“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young…”  —1 TIMOTHY 4:12

The encouragement of younger Christians by older Christians is vital to their wholesome development and spiritual growth. Young people do not have the experience and wisdom that comes with age. They need the nurturing, encouragement and willingness of older people to step aside and make way for them.

Paul experienced this in full from Barnabas. In Luke’s account of their first missionary journey, he reports the pair as ‘Barnabas and Saul’. Barnabas was the leader and Paul, the second man with John Mark, the junior assistant on the team. They began their journey by visiting Barnabas’ home region of Cyprus, and then worked their way through the area of southern Galatia. As their journey continues, the narrative changes significantly from documenting the activities of ‘Barnabas and Saul’ to the activities of ‘Paul and Barnabas’. 

Paul’s leadership ability, preaching and debating skills were making him more prominent than Barnabas, so much so that when they arrived in Lystra, Paul was openly recognized as the chief speaker. Barnabas did not challenge it, or seek to restrict Paul so as to preserve his own reputation, but as he always did, he pushed his protégé forward, encouraging him in his gifts of ministry, and no doubt deriving great pleasure from the growth of this remarkable companion and friend.

Paul had done the same with Timothy, taking him under his wing in the church at Ephesus. Timothy was young, inexperienced, frail and easily intimidated by elders of the church who were more critical of him than encouraging. He did not have the boldness or courage of Paul, but he loved the Lord, and Paul, even from prison in Rome, knowing his days were drawing to an end, continued his mentorship with letters of encouragement and instruction to Timothy.

Sometimes the biggest discouragement for our young people comes from those who have been in ministry for years. We need to recognize underneath clumsy enthusiasm and impractical ideas is a genuine desire to serve God. Sometimes older Christians who have enjoyed being at the center of things can become defensive of their own position and fail to prepare the next generation. Young people need the protection and wisdom of older people, and the older people need the enthusiasm and adventurous spirit of the young. They are the next generation into whose hands we are entrusting the Gospel, and who, one day, will pass the same encouragement on. For many Christians creeping up in years, mentorship is invaluable and a wonderful way to serve the Lord.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the wonderful mentorship and support I have received. May I do the same for others when the time is right. 

Has mentorship played a key role in my work with God?

“Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’.” —MATTHEW 8:20

Many Christians today do not believe they are actually meant to be disciples of Christ. They have this idea that discipleship is the calling of those in full time ministry or on mission fields, or even people who spend a great deal of time in volunteer work. But Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). Every Christian, whatever our occupation, is called to be a disciple. 

The first thing we need to understand is that discipleship is not about where we are going or what we are doing, but with whom we are going. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be fully caught up in His program and to live by His agenda. Being a disciple is surrendering everything we are and everything we have for the purposes of Jesus Christ. His agenda is our priority, and this may or may not include tough circumstances, but the possibility is always present. 

When a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go,” Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’.” This is not giving any kind of virtue to homelessness, but tells us that discipleship may warrant relinquishing our own well-being and comfort in order to fulfill a divine agenda. Another man said to Jesus, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father,” and to him, Jesus replied, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21-22). The man almost certainly was not implying his father lay dead and was in need of burial, but that he needed to wait until his father had died, so he could be free of family obligations before becoming a disciple.

We cannot bring conditions into discipleship or place boundaries on our obedience and still regard it as true discipleship. Our first obligation is to Jesus and we leave the consequences of where that takes us to Him. We surrender exclusively to Jesus as the first call on our lives, and all other obligations and relationships will work their way out of that primary relationship we have with Jesus. This may sound hard, but we dare not tame the demands of Jesus. We work with the eternal in mind, regardless of consequences. To be a disciple does not exempt us from hardships, but rather equips us to live securely within them, and our security in Christ is the fundamental ingredient in the life of discipleship to which we are called.  

Dear Lord, help me to serve You well by always drawing my security from You, regardless of how difficult circumstances may be. Thank You, Lord. 

Am I willing to surrender everything to Jesus for His purposes?

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.” —EPHESIANS 6:13

In Chapter 6 of Ephesians, there is a recurring word Paul uses in our defensive strategy against Satan, and it is the word ‘stand’. “Take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (6:11). “Stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand ” (6:13). “Stand firm then…” (6:14). That does not sound like a very active role in warfare, does it? We are in the midst of a spiritual battle and we are told just to stand? How are we to interpret this?

In the battle between God and Satan, we must not get the notion they are two equal forces engaged in a dualistic cosmic fight. We cannot think God is a bit stronger and has the edge, so He will gain the victory. They are not forces of good and evil fighting equally. The differences are immense. God has no beginning, but Satan was created by God, and can only operate under God’s restraint. God is omnipresent; in all places at all times, but the devil is local in his operation and existence. Job 1:7 speaks about Satan going back and forth, roaming the earth. His movements are limited, but while he may be in one place, his demons or fallen angels can be working in many other locations, carrying out his work. 

God is omniscient. He knows everything there is to know, but the devil is clearly limited in what he knows. He certainly did not understand the consequences of the cross, or he would have fought against it rather than entering Judas to make it happen. God is eternal, but Revelation tells us Satan, along with his angels, will be cast into the lake of fire and that will be their end. It is God’s illimitable power against a limited one. It is the Creator against the created.

As Christians, our task is to stand and that is because the battle has already been won. On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan, sin and death. Satan’s future is unambiguous in Scripture. He will come to an end, but in the meantime, when under his attack, we are to stand, not in our strength, but in a strength that is supernatural. This is God’s battle and a battle that’s already been won. We are not fighting for victory, but from a position of victory, which is why our defensive strategy is simply ‘to stand’.

Dear Jesus, thank you for protecting me from the evil forces of this world. May I always stand firm in You. 

How would I respond to anything that tries to lure me away from God?

