeremiah 23:36). Let's look closely at that last.

The Bible is clear about how sacred God's word is and not to be treated flippantly.
- It is not to be added to or subtracted from (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:19).
- It is to be obeyed (Deuteronomy 12:32).
- How we observe it will have eternal consequences (Matthew 5:19).

But could we be guilty of perverting it as those Old Testament prophets were? I can think of several practices which might result in such perversion:

- Emphasizing or giving more weight to one section of the Bible over another. (An example: the Red Letter Movement.)

- Using Bible texts to prove a doctrine which isn't otherwise generally supported in scripture. (An example: Using 1 Corinthians 13:8 as a proof-text that the charismatic gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, have ceased.)

- Overlaying our Bible interpretation with systems of numbers, colours and symbols, making the plain narrative into a puzzle that only the initiated can decipher.

- Picking and choosing which parts of the Bible to obey.

Can you think of more?

I appreciate the five types of people T. Norton Sterrett suggests will properly interpret the Bible. Those with:

1. A new heart (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. A hungry heart (1 Peter 2:2).
3. An obedient heart (Psalm 119:98-100).
4. A disciplined heart (in its persistence) (Matthew 7:7).
5. A teachable heart (Isaiah 50:4).
- T. Norton Sterrett, How To Understand Your Bible, p. 19-21, 1974 edition.

In today's atmosphere of "My truth is as good as yours," let's continue to let these attitudes guide our reading and following of the Bible.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please be my Bible teacher (John 14:26; 16:13). Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 19

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Truth—is there such a thing?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 36-38; Psalm 117

TO CHEW ON: “For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.” Psalm 117:2

Our reading today contains the shortest chapter in the Bible (Psalm 117). But its subject is neither small nor transitory but vast and eternal: “The truth of the LORD endures forever.” 


The Hebrew word for “truth” is  - emeth: sureness, reliability, stability, continuance, faithfulness. It includes truth as spoken; of testimony and judgment; of divine instruction; truth as a body of ethical or religious knowledge; true doctrine.

The English dictionary’s first three definitions of truth are: 1] The true or actual state of a matter; 2] Conformity with fact or reality; 3] A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle or the like.

This sounds cut-and-dried. However, truth has come to have a muddied meaning in our culture. We talk about “your truth” and “my truth.” If something seems true to you, it’s your truth, and has as much validity as my truth. Many scorn the possibility of, especially, objective moral truth—something that’s true despite human opinion. (The article “Objective truth is one thing but objective moral truth is another” by J. Warner Wallace discusses this subject.)

The Bible's use of truth, however, would lead us to believe that it exists independent of human opinion and acceptance. Here are some of the facets of truth found just in some Psalms that use the same Hebrew word for truth that's used in our passage.

Truth is:

• Found in God - Psalm 86:15.

• Intrinsic in all of God’s initiatives: the “works of His hands” (Psalm 111:7,8; Psalm 57:10; 85:10,11; 108:4) and his communication (“precepts”) - Psalm 111:7-8.

• Identified with God’s judgments, laws, commandments, and word - Psalm 19:9; 119:142, 151, 160.

• Mankind’s salvation and preservation - Psalm 69:13; 40:10,11.

• Inspiration to worship - Psalm 43:3.

• The subject of human praise - Psalm 71:22; 115:1.In fact, truth evokes praise from  all people on earth - Psalm 117:1,2 (our today’s reading).

• A quality God wants to find within us - Psalm 51:6

• A path we can follow and walk in - Psalm 25:10; 26:3.

• Something we can speak - Psalm 119:43

 Let's make our lives a search for and pursuit of God's truth!

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to recognize and acknowledge Your truth, and make it the foundation of my life. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 117

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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.

Dull hearts

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 5-8; Psalm 110

TO CHEW ON: “And He said, ‘Go and tell these people;
“Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.”’” Isaiah 6:9


Isaiah’s encounter with God brings an overwhelming sense of his own sinfulness. But after the angel purifies his lips with a live altar coal, he responds to God’s call for help with “Here am I! Send me.”

