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“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

James 4:1–3

In 2009, a lady went into a McDonald’s restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, and placed an order for a 10 piece McNuggets meal. In a rare occurrence, the restaurant had run out of McNuggests, and she was told she would have to order something else. However she wasn’t interested in anything else and insisted on McNuggets. When she realized her order would not be filled, she responded by calling 9-1-1 to report an emergency! In fact, she called 9-1-1 three times. The police came—not to make sure she got McNuggests but to arrest her for misusing the emergency call system.

God has given us the privilege of prayer, and it is the means He has ordained through which our daily needs are to be met. Many of us have seen God do amazing things through the power of prayer. Yet the temptation is for us to view prayer as a way to get whatever we want without regard to God’s will for our lives. To hear some preachers, all you have to do to load up your mansion with expensive furniture and your driveway with expensive cars is to declare that God will give them to you in answer to prayer.

Yet prayer is not meant for selfish consumption. It is good and right to pray about our genuine needs, but the main focus of our prayers should be on the things that truly matter. If we look at the prayers of Jesus, He sought strength and help from His Father for the work that He needed to do.

“And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Hebrews 7:23–25

I have had the privilege of knowing some wonderful people of prayer. They were serious and intense in their prayer life, and they knew how to get things from God. When there were major issues or challenges that we faced, I wanted to have those people praying for and with me. Yet as a child of God I have something far better and more powerful than the most effective prayer of any Christian—I have Jesus, who, in the presence of His Father, is praying and making intercession for me.

The prayers of Jesus are not just based on His Divine omniscience (although it’s a blessing to know that no matter how confusing our circumstances, He always knows what is best) but also on His experiences as a man who was tired, hungry, sad, and faced great difficulty. The Bible says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus is a compassionate, loving Saviour, and He wants us to have all that we need according to God’s purpose for our lives. In addition, He continually serves in Heaven as our defense against the accusations of Satan. John wrote, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

You may be in great need of prayer today, and if you are, remember that Jesus is already praying for you.

“Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.”

Psalm 20:6–9

People seek security from all sorts of things—money, possessions, houses, and more—and yet we live in a society that is completely in the grip of worry. People worry constantly about a future they cannot control. Christians are not meant to live that way. In his book Your Finances in Changing Times Larry Burkett wrote, “We tend to look at the future with anxiety and worry. God says that worry is a sin. What is worry? It is taking on a responsibility that belongs to someone else.”

If we believe God is in control, and He is, then we have no need to worry. The problem most Christians have is not a lack of faith that God can protect and provide, but rather a lack of faith that God will do so in a way that we think is best. This is foolish presumption, because our understanding is so limited, and God knows exactly what is best for us and for His kingdom.

God made His wisdom and knowledge clear to the prophet Isaiah: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:9–10). When we cannot clearly see the way, we can still trust His goodness and not fear the future.

“Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”

Exodus 3:6–7

The poet and hymn writer Margaret Clarkson said, “Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of His love. The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God…. All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.”

God is not indifferent to the pain and suffering of His children. Just as we as human parents weep when our children hurt, He is moved with compassion when we have pain. While in Egypt, the Children of Israel were suffering greatly, and they thought that God had forgotten about them. But He told Moses that He was fully aware of the situation.

People do not always respond well when we suffer. Job’s friends falsely accused him of harboring secret sins in his life that were the root cause of his great losses. Sometimes people want us to just hurry up and get over pain. God never treats us that way. He is patient and kind and He cares about our pain. David wrote, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:13).

“But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:18–19

Any time you try to do something for God there will be opposition. That should not come as a surprise to us. There are always members of what somebody called the “Fraternity of Discouragement” to tell you why it can’t possibly work because of the circumstances or the timing or the problems. Yet God is not limited by what is possible to us.

A few years ago during the housing crisis, I remember seeing the headline in a national newspaper: “Lancaster-Palmdale: the Foreclosure Capital of America.” It would have been easy to give up and say we couldn’t do anything for God in such circumstances. But it was during that severe economic downturn that we built the beautiful main auditorium for our church. God is able to overcome every obstacle we face!

God has never had to scramble to come up with a backup plan or to figure out how to resolve a problem. He has everything that is needed for any circumstance we face. God declares, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 50:10–12). Rather than allowing ourselves to be limited by what is visible, we need to rely on God to provide whatever is needed for the work to which He calls us. As the great missionary Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”

“And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.”

Luke 2:48–50

President U. S. Grant was noted for having a dry wit and sense of humor. According to an old story, a Scotsman came to the White House to demonstrate the game of golf. Placing the ball on a tee he took a huge swing. Missing the ball completely, he scattered dirt over the president and those standing nearby. He took aim and swung again, but again missed the target. After the sixth failed attempt, Grant supposedly said, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”

If we are not careful, it is easy for us to be very busy without actually accomplishing anything of lasting value. We need to keep our focus on the things that matter the most. One of the most amazing things about the life of Jesus was His ability to keep His focus on fulfilling the will of His Father. This was evident even when He was just twelve years old. He had a sense of compulsion and urgency to “be about my Father’s business.”

We only have a limited number of hours each day, and a limited number of days in which to serve God. That makes it vital that we are doing what matters most. Management guru Peter Drucker pointed out the difference between a focus on doing things right and a focus on doing the right things. We need to make sure that we are spending our time on what matters to God.

“Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

Philippians 4:1–4

Though Paul loved and cared for all of the churches he helped start, he seems to have had a special relationship with the church at Philippi. From a prison cell in Rome, Paul wrote his letter to the church, thanking them for their support of his work. In those days prison was much worse than today. Jails were frequently constructed out of underground caves where the cold and damp stone left prisoners miserable. They received poor food, and unless they or their friends could pay for better conditions, the authorities cared little for their health and well-being.