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” —EPHESIANS 6:12

Scripture clearly identifies our number one enemy is Satan. He is mentioned 53 times in the Bible and on other occasions is referred to as Lucifer, Beelzebub, the dragon, old serpent, prince of this world and god of this age.

In Ephesians 6:11, Paul says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Notice the singular form - ‘the devil’s schemes’, but the next verse quickly moves to the plural form where Paul talks about the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil. This combination of the singular and plural is referring to the devil and his angels who are at enmity with God, and therefore, at enmity with all those who are in Christ. 

These are formidable foes for several reasons. They are not physical or visible, but are “spiritual forces”. They consist of authorities and powers we know little about, and they operate in the heavenly realms. We associate the heavenly realms with the sphere of God and His activity, but it is in this very sphere the battle takes place and is unleashed on earth. Ezekiel 28:17 says of Satan, “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendour.” And God’s response was, “So I threw you to the earth.”  

In our western world, we live and function almost entirely in the physical realm with very little consideration of non-physical existence. Scripture teaches that we need to know that the enemy exists. We greatly delude ourselves if we doubt the existence of Satan and his demons or underestimate his power. C.S. Lewis very astutely writes in his book, ‘Screwtape Letters’, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which we may fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence and the other is to exaggerate their powers. The devil is pleased with either error.” 

Satan’s assault on the human race began in the Garden of Eden and continues today. One of his best tactics is to subtly cast doubt in our minds. He said to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1). The doubt Satan inflicted caused both Adam and Eve to act in independence of God. This is still Satan’s agenda today - to get us to act independently of God, becoming the gods of our own lives. That’s why we need to know the enemy; to recognize his coming, and to realize that many attempts to lure us away from God is the unseen enemy at work.

Dear God, help me to recognize Satan’s attacks and to stay clear of anything that attempts to lure me away from You. Thank You, Lord.

Do I believe in the existence of Satan and his demons?   

“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.”  —ACTS 26:19

Perhaps we have received a vision from heaven. We are energized by it. It is something that will benefit others, and with God’s agenda at heart, has an eternal dimension. What happens next?

When Paul presented his case before King Agrippa and the Roman governor, he first described how he had met with Jesus on the Damascus road, and was told he would preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul, formerly known as ‘Saul’, stated, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” What did Paul do after his vision? He immediately started preaching in Damascus, then for a period of time sought solitude in Arabia, but it was up to 14 years later before he realized his vision. It was not until he was in the church at Antioch that the Holy Spirit said, “set apart for me Barnabas and Saul…” (Acts 13:2). 

The key to discerning God’s guidance is not becoming skilled in discerning His will, but in walking humbly with God, which is what Paul did in the interim years. Abraham was given a vision of a nation that would descend from him and from that nation, the Seed that would bless the world. Twenty-five years later, Isaac, his promised son was born. Joseph, a man who walked intimately with God, had a vision of his brothers bowing down to him. Twenty-two years later that vision became a reality. Moses, at 40 years old, had a vision of saving his people from Egyptian captivity, and 40 years later that came into being.

God is never in a hurry. When we receive a vision from Him, the best thing we can do is tuck it away, and get on with our lives. Mary held the world’s greatest secret for thirty years, and treasured what she knew in her heart. That’s what we need to do with our visions. God will carve the path and accomplish His purpose in His time. A vision from heaven will absolutely have a life of its own. We do not have to make it happen.  

One of the wonderful works of the Holy Spirit, as proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, is that, “Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). What this means is that the dreams of the elderly look to a future they are too old to partake in, but the young have visions they will partake in, and both the dreams of the old and visions of the young are implanted in us in harmony with God’s will. The Holy Spirit is always forward looking, and God’s divine purpose becomes manifested in His visions for us.

Dear Lord, grant me the patience to wait and depend upon You in bringing a vision You have given me to fruition. Thank You, Lord. 

Have I received a vision I have tucked away? 

“…your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” —ACTS 2:17

Unless we are in our golden years, every Christian should be seeking visions from heaven. Visions from heaven are not something that stem from our own plans or wishful thinking, but are received with their origin in God. We cannot make the mistake of thinking God gives visions specifically to those in Christian ministry. Most of the leading characters in the Bible were everyday people with everyday jobs, but whose lives were directed in service to God. 

So what exactly is a vision from heaven and how do we come by it? Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” That does not mean God will give you whatever you want, but it is within the context of “delighting ourselves in the Lord” that the desires of our hearts will be God-given. What we want will be what God wants, and a vision is a glimpse into the future God places in our hearts.  

There are three basic features in a vision from heaven. The first is that it will be something that energizes us. Paul writes, “I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:29). Paul faced many battles and obstacles, but it was with Christ’s divine energy that he was empowered and motivated. Visions from God do not evoke a feeling of, “I’ve gotta do this”, but rather, “I’d love to do this!” They draw you, not drive you. 

Secondly, God-given visions will be external to us in that they have an outward focus, which works to the benefit and blessing of others. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus said about discipleship, “Whoever wants to save his life – that is self-oriented – will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” God’s agenda for us is that we put others before ourselves, and become the means by which His love and compassion are expressed to those around us and the world at large.

Thirdly, visions from heaven will be eternal in significance. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19) Treasures on earth are temporary, but in heaven are everlasting. In whatever sphere God has placed us, we need to live with the eternal in mind. And that makes it exciting, because when we leave this earth our real treasures are just beginning!

Dear Heavenly Father, as undeserving as I feel to be gifted by a vision from You, I ask that I may receive that blessing to further inspire and encourage me in serving your agenda. Thank You, Lord.  

Am I praying for a vision from God? 

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”  —MATTHEW 6:6

The Christian life is living in a committed relationship with Jesus Christ, and that requires communication. All relationships will either grow or wither in proportion to the depth of communication that takes place. 

