Category Archives: Christian Living

Posted on

Down But Not Out

Remind Your Enemies—Depression, Lust, Anger, Sickness, Scarcity—They Are Losers.

You’ve got enemies, but God has given you victory over each one through Christ. All of your adversaries have already been defeated—even if they don’t act like it. So go ahead and remind them—depression, lust, anger, sickness, scarcity—that they are nothing but losers. And you are anything but!

Read: Psalm 129 // Focus: Psalm 129:2

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.”

Some people don’t like being reminded of their troubles. They think we ought to talk only of the positive things in life and leave out all the pessimistic stuff. They’d rather hear only of the sunshine of God’s grace and not the storm clouds of life’s difficulty. Sweetness and light all the way!

Me too—that’s what I’d prefer. But isn’t that to ignore the fact that this thing called the Christian life is all about spiritual warfare—that we do have an Enemy who constantly seeks to destroy our very soul. Jesus said that we have an Enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy us. (John 10:10) C.S. Lewis noted,

“There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”

The psalmist understood quite well from history of Israel’s enemies—literal, foreign enemies who sought to defeat and enslave God’s people. These enemies were there right from the beginning (“from my youth”) and never really ever went away—Egypt, Edom, Moab, Philistia, Assyria, and Babylonia. These foreign, godless enemies oppressed Israel early and often, but each time God gave his people victory over them.

You have enemies, too. That’s not being pessimistic, that’s just being real. Unlike Israel, however, your enemies are not physical, flesh and blood adversaries; they are spiritual forces that attack you from within—your moral character, your emotional stability, and your spiritual vitality. They seek to weaken your resolve to trust in God’s sufficiency and obey his commands. They seek to enslave you to a life that is far less than God’s best. And perhaps like Israel, these enemies have “oppressed you from your youth.” In other words, the same doubts, fears, temptations and weaknesses you had as a young person, or as a young Christian, are still doing a number on you. Maybe they have had or even now have the upper hand in your life.

The psalmist would say to you, “Maintain your hope, don’t surrender your trust, strive to overcome every temptation, and get back up when you stumble. Whatever you do, don’t quit if you’ve failed. It may seem that you are down for the count, but you are not, because God will give you the victory over your enemies.” Even though you have an Enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy you, Jesus came to give you life, and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) And the last time I checked, Jesus was greater than Satan. He still is, and always will be.

Israel had enemies—and God gave victory over each one. You’ve got enemies, too, but God has already given you victory over each one through Christ’s victory over sin. Think about that: All of your adversaries have already been defeated—even if they don’t act like it. So go ahead and remind those enemies—depression, lust, anger, sickness, scarcity—that they are nothing but losers. And you are anything but! As Paul said in Romans 8:37, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Yeah, they may have you down for now, but you are not out! Christians never are.

<strong>Making Life Work:</strong> It may seem a little strange, so you’ll probably want to be alone to do this, but declare to whatever enemy you are battle, “I am more than a conqueror through Christ!”

Posted on

Fear God – Fear Nothing

God Fearing Leads To God Blessing

When you fear God, you have nothing to fear. When you don’t fear God, you have everything to fear. To be consumed with love, fueled by faith, and characterized by obedience in a moment-by-moment walk with the Lord—that’s what it means to be God fearing, and that’s what it means to be God blessed. For sure, fear the Lord—and watch your step with those who don’t.

Read: Psalm 128 // Focus: Psalm 128:1-2

“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, began his most famous book by writing, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7) What followed was a collection of wise sayings that were intended to lead the God-fearing person into a life that was blessed by the Lord.

King David, Solomon’s father, and Israel’s most beloved king, began his most famous book by writing, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” What followed was a collection of worship songs that expressed the blessed condition of one who feared the Lord.

Blessed fear—almost seems oxymoronic, doesn’t it? Fearfully blessed—same with that. Yet for the person who fears God, blessings are guaranteed. And for the person who lives a truly God-blessed life, there you will find fear of the Lord at the critical core of their existence.

To fear God, is one of the first and greatest duties of his rational Creatures. (Charles Inglis)

What does it mean to fear the Lord? This is by no means a theological definition, but for all intents and purposes, to fear the Lord means to make him and his purposes both the center and the circumference of your life. It is to be consumed with love, fueled by faith, and characterized by obedience in a moment-by-moment walk with God. That is what it means to fear the Lord, and that is what it means to be blessed by the Lord.