In those surroundings, Paul told the Philippians to always rejoice in the Lord. I’m sure that when he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write those words, his mind went back to another prison—the one in Philippi where he and Silas were thrown after being arrested and beaten for casting a demon out of a young woman. Yet despite their intense physical suffering and what must have been an entirely justified feeling that they had been treated unfairly, the two men prayed and sang praises to God from their jail cell. Paul knew what it meant to rejoice in the Lord no matter what was happening externally. The idea that God is not good to us unless we have things going exactly the way we think they should is a false teaching that destroys contentment and robs people of joy.

“Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”

Isaiah 48:8–10

When Nebuchadnezzar built his huge idol of gold and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it or else be put to death in a particularly painful way, almost everyone went along. Even if they did not believe the idol worthy of worship, they wanted to avoid the consequences of not doing so. But there were three Hebrew men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whose dedication to the God of Israel could not and would not be shaken. They were willing to die rather than betray their faith.

As a result, they were thrown into a furnace that was so hot it killed the men assigned to execute them. Yet it was in that great trial that they experienced the presence of God like never before. Even the astonished heathen king understood that God was there: “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

Oswald Chambers said, “Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace.” There are times when God does deliver us from trials, but more often He works through those trials to make us more like Jesus and experience His presence.

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”

1 Peter 1:14–17

Before we were saved, we were part of the world. This is the condition of every person who is born. Because of the fall we do not become sinners—we start out as sinners. Even before we are born we have a sin nature. David wrote, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). When we are saved we become part of a new family. We have a new Father, a new nature, and a new eternal destination. But God’s purpose for us is far more than that. He intends for us to live in the world as shining lights that bring glory to Him and point the lost to Him. That requires holy living.

We should want to be holy because God commands it and it is right. We should want to be holy to be effective in our service to Him. The most important reason we should be holy is because He is holy and we cannot be like Him while trying to live like the world. God’s plan for us, established long before our lives began, revolves around us becoming Christlike. Paul wrote, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). When we cling to the things of the world, we are demonstrating a lack of desire to be more like God.

“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Hebrews 9:26–28

Our society goes to great lengths to avoid dealing with the reality of death. People do all sorts of things to live longer. We constantly hear about life insurance—even though buying it doesn’t keep you alive, and they don’t pay you if you stay alive. What many people do not want to face is the reality that life will one day end.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Death evidently pays no respect to character, age, or hopefulness. A man may addict himself to the service of his country, but his patriotism will not protect him. He may be surrounded with a wall of affection, but this will not screen him. He may have at his command all the comforts of life, and yet life may ooze out before the physician is aware. He may be tenderly loved by an affectionate mother and his name may be engraved on the heart of the fondest of wives, but death hath no regard to the love of women.”

As Christians we do not have to fear death because we have already been given eternal life by God’s grace. But we must use the days that we have been given wisely. If we carelessly let opportunities pass us by thinking we have plenty of time, we may miss what God has for us to do. The ancient Roman poet Virgil wrote, “Death plucks my ear and says ‘Live—I am coming.’”

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Philippians 2:2–5

A. W. Tozer wrote, “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”

God expects His people to get along with each other. It brings shame and disgrace to Him when Christians are constantly bickering and fighting with each other. When there are legitimate differences and grievances, they should be addressed and dealt with honestly. When there are minor issues and wounded pride, we need to get ourselves right with God rather than focusing on the sins and errors of others.

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). The church should be known as a place where the people love God and love each other—and it is impossible to separate the two. If we love God as we should, His love within will spread to our relationships with others. As we tune our hearts to His love, the natural result is that His love governs all of our earthly relations and interactions.

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

1 Corinthians 1:18–20

An often overlooked reason that many churches are declining and even closing in our day is that the focus of their message has changed. There are a lot of things that are good and meaningful but not crucial, and if they become the center of our attention, the most important things will inevitably suffer as a result. The church of Jesus Christ is called to preach the gospel. Only the message of the cross has the power to transform lives. We cannot change individual lives or our society by focusing on any other project or by preaching any other message. It is tragic for a church or a Christian to give up what matters eternally for something that is temporal.

Evangelist D. L. Moody told of a seventy-year old man who stood to give a testimony at one of his meetings. The man said that his father had died when he was very young, and he had only one memory of him. On a cold winter night as they sat in their home, the father took a little piece of wood and carved a cross out of it and gave it to his son. Moody said, “With the tears in his eyes he held up that cross telling how God in His infinite love sent His Son down here to redeem us, how He had died on the cross for us. The story of the cross followed him through life.”

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Romans 5:1–5

If you’ve ever taken your family to an amusement park, you know how long the lines can be for popular rides. In an effort to streamline the process and allow visitors to spend more time enjoying the park rather than just standing in line, a number of parks have been experimenting with different ways to get people where they need to be at the right time. One technique is a wristband that allows visitors to know when their ride times are, and to pay for food and souvenirs by simply swiping the wristband past a reader.

All of us have experienced times when better access would have been a real help. But in the spiritual realm we have already been given all the access we need to have a relationship with God. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was torn apart from the top to the bottom, symbolizing that our path to God was now open. The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Yet despite that wonderful offer, too many times we go it alone rather than relying on God.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:1–3

A united church is a powerful church. We see this in the church at Jerusalem. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1). The difficulty in having a unified church is not that we don’t know the importance of unity, but that it requires so much work to bring about. Every church is filled with people, all of whom have the problems that come with having a fallen human nature. Unity takes work.

The Greek word translated endeavouring describes a diligent exertion of effort. Keeping unity is not an easy task that is done once and then finished. It is an ongoing process that requires us to work at it. Charles Spurgeon said, “Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation.”

