November 4, 2011 … Being Wise In Adversity

Blogger's Note: Back on daily posting schedule, with the 11/3 post from yesterday being delayed until posting this day (11/4). But as you'll note, God's timing was perfect in my oversight. These two devotional journal entries are perfectly paired to go together. So I hope any readers will not be discouraged and read/study them in tandem this AM. ... Sorry for bunching them together like this. wrb
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Passage of the Day: James 3: 13 … from the NIV … Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3: 13 … from the NASB … Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

James 3: 13 …from the NKJV … Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

My Journal for Today: Okay, day four on James 3: 13; and I have retained all three versions of this passage above for your review and consideration again today. And in his Strength for Today devotional for this date, John MacArthur once again focuses on the quality of MEEKNESS, as we did in yesterday’s study. The two-day highlight shows to me just how important MacArthur feels this Christlike quality is to the Christian pursuit of Godly wisdom in the Christian walk.

In his entry for this date, MacArthur quotes from a commentary on the book of James by one Robert Johnstone, who wrote his treatise on James over 100 years ago; and even then, this writer recognized how contrary the attitude and witness of “meekness” was to the worldly conception of “manliness.” And today, even more obviously, we live in a world where a man’s man would be marked by independence, self assertion, and the desire for control. “Meekness” for the man of today, as well as for men in Johnstone’s day, would be labeled as weakness, a quality to be avoided.

But if we believers aspire to Christlikeness, we have to take a look at Jesus as our model of attitude. In fact, the Apostle Paul flat-out said it was our duty as Christians to develop the attitudes of Christ (see Phil. 2: 5); and if we study the life of Jesus, we see THE model of THE man’s man … a model that the worldly man would not provide for us. Jesus was not only the model of manhood for Christians, He was the GOD-MAN; and as we saw yesterday, the only two terms He used to describe Himself was as being “gentle (i.e., meek) and humble of heart” [that found in NIV Matt. 11: 29). And I also pointed out yesterday that Jesus directly blessed the attitude of meekness in His Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5: 5). In fact, His whole life on this earth, especially His time of ministry, was a walk of meekness and humble surrender to His Father. When Christ was led to the cross, He could have called down legions of angels to defend Him; but due to His – meekness – He spoke not a word in His defense.

So, does this mean we can never assert our strength or stand up – even in anger – in our Christian walk? Hardly. Jesus certainly demonstrated Godly anger and assertiveness when he turned over the tables in God’s Temple (see John 2: 13 – 22). And righteous anger is a topic for discussion at another time; but Jesus never would have never wanted His righteous anger, which was always exercised in support of His Father, to trump the humility and meekness He modeled the greatest portion of His life.

Christ’s meekness came from His absolute surrender to His Heavenly Father. And our meekness should be our absolute surrender to Christ. And in Luke 9: 23, which I pray you now have etched in your hearts/minds by now, Jesus spoke to His followers about how we can exercise meekness (and humility) in our Christian walk as He said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

I have to ask myself (as you should yourselves), “Is my Christian walk one of meekness?” And if not, what do I need to do in my pursuit of Christlikeness to allow me to become a meek pursuer of Godly wisdom?

My Prayer Today: Again, Lord, I pray … help me to be like You. Amen

2010 – April 1 – If Jealousy Could Kill

Blogger's Note: I move into April, 2010, appropriately with a discussion of one of the ultimate April Fools of the Old Testament, ... King Saul; but I will continue on in this place journaling my daily thoughts as F. LaGard Smith, pastors me through God's word in a year, using The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. With that in mind, I move on >>>

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Study from God’s Word…1st Samuel: 18 – 19: 18; Psalm 59; 1st Samuel 19: 20 - 42 … Passage for Reflection: 1st Samuel 18: 8 – 9 … NIV 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain [the song of victory about David] galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

My Journal for Today: Somehow, though I’m not sure Dr. Smith planned it this way, April 1st seems to be the perfect day to be teaching about how Israel’s first King, Saul, became an absolute fool in his jealousy toward David, who intended nothing but good for his King. But the King went absolutely bonkers into a ballistic foolhardiness, trying to undo David and even to have the young servant killed – by his own hand or that of others.

And it shows us how, when we let the flesh rule over the Spirit of God in our lives [and we do have that choice, given to us by God through free-will], such feelings as jealousy can empower the evil side of our flesh to become April fools of the highest order. King Saul became THE April Fool of all time; and so could we if we try to pursue any feeling or attitude which feeds the flesh rather than God’s Spirit, Who is in the heart of anyone who truly believes in Christ as his/her Lord and Savior.

When we allow our sin nature to be fed by our flesh, it will become an absolute “April Fool” in our soul; and if we try to feed such attitudes as jealousy or covetousness by pursuing idols in our lives, we can become fools of the order of a King Saul. Like Saul, we have an evil spirit in us; and it is the spirit of fear. And it was this spirit, the one which was released in Saul to overcome him with jealousy, which can become strong and express itself in bazaar and foolish ways – yes, even in the lives of Christians - just like it did in the life of Saul.

I would assume – or at least, hope - that this is not what is desired by any who read me here today. I’m praying that all who read this desire to have this “spirit of fear” denounced and defeated in their lives; and that can – and will – be the case if we believe in and live by 2nd Tim. 1: 7, which says, this time in the NKJV, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So, my friend, we don’t have to become April Fools, as did Saul, when he gave in to the spirit of fear in his soul, letting jealously loose to overwhelm his life. No, we, as Christians, can surrender to God, the Holy Spirit, Who resides in us, and receive the Spirit’s grace-released power to love ourselves and others as God, Himself, would have us release His power in our lives.

So, on this April Fool’s Day, I pray that all of us will become warriors for God, like David, and reject becoming fools for Satan, like Saul.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, release Your wisdom in and through me so that I may never be a fool, working for Satan; rather release me to be a wise warrior in Your Name. Amen