Category Archives: Essential 100

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The Unquenchable Brightness of Being

Essential 100—Read:
Proverbs 1:1-4:27

“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine.” ~Proverbs 4:18 (The Message)

“A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another,” according to the Lebanese-born poet, Kahlil Gibran.  So it is with right-living people, says Solomon. As they walk in the ways of God, their wisdom rubs off on those around them. And the more they rub off, the shinier they get.

Have you ever been around a person like that?  They just seem to glow brighter as they get older. You just love to be around them, no matter how old they get. Even when their physical body creaks and groans under the weight of age, you just know that being near them means you are going to catch some of the brightness of their being. And the more light they give off, the more unquenchable that light grows.

I’ve been around people whose wisdom seems to grow shinier with use, and those whose lives only grow duller with age. Of course, there are a lot of life-factors involved in who we turn out to be and how we run the final lap of our lives, but ending with an ever-increasing brightness of being requires walking hand-in-hand with Wisdom along the way.

King Solomon said, “Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life.” (Proverbs 4:10, Message)  My suspicion is that he was referring not so much to the length of one’s years, but the brightness of one’s life. Now I’ll leave the timing of my demise up to God, but between now and that fateful day, I’m going to edge a little closer to the Source of Wisdom because I’d rather die young and bright than old and dull.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

Reflect and Apply: Chances are you know an older person who just seems to shine brighter with age.  Take them out to lunch—or bring them their favorite meal if they can’t get out.  Spend some time with them and ask them to share with you their top five life lessons.  Make sure you thank them, and most of all, enfold their wisdom into your own character.

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Forgiveness

Essential 100—Read:
Psalm 103:1-22

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” ~Psalm 103:11-12

Of the many benefits of belonging to a God who treats us as a compassionate father treats his children, arguably the most soul-healing is the forgiveness of our sins. How does God forgives our sin?

To begin with, God forgives us instantly. The moment we ask, there’s no hesitation: God forgives us immediately. Isaiah 55:7—I love how this reads in Today’s English Version, “Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking.  Let them turn to the Lord our God.  He is merciful and quick to forgive.” Don’t miss that: He’s quick to forgive. We have a hard time grasping this because we’re slow to forgive. We tend to hold onto our hurts. We like to nurse our wounds before we forgive. We want people to grovel or suffer first—a least a little—before we forgive them. But not God! He never makes us grovel or feel his pain—Jesus did that for us! The moment we confess, the Bible says God removes our sins and remembers them no more. So why should we hang onto our sins if God doesn’t.

Likewise, God forgives us willingly. That’s why God can forgive instantly!  Nehemiah 9:17 says, “You are a God of forgiveness, always ready to pardon, gracious and merciful … full of love.” Did you notice that? Always ready!   Micah 7:18 tells us, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” Don’t pass by that too quickly: He delights to forgive! That is what God does best—and enjoys most! Hebrews 7:25 says, “(Christ) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Forgiveness is what Jesus died for; forgiveness is what he lives for!

Furthermore, God forgives us completely. Colossians 2:13-14 says, “You were dead because of your sins …Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” That means if you’ve given your life to Jesus, he took all of the guilt and punishment for all of your sins upon himself so you don’t have to. You see, Jesus was nailed to the cross so you could stop nailing yourself to the cross.  That’s why this is called the Good News. God doesn’t punish Jesus plus you. It was all put upon Jesus. II Corinthians 5:21 reminds us of that: “God made Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That truly is good news.

Not only that, God forgives us unconditionally. No strings attached.  People really stumble over this, because their sense of justice demands that somebody pay. They’re right:  Somebody did pay—Jesus! Jesus paid for all your sins in full, at no charge.  Romans 3:23-24 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Think about what that verse means: It means that you can’t buy your forgiveness. You can’t earn what you could never afford. Forgiveness is completely free to you—at Christ’s expense. That’s why we call it grace—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!

And finally, God forgives us continually.  I John 1:7 reminds us, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” The word “cleanses” in the Greek text is in the present tense and in the active voice. That means Christ’s blood not only forgives you right now, it removes your sin for good since the action is continuous. Theologian Adam Clark says, Christ’s blood “keeps clean what it has made clean.” Hallelujah, the cleansing grace of Divine forgiveness heals, and keeps on healing us from the sickness of our sin.

Yes, one of the best blessings of belonging to God is to enjoy that kind of forgiveness—immediate, willing, complete  and with no strings attached. “O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!” (Psalm 103:1-2, MSG)

“Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.” ~Max Lucado

Reflect & Apply: Healing grace that comes through forgiveness is released to you through confession.  And the amazing thing is, it’s really pretty simple—as simple as ABC: Admit, Believe, Commit. A – Admit you’ve blown it; you’ve sinned. Admit that God is right and you are wrong. Own up to it before God. B – Believe that God wants to forgive you instantly, willingly, completely and unconditionally. Believe that in his grace, Jesus paid for your sins so that you wouldn’t have to. That’s Christianity pure and simple—just believe. C – Commit your sins and guilt to him. Then commit your life to his Lordship.