It is then he gets the bad news. The people God is sending him to have dulled understanding. They will see but not see. Hear but not hear. Their hearts are blunted toward God and will be unreceptive to Isaiah.

A footnote in my Bible says:

“The same message that softens a receptive heart also hardens an unreceptive heart. So in sending forth the message to a people known to be unreceptive, their condition is worsened” - Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p.881.

In our society, which prides itself on skepticism toward claims of absolute truth, an unreceptive attitude toward the Gospel is common. Is there a chance some of that attitude has seeped into us and begun to calcify our own hearts?

The Bible speaks eloquently of the by-products of a dull, unbelieving heart.

1. Theological confusion and dithering - 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 3:7.

2. Moral confusion - Romans 1:28-32

3. Marriage breakdown - Matthew 19:8.

4. We become blind to the fact that sin’s attractiveness is a lie - Hebrews 3:13

5. Miracles don’t happen - Matthew 13:58

6. We become vulnerable to calamity - Proverbs 28:14

7. We become vulnerable to premature death - Proverbs 29:1

8. There are repercussions on how we spend eternity - Romans 2:5

I don't know about you - but I don't like these!

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me a sensitive, believing heart. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 110

MORE: Keith Green sings his prayer for a softened heart in “My Eyes Are Dry.”





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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.

Plagued hearts

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 8-10; Psalm 96

TO CHEW ON: "... when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple, then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men)" 1 Kings 8:38,39



In his prayer at the dedication of the temple, Solomon covered a myriad of scenarios for when the Israelites would need God's answered prayers from that building. He prayed that:

• when someone was forced to take an oath before the altar because of an accusation, God would hear and judge rightly.

• when Israel was defeated because of backsliding, God would hear, forgive and bring her back.

• when the consequences of their sin led to drought, God would forgive sin and send rain.

• when there was famine, blight, mildew, locusts, grasshoppers, enemy oppression ...

It's as if Solomon was trying to think of every instance and reason they could need God, and he lands finally on the picturesque: "when each one knows the plague of his own heart..."

That is still the heart of the matter for us. The plague of our hearts is the sinful condition into which we're born. It evidences itself in rebellion against God and friction between us and others as we give in to our self-centered bent. Want to diagnose it in yourself? Just compare your life to the ideal in Matthew 5, 6 & 7, or 1 Corinthians 13.

There is only one cure for our chronic, terminal heart condition. It's Jesus:

Isaiah: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed" - Isaiah 53:5.

Peter: "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed" - 1 Peter 2:24.

Jesus: "'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. to set at liberty those who are oppressed'" - Luke 4:18.

PRAYER: Dear God, with Solomon I bring to You the plague of my heart. Thank You for making me healed and clean in Your sight because of Jesus, who paid  my sins' penalty. Help me to deal with my sin-sick heart practically every day, as I bend my will and actions to Your Spirit. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 96

MORE: Original pollution

Wayne Grudem talks about the plague of our hearts in the Sin chapter of his Systematic Theology.

He defines sin: "Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude or nature" - p. 490.

He makes two points in the section called "The Doctrine of Inherited Sin," stating and discussing in detail how we are born with:

"1. Inherited Guilt: we are counted guilty because of Adam's sin - Romans 5:12-21... 

2. Inherited corruption: we have a sinful nature because of Adam's sin. ...This inherited sinful nature is sometimes simply called 'original sin,' and sometimes more precisely called 'original pollution (Psalm 51:5)'" which Grudem  calls "inherited corruption."

Mr. Grudem comes to this sobering conclusion:

"But if we have a total inability to do any spiritual good in God's sight, then do we still have any freedom of choice? Certainly, those who are outside of Christ do still make voluntary choices—that is, they decide what they want to do, then they do it. ... Yet because of their inability to do good and to escape from their fundamental rebellion against God and their fundamental preference for sin, unbelievers do not have freedom in the most important sense of freedom—that is freedom to do right, and to do what is pleasing to God.