The work of unity is not a task for a handful of specialists or for the paid staff of the church alone. It is the duty and responsibility of every member of the body to do their part to keep the church united. To be unified and have a right relationship with each other, the members of the church must be living in a right relationship with God. Paul points out that the unity of the church is not human but rather “the unity of the Spirit.” When we walk in the Spirit, He helps us maintain our fellowship.

“Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”

Malachi 1:13–14

Because of the way the economy functioned in the Old Testament, the vast majority of the offerings were not money but animals or crops. This allowed the priests and the Levites to have the means to provide for their families since they were not given land to own in Israel. The temptation the people faced was to cut corners with their offerings—to give animals that were sickly or weak rather than the strong and healthy. This revealed a heart problem. If we love God as we should, we will not hesitate to give cheerfully.

When the Lord commands us to give, He is not asking for help because of a shortage of resources on His part. He is perfectly capable of meeting every need without our help. The purpose of giving is not for God’s benefit but for ours. When we hold on to our possessions (all of which belong to Him anyway) we are robbing ourselves of the blessings that come from giving and placing ourselves under His judgment. The Lord deserves nothing less than the very best we can offer to Him. A Christian who is mindful of the amazing grace that made it possible for him to become part of God’s family will not be a reluctant giver.

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

The world we live in struggles every day with the effects of sin. As a result, every person has to deal with trouble. No one leads a charmed existence and avoids difficulty throughout his entire life. Job’s friend Eliphaz said, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). The difference is not whether we have trouble, but in how we view our troubles. Some people adopt the “why me?” approach and feel sorry for themselves when things go wrong. That is the path to frustration and disillusionment.

Some of us have been through great difficulties, but very few would want to compare our suffering to that endured by the Apostle Paul. He was beaten repeatedly, thrown in jail more than once, stoned, and shipwrecked. People devoted their lives to following him around trying to kill him. Looking back on his life, Paul described this as “light affliction.”

The reason Paul was able to make that assessment was because he was more interested in things that really matter. Of course he did not enjoy the pain or the suffering he endured, but he kept it in perspective by remembering what was yet to come. On the days when we have things the hardest—when the diagnosis is critical, when the job ends, when the child disappoints—we have eternal hope in the promises of God. If we look to Him we will not fall into despair.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

1 John 4:7–10

Love—true, godly, sacrificial love—is not a natural human response to others. Many “love” because of what they receive from someone else, yet that is a far cry from the kind of love the Bible commands us to have toward each other. In truth, loving people who are cranky, selfish, demanding, and stubborn (as all of us are from time to time) is not an easy thing. Yet it is what God commands us to do. Such love is not produced by our efforts to change the way we think or feel toward others. It is certainly not based on what they deserve or on what we feel. Love is produced by the Holy Spirit working in our hearts and lives.

Loving others starts with our love for God. He is the source from which our love flows. Just as the moon has no light of its own but reflects the sun’s light, when we love others we are simply expressing the nature and character of God to them. When we fail to demonstrate this kind of love to each other, we are missing the most powerful demonstration of our commitment to follow Him. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

1 Corinthians 3:13–15

God calls His children to be open and honest—and He tests the work that we do for Him to determine our motives and purposes in what we do. According to folk history, the word sincere comes from a Latin word meaning “without wax.” The story goes that merchants selling pottery would sometimes fill in cracks with wax and then paint the entire vessel. No one knew the difference until they were using the vessel and the wax melted—either in the sun or in the oven.

In actuality, the Greek word for sincere is a compound word, putting together the words for sun and judgment. It indicates to us that he who is sincere has no fear of being judged in the light. Bible commentator Adam Clarke described it this way: “A thing which may be examined in the clearest and strongest light, without the possibility of detecting a single flaw or imperfection. A metaphor, taken from the usual practice of traders and dealers in ancient times, in the view and choice of their wares, that bring them forth into the light and hold up the cloth against the sun, to see if they can espy any default in them.”

Others may be impressed with outward show, but one day we will stand before the God who sees behind the mask we show to the world. He will measure our lives to determine if we are genuine, or if we have been filled with wax.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:19–21

On September 5, 1856 the Arabia, a steamboat loaded with passengers and more than two hundred tons of merchandise was making its way up the Missouri River. Just past Kansas City, the boat hit a submerged tree that ripped open its hull, flooding and sinking the ship. Though the passengers and crew escaped, the ship was buried by water and mud and soon lost to sight. Several attempts to find the ship or its contents failed.

For more than 130 years the Arabia remained buried until it was finally located 45 feet below ground and excavated. The passage of time and the changing landscape meant the ship was half a mile from the river. The mud had preserved the cargo—including tools, china, clothing, and more—which is now displayed in a museum. The ship was found because someone valued finding it and was willing to make an investment in that cause.

The world places little value on the things of God, but those are the only things that will never be lost. The most secure vault, the most stable company, the investment with the longest successful track record are all subject to sudden loss. Many people spend their entire lives chasing an illusory security by focusing on the temporal. When we see God’s work for the eternal value that it has, we will be willing to invest our treasure in Heaven. And since our heart follows our treasure, the more we put into God’s work the more we look forward to eternity in Heaven with Him.

“And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.”

Genesis 35:10–12

Though Jacob grew up in a home with a rich heritage of faith, he spent a great deal of his life living as if there were no God. He freely took advantage of others, scheming against them and lying to advance his personal interests. When Jacob viewed the world, it was through a lens that focused on what he could get for himself. That changed when God came and introduced Himself as El Shaddai—the all sufficient, all powerful God, who was more than enough to meet Jacob’s every need. Though Jacob still had failures, he lived a very different life from that point on as he began to rely on God.

