Archive for Devotional with Hymn

Fearing the Father

2015-01-07 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Isaiah 11:1-5; Luke 12:4-7

What does it mean to fear God? From scripture, it seems that fearing God is something other than being terrified of Him, and something more than simply respecting Him.

Whenever you want to understand God’s will for our lives, look to the example of Jesus. This is how Isaiah described the Messiah over 700 years before His birth:

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And He will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2-3a, NASB)

Read the gospels, look at Jesus’ life, and you’ll see what it means to fear God. Jesus responded to His Father wholeheartedly, completely, constantly. He trusted Him. He revered Him. He obeyed Him. He lived for His Father alone. For Jesus, His Father was the ultimate reality, the ultimate source, the ultimate goal.

In short, Jesus treated God as God. That is what it means to fear God. That is what the Old Testament refers to when it repeatedly says:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
(Proverbs 9:10, NASB. See also Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 15:33)

Jesus taught His disciples not to fear evil, or persecution, or Satan, or death. There is only one thing in all creation that God’s children need to fear:

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has the authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5, NASB)

If we fear the Father as Jesus did, if we treat Him as God, if we trust that He is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving, why should we ever be anxious or fearful about anything that life or death can hold?

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Lord, Why Am I Anxious?
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Live as Seeing the Unseen

2015-01-04 Devotional with Hymn No comments

We tend to react only to what seems real to us. And as humans, we interpret reality primarily by what we can see. If it happens to be visible, it’s real. If not, it can’t be fully trusted.

But even science tells us that our sight perceives only a fraction of reality.  Many “lower” animals perceive the world very adequately without the sight we experience. In fact, many of them sense vast portions of reality we never notice in our heavy dependence on sight.

For example, many animals live in a world of smell. They rely on it to find food, to find mates, and to protect themselves. Pigeons and salmon can apparently use scent to navigate great distances.

Other migrating animals, including certain butterflies and birds, seem to find their way across vast distances of unfamiliar territory simply by sensing the earth’s gravitational field.

Sharks, the platypus, and other species can sense electrical impulses in the bodies of their prey. Rattlesnakes and their fellow pit vipers find their prey through an organ that detects body heat. Bats can fly with incredible agility and accuracy, even picking insects out of midair in the dark, using their built-in ultrasonic radar.

Some animals and plants can predict the weather as well as we can, or even better. They know of coming thunderstorms, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions because they can perceive electrical charges in the air, hear low-frequency vibrations, or feel tiny tremors to which we are oblivious.

Even in the area of sight, we are sometimes left in the dust. Birds of prey can clearly see what is almost invisible to us, even with our high-powered binoculars. And some insects see colors the human eye can’t distinguish.

All this reminds us that as physical beings, we humans operate on a heavily filtered version of reality. Sight alone leaves us in the dark in many, many respects. And if we perceive so little of what is real in a physical sense, imagine how little we perceive of the realities that are not dependent on matter.

That brings us to Hebrews 11. It talks about people who pleased God by trusting Him, despite the way things looked around them. Noah spent many years building an ark, based purely on God’s warnings about things not yet seen (v.7, NASB). Moses overcame all the trials and difficulties of leading Israel out of Egypt because he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen (v.27, NASB).

All these saints lived wisely and fruitfully by focusing on the reality of God’s presence. Almighty God was always with them. They knew it was true, and they acted like it, even though their eyes could not see Him.

I long to live that way, knowing and trusting that reality, living in full response to His personal presence with me. What a joy it would be to consistently act and react as seeing Him who is unseen (v.27, NASB).

I want to live and serve that way, to pray and worship, to think and talk as being immediately with Him always and forever.

We walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7, NASB)

Live in response to Sovereign God,
not in response to your childish fears.
Walk in the light of all He is,
not in the shadow of your own smallness.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: In Simple Response to You
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Let Life Come to You

2014-12-30 Devotional with Hymn No comments

“Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34, NASB)

Even when outward circumstances are at their best,
I find myself with an underlying tension,
a subtle uneasiness about the present and future.

On one such day, the Lord stopped me short and said:
“Quit chasing life.
Let it come to you.
You know that I will lead You at all the right times.
I’ve shown you that I will.

“I will provide all your needs.
You know that.
I’ve freed you to fully enjoy the present moment.
Live in it.
Enjoy it.
Be thankful for it without worrying about the future.”

Thank You, my Lord!
You are so good!

Listen and sing:
Hymn: A Life of Thanksgiving
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Grace and Truth

2014-12-28 Devotional with Hymn No comments

John 1:14-18

When God describes Himself to us, with all His infinite qualities,
what does He highlight as most important?
He says that His essence is this:
Grace and truth—
that is, unfailing love and absolute dependability.

When we look at Jesus and His human life among us,
what do we see?
Grace and truth—
unfailing love and absolute dependability.

Jesus was and is always good, always compassionate, always gracious.
His mercy is never strained.
It never gets tired.
It is never pushed too far.
Even as they tortured and killed Jesus, He forgave them.

Jesus was truth.
Every word was true.
Every action was true.
We could absolutely depend on
everything He was, everything He said, and everything He did.

Jesus is unfailing love and absolute dependability.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Jesus, Full of Truth and Grace
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Kind to the Unkind

2014-12-24 Devotional with Hymn No comments

If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:34-36, NASB)

Most of us treat others the way they treat us.
We “give them what they deserve.”
That only seems right…
Right?

But that’s not what God is like (thank goodness!).
He gives lovingly and generously to His enemies.
He is lavishly, ridiculously kind to the most undeserving people.

And He wants us to be the same.

