Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter. Comments welcomed. Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion. Why not forward this blog post to a relative, friend, or neighbor who might be blessed by it?

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” Luke 6:43 (NIV)

“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.” Colossians 1:10 (NLT)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a (ESV)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST made it abundantly clear that He expects those of us who believe in Him to witness about His life and mission (Matt. 4:19; Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10:1-23: Acts 1:8).

We are to share the Good News.

One problem: How many of us feel comfortable talking about our faith? How many of us feel we can do it well?

An advertisement for a “witnessing tutorial” recently asked whether our efforts fail because we’re:

• • • • spouting Bible verses, or
      • judgmental and scolding.

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WHEN JESUS SAYS, “You will know them by their fruits. … A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:16a, 18a NKJV), we might assume there is an objective standard by which God will measure us … and, yes, we no doubt imagine His divine magic marker writing a big “F” in a bright color next to our name.

It doesn’t need to be that way.

Part of our witness is the way we comport ourselves without talking — you know, whether we show patience when others are fuming, or whether we extend grace and forgiveness when others vow to get even.

So, first, are we “living out” the Gospel in our daily lives? Staying in prayer as the apostle Paul teaches us (1 Thess. 5:17) is a key to showing the fruit of the Spirit. Without such prayer, we’ll revert to our sinful nature, and that will destroy our witness, regardless of how many Bible verses we spout.

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SECOND, WE STILL NEED TO TALK about our faith, and we need to do it in a way that encourages others to want to know more about Jesus, not push us away.

How do we do that, especially if we do not feel “gifted” to speak eloquently?

Same as living out our witness — stay “prayed in.”

Ask God for His guidance, and then speak your truth. Speak from the heart. Tell someone how Jesus has made a difference in your life. One or two sentences to describe the “old you,” a transition to say you came to see Jesus Christ as God and the Savior of mankind, and a quick word or two about how you see the change in your life.

Here’s an example:

“Joe, I’m glad you asked me. I wasn’t always this “patient,” as you put it. I used to be an angry man, like there was a storm cloud above my head all day long. I would growl and bite anyone who crossed me.

“You know, I came to realize my marriage was failing, and my kids wouldn’t talk to me, and we were losing business at work. I took stock of my life, and one of my neighbors suggested I go to Bible study with him. For some reason, I said ‘okay,’ and something just took.

“Eventually, I accepted Jesus in my heart and asked Him to cure me of my bad temper. Well, He went to work on me, and here I am. I’ve got a long way to go before I’m where Jesus is, but He and I are making progress.”

+++

NOTHING POLISHED. Nothing professional. No fancy words or Bible verse memory tests, just a heartfelt confession that becomes a strong personal testimony.

Oh, you wonder where the right words will come from?

How’s this for a Godly promise: “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Luke 21:15 (NIV).

That promise came from Jesus, Himself. Yes, He said it in the context of His followers being persecuted, but He added, “This will result in your being witnesses to them.” Luke 21:13 (NIV)

You see, when Jesus call us to act for Him or to speak for Him, He promises to help us through the process.

How’s this for a promise? It’s from Matthew 28, verse 20b (NLT): “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

You can count on it.

==

PRAYER: Our Heavenly Father, please help us live lives that show the Fruit of the Spirit and not the evil side of us that is worldly. Then, when people see how we live and ask us about the joy in our hearts, would You help us tell them simply and lovingly how Jesus has transformed us. All the praise, honor, and glory are yours, Father God, and we are grateful recipients of Your saving grace. In Jesus name we raise this prayer. Amen

==

QUESTIONS:

1. How comfortable do you feel witnessing for Jesus in your everyday life? Do you accept the Lord’s command that we are to show His love, grace, and mercy to others and, when the occasion arises, share a word about our faith experience — or do you think “religion” is a private matter?

2. Even when you sense the Holy Spirit’s prodding, do you feel uncertain of what you would say, even though you have the Lord’s promise that He will help you? Would you feel more comfortable leading your friend or family member to a pastor or other “skilled” Christian, even though your testimony is likely far more effective in reaching someone close to you?

3. Do you believe your Christian faith and your walk with Christ are producing any “fruit”? Do those who know you — family, friends, neighbors, co-workers — know you are a born-again Christian? Do they think you’re just a “nice person”? What could you do to make them aware of your faith commitment?

4. Can we at LoveAndGrace pray for you? Just send a prayer request via the Comments section.

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter. 