As Christians, we are not without a Heavenly Father, and we should not live like orphans. We have God Almighty as our Father, and He has lovingly promised to supply our needs. The wonderful truth is that He is never stretched or challenged. He can handle any problem that we face. It is a tragedy for us to live without a daily reliance on His provision.

The world promotes the idea of security through accumulating financial resources. While wise financial management is important, God’s plan for security is not in temporal wealth but in reliance on Him. We are tempted to trust ourselves, but how much better our results when we rely on Almighty God to meet and supply every need.

“And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”

Numbers 20:6–8

Often as Moses led the children of Israel, they complained bitterly about what they lacked. The first time they murmured about the lack of water, God told Moses to strike the rock with his rod and water would flow out. The second time, God told Moses to speak to the rock—a symbol of the provision and blessing that is available to us because of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ—and water would flow. In his anger, Moses sinned by striking the rock again. But a simple request was all that was needed.

The story is told that during the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was working with the Red Cross on the battlefields of Cuba. Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders had been in battle, and he went to Barton and asked to buy supplies for his troops. She flatly refused to sell him what he needed. Roosevelt was perplexed because he was willing to pay full price out of his own pocket. In confusion he asked someone what he needed to do. The reply came: “Colonel, just ask for it!” Everything he needed would be made freely available upon request. God has offered His children the same promise—that all our daily needs will be met through prayer. The responsibility for unmet needs always rests on us when we do not pray.

“For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”

Jeremiah 20:8–9

It would be nice if doing right and speaking God’s truth were appreciated and applauded, but a sinful world rarely wants to hear the truth. Though American Christians have long enjoyed a level of freedom from persecution rarely known before in history, that is changing. Our responsibility is to continue speaking, teaching, and preaching the truth, regardless of any consequences that may come. A Christian who refuses to speak out in the face of opposition will never impact the world.

One of the most famous and widely read books in history is Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan was a powerful preacher, but because he refused to take a license to preach from the Church of England he spent years in prison. Often crowds would gather around the prison to hear him preach through the windows. In retaliation, guards placed him deeper inside the jail so that he could no longer be heard. When his young children came to see him, he told them stories to cheer them up. From those stories, the classic allegory of salvation and the Christian life that has touched so many over the centuries was born. The world may want to silence us, but if we continue to speak the truth in love, the power of the message cannot be stopped. We should be willing to suffer any shame or consequences that come from our commitment to faithfully declare the Word of God.

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Colossians 4:2–5

From his prison cell in Rome, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a letter to the church in the Greek city of Colosse. Unlike his other epistles, this one was written to people he had never met. The church there had been established by others, but Paul was concerned for their spiritual growth and development. Over and over this brief letter talks about the importance of prayer. When we think of Paul’s condition at the time, there were many things for which he could have asked. Yet his greatest concern was that this church would pray for him. It is impossible to overstate the importance of prayer to the Christian life and ministry.

It is said that the great Scottish preacher Andrew Bonar had this reminder visible in his study: “He who has truly prayed has completed half of his study.” The tragedy of prayer is that while it is so important, it is easily overlooked. We find our schedules filled and our days packed with events and programs—many of them good and important—and prayer gets pushed aside.

Yet without prayer we lack the strength and resources needed to do God’s work and live the Christian life. Prayer is not a few rote words mumbled over meals or before bed. Prayer is a conversation with God that takes place throughout the day and throughout our lives. It is not an occasional thing but a continual and repeated process through which we pour out our hearts to our loving Father in Heaven.

“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.”

1 Corinthians 4:14–17

Paul told the believers at Corinth to follow him. This statement was not made in pride but as a declaration of the importance of modeling our lives after those who are doing what they should. Later in this same letter Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). To ensure they would be able to continue in the work, Paul sent Timothy to them as an example of right living.

The very word “Christian” was given to the followers of Jesus because they lived as He did. We should be able to be identified by our conduct that we are genuine believers. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Hang this question up in your homes—what would Jesus do? And then think of another—how would Jesus do it? For what Jesus would do and how He would do it may always stand as the best guide to us.”

We have the record of the life of Christ in the Bible as a pattern and example, but it is also important for us to have other godly Christians who we can follow as they follow Him. It is a huge blessing and encouragement to me to have godly older men who have labored in God’s work throughout their lives as an example that I can follow. All of us need that as we seek to be more like Jesus.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:10–12

In 1776 the members of the Continental Congress came together to sign the Declaration of Independence, committing the fledgling United States to war with England. Many people had grave doubts about the future of their cause. The only hope for success was that the disparate colonies with their divergent interests and needs work together. As Benjamin Franklin put it when he prepared to affix his name to the Declaration, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Those words were not dramatic license. The penalty for failure was severe, and the only way to avoid that was to join forces.

As Christians, we face a powerful enemy who is committed to our destruction. Satan is looking for a weak spot in your defenses that will allow him to strike. If you resist today, he will be back tomorrow. The reality of this opposition highlights the importance of God’s people encouraging each other to resist the enemy and win the victory.

Satan knows that if he can separate a Christian from the fellowship and teaching of his church, it will be much easier to defeat him. Lions rarely hunt prey that is in the middle of a herd, even of mostly defenseless animals. Instead they focus on the stragglers—those who have strayed or fallen behind from the group. Those are the easy targets.

“And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

1 Samuel 1:26–28

Looking back on his childhood, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “How can I ever forget her tearful eye when she warned me to escape from the wrath to come? I thought her lips right eloquent; others might not think so, but they certainly were eloquent to me. How can I ever forget when she bowed her knee, and with her arms about my neck, prayed, ‘Oh, that my son might live before Thee!’ Nor can her frown be effaced from my memory—that solemn, loving frown, when she rebuked my budding iniquities; and her smiles have never faded from my recollection—the beaming of her countenance when she rejoiced to see some good thing in me towards the Lord God of Israel. I cannot tell how much I owe to the solemn words of my good mother.”

