February 19, 2012 … The Legacy of Love

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 19-21 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Leviticus 19: 9-10; … 18 : … [Priestly Preparation for Atonement] … 9 "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.” >>> … 18 [After a series of specific laws from God to be followed by His chosen ones] … “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
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Matthew 22: 34-40; … 18 : … [Christ on the Legacy of Love] … 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” >>> 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [Deut. 6: 5] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Lev. 19: 18] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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John 13: 34-35 : … [Again, Christ on Our Legacy as Christians]… [Jesus] … 34 “A new command I give you: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’ 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

My Journal for Today: Today, God’s word jumped out at me from Leviticus 19 in my chronological reading plan, especially the passage I copied above from verses 9-10 and verse 18. It immediately reminded me of those passages in the New Testament where Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees and Sadducees to declare the greatest of God’s Law. And without hesitation, Jesus gave His Law of Love to the people, letting God’s people know exactly how they were to live and how this living would be a legacy of loving.

And that is the message we all need to contemplate, internalize, and live on a 24/7 basis. It is God’s commandment to a legacy of love for all of His children; and it comes right from the Old Covenant, fulfilled by Christ in the New Covenant. And in today’s passage in Leviticus, God, through Moses, even gave His chosen ones a word picture of how they (and we) should live their (our) lives. Note the instruction of Leviticus 19: 9-10 where God commanded how the people were to glean the harvest from the promised land, … but leaving the left-over fruit which was on the field from the harvest, as well as the fruit from the edges of the fields … so that those who were not as capable could come behind the workers and be able thrive from the gleanings of the fields.

And that was what – in essence – Jesus was saying to His attackers and followers in Matt. 22 and John 13 above. He was saying that we, as Christians, ought to be showing so much of God’s love to God’s people and all whose lives we touch that those who come after us will have plenty of God’s left-over love upon which they can thrive.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What is my legacy of God’s love?” What am I leaving in the fields for those who come after me? Am I living with such an abundance of God’s love that all who know me can thrive on the leavings of God’s love from harvest of living in my life?

If you were to write in a word – or at most, a short phrase – on a 3X5 card what others can – or will – glean from your legacy of God’s love in your life, … what would you write? In my attempt to declare my legacy of God’s love in a word, I think I would write “ALOGOSPHOBIA” on my card, which is a word I made up to describe my obsessive-compulsive fear of not having God’s word in my life.

Before I was a Christian, I was driven by a fear of not having love and physical affection imparted to me by others; and that fear drove me to try to pursue God’s love in all the wrong places, mostly through the selfish pursuit of sexual pleasures. But when Christ came into my life and I sampled His fruit of love through His word, I couldn’t (and still can’t) get enough of it. And I began to see that God’s Spirit had replanted a new compulsion in my life and that is the obsessive drive to go deep into God’s word. That’s why I’m here this morning, digging into God’s truth and trying to find the fruit of His love; … and that’s where I get my LOVE FIX every day from God. AND, my friend, I will pray below that those who come after me will find and develop the same drive to find God’s love in their lives through His word.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, my others, especially my family, catch the love-bug from Your word, and take enough from the fields I harvest from You through Your truth to be able to live their lives with Your love. Amen

February 12, 2012 … God’s Into The Details

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Exodus, Chapters 39-40 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Exodus 39: 32; 42-43 … : … [Doing God’s Kingdom Work] … 32 So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. >>>
42 The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
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EXODUS 40: 1-2; 16-17; … : … [God Says It! – Moses Does it!] … 1 Then the LORD said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. >>>
16 Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him. 17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.

My Journal for Today: I just read through Chapters 39-40 of Exodus; and one thing, documented by the few verses above which I’ve copied/pasted into this journal entry for your study, just jumped out at me; and that point is reflected by the title above: God’s Into The Details!

If you’re reading along with me, let me quote another verse – this one from the NT – which reflects my title point today and this inexorable biblical truth. Jesus said it; and we need to internalize it (from Matt. 10: 29-30): … Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Yes, the God Who saved me is into the details of my life.

He cared enough for His wandering children, the Israelites, that He gave – through Moses – extremely detailed and elaborate instructions on exactly how to build a Tabernacle for Him where He could be with His children, … protect them, guide them, and love on them. And at least here – in this place and in this time – God’s chosen people listened to their God – through their Pastor, Moses - and they did things exactly as God instructed them to do.

Okay, I think this point need not be drawn out and exacted with any more of my wordiness. God shows us the way; and, of course, we do it?

Got it? … GOT IT? … GOT IT?!!

No, … I’m afraid I don’t got it!! … Yes, I do try; but so, so often … I know God’s way and His will; … even having His Word to shine a light on my path; and what do I do? I go off and do it my way rather than following His instructions to the “Nth” detail. I’m just going to leave it here for today; because if I were a betting man, I would wager that any of you readers following along with me have some “fessin-up” to do with regard to being totally and utterly obedient to God’s will for your life – maybe even something you need to own up to right here and now.

But let’s take heart from the truth of 1st John 1: 9, which I hope you have memorized. If not, please go look it up, … be encouraged, and do your “fess-up” to the Lord … right here and now.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, again I pray as I do so often – shine Your light on my path - way brightly - so that I can’ t help but see Your way through the wilderness of life. Amen

January 29, 2012 … When Forgiveness is Real

Genesis 47: 1-6: … [The Real Deal] ... 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

My Journal for Today: Perhaps you may have been in a relationship in your life when someone surprised you with their expression of love or concern by forgiving you. Perhaps you had wronged someone; and the one you wronged showed you a display of forgiveness which you may not have deserved and certainly didn’t expect. As we read through the life of Joseph, we remember how God brought his brothers back into his life and how he forgave them. He even had the opportunity to gain a measure of revenge over the brothers who had sold him into slavery, some of whom had even plotted to kill him; but he shocked the brothers with his expressions of love for them. And at the time it happened, it did seem real; but then there was their father, Jacob (aka, “Israel”) who was still alive. So, maybe Joseph’s forgiveness, as the brothers had experienced it, was just Joseph being that way as an expression of love for Jacob.