Comments welcomed. Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion. Why not forward this blog post to a relative, friend, or neighbor who might be blessed by it?

=

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  (Matt. 16:15-16 NIV)

“You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” (John 18:17 NIV)

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” (John 21:15a NIV)

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AS BELIEVING CHRISTIANS, who can name our date of salvation and proudly carry our Holy Bibles to worship and weekly Bible study, our hearts beat proudly to read the words of Peter, the impetuous apostle, to the Master’s question.

After Jesus asked His disciples who their families, friends, and neighbors thought He was, He drilled down to the essential question that He asks of all of us:

“Enough of this dancing around the issue,” He might have said. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter who these others think I am. The real issue is ‘Who do YOU think I am.’”

Yes, Peter jumps in with the God-inspired response: “You are the Messiah, the Christ of the living God, who was and is and is to come, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. All things were made through You and nothing was made except what was made by You to serve Your glory.”

While Peter didn’t make a speech, in essence, that’s what he was proclaiming.

We love to read his answer over and over because we know that is the correct answer—and in our hearts, it’s our answer, too.

+++

UNFORTUNATELY, THE STORY doesn’t end there.

There’s a second answer that Peter gives, at a different time in a different place, when the circumstances were different.

It’s one of denial.

“Are you a believer?” the co-worker asked. “Are you a follower of Jesus Christ, the alphaand the omega, the beginning and the end?”

“Oh, no, not me!” Peter responded. “Whatever are you suggesting? Where would you have gotten that idea? No, I’m just like everyone else. I don’t believe in that nonsense. A bunch of religious kooks, if you ask me.”

Sometimes, we act like the first Peter, but too often we tend toward the second Peter.

Maybe our words aren’t so strongly stated, but maybe it’s because we don’t speak at all.

We remain strangely quiet when the circumstances require us to speak up; we blend into the crowd when the circumstances require us to step forward; we look to “discretion” when the circumstances require us to be bold.

+++

WHICH PETER ARE YOU?

Truthfully, we probably are both Peters. Sometimes we do speak out our faith and we do so boldly without regard to the reactions of others. At other times, we’re not so sure we should speak out, and so we say nothing.

While being quiet could well be the correct posture at that moment, that moment soon passes, replaced by another moment, and in that second moment, our silence is denial of our Lord.

Fortunately, for believers, there is Peter’s third answer. When Jesus is resurrected, He corners Peter and asks him if he loves Him. Peter says he does. Two months later, when the Holy Spirit is given to him and the other disciples, Peter becomes a lion for the Lord.

After that, Peter never waivers, even unto the point of crucifixion. Legend says he demanded to be executed upside down, considering himself unworthy to be executed head up as the Master was.

+++

GOD IN HIS MERCY gives us another chance … and another chance … and another chance.

With the Holy Spirit’s prodding, we slowly become more Christlike in our thoughts, actions, and words.

We will have moments of bold witness, and we will have moments when we fail to speak out when we should, but the Lord will give us more moments to share our faith.

Our prayers should be that over time, we’re more like the first Peter more often than the second Peter.

In the end, we should become the third Peter (see John 21:15-22).

“Yes, Lord, You know I love You.”

Then He will tell us what He told the third Peter:

“Follow Me. Feed my sheep.”

***

PRAYER: Our Father God, we know that we will  let You down sometimes, even while we will step up boldly at other times. Help us grow in the Holy Spirit so that the bold times outnumber the timid times. Lead us to know when we should act, when we should speak, and when we should remain quiet and in the background. In the end, Lord, we should follow Your lead, not our own. In Jesus’ name. Amen

***

QUESTIONS:

1. Are you a Christian who believes your actions speak of your love for God so that it is unnecessary for you to speak about your witness? Can you find biblical support for your position?  

>What do you make of Peter and John in ACTS 4 who proclaimed they were “unable to stop speaking” about the Lord and what they had seen?

2. Do you ever feel you don’t have the “right words” to say or that you don’t know the Bible well enough to witness or that your faith is either too new or too shaky to be a good witness?

>What do make of Jesus’ words in LUKE 12 when He says the Holy Spirit will direct your speech?

3. Have you ever experienced an opportunity to witness — in deed or in word or both — and failed to “pray up” before you began, figuring you had the situation well in hand?

>What do you make of Jesus’ admonition in JOHN 15 when He says that without Him we can do nothing?

