More Desirable Than Gold

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 1st John 5:3 (New American Standard Bible)

Following someone’s commands is seldom easy. I remember as a child when my mom would call me to supper with the statement, “Kenny, come in for supper and wash your hands off.” My daily reply to that became, “How will I eat if I wash my hands off?” It became quite a game. Her standard response was, “Oh, you know what I mean.” I sure am glad she never asked me to wash my face.

What about what Jesus’ commands to those who choose to follow Him? He is specific in how He phrases the subject. He didn’t pull any punches. He never said “Why do you call me Lord and not do what I recommend?” Commands are burdensome when they are not necessary or they are partial. The 19th century preacher, Charles G. Finney, said “No law is grievous which requires only that which is for our own good. This, our reason necessarily affirms.”1 The difference between being given a burdensome command as opposed to one that is a help is that the Lord is righteous and would never give me any command that would overwhelm or hurt me.

The secret of my living an abundant life in His commandments is simple. It is to live my life as He did and practicing His whole lifestyle. And if I choose not to do that then what is the alternative? A heavier yoke and dropping in the harness. He tells me to take His yoke upon me for He is humble and gentle and He will teach me what I need to learn. The commandments of the Lord are necessary to help me in my walk with God and completely fair in their intent for me for they are given for my highest good. They bring rest to the mind and buoyancy to the heart. King David summed up the righteousness of the Lord’s commandments in Psalm 19 when he said “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. It is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honeycomb.” Is my wish His command? On the contrary His command is my wish.


Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

1. Charles G. Finney, The Oberlin Evangelist, 21 June 1854

Only Batman Would Know

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30 (New American Standard Version)

Misunderstanding something someone says can be interesting at times if not downright funny. When my daughter worked for a local home improvement center in our town she told me of a lady who came into the store one day and asked one of the sales associates where she could find the Bat Trees. The young fellow looked at her like a tree full of hoot owls having no idea what she was talking about. After a moment of racking his brain he said, “Hmm, Bat Trees. I’m not sure. Let’s check with the people in Lawn and Garden.” He took the problem to another co-worker in that area saying, “This lady is looking for a Bat Tree.” The lady quickly chimed in and said, “No, not a Bat Tree, I want a batt’ry. You know, it’s electric with wires that will start my riding lawn mower.”

We don’t have a problem understanding Jesus when He speaks of His relationship with His Heavenly Father. He is just not a reflection of that Deity He is its exact representation (Hebrews 1:3). He is His Father’s Only Son. There is no other. To what other has He said “You are My Son, today I have begotten Thee”? There is no misinterpretation when Jesus states the heritage He has to God the Father as Son and Heir of all Things. He told Philip that if he saw Jesus he’d seen the Father. After His statement in today’s verse the religious leaders of His day had no problem understanding what He meant. They immediately threatened to stone Him to death. He asked for which good work they were going to do the deed. Their answer was, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

That leaves us little choice in how we see Jesus. If He wasn’t Lord then He was the biggest liar or lunatic who ever deceived people. And that opens another can of worms, so to speak. How could one uneducated person fulfill over 300 biblical prophecies from the Jewish Tanach (the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; the Hebrew Scriptures) and have His teachings spread all over the known world within 100 years after His death? The chance of any one man's fulfilling just 48 of the 300 prophecies is one in ten to the 157th power! And 2000 years later His teaching and power are still fresh, vibrant and relevant continuing to change hundreds of lives for the better every day. When Jesus Christ states His case there is no room for misunderstanding. Speaking of Bat Trees may be confusing and leave us with room to wonder but when Jesus says He and the Father are One it is obvious who He is and the strength of what that means to us through our faith in Him.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

The Day I Stumped Ben Franklin

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding? Isaiah 40:13, 14 (New American Standard Bible)

A few years ago I visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. As I took a tour of the Governor’s Palace my tour guide was dressed as Benjamin Franklin. He looked like the Founding Father even down to his round wire rimmed glasses. Before my small group began the tour our guide, after giving us a short discourse on Williamsburg in the 18th century, asked if we had any questions. Several folks asked him questions concerning the times which he answered with almost bored ease. Then Ken raised his hand. “Were people born in America allowed to be colonial governors or only British-born?” In asking this particular question I’d inadvertently thrown old Ben a curve. A look of panic flashed across his eyes. After a couple of seconds and a look that said he’d like to put me in the stocks, he finally shook his head and said, “No, only a British-born individual could be a colonial governor.” He’d been had and he knew it but to save face he had to say something. After all, he lived in the 18th century and who would know better than he? I’m sure when he got home later that day he found after researching the matter that men born in America could become colonial governors as in the case of Boston born Thomas Hutchinson who was the governor of colonial Massachusetts from 1771 to 1774.