Therefore, years later, when Jacob died, the brothers were confronted with the grief of their brother, Joseph, for Jacob; and they became fearful that perhaps Joseph would exact a delayed reaction of revenge for what the brothers had done years earlier to their young brother, Joseph. But the story reveals that Joseph’s forgiveness was the real deal along with his genuine love for his family.

I hope we all have released any/all feelings of anger or bitterness for any past injustices or ill-begotten actions perpetrated on us by anyone in our past. Joseph’s real forgiveness for his brothers was a picture of the love shown by Jesus, Whom we know held nothing but forgiveness in His heart for those who had nailed Him to the cross; and my friends, do you remember that our sins, mine and yours, were the actions that nailed Jesus to that tree at Golgotha? And as He was dying for mankind, He said to His heavenly father on that cross, ”Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Really, all we need to remember – or learn – from this passage today is to make our forgiveness REAL DEAL forgiveness, holding on to no animosity or residual bitterness. And if any of you, who might be reading along with me, have someone in your life whom you need to let go of any past bitterness and forgive them – for real, I pray that we’ll do just that.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank You for purging any/all of those past feelings of revenge or anger towards anyone. And thank YOU, my Jesus, for Your forgiveness of my past, present, and future sins. Amen

July 26, 2011 … Add Brotherly Kindness

Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 7a [NIV – see verse in bold] … 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7a and to godliness, brotherly kindness; …

My Journal for Today: Yesterday we saw, from 2nd Peter 1, how the building of fruitfulness in the life of a true Christian moves from faith, adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, and unto Godliness (the Greek term, “eusebeia”). And in today’s addition, we see how godliness becomes “brotherly kindness,” which is a Greek term we Americans can recognize as “philadelphia,” the Greek from which we get the name of our City of Brotherly Love.

“Philadelphia” for the Greeks and those of the 1st century (and it still is today!) was/is the love of true friends. I’ve referred many times in my devotional journaling to the charge from Jesus (in John 13: 35) that observers would know that He (Christ) was in the heart of a believer when (and only when) that Christian developed and exhibited love to his family, friends, and especially to abject strangers [or even enemies]. Jesus taught that others see Himself in the life of a believer who can show real love to others [i.e., “philadelphia”], especially his enemies [which is the “agape” variety we’ll learn about tomorrow – yes, I read ahead ;) ].

If you claim to be a Christian, as do I, we will have the fruit of love in our hearts (see the first one on Paul’s list in Gal. 5: 22-23), which will first be exhibited in an outreach of love to others (i.e., the ‘philadelphia’ of today’s verse). So, check yourself out on God’s “philadelphia index” …

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>>> Do you find yourself drawn with concern to others, especially the “unlovable?”
>>> Do you converse with others about deeper issues – not just surface talk?
>>> Do you find yourself sharing your time, talents, treasures with others?
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If you are doing these things [or at least sincerely desiring to pursue them], you are a “phildelphia” kind of guy or gal! And if this is the case, take heart and praise God … because this quality in you is a true sign of your salvation and the enabling grace of God’s Spirit in your heart. Take it from a natural loner, who still struggles to reach out at times. I now find myself really caring for the needs of others and being convicted when I don’t reach out to help in some way. In my former agnostic life, I could easily look the other way, without any remorse, when I saw someone in need where I could help. Back then, it took little to shun their needs aside. But now God won’t let me do that – even if my still sinful heart would like to.

When you’re saved, you slowly grow into that new creature written of in 2nd Cor. 5: 17, and that is one who will reach out in “philadelphia” love to others. So, the next time you reach out to someone with a helping spirit, tell them that you’re doing some “Philadelphia Christian” work for God.

My Prayer Today: Thank you, Lord, for the love I have from other Christians. Amen

July 6, 2011 … The Love of God

Passage of the Day: Romans 5: 5 – 8 … 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

My Journal for Today: If one believes what the Apostle Paul is saying in today’s passage, as I do, he or she has to be bursting with assurance and gratitude. That word picture Paul uses in [Rom. 5: 5 in bold and underlined above for emphasis] … of God pouring out His love into the heart of any repentant, believing sinner drives me to want to share that love with others, especially to Christians who have trouble understanding or walking in faith with their salvation. You may or may not be one of those; but if you are, maybe this devotional was given to me on this day just for you.

The term “poured out,” also translated “shed forth” in the KJV, is the Greek word “ekcheo,” which according to John MacArthur’s Strength for Today and my study from Strong’s Greek Concordance in the Blue Letter Bible online program, means to burst forth in abundance as if a dam had burst and water was pouring forth from the breech in the dam. And though we, as sinners (see Rom. 3: 23, which you probably have memorized – our should) have hearts dammed up by evil/deceit (see Jer. 17: 9), God was willing to break the dam blocking my receipt of His love and to pour His love into a heart like mine by the shedding of Christ’s blood (you simply must put Rom. 5: 8 into your heart and, of course, John 3: 16, two of the most hopeful and helpful verses in all of the NT).