When governments are in trouble, they have to take time to listen to the people. When industrial relationships break down, the invitation goes out to ‘get around the table’ and negotiate. When marriages hit hard times, there has invariably been a breakdown of communication. When the Christian life runs dry, it is too often because there has been a breakdown in our prayer lives. Even if God did not answer, and not one prayer has made a difference in our lives or in the world, praying is still necessary.

The test of our prayer lives is the praying that goes on in secret. Anyone can know the right language and pray in public, particularly when motivated by an audience. Jesus said, “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). To pray with practiced rhetoric or put on a pious voice is often a symptom of unreality with God. We need to approach God reverently and humbly, but confidently and naturally. 

Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (6:8). Because God knows what we need, does not mean we do not have to ask Him. His sovereignty and wisdom does not preclude the necessity or effectiveness of prayer. The nature of our belief in prayer is not that God is going to give us what we ask, but that He is going to give us what is right. If what we ask coincides with what is right, so much the better, but it is the will of God that needs to be paramount in our prayers. This conviction must permeate our sense of dependency on God, acknowledging the fact that God’s way is supreme and sufficient. We invite Him into our circumstances, not to fill a celestial list of what we think will make things better, but to fulfill His agenda in our circumstances. 

Four key aspects of our prayer lives should be praying regularly, praying intimately, naturally and believingly. We can no more keep secrets from God than we can be hidden from His sight. To skirt around the real issues is to ‘babble like pagans’, but praying from the heart, is what connects us to God’s heart, and brings us into relationship with Him.  

Dear Lord, I am humbled and grateful for the immense privilege of talking heart to heart with You. I pray, Lord, Your will be done in my life in all things. Thank You.  

Am I spending enough time with God in prayer?  

“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” —MATTHEW 9:38

As Jesus travelled through towns and villages, preaching and healing the sick, Matthew records the effect of the crowds on Him. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Here, there is both an objective vision and a subjective compassion. Objectively, Jesus saw the crowds like ‘sheep without a shepherd’ and subjectively, He felt compassion for them.  

What follows is a key to understanding effective evangelism. Jesus tells His disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, and He instructs them to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into the harvest field. Jesus was not saying to go into the field, but to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers. There is a ‘Lord of the harvest field’ who knows his business, and exactly the state of the harvest. Our task is not to take it upon ourselves to do the best we can, but to allow the Lord of the Harvest to direct our paths. 

We would be making a mistake to think techniques are the key to effective evangelism. Though some techniques have validity, the key is found in relating to the role of Jesus Christ as Lord of the Harvest. It is very difficult to establish a strategy for evangelism from the New Testament without recognizing the indispensable role of God in putting people in the right place at the right time. When an angel appeared to Philip in Samaria and told him to go south to a desert road, he did not know that he would meet up with the Ethiopian eunuch on his way home from Jerusalem. And this eunuch just happened to be reading a passage from Isaiah, which foreshadows Christ. Philip was able to jump on board the chariot, explain the passage, lead him to Christ and baptize him. Organized techniques will not bring that about! 

The key elements in effective evangelism are vision, compassion and intercession. The vision of Jesus - ‘when He saw the crowds’, led to compassion, which led to intercession - ‘ask the Lord of the Harvest’. Breaking one of these links renders the process ineffective. Jesus then called His disciples to Him and gave them the authority to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease and sickness (Matthew 10:1). The ones Jesus told to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers are the same ones He then sent out to do the job. Vision, compassion and intercession lead to action!

Dear Jesus, help me to look to You as Lord of the Harvest, and not take it upon myself to win others. Thank You, Lord.

Am I working together with Jesus in leading others to Him?

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” —JEREMIAH 18:6

There are choices many of us have made during the course of our lives, which we sensed were out of the will of God, but we made them anyway. Some people have carried regret around for decades because of it, and are so burdened with guilt they believe it is too late to pick up the pieces and start fresh with God. 

The story of the potter in the book of Jeremiah is one that depicts the sovereignty of God, and is a story of hope. The Lord sends Jeremiah down to the potter’s house to give him a message. “So I went down to the potter’s house and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel’” (Jeremiah 18:3-6).

The potter does not take the marred clay off the wheel and discard it. He re-works it and molds it into something else that seems best to him. In the same way, the sovereignty of God is not a fixed, rigid pattern. We are all marred clay, but no one is irredeemable. There are things, of course, that cannot be fixed or undone, but sometimes, like Jacob, we have to learn to walk with a limp. ‘Jacob’ means twister and cheat, and Jacob lived up to his name. God had taken on human form and wrestled with Jacob all night. His hip was knocked out of joint, but Jacob did not give up. He clung to the man until God gave him His blessing. God remoulded the clay, and changed Jacob’s name to ‘Israel’.   

Though the moulding can be painful and we may carry a limp, we also carry the legacy of an Almighty God who has re-worked us, and turned us into something that fulfills His purpose. God’s sovereignty is not that everything is in an unchangeable, predetermined pattern, but is His working in a broken world, filled with rebellion and disobedience. He is remoulding the clay, but our hearts must be soft and pliable. When we come in humility, confessing our sin, God forgives, and we become pliable in His hands again. It is never too late for our lives to be a living, dynamic moulding into something that seems best to God; not second best, not a quick fix, but something that seems best to Him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for not giving up on me. May I always keep a soft, pliable heart that You will work with.

Is my heart soft and pliable in the hands of God?

“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” —PROVERBS 14:26

Parents do not get a practice run. We make mistakes along the way, and in the process, discover that parenting is probably the greatest challenge to our selfishness. Philip Yancey, one of the world’s leading Christian authors, has said that children draw out of us the most important thing in our lives, which is that we sacrificially love and care and lay down our lives. 

In Ephesians, Chapters 5 & 6, Paul gets down to the very practical issues of life, and does not detach them from Christ or our relationship with Him. Rather, he says this is an integral outworking of our relationship with Christ, and that our child-rearing and family life is a spiritual exercise. We have such a small window of time to exercise this most essential influence on our children, and it needs to be done with loving sensitivity.

