Devotions

“War broke out in heaven” (Revelation 12:7).

We hear a lot of talk today about war — war on terrorism, war in the Middle East, nuclear threats from various nations. Never in history has there been such a time of war throughout the earth. And because of the instant communication we have now, almost immediately we receive reports of bombings, ambushes, death tolls.

I am convinced that Jesus spoke about these: “You will hear of wars and rumors of war” (Matthew 24:6). And just as Christ prophesied, people’s hearts are failing them for fear: “Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26). The wars we are seeing are causing terror throughout the earth, yet these wars are all mere symptoms of a much greater war. You see, there is actually just one war going on and this war-above-all-wars is taking place in heaven — a war between God and the devil.

This war was declared eons ago. Revelation tells us, “Michael and his angels fought with the dragon [Satan]; and the dragon and the angels fought” (12:7). While in heaven, Satan rallied all the fallen angels he deceived to rise up against God because he wanted to usurp God’s authority and take over his throne.

But the devil lost that first battle and God cast him and all the rebelling angels out of heaven. Satan had already deceived those angels and when God created humankind, he determined to deceive them, too.

Satan’s rebellion did not take God by surprise. Even before the foundation of the world, God devised a war plan to defeat the devil. The Lord created man in his own image and allowed him to have a free will — and then he sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem all mankind!

Jesus is patiently waiting for the last harvest to be brought in but until the coming of the Lord, we can live in victory: “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Are you in a frightening place right now? Do you feel hopeless, empty, stripped to nothing? I say to you, your trial will pass but what does God expect of you now, in the midst of it?

Perhaps you are grieving, anguishing over a struggle that doesn’t seem to end. You’re bowed low, more discouraged than you have ever been. Your friends may tell you, “Don’t cry and mourn. That’s not showing faith.” But the truth is, if you have faith, you are able to cry. You can’t avoid your pain; in fact, there is healing power in your tears. Your mourning has nothing to do with whether you trust in God’s Word.

At times, you may wonder, “Lord, what did I do wrong? Is this your judgment on me?” You may even feel like confronting him, crying, “Why did you let this happen?” I tell you, God gives you time for those questions. He allows your flesh to have its tantrums.

Finally, the Lord comes to you and says, “You’ve had a right to all your feelings, but you have no reason to accuse me or doubt me. I’ve given you a promise. Indeed, I’ve given you everything you need. You are to lay hold of that promise now. If you do, my Word will become life to you and bring healing that is greater than any medicine, more powerful than any river of tears.”

Throughout the Bible, we find godly men and women who have gone through deep tremblings of soul and spirit. Over and over, the Psalmist asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5). Also in 43:6 and 11 and Psalm 43:5, we see a similar sentiment.

The Lord understands your times of confusion and doubt and he is waiting for you to look to him and trust him. “You’ve cried it all out and now I want you to trust me. Go back to my Word and I will see you through.” Trust his promises and allow him to become the joy of your life.

When God says to humankind, “Believe,” he demands something beyond reason. Faith is totally illogical and its very definition has to do with something unreasonable. Think about it: Hebrews says that faith is the substance of something hoped for, the evidence that is unseen (see Hebrews 11:1). We are being told, in short, “There is no tangible substance or any evidence at all.” Yet we are asked to believe.

The fact is, we all face challenging circumstances in this life. Yet I believe if we can understand the nature of faith — its illogical, unreasonable nature — we will find the help we need to get through.

Let’s consider Abraham. God told him, “Get up, go out, and leave your country.” Surely Abraham wondered, “Where am I to go, Lord?” But God just told him to go!

This was not logical; in fact, it seemed unreasonable. If a husband came home and told his wife they were moving immediately, she would have all kinds of questions. Where? Why? How? When? And it would not be acceptable for him not to have answers.

But Abraham had heard from God! “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham packed up his family and set out, not knowing where they would end up. All he knew was that he had a brief word from God to go and the assurance that no harm would come to him.

Faith demanded that Abraham act on nothing more than a promise. He obeyed and the Word says, “He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

The Lord says to you, just as he said to Abraham, “I give you my Word and I will answer your cry.” “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him … The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34: 6, 15). Trust Him today to give you exactly what you need.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

We may hear teaching about the need to pray, fast and study the Scriptures. And we may plead with God for a deeper hunger for him, a closer walk with him, and a greater passion for Jesus. But Proverbs tells us we must reckon with even deeper issues than these. This verse speaks of heart issues, hidden, secret things that determine the life-flow that comes out of us.

Even if we pray longer hours, fast more often, and read the Bible more diligently, we can still be defiled in our mind and shut off all but a trickle of that life-flow.

Jesus tells us clearly what defiles a person: “Hear and understand: ‘Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man’” (Matthew15:10-11). What are these issues of the heart? What are the ways that pollute our inner man and then our entire being?

The Bible points out three issues: a defiled mouth, defiled ears, and defiled eyes. As servants of the Lord, we cannot allow anything to hinder the flow of Christ’s life in us. We have to rule our heart and actions by his Word because if any part of our inner man is defiled, our outward life and testimony will be hindered.

• A defiled mouth — James warns, “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (James 3:6)
• Defiled ears — “The Lord has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (Isaiah 50:5). The Holy Spirit attuned the Son’s ear to hear the Word of his Father and he was quick to listen to it.
• Defiled eyes — “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

No person is too holy to heed the warnings of Jesus and make a change. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and make you clean in every area of your life.

“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16).

“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus … to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:1-2).

These two verses exemplify the great purpose God had for Paul when he first appeared to him on the road to Damascus. The first thing Jesus does when he is about to change our life is appear to us. Maybe not in physical form, but he begins to make all the difference in the world and turn our world upside down. After telling us to “rise and stand on our feet,” he starts to reveal to us his new purpose.

There is a period of time that we are given to be on Earth (see Hebrews 9:27), but we are not saved just to get to heaven when we die. No, God has a purpose for each of us. Jesus gave Paul a specific purpose in his life and we see in Acts 26:16 that is was to be “a servant and witness.”

As a Christian, you are called to serve and to be a witness of Jesus Christ to those around you. What has God done for you? What have you seen God do for others?

At another time Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples …and, behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19). Because you are a servant of Christ, he is always with you, equipping you to be a witness to those you encounter. That is your highest purpose!