As the contemporary song declares, “Amazing love, how can it be … that my King would die for me?!” And it is that love, bursting forth from His heart into mine, that now can be shared with confidence with others. It is the expression in a believer’s life, like mine, of another great memory verse (Eph. 2: 10). The flow of God from my sinner’s heart, made right by God, at times just gushes forth [again in the Greek, “ekcheo”] as I’m just compelled to share my faith or God’s truth with others. But because it is God’s love and not my own, one can see how I would feel so compelled.

May we, who call ourselves “Christians,” always allow God’s love to “ekcheo” from our hearts whenever we encounter an unbeliever who is lost or a believer who is waning in faith.

My Prayer Today: Your love courses from me, Lord. Amen

PS - Blogger’s Note: You’ll note several verses in today’s entry to which I’ve expressed the hope that you have them memorized, internalized, and personalized in your hearts. I can’t tell you how important it is to have these and many other verses/passages captured in your mind/heart. But if you do a meditation/study of all of Psalm 119, you will come away with the power and import of God’s word and an understanding of my drive to memorize God’s word.

February 22, 2011 … Being Merciful

Passage of the Day: Luke 6: 36 … [Jesus] “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

My Journal for Today: If you are a saved Christian reading this, I would assume, like myself, you aspire to Christlikeness. Well, most certainly, when it comes to the quality of mercy, Christ, the God-Man, was our model of mercy; and in today’s verse, He flat-out commands His followers to be merciful like His Father was/is merciful.

Yes, being merciful was Christ’s “M.O.,” for sure. Often, in the gospel accounts, we read of Him healing those who came to Him (for example - see Matt. 20: 30, 34). And The Messiah also showed spiritual mercy by forgiving sins (see Luke 5: 18 – 25), which drove the Pharisees wild because, to them, only God could forgive sins; and they simply could not see that Jesus, proclaiming the forgiveness of sins, was truly God being merciful to save sinners. And of course, one of the clearest examples of Christ’s mercy came on the cross as He forgave those who put him to death, which, of course was you and me (see Luke 23: 34).

So, with Christ both modeling God’s mercy and commanding us to be merciful, we should reach out physically, emotionally, and spiritually when we see others in need and be merciful (see John’s exhortation in 1st John 3: 18 …

SCRIPTURE: 1st John 3: 18 … Dear children [i.e., followers of Christ], let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

And one of the most merciful acts we can offer – especially to the lost – would be to witness and share our faith with them. Think about it! If we have an acquaintance, friend, or loved one whom we perceive is headed to hell, the most merciful thing we can do is to share the Gospel truth with our testimony; and God promises that we will have Spirit-given power in doing so (see Acts 1: 8). The lost must choose Christ; but we must MERCIFULLY share Him with them in love with the love of God (see Matt. 28: 19 - 20, the Great Commission).

And if we see a Christian who is clearly involved in a pattern of sin, blocking or damaging that one’s relationship with Christ, we are commanded to help restore him, mercifully and lovingly, to a healthy and growing relationship with his/her Savior (see Gal. 6: 1). It is God’s mercy, being doled out to others, Christian or non-Christian, which demonstrates the reality of Christ’s Spirit working in and through a true, born-again believer. Certainly, it’s easier for one to extend mercy when that one has the Spiritual gift of mercy; but as we read in today’s command from Jesus, it is the responsibility of ALL His followers to be merciful, especially as we are transformed into Christlikeness.

So, TODAY, will you join me in a pledge to be as sensitive as we can be to those who need God’s mercy, especially to the lost or those who are drifting away from Christ? Join me in a commitment to reach out and to be Christ, TODAY, to that person. Let’s pray, as I will do so below, for a divine appointment TODAY to show mercy from God, through us, TODAY. And perhaps that one whom God may bring into our path will find God’s mercy TODAY as we are enabled and empowered to share the Lord’s mercy TODAY.

My Prayer Today: Lord, I humbly pray that You would help me, and anyone reading here with me, to show Your mercy to someone this very day. Amen

February 21, 2011 … God’s Merciful Grace

Passage of the Day: 1st Peter 1: 3 [note bold/underlined portion] … Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, …

My Journal for Today: For the last two days I’ve focused on God’s amazing grace. Now, from today’s passage, the Apostle Peter helps us see God’s wondrous mercy which is imparted through His grace; and both God’s mercy and grace are qualities which spring from God’s infinite love for His children, … yes, even for His created children who, like myself for many years, become pitiful creatures bonded to sin. God has seen our pathetic condition as sinners; and He has lovingly and faithfully crafted a plan, not only to save us but to take us from the death of sin to the eternal life of sainthood. And that is not only in Heaven … but in this life as well. Now that’s mercy!

But as I just said, God’s mercy does not end with salvation. It means that God’s Spirit will sanctify us from gory into glory … God reshaping his broken children [yes, that’s you and me!] into the image of our Savior. That’s what Paul wrote about to the church (and to us) in Ephesians 2: 1- 5 and Titus 3: 4 - 5 …

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2: 1-5 … As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved.
SCRIPTURE: Titus 3: 4-5 … But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, …

And according the Old Testament truth of Lamentations 3: 22 – 23, these grace-offered mercies are “new every morning” from the faithfulness of God. It is His mercy which provides continual cleansing from our sin, repented in humility (1st John 1: 9). And as the writer of Hebrews attests, we can forever draw near to God’s throne of grace with confidence to receive God’s mercy and to find His grace in our time of need (see Hebrews 4: 16).

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 4: 16 … Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Think of it! Every day – nay, every moment … any of us, who know Christ as Savior and Lord, can draw nigh and have all of God’s mercy we can receive. Wow [!], … how special is that?!

