Devotions

In today’s culture, many Christians are confused about the concept of winning. But too often we do not even know how to define what a win looks like. Pastors think that in order to have a winning church they must have a larger building, an increased budget, an effective worship team, a great children’s ministry. Business people think that having more employees, enjoying increased profit, and achieving prestige in their field amounts to winning. All these things are good, of course, and in one sense, they are a win. But Paul defines winning another way and brings us to the core of God’s message, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how to obtain the prize.

“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24). Paul goes on to say that he does not just “beat the air” aimlessly, flailing around and running with uncertainty (9:26). He disciplines himself so that he will not become disqualified in the race. Too many Christians today are rushing around in a dozen different directions, pursuing various ministry endeavors and avenues of self-improvement. True, they might be doing many good things, but they are not really affecting the win that Paul is talking about — getting people across the finish line.

Let us choose to be as Paul. All around us are broken people, without Jesus, bound by sin and headed for an eternity without God. We must tell them the good news of Jesus Christ — that he died on the cross for them, that they can be clean and holy. Another win! Another prize!

As I travel across the country speaking and evangelizing, I often tell stories that illustrate God’s work within our ministry. Stories of hardened criminals and gang leaders who come to our crusades with the intent of causing trouble, but instead find themselves convicted by the Holy Spirit and asking God for forgiveness. Other times I relate testimonies of miraculous healings — both physical and spiritual — that take place.

Almost without fail, after I share these testimonies of the Spirit’s power, people come up to me with amazement in their eyes. “I can’t believe how marvelously the Lord works in your ministry,” they tell me. “I’ve never imagined that God works in that way.”

Then come the inevitable questions: “Do you really think God works the same way today that he did in the New Testament? If so, why don’t we see him doing those things in our church?”

The answer to the first question is easy. “Of course he does,” I tell them. “Since the day I became a Christian I’ve seen no distinction between what I read about in the book of Acts and what I experience in our ministry.”

The second question gets a bit more personal, and at the risk of giving offense, I answer, “Perhaps the reason you don’t see God doing mighty works is because you don’t really believe in a mighty God. He doesn’t work miracles if he is not expected to.”

My listeners are taken aback, of course, because it is not the answer they expect but it usually gets their attention. I try to encourage them with the Word:  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 12:8). The same Holy Spirit who walked with the disciples, healing and working all kinds of miracles, is walking with us today.

Jesus has promised that anyone who believes in him will do the works that he did; in fact, he says they will do even greater works (see John 14:12). 

Nicky Cruz, internationally known evangelist and prolific author, turned to Jesus Christ from a life of violence and crime after meeting David Wilkerson in New York City in 1958. The story of his dramatic conversion was told first in The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson and then later in his own best-selling book Run, Baby, Run.

God has promised his people a glorious rest that includes peace for the soul. Sadly, too many Christians have no concept of what it means to rest in their salvation. They do not possess the peace that all Christians have available to them in Jesus Christ, the peace that can carry them through any storm.

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, KJV).

Christ is telling us very plainly, “Don’t attempt to take on a walk with me until you are at rest in your soul.” And how do we enter into this rest Jesus is talking about? I believe the key lies in three words he spoke: Learn of me.

Jesus is not talking about mere head knowledge; he is speaking of the discipline of learning who he is and what he accomplished on the cross. He is saying, “You must understand what I have done for you in order for your soul to be at rest.”

“But I read the Bible and pray a little each day. I’m trying hard to do better.” It is not enough to try hard and make promises to God. It is all about pursuing a revelation of what Jesus did on the cross. And this takes discipline! Think about the discipline required to become a doctor, a teacher, a minister, a nurse. Any career or calling requires great study and effort and the same is true when it comes to actually serving Jesus as we should.

Purpose in your heart to apply yourself to diligently seek him! Take the time and put forth the effort to truly learn of him so that you can walk in deeper fellowship with your Savior. 

“We should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). The apostle Paul wrote those words when he had hit rock bottom. He was saying, in essence, “The Lord brought me to the end of all human help. It was a place so hopeless that only the God of resurrection power could rescue me!”

God sometimes allows you to be driven to the very end of your rope, into deep suffering, so that you will lose all confidence in your ability to save yourself. What a wonderful place to be — at the end of your rope. But it doesn’t sound so wonderful, does it? Especially in a culture that has been spoon-fed the concept of self-sufficiency. We have countless volumes written on how to handle trouble, loneliness, sorrow, temptation. But it is all focused on our flesh, our ability to extricate ourselves from our difficulties.

Beloved, how many times have you tried to work out all your troubles by yourself? Maybe you have been flooded with temptations that overwhelmed you to the point that you cried out, “Oh, God, you know I love you with all my heart but I’m being sorely tempted. I despise this, Lord. I just don’t understand!”

I have learned a precious lesson through all my trials: I found the way of escape! “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What is this way of escape? It is coming to the end of your own strength and turning absolutely to God. It is saying, “I do not trust in myself anymore. God, I put everything on You and I trust you totally. I know you will end my suffering in your time and in your way!”

After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, they hid from God when they heard him walking in the garden in the cool of the day (see Genesis 3:8). And after David sinned with the wife of one of his chief warriors and then arranged for the man to be killed in battle so he could marry that same woman, we see David retreat into himself. He refused to go to battle and hid in the palace instead. He had lost all his fight and was afraid to have to face God with unconfessed sin.

David never thought he had gotten away with sin; on the contrary, he was a very troubled, guilt-ridden man who wrote out of the anguish of his heart: “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:11-12). 

In the case of Adam and Eve and also David, God’s abundant blessings had been evident, yet sin entered in. They hid from God out of guilt but their loving Father pursued them out of his great love and brought them back into fellowship with him.

Likewise, if you are running from God because of unconfessed sin, he sees your agony and grieves over it. He takes no pleasure in seeing you in pain and he will make the first move to reconcile you to his heart. He may send somebody to rebuke and challenge you, as he sent the prophet Nathan to King David (see 2 Samuel 12:1-15), or he may use another means. But his love for you will not allow him to just sit by and let you go.

The mercy of God is completely beyond me! But when you are broken before him, even though there may be painful consequences to your sin, his grace enables you to come out of the shadows and renew your fellowship with him.