There is a saying that goes, “All our earthly relationships are to come out of a heavenly framework.” This is not something additional to our spiritual lives, but in all our relationships, being filled with the Spirit lies at the core. Our children need to see that we love God, and trust Him by showing them our trust in God. We cannot impose the Christian life on our children, but rather be sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. We can easily provide them with a false sense of security by giving them the impression they must believe in certain things simply because we do. As they grow older, that will inevitably provoke resistance, and one of the most detrimental things we can do is create such an expectancy that they will rebel against it. 

Spiritually, we cannot save our children. They have to become Christians for themselves, but what we can do is live before them in a way that the relationship we have with Christ is real and evident to them. Our homes should be places where we submit to one another out of love and reverence for Christ. The greatest contribution we can make is demonstrating that our lives are lived in dependence upon Christ. Eventually, our children will leave home and be exposed to all kinds of philosophies and things that have gone wrong in this world. We have to trust that the nurturing and caring they received at home will cause them to meet not with dad’s God or mom’s God, but with their God, whom they come to know for themselves.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to raise my children to become men and women of God who love You, and live their lives in trust and dependence on You.

Am I bringing God into the lives of my children?

“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise’.” —LUKE 23:42-43

In Matthew, Chapter 20, Jesus tells the parable of the ‘Workers in the Vineyard’. When a landowner needed workers, he went out early in the morning and hired men for one denarius a day. Three hours later, he went out again and hired more workers for one denarius a day. At the sixth hour, ninth hour and eleventh hour, he brought more workers to his vineyard for one denarius a day. At the end of the day, he paid them all the one denarius he had promised, but the workers who were first on the field grumbled against the landowner, because they had been paid the same wages for a full day’s work as the men who had come in at the eleventh hour. Was this fair?

In the ‘Prodigal Son’, the older son who stayed home and dutifully served his father was in the fields, and when he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. They were celebrating because his brother had come home, and this greatly angered the older brother. He said to his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30) Would we think this to be fair?

It is not fair, but Jesus says this is what the kingdom of heaven is like. It is not built on being fair. Deeply ingrained in many of us is this sense that we need to be deserving of God’s grace, and that is a problem. There are also those who believe they are deserving of God’s grace, and this is also a problem. To believe either way is not a correct understanding. The kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with what we deserve or do not deserve. 

All the issues of the Gospel are about a restored relationship with God. Acknowledging our sin and receiving forgiveness is necessary, but is a means to an end in that we come to know Christ. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Everyone enters the kingdom of heaven on the same terms, whether at the first hour or eleventh hour. And this is so passionately revealed in the words of Jesus to the man on the cross beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Thank You, Lord, for your gift of grace, not only in forgiveness and salvation, but in coming to know You. 

Do I sometimes feel I have to earn God’s grace?

“The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”  —LUKE 15:12

Father’s Day is a time when many fathers will reflect on their children, particularly if their children are in adolescence or young adulthood, and it has not been an easy time. These are vulnerable years, prone to rebellion, strife and dissension in relationships. Jesus told the parable of the ‘Prodigal Son’, which paints a beautiful picture of what our Heavenly Father is like in times such as these. ‘Prodigal’ means to be reckless and wasteful. The son was reckless and wasteful in a destructive way, while the father in a constructive, loving way.

The son’s request of his father to give him his share of the estate was highly offensive in Jewish culture as it suggests the son wants his father to die. But the father does not admonish him. He grants the request, gives his son the money and lets him go. Fathers know their sons, and this father knew his son was destined for trouble. Jesus tells us, “he set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13). The freedom we give our children must include the possibility of going to a distant country. Anonymity can be a great cloak for sin, and for discovering what is really in the heart. The son eventually finds himself feeding pigs and longing for the pods he fed them. It would be very degrading for a Jewish boy to work with pigs since to even touch their carcass is forbidden. This son was at rock bottom.

Jesus then tells us, “He came to his senses”. He is hungry, penniless and worse off than his father’s servants. He wants to go back, apologize and put the situation right by earning his keep, but the father faces a different issue. Jesus says, “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (15:20). The father does not mention squandered money, insult, or a far away country. He joyously welcomes him home and immediately plans a celebration. The son’s actions were only a symptom of the real issue the father faced, which was a broken relationship.  

And that is the issue with God; not where we have been or what we have done, but putting our relationships right, and thereby right with Him. At rock bottom is often where God will meet with our children, and like the father in the Prodigal Son, we need to let them go, but be standing on the threshold ready to welcome them back.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that You meet with my children, especially in times of distress. Be their refuge and safe passage home. Thank You, Lord.

Am I praying God will bring my children into a relationship with Him?

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”—HEBREWS 1:14

In Billy Graham’s book, ‘Angels: God’s Secret Agents’, he tells a number of stories, one about Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch lady who had hidden Jews in her home during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Her entire family was eventually captured and taken to a concentration camp in Ravensbruck, Germany. She tells her own story of how entering that terrifying building, angels had surrounded and protected her as she smuggled in her Bible under the dress she was given to wear. 

After telling the story, Billy Graham adds, “Every true believer in Christ should be encouraged and strengthened. Angels are watching. They mark your path. They superintend the events of your life and protect the interests of the Lord God, always working to promote His plan to bring about His highest will for you.” 

In Scripture, there are hints of ‘guardian angels’, but only hints. The term ‘guardian angel’ does not occur in the Bible, but there are examples that lead us to believe they exist. Daniel, for instance, says, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22). Paul was on his way to Rome and his ship was about to sink. Everyone was panicking, but he said to them, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you’.” (Acts 27:23-24) After Jesus’ period of temptation in the wilderness, Matthew 4:11 says, “Then the devil left him and angels came and attended him.”

