Devotions

Do you think the Lord is going to sit by passively and let the devil do to you what he pleases? If God didn’t act on your behalf when you needed him, he would be nothing more than the false god Baal. 

In 1 Kings, Elijah has a showdown with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, where an altar was built. The test was that the god who answers prayer will be God! Elijah prayed that fire would fall supernaturally on the sacrifice he laid on the altar, and that is exactly what happened. 

Before Elijah’s prayer was answered, though, the prophets of Baal danced from morning till noon, crying, begging and pleading with their god to answer. “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice; no one answered…” (1 Kings 18:26, NKJV).

Elijah mocked those false prophets by saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27). Elijah was saying, “Where is your god? Is he on vacation? Is he sleeping? He must be out walking somewhere.” 

We could make the same mockery of God if he did not answer when we prayed. You see, his honor is at stake when we pray, and he will not be mocked for not answering. The Bible says: “He will not allow your foot to be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4). Our God is awake at all times, and he is attentive to our every need. “They draw near who follow after wickedness; they are far from your law. You are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are truth” (Psalm 119:150-151).

The glorious truth in this passage can change your life, bringing you peace and giving you rest beyond anything you have yet experienced. Once you understand the truth of God’s constant nearness to you, that he loves you and is continually near you, all fear and anxiety must go. 

Many dear brothers and sisters in Christ tell me true stories of incredible hardships that keep piling up and discouragements that keep coming at them. Humanly speaking, they all seem to be impossible situations, and my heart goes out to every believer who experiences such trials. 

Every Christian must be convinced that he or she is precious and loved and that God is near. In fact, the closer the enemy comes, the more faithful God is to reveal his nearness, and the more tightly he will hold his precious child’s hand. 

Scripture says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NKJV). The root word for “trouble” here is a tight place. Are you in a tight place? Read God’s promises to get you out of that place: 

• “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you; may he send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion” (Psalm 20:1-2).
• “I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy, for you have considered my trouble; you have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a wide place. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” (Psalm 31:7-9).
• “Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have prepared for those who trust in you in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the plots of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:19-20).
• “Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown me his marvelous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, ‘I am cut off from before your eyes’; nevertheless you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to you. Oh, love the Lord, all you his saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:21-24).

“They draw near who follow after wickedness; they are far from your law. You are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are truth” (Psalm 119:150-151, NKJV). In these verses, David is saying, “God, if my enemies are drawing so near to destroy me, you are all the nearer in my time of need.” 

God is more prepared to keep his promises to you than the devil is to ruin you. Indeed, no matter how near the enemy comes to you, the Lord is all the nearer. 

The Hebrew word for “near” in Psalm 119 connotes defense. It means God is near to defend. God says he is especially near to protect the downcast and brokenhearted: “For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isaiah 57:15).

Are you a child of God? Does the Lord Jesus live in you? God says he is near to you in your anguish. Here is his promise to you: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your Savior… Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you…”(Isaiah 43:1-5). 

David also said, “You hold me by my right hand” (Psalm 73:23). God was near to David, walking with him, hand in hand, through his trouble. David was confident in the midst of his enemies because he was holding his Father’s hand. Moreover, David said God talked to him, giving him counsel and guidance: “You will guide me with your counsel” (Psalm 73:24).

No matter how close the enemy may seem, the Lord is near, and he is ready to shield and protect you with his mighty hand.

In Revelation, Jesus said, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” (Revelation 3:15, ESV). Some translations say, “I would rather you be hot or cold but not lukewarm.” That little phrase “I would rather” is the difference between someone who is against you and someone who is for you.   

If anyone is going to say “I would rather” about things in my life, I want it to be Jesus. When Jesus says, “I would rather you be on fire for God,” you can be assured that he is launching an all-out campaign, pulling out all available resources of heaven on your behalf to turn your lukewarmness to fire to bring you back to him.

Jesus continued by saying, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will…” (Revelations 3:16). I love that Jesus said, “I will” because he could have said, “I have.”  

It is good news for lukewarm people that he is planning ways to bring them back into the fire of God. It is good because even though Jesus despises that taste in his mouth, his love is grand. The wrath-quenching love of the Lamb of God has been so poured out upon us that even when we are far from what he desires us to be, he hasn’t spit us out. 

The early church fathers called this the forbearance of God. What is forbearance? It is God’s patience and bearing with us even in our lukewarmness. He doesn’t love your lukewarmness, but he loves you. His grace, plans, and power are all available right now to recapture your heart as you respond in obedience to Jesus Christ. 

Jesus also said to the lukewarm, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is lovingly and patiently knocking on the door of our hearts, calling us to a relationship with him. 

Understanding the background of a book in the Bible and who the author was writing to can be very important for understanding why they are highlighting certain ideas or commands. For the book of 1 John, he was writing to the church after a great split thanks to Gnosticism. A lot of professed Christians had left because they were seduced by false teachers claiming to have secret knowledge and placing themselves over the authority of scripture.

The book of 1 John is all about tests and qualifications to know that you belong to God. It’s about separating sheep from goats. How do we actually know if we’re part of God’s family? John lays it out very clearly!

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments” (1 John 5:1-2, ESV).

The most foundational and necessary component in the life of a true child of God is believing that Jesus is the Christ, confessing him as revealed through the witness testimonies in scripture. Jesus is the perfect, final, anointed priest, prophet and king. He is the exclusive way to God the Father and the only means by which we may be saved. This means holding fast to biblical faith and contending for the commands in the Bible without distorting them. This is so important because Christ is the Word and the purpose all of scripture. 

John also connects the love of God and belief in Christ with loving those who are born of God. You will love your brother and sister in Christ. You cannot hate the family of God and be a Christian. John links the love of God and the love of our fellow believers all throughout this letter. 

Moreover, the God love for his people is expressed throughout all of his commands. When we obey his commandments, we will be loving others well and in ways that honor the heavenly Father. Our affections for God, his Word and his law are the testimony that we are truly regenerated. 

^{Joshua West serves as the Pastor's Network Director at World Challenge helping equip and empower pastors all over the world. Joshua’s desire is to raise up ministers who will correctly and boldly preach the word with passion and integrity. The point of all his work and writings is to preach the gospel, glorify God and to teach sound doctrine.}