My Prayer Today: I come, Lord … humbled to receive your grace and mercy today. Amen

February 18, 2011 … God’s Sacrificial Love

Passage of the Day: John 3: 16 … For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

My Journal for Today: In John MacArthur’s exposition of God’s character this month in Strength for Today, he has been looking at God’s character of love in the past few days. Yesterday we saw that Godly love is unconditional, yet confrontational (as to our sin). Today, in this very familiar verse spoken by Jesus, which you probably know by heart, we see that God’s love is sacrificial.

In the Old Testament, we read from Isaiah’s prophesy about the Messiah, how our Lord would carry the grief of the world as He sacrificed for all mankind (see Is. 53: 4 [linked]). And the Apostle Paul carried this theme of sacrificial love into his teachings about how we, as Christians, must live and love for others before self (see Gal. 6: 2), thereby fulfilling God’s law of love.

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 6: 2 … Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Every time I read this verse I’m convicted about how lacking in sacrifice my love for others is offered at times and how conditional it can become with my expectations for recompense as I offer to help others. Praise God for His mercy in the face of my self-driven “love!”

Sacrificial love, of course, was always the teaching of Jesus; and He modeled it so convincingly and perfectly for all mankind. He commanded ALL His disciples, not just the original twelve, to love one another, even including our enemies (see Luke 6: 35). And His command of love becomes infinitely tougher when He said to believers that we’re to expect nothing in return. However, in the greatest sacrifice of all, for anyone who receives the free-offering of God’s cross-bearing love, God is willing to give nothing less than the greatest reward of all … Heaven.

Is that not the deal of a lifetime?

I believe that those who really “get this” and demonstrate lives of “living sacrifice” (as Paul wrote about in Rom 12: 1); … to these, I believe, God will bestowed the greatest rewards in Heaven. As Jesus taught, the least shall be the greatest [Matt. 23: 11-12]. So, I’ve got a long way to go when it comes to my love quotient … to choose to be humbled as a servant as I show God’s love to others … prayerfully more today than yesterday and even more tomorrow than today.

My Prayer Today: And so, I pray, Lord that You help me grow in Your love as I choose to love others before self. Amen

February 17, 2011 … God’s Unfailing Love

Passage of the Day: 1st John 4: 8 … Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

My Journal for Today: It is utterly true, as the Apostle declared in today’s highlight text, that “God is love.” And I hope we all know that it is God’s very nature to be loving. However, we cannot take this in a one dimensional context, saying that because God’s love is unconditional, God will accept our sin nature, and especially our sinful behaviore, in His sight. We must always remember that God ALWAYS loves the sinner; but He also ALWAYS hates sin.

So, God’s nature, being love, has two dimensions; and the first of these is the UNCONDITIONAL nature of His Fatherly love. Romans 5: 8, probably as well as any other scripture, spells out God’s unconditional love in the face of our sin nature …

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5: 8 … But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You probably know John 3: 16 by heart, which along with Rom. 5: 8 above, states that God was willing to sacrifice and die on a cross s0 that you and me, as sinners, may live eternally. Jesus taught about the extending of God’s unconditional love in Luke 6: 32 – 36 …

SCRIPTURE: Luke 6: 32-36 … [the teaching of Jesus] If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

It’s easy to show our love, even our human, brotherly love (Greek = “philadelphia”) to the lovable. But to the unlovable, we begin to see how God’s unconditional love (Greek = “agape”) is not easy to produce in our human will. In fact, I believe that one, especially a non-believer, cannot possibly extend “agape” to another through the natural will. It takes a supernatural surrender of one’s will to God, so that GOD can extend His hand of love through the believer to the unlovable, … yes, even to our enemies, … as Jesus described (above in Luke 6: 35). Now that’s real-deal “tough love” … God’s type of love.

And we must also never forget the second attribute of Godly love; and that is its ever present confrontation with sin. Note the instruction of love involved in Hebrews 12: 5 - 6, where the author quotes from Prov. 3: 11, 12 …

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12: 5-6 … And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son." [Prov. 3: 11,12]

If any of you, reading here with me, are parents, you know how tough it is to confront ungodly, wrongful behavior in your child. But the confrontation with evil must take place; and it takes place in the context of the love that drives the confrontation. As John MacArthur puts it in Strength for Today, … “True love doesn’t indulge unrighteousness; it confronts it.”

God’s love, through His Spirit, indwelling the hearts of believers, ever confronts our sin; and we feel it in the form of conviction of conscience and healthy, revealing guilt. That is God confronting our sin nature by His love and our loving, Heavenly Father drawing us, through His prevenient grace, to Himself.

So, as we look at God’s nature of love further in the next few days, we need to ask ourselves whether the love we choose to offer (and love is always a choice – not a feeling) is unconditional and whether it is appropriately confrontational. If so, God is in our love and He will be glorified as it is offered to others in His Name.

My Prayer Today: Lord, let my love, offered to others, be Your love. Amen

February 16, 2011 … The Comfort of God’s Omniscience

Passage of the Day: John 21: 17 … The third time He [Jesus] said to him [Peter], "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love Me?" He said, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you."

My Journal for Today: Like the impetuous Apostle, Peter, in my past I’ve been a stumbler … yes, even in denial of Christ. I’ve done things that exhibit my mockery of God. But today’s verse shows that Peter was restored of confidence in His Savior and Lord … in God’s omniscience. And we all can share in that confidence that God knows everything about each and every one of us.

It may seem at times that we are lost in insignificance, especially when we are isolating ourselves in sin or disobedience from God or unGodly habits. But as God declared through Malachi to His people, God knows His children AND He will save them … see Malachi 3: 17 …

SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3: 17 … "They will be Mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.”

David wrote of his remorse over his sin, desiring that God spare him [see Psalm 56:8] …

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 56: 8 … Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll — are they not in Your record?

