May 12 – Why Not? (Psalm 9:1-10)

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10)

IN WORD:
Something is holding us back. Perhaps it is a fear that maybe we are wrong about God. Maybe we feel presumptuous. It is possible, if we have been disappointed in the past, that our misunderstanding is haunting us. We hear a voice in the back of our minds that says, “What if God doesn’t come through? What if all my hopes are illusions?” So we hesitate to trust God. We pray and we hope, but faith remains incomplete and doubts linger. We’ll ask Him to help us, but we withhold judgment until we’ve seen His response.
The call of Scripture is contrary to our natural inclination. We are called to believe God with reckless abandon — not just believe that He is there and that He is involved with us somehow, though we’re not sure exactly how; but that He is actively, personally seeking our good and answering our prayers. We are to give up our own strategies and ambitions, to relinquish all “Plan Bs,” to recklessly, irrevocably cast ourselves completely into His arms. But we’re reluctant, and the problem always comes back to us: In spite of His track record, we don’t seem to completely trust Him. Why not?

IN DEED:
God called Abraham to leave Harlan and go to a place to be revealed later. Jesus invited Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water. That kind of call is scary, though typical in God’s Kingdom. But why is it scary? Where could He lead us that we’d regret? Would He ever lead us into danger but not out of it?
God calls us to “reckless” trust, the kind that prepares no safety net and reserves nothing for a spiritually rainy day. That kind of trust, if broken, leaves no room to save face. But it can’t be broken. Try to find someone God has forsaken, observe His faithfulness, and ask yourself: “Why wouldn’t I trust Him wholeheartedly?” Think about it. Why not?

“Trust involves letting go and knowing God will catch you.”
-James Dobson-

May 11 – Dreamers and Doers (Matthew 21:28-32)

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.” (Proverbs 12:11)

IN WORD:
Dreams are wonderful. God gives us dreaming hearts because He wants us to accomplish things. In the heart that dreams, God can plant visions of widespread, effective ministries, of preaching the gospel and helping the poor, of finding innovative ways to build the Kingdom of Heaven. He can inspire millions and set the course of nations. Dreams are the beginning of all good accomplishments.
The problem with dreams is that they are just the beginning. In themselves, they don’t accomplish anything. They may be the fuel that feeds the fire, but they aren’t its substance. A life full of fantasies & dreams, no matter how worthy they are, is futile if no action ever springs forth from its ambitions. Though God plants dreams in our hearts, He does not simply leave them there. He expects the keepers of the land to till the soil, water the seeds, and cultivate their growth. God wants our visions to have a plan of action.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 21:28-32, that illustrated that principle. A man had two sons. One of them said he would work in the vineyard but never did. The other said he wouldn’t but eventually did anyway. Which one did Jesus praise? The doer, not the dreamer.

IN DEED:
Do you have big plans? Do you have a vision you’re convinced God has given to you? If so, what are your plans? God is expecting you to take the visions He has given you and move them forward. Write the steps down.Then take them. Don’t let your dreams become faint memories of the night.
Are you unsure of your dreams? Still trying to determine whether they are self-ordained or God-given? Then ask God specifically to encourage the ones that are also His dreams for you. But once you know the difference, don’t let them sit. Ask for His timing. Ask for His wisdom. And act on His promises.

“Dreams grow holy put into action.” -Adelaide Proctor-

May 10 – Guard the Inside (Proverbs 4:20-27)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
(Proverbs 4:23)

IN WORD:
If you’re typical, you think of guarding your heart in terms of keeping things out. Corruption, false ideas, temptations — all are to be held at arm’s length, never to be allowed in the inner depths of your affections. But there’s another side to this vigilance. We are also to keep things in. In fact, if we can master that, the corruption and temptations will often take care of themselves.
Think about it: The things that can assail the heart from the outside are innumerable, far too overwhelming to manage. But the things we are told to keep within — the Spirit of Jesus, the humility and gentleness, the servanthood and sacrifice, the worship and thankfulness — these are one Spirit. While most religions tell us to avoid the bad, God tells us to embrace Him. We are better equipped to focus on His character than on the enemy’s devices. In fact, we are commanded to do so. Paul emphasizes this radically new discipleship: “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify. The desires of the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:16). Nowhere are we told to live against the sinful nature and hope that the Spirit will show up. We’re told to live by the Spirit and expect the sinful nature to have no power. We often get confused about that.