You see, blessing in the purest sense is to be consumed by your love for God, to be fueled by your faith in God, and to be characterized by your obedience to God. A person who lives that kind of life knows pure and unassailable joy at the deepest level. Earthly success, material wealth, personal popularity, and all of the other accouterments the world says are needed for the blessed life simply pale in comparison to a life that is characterized by blessed fear.

When you fear God, you fear nothing else, but if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. (Oswald Chambers)

When you fear the Lord, you are truly blessed. When you are truly blessed by God, you fear the Lord.

May God grant you holy fear, and may God richly bless you.

Making Life Work: If you sense that your “holy fear” metric is off, pray about it. Ask God to reveal his holiness to you. But be serious when you ask, you may just get a revelation that will rattle you to the core. And if you do, believe you me, that will be a holy moment.

Posted on

Fear That Is Blessed

Make God’s Purposes Both the Center and the Circumference of Your Life

There’s an old Hasidic proverb that says, “Fear only two: God, and the man who has no fear of God.” To be consumed with love, fueled by faith, and characterized by obedience in a moment-by-moment walk with the Lord—that’s what it means to be God fearing, and that’s what it means to be God blessed. For sure, fear the Lord—and watch your step with those who don’t.

Read: Psalm 128 // Focus: Psalm 128:1-2

“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, began his most famous book by writing, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7) What followed was a collection of wise sayings that were intended to lead the God-fearing person into a life that was blessed by the Lord.

King David, Solomon’s father, and Israel’s most beloved king, began his most famous book by writing, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” What followed was a collection of worship songs that expressed the blessed condition of one who feared the Lord.

Blessed fear—almost seems oxymoronic, doesn’t it? Fearfully blessed—same with that. Yet for the person who fears God, blessings are guaranteed. And for the person who lives a truly God-blessed life, there you will find fear of the Lord at the critical core of their existence.

What does it mean to fear the Lord? This is by no means a theological definition, but for all intents and purposes, to fear the Lord means to make him and his purposes both the center and the circumference of your life. It is to be consumed with love, fueled by faith, and characterized by obedience in a moment-by-moment walk with God. That is what it means to fear the Lord, and that is what it means to be blessed by the Lord.

You see, blessing in the purest sense is to be consumed by your love for God, to be fueled by your faith in God, and to be characterized by your obedience to God. A person who lives that kind of life knows pure and unassailable joy at the deepest level. Earthly success, material wealth, personal popularity, and all of the other accouterments the world says are needed for the blessed life simply pale in comparison to a life that is characterized by blessed fear.

When you fear the Lord, you are truly blessed. When you are truly blessed by God, you fear the Lord.

May God grant you holy fear, and may God richly bless you.

Making Life Work: If you sense that your “holy fear” metric is a bit low, pray about it. Ask God to reveal his holiness to you. But be serious when you ask, you may just get a revelation that will rattle you to the core. And if you do, believe you me, that will be a holy moment.

Posted on

Recalibrate

Invest In What Is Of Lasting Value And Eternal Consequence

Getting God on our side can be tricky business! After all, our motives are pretty suspect—even on our best days. Getting on God’s side is a much better and smarter way to go. When we can achieve that, we will always have the Lord’s help in our endeavors, great and small. Without GOD on our side we can do nothing. With GOD on our side there’s nothing we can’t do!

Read: Psalm 127 // Focus: Psalm 127:1-2

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

During the Civil war, President Lincoln was once asked if God was on his side. His reply was, “It is not is God on my side, but am I on God’s side?”

That’s a great question to ask yourself in any of life’s endeavors. Whether it is in pursuing your personal goals (building your house), protecting your interests (watching over the city), earning a living (rising early and stay up late toiling), or raising your family (a quiver full of children—Psalm 127:3-5), at the end of all your efforts, nothing of lasting value and eternal consequence will have been accomplished if the Lord has not helped.

Apart from me you can do nothing. (Jesus, John 15:5)

And what is the best way to ensure the Lord’s help? Not just to get the Lord on your side—that can be tricky business, given the exceeding craftiness of our own motives (Jeremiah 17:9). Rather, the only surefire guarantee of the Lord’s help is to get on God’s side—and stay there.

If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit… If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (Jesus, John 15:5-8)

Perhaps Lincoln’s question is a good one to ask yourself today: “Am I on God’s side?” Are my goals God-given? Are my interests dedicated to his purpose? Is my work his work? Is my family set apart for his glory? In all that I think, say and do, is my ultimate motive to make Jesus famous?