4. Can we at LoveAndGrace pray for you? Just send a prayer request via the Comments section.

###

“A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.” Proverbs 29:11 (GW)

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:15 (NIV)

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter.

Comments welcomed. Let’s share what God says to His saints.

Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion.

Why not forward this blog post to a relative, friend, or neighbor who might be blessed by it?

===

OKAY, I’LL GO FIRST.

Today, I will admit that I am not at the point where every comment I make is God-honoring.

Nope.

That includes sarcastic asides, judgmental comments, unnecessary silliness, and —sometimes — just plain stupid.

The Bible says, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way” (James 3:2 NLT).

So, I am admitting that I have a control problem. I cannot control my tongue.

I try to. I pray about it. I’ve been convicted enough times. Well, apparently not enough times for me, but certainly I’ve been convicted enough times for anyone else, right?

I struggle with this sin.

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HOW OFTEN DO I leave a social occasion, whether a church service or Bible study, whether a family gathering or neighborhood outing, or even a quiet evening at home with my wife when I don’t regret something I said.

No day is complete without my saying something I wish I hadn’t said.

Does that happen to you, too? Maybe I’m alone here, but I don’t think so. There are too many reminders in the Bible that God takes our speech seriously, and He wants us to, as well.

What do you make of Jesus’ comment that God will hold us accountable for our speech?

Check this out: “I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak” [emphasis mine] (Matthew 12:36 CSB).

Don’t miss this one. Jesus Christ, the Second Person in the Trinity, told us that when we die, we will be held to account for every harmful, stupid, judgmental, or silly thing we have ever uttered!

+++

HOW CAN WE EVER MANAGE?

Fortunately, we don’t have to because that same Jesus Christ bore our sins on the cross.

The Bible tells us that God poured out our sin on His Son (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) to pay our debt so that now — pay attention, please! — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 ESV).

That means when we are called to account, our Savior will stamp “Debt Paid” across our name, and we will be welcomed into Paradise.

The apostle Paul was clear in Romans 5 and 6 that just because God’s grace — His free gift of salvation — has been granted to those of us who believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, does not give us license to continue to sin.

Instead, we are called to live righteous lives that reflect His glory. We are to be His witnesses.

Want proof? Please take a moment and just look up in your Bible these three comments from Jesus — not comments from an apostle or an esteemed teacher or a famous author, but from the Master, Himself — that speak of our witness and obedience to Him: Luke 6:46, John 15:14, Matt. 5:16. Seriously, look them up now.

They should convict everyone of us to be mindful of every action, word, and thought we have.

+++

FRIENDS, OUR WITNESS IS TARNISHED by our course talk, gossip, judgments, and downright careless remarks.

What must break God’s heart is the circular firing squad within the Christian community.

Can you even read an account — either from a church-based organization or the secular press — where various factions aren’t complaining about the lack of Christian witness of someone else within the body of Christ?

That’s just the mild stuff. The really heartbreaking reality is that whole  denominations have split and are splitting over doctrinal differences and interpretations of God’s Holy Word. Many within the church are leaving the Bible’s timeless truths to find something more “relevant” to modern culture, leaving a fractured testimony in their wake.

+++

WHAT MUST THE SECULAR WORLD — the world of doubters, self-centered, and darkened souls — think when they see how we act.

Okay, for those of you who didn’t look up those three verses from Jesus’ lips, here are some key words: “Why do you call me Lord,” “You are my friends,” and “Let your light shine.”

Now, look them up. Read them. Pray over them. Ask God to place them in your heart every day.

Ask Him to help you live them out as you live out the Gospel of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

I know I am going to try.

I’m tired of adding misery and conflict to a world that has too much of it, already. I’m tired of boarding that ship to Tarshish when I’m supposed to be riding a donkey to Nineveh.

I’m signing on to God’s great mission field.

I am going to pray daily that God will continue to do the good work in me (see Philippians 1:6) that He has purposed (see Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 13:21).

Then, I am going to watch my tongue.

How about you? Want to join me?