Angels also represent people in heaven, and there are two categories spoken of in Scripture; firstly, in the lives of children. Jesus said, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Jesus said, “their angels”, so children have angels in heaven. Secondly, Scripture speaks of angels as representing the dying. Jesus told a story of a rich man and a beggar, named Lazarus. Luke 16:22 says, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.” Caring for the dying is one of the most valuable and precious things we can do. Psalm 116:15 tells us, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His faithful servants” 

From every walk of life, there are countless stories of guardian angels, and we can take comfort in the fact that God, in His sovereignty, at anytime may send an angel to intervene on our behalf.

Thank You, Lord, that You do send angels to minister to us. It is comforting and encouraging to know that possibility exists. 

Have I had an experience of what I believe to be an angel intervening in my life?

“Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts… Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” —PSALM 148:2 & 5

There has always been a great deal of interest in angels; some of it good, and some of it not so good. What God has revealed we may know and believe with confidence, but what He has not revealed, we must be very cautious about. So what does God tell us about angels?

The word ‘angel’ literally means ‘messenger’, and this is primarily how we are to understand them, as messengers or representatives of God. They belong to the heavenly court and are created beings. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all things were created by him and for him.” Angels pre-date the physical universe and therefore pre-date humanity. God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation … while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4 & 7) Angels celebrated the foundation of the earth.

Angels, of course, are an altogether different species to humanity. We cannot see them as human beings with wings. They are sexless, neither male nor female, and can never die. Luke, speaking of Christians after the resurrection of the dead, says, “…and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels” (Luke 20:36). Humanity is lower than the angels, but with privileges angels do not have. 1 Peter 1:12 tells us there are things that even angels long to look into but are unable to; the fact that we may be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, receive salvation and be united with Christ. Angels do not experience that. 

There are three things Scripture tells us we must not do concerning angels. We are not to pray to them. 1 Timothy 2:5 says there is one mediator between God and men who is Jesus Christ. Secondly, we are not to worship angels. “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize” (Colossians 2:18). Thirdly, we are not to seek angels. Angels act on God’s initiative alone and are usually sent without us knowing. 

There are 24 separate occasions in Scripture of angels making visitations to earth. In addition, there are more than 300 references to angels in 34 books of the Bible. Angels represent God on earth, and some of their biggest work is yet to come, preparing for that climactic event in history when they will accompany Jesus Christ on His return to earth.

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me the privilege of being indwelt by You, and for the work of angels on our behalf.

How would I best define angels?

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”—ISAIAH 43:25

God has a unique ability concerning sin. He not only forgives sin, but remembers it no more. God who knows all things will never recall what He knows about us, never use it as ammunition against us, never call us to account for it, and never condemn us for it. He will treat it as though it never took place. 

If a person has cheated us, or taken a swing at us, or falsely accused us in some grave way, a red flag will go up when we encounter that person again. That does not mean we have not forgiven them, but we will probably treat them with caution. Although we have the capacity to forgive sin, we do not have the capacity to “remember it no more”. God does, and past sin that has been confessed and forgiven means nothing to Him now.

Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God does not speak of north or south because they are fixed points on the globe. We could travel continuously north or south, and reach a point where we would eventually be going in the opposite direction. But travelling continuously east or west, we would keep going east or west, because a fixed point where east meets west is non-existent. As far as the east is from the west, God removes our transgressions, so it is as if they did not exist.

Isaiah 38:17 says, “You have put all my sins behind your back.” God is in all places at all times, so where is there such a place as behind His back? This does not exist either, but is a profound image that depicts the infinity of distance and space into which God has taken our sin. Micah 7:19 says, “You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Our iniquities hurled into the depth of the sea paints another picture of something that is irretrievable. Our sin is washed away, gone forever. 

I have said this many times. “The only way sin leaves our bodies is through our mouths.” We must first acknowledge our sin, confess it and repent of it, which is to set our minds against it. Then God forgives our sin to the extent that He remembers it no more. Paul says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). This is present tense… no condemnation! The guilt is gone and God holds nothing against us.

Dear Lord, I am so grateful and humbled by your amazing grace. Help me to be as forgiving to others as You are to me. Thank You, Lord.

Am I confessing my sin to God and repentant of it?

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”—MARK 3:29

There are Christians who fear they have committed ‘the unforgivable sin’, which will not go well for them on Judgment Day. Some even think themselves to be ‘spiritually maimed’ and restricted in their usefulness to God.

The statement Jesus makes, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven” must be interpreted in light of what is meant by ‘blasphemes against the Holy Spirit’. It must also be understood within the context Jesus said this, particularly when the statement appears to be out of the spirit of the whole of the Bible. The context was when confronted by the scribes in their persistent refusal to recognize the working of the Holy Spirit in His life, and instead accusing Him of having demonic power.

In Scripture, forgiveness is spoken of as encompassing all our sin. John says, “The blood of Jesus…purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). He then adds, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1:9). There is no exception clause written into these verses, and no allowances made anywhere for being partially forgiven.

It is the Holy Spirit who makes us aware of our sin and points us to the way out of our sin through Jesus Christ. To resist the working of the Holy Spirit is to close off any way of obtaining forgiveness, which is exactly what the scribes were doing when Jesus warned them of the possibility of not being forgiven. They were so hardened against Him that when acknowledging the supernatural element in His ministry, rather than attributing it to the Spirit of God, they attributed it to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. 

The unforgivable sin is not an act one can commit in a moment without possibility of forgiveness, but it is a refusal to accept the only means of obtaining forgiveness. In resisting the Holy Spirit, we choose to remain in our sin with no possibility of cleansing. It is for this reason that a Christian cannot be guilty of an ‘unforgivable sin’, because our very response to the Holy Spirit, which enables us to become Christians, is our refusal to be guilty. If, as Christians, we fear being guilty of an unforgivable sin, we have not fully understood the work of Christ on the cross, in which He took upon Himself every sin ever committed. The nature of God’s forgiveness is all encompassing, and we need to believe and live as though we are clean - for clean we are through the blood of Christ!