Among the most important duties of Christian parents is praying for their children. It is one of the most powerful and influential things they can do to help shape the future of those children. God hears and answers the prayers of parents for their children. When Hannah prayed for a son and promised to dedicate his life to the service of God, she did something that shaped the future of the entire nation of Israel. Her son, Samuel, served God faithfully for many years, leading the people to trust in the Lord and anointing both Saul and David. There is no investment more important than praying for our children.

“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”

John 13:3–5

Scripture highlights Jesus’ power, glory, and majesty. Revelation 4:11 tells us that Heaven will be filled with songs of praise to the Lord Jesus: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Jesus deserves the praise and adoration, because He is Lord of all. Yet this king and ruler, when He came to earth, did not demand the adulation and honor that were His due. Instead He laid aside His prerogatives and came in humility.

Nowhere do we see this more clearly demonstrated than in the Upper Room. Among a group of proud and stubborn men who had just been arguing over which of them deserved the most prominent position in God’s kingdom, and including a man who would soon betray Him to His death, Jesus got down on His knees and performed the dirty and demeaning task of washing the feet of those who had been walking on dusty roads.

Rather than insisting on what was rightfully His, Jesus willingly served others. In doing so, He was giving us a pattern in the way we treat others. “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). We are constantly tempted toward pride that insists on having our own way, but God is calling us to a life of humility and service.

“And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Matthew 26:37–39

Dr. J.H. Jowett said, “Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.” If we are going to do anything for Christ that truly matters, we are going to have to be willing to make sacrifices and pay the price. This was true for Jesus in His own life and ministry. Though salvation is free to us through His grace, it was purchased at great cost to the Lord. When He was confronted with the test in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion, Jesus expressed His willingness to submit to the Father’s will and become the sacrifice that would pay for the salvation of all who believe.

Jesus was willing to pay that price, and He expects the same level of commitment from those who would follow Him: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The cross is not a metaphor for difficulty—it is a picture of great sacrifice. A man who is carrying his cross to the place of execution has no plans for his own future. He is committed to a course of action that will entail suffering and loss. The Christian life—the life of one who will truly live according to the example of Jesus—is not cheap. But the eternal value that is produced by those who are willing to pay the price is worth all that it costs.

“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.”

Isaiah 45:23–24

The Bible makes it clear that every human who has ever lived will one day bow down and worship Christ. Paul wrote, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11). The tragedy is that for many people, their only act of worship toward the true God will take place just before they are separated from Him forever.

Those of us who know the Lord have the opportunity to worship, honor, and glorify Him day by day in our lives, not from compulsion, but from gratitude. For the child of God, worship is a joy. Yet too many Christians treat worship the way most children treat broccoli. We know it’s good for us, but we endure it rather than enjoy it for the blessing it is.

One of the reasons that Christians do not joyfully worship is a kind of Christian amnesia where we do not remember what God has done for us. Peter wrote, “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). The best cure for indifferent worship is to return our focus to the great and gracious gift of salvation God provided so freely. If we pause to consider the difference between eternity in Heaven and Hell, between life without God and a relationship with Him, we will find our worship renewed and joyful.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:2–5

The return of Adoniram Judson to Boston in 1845, after more than thirty years on the mission field in Burma, created a sensation. Great crowds wanted to hear the pioneer missionary who had suffered so much recount the stories of his adventures and hardships. Yet Judson spoke on the topic “Jesus, the Sacrifice for Man” and preached salvation while saying nothing at all about Burma. After the message someone expressed disappointment at not hearing exciting stories from far away. Judson responded, “I am glad to have it to say, that a man coming from the antipodes had nothing better to tell than the wondrous story of Jesus’ dying love. My business is to preach the gospel of Christ; and when I can speak at all, I dare not trifle with my commission.”

There are many important and wonderful truths that we learn from the pages of Scripture, but no doctrine or message compares to the simple declaration of the Apostle Paul: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). We have the only hope of a world that is lost and apart from God, and that is the one message we must not overlook. Satan is thrilled when he gets Christians sidetracked from telling the gospel story to the lost. There is nothing more important than the good news of a Saviour.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”

Philippians 2:12-14

Salvation is freely provided to us by God’s grace, but there are obligations and expectations that God has for us as His children regarding how we live. One of those is that we “work out” our salvation—not working to obtain salvation, but rather to accomplish the full purpose of our maturity and growth in grace. Just as a student may be tasked with working out a math problem by revealing all of the steps taken to reach the answer, God wants us to carry our salvation to its conclusion here on Earth.

Even before we were saved God had in mind specific things that He purposed for us to accomplish. Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Because each of us have specific gifts, talents and abilities, there are things in God’s kingdom which we are best suited to accomplish. No one else can do for God exactly what you can do. If we do not do what we should, the cause of Christ will be harmed.

The Greek word translated “work out” is a both active and continuous in nature. It is not a one-time thing or a short-term commitment. God’s plan for us to do His work continues until we reach Heaven. At every stage of our lives we have unique things to offer the body of Christ, and we need to be sure that out of our gratitude for God’s gift of salvation we do His work.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:16–18

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most impressive feats of engineering of the nineteeth century. Work started on the project to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan across the East River less than five years after the Civil War ended and was completed in 1883. John Roebling, the architect who designed what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world, created a structure that, according to his calculations, was six times stronger than it needed to be. The towering pillars that hold the cables were firmly set on bedrock deep under the river—one at forty feet and the other at seventy feet down. As a result of its careful design and solid foundation, the Brooklyn Bridge remains in service while many other structures from the era have collapsed or have been replaced.