The application to our lives is quite evident: if God gives anyone a desire to repent and trust in Christ, he or she should not delay and should not harden his or heart heart (cf. Hebrews 3:7-8; 12:17). This ability to repent and desire to trust in God is not naturally ours but is given by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it will not last forever. 'Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts' - Hebrews 3:15"  - Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, pp. 494, 496, 498 (emphasis added).  

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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.

A united heart

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 28-31; Psalm 86

TO CHEW ON: "Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name." Psalm 86:11

In the world of words, prevailing wisdom says if you want to make it as a writer, stick to one thing. If you've had success with mysteries, for example, don't suddenly switch to writing historical romances and then over to contemporary suspense and, for a change, science fiction.

Why?  Because it confuses your readers and erodes their trust in you. Fans of your mysteries will be put off when they pick up your newest and find it's not another whodunit but a tale about life on Mars. What they wanted, and thought they were getting, when they saw your name on the cover was a puzzle, not a space fantasy.

David in our reading today asks for God's help with something similar in the realm of his life and affections when he prays: "Unite my heart to fear Your name." My Bible's notes suggest other ways of expressing "Unite my heart": "Give me singleness of heart" and "Do not let the heart have many allegiances or distractions" - Dick Iverson, study notes on Psalms, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 752. 

Why is a divided heart a bad thing? For one, it blunts the impact our lives will have because it confuses those who observe us. But even worse, it confuses us too (James 1:4-8).

It takes only a few minutes to come up with a list of things that could compete for the allegiance of our hearts: money, security, desire to be liked, success, popularity, personal appearance and image, pleasure, leisure…

How do we get to that place of having an undivided, undistracted, unified heart?

"Teach me Your ways," the psalmist begins his request here. Teach (yarah) means to instruct, direct, teach, point, shoot, aim, cast in a straight direction. One Bible word derived from Yarah is Torah which means instruction, teaching, as in the instruction Moses got from God written in the first books of the Bible (from "Word Wealth" by Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 710).

I believe we can make the leap and conclude that spending time in God's word (for us the Old and New Testaments) will also teach us what it means to have an undivided heart.

I love how Leslyn Musch sums up this thought in her Truth-In-Action Through Psalms: "God desires for our hearts to be undivided, fully devoted to Him, daily choosing Him above all else in all decisions of our lives" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 755 (emphasis added)

 
PRAYER: Dear God, as I read the Bible, please help me to understand how its teachings apply to me. Help me to choose to put You first in every aspect of my life. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 86

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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 "see" that really matters

Image from The Story of the Bible
 by Charles Foster (© 1873-84)
Drawings by F. B. Schell and others

David anointed at Bethlehem

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 15-17; Psalm 82

TO CHEW ON: “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7


In 1 Samuel 16 and 17 we have at least seven different views of David, who was soon to become an important character for the people of Israel and a pivotal player in the story of redemption.

The Parent (Jesse, David’s father):
In the eyes of his earthly father, David didn’t even rate the day off to meet with Samuel. When Samuel had gone through the first seven and asked if that was it for sons, Jesse replied: “‘There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep’” - 1 Samuel 16:11. David was the youngest. He was needed for work when the other older, more distinguished looking, filled out, fully grown sons got an invitation to worship with the prophet.

The Prophet (Samuel):
According to 1 Samuel’s introduction in my Bible, scholars believe that Samuel wrote 1 Samuel. So this description of David in the narration: “… ruddy, with bright eyes, and good looking” is probably how David looked to Samuel at this, their first meeting (1 Samuel 16:12).

A Fellow Citizen (Saul’s servant):
Later, when King Saul had “distressing spirit” problems and asked for help finding someone who could ease him with music, a servant who knew the populace suggested David. This is how he saw him: “‘… a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him” - 1 Samuel 16:18. Talk about a fabulous referral!

The Boss (King Saul):
So Saul summoned David for a job interview and he was hired on the spot for Saul “… loved him greatly.” David obviously passed his employment probation, for Saul soon requested of Jesse that David be released from shepherding to work for him full-time because David had “found favour” with him and could also chase the dark spirit away from Saul with his music - 1 Samuel 16:21-23.