Thank you, Lord, for taking all my sin to the cross with You, and forgiving me.  

Is there a past sin in my life that I feel is restricting me from being useful to God? 

“Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”  —1 CORINTHIANS 10:32-33

In our witness for Christ, it is wise to realize that it is much more difficult to unlearn and correct a wrong understanding than it is to learn something new. If an initial approach threatens what people hold dear, they instinctively fight to retain it. If, however, something positive and more attractive is made available, which does not seem to threaten what is already held, once the new has been embraced, the old begins to take on a different significance, and in due time falls away of its own accord.

As Paul’s experience had taught him, it was when he met with Christ and experienced a transformation of his own life that he began to see his Judaism in a new light, and could start to leave it behind. Prior to his encounter with Christ, any attempt to take away the demands of the law from him would have only resulted in its most severe defense. Paul’s ministry was one that respected what was meaningful to the people, while at the same time, finding a gateway that would lead them to the Gospel. 

When Paul first revisited Jerusalem about three or four years after his conversion, he gained the trust of the disciples, and began preaching the Gospel. He then returned home to Tarsus, and was no doubt welcomed back as the son of a respected Jewish family. He writes, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law” (1 Corinthians 9:20). In Tarsus, Paul would not have flaunted his liberty in Christ. He would have lived as a Jew, and placed himself under the law, not as a means to salvation, but as a bridge over which he might travel to his fellow Jews.

In 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, Paul tells us “that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial or constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” There is freedom for believers in Christ, which others may not have, so we are to use discretion in what we can do and cannot do in their presence. In this way, we will not pose a stumbling block to the Gospel, but be a means of opening a doorway to it.

Dear Lord, in my witness for You, help me to realize and overcome anything that may be a deterrent in me for others. Thank You, Lord.

Am I sensitive to the beliefs of others in my witness for Christ?

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”—ISAIAH 53:2

The above verse is a physical description of Jesus as a man on earth. It tells us our Lord resembled a regular man, an ordinary Joe. He had no beauty. He was not attractive, nothing in His appearance that would make us desire Him.

Most artists’ impressions of Jesus make Him strong and handsome, but evidence in Scripture points to the reverse. If Jesus came in His physical body to church this Sunday I suspect none of us would get Him right. We would be looking for the alpha male, sitting there with striking eyes and a piercing look. We probably would not even notice Him, as there was nothing to physically attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that would make us say, “Wow!”

Jesus being the perfect man, as He was, had nothing to do with physical appearance, but everything to do with His moral character. The qualities that made Him who He was were His kindness, His compassion and gentleness; the fact that He would sit and talk with a woman nobody else would be seen with; the fact that He would cross the road to greet and touch a leper while most would cross to the other side to avoid him.

Physical appearance has become of huge value in our world. Maybe it always has been, but it certainly is today. We have super-imposed this onto Jesus and created a Hollywood Jesus with a superman status. This is the superficial world we live in, but it is not what godliness is about. We spend absurd amounts of money on cosmetics; an indication of our obsession with appearance. Some of us may need that, but it does not hold any significant value outside of our own sense of well-being. Perhaps there is nothing about us that causes people to be drawn to us, so no one notices us, and we feel insignificant. Maybe we are lonely, as it has been said of Jesus Himself, and that loneliness and longing to be noticed are the very mechanisms by which God is doing something in our lives – molding and building.

The qualities that exhibit the presence of God come from within us. Under the surface of our visible lives are deep inner workings that are invisible to most people around us. Our histories, our environments, our struggles, victories, fears, joys, and our faith are all part of our character which more accurately define who we are. The goal of the Christian life is to be molded into the image of Christ, which has nothing to do with appearance, but everything to do with character and attitude.

Dear God, help me to look past people’s outer appearances and more deeply into who they really are. Thank You, Lord.

Am I overly concerned about how I look rather than who I am?

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about’.”—GENESIS 22:2

When the sun is shining and the sky is blue, it’s easy to become complacent in our walk with God. Then… bang! Something happens and our faith is tested.

God’s testing of Abraham stands as the climax of his life. He had recognized what all the years of struggles and frustrations were about. Twenty-five years he had waited for a son through whom God had promised would come a nation, and from that nation, the Seed that would bless the world. Over 100 years old, Abraham is settled in the Promised Land with his promised heir, and all the storms of his life are presumably behind him.  

Then God tells him to take the son he loves and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. A burnt offering would have symbolized giving up all that he has, all that he is and all that he hoped to be, and offering it up wholly to God. Everything Abraham stood for was vested in his son, Isaac, and God is saying, “It’s not just bits and pieces, Abraham. I am asking you for lock, stock and barrel. Put it on the altar, slay it and burn it.” So there is nothing left that belongs to Abraham. And he responds with unflinching obedience.

After years of ups and downs with God, Abraham had learned to trust and obey. Though he knew his trust in God to uphold the covenant, and obedience to Him in sacrificing Isaac were on a collision course, Abraham had left the consequences of his obedience to God. Mature faith, as is evidenced at this stage, trusts the hidden wisdom of God that in the course of time it will make itself known despite the lack of human reasoning. James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.  

God gives us many blessings: family, home, careers, achievements, but sometimes we allow them to become a substitute for God, placing our hopes and security in them rather than in God Himself. When that happens, a stern hand may come down from heaven and our faith is tested. As painful as it may be, we will find liberty and assurance as we trust God in the testing. Very often the most intimate workings of God take place in the solitude of our hearts where we surrender everything we are and have to Him. Our circumstances then become His responsibility, and out of that grows a fresh dependence on God, which equips for any situation.

I pray, Lord, for an unwavering faith in You that will withstand any test. Help me to be obedient and completely dependent on You. Thank You, Lord.

Do I tend to be complacent in my faith when all is going well?

