We all keep secrets. There is not a human being on the face of the earth who fully discloses every thought, feeling, motive, desire, and attitude to others. The relationships we are involved in are to some degree built on us holding back some things about us. Not so in our relationship with God. We cannot hide ourselves from Him; nor do we have to. The One who matters the most, knows us most and loves us most. He also has committed Himself to the long-term transformation of making us more like Jesus.
Defeating Doubt
Defeat doubt by preparing for battle in advance by filling your heart with the truth of God’s Word. In advance, because doubt appears without warning. With the truth of God’s Word, because doubt arrives with lies. The enemy will attack you in times of darkness because it’s hard to see him coming, and it’s hard to see the situation for what it really is. Therefore, start your day in the light by saturating your heart with a good and accurate picture of God’s graciousness and faithfulness so you can remember, rejoice in and rely on those truths and promises when darkness falls. Never forget in the dark what God has shown you in the light.
No Perfect People
There are no perfect people. When you find that you are focused on and frustrated with the faults of others, remember that your life is riddled with faults too … yet you are loved, accepted, forgiven and changed by Jesus. When we are humbled by, amazed by, overjoyed by and empowered by the forgiveness and help extended by God for our own sins and shortcomings, we will more readily extend grace to others. God judged Jesus in our place. We don’t have to be judged. We don’t get to be judge.
Short #12: He Doesn’t Need Us; They Do
God doesn’t need us to do anything for Him as if He could ever be deficient in some area that we could supply for Him. But our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, teammates, and complete strangers do need us to do for them. Not because God is failing to meet their needs, and we should make up for His oversight or indifference, but rather because in His loving providence, He has sent us to bring His aid to them. God puts us in places where needy people are right in front of us so we can be like Jesus to them by offering a helping hand, a guiding word, and a loving embrace.
Short #11: Will It Matter?
Here’s a simple, but significant, lens through which life looks radically different than we often see it… will this matter 100 years from now? How we think, feel, speak, act, and react would be wonderfully different if we saw things in light of eternity, and remember that this short life is not all that there is. Our lives would create an everlasting ripple if we could look a century into our future to see the impact of our today. As we live by grace, in dependence upon the presence and power of Jesus, let us give less priority to the things that really don’t matter and more priority to the things that do.
Short #10: The Anchor For Drifters
We all drift. We all move away at times from the beautiful design of how God intends for things to work and the wonderful harmony that God intends for us to experience. One of the reasons He wired us for community is to help each other make our way back to Him when we lose our way, focus, joy, purpose, peace, strength, or hope. When we see each other discouraged in our faith or distracted away from it, let us point each other to the God who sent Jesus to be the anchor for drifters like you and me. He always receives us back, refreshes our hearts and restores our course. He may let us drift, but He will not let us go.
Short #9: Die Ready
Dying ready is not about trying hard to do more and be better so God will accept you into heaven when this life is over. Instead, it’s about trusting in Jesus and the work He has finished on your behalf and, in response, finishing the work that Jesus has entrusted to you. We don’t work for our salvation; we work out our salvation. We don’t pay Him back. We love Him back. With our hope in Him, we journey homeward in loving obedience (though imperfectly executed) knowing that the death we once feared is actually the doorway to full and lasting joy with Him. Death is not the end; it is just the beginning.
Short # 8: Live Fully
Living fully is not about having the most fun, experiencing the greatest pleasure, and doing the biggest good in this world as if this place is all there is. Instead, it’s about the eternal ripple that your life can make when you use it for Jesus. That doesn’t mean you leave happiness and helpfulness behind; it means you find it in a more meaningful way. We are to be faithful witnesses for God in the everyday things of life that we’re already doing on earth (from cookouts to workouts to hangouts) in such a way that we’ll be glad we did when we get to heaven. Enjoy life. Do good. Glorify God.
Short #7: It Is Coming
We don’t like to think about it. We don’t like to talk about it. But death is coming for us all. We may not be certain of the time of its arrival, but the certainty of its arrival is never in doubt. Instead of ignoring, downplaying or fearing it, we should let its reality accomplish two essential and monumental things in our lives: be purposeful to experience life before death, and be prepared to experience life after death. Jesus makes both of these possible when we entrust ourselves to Him. Live fully. Die ready.