But Jesus declares (in John 6: 37) that He will never let any in His flock be lost …

SCRIPTURE: John 6: 37 … “All that the Father gives me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.”

So, as a formerly lost and now found child of God, my Good Shepherd, even knowing my deceitful heart (see Jer. 17: 9) will never cast me out of His flock; and He will never leave me, nor forsake me [see Heb. 13: 5]. And it is greatly comforting knowing, in my heart of hearts, that my God is all knowing and that there is nothing about be of which He does not know … and yet, He still loves me!

Therefore, just like Peter [in today’s verse], I can declare with assurance, “Lord, You know all things; and so, You know I love You.”

My Prayer Today: I love You, Lord! Amen

February 15, 2011 … God Knows Everything

Passage of the Day: Psalm 147: 5 … Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.

My Journal for Today: Today, again with the help of John MacArthur’s Strength for Today, we focus on God’s omniscience; and in today’s verse, the Psalmist declares that God’s “… understanding has no limit (i.e., is infinite).” Translation for personal application: GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING! And we either believe, as did Isaiah, that no one knows more than God (see Is. 40: 13 – 14], or we don’t. In that passage, Isaiah asks … Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? 14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?

And the answer to Isaiah’s inquiry, of course, is NO ONE!

This, of course means [to me] that God knows my every thought (see Is. 66: 18a); and nothing is darkness to my God (see Ps. 139: 12). It means that there is no place for me to hide from God’s omniscience (see Ps. 139: 7). Hopefully, - and prayerfully – this truth can and will be a deterrent to sin in my life. And, in fact, the more I come to know my Lord, mostly through His word, I am more and more aware that, even though Christ paid the penalty for my sin, God still judges sin (see below Eccl. 12: 14), and because of His love for me, He will convict or discipline me for any sin I commit (see below Heb. 12: 5 – 11).

SCRIPTURE: Eccl. 12: 14 … God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
SCRIPTURE: Heb. 12: 5-11 … And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." [ quote taken from Prov.3:11-12] 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, I would hope that anyone who reads my journal today, as I express this from my heart, … we all can agree that our hope lies in the power of God (see John 6: 40 below), Who’s all-knowing Spirit will raise me (us) one day just as God, the Father, did for His Son, our Savior, to eternal life and our position as co-heir to His throne.

SCRIPTURE: John 6: 40 Jesus Speaking “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Again, I declare with the younger generation of believers … “Is this not just too cool!!!”

My Prayer Today: Lord, You know my every sin. Help me to know clearly when I do it … so that I won’t repeat it! Amen

January 24, 2011 … Forebearing Love

Passage of the Day: Ephesians 4: 1-2 [see bold/underlined portion] – As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

My Journal for Today: Okay, my fellow Christian, … if you are coming along with me and you haven’t been challenged or charged by the studies of Ephesians 4: 1 – 3 this month, then you, if you are like me, will likely be convicted today. The phrase under the scope of truth today from the Apostle’s letter to the Ephesians is “… bearing with one another in love;” and we first look at the term “bearing with [NIV],” which is the Greek term, “anechomai,” which could be translated “forebearing” as well [seen in the KJV] or “showing tolerance for [as in the NASB].” And when one combines that concept with the object term “agape,” that is, “forebearing with one another in love [KJV],” we have one of the most challenge commands in scripture to walk in worthiness to our Lord’s example [remember the command that Christians are to have attitudes like Christ – Phil. 2: 5].

We certainly know that “agape” love is one of the pre-eminent characteristics of God (see John 3: 16); and it’s the kind of love that covers all sins (Prov. 10: 12 and 1st Peter 4: 8) …

>>> SCRIPTURE: Prov. 10: 12 … Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
>>> SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 4: 8 … Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

And the word picture, Paul is using, “anechomai” paired with “agape,” is the idea of the Christian throwing a blanket (i.e., a covering) of God’s love over the sin we perceive or encounter when dealing with others. Another word picture would be like covering a fire with a thick blanket for as long as it takes to smother the flames. John MacArthur, from his devotional, Strength for Today, says, “[forebearing love] … is unconquerable benevolence and invincible goodness; (and) it is completely selfless.”

I don’t know about you; but that is one God-shaped challenge to ask us, in living up to Christ’s command, to die to self (or selfishness) and follow Him (see Luke 9: 23); but it’s exactly what Jesus taught (turning to Matt. 5: 43 – 45) …

>>> SCRIPTURE: Matt. 4: 43 … "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

And wrapped up in these word of Jesus on the Mount, we have an attitude (i.e., forebearing love) to which we should continually ascribe and achieve to bring ourselves into Christlikeness in a world on fire with hatred, desperately needing a blanket of God’s love.

Wow, this surrender and commitment to Christ is certainly no easy walk in the park; is it?

My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to carry your blanket of love to put out fires when they erupt in my life. Amen

January 11, 2011 … Worthy Examples to the World

Passage of the Day: Hebrews 13: 1 [NIV] – Keep on loving each other as brothers.

Hebrews 13: 1 – [NASB] – Let love of the brethren continue.