+++

PRAYER: Dear Lord, our Heavenly Father, the Creator and Judge of the  Universe, we praise Your holy name; we ask forgiveness for our self-centeredness that leads to pride, to foolish talk, to broken witness. Lord, lead us to guard our tongues from slander, gossip, sarcasm and all manner of speech that does not honor our Savior. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you ever find yourself making comments that you wish you hadn’t made? Were they gossipy, slanderous, judgmental, or even just silly or useless or even downright stupid? Where does that come from? Can you pray that God will take away your words that do not honor Him?
2. Do you cringe to see how other Christians treat other members within the body of Christ? Is their behavior God-honoring? What do you think the secular world thinks when it sees the critical way we see one another within the church? Can you pray that God will take away the division and pettiness that do not honor Him?
3. Do you see how your sinful pride makes you prone to saying hurtful things to others or becoming petulant? Can you pray that God will take away the prideful arrogance that causes you to dishonor Him with your words?

The Lord answered, “I will be with you.” (Judges 6:16 NIV)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, `Do not fear; I will help you.’ “ (Isaiah 41:13 NIV)

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter.

Comments welcomed. Let’s share what God says to His saints.

Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion.

Why not forward this blog post to a relative, friend, or neighbor who might be blessed by it?

GOD IS WITH US.

What an amazing thought! What an incredible concept! The creator of the universe, the One who designed all life forms and brought them into being, takes a personal interest in each one of us.

He says He is with us.

Jesus tells us that not even the lowly sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge and against His will (Matthew 10:29), so how much more precious in His sight is the life of men and women, whom He made “in our image, in our likeness” (Gen. 1:26 NIV). Why, even the hairs on our heads “are all numbered” (Luke 12:7 NIV).

In that most famous psalm, David exalts, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4 ESV).

In the Old Testament, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah proclaiming, “You will be my people, and I will be your God” (Jeremiah 30:22 NLT).

Finally, at the end of the New Testament, the apostle John writes, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them’” (Revelation 21:3 NLT).

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THERE IS NO MORE SATISFYING feeling than knowing God Almighty loves us.

Consider this: God exists, and He made us. He did not need to make us. He did not need us to complete Him. He wants us.

How horrifying, how completely terrifying it would be if God were not a loving and merciful Being! Let’s not even start to think about what kind of an existence we would have, if that were the case.

Praise God that He is merciful and loving. Yes, He is just, as well, and we cannot forget that. He will repay evil for evil, and He will punish those who have refused to listen to Him and obey Him.

But it is His justice that makes His mercy so meaningful. His justice gives meaning to our lives — there is a system of rewards and punishment for how we live — but His mercy is what allows Him to forgive us over and over again, when we repent of our sins.

+++

WITH SUCH A GREAT OFFER, why do so few people seem to recognize it or claim it for their lives?

What motivates the vast majority of people to forego the richness of a personal relationship with the Almighty in favor of “going it alone.”

Pride.

The Bible says pride is the original sin. Pride is what led Eve, and then Adam, to ignore God’s warning against eating the “forbidden” fruit (Genesis 3:1-7).

The book of Proverbs tells us, “Arrogance causes nothing but trouble. It is wiser to ask for advice” (Proverbs 13:10 GNT). James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote a short book in the Bible full of good advice, one of which is this: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10 ESV).

Jesus even warned us against making the wrong choice. He told His disciples (and us) to “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matt. 7:13 NIV).

How tragically sad that so many of our fellow humans choose the broad road that leads to destruction instead of the narrow road that leads to glory and peace with God.

How sad it must have been for Jesus, knowing He came to earth to die for our sins, to utter those words, proclaiming that most of the people He created and loves are not interested in choosing Him back.

+++

ONE OF OUR LORD’S most endearing traits is that He is “long-suffering.” Some translations say “patient,” or “slow to anger.”

One of my life verses testifies to the Lord’s patience with even those who, like me, are stubborn:

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NASB).

The Bible is clear, however, that “patience” does not last forever.

“But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:5 NLT).

“For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Rev. 6:17 NIV).

For those of us who do believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, God spares us from that wrath.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1 ESV).

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9 ESV).

Listen to these comforting words, spoken by Jesus Himself:

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17 NIV).

God truly is with us, so much so that He comes looking for us (Gen. 3:9), stands patiently at the door of our hearts, waiting for us to let Him in (Rev. 3:20), and guarantees, promises, and covenants that He will provide us an eternity with Him if we just turn our hearts to Him in repentance (Acts 2:21).

What an amazing deal that is. What an amazing God He is!

