Devotions

As America sinks deeper into godlessness, more and more of God’s people want to go their own way. Such people do not want to be clothed by Christ in garments of righteousness; they only want to live to themselves, with no obligations or commitments. By their attitudes, they are telling the Lord, “Let me enjoy my association with you just so others will see me as good.”

Churches in America and around the world are filled with millions of people calling themselves Christians who have no intimacy with Jesus. They spend no time in prayer and do not pick up their Bibles to see what he desires of them.

Somehow, these people have attached themselves to Christ’s name wholly on their own. Our Lord will have no part of such an arrangement. Christ clearly warns in Mark: “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:35-37).

We read the parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish (see Matthew 25:1-13). “While the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:5). All the virgins, both foolish and wise, were asleep. How could these wise virgins be slumbering? How could any godly servant, those who have prepared for Jesus’ return for so long, be asleep as the Lord approaches?

Let’s look at a warning by Paul: “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). Paul also warns, “‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16).

If you feel that you have grown lazy in your pursuit of Jesus, determine to seek after him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Begin to pray throughout the day and make Christ the center of your thought life.

God gave the prophet Jeremiah a word to speak to Israel: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words’” (Jeremiah 19:15). Jeremiah’s words so incensed the chief governor of the temple that he was bound and tortured. Yet, in spite of his suffering, Jeremiah never doubted his calling. He knew he had been given a word from God.

God went on to say to Jeremiah, “I planned a ministry for you and you are to build up my church. I want you to plant seeds of my good news, so don’t worry; I’ll give you every word to speak just when you need it. And don’t ever be afraid of men or fear failure. Remember, as long as you live, I am with you. Do not be discouraged but rise up in faith and do as I have commanded you. You have one divine purpose and that is to speak my mind” (see Jeremiah 1:9-17).

Jeremiah tells us, “The Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth’” (1:9). What an incredible moment in this man’s life. How wonderful to know that God has put his hand on you, revealed his thoughts, and anointed you to speak for him. Then God added this word: “Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them” (1:17).

Beloved, this is God’s message to every Christian who has ever been called by him. He is telling us, “Don’t let anyone break you down! You have no reason to be confused or despairing. I have told you I am with you and there is no reason for burnout, no cause to quit. No matter what hardships you face or how badly people treat you, I have put mighty pillars around you and I am with you to deliver you!”

Matthew tells us Jesus spoke in parables: “All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables … that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 13:34-35).

Many Christians today think parables sound very simple but according to Christ, there is a hidden truth in every parable he told. These truths can be discovered only by diligently seeking for them. Some believers skim over the parables quickly, assuming they see the obvious lesson, and move on to what they consider “deeper truth.” They want a theology that is laid out for them clearly, expounded in detail.

Jesus told a parable about the treasure in the field: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).

The field signifies every area in the world where the gospel has been preached and received. And the man laboring in the field represents everyone who serves Jesus. This man has learned from a reliable source that treasure is buried somewhere in the field — the treasure of knowing that Christ is all he needs. All joy, direction and purpose, indeed, the very riches of heaven, are his in Jesus. So while the other workers labor halfheartedly, he starts digging furiously trying to find the treasure.

Curiously, when he finds the treasure, he immediately hides it. Why? Because he wants to be sure he is not robbed of it. He does not want anybody or anything to sidetrack him from the great truth he has found in Christ.

When Jesus says that the field worker “sells all that he has and buys the field,” it signifies for us that we exchange our self-reliance and good works, our fear and doubt, for his great gift of life. We trade in our time, our thoughts, our will, our plans, to buy the living water, the bread of life, joy and peace.

What is this treasure worth to you? To gain him, I urge you to start digging today!

The entire book of Deuteronomy consists of a series of farewell messages by Moses, addressed to those who survived forty years of wilderness wandering and were destined to possess the land of promise. He reminds the new generation of the importance of obedience.

“You know your fathers’ history. They were a people called, chosen and anointed by God but they lost the vision. The Lord loved them so much that he bore them up in his arms and carried them, time after time. Yet over and over they murmured against him, grieving him.”

Moses goes on, “Finally, God’s patience came to an end. He saw that they were committed to unbelief and there was nothing he could do to change their minds. Their hearts were like granite, so God told them, ‘Not one of you is going to enter my Promised Land. Instead, you are going to turn around now and go back into the wilderness.’”

What powerful words. Yet, Moses was not speaking just to a new generation of Israelites but to every generation of believers that followed, including us today. Like other Old Testament accounts, this one was written “for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Moses was showing us the danger of unbelief. He warned that unless we take heed, we will suffer the same consequences as fell upon those before us: “Lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11).

Many believers today have let Satan convince them that they are not good enough, that God is still mad at them for past sins but, as with Israel, your choices will determine the course of your remaining years.

You have a promise awaiting you, just as there was for Israel: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). The Lord saved you to bring you into a place of rest, a place of unshakeable faith and confidence in the Lord. Trust him for it!

I love the words of an old hymn we used to sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer” (Joseph M. Scriven). “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

God extended the fullness of his love to us through the gift of his Son: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And because of his great love for us, we are enabled to reach out to others in loving ways.

We all want someone in our life who shares our values and standards, a friend who will be loyal and love us in spite of our weaknesses. We read of such a friendship in 1 Samuel 18:1, 3-4: “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul … Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.”

These verses represent the love that Jesus has for us — an unmerited, supernatural love, a love that sees beyond our weaknesses and is always supportive and encouraging. It is called the agape love of God and is above human understanding. The type of loving friendship that Jonathan and David shared — I call it gospel relationship — can come only through the power of Jesus Christ.

As you freely receive this gift of love from Jesus, ask him to enable you to be a godly friend who encourages spiritual growth in someone else — truly “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”