Devotions

The greater the suspicion or skepticism that exists in a message, the more important trust in the messenger becomes. You can only share as much truth with someone as the strength of your relationship will bear. No one with any wisdom is going to attempt to drive a truck weighing 5,000 pounds across a bridge rated for a maximum capacity of 1,000 pounds. Unfortunately, I see well-meaning people almost every day trying to drive 5,000 pounds of truth across a relational bridge that is rated for 1,000 pounds.

I believe the church has much truth to share with society; however, we often forget that truth is best communicated within an atmosphere of trust. Otherwise, we are speaking, but no one is listening. This approach may make the speaker feel good about himself or herself, but it will have little or no positive influence on their intended audience.

One of the most potentially polarizing things that Jesus ever said was, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. …I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:2-3, 6, ESV). Do I believe this? Absolutely. I have built my entire adult life upon this truth. Nevertheless, I think it’s beneficial for us to remember that Jesus didn’t declare this truth from the mountaintop as he gave the Sermon on the Mount or on the plain as he fed the multitude. He proclaimed this truth to his disciples in a small group setting.

So, is there no place for the public declaration of truth? Of course, there is; but in my opinion, the content of our public proclamation needs to contain the centrality of the gospel, not that which is divisive or about behavior. That content is important, but it should be shared face-to-face in a discipleship context.

The right content shared at the right time in the right context has the potential to build trust and change lives. The right content shared in the wrong context or at the wrong time will not only be disregarded but may even inoculate the hearer from the important truth being shared.

^{Mark Renfroe and his wife, Amy, have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. Mark served as the area director for Assemblies of God World Missions and currently serves as the chief missions officer for World Challenge.}

“Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long?” (Psalm 6:2-3, ESV). One cry from David encompassed all of his sufferings: “O Lord—how long?” 

I have cried out like David over my anguished trials. “Lord, how long will I have sleepless nights over my prodigal son? How long till my back injury heals? Will this threat of cancer last my whole life?”

God’s goodness is often revealed in deferring our deliverance. With a mere snap of his finger, a wink of his eye or a breath from his nostrils, God could resolve every one of our trials and sufferings. Instead, is the Lord working a greater purpose in our lives than what could be accomplished through an instantaneous deliverance? 

From the end of David’s story, we know that God was doing just that. He was deferring deliverance for his servant with something greater in mind, not only for the king but also for the nation of Israel. Thus, the words “How long?” are meant to be instructive. They are a cry of continued longing.

You see, as long as we cry these two words, a great work is taking place in our hearts. “How long?” is not just a cry of longing but a cry of faith; it is uttered from a deep knowledge that God does indeed deliver. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s Word makes clear that when people find themselves in a terrible situation, they can turn to him, and he will deliver them faithfully. 

The truth is that God’s deferring of our deliverance is where the rubber meets the road in terms of our faith. God is good when he defers our deliverance. Every promise of God is true; he never lies. If his promises are delayed, it is not because he’s incapable of delivering us; but rather it’s meant for his greater purposes. 

God is working for some greater good in our lives, souls, hearts, minds and relationships with him. We can be sure that an amazing, eternal work is being accomplished from within our every cry. 

^{This devotional has been adapted from Gary Wilkerson’s book, The Altar of Our Hearts: An Expository Devotional on the Psalms.} 

The book of Numbers contains a sad example of wasted afflictions. The five daughters of a man called Zelophehad approached Moses, asking for a share in the possession of the Promised Land. They told Moses, “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons” (Numbers 27:3, NKJV). These women were saying, “When all the others rose up against you with Korah, our father wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t in rebellion. He died in his own sin.”

The phrase “He died in his own sin” struck me as I read it. This meant that although their father had seen incredible miracles like the deliverance out of Egypt, water flowing from a rock and manna coming from heaven, he died in unbelief with the rest of his generation. 

These five daughters were born in the wilderness and grew up in a family hardened against God. All of Israel’s trials produced unbelief in their father, and these young women probably heard constant murmuring and bitterness. There was never a word of faith or trust in God. These women had to tell Moses, “Our father left us with nothing, no hope, possessions or testimony. He spent those forty years whining and in bitterness because life was hard. He died in sin; his life was a waste.”