My Journal for Today: If you’re reading this as a Christian, have you noticed that it’s not easy to follow the exhortation of today’s verse at times? And I don’t mean to insult your intelligence; but have you also noted that some people, including Christians, are eminently unlovable? Both Peter and Paul knew this when they penned these verses in their Epistles …

>>> SCRIPTURE: 1st Peter 1: 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
1st Thes. 4: 9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

Both Apostles recognized that we, as Christians, can do more when it comes to receiving and developing the first fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22), and that is love. It often [well, maybe ALWAYS] takes a concerted surrender to God’s Spirit, receiving what enabling grace He has to give us in terms of God’s love, to fulfill these challenges above … as well as Paul’s admonition in Phil. 2: 3-4 …

>>> SCRIPTURE: Phil. 2: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

And note, as we said in an earlier devotion during this month from 1Pet. 5: 6 [linked], it is HUMILITY that is the key to being able to express God’s love, especially when our sin nature would rather have us be self protective, selfish, or arrogant [i.e., prideful]. So often we think of and act on love as a feeling rather than realizing and living on the truth that love is a choice. And besides, humility is one of those choices we must activate from an attitude of surrender to God; and to say the least, that is not an easy thing for us from our humanity as creatures who’ve inherited our sin nature from Adam.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I declare strongly from my own testimony/witness, we cannot love others, showing our Christianity to the world, as Christ commanded [see below], without being surrendered in humility before God’s throne of grace. Only God’s grace gives us the ability to love the unlovable. Therefore, when we can and do express God’s love, especially to the unlovable … and the world sees that, many times not understanding it, they see Christ loving others through us. Again, see God’s commands from John 13: 34 – 45 …

>>> SCRIPTURE: 1st John 13: 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

This loving business can be tough stuff for me, seemingly always tempted by my basic nature to withhold or to avoid loving others, especially those where such choices to love are risky. But I love my Lord; and He commands me to love others. Not only that, He gives me – by His grace - what I need in temptation to overcome my base nature [see 2nd Peter 1: 3 – 4]. It is also the promise of other passages from God’s truth, like 1Cor. 10: 13, 2nd Cor. 12: 9, and 2nd Tim. 1: 7 (check these out yourself and maybe even memorize them, if God so leads you).

So, we, as Christians, really have no excuse;… do we? And, … ouch! That hurts! … Perhaps today I ought to seek out someone in my life, … a Christian who’ve I’ve had trouble loving; and just choose to do something to show God’s love in some way. But will I? That’s the question.

My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to love when I want to leave. Amen

2010 – December 18 – When Scruples Become Unscrupulous

Study from God’s Word… The entire letter from Paul to Titus … Passage for Reflection: Titus 1: 15 … NIV To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

My Journal for Today: Reading the title above, it may seem somewhat nonsensical. We generally think that “having scruples” is a good thing when it denotes one pausing or having doubts about what is perceived to be bad choices or behaviors. But just because someone balks at behavior cannot automatically be judged as GOOD scruples, especially when the judgments are based upon ignorance, miscalculations, or miscommunications.

In today’s highlight text, Paul was warning his protégé, Titus, who was in Crete dealing with a number of Jews who were teaching spurious doctrines about Judaism which perverted the concept of grace in The Gospel. Therefore, their “scruples” had become unscrupulous; and they were confusing the believers in the church in Crete, teaching that they, especially the Gentiles there, must conform to Jewish religious traditions as a sign of their salvation.

Today, in his devotional, LaGard Smith, asks, "Are my high standards of virtue matched by an equally high sense of God’s grace?" And this is always a balancing act for Christians, isn’t it? How do we maintain Godly truth and exercise Godly grace simultaneously? Jesus was the model of balance when it came to truth and grace; and we, as His disciples, certainly strive to emulate His balance. BUT to say the least; … it can be tough at times!

In today’s socio-political arena, we see those living the so-called “gay” lifestyle and claiming it is normal and healthy. And there are people, calling themselves, “christian,” who scrupulously claim that these people are behaving abominably; and these “christians” will not have anything to do with those who call themselves “gay christians.” And where in all of this finger pointing and hate-speech is God’s grace being exercised? Is this not an example of “scruples becoming unscrupulous?”

Where is the love and the grace of God being exercised when so-called “christians” point fingers at misguided homosexuals, calling them “queers” or “faggots?” How will God’s truth be heard or received when our scruples, as Christians, make the light of truth invisible to those who need it so desperately? And also, … how can the light of God’s truth be visible when, because of excessive grace, it’s never taken from under a bushel and shone, …again, to those who so desperately need it? Oh, the dilemma of seeking a balance between grace and truth!

As Dr. Smith writes, "… the danger is either being so “grace-filled” that we relegate all scruples to the realm of personal opinion; … or – like those Jewish legalists [with whom Titus was dealing] – being so lacking in grace that we call “unclean” what God has made clean."

But, you are probably asking, at this moment, how does that statement apply to the situation of dealing with homosexuals in our world today? Because, as your scruples [and mine] may dictate, homosexuality is so clearly a sin-ridden lifestyle; and so, how can we, as Christians, therefore show God’s love, in witnessing truth to lost people who are living as homosexuals and still try to witness the truth and light of God’s word to them?

And that my friends is one of those ever potent and powerful conundrums of our day; and though I’d like to pontificate Godly wisdom and clear direction here, my fellow Christian; I’m afraid you’ve latched on to the wrong teacher/Pastor here. I’m still trying to walk that social tightrope and find the right balance these days. And when I get all the answers, I’ll be right here to tell you about them.

Until then, I’ll keep trying to grow into Christlikeness and be as much like our Lord was in dealing with sinners who were lost and living in the darkness of their own sin.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me be like You, shining Your Light into the darkness of this world, yet always standing in/for the truth. Amen

2010 – September 11 – A God Who Longs for Us

Study from God’s Word… Job, Chapters 11 – 14 … Passage for Reflection: Job 14: 14 – 15 … NIV 14 If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. 15 You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.