I’m relieved that I can’t throw God any curves. He is never surprised by anything I say, do or think. It’s a relief that I never need to come into the presence of the living God and say “Oh man, Lord, I lost my temper today and raised my voice to my wife,” or “Lord, I let my eyes rest a few extra seconds on that girl wearing the shorts today.” He knows. He’s God. The wonderful thing is while He knows me and you He still loves us without condition. His knowing everything about us means He already knows our needs and has the knowledge and wisdom to act on our behalf, sometimes even before we ask. We will never surprise or stump Him with any question, statement or thought. In fact there are no pauses or raised eyebrows with Him toward any of us. Who has been His counselor or to who has He had to go for instruction? No one can surprise Him, especially the man who stumped Ben Franklin. I’m so glad for that.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

The Key

I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear allegiance. They will say of me only the Lord are righteousness and strength. Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame. Isaiah 45:23, 24 (New American Standard Version)

I heard it once said that the gates of hell are locked from the inside. While God does offer us an escape from our sins many do not want to take that narrow road choosing instead to run down an eight-lane highway to destruction.

But while the gates of hell try to prevail against Christ’s church His grace is a power to be reckoned with. God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalm 7:11) yet while everyone was yet sinners He sent His Son to die for us that we might be brought back into fellowship with Him (Romans 5:10). Because God is perfectly holy He hates sin perfectly and instead of hurling lightning bolts at us He sheds tears of grief over the refusal of the wicked to come out of their sin and to take His light and easy yoke upon them.

I am coming to a new appreciation of grace and exactly what it is and does for the human race. Grace is both getting what we don’t deserve and not getting what we have coming. God poured out His entire wrath toward sin onto Christ who took our penalty for what we had coming and in return put His righteousness on us (2nd Corinthians 5:21).

While God is a perfectly rounded personality He shows, among many of His attributes, both the abilities toward wrath at sin and tenderness. God is not willing that anyone should perish but that everyone should come to repentance (2nd Peter 3:9). While the Bible is silent about what those who reject Him will say on that final day when God reviews their life choices I wonder if the sorrow won’t be as much from the judgment but something more horrible. I believe those who are found outside of Jesus Christ on the Day will be stunned by His wonderfully beautiful, gracious and breathtaking Being. Will it be that the deepest sorrow of those outside of Christ will be looking upon God’s Only Begotten Son, fully aware of the beauty they rejected during their lifetimes? They will go into eternal separation with the memory of the Beautiful One they rejected as they turned the key to the gates of hell from the inside. It is not a pretty thought yet its message is evident throughout Scripture. Grace is indeed a power to be reckoned with. Its message offers new lives for old, beauty for ashes and an abundant life in Christ that can be lived right now. Every human who ever has lived or ever will was born with the key to the gates of hell in their hand. The choice is will it be used for its purpose or will it be tossed aside for the God of
Grace? Taking the easy yoke of Jesus is more satisfying and easier than turning a key.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

The Man Who Stopped God

And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many were sternly telling him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” Mark 10:47-49 (New American Standard Version)

The Jewish man Bartimaeus was not only blind he’d been reduced to begging to support himself. But even though this man was physically unable to see he had an inner vision that few of the folks around him had experienced. As he sat by the roadside day after day in his darkness he was looking for the One he knew would be sent by God to Israel. When this Anointed One showed up one day blind Bartimaeus immediately recognized Him and cried out to him for help. The many sighted folks around him told him to be quiet. Who there was truly blind? This blind man called out addressing Jesus by His Messianic title “Son of David.”

I really believe that Jesus was smiling when he told the people in the crowd to call the blind man to Him. As concerned as Jesus was for Bartimaeus’ physical condition that day His mission was to bring light to the man’s inner darkness. All the fear, frustration and estrangement from God and man Bartimaeus had experienced up to this moment were swept away in the excitement of coming to the Messiah. And God in His mercy and grace reached out and touched a blind beggar and healed his eyes so he could see.