Jesus, help me to be kind to the unkind.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: As You Love
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Son of Man

2014-12-21 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Hear these words from Daniel 7:

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon,
Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind
as he was lying on his bed.
He wrote down the substance of his dream. 

“As I looked,
thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. 

“In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a son of man,
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power;
all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away,
and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
(vv.1, 9-10, 13-14, NIV)

Daniel 7 records Daniel’s dream, his visions of the future. Four fantastic beasts arise from the sea, each representing a different kingdom that would come and exercise authority for awhile, then pass away.

As the fourth beast is ruling and raging boastfully, the scene changes. Now Daniel sees a vision of the throne room of the universe. God, the Ancient of Days, is ruling in unearthly splendor, surrounded by vast multitudes.

Then Daniel witnesses a stunning, almost unbelievable sight. Into this highest, holiest heaven, a human being, a “son of man,” arrives on the clouds and is led into the presence of the Ancient of Days. He is given glory, sovereign authority, and eternal power over all people on earth.

Imagine: a “son of man”, a human being, a member of our rebellious race, is gloriously escorted into God’s holy presence and given sovereign, universal authority that will never pass away.

While Jesus walked this earth, what was His favorite designation for Himself? It was “Son of Man”. This eternal, glorious, divine Being, who had been in the Father’s presence from the beginning, chose to refer to Himself as the “Son of Man”. He gladly embraced His humanity. He willingly shared our suffering and our curse of death, knowing that when He returned to the Father’s presence, He would bring a countless train of redeemed human beings with Him.

When He is finally crowned, we will be there. We will reign with Him and share His magnificence and His glory. Never again will anyone say, “I am only human”. Our curse will be gone forever.

Father,
Creator,
Sovereign Savior,
thank You for all that we are becoming in Jesus Christ!

Listen and sing:
Hymn: See All That Human Can Be
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Father, Only You

2014-12-16 Devotional with Hymn No comments

I love You, O Lord. (Psalm 18:1, NASB)

In all my thinking,
all my needing,
all my trying,
all my trusting,
all my dreaming,
all my doing,
all my hurting,
all my hoping,
Father, only You.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Only You
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The Christ of Epiphany

2014-12-15 Devotional with Hymn No comments

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2, NIV) 

During Epiphany, Jesus is the Light of the Father, drawing all people to Himself.

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isaiah 60:1-3, NASB)

Among the very first people to be told of Messiah’s coming,
among His very first worshipers,
were visitors from a far away land and a different religion.
Jesus did not come as just the Jewish Messiah or the Christian Savior,
but as the Light of the World.

I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
(Isaiah 49:6, NASB)

Jesus is the knowledge of our universal God shining out to
every people and culture, to
every individual, for
every human need.
He is understanding in our profound ignorance.
He is wisdom in our foolishness.
He is God’s glory in our darkness and shame.
He is pure, beautiful, living truth.

During Epiphany, Jesus is the Light of the Father.
Come to the Light.
Walk in the Light.
Lift the light so that
all can see Him for all He is.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Light of Every Nation
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Individuals, Not Issues

2014-12-09 Devotional with Hymn No comments

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. (James 2:8, NIV)

I remember when my brother first told us he was gay. For a while, homosexuality itself was the issue. He was anxious for us to understand him and be open to his viewpoint. We wanted him to know that we didn’t read the Bible that way.

But eventually, we moved beyond dealing with homosexuality as an issue and got down to personal relationships. The real question for me became, “How do I treat my brother who is gay?”

The answer soon became obvious: I love him like a brother. That’s my sole responsibility toward him. It’s really that simple.

Then the broader question for me, and for all of us, is, “How do we treat our ‘neighbors’ who are gay?” And again the answer is simple and obvious: we love them like neighbors. We love them as we love ourselves. We love them as Christ loved us.

The natural concern may be, “But aren’t we obligated to let them know we don’t condone their life-style?” Believe me, gays are deeply and painfully aware that many of us don’t approve of them. They don’t need reminders.

The real question for us is, “Have we shown them that Christ likes them and loves them, personally and unconditionally?”

When Jesus was on earth, He was accused of being a friend to those considered morally repulsive. “Religious” people wouldn’t get near them, but He spent time with them, went to their parties, and in general seemed to like them and care about them. And they liked Him and gladly listened to Him.

While we tend to focus on issues and overlook individuals, Christ did the opposite. He looked past politics and concentrated on persons.

In that spirit, my point is not political or social, but personal. Our responsibility is not to try to change people. We are not responsible to try to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals. Our challenge is first and foremost to be Christ-like so that people are attracted to Him. And we can’t do that as long as we are fearfully shaking our fingers in their faces.

Nothing should ever distract us from showing that genuine, face-to-face love of Christ. Nothing. He is the force that changes hearts, not laws.

Do I pray for my brother? Of course. Daily. I pray for him just as I pray for all those I love: that he would enjoy all the riches and fruitfulness of the living Christ.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Prayer of Intercession
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More Loving

2014-12-08 Devotional with Hymn No comments

This Christmas, Father, help me to be more loving.
Reshape me by the Spirit of Christ.
Make me more like You.

Add or subtract from me.
Edit and revise me as You see fit.
Tune me up, Lord.
Challenge me,
teach me,
inspire me by Your example.

I am listening, Father.
Lead, and I will follow.

Open my eyes to the needs all around me.
Help me to see You standing among us,
eager to supply each need from Your great abundance.

This Christmas,
make me as humble as the newborn Christ.
Keep me as patient as You, my Father,
and as faithful as Your unfailing promises.
Help me to share the good news about Jesus
as naturally and eagerly as the shepherds.
With the magi, may I bow in worship and
offer You only my very best.

Bring your love to life, O kind, compassionate Father.
Make it flesh and blood in me.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Christmas Love
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