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PRAYER: O Loving and Merciful Father, Your goodness is well beyond anything we could ever imagine or hope for. Your unmerited grace is more than we could ever earn or deserve. Lord, we love You, we honor You, we praise You. Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy and for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins. In His precious name we pray. Amen

QUESTIONS:

1. What does God’s promise to be with us mean to you? Do you realize that His promise is good only for those who are “saved” through His Son’s blood? Salvation is a free gift of God for those who repent of their sins. Is this something you want in your life? If not, why not?
2. Do you instinctively hesitate whenever anyone mentions God might have a plan for your life? Are you unsure you want someone else laying a claim on you? What if He wants you to do something you absolutely refuse to do. Is that a real concern for you? What if He has prepared you for the task? Does that change your answer?
3. When God tells us He is patient with us, do you wonder if He ever gets around to punishing the evildoers and rewarding the good ones? Do you think He might be too patient to suit you? Can you learn anything from His patience? Would you like to?

“So God created humans in his image. … He created them male and female.” (Genesis 1:27 GW)

“This explains why a man … is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” (Genesis 2:24 NLT)

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter.

Comments welcomed. Let’s share what God says to His saints. Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion. Why not forward this blog post to a relative, friend, or neighbor who might be blessed by it?

LET’S SNOOP A BIT.

We’re going to drop in on the Johnsons, a young married couple with two children, a heavy mortgage, and very busy lives.

“Dave, can you help me with something?” Sally shouts from upstairs, exasperation in her voice.

“I can’t now, honey,” he replies. “I’ve got to finish this project before noon, or my boss will kill me.”

A few days later, Dave is on the phone with a computer technician who says his network, which he thought was secure, has become corrupted by someone who has turned off his firewall, leaving him without protection.

To fix this emergency, he is told, will cost several hundred dollars.

“Sally,” he calls out from his home office. “Got a sec? We’ve got a problem with our network, and I think we’ll need to invest in getting it fixed. Can you come here?”

“Not now, Dave. I told you I have to prepare cookies for Jamie’s scout group and then we’re meeting Diane and her kids for lunch. Can we talk about it later?”

+++

WELL, THAT WAS ALL TOO COMMON. A busy couple, each caught up in doing his or her special projects — all valuable, all necessary — but neither one with enough patience to listen to what the other one is saying, to what the other one wants. Each one demanding some of the other’s time. Neither one actually communicating.

As a result, neither spouse gives his or her mate the support needed in the moment.

Over the years, this pattern becomes engrained so that no one talks about it or notices their own complicity. Yes, each one can recite examples of how the other was seemingly “too busy” to help out, but, when it comes to their own involvement, they can justify every time they failed to help out.

It usually starts with a failure to listen.

So, how does God see this interaction? Is this what He intended when He breathed life into the first man and woman and planted them in the Garden, telling them to have dominion over the earth and its animal and plant  kingdom, to have children together and raise them, and to be so close as an entity that they would become “one person,” instead of two?

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GOD CREATED HUMAN BEINGS in the beginning. He made us in His image, and He divided us into male and female, each equal in His eyes but with different traits and characteristics.

He also created marriage and said that men and women should leave their parents and “cleave” to one another as one entity.

The spousal relationship of husband and wife is a unique human institution that closely mimics the Trinity of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: each person equal but with different characteristics.

By becoming one person, both the man and the woman as husband and wife were charged with listening to one another, to helping one another, and to complementing each other’s weaknesses with their own strengths.

They were not created to make demands on one another to satisfy their personal needs but to make pleasing the other their primary goal.

Scripture is clear on that in so many places, including this familiar passage directed specifically to marriage: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. … Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church.” (Ephesians 5:22, 25 ESV).

+++

A PASTOR RECENTLY SAID that he can tell whether a woman’s husband is leading her spiritually the way God intended just by looking at her face.

Is she happy? Does she radiate joy? Does she seem fulfilled? Or, instead, does she scowl a lot or look apprehensive or dejected?

In God’s calculus, a woman whose husband is obedient to the Lord by leading her spiritually, by being her head, will be a woman who feels safe and protected and, therefore, free to express herself, to open up her loving and vulnerable heart.

A woman whose husband is not obedient to the Lord, who uses his greater strength and loud voice to intimidate her and frighten her, will be more guarded, less sure of herself, and less willing to express her inner feminine side.

A key component of leading a woman the way God intended is for the man to understand and practice sacrificial love, the way Jesus sacrificed Himself to protect and nurture His great love, the church.

+++

THE IMAGE OF JESUS wrapping a towel around His waist to wash His disciples’ feet (John 13) is a very striking one. He told His disciples that no student is above His teacher (Matt. 10:24), so He expected us to carry on as He did. 

