Devotions

David tells us in the psalms that it is God who makes wars to end and adds, “Be still and know that I am God...” (Psalm 46:10, NKJV). The Hebrew word for ‘still’ is raphah, which means to cease, let alone, become weak, feeble. It is from the root rapha, which means to mend and be made thoroughly whole by the hand of a physician.

How thoroughly consistent the Word of God is. He brings conflict to an end. Until he finishes his work, we are to stop our self-righteous efforts, trust everything into his hands, confess our weaknesses and trust our future restoration into the hands of Christ, our great physician.

Is your inner conflict tearing you apart? You may be buffeted by Satan, but he cannot hurt or destroy you. Most likely you are being refined in preparation for a deeper understanding of the cross of Christ so you can be made ready for greater service.

Peter was stripped of everything before going to Pentecost. We see this great man of God at rock bottom, wandering aimlessly over the Judean hills. Peter had walked on water and participated in the miraculous feeding of multitudes! He was a blessed, prominent, useful, Christ-loved servant. Nonetheless, he sinned grievously, failing the Lord as few others did. Afterward he wept and grieved, thinking he had lost his salvation and his ministry.

"What is wrong with me?" he must have asked himself over and over. "Why did I have no power or strength when tempted? Why no moral reserves, no will to resist the enemy? How could a man of God do such a horrendous thing to his Lord? How could I have preached to others when I have no power in a crisis?"

God did not cause Peter's failure, but great good came out of it. In his mercy, God allowed it to reveal what was rooted deep in the inner man. Only failure could expose the pride and self-sufficiency. It revealed to him his need for absolute dependence on his Lord for everything, including his purity and righteousness.

It is through this personal understanding of Jesus’ utter sacrifice for us on the cross that we endure our greatest temptation and failures and then break through to resurrection.

The reason God frequently emphasizes in his Word that our identity comes from him is that our own mental abilities are grossly unreliable. History shows us that the human intellect is astonishing in what it can imagine and discern and create. Despite that, we are often unable to filter out words and thoughts that infect and debilitate us.

I’ve discussed redemptive shame that leads to restoration in other devotionals, but there is a dark side to shame. That toxic feeling of not being good enough is one of Satan’s most lethal weapons. It is often first deployed against us when we are young and vulnerable and soaking up both approval and disapproval like little sponges. Harsh words spoken to a child can reverberate through a lifetime, and they can cause us to talk ourselves out of many of life’s blessings. Experiencing silent reproach, abuse and neglect can lead to broken relationships and poor health later in life. All of these can damage our ability to receive God’s love and grace and healing.

The enemy works hard to keep this running narrative of our worthlessness in the dark. Within the confines of our mind, unspoken shame can grow without dissent and without God’s divine perspective.

Some years ago, I spoke at a pastor’s conference with about 2,500 people in attendance. One night, after speaking on the topic of shame and woundedness, I gave an altar call. To the shock of everyone on the stage, at least three quarters of the congregation came in a wave toward the front. I walked through the crowd and began praying and talking with people, and their sorrow and tears broke my heart. Although painful and raw, this moment was also a clear breakthrough that gave them hope. As their stories poured forth, I could see that the shame they had kept in the dark for years had finally met the light of Jesus’ healing, unconditional love.

When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12, ESV), he was not being passive. Light aggressively seeks to illuminate darkness, to purify and restore perspective. When we take our shame and distorted thinking to God, he reminds us that he views us as his marvelous workmanship, whom he has made most worthy of redemption. “You are precious in my eyes,” he says, “and honored, and I love you” (Isaiah 43:4). His eternal view of us, not our finite one, is our true identity.

When Jesus was born, it was epic. The magi were heading to the place where Jesus was. They’d come to worship him and bring him gifts. One of my favorite descriptions of their arrival is in verse 10 of the Message paraphrase: “They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!” I want a life like that. I want to be in the right place at the right time. We only get there one way, though: by being obedient to God.

What happens after the Christmas story is epic as well. King Herod learned about the Messiah through the magi when they initially arrived in the area, and he commanded that every little boy two years old and younger who lived in Bethlehem be murdered. That’s not the epic part, trust me. That part is horrifying.

Here is the reality, though: Obedience to God keeps us one step ahead of the enemy. Think about it. Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Before that happened, God gave Joseph a dream that told him to leave before Herod sent his men on a killing spree. Joseph, Mary and Jesus were able to flee Bethlehem and find safety in Egypt because God called Joseph to obedience before Herod’s plan was enacted and because Joseph obeyed.

It was a forty-mile journey for the new family, so they were forty miles ahead of death and destruction. God is always a first responder, but we have to obey to reap the benefits.

I have experienced this truth in my own life. I have watched it happen with a simple apology. I said something I should not have, and the Holy Spirit convicted me and called me to go to that person and apologize. Conviction was my dream, and that apology kept this relationship forty miles ahead of the enemy’s narratives to harm and kill it. Obedience keeps you and me forty miles ahead of death.

Jesus said this about our enemy the devil: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). That’s Satan’s mission and Herod-like plan every day. Obedience to God keeps us ahead of any steal-kill-and-destroy agenda. When we are one step ahead following God, we are always in the right place at the right time. 

_{After pastoring an inner-city congregation in Detroit for thirty years, Pastor Tim served at Brooklyn Tabernacle in NYC for five years and pastored in Lafayette, Louisiana, for five years. He became Senior Pastor of Times Square Church in May of 2020.}

God's ultimate goal for all his children is abundant life. He never intended for us to go through life focused on our sins and failures. The good news is that we serve a God of absolute love and mercy who desires to bring his children into a place high above all turmoil. However, we cannot take our place with Christ in the heavenlies until we are fully identified with his death and resurrection.

There can be no breakthrough into ascension life without experiencing death at the cross. The Holy Spirit has put within us a knowledge that we can never truly live until we truly die. We seem to know we have a date with death, a destiny relating to the cross of Christ.

Take a good look at where we are with all our fears, emptiness, loneliness, failures and compromise with sin. Consider how little of the Lord's promised peace we really possess. We have fallen far short of what we know an overcoming Christian should be, yet we know God's Word speaks clearly of victory, peace and freedom from sin's dominion. We have seen some who have broken through to that beautiful life of assurance. We would like to ask, “How did you arrive at such victory? How can I break through?”

The Holy Spirit must bring us to the cross and make us face the reality of dying to the world and sin. The moment we begin to seek the Lord diligently with a desire to be under his lordship in all things, we will be irresistibly drawn by the Spirit. We will be brought to the end of ourselves, stripped, weakened and without confidence in our flesh.

I am convinced the Holy Spirit is bringing his church back to the glorious truths of identification with Christ in death, resurrection and ascension life.

Death can be frightening, especially if you cannot see the glory on the other side of it. The Lord assures us, though, of his everlasting love in spite of our failures, and gives us peace and the joy and hope of his resurrection life.

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29, NKJV). Those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer are blessed! We are favored of God when we trust beyond hope when every possibility has been exhausted.

We’ve all been in that place of hopelessness, the end of hope with no rescue. The miracle prayed for is not happening. It might be a devastating health diagnosis, the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or perhaps financial ruin. The valley of no hope is a cold, dark, awful place.

This is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger and overwhelming questions like “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.” Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind. “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Do not trust God anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will creep in. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley of the shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some long, dark nights; and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail, his love prevails. There is no other hope in this world.