IN DEED:
Too many Christians guard the way into their hearts to keep things out. That may be appropriate at times, but try a different approach. Guard the way out. Stand at the inside of the gate, and be careful about what may be leaving. Once in a while, we get a life-altering glimpse of true worship. By all means, keep that in! From time to time, we’ll see a picture of true servanthood. Don’t let that picture go! Occasionally, we are touched by a spirit of sacrifice, move by a ministry, or convinced by a powerful word from the Lord. Hold on to these things! Treasuring the wellspring that God has birthed in your heart will leave little room for those corruptions you once obsessed over. And the wellspring is a much more pleasant pre-occupation.

“Let us learn to cast our hearts into God.”

-Bernard of Clairvaux-

May 9 – Sin and God’s Favor (Proverbs 8)

“Whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”
(Proverbs 8:35)

IN WORD:
The stage is set for God to call forth those whose heart is His. He created His world on a foundation of wisdom, and wisdom beckons. Though we became misfits in the eternal plan, we were resurrected and re-fitted by the work of Wisdom Incarnate — Jesus. We now have all eternity lying before us. What will we do with it?
We have not yet entered into our rest. If God has not yet called us home to heaven, we are still living the eternal life on earth for a reason. But countless Christians have taken the treasure of eternal life and squandered it on foolish living. The wisdom of all eternity, the foundation of this world is offered to us, and we so easily fail to take hold of it. Why?
The choice should be obvious. On the one hand, we have been offered the reliable Word of God, the cleansing blood of the Cross, the resurrected life, the power of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of the body of Christ, the inheritance of the Son, and the very favor of God. On the other hand, we see momentary pleasures to be had, things to own, places to visit, people to use, money to spend, time to waste, rights to be defended, and comforts to be enjoyed. Only a fool would choose the latter, but we live in a foolish world. We have partaken of its passions and philosophies. Eternal wisdom is offered so generously, yet we handle it so carelessly.

IN DEED:
We are always pursuing something. It may be material, like wealth, possessions, or pleasure. It may be less tangible, like status and accomplishments. It may even be spiritual, like peace of mind and heartfelt joy. But unless it’s from God’s own mind, it’s futile.
The Christian who lives by God’s wisdom finds that sin is not so much something to be overcome as it is something that becomes irrelevant. He finds a greater pursuit, and its benefits outweigh all other pursuits. What sin can compete? The favor of God flows like a fountain on those who seek His mind.

“Sin forsaken is one of the best evidences of sin forgiven.”
-J.C. Ryle-

May 8 – Sin, The Intruder (Proverbs 8)

“I was the craftsman at his side.”(Proverbs 8:30)

IN WORD:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” begins the Bible. We can scarcely imagine a creation ex nihilo — something out of nothing. From the fingertips of God came things that did not previously exist. Emptiness was filled with substance. Life was spoken into a lifeless, formless cosmos.
That thought is staggering to our finite minds, but we must also remember that this was not only a material creation. The character of God lay under it all. The things that the voice of the Almighty spoke into being were placed on a pre-existent foundation — wisdom. That was “the craftsman at his side,” as this verse tells us. There is order and purpose there. All that we see that doesn’t make sense to us — the violence of a self-obsessed world, the mayhem and madness, the death and disease — came into this creation as a virulent intruder through sin. It was not invited by wisdom’s voice. It has no legitimate foundation, no legal right to be here except through the human rebellion that introduced it. God’s creation was founded on inviolable principles; our sin is a vicious criminal trespassing on the Creator’s property.
We have grown comfortable with this alien element, this sin pathology, but it has no place in a world built on wisdom. The very wisdom that underlaid the creation of the world now calls to us. We can build our lives on the same principle that formed the foundation when God spoke in the beginning. But we have to forsake the intrusion of sin.

IN DEED:
Do you understand how violent sin is? Do you see it as an invasive cancer, the antithesis of life and a violation of the created order? Or do you see it sympathetically, as a series of understandable human flaws? Those who come to understand sin as the ultimate contradiction of the Creator’s voice suffer genuine pain, but they become wise — and cleansed — in the process. They align themselves with the first foundation. They finally fit in a world based on wisdom.

