March 31 – The Unseen Battle (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

“What I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”(2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

IN WORD:
Any wisdom we acquire that does not include a very real sense of the unseen world is severely deficient. The enemy has designs on us as the body of Christ — to destroy our unity — and on us as individuals — to keep us ignorant of our union with Jesus. He is no abstract force; he is a malignant personality with a malicious plan. We who believe are in his sights.
The enemy will draw near to you, but Jesus will draw even nearer. Never forget that. For the Christian, our proximity to Jesus is always greater than our proximity to the evil one. “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
That perspective must always be maintained, or the battle is lost. The enemy can’t steal your salvation, but he can steal all its pleasure — your joy and your peace.

IN DEED:
Spiritual warfare looks awfully physical sometimes. It takes wisdom to see the battle behind your battles and to respond appropriately. Know that the enemy loves your conflicts, not simply because they are conflicts, but because they distract you from God’s business — and, if you aren’t careful, from His character. Satan loves to obscure the glory of God’s name, and when he can degrade your spiritual health in a conflict, the glory of God’s name is certainly obscured. Satan retreats when you stand firm — when you keep your peace, maintain your joy, act in humility, and demonstrate love — even in the midst of conflict. Especially in the midst of conflict. He would rather not give you an occasion to show God’s character in the fire, so if you’re going to show God’s character anyway, he’ll eventually put out the fire. He’ll be back with another strategy later, but he’ll lose this one — if you stand firm.

“If you don’t believe in the devil’s existence, just try resisting him for a while.” -Charles Finney-

March 30 – Mysteries of Majesty (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6)

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

IN WORD:
Human nature like to boil things down into understandable parts. We like elegant theories that explain varied situations with one simple truth. We like to analyze books and movies, categorizing their parts and breaking out their themes. And we like theological truth; we like to fit everything into doctrines and creeds so that we can understand the nuts & bolts of God.
The problem is that God doesn’t fit. Whatever systematic way of thinking man can come up with, it is too small to explain God. Whatever principles we can identify in His Word, they are too narrow to define how He relates to us. We simply can’t get a handle on Him. He’s too expansive. We’re like earthbound ants trying to get a handle on the moon. We know God’s there; we can describe what we see; and we can speculate about how He will behave. But we can’t know.
That doesn’t mean that doctrine and theology aren’t important. They are — extremely so. They give us a framework to discuss the glory of our Creator, and they help us understand patterns He has used in His dealings with us. But they do not define Him, and they do not capture Him. They do not reduce Him down to a manageable formula.

IN DEED:
We can count on God’s character. We know He is holy, loving, righteous, omniscient, omnipotent, merciful, and more. And we know that these attributes of His will not change. They, along with His Word, are forever reliable. But that doesn’t mean that we have a handle on Him. No one has explained Him fully. No one has come up with his formulas, because He is not a formula God.
Is that unsettling? It is to many people. We like predictability and explanations. But a god we can explain isn’t God. Remember that when your life seems out of control, because it really isn’t out of control. It is under the control and hand of the mysterious, mighty God.

“A religion without mystery must be a religion without God.”
-Jeremy Taylor-

March 29 – Living Martyrs (Matthew 16: 24-27)

“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.”(Matthew 16:25)

IN WORD:
Most people in this world have an approach to life that is all about them. It isn’t necessarily selfish, it’s just self-oriented. Those without very much in terms of material wealth live in survival mode, just trying to get by for now. Those a little better off live in prosperity mode, just trying to get ahead for awhile. In each case, we tend to look for “the next thing.” The next job, the next paycheck, the next big event, the next relationship, the next purchase — we are on an endless track toward improving our lives.
What’s wrong with that? It isn’t how Jesus defines discipleship. No, Jesus calls His followers to “lose” their lives. Those who are wise will not focus on “the next thing,” they will focus on “the last thing” — God’s Kingdom and the reign of His Son as Lord over all. Jesus isn’t speaking to His disciples about martyrdom in this passage. He is speaking of lifestyle. Those who know about eternity will live for it. That has powerful implications.
We’d prefer to think that we can do both, living for now and eternity at the same time. But we can’t. Many of our decisions will compel us to choose one or the other. Yes, we can have a fancy sports car or a dream vacation and still go to heaven. But we can’t have those things and still invest the cost of them toward something eternal. Likewise, we can waste time recklessly and still go to heaven. But we can’t waste time and invest that same time in an eternal work. We frequently make choices between the now and the eternal.