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Come Clean

Essential 100—Read:
Psalm 51:1-19

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” ~Psalm 51:10-12

It is hard to imagine the depth of David’s anguish as he came before the Lord carrying the guilt and shame of his unholy affair with Bathsheba. He had committed adultery, conspired to commit murder, executed a gifted and loyal soldier and manipulated people like pawns on a chess board to cover his tracks—but lived with an unbearable sickness of soul for the several months during which he managed to keep his dirty little secret hidden. (Psalm 32:3-4)

Then a courageous prophet named Nathan stood before David and stabbed the prophetic finger of truth into the king’s check. David was the most powerful man in the world, a man who held the power of life and death over people, even pesky little prophets, yet Nathan fearlessly confronted the king with this evil. And David repented. (II Samuel 12:13, Psalm 32:5) In David’s moving prayer of contrition before the Lord, which is what Psalm 51 really is, the broken king expressed to God a depth of shame and humility that revealed why, in spite of such a horrible sin, he was still a man after God’s heart.

This psalm provides a powerful case study in authentic repentance.  David wasn’t wanting just to off-load his guilt by getting this sin off his chest.  He wasn’t just attempting to get a pass by coming clean. He wasn’t just feeling sorry because he had finally been caught. Not at all! David recognized the utter horror of having offending a holy God. He realized the indescribable pain of having messed up the lives of people over whom he had just played God. He fully confessed his wicked act—and the wicked heart that had led to the act. (Psalm 51:5) By so doing, David cast himself upon God’s infinite mercy, recognizing that only then could he be granted a heart that was truly clean, tender to the Lord, and willing to do the things that God desired.   (Psalm 51:10-13,17)

Yes, it’s hard to imagine David’s pain!  Or is it?  Have we not offended the Lord just as coldly and willingly as David? Have we not murdered, conspired, been willfully unfaithful and concealed sin before a holy God who demands holiness of us?  Yes—we have! Not visibly, but certainly in our heart—in the inner, invisible, secret core of who we really are—which Jesus pointed out is just as offensive to a holy God and corrosive to our spirit as the physical act of sin. (Matthew 5:21-28)

This psalm of repentance isn’t really about David. It’s about you and me! Which means, in truth, we are in no less in need of the mercy and grace of Almighty God than this heartbroken king. And not only are we, too, in need of a God who will forgive all of our sins, but we are in desperate need of a merciful God who will create within us a clean heart and grant us a willingness to fully obey.

True repentance—what a grace! Only then can we know the deepest and best joy of all: The joy of our salvation! (Psalm 51:12, Psalm 32:1-2 NLT))

“Wherever there is a pulverized and penitent heart, there grace also is, and wherever there is a voluntary confession not gained by pressure, there love covereth a multitude of sins.” ~Menno Simons

Reflect and Apply: As you bring your sins before the Lord today, first reflect on I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

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That’s All I Want!

Essential 100
Psalm 23:1-6

“The Lord is my shepherd.” ~Psalm 23:1

Psalm 22 foretells the cross of Christ and Psalm 24 speaks of a time when Messiah rules the earth in justice and righteousness. This strategic placement of Psalm 23, universally, the most beloved of all the psalms, is fitting since it’s between Christ’s cross and Christ’s second coming, between our salvation and heaven, that we find ourselves facing life in all its rawness: The ups and downs, the victories and defeats, the joys and sorrows, the life and death that make up the human condition.

Even though the pastoral setting and shepherd-sheep analogy are foreign to our modern culture, there is just something about this Shepherd’s Psalm that resonates in our core. That’s because we are pretty much like sheep—dense, directionless and defenseless—and we cannot do life without the Good Shepherd. You need a shepherd…so do I.

I am not sure where this came from, but I suspect you will be blessed by it as I was.

The Lord is my Shepherd—That’s Relationship!

I shall not want—That’s Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures—That’s Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters—That’s Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul—That’s Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness—That’s Guidance!

For His name sake—That’s Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death—That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil—That’s Protection!

For Thou art with me—That’s Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me—That’s Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies—That’s Hope!

Thou anointest my head with oil—That’s Consecration!

My cup runneth over—That’s Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—That’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord—That’s Security!

Forever—That’s Eternity!