“With the Fall, all became abnormal.” -Francis Schaeffer-

May 7 – Sin and Assurance (Proverbs 8)

“I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.” (Proverbs 8:23)

IN WORD:
Our human pride often reverses the order of things. We think God came into our lives rather late. Our identity was firmly established, then He invited Himself in, trying to woo us into a relationship with Him. Those of you who are reading this have likely accepted His overtures, but even that acceptance can carry a certain pride with it. We were in control of the heart that opened up to Him. Or so we thought.
In spite of our sense of independence, God has a prior claim on us. He created the world that became our necessary environment. He began the genetic process that eventually resulted in our birth. He even fashioned us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13). He is no late-coming Redeemer. He and His wisdom have been there all along.
This is extremely important to know when it seems as if your life is falling apart. It isn’t. The life you have constructed may be falling apart, but the life God has fashioned is not. His wisdom has known all things before the foundation of the world — including you. If God has let you be undone, He has allowed it for a reason. He is bringing you to the end of your sinful self and to the beginning of life in His secure arms. He is stripping away your falsely constructed identity in order for you to find your identity in Him and His ways. Wisdom was appointed from eternity past; you are the latecomer. God is bringing you home.

IN DEED:
Do you realize how thoroughly rooted in eternity your life is? It was not an afterthought in the mind of a play-it-by-ear God. Did you think your sin was a surprise to Him? It wasn’t. He has already made provision for it. Before the foundation of the world, He did at least two things: He brought forth His wisdom; and He thought of you (Ephesians 1:4). His wisdom and your existence went hand in hand. Does that boggle your mind? It should. Rest in the assurance of a forever-wise God.

“Lord my God, You have formed and reformed me.”
-St. Anselm-

May 6 – Sin and a Way Out (Proverbs 8)

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
(Proverbs 8:17)

IN WORD:
Though the bad news is devastating — that we are, in our sinful nature, contrary to God’s character and out of line with His foundation of wisdom — the good news is that we can change. Wisdom does not remain forever elusive, no matter how firmly we have rejected it in the past. Even if folly has hounded us for years, we can still turn in a single moment to the voice of wisdom calling from the streets. It is not too late to become unfit for a sinful world and fit for the Kingdom of God.
The wisdom of God will lead us to the cross of Jesus, of course. That is where all of our former futility is redeemed and our rebellion forgiven. A humble bow before the sacrificial Lamb will cleanse us of the muck of this world and put us on a path of discipleship. But once we have passed through that Cross, we must cultivate our love for the eternal. We must pursue wisdom with a passion. We must become enamored with the righteous ways of the world as it was meant to be. When we do, we will find it.

IN DEED:
If you are ever lacking in perspective, read the first 2 and the last 2 chapters of the Bible. Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22 are pictures of perfection. From paradise to paradise, from the Garden of Eden to the city of God, from the dust of the earth to the bride of Christ, wisdom rules. Take away the huge parentheses on the sin problem — Genesis 3 through Revelation 20 — and you’ll clearly see the holiness of God and the beauty of His handiwork. It’s often hard, in this parenthetical interim, to see such beauty but it’s there./ It’s our origin and our destiny, all rolled into one.
As you read those 4 chapters, the eternal bookends on either side of the temporal sin-problem, let your love grow deep for your Creator & Redeemer. As a plant stretches toward the sunlight, let your life grow toward His wisdom. Open up before Him, and let yourself love His ways.

“A sight of His crucifixion crucifies sin.” -Charles Spurgeon-

May 5 – Sin and a Holy God (Proverbs 8)

“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Proverbs 8:13)

IN WORD:
The progression is a very natural one, but it is exceedingly dangerous. We struggle with our sin; we find we can’t overcome it, so we accept it as part of who we are; and then we begin to redefine our own nature. We did the best we could, after all, so our human nature must not have been that bad to begin with. We end up with an “I’m okay, you’re okay” perspective. We aim to do better, but we’re comfortable if we can’t.
The problem with being comfortable with sin is that it is entirely contrary to the nature of God. God is not comfortable with sin. He never just lets it slide. He paid for it — in full and with great sacrifice. From Genesis 3 through Revelation 20, it was never a light matter.
The book of Proverbs has told us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. How? If we have a fear of God, we got it by rightly understanding how awesome He is. We got a glimpse of His holiness that drove us to our faces. We understood our need to plead for a reconciliation with an offended Creator. We saw His goodness, and by comparison, everything else looked evil. And since God is the standard by which all things are measured, our own nature didn’t just look evil to us; it was evil. We grew to hate it.