Eliab, Joseph’s older brother:
I sense a little sibling rivalry in Eliab’s view of David and his insulting comments to his “baby” brother. He belittled David’s occupation, called him proud and insolent, and implied that he was a shirker. David’s nonchalant response: ”’What have I done now?’” tells me that this was not the first time Eliab was on his case (1 Samuel 17:28,29.

Goliath:
This Philistine giant was beyond scornful of the insignificant champion and his weapons the Israelites sent out to spar with him.  His sarcastic “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks” was followed by a string of curses and threats (1 Samuel 17:42-44). 

God:
God’s reaction to David is found in his words to Samuel: “‘Arise, anoint him for this is the one!’” - 1 Samuel 16:12. God chose David by what He saw in David’s heart, for he had just had Samuel turn down seven of Jesse’s sons on the basis of what was, or wasn’t, in their hearts: “‘I have refused him (and him, and him…). For the LORD… looks at the heart’” - 1 Samuel 16:7.

What came next is also significant, for following Samuel’s anointing of David “The Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward” - 1 Samuel 6:13. The story of Goliath's defeat at David's hand is proof of that something remarkable took place.


Two take-aways:

1. God still sees and evaluates us by our hearts. No matter how young or old, ugly or beautiful, insignificant or important, skillful or klutzy we are, He sees beyond all exteriors to our inner selves. There’s no fooling Him with a fancy outside.

2. I love how David’s anointing and the Spirit’s coming upon him only enhanced his appearance, reputation, and favour. Even strangers like Saul’s servant noticed that “… the LORD is with him.” And his boss Saul experienced it through David’s work and then through the defeat of Goliath. May we, in this time when the Spirit is available for all who accept Jesus, be so filled that others would say: “The Lord is with him /her.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, I know You see my heart. Help me to see and understand myself better. And may Your Spirit on and in me be evident in the skill with which I do my work, my courageous attitude, my prudent speech, and in the favour my life attracts. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 82

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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.

Choose life!

"Moses speaks to Israel"
by Paul Hardy

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 63

TO CHEW ON: "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19


The book of Deuteronomy is a series of farewell talks that 120-year-old Moses gave to the Israelites just before they entered Canaan. Our reading today is the end of his third message, where he begs the people to choose God and by choosing Him, choose life.

Look at how he persuades, instructs, and pleads:

1. They can come home (Deuteronomy 30:1-5):
If they've wandered (as he says they will) God's call for them to return is mighty appealing. It's a call from captivity to freedom, from separation to togetherness. It's an invitation to come HOME!

2. God will change them at the deepest level (Deuteronomy 30:6):
How will God keep them from wandering away again? He will circumcise their hearts. We know how male circumcision was a physical sign of God's covenant with the Israelites. Here God promises to carve that same incision of covenant into their hearts. It's a mark that will, like physical circumcision, affect them spiritually at the deepest most private place (their hearts). And like physical circumcision is irreversible, so this heart circumcision will help them stay the course.

3. God is for them (Deuteronomy 30:7, 9):
When they choose God, the tables will be turned on their persecutors while God blesses them in quantifiable ways — more kids, more cows, more carrots!

4. The choice is clear (Deuteronomy 30:11-14):
This is no new, hidden, mysterious, distant or confusing matter. It's a choice they've faced before. It's near them, in them. What is it?
- A choice to love God (Deuteronomy 30:6).
- A choice to obey God (Deuteronomy 30:10).

5. The choice is important (Deuteronomy 30:15-20):
It's important because it's a choice between good and evil, life and death. "Choose life," Moses begs, "so that you and your children will live."

Imagine Moses preaching this sermon in my church or yours. It would be fitting, wouldn't it — his plea for backsliders to return with the assurance that God can permanently change hearts. His confronting us with the challenge to love and obey God in the context of all the things that clamor for our allegiance (worship?). His plea that we make the right decision because it will impact our eternal destiny.

I ask myself have I chosen life? Or have I, in my heart, wandered away, even set up some idolatrous outposts? What about you?