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”  —GENESIS 3:6

In Genesis, Chapter 3, sin entered the world and the fall took place. As a result, there came a destructive effect on the relationship of men to women. God first asked Adam what happened and he replied, “The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12). Adam is basically saying, “Don’t ask me. It’s Eve’s fault, and if it’s not her fault, it’s yours for giving her to me in the first place.”  

This response was unjustifiable for two reasons. Adam had been told that he must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God did not tell Eve that, though Adam had told Eve that. Adam’s task was to provide and protect her, but he stood by passively, and was present in the Garden. “She also gave some to her husband, who was with her and he ate it” (3:6). Adam then has the audacity to say, “It’s not my fault; she took it.” 

The second reason why Adam’s response was unjustifiable is because Eve had been deceived by Satan. God had given Adam the responsibility of protecting her and Satan had cast enough doubt in her mind to disobey God. We are not excusing Eve, but Adam refuses to take accountability, and abuses Eve by blaming her and giving her the guilt. God pronounces a curse on the serpent, and on the ground, which has consequences for Adam and Eve, which is the fruit of their sin. God said to Eve, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (3:16). In other words, you have now become vulnerable to your husband, and this is going to become the pattern of fallen and broken humanity where the law of the jungle is going to operate and in their sin, men are going to dominate women.

Now if the fall, instigated by the devil, broke the gender relationship, the Son of God’s purpose was to destroy the works of the devil. Part of the plan of salvation and sanctification is to restore the relationship between man and woman. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, firstly we are reconciled to God, and then to each other. Our salvation is about being reconciled to God, but our sanctification is about relationships and how we live in the world. The Gospel restores the oneness of the male and female that has been destroyed in the Garden of Eden. When we have been reconciled to God and made one in Christ, the brokenness of our relationships now have the possibility of being restored.

Dear God, help me to get to know You better, and to reflect what You are like in my marriage. Thank You, Lord.

Do I understand God’s plan for reconciliation, firstly to Him and secondly to each other?

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’.” —GENESIS 2:18

The word ‘helper’ in the above verse is very much misunderstood. Some have used it to argue for a subordinate position for women in their relationship with men. Adam is the man, supreme; Eve is his helper, supportive like his personal assistant. This is, however, a misreading of the significance of the word ‘helper’. It is used eight times in the Old Testament, and six times it is used of God. Deuteronomy 33:29 says, “The Lord is your shield and helper.” Psalm 27:9, “You have been my helper.” Psalm 118:7, “The LORD is with me; He is my helper.”

What is the meaning of God being our helper? Does that put Him into a subordinate role? Of course, not. What that speaks of is the indispensability of God to human beings. ‘Helper’ is a very high word, which means to be indispensable and interdependent, one to the other. God saw it was not good for man to be alone, so He created a companion for him. In the very beginning, man and woman were equal in status and commission. God gave them a joint responsibility to be fruitful and multiply and to rule over all the creatures of the earth. 

Then God gives this instruction: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). This is the doctrine of marriage God has ordained; a union of two persons into one, made one flesh - male and female – two equal parts of one whole. As one flesh, they will procreate; they will create new life, and those new lives will be united to another person, and become another unit. And so as God intended, the building block of society is the man leaving his father and mother and he cleaves to his wife. They become one flesh. They procreate.

Husbands are not the fixed point and wives the adjustable ones. In Ephesians, Chapter 5, Paul talks further about the relationship of husband and wife. Husbands are to love their wives sacrificially as Christ loves the church (5:25). One of the things a wife needs to know most about her husband is that he will protect and provide for her, but if that sense of protection is undermined, everything else in the marriage is undermined. Ephesians 5:28 says, “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” - two equal parts of one whole. So ‘helper’ is a beautiful word that speaks of the husband and wife relationship. They are indispensable and interdependent on each other.

Dear Lord, help me to love my spouse sacrificially as Christ loves His church.

Is my marriage an equal union of man and wife?

“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”—ACTS 9:27

When Paul first came to Jerusalem after his conversion in Damascus and subsequent stay in Arabia, the apostles were reluctant to trust him or even meet with him. They had last known him to have brought havoc in Jerusalem, and their relief that he had left them three years ago had only been tempered by the fact he had set off for Damascus to cause trouble to believers there. But then back in Jerusalem, they heard rumours from Damascus that said, “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:23).

Clearly, the apostles found it difficult to attach much credibility to the story, for when Paul returned, Acts 9:26 says, “They were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.” If any credibility was to be established, someone would have to go out on a limb, and that someone was Barnabas. His real name was Joseph, but the disciples most appropriately nicknamed him ‘Barnabas’, meaning ‘son of encouragement’.

Barnabas not only befriended Paul, but became his spokesman, persuading the disciples that he could be trusted. Having gained acceptance, Paul was at liberty to preach in Jerusalem, but with an entirely different message, which did not impress his former colleagues who were anti-Christian. There was a threat to his life, so it was decided Paul should leave Jerusalem and return to Tarsus. In the meantime, marvelous growth was taking place in the church in Judea and surrounding areas. Most significant was the conversion to Christ of both Jew and Gentile in the city of Antioch, 400 miles north of Jerusalem.

Barnabas, needing help in Antioch, sought out Paul and brought him back from Tarsus. Acts 11:24 says of Barnabas, “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” What higher and nobler aspiration could anyone have? Barnabas looked for opportunities to bring younger men into the work of God. He was not feathering his own nest, or establishing a reputation, but was caught up exclusively in the interests of Jesus Christ, and therefore, Jesus Christ’s interest in the younger Paul became Barnabas’ interest too. 

How much Paul owed to the outstanding friendship of Barnabas, we can only surmise, but from every human standpoint, had there been no Barnabas, there would have been no Paul - certainly not as we know him. The point is that we all need a ‘Barnabas’ in our work with God, and God most assuredly provides them.