God has given us an unshakeable foundation for our faith in the person of His Son. Because Jesus is eternally consistent, we never need to fear that He will fail or change. The writer of Hebrews described Him this way: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus was far more than just a good teacher or a good example. He was fully Divine and the promised Messiah. He came as God in the flesh. This truth is the foundation for the victorious life of the church, despite all of the efforts of the enemy to stand against us in the world.

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:12–14

At the moment we place our faith in Jesus as our Saviour, the matter of our salvation is eternally settled. At that same moment something else begins to happen, our sanctification. The process of becoming more holy and more like Jesus continues throughout our lives. It is not something that will ever be fully accomplished in this world. John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

John Newton, who lived an extremely wicked life before his salvation, gave us the wonderful hymn “Amazing Grace.” He knew the need of God’s transforming grace, not just for salvation but for all of life. Newton wrote, “I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’” The calling of God on our lives is for us to continually become more and more like Jesus. This is not just for pastors or those in vocational ministry, but rather a command for every believer.

“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:4–5

The chemical that produces Teflon and its slippery coating was discovered by accident at DuPont during the 1930s. It was first used for manufacturing and military purposes, including the Manhattan Project that created the first atomic bombs before finally being turned into a consumer product with the first non-stick pans in the 1960s. Teflon is a very useful thing to have in the kitchen...and in life.
Political opponents of President Reagan sometimes called him the “Teflon President” because their criticisms seemed not to effect his popularity with the voters.

As Christians, God wants us to have that quality. We of course are not perfect, but we should live with honor and integrity in such a way that charges against us will not be seen as credible. Paul wrote, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

This was the testimony of Daniel. When his enemies tried everything they could to discredit him they failed. In modern terms, they audited his books, tapped his phone, and hacked his computer—yet they couldn’t find anything that gave them ground to accuse the faithful Daniel of wrongdoing. They finally had to resort to deception and passed a law against prayer to bring charges against him. All of us should be faithful and diligent so that investigating our secrets would not produce anything that embarrass us or discredit the God we serve.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Psalm 23:4–6

God is not the God of just enough. He is the One “That is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). And God’s plan for us is not that we will scrape by, but that we will enjoy an overflowing life. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Charles Spurgeon said, “When the heart is full of joy, it always allows its joy to escape. It is like the fountain in the marketplace; whenever it is full it runs away in streams, and so soon as it ceases to overflow, you may be quite sure that it has ceased to be full. The only full heart is the overflowing heart.”

The world is full of challenges and difficulties, but because joy is internal, our external circumstances do not dictate whether we experience overflowing joy or not. Joy is produced by the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. As we yield to His control and walk in His power, we find that joy becoming more and more real in our daily lives. Nothing can steal that joy away unless we allow it to happen, and sharing that joy is one of the most powerful witnesses we have to those around us.

“To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:”

Titus 1:4–5

During his trips across the Roman world preaching the gospel and planting churches, Paul also trained younger men to continue the ministry in different cities. He sent Titus to Crete because the churches there were in trouble and needed godly leaders who would help new believers become mature Christians. It was not a glamorous assignment, and Titus may have wondered if anything good would ever come from faithful service on Crete. One reason Paul wrote to Titus was to remind him of the importance of the assignment and encourage him to remain faithful to the work.

F. B. Meyer said, “Don’t waste your time waiting and longing for large opportunities which may never come. But faithfully handle the little things that are always claiming your attention.” It is not bad to have dreams and goals of doing great and mighty things for God, but it is wrong for pride to be our motivation and to wish for more visible and more seemingly important things to do in God’s work. The praise of men is fleeting at best, and if we do receive that, we should not expect any reward from God.

Jesus said, “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Matthew 6:2). Instead serve faithfully where you are and trust God to lead you if He wants you to serve Him somewhere else.

“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Philippians 3:4–6

The Apostle Paul had all of the credentials necessary to be accepted in any Jewish community. The great missionary traced his lineage back to the tribe of Benjamin, which was the tribe of Israel’s first king whose name Paul shared at his birth. He devoted his life to keeping not just the laws of God, but the additional rules and regulations that the Pharisees had created over the years. By the time of Christ there were more than six hundred of these do’s and don’ts that had been added to the Law that God had given to Moses. These rules were established by people who wanted to gain salvation through their own efforts. Yet Paul completely downplayed all of his human credentials and his own performance. He wrote, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

Any effort that we make to deserve salvation is doomed to failure. The sinful nature we have from birth has no interest in obeying God. Many people are like the lawyer whose question sparked the story of the Good Samaritan. The Bible says he was “willing to justify himself” (Luke 10:29). God is not impressed with our good deeds and holiness. The very best that we can do falls so far short of His perfection and glory that it does not help at all. There is no hope of Heaven in anything we do or avoid doing. The only hope that we have for salvation is the grace of God—a free gift.

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:54–57

I came across a story that wonderfully illustrates one of the benefits of salvation. Two men were out duck hunting when they saw smoke in the distance. As the wind shifted direction, they could hear the burning of a raging wildfire, now headed directly toward them. Realizing that they would not be able to get away quickly enough, one of the two took matches from his pocket and lit a series of small fires where they were standing. Those little fires consumed the grass and bushes near them. When the larger fire approached, they covered their faces with dampened cloths and stood in the burned out area. With nothing there left for it to burn, the fire moved on without harming them.

Jesus has already experienced the worst terrors that death can hold. The writer of Hebrews said, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). Because Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins in full, the death that is the payment every man and woman must make no longer looms over us as a threat. The only thing that death can do to us now is to take us directly into the presence of the Lord to begin our eternity of worship in His presence.