PRAYER: Father God, help me in today's every decision to understand what's at stake and to choose life. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 63

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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.

God's eyes on you

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Leviticus 11-13; Psalm 33

TO CHEW ON: "Behold the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
On those who hope in His mercy." Psalm 33:18


After drawing attention to the grandeur of God's creation, the heavens, the seas, the earth and its nations, the psalmist zooms in. Speaking from God's point of view, first His lens catches the crowds: "....He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth." And then with several clicks on the + button, He's looking right at individuals — you and me. With each person He sees something unique:"He fashions their hearts individually". He sees and comprehends everything each one does: "He considers [understands] all their works" - Psalm 33:15.

His attention is caught particularly by those who are linked to Him in a trust relationship. What does He see and know?

• That we trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).

• Our days from beginning to end; both their number and what will fill them (Psalm 37:18, Psalm 139:15-16).

• Our everyday comings and goings (Psalm 139: 2-3).

• Our names (John 10:3).

• Our minds and hearts (Jeremiah 20:12).

• Our thoughts (Matthew 12:25; Luke 11:17)

• Our motivations (John 2:25)

• Our secrets (Psalm 44:21).

• That we are loyal to Him. In 2 Chronicles 16 we have the story of Hanani the seer who came with a message to King Asa of Judah. It was a disappointing word about how because Asa had gone to Syria for help and not to God, he would suffer ultimate defeat. Then Hanani makes this insightful comment about God's help: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Psalm 33 underlines this aspect of God's sight and knowledge. "Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him...To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."

What are our needs today? Are we going to God first for help with them? Or are we relying on our own devices, casting about for ways to help ourselves? Whether it's sickness, business trouble, a stalled career, tangled relationships or whatever, let's bring our cares to Him first and in this way, draw the attention of His searching eyes.

PRAYER: Dear God, it is reassuring to know that You see me personally. Today I am troubled by ___. I know You have a solution to my problem. Please show Yourself strong on my behalf. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 33


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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.

4 reasons for hardening of the hearteries

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 11:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written: 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear to this very day.'" Romans 11:7,8 NIV


When Paul speaks here about the Israelites being "hardened" and their "spirit of stupor,"  he's hearkening back to several references in the Old Testament that speak of a similar dullness.

Moses describes the Israelites' spiritual hardness when they are about to enter Canaan. Their minds don't understand, their eyes don't see, and ears don't hear despite the miraculous way God has cared for them during their 40-year wilderness wander - Deuteronomy 29:4.

Three prophets make a similar charge. Isaiah talks about Israel's "calloused' hearts" (Isaiah 6:9,10). Jeremiah calls them "foolish and senseless" (Jeremiah 5:21).  Ezekiel identifies an attitude of rebellion behind their spiritual hardness (Ezekiel 12:2). 

Though here in Romans Paul brings up this topic primarily to explain how Israel's spiritual state opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles, I see in the description of Israel's hardness of heart a yellow light for all believers, Jews or Gentiles. I believe we can become similarly blind, deaf, calloused, hardened, dull, and stuporous. Some ways:

• When we fail to see and be grateful for the way God is caring for us as the Israelites did in the wilderness.

• When we don't allow the spiritual truths of God's word penetrate our hearts ("...ever hearing but never understanding; ever seeing but never perceiving" - Isaiah 6:9).

• When we make up or own way to come to God as Paul here implies Israel had done ("What the people of God sought so earnestly they did not obtain" - Romans 11:7. "Having failed to obtain the right standing with God, they had sought by their own efforts, they have been hardened..." - Wayne Grudem, commentary on Romans, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Kindle location 260,148).

• When we allow rebellion to creep in. 

Do we sense in ourselves some hardening of the hearteries (like the physical hardening of the arteries, where blood flow to the heart becomes impeded, even blocked ending in death)? Let's ask God for healing of sight, hearing, and a restoration of sensitivity to Him. He can do it!

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh - Ezekiel 36:26.