If you are experiencing major upheaval in your life—a home in turmoil, a relationship on the rocks, a job not working out, a personal humiliation, an inconsolable sorrow, the cumulative effect of heartache and disappointment has shaken your confidence and filled you with doubt, fear and despair—then trying reading and absorbing Psalm 23. David wrote it just for you. Just grasping his first line will transform your life:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  

Robert Ketchum told of a Sunday School teacher who asked her class if any of them could quote the entire Twenty-Third Psalm. A little girl came forward, made a little bow, and said: “The Lord is my shepherd, that’s all I want.” She then curtsied and sat down. Now she may have overlooked a few verses, but I think she captured the key to enjoying the benefits of this psalm. Psalm 23 is a pattern of thinking, and if it saturates your mind, it will lead you to new way of living which will counterbalance the raw reality of life with hope, faith and trust, causing you to be utterly content in the Shepherd’s care.

Yeah, the Lord is my shepherd—and that’s all I want. I believe that about covers it!

“All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.”  ~Martin Luther

Reflect and Apply: Each day this week, morning, noon and night, read through Psalm 23.  It won’t take you long, but the benefits to you will be immense.

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Payday, Someday!

Essential 100—Read:
II Kings 25:1-30

“So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.” ~II Kings 25:21

My dad was a great father. He was a hard worker, a good provider, was always there for us—he was dependable. Unlike some fathers today, he was involved in the lives of his children. Whether it was sports, or academics, or music, he encouraged us to be our best and to reach for the stars—and he was there to make sure we did.  He was a great Christian man.

We knew he loved us, that was never in doubt. He was kind, compas­sionate and patient. But there was a limit to his patience, and we experienced that from time to time.  And on a few occasions (okay, many occasions) I found myself on the business end of my father’s commitment to justice.

As we come to II Kings, we find that the infinite pa­tience of God has run out with Israel. After hundreds of years of rebellion, corrupted worship and flat out rejecting him, Israel has pushed God over the limit.  After scores of prophets had warned them and called them to national repentance—to no avail—the nation of Judah will now face the consequences of sin.

Years ago I came across two different sermon titles that aptly describe this sad part of Israel’s history. Charles Swindoll called it, When God Says, ‘That’s Enough.’  Likewise, the well known Baptist preacher, R. G. Lee was spot on in his sermon title “Payday Someday!”  That’s what II Kings 25 is all about.

The wrath of God is not a pleasant fact, but it is a reality.  There is an end to God’s patience and a time when judgment is not only appropriate, but  to withhold it would be for God to impugn his own character, emasculate his grace and empty his love of any real power. Judah had reached that point because of their continued wickedness—so God allowed their city to be destroyed, along with their cherished temple, and the children of God were sent into exile among the godless Babylonians.

There are some pretty sobering reminders in Judah’s story for us.  For one, we need to be reminded that absolutely nothing escapes the watchful eye of God. Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Don’t be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” In other words, there will be a payday, someday.  And we need to take that very seriously, because God does. He is a holy God who cannot tolerate sin. He won’t tolerate it in sinners, nor in saints. Murder, adul­tery, lying, cheating—God will deal with those “big” sins. Likewise God will not let us get away with the “little” sins either—anger, gossip, critical spirits, un-forgiveness.  We need to be very sensitive in allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us of those things that are displeasing to God—and repent of them quickly.

Another reminder from Judah’s fall is that sin deafens us to God’s loving warnings. Judah didn’t see that the line-up of imprecatory prophets were really their friends, calling them back from the brink of disaster. You see that sometimes in rebellious teenagers rejecting the discipline of their parents or in people leaving their churches because their pastor has confronted them on some tough issues.  Proverbs 27:6 tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are profuse.”  The next time you hear a warning from a friend, or a tough message in church, open your ears—and your heart. It is really a message of love.

Finally, Judah’s fall reminds us that God is always rich in mercy, abounding in grace, and he relents from sending calamity.  King David, after his fall, said “a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)  Ultimately the Jews humbled themselves and returned to God. God always responds to sincere humility, and we would do well to cultivate it.

Yes, there is always a payday, someday.  Make sure you are working for the right kind of wages.

“If we are willing to accept humiliation, tribulation can become, by God’s grace, the mild yoke of, His light burden.” ~Thomas Merton

Reflect and Apply: Take a moment to reflect on James 4:10—then do it: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

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Power Praying

Essential 100—Read:
I Kings 16:29-224; 17:1-19:18

“And Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.’ So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” ~I Kings 18:41-42

Someone once made a study of all the promises that God has made in the Bible, and came up with a total of 7,474. That’s a lot of promises! Now some of those promises are general in nature. Others are specific; ones that we can appropriate in response to specific needs. Whatever the case, one thing we know about God: He makes promises—and he fulfills them!

Yet we have a part to play in securing God’s promises for our lives, because even though his promises are sure, they are not automatic. Often, there is a gap between God’s promise and its fulfillment, and that gap can be closed only through our prayers.