Thank you, Jesus, for being sensitive and responsive to all our needs. I am so grateful for the ‘Barnabas’ You provide for me.  

Am I encouraging others in their walk with God?

“Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.”—MATTHEW 26:75

One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the life of the Apostle Peter must have been the night of Christ’s arrest when he heard the rooster crow. All four Gospels record this event, and with the exception of John, tell us how Peter broke down and wept. The Bible never glamorizes its leading characters, and it may be encouraging to discover we rarely become struck in a way that is original.  

Peter was Jesus’ most loyal and enthusiastic supporter. At the Last Supper, he confirmed his unwavering devotion to Him by declaring, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Jesus said to him, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Peter became more emphatic. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:33-35). There is no reason to believe that Peter’s motivation was anything but genuine.

After the arrest of Jesus, Peter followed a safe distance behind, and three times was accused of being with Jesus, but just as emphatically, denied ever having known Him. His sense of relief was abruptly shattered when he heard the rooster crow and recalled with heavy heart what Jesus had said. When reminded of broken promises, words of never-failing loyalty and commitment to God, the rooster crows in our lives too. It is a dilemma we all face in earnestly wanting to please God, but fail again and again. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus summed it up for Peter. “The spirit is willing but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). It is when we experience what is admirable in our spirits, but cannot put it into action, we realize our moral and spiritual bankruptcy. All Jesus expects of us is failure, for He says, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

For Peter, the morning of tears when the cock crowed, made possible a triumphant morning of joy, seven weeks later. In the intervening time, stripped of his own sufficiency and confidence, Peter was enabled to stand on the Day of Pentecost in new strength and new life that was not his own. The explanation was no longer “Peter”, but “Jesus”, who had come to live in him by the Holy Spirit. Like Peter, it is not until we acknowledge we have come to an end in ourselves, and allow the life of Jesus to be lived in us that we truly experience His strength and His sufficiency.

Thank you, Jesus, for living in me by your Holy Spirit. Especially in times of failure and weakness, keep me dependent on your strength and sufficiency. Amen. 

Am I leaning on my own resourcefulness in trying to please God?  

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last…”—ROMANS 1:17

Every Christian believes that Jesus came to earth to pay the price for our sin so that we may be saved to an eternal home in heaven. When we first become Christians, we are grateful and humbled by that, and filled with a wonderful sense of joy and peace that comes from God. But then soon we get wrapped up in our busy routines, once in a while tipping our hats in God’s direction, but for the most part, forget He is even there. Heaven is a magnificent consequence of salvation, which is a certainty for those in Christ, but it is not the goal of the Gospel. To miss out on the goal of the Gospel, we are failing to understand God’s purpose for us on earth.

Salvation is not primarily from guilt to innocence or from hell to heaven or even from death to life. It is true the cause of this is that we are forgiven and made clean, and will go to heaven, and it is also true that the means to this end is by being made alive through the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Christ in us’ is our only means of attaining to some degree His likeness, which is the goal of the Gospel. Salvation is primarily from unrighteousness to righteousness, and is not earned but received, and does not begin in heaven, but here on earth. 

Christ did not come into this world to recruit for heaven, but to reconcile humanity to God so that God’s purpose in creating us might be restored and fulfilled on earth. To illustrate, if our car were to break down on the side of the road, and our primary concern was having a garage to put it in when we got home, we are missing out on the purpose of the car. Our primary concern would be to fix the car so we can use it safely again. It’s nice to have a garage to keep our cars in, but we do not mend our cars to keep them in a garage. We mend them so that we can use them for the purpose they were made… to drive. 

The restoring of the righteousness of God into human experience is mending broken humanity that lies on the side of the road, unable to fulfill its purpose. Paul writes, “And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). God’s strategy in this world is through His people, and it is in intimate union with Him that we discover the role He has for us in it.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray for a deeper work of your Spirit in exhibiting more of your righteousness in my life. And thank You, Lord, for your abiding presence in me.     

How important to me is God’s agenda for this world?  

“He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.”—JOB 12:22

As Job experienced, God reveals the deep things of darkness. He brings deep shadows into the light, and out of the shadows of God’s judgment and dealings with people, there steps a heart that wherever you cut it, it is love.   

One of the most stirring verses in all of Scripture is found in Genesis 6:6, which says, “The LORD was grieved that he had made man on earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” A danger in thinking that Scripture is primarily revealing God’s thoughts is that we begin to believe the highest response to God is in acquiring knowledge of His mind, and acting in obedience to His will. To the chagrin of Jesus, leaders of the Jewish faith made this their objective. They had failed to connect with the heart of God, which can make a night and day difference between a cold, robotic faith and a relationship that draws us into intimate union with Christ.

We know the heart of God through our minds, but it is with our hearts that love is reciprocated. The command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength” comes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is essentially an amplified version of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses. The command to love God and walk in His ways permeates the text. Detached from the heart of God, studying Scripture would be like studying the anatomy of a corpse. There is no life.   

To love God with all our hearts requires that we know something of His heart and connect with it. I John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” It is knowing His love, and knowing His heart that is going to release our hearts to love Him. One of the most profound passages in Scripture that demonstrates God’s love is John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” 

The truth of Scripture makes sense in the heart that is aflame for Christ. It becomes much more than a book on biblical history and wholesome principles to live by, it reveals God’s story, which affects us all. Alister McGrath, a leading evangelical theologian and author, wrote in his book, ‘A Passion for Truth’, “To reduce revelation to principles or concepts is to suppress the element of mystery, holiness and wonder of God’s self-disclosure.” God’s greatest love is realized in coming to the cross of Jesus where He said, “Forgive them, Father.” That is supremely the heart of God revealed.

Dear Lord, help me to read the Bible with a deeper understanding of your heart, and in every way connect with it. Thank You, Lord.

When reading Scripture, do I see how God reveals His heart?