PRAYER: Dear God, please tenderize my heart. Soften it towards You and the things that matter to You. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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The first thing God looks at on your resumé

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 1:12-26

TO CHEW ON: "And they prayed and said, 'You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.' " Acts 1:24

Peter instigated the choice of another disciple to take Judas Iscariot's place. It's interesting to read how the early believers went about doing this:

1. They didn't choose just anyone, but someone who had been a faithful follower of Jesus to the extent that the original twelve were: "… who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us" - Acts 1:21.

2. They picked two men and prayed " 'O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.' "

3. They cast lots (drew straws, flipped a coin, however they did it; it's interesting to note that after the Pentecost baptism of the Holy Spirit there is no more mention of casting lots in the Bible) believing that the outcome was a revelation of God's choice.

I wonder, are we as focused on who God has chosen for a job as they were? When we need to fill a ministry vacancy, what's the first thing we look at—talents, appearance, experience, or the person's heart toward God? Maybe that should be the thing we ask for help with and pray for insight about above everything else.

The story of Samuel at Jesse's home on the assignment of anointing a new king comes to mind. When he sees Eliab, Jesse's handsome oldest, Samuel thinks, surely he's the one. But God says to him: " ' Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' " 1 Samuel 16:7 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me on two fronts: to be the person with the right heart for ministry, and to get Your insight on workers whenever I am tasked with finding someone for a job. Amen.

MORE: Eliab revealed
Eliab. David's oldest brother who Samuel thought was such great king material, shows his heart in the next chapter of 1 Samuel, when David (the youngest son of Jesse who Samuel anoints as the next king) comes to the battlefield and suggests the army should do more than quake in fear over Goliath's appearances. Eliab reveals himself as a carnal, sarcastic, bitter, and faithless man - 1 Samuel 17:28. Good thing Samuel didn't follow his original instincts to anoint him king!

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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 we already know

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 30:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "But the word is very near you in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." Deuteronomy 30:14

There is within us humans a thirst for novelty. We get bored with the old ways of handling life and want to try something new—a new diet, a new way of organizing life, a new way of staying fit. There's nothing wrong with this thirst for newness unless it threatens to draw us away from the true and tested. Perhaps this tendency accounted for Israel's habit of straying from God in trying out new religions.

Here, in one of his final addresses to Israel before they enter Canaan, Moses warns the people against making such novel but idolatrous choices.  The commands I'm giving you today, he says to Israel (my paraphrase), are not hard to understand, not something you need to search for, not a secret of heaven (Deuteronomy 30:11-13). Rather, they are "… very near you, in your mouth, and in your mind and in your heart" - Deuteronomy 30:14 AMP.

Those of us who have been Christ-followers for a long time do well to take to heart Moses' warning to the Israelites  for ourselves. If we, over a lifetime of being disciples, have read God's word, hidden it in our hearts by memorizing it and meditating on it, and tried to live by it, God's instructions are also near us. We don't need to search out the latest book, subscribe to the hottest new speaker's podcasts, or keep up with the theological blogs to discover how to live.

Let's follow Moses' advice to Israel here, and do/obey/live according to what we already know.

PRAYER: Dear God, it's so easy to look for shortcuts or jump on the bandwagon of the latest spiritual craze. Help me to trust and obey Your familiar word. 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)

God's peace—a guard and regulator

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Philippians 4:2-9

TO CHEW ON: "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7


If I were asked to choose a life verse or verses, today's focus passage would be it. I don't know how many times I've quoted Philippians 4:6,7 to settle myself and turn my sites from the thing that is making me anxious, to Jesus. As I commit that thing to Him with thanks for His answer (yes, before it comes) I can take a deep breath and let the "peace of God" replace frenetic, gnawing, debilitating worry in my spirit.

What are the mechanics of God's peace replacing anxiety? Two words give insight into how it works.

"... the peace of God ... will GUARD your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.

[Guard - phoureo  is a military term that pictures a sentry standing guard as protection against the enemy - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1763.]

God's peace is that soldier that stands guard at the entry-way to our hearts and thus our minds.

A cross-reference to Philippians 4:7 in my Bible is Colossians 3:15: "And let the peace of God RULE in your hearts."