Short #6: For Recovering Sight-Walkers
I’m a recovering sight-walker. Give me the plan. Give me the map. Tell me where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, what’s going to happen along the way, and what awaits us at our destination. While the Bible does give us the “big picture” view of these things, the everyday details of our individual lives aren’t specifically given to us in advance. It takes faith for us to follow Jesus into the unknown, uncertain and, often, unfamiliar spaces where He leads us. But our faith rests firmly in this: when Jesus calls us to leave our comfort zones, we can be sure He will always go with us and provide for us.
Short #5: When We Fail To Glorify God
We glorify God by thanking Him, trusting Him and treasuring Him as we live in loving obedience to Him. But, let’s be honest … oftentimes we’re not going to get that right. We’re going to disobey Him and dishonor Him. We’re going to fall. What then? Then … We fall into His mercy. In those moments when we don’t do the things that honor Him – because we are sinners – we repent and rest in the forgiveness and righteousness that is ours because of the work of Jesus and our faith in Him. And that glorifies Him too.
Short #4: Glorifying God
There is a way in which we can do everything in life so that God is honored through it. Namely, by handling everything in life in the manner that He intends. We enjoy the good things by expressing gratitude to Him and guarding against prioritizing them over Him. We endure the bad things by trusting Him as our all-powerful provider and looking to Him as our all-satisfying treasure. We experience all things with loving obedience to His commands as we follow His design for how and why and what we do with the lives we have been given.
Short #3: Time With Jesus
Admit it, some days are a blur. We wake up, and over the coming hours, it’s a nonstop rush to not fall behind. You know what the cure is for being overwhelmed, worried and frustrated about the many things on our schedules? Making the right choice to spend unhurried, undistracted time with Jesus today. That’s the most important part of our day, and it should have the most intentional part of our schedule because it’s the most influential part of our lives. #talktoJesus #listentoJesus
Short #3: Be Courageous
Because of Jesus, we can be courageous in the face of tribulation. His power is greater than our enemies, His sovereignty rules over our battles, His promises reside in our hearts, His forgiveness ensures our futures, His presence empowers our lives, and His grace provides for our needs. Therefore… Be bold to speak the truth in His love. Be courageous to face enemies with His love. Be encouraged in tribulation by His love. Take heart today, Christian… your tribulation will not last forever; but your joy in Jesus will.
Short #2: What Others See
If people look at our lives, what do they most see us representing with what we say and do? It should not be: a political party or personality, a charity or company, our family or favorite team, or ourselves and our standards. While those things may be a part of what we stand for and show forth, what people most need to see in and through our lives is Jesus. Let us live out and speak out the gospel in a way which makes it clear that we worship Him and not any other thing, and in a way which makes it clear that He is the ultimate source of hope and happiness and not any other thing.
Short #1: Conviction And Celebration
When reading the Bible, if you don’t experience both conviction and celebration, you’re not reading it correctly. On one hand, we should not ignore the places where God’s words challenge and correct the way we are living if we are disobedient to His commands. On the other hand, we should not isolate the places where God issues His commands so all we have is a list of “dos and don’ts”. A proper reading and understanding of the Bible should equip us to joyfully do as God intends and encourage us with all that Jesus has done, is doing and will do for us which makes it possible and makes it worth it.
A “Short” Break For The Upcoming Seaso …
Beginning tomorrow morning I’ll be publishing a “short” each day until the end of our Runner Church ministry season in October (instead of the normal weekday devotions). These “shorts” will usually be a 4-6 sentence “thought for the day.” This will allow me to focus my time on message prep for our Runner Church gatherings. Normal weekday devotions will resume at the conclusion of the Runner Church season this Fall. Please pray for us as we “show and tell” runners what the good news of Jesus is all about.
NOTE: As time allows, I’ll post some lengthier content too. This just won’t be on a regular schedule.