My Journal for Today: The date cries out death to all who remember those bodies flying out of those burning Trade Center windows on this fateful date. And for a few months thereafter the churches were filled with many who had not graced the pews of God’s houses as they finally had to look into the mirror of their own mortality, facing the inevitable … that we only have one life to live in this world. And many people who had not wanted to contemplate this stark reality were finally jolted, by 9/11, out of their states of denial and into a hopeful longing that there might be something after the grave; and perhaps “the church” might be the place to find that hope.

But then again, after another few months past, the very human condition of pride and personal denial set back in; and the people drifted back into their comfort zone of denial and defensiveness; and the church attendance drifted back to the same levels as before 9/11. Wow; even 9/11 could not jolt the collective consciousness of the human mind who just doesn’t want to face what Job was facing in his troubles and from the sanctimonious teachings of his friends.

Yes, when we face the stench or the sight of death head-on, we’re forced to look at life and ponder the after-life in a different way. Someone who reads this may have heard that horrible 9/11-type pronouncement … “CANCER!” And all of a sudden the very real possibility that this life may be winding down to its end is right there in front of us. But the reality is that you or I may not live until tomorrow; and really, every day we ought to be contemplating the questions in today’s text, raised by Job before God.

And my friend, I hope you’ve answered those questions with another stark reality, which is what Jesus Christ did for all of us on that cross on Calvary; and what God did, in raising our Lord from the grave to show us victory over death, sin, and destruction in our lives. And think of that last pronouncement of Job’s to his God: You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.

One day, God will call us out of this life … to be with Him … or NOT! And we know from God’s word (remember Christ’s parable of the prodigal) that God waits longingly for those of us who’ve repented of our sin to come home to Him. Yes, we, who believe in Christ, don’t have to worry about some 9/11 in our lives, do we? God is waiting for me, and prayerfully, you … lovingly and longingly! What a thought that is; and it tempers the realities and the pains of anything this life might involve; … yes, even 9/11 disasters. Oh, how I pray that any 9/11 moment in your life will simply remind you of a loving Father waiting for you with His open arms, even running to you to embrace His child for eternity.

My Prayer for Today: Oh, Lord, it may be 9/11; but You wait for all who know You as Lord and Savior. Amen

2010 – Day 13. Jan. 13 – Working Too Hard At Love

Study from Genesis 29 – 30; Passage for Reflection: Genesis 29: 34… NIV Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons."

My Journal for Today: When one reads of the ancient soap-opera-like story of Laban and Jacob deceiving one another; and then the two daughters of Laban, Jacob’s two wives, doing all they can to win a war of the womb, it illustrates what mankind will do in the so-called name of “LOVE.” And when I read Genesis 29 – 30 this morning, I harkened back to that old saying, “Oh the web we weave when we practice to deceive.”

And F. LaGard Smith’s self-inventory/application at the end of his devotional for today is one all Christians need to ask ourselves. He writes as a mirror into which I can see myself, ”Am I operating under the [self] deceptive premise that the more I work at pleasing God, the more He will love me?” Just recently I was led to launch a 40 day effort to develop or implant a number of disciplines [i.e., repeated behaviors] which I felt were God-led habits which could/would help me to go deeper into a more intimate relationship with Christ. However, I truly am not deluding myself to think that God loves me any more or less because I check off the behaviors/choices on my list or when I fail to do them. I truly hope that I’m not choosing to do these things to try to get God to love me any more as Rachel and Leah were competing for Jacob’s favor by having child after child.

No, my 40 days of purpose, here at the outset of the new year, is a pro-active surrender to those elements of good or Godly living which I believe will help me know my God more intimately, love Him more deeply, obey Him more readily, serve Him more willingly, and then to humbly receive His grace from this process. And I fully recognize that God’s grace (i.e., His love) will come; but I have no idea in what form it will take. It may even be in my Lord giving more challenges in life so that I can grow closer to my Lord rather than more “warm and fuzzies” to make me feel good. I seek my God’s blessing; but I know it will be there for me whenever I seek for His love in my surrender … not my performance.

I hope none of you, … any who may be reading here, are doing “religious stuff” or working overboard just to be good to show off your love to God. Or do we get the message from my sharing here today … that we cannot earn God’s love with the things we do? Nor can we drive God’s love away by what we don’t do or that we do selfishly. God’s love for us is always there; and His grace will be there when our obedience to His will in our humility opens His treasure chest of providence for us [I hope you know from your heart what the truth from Phil. 4: 19, 2nd Cor. 12: 9, James 4: 6, and 1st Peter 5: 6].

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that what I do everyday, those choices I make which I truly believe YOU lead me to make, … that they are my living sacrifice for Your glory and are not carried out to earn Your favor. Amen

2009 – Day 119.Apr. 30 – A True Friend

2009 – Day 119.Apr. 30 – A True Friend

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 23: 14 - 18 … 14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. 16 Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

My Journal for Today: I’m glad that Swindoll brings up the relationship which David had with Jonathan again. It is a truly remarkable friendship, isn’t it? And we read just how remarkable in this short passage highlighted today.

Here is this young kid, whom Jonathan’s dad, who just happens to be the king, has sworn to kill; and Jonathan, who normally would be the 1st born, heir apparent, reaches out and befriends the one man who is anointed to become the King. And this might lead one to ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?”

Well, there’s a lot that is very unnatural about the friendship between Jonathan and David. The normal thing would be for Jonathan to be jealous of David and to do all he could to undermine David so that he could take over and be the king in the future. And then there is the depth of this friendship, which goes way beyond what most “friends” would think, say, or do for a “friend.”