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

Luke 22:31–34

On the day of the worst failure of Peter’s life—just before he denied Jesus three times—Jesus warned him what was coming. In proud self-confidence, Peter rejected the warning and declared that he would never forsake the Lord even if everyone else did. Of course, he did deny Jesus when faced with the threat of being identified as one of His disciples. But Jesus was not done with him. In fact, even before Peter’s denial, Jesus talked about the future of Peter’s ministry and instructed him to encourage and help the other disciples.

Oswald Sanders wrote, “Most Bible characters met with failure and survived. Even when the failure was immense, those who [rebounded] refused to lie in the dust and bemoan their tragedy. In fact, their failure and repentance led to a greater conception of God’s grace. They came to know the God of the second chance, and sometimes the third and fourth.”

It is possible for us to do things that limit or restrict certain areas in which we can serve God, but there will always be ways in which we can be involved in His work. As long as we are living there are things we can do for Him—as long as we refuse to allow ourselves to be defeated by quitting. Jesus had more for Peter to do, and He has more for us to accomplish as well.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2 Corinthians 11:13–15

The most common image people have of Satan in our society is of a guy wearing a red suit who has horns, a forked tail and carries a pitchfork. In reality, if that was the way Satan actually appeared, it would be a lot easier for us to identify and resist him. Instead the devil comes to us in disguise, concealing his real intentions. Remember that in the Garden of Eden he told Eve that eating the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden would actually make her more like God. She should have known better, but he convinced her that disobedience would be a spiritually good thing.

Rather than blindly accepting whatever we are presented with at face value, we need to be on guard because Satan is actively trying to deceive us every day. John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The absolute standard for truth—the one thing that is always reliable—is the Word of God. Rather than trusting our feelings or perceptions, we should use the Bible to judge what is placed before us.

The fact that something appears good at first glance is a poor basis for making decisions. As Shakespeare put it in Merchant of Venice, “All that glisters [glitters] is not gold.” Like a fisherman using a lure, the devil will attempt to get us to “bite” at things that may look attractive but are deadly. A wise Christian measures everything by the Bible.

“That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

Joshua 4:6–7

When the Children of Israel were ready to cross into the Promised Land, the Jordan River was at flood stage. Apart from God’s power there was no way they could even hope to get into the land, let alone conquer the established cities and kingdoms that were there. But God had promised them the victory, and He is always faithful. He worked a miracle to dry up the Jordan River and the people crossed on dry ground. Before they went into the land, Joshua issued instructions to build an altar to commemorate the great miracle. There is a widespread tendency for us to first take for granted and then forget things we should remember. We need reminders of what God has done for us.

The warning given to the church at Sardis includes these words: “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (Revelation 3:3). God has given us so much and we must never forget that—or we will lose our gratitude and that will lead to spiritual decline. Maintaining our appreciation for what God has done helps us continue to rely on Him, but it does not happen accidentally. We need to set up memorials in our lives that we can look back on and be reminded so that our future will be acceptable to God.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Hebrews 11:8–10

The Bible does not give any details about what happened when Abraham broke the news to Sarah that they would be leaving their home to move far away to another nation, but I’m sure it must have been an interesting conversation. The idea of abandoning a settled and secure life for an uncertain destination requires a great deal of faith. Yet Abraham obeyed what God had told him to do. As a result, he spent the rest of his life living in tents, never seeing the ultimate fulfillment of what God had promised. “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

Sometimes we become impatient when God does not produce the results we think we should be seeing on the timetable we think He should be using. Faith does not dictate to God—faith obeys God. Doing what God says is always right, even if it does not bring about what we hoped that it would. Not everyone responds to the gospel, but we witness anyway. Not every project succeeds, but we work anyway. Not every convert is faithful, but we love and disciple anyway. Even if we are living in tents in a foreign land, we can still trust that God is good, and He will keep His promises in His time.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

Hebrews 12:2–4

The concept that the Christian life should be easy and painless flies in the face of both church history and Scripture. Paul warned Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Millions have died for their faith. The early church leader Tertullian observed, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” We are facing a time when publicly declaring the basic tenets and beliefs of our faith is bringing criticism and consequences. As that process continues, many will for the first time face the question of whether they will stand firm for the truth in the face of evil or give in to avoid the potential for suffering.

Charles Spurgeon said, “I beseech you, be steadfast and faithful, tread valiantly and firmly in their steps, acquit yourselves like men—like men of God, I implore you! Shall we not have some champions, in these times, who will deal sternly with heresies for the love of the truth—men who will stand like rocks in the center of the sea, so that, when all others shake, they stand invulnerable and invincible?”

The faith that shrinks from conflict and danger is a weak and ineffective faith. God calls us to follow the example of Jesus and stand without wavering regardless of the cost. Even laying down our lives if that becomes necessary is nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. He deserves our faithful service, in life and if necessary, in death.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

Philippians 2:14–16

One of the most famous tourist attractions in San Jose, California, is the Winchester Mystery House. The sprawling four story Victorian mansion contains some 160 rooms and almost four dozen fireplaces. Filled with staircases that lead to blank walls, unfinished rooms and redone projects, and built without any architectural planning, the house is a testament to great resources put to work in a questionable cause. The owner, Sarah Winchester inherited her husband’s half of the Winchester arms company, and she hired a vast army of construction workers to build a house. The building continued almost without interruption from 1884 until her death in 1922. Today the house is viewed as an oddity—without any real value other than as something strange for people to visit.

The instructions God gives us in His Word, directing the way in which we do our work for Him, are not meant to limit us or take away things we would enjoy but rather to ensure that our work is effective. It is a great tragedy for people to invest their time, their talents, and their resources in things that have no lasting value. When we gripe and complain about what is happening in our lives, we dim our lights and damage the impact of what we are trying to do for God. When we give the enemies of God an excuse to drag His name through the mud by our conduct—as David did with Bathsheba—we undermine the value of our labor for the Lord.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.”