If you are nervous about answering those questions in a God honoring way, then wouldn’t you say it is time to recalibrate your life so that from the center to the circumference, you are aligned with God’s purposes?

I hope you will join me today for a little recalibration. If we can pull that off, we’ll be in good standing to get the Lord’s help. And like the Apostle Paul, the testimony of our life will be, “But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.” (Acts 26:22)

Making Life Work: Getting God on your side requires first getting on God’s side.  Are you? Ask God to examine your motives and purify your heart. Pray this prayer from another psalm: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Posted on

God Takes Personal Responsibility For You

Relax And Let God Carry You

Our security is not rooted in our psychological steadiness but in God’s geological stability. That’s why the psalmist wrote, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” The assurance of our salvation, therefore, is the discipline of living by the settled science of God, not the ever-changing psychology of our feelings and emotions.

Read: Psalm 125 // Focus: Psalm 125:2

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 125 is in a group of fifteen songs, Psalms 120-134, that were written for pilgrims to sing on the way up to Jerusalem for the three yearly religious festivals held there. Jerusalem was at one of the highest inhabited points in the land, so any traveler would have to “go up” to get there—thus they are called Psalms of Assent.

As they sang along the way, these songs were to remind the traveling worshipers (not only in that day, but since God’s Word is eternal, they are to remind those of us who are on the journey to God today) of their identity—they were God’s people; of their destiny—they were chosen to serve God’s purpose; and of their destination—they were going to God.

When the pilgrims came around that last corner, or over that last hill, and saw Jerusalem, which was also called Mt. Zion, for the first time, perhaps they burst forth in this particular song. Here it is in full:

1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. 5 But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.

Verse 5 in the Message Translation is rendered, “God will round up the backsliders, corral them with the incorrigibles.” Backsliding means to fall away from discipleship into a life of sin. The term is not used much today, but in the church where I grew up in the faith, I like to say that we believed in backsliding—and practiced it regularly.

As a result of that teaching, I grew to be insecure about my salvation, namely, that if I wasn’t careful, I could lose it. It wasn’t until I became a young adult and begin to understand salvation, grace and God’s power to preserve me that I let go of my spiritual insecurities. I wish someone had preached this sermon on Psalm 125, because I could have skipped all the needless insecurity and enjoyed grace a lot sooner. (By the way, I would recommend Eugene Peterson’s excellent book on the psalms, Leap Over A Wall, which includes one of those sermons I wish I’d heard on Psalm 125.)

This is a psalm of security. It’s not about the precariousness of the Christian life, but its solidity. Christian living is not walking a tightrope without a safety net high above a breathless crowd secretly spoiling for the morbid thrill in seeing you fall. It’s about sitting safe and secure in God—my rock and my fortress in whom I trust:

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:2)

Just as Jerusalem was incredibly safe because the hills surrounding it made it a citadel, so verse 2 says the Lord surrounds us—right now and for all time. He’s got us covered. Other verses throughout Scripture affirm the same:

  • Psalm 139:5 says that God is before us—he lead us along the way—and he’s behind us—he’s got our back.
  • Psalm 121:5 says that God watches over us from above.
  • Deuteronomy 33:27 says that God is even underneath us, upholding with everlasting arms.

God has our back—and our front, along with every other area of vulnerability! Are we not the most secure people on the planet? And whether it was Israel back then or you right now, spiritual insecurity doesn’t make the believer any less of a beloved child of God. God is steadfastly with you—and for you—even when you don’t act like he is.

If you break your leg, you don’t become less of a person; those who love you don’t reject you if you sprain your ankle. Neither does God see you as anything less than his child when doubt cracks your confidence in him. “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”

Singing Psalm 125 reminds us to live by the facts of who God is—and how he sees us—not by our feelings or fears or failures. That image of his unchanging character is rooted in God’s geology—he is an unmovable mountain—not our psychology.

Discipleship, then, is the discipline of living by the settled science of God, not the ever-changing psychology of our emotions. God is a rock. He is your fortress. He’s got you covered. Even still, you are secure not because you are sure of yourself but because you trust that God is sure of you.

The opening line is about those “who trust in the Lord”—not those who trust in their discipleship. Discipleship is the discipline of deciding that God takes personal responsibility as the beginner and finisher of our faith. That’s what Hebrews 12:2 says: “Jesus is the author and the perfecter of your discipleship.” In light of that, the writer says, “keep your eye on him.”