For those of us who call on Jesus today we will find He is more than willing to stop and offer mercy. It may be to help us with a habit that is out of control, a temper we always seem to be losing or a situation that seems too large to overcome. Jesus is still Lord over all. He is constantly active in His universal power and might but He’s never too busy to stop and touch us when we cry out in our pain. Bartimaeus’ had a need and his call stopped God in His tracks and we can do the same. He stops and says, “Come to Me.” His merciful touch brings healing to our hearts and His presence light to our darkness.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Those Dirty Guys

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. Hebrews 11:1, 2 (New American Standard Version)

Abraham had a tendency towards being a liar (Genesis 12:13, 20:2), Jacob was a conniver and a thief taking advantage of his brother Esau to get the elder brother’s birth rite and later stealing his blessing (Genesis 25:30, 27:19), King David had a man murdered to cover his adultery with the man’s wife (2nd Samuel 11:15), the wicked king Manasseh led and encouraged Judah in idol worship (2nd Chronicles 33:13), Peter denied his Lord (Matthew 26:74), and before Saul became Paul he sanctioned the death of at least one Christian and was a respected leader in the persecution of the early church (Acts 8:1, Galatians 1:13). In the eyes of most people these trespasses would brand these fellows as a bunch of reprobates not to say some of them as outright criminals.

One thing I do know that as often as we pull away from obedience to the Lord grace for each one of us does much more abound (Romans 5:20). Grace is solid, overwhelming and always there for you and me. Abraham lied to Pharaoh and King Abimelech yet God made him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4), Jacob the thief and conniver became the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26). Manasseh repented and was restored to his throne ruling Judah for a total of 55 years (2nd Chronicles 33:13, 2nd Kings 21:1). Peter was restored to fellowship with the risen Christ (Mark 16:7). Paul became the chosen instrument to give the Gospel to the Gentile world (Galatians 1:15, 16).

The Lord God has been miscast by many as a cosmic killjoy or worse yet an impatient father ready to strike with fear, terror and punishment. In reality He is full of lovingkindnesses and graciousness to the point of blessing us in spite of ourselves, just like the men of old. As believers in Christ when others look at our mistakes and say “Why that dirty guy, “the Lord only sees His Son, living within us; His Son in whom He is well pleased. All He will say of us is, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Faith is trusting God will take care of us in all of our choices, even when we can be dirty guys. Grace to us is the incredible and finished work.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Snakes and Sticks

But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. Acts 28:3 (New American Standard Bible)

As a prisoner of Rome, Paul was being taken by ship to appeal his arrest to Caesar himself. On the way his ship encountered a fierce Mediterranean storm and was battered by winds and waves for two weeks. Finally the ship ran aground on the island of Malta and all 276 persons aboard survived. Soaked to the skin, cold and hungry the tired group was immediately taken under the care of the local Maltase who built fires to warm them and care for their needs. While gathering firewood, Paul was bitten on the hand by a poisonous snake. Paul shook the viper into the fire and went on as before showing no ill effects from the venomous bite. The locals were amazed.

For many years the miracle after the snake bite was the slant I gave the story when I read it; a miracle for Paul and a witness of God’s power to unbelievers. One day as I was sharing this with a friend he said in passing, “I think the real miracle was that the great Apostle Paul was gathering firewood and serving the needs of the others.” I chewed on that one for awhile and came to the conclusion my friend had been on to something there. Didn’t Jesus say to let the person who wanted to be the greatest be the servant of all (Luke 22:26)?

Great people expect to have done for them and not to condescend to any task below their station. The example of Paul humbling himself to gather wood for a fire was mirrored in the examples of Jesus as how the King of Glory humbly washed the feet of His disciples when they should have been kneeling at His; how Jesus humbly created a fire on a beach and cooked breakfast for them showing the True Servant’s Heart. Truly the ground at the foot of the cross is level. There are no superstars in the kingdom of God although there are some who think they are and expect that if firewood is to be gathered someone else ought to do it. There is more than just a calling to esteem others higher than ourselves; there is the example of our Lord Jesus Himself and the great men and women of faith who humbled themselves and displayed the greatest courage in being faithful in the menial tasks. A miracle healing from a snake bite or gathering sticks to warm and comfort others? In the eyes of Jesus I wonder which situation would give Him the greater pleasure. I think I know.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com