That’s why I agree with scholars who write about Jonathan as a type of Christ in the Old Testament. Because, when we think about normal, human friendships, the covenant friendship exhibited by Jonathan for David is the kind of “friendship” which Christ has for you and me as Christians. This friendship, exhibited by Jonathan for David, is like that described in John 15: 15, where Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

How many friends do you have like Jonathan was for David? How many friends do you have where the relationship is a “covenant” friendship; … where the friend would die for you, and even more importantly, would live for you. It’s a friendship where you can regurgitate any emotion all over your friend; and he’ll be there to hold your head … to support you … to protect you … to encourage you … or to say by you, … no matter what. How unnatural is such a relationship? And yet this was the friendship between Jonathan and David; and Jonathan had the character of Christlikeness way before Christ walked the earth.

I personally think that this relationship comes from Scripture to illustrate just how super-natural it is for Christ to love us in our humanity; and it is also there to illustrate the kind of relationship we should have for our closest friends, especially like the relationship we should have for our spouse. Remember that Christ’s covenant love/friendship with the Church is often pictured in the New Testament by a covenant marriage relationship; and that’s the kind of love and friendship any Christian should have for a true friend, especially a spouse, whom God has given you to share life with as a “friend.”

My friend should be someone I would give over all my possessions whenever that friend has need. It would be someone I would share their burdens or their victories … 100%. It would be someone for whom I would set aside all other earthly titles and/or loyalties. And as I said, it would not only be someone for whom I would die but for whom I would totally live.

I hope you have a friend like that. I do; and I am blessed.

My Prayer for Today: Jesus, You call me “friend;” but You have also given me another who is a Jonathan for me; and in this dear one, I am a blessed soul. Amen

2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit

2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 1 – 4 … 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

My Journal for Today: If you are a “David,” do you have a “Jonathan” in your life. As Swindoll emphasizes by today’s devotional, intimate friends are very rare. Generally we are blessed if we have one; but it’s very rare to have two or more friends who would always be there for you – NO MATTER WHAT! These are friends who don’t keep score, … who defend you when you need defending, … and who will give generously of their time, talents, and treasures to make life better for you.

This was Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, to David; and in today’s highlight passage we see that Jonathan sealed that friendship with a covenant. The concept of covenant was very important to this middle-eastern culture. When two partners or friends wanted to show that they would be there for the other one, a covenant was “cut” between the two. And if you study “covenant” in the Bible, you’ll see that God established a covenant with Israel which involved the shedding of blood and the exchange of vows.

And though we don’t read of the sharing of blood in today’s passage, we do see the exchange of garments and armament, signifying Jonathan’s and David’s pledge to one another to be there for the other and to fight the other’s battles if necessary. It was a declaration that anything one had the other was welcome to claim; and it also said that each considered the debts incurred by the one to be the debts of the other. Covenant in biblical times was more than a close friendship. It was the joining of one life to another.

Think of the covenant God made with Abraham or with Noah or with Moses and with David. This was God pledging His all for these covenant partners. Think of the way a covenant marriage SHOULD BE. Two take vows to be there for one another ... FOREVER. And in a real covenant marriage, there is an exchange of vows and rings to signify the joining of one life to another. If you’re married, do you see your marriage partner as your covenant partner for eternity? Christ certainly sees what He did on the cross, shedding His blood for anyone who would receive His act of sacrifice, as His New Covenant to mankind.

So, I hope you can see that Jonathan is a type of Christ in today’s passage. Christ was willing to exchange His garments of righteousness for my rags of sin, just as Jonathan was willing to give David his robes and armor, the robes and armor of the son of the king. This was Jonathan willing to set aside everything for David when David received that covenant promise; and I hope you can see Jonathan being a picture of Christ for each of His covenant partners – you and me, if we are Christians.

I hope you have a covenant friend/partner in life. I do in my wife. I do in a dear friend of mine. And above all, I do in Christ.

My Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I am bound to You for eternity in covenant love; and You to me. Amen

Leaving a Legacy

Please forgive the pride of a grandparent, a "PawPaw" in the Berry Patch. But yesterday Elly and I were blown away when she found the above pictured piece of paper in our guest bedroom. When she found it, Elly, or "Oma" as she's called by our granddaughters, recognized that our oldest little gem, Sydney, who is seven had left this behind when she stayed with us a few nights ago.

It's not all that uncommon for our grandbabes, who live here locally, to stay with us for an overnighter, giving our kids a chance to do something without having to worry about their little ones. And besides saving money for babysitters is a pretty good luxury for them too. AND, yes, Oma and PawPaw love it too!! But when we discovered this little momento, pictured above, we were somewhat blown away with the realization of what Sydney had done.

Sometimes, you wonder at this young age whether you're leaving any permanent lagacy in the lives of your grandchildren; but in what Sydney wrote on the page pictured above, we have been given a wonderful sign of the greatest legacy any parent or grandparent can implant into the lives of their kids or grandkids ... and that, of course, is God.

Take careful note of what Sydney has written, spontaneously and with no prompting from Oma or PawPaw. When I asked her about it, Syd reported that while her sister was watching a lttle bit of Veggie Tales on TV before they went to bed that night, she had discovered the Bible in our guest room where they to sleep overnight. And she told me that she began looking up verses she knew or had memorized from her home schooling or the classical ed program both girls participate in one day each week.

Sydney went on to tell me that she was just writing down some of her thoughts about what God had written in the Bible. ... WOW!! Seven years old; and she's already getting God's word into her heart and journaling her ideas about it. I think you might see why this old Christian PawPaw might be busting with a bit of healthy spiritual pride here.

Well, when we found this legacy jewel, I recognized how special it was; and I almost ran out to have it laminated; as a sign of what her parents have passed on to their kids from what we have apparently given to them; and that is the realization that God loves us and He is with us always and that we need to obey His word.

Yes, this most certainly was a WOW moment in the Berry Patch. ... <'BB><