He was the perfect model of male headship; He modeled leadership … and sacrificial service; courageous boldness … and gentle caring. He worked hard, never complained, loved the people around Him, and stayed true to His mission.

When Paul says husbands are to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25 NIV), he is describing a sacrificial love that places the wife’s interests before his own.

That is why Paul can tell wives to “submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22 NIV). Once the husband is modeling Jesus’ behavior, any woman would submit to him as “to the Lord,” because the husband is acting biblically … and this allows the wife to respond biblically.

+++

SO, HOW DOES THIS relate to listening?

The basic intersect point between husband and wife is conversation.

Sometimes, that interaction is speaking words; sometimes it’s sharing tasks. Other times it’s making plans, handling emergencies, or serving others.

When one party or the other fails to listen to his/her mate, that intersect point becomes disconnected. The disconnect separates them from “being one,” as God planned, into separate individuals, each with separate needs, wants, interests, and goals.

That’s not how Christ interacts with His church, and it most certainly is not how the Christ, Holy Spirit, and Father interact in their perfect relationship in the Trinity.

“Honey, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Not much, perhaps, but it’s a start.

+++

PRAYER: Our Heavenly Father, so merciful and mighty, please forgive us for our prideful failure to listen to our spouses, to give our wives the love and honor you’ve commanded us to, to give our husbands the respect and submission that are your plan. You have set the perfect example for marriage in the life of our Lord and Savior, who taught us of His love for His church, and the love that abounds within the Holy Trinity. Lord, help us to follow that model in our marriages, to Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

===

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you see a failure in your marriage (or other significant relationship) for each person to listen to the other one? If so, do you see that as a problem that should be resolved, or is it just in the nature of things to be endured?

2. How can you do a better job of listening to your husband/wife? Would you need to become more patient? Is that a trade-off you’re willing to make? Should your spouse become less demanding?

3. Regardless of how well you and your spouse communicate, do you see a role for Jesus Christ in your marriage? If you saw Jesus standing behind your spouse, reminding you that he/she is a “child of God,” would that alter your attitude and behavior?

Weeping may last for the night, but there is a song of joy in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b GW)

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (Psalm 126:5 ESV)

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter.

Comments welcomed. Let’s share what God says to His saints.

Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion.

WE EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST EMOTIONS THROUGH SONGS AND POEMS.

Here is just one example of how God shows us the difference between His way and our way — it’s captured in the lyrics of these two songs:

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Man’s View:

Maybe the sun’s light will be dim/

And it won’t matter anyhow.

If morning’s echo says we’ve sinned,

Well, it was what I wanted now.

—Angel of the Morning

God’s View:

You stay the same through the ages/

Your love never changes/

There may be pain in the night/

But joy comes in the morning.

—Your Love Never Fails

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THE STORYLINE IN BOTH SONGS is similar, with the twist coming at the end. In the song praising man’s view of life, the “joy” comes first, but it’s a false joy that leads, inevitably, to sorrow and hurting.

The song praising God’s view of life, however, shows that God’s nature is unchanging — He’s perfect and without blemish. He promises to guide us through the difficulties of life and grant us, in the end, eternity with Him. So, in His view, the joy is real, and it is the reward for faithfulness, and it comes at the end.

Both songs can be applied toward a well-deserved weekend. After five days of commuting, dealing with the difficulties of anyone’s line of work (check out God’s comments in Genesis 3 as to why that is so), and the mounting stress of financial concerns, personal interactions, and possibly fear of drifting through life, here comes the weekend!

Friday evening, and we’re energized to “party” with a capital “P” and just have some fun, maybe get drunk or high, definitely drive our cars fast, and, yes, find some willing gal or guy to “hook up” with.

All of that “fun” will just blot out the hardships of real life and give us some thrills.

The next morning, though, we might fight a headache, could face a painful breakup with a girlfriend/boyfriend, deal with a serious dent in the new car, and wonder what went wrong.

Next weekend comes, and we’re back at it again. In man’s view of life, we never learn.

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WHAT WOULD THE WEEKEND in God’s view look like?

God rested the seventh day during creation, so He urges us to take some rest, too. Since
He created us, He knows we need to pace ourselves. In the Old Testament, He created the Sabbath for the Israelites to worship Him every seven days.

For the New Testament church, that rest, or sabbath, could be any day, but we know we should find time to step away from our tasks and to-do lists.