IN DEED:
Jesus never tells us to live spartan lives, as though we were ascetic monks isolated in a desert of self-denial. But He does tell us to be wise. We can enjoy His bounty, but we will be much happier if we realize what makes for a bountiful eternity. How doe we do that? We stop trying to “save” our lives and we lose them. Take your focus off “the next thing” and invest in “the last thing” — the Kingdom of God.

“He who has no vision of eternity will never get a true hold of time.” -Thomas Carlyle-

March 28 – The Deeper Pursuit

“Keep My commands and you will live; guard My teachings as the apple of your eye.”(Proverbs 7:2)

IN WORD:
Why would we want to have the mind of Christ? There are many appealing aspects of having the kind of wisdom that comes from above: Our God has knowledge of the future, He knows the foundations on which He laid the universe, and He knows the fabric of our being. Access to this kind of insight is indeed attractive. It would help us make decisions, understand other people, and live in peace and fulfillment. But there is a higher reason we should want God’s wisdom, a more noble appeal to His understanding. We should first & foremost want to have His mind not because it benefits us but because we love who He is.

We often take a utilitarian approach to God. We want to be filled with His Spirit because it will lead to more fruitful ministry, more fulfilling relationships, and more power in our personal growth. In other words, we want God’s Spirit and His mind as a means to self-improvement or better circumstances. But God is not primarily our self-help technique; He is the lover of our souls. No love relationship fulfills its purpose when one party selfishly uses the other for his or her own benefit. Love relationships are about love.

IN DEED:
Is your relationship with God about love? Or is it about getting more of Him for your own personal improvement? His mind and Spirit are available to us, and His presence in our lives will, in fact, change us dramatically. But do you pursue God simply for the change He can bring you? If so, take a step back and try another approach.
Come to God with a confession of your love for Him. If you can say it honestly, tell Him you want a deeper experience of His presence because you love who He is — His purity, His mercy, His love, His holiness, His power, His wisdom. Do not move on to requests; bask in His character. Have fellowship with Him. Your service and your place in His Kingdom will grow out of this foundation of love.

“I would hate my own soul if I did not find it loving God.”
-St. Augustine-

March 27 – Fidelity (Proverbs 6:20-29)

“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.”(Proverbs 6:25)

IN WORD:
We may read over this verse too quickly. After all, prostitution does not seem to be a rampant problem in the contemporary church. There are certainly indiscretions among its members, and adultery is tragically more common than in the past. But for those to whom soliciting a prostitute is not a viable temptation, this verse and others like it. Ishtar often go unnoticed.
That is unfortunate. Why? Because there are deeper things at stake here than literal sexual immorality. Those who are wise know that the human heart is tempted by all sorts of adultery. Our opportunities for betraying the heart of our Lord are many in their number and diversity. When Solomon warns us against lusting after the beauty of another, he knows — and the Spirit behind the Scripture speaks — of thousands of lusts by which we are drawn away from God. Did we think this passage was only about wives and husbands? It is also about the marriage between the Son and His bride, the church. We cannot be captivated by another. Fidelity to our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is paramount.

IN DEED:
What are your temptations? They do not have to be of a sexual nature to carry the warnings of this passage. Any infidelity of any kind to our God is dangerous business. He is a jealous God; the devastation of a damaged relationship with our Creator is far worse than the devastation of a beloved husband our wife having an affair with another love.
Is your relationship with God like a lovers’ union? If it isn’t, it falls short of the divine romance for which we were created. If it is, then you know the importance of commitment and the dangerous power of other lusts. Flee from them. Your Lover wants all of you to Himself.