He Has Risen As He Said
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. – Matthew 28:5-6
Do you believe that Jesus is alive? Then don’t live as if He’s still dead. Don’t live as if you are left to your own wisdom, strength and resources to navigate through life. Don’t live as if this world and its stuff is all there is, and you can’t be happy unless you have more of it. Don’t live as if your life has no real meaning and purpose, and how you spend your time doesn’t really matter. Don’t live as if you are a victim of temptation and sin, powerless to stand up to it and resist it and defeat it. Don’t live as if life is out of control, and you have just cause to worry and fear and dread. Listen… The empty tomb changes everything! You couldn’t live up to God’s standards, so Jesus lived perfectly for you. You couldn’t break free from sin, so He set you free. You couldn’t atone for your transgressions, so Jesus died in your place. You couldn’t defeat death, so He conquered the grave so you too will rise. You couldn’t earn an eternal retirement, so He paid for your inheritance. You have become rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, kindness, favor, righteousness, love and hope because of what Jesus accomplished on your behalf. Because He lives, you can live too … abundantly in this world and eternally in the world to come. Because the Lamb of God was slain, rose again and the tomb is now empty, if you are trusting Him, you are a new person with a new eternity in your future, and new potential, new purpose, new power, new pleasure in Him for everyday life even now. When you and I live in this newness that Jesus purchased on the cross for us, we do so to bring glory to the Lamb of God who was slain for us, conquered sin and death for us, offers forgiveness and life to us, and has become a treasure to us. If you are trusting in Jesus, your life is full because the tomb is empty. He has risen as He said, and He will return as He said. Until He does… If you believe that Jesus is alive, then don’t live as if He’s still dead.
They Laid Jesus There
So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. – John 19:40-42
Confusion. Shock. Fear. Uncertainty. Heartbreak. Silence. When they laid the breathless, lifeless body of Jesus in the tomb, it must have seemed like their own breath and life had been drained from them. And when the stone was rolled into place, it must have looked like their hopes and fate were sealed inside with the One they had pinned their hopes on and trusted their fate to. They were discovering what we all discover… Things often won’t go as we planned them. Things often won’t work out like we hoped. Things often won’t happen as we thought they would. Things often won’t be as simple or easy or comfortable as we would like. Instead, things will break our hearts and leave us in stunned silence. But, in the hands and plans of God, our struggles are not setbacks, they are stepping stones. When we go through hard times, it’s not in the way of God’s plan; it is His plan. Our God is sovereign, and though the sinfulness of people, the brokenness of this world and the maliciousness of Satan all rise up to seemingly stop God’s work, He makes them bow down and serve His purposes! The story is never over … NEVER OVER … until God has claimed the final victory, for God is always working things out for good in the end. Struggles will be defeated. Suffering will be defeated. Sin will be defeated. Satan will be defeated. Death will be defeated. Every foe we will ever face will be overturned, overthrown and overcome because Jesus is putting and will put every enemy under His foot. Until then, we wait. But we wait in hope of better things. For we know the rest of the story that these disciples were about to experience first-hand… They laid Jesus there. But He would not lie there for long. They thought it was the end. But it was just the beginning. It was finished. But it was not over.
He Set His Face To Go To Jerusalem
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. – Luke 9:51
Jesus knew what awaited in Jerusalem. Unimaginable torment. Unthinkable anguish. Unspeakable evil. Unwarranted brutality. Unprecedented suffering. No one would ever face anything like what Jesus set His face to go to. He would absorb the wrath of God for our sins to secure the grace of God for our salvation so we could become the people of God for all eternity. He knew what was coming, but He didn’t avoid it. He didn’t bypass it. He didn’t stop it. He set his face towards it, locked eyeballs with it, and did not back away, back off or back down from it. He knew what Jerusalem meant for Him. He knew what Jerusalem would cost Him. But He was determined to complete the mission for which He came … to save sinners like you and me. So… The spotless Lamb of God headed for the place of His slaughter. The gruesomeness of that statement should grip you. So, let it. This was going to be an ugly, horrific scene that should rightly furrow our brows, sicken our stomachs, and stab our hearts because it was our sin that caused this sacrifice to be needed. He set His face to go to Jerusalem to suffer in our place, take the wrath we deserved, and be crushed for the weight of our sin. Oh, let us never take our sin lightly! The graciousness of that statement should also grip you. So, let it as well. This was going to be a beautiful, wonderful act of love that should make our eyes dance, make our faces smile, and make our hearts leap with joy because He was willing to do this for us. He set His face to go to Jerusalem to bring us from death into life, bring us into His family, and someday bring us into the very presence of God in heaven where there is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. Oh, let us never take our worship lightly! Jesus is our way out of hell and our way into heaven. No one comes to the Father except through Him. And no one would come through Him unless He went to Jerusalem.