We would want to worship Him, of course, so there would be church service, with a wonderful opportunity to sing His praises, hear a message based on Scripture, and enjoy fellowship with other believers.

The weekend would not just focus on our worship, though. There should be an opportunity or two for service projects.

For some people  during a particularly hectic time of life, that service could be confined to helping out at church — parking lot ministry, or volunteering in the nursery, or being part of the collection team that passes the plate — are just some examples.

As our schedules ease up, maybe we find more time to volunteer in a homeless shelter or distributing canned food to those in need.

Instead of a headache, guilt feelings, and a dented car, we’re more likely to feel energized, especially if we felt the Lord’s nudge to serve His Kingdom in some capacity.

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SO WHAT IS OUR LESSON from all of this?

God does not promise us a carefree, stress-free life — not after we rebelled  against Him in the Garden of Eden — but He does promise to help us through the pain of life, if we let Him.

Unfortunately for us, most people are still rebelling against Him. They want to “do” life on their terms, ignoring the rules and guidelines put in place by their Creator.

In a world of sin, an offer to spend a Friday night with our peers, mixed with plenty of alcohol and a zest for adventure beats out a weekend of Bible study, soup kitchens, and prayerful meditation.

But once we let God into our hearts — we confess our sins to Him and acknowledge our need for Him — that calculus changes.

The script is flipped.

The booze party with a roomful of strangers, all acting weirdly, no longer sounds attractive. We start to see the party with a big circle around it and a diagonal line drawn through it.

Instead, we find real joy — authentic joy — in helping a poorly dressed stranger to a hot meal or to help a young child learn a Bible story or just raise our arms in praise during a worship song.

The fellowship of saints begins to look more inviting than the fellowship of drunks.

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OF COURSE, THERE IS ONE MORE scenario to work through. That’s the one where the weekend is neither the hipster party nor the worship service, but just a suburban family of 4 or 5, with a small dog and a minivan and soccer games and barbecues and friendly neighbors.

Jesus pointed out the rebellion here, as well. It’s the story recorded in Mark 10:17-25, where the rich young man who bragged to our Lord that he had obeyed all of God’s laws since his youth yet wondered what more, if anything, he should do to merit eternal life.

When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give the money away and come join Him, the man chose, instead, to hang onto his possessions, regardless of the eternal consequences.

Don’t be fooled. The Bible clearly tells us that the only way to God’s Paradise is through Jesus Christ. (Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John 14:6, NKJV)

Those weekends with the drunken friends are soon outgrown, but how sad when people substitute for them the pleasant day at the beach or gathering of family — without any invitation to accept the outstretched hand of their Savior.

No matter how pleasant it may look on the outside, man’s view is always hollow on the inside.

God’s view is solid inside … and it lasts forever.

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PRAYER: O LORD GOD, how it must pain You to watch Your Creation  rebel so often and so thoroughly against You. Yes, You created us in Your image, yet we constantly push You away in favor of our walk, our own values, our own joy. Lord, would You please come into our hearts and transform them in hearts that hunger for Your love and Your way. In Jesus’ name. Amen

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you find Jesus’ invitation to come to Him as the only way of salvation too limiting and not quite right, that maybe there’s more than one way to get to Paradise?
2. Do you chaff when confronted with the possibility that your choices in life are not good ones for you or even more so that the Creator has a plan for your life and you might not be following it?
3. Having read this meditation, are you more willing to consider that God’s view of our lives can be more rewarding than our own view is … in no small part because He made us?

“This is why I was born and came into the world: to tell people the truth.” (John 18:37 NCV)

“You belong to your father, the devil. … When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NIV)

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” (James 4:7b-8a NLT)

Find blog posts at LoveAndGrace … tweets at Twitter.

Comments welcomed. Let’s share what God says to His saints.

Please join us for Prayer and Questions at the end of the devotion.

THERE ARE SO MANY LIES IN THE WORLD TODAY.

They come at us from all angles, from people who think we should trust and from people we hardly know, from people in authority and from people close to us.

Sometimes, they mean to lie, knowing full well they mean to deceive; other times, they believe the lies they’re telling and so deceive  themselves along with us.

Sometimes, those lies hurt; other times, they can be dismissed.

But with all of those lies, how can we ever know the truth? Do we even believe there is a truth? Or is everything we believe “relevant,” acknowledged only in relation to something else?