“God did not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.”
-Mother Teresa-

March 26 – A Persuasive God

“The Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”(Proverbs 2:6)

IN WORD:
Human nature takes whatever wisdom & understanding we have and gives itself the credit. We pat ourselves on the back, feel a little more enlightened than our neighbors, and have a hard time understanding why others just don’t have enough sense to receive the gospel like we did.
When we think this way — and most honest people will confess that they have, on occasion — we are forgetful of our own sinfulness and ignorant of the Word of God. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come from Him. We do not earn it, we do not discover it on our own, and we are not just naturally gifted in spiritual things. It comes straight from His mouth, and if He had spoken it and opened our hearts to it, we would be like billions of others on this planet — living in total darkness. Pure grace gave us the truth.
Not only is this an effective warning against spiritual pride, it is a comfort to those of us who have loved ones who reject the gospel. The key to their understanding is not our convincing words or our clear explanations. No matter how impressive our spirituality is, it won’t just rub off on those who need to know Jesus. That understanding comes from God. Our most effective approach, to be supplemented by proclaiming the message and demonstrating love, is to pray that He would open their eyes as He has opened our — by His unsearchable, unfathomable grace.

IN DEED:
God is the consummate persuader. He is able to convince the mind of the scientist and to sway the heart of the poet. No corner of the human psyche is out of His reach. No mental or emotional wall can withstand His strongest overtures for long. The key to someone receiving His truth is prayer on behalf of the receiver. Does someone come to mind? Pray — diligently, persistently, repeatedly. Pray that God will open eyes and hearts to His wisdom.

“God shapes the world by prayer.” -E.M. Bounds-

March 25 – A Penetrating God (Psalm 51:3-6)

“Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”(Psalm 51:6)

IN WORD:
David’s confessional psalm contains an acknowledgement of one of God’s greatest desires for us: integrity. The “man after God’s own heart,” the favored king of Israel responsible for much of the Bible’s most beautiful praise, has found within him a gross inconsistency. On the one hand, he has sought God with all his heart and declared his heart upright on numerous occasions. On the other hand, he has sinned. Not just a little, but grievously. There is a wide gap between his stated beliefs and his inner condition. He has discovered within him what we all must discover: God wants His truth & wisdom to reach to our core, not just adorn our outward expressions.
God has made it clear, first through the Law & the prophets, then through Jesus, that He has no tolerance for hypocrisy. None! It is one of the most abominable sins in Scripture. Those who speak pious words in public and then treasure their own corrupted nature privately are far from the heart of God.
David’s great sin does not nullify his devotion. Neither does ours. But it reflects the shallow depth to which God’s Word has penetrated us. To the degree that His wisdom does not reach to our innermost parts — that His Spirit does not transform the very core of our being — then to that degree we have become like the scribes of Jesus’ day: experts in the Word but devoid of its power. In other words, we are hypocritical. Our mouths speak godliness, but our hearts deny it.

IN DEED:
None of us is perfect in our integrity. We all have our inconsistencies. But those inconsistencies should be steadily disappearing if we are growing in the strength of God’s Spirit. Test yourself often. Do the words of your mouth reflect the thoughts of your heart? Like David, we must know that God is zealous for our consistency. We must reflect Him from within, or we don’t reflect Him at all.

“God is not deceived by externals.” -C.S. Lewis-

March 24 – A Passionate God

“I am my lover’s and my lover is mine.” (Song of Solomon 6:3)

IN WORD:
There is quite a divergence on how Christians interpret the Song of Solomon. Many interpret it entirely as an allegory of God’s love for His people — or, more specifically, of Jesus’ love for His bride, the Church. Others interpret it purely as a divine sanction of erotic love within its appropriate boundaries. Others are able to accept it as both — God’s love expressed in a human relationship as a reflection of a greater love from above.
It is right to see all love as coming from God. The world will take that argument and say that all expressions of love — as the world defines “love” — are from God, but that is a gross distortion of biblical truth. Nevertheless, all true love is from God, whether it is the love of friends, families, or couples. God created the range of emotions that we have, and it seems logical that He never created a kind of love that He Himself has not experienced. He would not establish a sort of love that is foreign to His own mind. The romantic love expressed in Song of Solomon must also be somewhere in the heart of God. He must have first conceived romantic love before creating a romantic humanity. But if so, whom does He love so intimately?
We’re afraid to utter the answer for seeming too presumptuous, but we know what the Bible says. It is us. We are the ones for whom God has created romantic love — not just to have between ourselves, but first to have with Him. Intimate love between humans is not the prototype; it is a reflection of the divine romance.