IN DEED:
There is a false attitude in many segments of the contemporary church. It is the belief that sin, being universal to human nature, is not all that serious. That belief leads one to a god who is lenient, as opposed to a God who forgives. The first god is non-existent; only the latter can save.
Do you hate sin? Is it detestable to you? Then you are in line with God’s wisdom. You know the difference between a lenient deity and a forgiving One, and you know which one to bow to.

“No sin is small.” -Jeremy Taylor-

May 4 – One Too Many Voices (Proverbs 9)

“ ‘Let all who are simple come in here!’ She says to those who lack judgment.”(Proverbs 9:4, 16)

IN WORD:
Wisdom and Folly both take on a human voice in Proverbs; they are principles personified. Repeatedly throughout the book, Wisdom calls. So does Folly. Wisdom promises everlasting blessing; Folly promises a moment of pleasure. Their voices are incessant.
So, which one is quoted in the verses above? Both. Wisdom in verse 4; Folly in verse 16. They say exactly the same thing. They speak to those who are simple and lacking in judgment; the only difference between the two sayings is in the response of the hearer.
Perhaps we are unaware of the constant call. Perhaps we do not realize that every choice is a response to a voice — the voice of Wisdom or the voice of Folly. When you are tempted, both are speaking. When you are making your plans, both compete for your attention. When you are spending your money and your time, they beckon. Have you not heard them? They always say the same thing: “Come in here!”
Wisdom is like a spouse — a permanent partner who is always there supporting you for your own good. Folly is like a prostitute — the promise is enticing, but the result is brief and disappointing. When Proverbs speaks of wives and prostitutes, faithfulness and adultery, it speaks in literal terms. But it also speaks figuratively. We make choices daily. We are faced with a repeated choice between Wisdom and Folly, and their voices can sound so much alike.

IN DEED:
Whose voice do you hear? Wisdom isn’t flashy, rarely impresses, and never demands. Folly is brash, showy, and frequently pushy. She says you were put here to have a blast. Wisdom disagrees: You were put here to have — and to be — a blessing. Can you tell the difference? When they both call, to which voice are your ears attuned? Train them well — a lot is riding on your ability to hear.

“Common sense suits itself to the ways of the world. Wisdom tries to conform to the ways of heaven.” -Joseph Joubert-

May 3 – Our Highest Purpose (Genesis 1:26-28)

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
(Genesis 1:27)

IN WORD:
No one can live wisely and with purpose without realizing where we came from, where we are going, and why it all came about in the first place. That is the foundation for everything. If we don’t understand that, we don’t understand the gospel and we don’t have the context to make daily decisions that will align with God’s plan. We must know: We are created from Him, for Him, and in His likeness.
It’s a remarkable truth. We were meant to be the image of God, and though the image was shattered in the Fall, God’s original intention lives on.
He was not surprised the Fall, and His plan included fashioning a people who would reflect His glory. He still means for us to bear His image. That’s why He has put His Spirit in the heart of sinful but redeemed mankind — these earthen vessels that we are. Humanity will bear His image. He will be seen in His creation. Never mind that His image-bearers once forfeited that privilege. Even before we lost it, He had determined to re-craft it in us. He bears His image in us Himself.

IN DEED:
We get caught up in jobs, mortgages, family business, relationships, and pastimes, trying to find some sense of fulfillment in all of them. It’s easy to get distracted that way. But we have a higher calling lying underneath it all. We are made to be like Him! That’s the point of it all. That was the purpose of our first parents, and that is the purpose of our redemption. Adam & Eve were modeled after Him; but we are even inhabited by Him. We are daily being conformed to the image of God in Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
Do you live with that awareness? Are your mundane, daily decisions made with that in mind? Meditate on this amazing truth daily and let it guide your life. Whatever your other desires, there is no higher calling than this. It’s what we were made for.

“The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.” -Clement of Alexandria-