For those who have come to hear the voice of Jesus Christ and to accept Him into their hearts as their personal Lord and Savior, there is comfort from the world’s lies.

Jesus is Truth. We can believe in Him.

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THE BIBLE TESTIFIES to the Truth.

Jesus told His accusers that it was to “bear witness to the truth” that He came into the world. (John 18:37) He assured His disciples and believers down the ages that the Father’s “words are truth.” (John 17:17) He announced that He, Himself, is the “way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

He prefaced His promises with promises of truth: “Verily, I say unto thee,” or “Truly, I tell you,” depending on the English translation. While the words differ among translations, the message is the same: “Listen to Me. I am telling you the Truth. You can, and should, believe Me.”

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THERE IS A SECOND WAY Jesus tell us the truth: He show us.

Telling is one thing: it points to the way. Showing demonstrates the truth of the promise.

Jesus shows us the Truth by changing our lives.

The Bible is clear that when we accept Jesus’ call to forgive our sins and captain our souls, He sends the Holy Spirit to begin a complete makeover. The Spirit will convict us of sin, show us with increased clarity the truthfulness of Jesus’ claims, and strengthen us to withstand opposition.

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THE TESTIMONY OF CHANGED LIVES is the greatest tribute to the truthfulness of God’s Word.

There is no need for argument or debate, no quibbling over doctrinal disputes, no questioning the point of it all. Changed lives leads to a personal testimony that leads to sharing the Gospel (or the Good News) with the rest of the world.

Jesus urged us to let our light shine brightly in this darkened world so that men would see our *good works* and, recognizing the change in our lives, give the glory to the Heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16)

Our commission is to live the Gospel daily in every situation, praying constantly, and letting the Holy Spirit bring His fruit to bear in our lives. That  fruit is described as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

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SO, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR WORLD?

Are you finding it easy or difficult to believe in the miracle of life that God offers us through Jesus Christ? Does it seem *too good to be true*? Does it seem to be a *fanciful tale* or a *crutch for the weak*?

Are you so ready to close your mind to the possibility that He is, actually, who He says He is? That He is God. Are you so ready to close your mind to the life-changing transformations you may have seen in someone close to you — possibly a family member, maybe a friend or a neighbor or even a co-worker?

Are you so ready to ignore His offer to give you rest from your labors, to offer a salve for your troubles, to give you answers to those questions that torment you?

Jesus is the answer to the “whys” of life, even when we cannot understand them in this life, at this time. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), so, of course, we no more can understand everything He does than a hamster can understand what we do.

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WHEN THE LIES OF THE WORLD envelope you, and you start to question and doubt and wonder and take that short road to total disbelief, could you hold on a moment and take stock of what’s really going on in your life? 

Jesus told us that those who disbelieve Him are sons (and daughters) of the devil, that Satan is real, and Satan is the *father of lies.* He is the “great deceiver.” His sole purpose is to take you from God’s embrace and throw you into the garbage.

He does not want you as Jesus wants you; he just doesn’t want Jesus to have you. Satan is like the mean kid who will upturn your lunchbox just to see your sandwich fall to the ground; he doesn’t actually want to eat lunch with you.

Jesus, on the other hand, will help you pick up your sandwich and give you a new one that tastes much better than the old one … and, if you’ll let Him, He’ll sit at lunch with you.

He’ll be your friend.

So, there’s your choice. Believe Satan and live a life filled with lies or believe Jesus and share in the Truth.

Jesus said it is the “truth” that will “set you free.”

Pretty easy choice.

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PRAYER: Our Father, our gracious and loving Father, we bless You and  praise You for Your faithfulness, for Your loving kindness, for Your mercy. We thank You for showing us that Jesus is the Truth, while Satan, the enemy, is a lier and a deceiver. There is no truth in him. Remove the scales from our eyes and those You have asked us to pray for that we may see the lies for what they are and the Truth that is waiting for us to grasp. In Jesus’ loving name we pray. Amen

QUESTIONS:

1. What, if anything, holds you back from accepting the call of Jesus to let Him into your life? Are you afraid He’ll want you to give up something dear to you? Is it your alcohol or drug abuse? your temper? your love for money? your prideful arrogance? your affair with a co-worker?
2. How can this meditation help you make a decision for Jesus Christ? Would you like prayer? Can you use the comments section to ask for prayer from the editor and other readers?
3. What issues are you struggling with that you would prayerfully ask this meditation to address?