IN DEED:
We can easily say of another person that “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine.” But, can we say it of God? Have we approached that level of intimacy with Him? Don’t be afraid. It does not profane the glory of God to approach Him this way. It actually honors Him. It values the love that flows from His heart and does not leave it tragically unanswered.

“Romance is at the heart of the universe and is the key to all existence.” -Paul Billheimer-

March 23 – A Surprising Mind (Philippians 2:1-11)

“He humbled Himself and became obedient to death.”
(Philippians 2:8)

IN WORD:
The mind of Christ is offered to us in Scripture, and it sounds so appealing. We think of the gentle Jesus of Galilee, the Shepherd who cares for us and who can cure any disease. We want that Shepherd as our guide; He will feed us when we’re hungry and cleanse us of our sins. He will wash our feet and settle our disputes. If we could only be like Him, we think. And when Scripture offers us such a treasure — the blessedness of Christlikeness — we ask God to make Him real in our lives.
What a surprise, then, when we find that being like Jesus means more than healing and helping, preaching and teaching, feeding and clothing, and blessing at every turn. It also means obedience — hard, painful obedience. The kind of obedience that every bone in our bodies wants to resist. The kind that sweats drops of blood when confronted with God’s plan for our lives. The kind that requires ultimate humility, compelling us to subdue every dream we once held dear. The mind of Jesus led Him not to glory first, but to death. Yes, that kind of mind is a surprise to us. It is radical and unexpected.

IN DEED:
Does that mean that we shouldn’t pray to have His mind? Of course not. But it does mean that we should understand what our prayers will mean. God will not take us down easy paths to conform us to Jesus. He does not lead us on a walk in the park, but toward a struggle in the garden of Gethsemane, where strong wills are subdued, and the glory of God and the welfare of others compete with our own personal plans. And we know, when we get there, that He will lead us into death.
It’s a painful death, but a glorious one. The other side of it is resurrection, which God has planned all along. Our ultimate, humble obedience will lead to high exaltation. Why? Because a lowly-then-exalted Jesus has called us. The very mind of the Resurrection has become our guide.

“Are you laying a feather bed for me? No, that shall not be. My Lord was stretched on a hard and painful tree.”
-Brother Lawrence-

March 22 – A Lowly Mind (Philippians 2:1-11)

“[He] made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:7)

IN WORD:
Human beings rarely aspire to become nothing. Most of us want to be “somebody.” We want to make a name for ourselves, or at least to succeed at our goals. We may not have set our sights very high, but we have set them somewhere. We want a good reputation, plenty of affirmation, and a satisfying life. We’re trying to climb higher.
The mind of Jesus will take us in the opposite direction. Think of what He exchanged in order to serve us in our fallenness — all the things the devil tempted Him with, like kingdoms and immediate glory (see Matthew 4:1-11); a display of His own deity in the face of those who mocked and ridiculed Him; and, perhaps the thing we can most relate to, a pain-free existence. Jesus voluntary accepted pain, humiliation, contempt, and disgrace. Why? Because it is in the very nature of God to serve and to love. And humanity, in our fallenness, needed such love.
Jesus’ mind found satisfaction in deferring to other’s needs. He didn’t cling to deity because, in the long run, a demonstration of power would be less satisfying than a demonstration of character. The godly agenda aims for wholeness and unity over authority and comfort. The divine program for exaltation and glory is to go through humility and meekness to get there.

IN DEED:
If our minds are ever to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus, we have to learn to think that way. We must embrace holding the welfare of others to be more valuable than our own. We must embrace service, working for the benefit of each other rather than trying to get ahead ourselves. And we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God in order for that hand to lift us up.
When we pray for Christlikeness and then aim for the aspirations of our fallen human nature, we are undermining our own prayers. We have not embraced the mind of Jesus. But if we readily accept servanthood and the value of others, we bear a striking resemblance to Him.

“Our Lord lived His life . . . To give the normal standard for our lives.” -Oswald Chambers-