So we come to the very last sentence of Psalm 125 which says, “Peace be upon Israel!”

In other words, God is running the show. Your salvation is a sure thing—God wants you to be secure in that! It’s on his shoulders—doubt, danger and defection notwithstanding! He’s a step or two ahead of you, and he’ll bring you to the finish!

So relax and let God carry you!

Making Life Work: The very last line of this song, Psalm 125:5, declares, “Peace be upon Israel!” In other words, in the context of the entire psalm, the writer is saying, “relax—God’s running the show.” You see, your salvation is a sure thing, and God want’s you to be secure in that! It’s on his shoulders—doubt, danger and defection notwithstanding! And on your journey of faith, God is always a step or two ahead of you, and he’ll bring you to the finish! With that in mind, perhaps today you ought to spend some time thanking God that he, not you, is the author and finisher of your faith.

Posted on

Help Wanted

Not To Worry, God's Got You Covered

What an awesome reality—God is on your side, and therefore, as you stay on God’s side, you cannot fail. So many people place their trust in people and institutions that are at best temporal, but those who trust in the Lord for his help will not be disappointed.

Read: Psalm 124 // Focus: Psalm 124:8

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Who better to have helping you than the God who created everything and who, by his power, sustains it! All other helpers will fall short and will ultimately fail, but there is One who never fails. And best of all, he is yours and you are his.

Better yet, he needs no convincing to act on your behalf. By virtue of your being his child, he not only stands at the ready to help you, he actually goes ahead of you and prepares the way before you get there: “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:2)

He commands you not to fear, for he will lead you and guide you into good success wherever you go: “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses… “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 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 1:3,7-9)

He has promised you health and prosperity, joy and purpose, righteousness and wisdom: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight … I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6; 4:11)

He says he will stand beside you and walk with you—especially when the going gets rough: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

And he will even be your rear guard—he’s got you covered: “your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8).

What an awesome reality—God is on your side, and therefore, as you stay on God’s side, you cannot fail. So many people place their trust in people and institutions that are at best temporal, but those who trust in the Lord for his help will not be disappointed.

Isaiah 49:23 says of those who find their help in the Lord, “Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Hallelujah, with God as your God, help wanted is help received!

Making Life Work: Do you need help—real help? God is near you. Call out to help and wait for his mighty arm to be revealed to you!

Posted on

Your Divine Guidance System

How Never To Get Lost, Confused Or Distracted

Someone once quipped that the Bible is simple our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. That’s true. And that’s why, today and every day, you should stand upon the Word of God, the B. I. B. L. E.

Read: Psalm 119 // Focus: Psalm 119:24>
“Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”

As you read through all 174 verses of Psalm 119—the longest chapter in the Bible—you will notice the repetition of the phrase, “according to”. In fact, it is found twenty times—once every eight or nine verses. Obviously, it is an important phrase to the writer, since he repeats it so often.

But what is of particular import is that the phrase is describing the one whose life is lived “according to” the Word of God. And to the one who so orders their life, the rest of the psalm is mostly a detail of the various benefits that follow. And of all those wonderful benefits, perhaps the greatest is that these holy statutes serve as a personal counselor—a Divine Guidance System, if you will.

What a comfort! The counsel that comes to us when we live “according to” God’s Word lifts us far above our limited, shortsighted, earth-bound perspective and provides a heavenly view of life as we journey through it. The Word of God becomes, as Timothy Dwight described, “a window in this prison-world through which we may look into eternity.” It is, as Henry Ward Beecher wrote, “God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks and bars.”

That’s why we must invest the first and best part of our day (Psalm 119:147) to reading, studying, meditating and applying God’s Word. Psalm 119:130 reminds us that “the unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” As you can see, not to give full devotion and highest place to the Word of the Lord would be nothing less than foolish.

If you have chosen to read God’s Word each day, whether through this blog or in some other form, I congratulate you. There is no better investment. Psalm 119:89 says the Word of the Lord is eternal—nothing else in this world can lay claim to that distinction—so while all else around you is being shaken, because you have delighted in his laws, you won’t be!

As Psalm 119:165 promises, “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” That’s what you get when you follow your Divine Guidance System.

Making Life Work: Open your Bible today and read! Meditate on it, Memorize it. Master it. Minister it. Hands down, it is the very best thing you can do today.