What a horrible thing to have to say of a parent, yet I must warn all parents reading this: Your children are watching you as you endure afflictions. Your reactions and behavior will influence them for life. How are you behaving? Are you wasting your affliction, not only for yourself but for the generations that follow? I hope your heirs are being established in Christ as they hear you say, “I don’t like this affliction, but blessed be the name of the Lord.”

I know many Christians who become more bitter with every new affliction. The very afflictions meant to train them, trials designed by God to reveal his faithfulness, have instead turned them into habitual complainers. Where is their faith and trust in the Lord? What must their children think?

Beloved, don’t waste your afflictions. Let them produce in you the sweet aroma of trust and faith in the Lord. 

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12, NJKV).

When Paul wrote this, he was an older man with years of experience. In the midst of one of the worst trials of his life, he was speaking from his heart to his friends. 

Since walking with Jesus, you surely have known pain, trials, and afflictions. How have you responded to these challenges? What has been the outcome or the result of your experiences? Have your afflictions all been in vain, or have you learned of God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of them? 

Let’s say you are a dedicated believer who has laid down your life for Jesus. You have a burden for a dying world. You weep for the lost and have a clear command to win souls. You tell all your friends you are going to a particular city to testify of God’s grace.

After you arrive, your friends back home receive word that you are not being used by God at all. Nothing has gone as planned; in fact, your ministry is dead. You have nothing to show for your efforts, and rather than stirring up the city for Christ, you have landed in jail. 

How would you react if all you had to show for your dedication, labor and sacrifice was utter failure? Some Christians would pout. They would doubt God’s word and question the Spirit’s leading. Yet other Christians would respond as Paul did, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake. 

Paul did not try to figure out his afflictions. He responded with joy, faith and hope because he knew he was in training as God’s witness. He wrote to his friends from jail that his situation was the topic of conversation in Caesar’s palace. Everyone in Rome was talking about how Paul was in jail for preaching about Jesus. He must have been quite a sight in that prison cell. A scrawny Jew encouraging everyone around him, “Rejoice in your afflictions. God is faithful!” 

Paul did not waste any of his afflictions because he knew that each of them had a divine purpose. Likewise, the Lord is watching us to see how we behave during our trials. 

“…An adulteress will prey upon his precious life” (Proverbs 6:26, NKJV). The adulteress spoken of in this verse is Satan. The devil tries to seduce everyone who hungers after the Lord. He hunts down those who are precious to God.

During an evangelistic crusade on the West Coast, I met a young man who was a leader of a coven of witches. Even though this young man was deeply involved in the occult, he didn’t believe Satan or his demons would ever possess him.

One night, as he tried to go to sleep, he saw horrible, demonic faces swirling on the ceiling of his bedroom, leering down at him. As they gathered like a cloud and formed a funnel, the young man realized they were about to come into his heart.

He was petrified, then he remembered something from his childhood, so he cried out, “In Jesus’s name, go!” All the demons vanished.

The next night, those forces rallied even greater legions. He looked up and saw the whole room filled with ugly, horrible creatures formed into a funnel again. This time, the young man stood up on his bed and shouted, “I claim the blood of Jesus!” Again, the demons fled in disarray.

The young man knew that if they came again, though, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He called a Christian friend and asked him to accompany him to one of my crusade meetings.

During the service, the young coven leader was convicted by the Holy Spirit, and he gave his heart to the Lord. He testified that even though his family had a background in the occult, he remembered that when he was about six years old, he had a heart for Jesus. “I clearly recall going into the woods behind our house and preaching my heart out,” he said. I have seen this same heart for God in my own children and grandchildren. I had that kind of heart when I was a child, so I knew exactly what this young man was talking about.

Suddenly, I knew why the devil had tried to possess this young man and destroy him. It was because of how precious he was to God. Oh, how grateful I am for the blood of Jesus that saves and protects!