Isaiah 26:3–5

Some years ago I talked to a doctor who told me that the sickest people he dealt with were suffering not just physically but emotionally. The effects of resentment, bitterness, anger, and stress do not only exhibit themselves in our emotions, but in our physical bodies as well. A few years ago a study suggested that at any given time one in six American adults are taking some kind of antidepressant medication and that one out of four will deal with depression at some point in their lives. Of course some of this is the result of the fall and the impact of sin on our physical bodies. But in a great number of cases, these negative effects are produced by failure to deal with problems in a proper way.

There is no source of true and lasting peace in this stress-filled world apart from God. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus did not promise there would be no troubles or hardships. Instead He promised that in Him we could find peace regardless of what happens to us or around us. When our minds and hearts are devoted to Him, all of our circumstances are viewed in a different light. God knows what is best for us, and we can trust Him to do what is right.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Galatians 6:1–3

In 1975, in a museum in Amsterdam, a mentally ill former teacher took a knife and attacked one of Rembrandt’s most famous masterpieces, The Night Watch, which was painted in 1642. Before he was restrained by security guards, the man had cut several large gashes into the canvas. A team of art restoration experts and specialists from around the world was assembled and worked together for four years to repair the painting before it could finally be exhibited once again.

Because we live in a fallen world, every Christian has flaws and failings and from time to time needs restoring. The devil is actively working to attack God’s children and render their lives broken and damaged in an attempt to make us useless for God’s service. The Bible tells us that we are to be actively involved in the work of restoration, helping those who have been overtaken by faults to be restored.

The picture conveyed by these words is that of putting a bone that is out of socket back in place. If you have ever suffered a dislocated shoulder or knee or even finger, you know what a painful thing that is. Sin does the same thing. It leaves painful and lingering effects. As God’s children we need each other to help us through those times. Yes, there are real impacts from sin that cannot be ignored or overlooked. But rather than writing people off because they have done wrong, we need to humbly reach out to them in love and do what we can to help them put the pieces back together.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Deuteronomy 6:4–7

One way to know what people think about God is to observe their behavior. David wrote, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes” (Psalm 36:1). Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The central focus of our lives is meant to be God. Yet too many people reveal by their conduct that their thoughts of God are only fleeting at best. If we view Him as the high and holy God of Heaven that He is, we will not be quick to substitute our opinions or feelings for His commands. Instead He will fill our hearts and minds.

A. W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.”

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

2 Timothy 2:2–4

The Christian life is not referred to as warfare in the Scriptures symbolically. We are engaged day after day in a real life-and-death struggle with an enemy who is intent on our destruction. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). The devil will do everything that he can to attack us at any weak point he can find. It is absolutely certain that difficulty, trials, and hardship will be with us until we reach Heaven. That does not mean, however, that we must be defeated by them. God calls us to be overcomers, and that requires that we properly respond when things go wrong.

An unknown poet wrote:

All the water in the world
However hard it tried,
Could never, never sink a ship
Unless it got inside.

All the hardships of this world,
Might wear you pretty thin,
But they won’t hurt you, one least bit
Unless you let them in.

There has never been a case in all of history in which anyone improved a situation by complaining and griping about it. Sitting around moping and asking “Why me?” inevitably leads to discouragement. Instead, God calls us to treat difficulties like a reality that must be dealt with rather than as an indication that we should quit. The good soldier does not quit fighting just because it rains or snows or because there are a lot of enemies. Our love for God and our commitment to serve Him should endure any difficulty that comes our way.

“For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.”

Isaiah 28:27–29

The prophet Isaiah drew a powerful lesson about the condition of our hearts from the different instruments that were used in threshing the different grains that farmers grew in his day. He pointed out that the delicate grains were not put through heavy threshing as were the crops with harder shells. Instead staffs and rods were used to avoid damaging the tender grain. The amount of “suffering” that the grain endures is determined by the hardness of its shell. In the spiritual realm, the more tender our hearts are toward God, the less chastening we will experience.

In the early 1700s Sir James Thornhill was one of the most noted painters in England. His work was commissioned for numerous public buildings, including hospitals, schools, and the famed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It is said that while he was working on a scaffold near the ceiling of St. Paul’s, Thornhill became so engrossed in his painting that he stepped back to take a look. Realizing the danger he was in, an assistant below threw a pot of paint which splattered on the ceiling. Thornhill’s frustration with having his painting damaged faded when he realized that his helper had saved his life. If we like Jonah force God to get our attention before we obey, we may not enjoy the process. Far better it is for us to listen to His small voice and heed what He says.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

John 17:3–5

One of the most famous historical books ever written was Edward Gibbon’s massive six volume work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The research and writing of the book would consume much of his adult life. In his diary Gibbon recorded the genesis of the project: “It was at Rome, on the eleventh of October, 1764, as I sat musing amid the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the Temple of Jupiter, that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to my mind.” Twenty-three years later, he wrote: “I have presumed to mark the moment of conception; I shall now commemorate the moment of my final deliverance. It was in the day, or rather the night, of the twenty-seventh of June, 1787, that I wrote the last line of the last page in a summer house in my garden.”

Nothing of great and lasting importance is ever accomplished by those who do not finish their work. As He prepared for His death on the cross, Jesus prayed in the Upper Room and summarized His entire life on Earth with the words, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Paul said something similar in his final letter to Timothy. He wrote, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). The Christian life is not a short term or temporary race. It is a marathon rather than a sprint. And the goal must be for us to finish well.