That’s the truth we observe with Elijah in I Kings 18:41-46. God had sent Elijah to pronounce drought against King Ahab and Israel because of the sin—a severe drought of three and a half years. Then in I Kings 18:1, God is ready to call off the drought, so he commands Elijah to go present himself to the king. So Elijah announces to Ahab that the time has come for God to end Israel’s punishment by sending rain: “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” (I Kings 18:41) “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”  (I Kings 18:44)

Now here is a powerful point to this story that might be easy to overlook: Not only did Elijah proclaim God’s promise concerning rain, he then obtained God’s promise of rain in prayer. Elijah did some major power praying to procure God’s promise.  Notice seven actions:

  1. Elijah separated himself to pray. “So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel.” (I Kings 18:42)
  2. Elijah took a posture of humility. “He bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.”  (I Kings 18:42)
  3. Elijah expected results. “Go and look toward the sea.”   (I Kings 18:43, compare James 1:6-7)
  4. Elijah persisted. “Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back’” and look for rain. (I Kings 18:43)
  5. Elijah acted upon his prayer in faith. “The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’  So Elijah said, ‘Go and tell Ahab, hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” (I Kings 18:44)
  6. Elijah’s praying produced results. “And there was a great rain.” (I Kings 18:45, compare with James 5:16.)
  7. Elijah’s prayer produced empowerment. “The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to Jezreel.”  (I Kings 18:46)

Could it be that Elijah’s story is there to remind us that this is what we should experience in prayer? No doubt about it! In fact, we are told in James 5:17-18 that the drought began because Elijah prayed and the rains returned after three and a half years of drought because he prayed. Then James adds that Elijah was a man just like us, who just happened to pray earnestly.

The implication from this is that we too can become powerful people for God—if we pray. And if we are to pray those Elijah-like prayers that are “powerful and effective” (James 5:16), we must understand how to link our prayers with God’s promises, and then start doing some major power praying to procure those promises.

Think about it: Power praying is simply obtaining what God has already provided.

“Our prayer pleases God because he has commanded it, made promises, and given form to our prayer. For that reason, he is pleased with our prayer, he requires it and delights in it, because he promises, commands, and shapes it…Then he says, ‘I will hear.’  It is not only guaranteed, but it is already actually obtained.” ~Martin Luther

Reflect and Apply: Before you pray today, take a moment to reflect on I John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

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Why God Answers Your Prayers

Essential 100—Read:
I Kings 8:1-9:9

“And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.” ~I Kings 8:59-60

In I Kings 8, Solomon has just prayed one of the most moving prayers you will ever encounter in Scripture. It is long, but worth reading—and if your heart is tender toward God, you will be moved, for Solomon is really praying what you and I often pray. He asks for forgiveness—repeatedly and even in advance; he prays for protection; he requests provision; he invites God’s abiding presence; he appeals for success.

We pray those prayers, too. And God is faithful to answer our supplications—even when it doesn’t seem like he is or it feels like his answer is way too slow in coming. God forgives—repeatedly, he protects—constantly, he provides—daily, he is with us—always, even when we can’t see or feel him, and at the end of the day, he grants us the kind of success that heaven eternally celebrates.

So why does God do that? Why does he answer the prayers of little ol’ insignificant us? Is it because we are just so lovable? Perhaps—he really does love us, you know. Is it because we are so deserving? Not a chance! Is it to make us more comfortable? Maybe—but probably not, since he is much more concerned with our character than our comfort. Is it to relieve our pain and soothe our hurt? It could be—he really is moved with compassion by our plight. God answers prayers for a variety of reason, some of which we will never grasp.  God has his reasons, and for those of us who call out to him, whatever his reasons, we are eternally grateful that he is a God who not only hears but answers prayers.  How blessed we are to be the people of God!

Yet there remains a reason God answers our prayers that we don’t often think about. If we could ever get our brain around this, I think we would probably present our prayers and petitions in a lot better frame of mind and with a great deal more trust than we are prone to do.  What is the reason God answers?

“So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.” ~I Kings 8:60

There you have it.  Not for our petty purposes—although God graciously takes those into account—but for his redemptive purposes God supplies our needs and fulfills our desires. He blesses us with abundance, graces us with favor, covers and cares for us, supplies us with success so that people will look at us and be attracted to him. Through his blessings upon us, he receives glory, honor and praise. As we were created to do, we bring glory to him by being a real, live example of answered prayer.

Now understanding the purpose of answered prayer in that light ought to make praying a whole different—and better—experience for us, wouldn’t you say?  Get addicted to God’s glory—even in your praying—and you will likely see a significant uptick in your prayers being answered.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” ~John Piper

Reflect and Apply: Take a moment to reconsider what you’re asking God for in prayer.  Rather than making relief, comfort or success your most urgent outcome, try making the glory of God your chief aim! I guarantee, you will pray a lot differently—and more effectively.