[Rule - brabeuo means to act as umpire, to direct, control, rule, regulate, arbitrate, decide, determine.]

A while ago ago at my church the speaker told the story of when he and his wife lived in their recreational vehicle for a time. One morning he was catching just a few more winks when his wife's voice from the shower cut into his dreams. "Ken! The hose has a hernia!"

"It'll be okay," he muttered, half-asleep.

"Please. Come here!" Now there was great urgency in her voice.

He got up to find the shower hose hissing and writhing about like an out-of-control snake, spewing water everywhere. He turned off the water and subdued the "snake." Then, before they used the shower again, he installed a regulator—a device that toned down the force of the water which came from the city water lines with too much power for the RVs plumbing.

"That's how God's peace works in our hearts," he said. He explained how the raw emotions generated by the news, politics, interactions with our spouse, our children, our neighbors, etc. are like that gush of city water. God's peace—brought by the knowledge that He is in control and we've committed everything to Him—regulates us so that we don't go thrashing about like that water hose, controlled by our reaction to circumstances.

So today, whenever something troubling comes along, let's let God's peace stand guard over our hearts and regulate our reactions.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to appropriate Your peace for every disturbing bit of news, circumstance, and interaction today. 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.

Treasure hunt

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 119:161-176

TO CHEW ON: “I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119:162


I love the metaphors the psalmist and other Bible writers use for the Word of God. In our reading today the psalm writer likens it to “treasure.”

So I have just been on a treasure hunt, looking for Bible passages that speak of treasure and how it relates to the Christian life.

Where is this treasure?

When you hear the word “treasure,” does the image of treasure maps come to mind, and mines deep in the earth from which miners hack out gold, diamonds and other precious stones? That’s what I think of.

Isaiah references treasure in that way. Speaking as the voice of God to HIs chosen servant Cyrus, Isaiah says:

“I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places” - Isaiah 45:3.

Jesus too implies the hiddenness and value of treasure when He talks about the Kingdom of Heaven:

“‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field’” - Matthew 13:44.

In several places Bible writers refer to those deep things at the center of our being—our hearts—as treasure, and it’s not always good. Jesus again:

“'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things'” - Matthew 12:35.

Another aspect of this inner treasure is its use as a description of the impact and value of our lives. Jesus warns about the futility of living life consumed with storing up treasure on the physical plane and concludes:

 “...‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’” - Matthew 6:19-21.

To the Rich Young Ruler, who had supposedly done everything else, Jesus said:

“‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow Me’” - Matthew 19:21.

What is this treasure?

Our focus verse (Psalm 119:162) equates it with God’s communication (word) to us. That certainly includes the Bible.

Solomon pairs it with wisdom:

“There is desirable treasure
And oil in the dwelling of the wise” - Proverbs 21:20.

Isaiah says “The fear of the Lord is His treasure” - Isaiah 33:6. 

Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven in terms of treasure. In one parable he likens the kingdom to a valuable pearl:

“'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it'" Matthew 13:45,46.

Paul writing to the Colossians speaks of this treasure as Jesus:

“… of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” - Colossians 2:3.

A lovely sidebar to this is the wise men who acknowledged this treasure with their gifts to the baby Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh - Matthew 2:11.

Paul speaks of this treasure as something we believers can possess:

“But we have this treasure (Christ—“…the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” - 2 Corinthians 4:6) in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” - 2 Corinthians 4;7.

So let’s live consistent with our wealth today, in deed and word. In Jesus’ words:

“‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old’” - Matthew 13:52.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the treasure of Your word, and of Jesus whose Spirit lives in me through the Holy Spirit. Help me to live consistent with the knowledge and in the power of this wealth today. Amen.

MORE: Second Sunday in Advent
On this second Sunday of Advent, churches may celebrate in various ways. Some may light the second candle representing JOY. Others may pay special attention to the players in the incarnation story, like the prophets, angels, shepherds and magi. The prophets appear to be the focus of the collect part of the liturgy for this day:

"Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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.