Appropriate Praise

Luke 4:15 - "And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all."

At the start of Jesus' ministry, all was "good." Possibly the love offerings were flowing and the healings were happening. If there was radio and TV in those days, there would be those seeking to take him coast to coast, from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean! However, things were about to change, and we must say, for the better. Later in this chapter, He was being mobbed and He was nearly thrown down a cliff (Luke 4:29). The reason? His preaching had gone from "good" to "perfect" in its truth factor. He had affronted Jewish sensibilities with the idea that God cared for both Gentile and Jew alike. This was untenable to the Jews, thus the firestorm.

We should not seek to be "praised by all." In so doing, we make ourselves a friend of this world which is hostility toward God (James 4:4). If we are doing and saying what God wants, there will come a day when others will seek to dispose of us over a proverbial cliff. Whatever the outcome, we must trust the Lord and speak the truth in love regardless.

Sustaining the Weary

Isaiah 50:4 - "The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple."

This prophetic scripture regarding how the Lord Jesus learned to disciple others is also applicable to our lives as believers. As Hebrews 5:8 states: "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." To disciple others, the Lord knew that he must first be disciplined by His Father. This meant perfect obedience.

What is the condition of our discipleship to others? Do we have "tongues of disciples?" If we do, we will likewise be able to "sustain the weary with a word." Are we speaking life into the souls of our children, spouses, and all those we come into contact with on a daily basis? If we are, we have embraced obedience and discipline from our Lord.

Lord, help us to "listen as a disciple" that we may have life giving tongues to help the weary.

Growing Wealth

Isaiah 48:17 - "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.'"

How do we gauge prosperity? It is a lie to believe that prosperity can be measured in wealth. Many who win the lottery are not really winners because they end up once again as losers having squandered their winnings. No, true prosperity is defined by the power to create wealth. And I am not just talking about money. If we do not have wisdom to prosper in life, we will not have wisdom with money.

God desires to teach us all prosperity through wisdom. With that wisdom, wealth will inevitably come. The secret, when it comes, is to invest it in the lives of others. The law of reciprocity will then create more wisdom and more wealth than we could ever imagine.

Spiritual Incarceration

Psalm 79:11 - "Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die."

My work as a VIC (Volunteer in Corrections) chaplain with the Missouri Department of Corrections is bittersweet. While many that I work with as chaplain at the local rescue mission have hope of refitting into society, many of these men I see in prison are Lifers with no chance of parole. However, I often look in the eyes of some of these men and I see a freedom that many outside of these walls fail to possess. They are truly free by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Are we incarcerated today, spiritually? Have we allowed our spiritual jailer -- guilt and condemnation -- to doom us to death? "According to the greatness of Your power," O God, set these free from their spiritual bondage. Give them hope to rise from the ashes of despair and surrender to You!

Waiting for the Perfect

Psalm 127:1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain."

We will always be presented with opportunities to do "good" things rather than waiting for God's "perfect" will. We can decide to build our own relationships rather than wait for our perfect helpmate. Or, we can forge ahead with a business decision when peace is lacking, only to find out later it wasn't what God really wanted for our lives. Beloved, waiting is often a form of death as we succumb to a place of misunderstanding from others who may not recognize why we would not do things logically. Common sense becomes spiritual and godly only when it has first been surrendered to Him. Then, His wisdom becomes in us the mind of Christ.

Are we anxiously longing to have our way or to do His will? May we all wait for Him, never substituting the good for the best. He is all about giving His perfect for us.

Mistaken Identity

Mark 14:66-67 - "As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, 'You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.'”

How tragic for us when those who don't know Christ (and know we profess Him) see us in compromised situations. There are a number of places we might think of in this regard (may the Holy Spirit show us accordingly). These provide absolutely no "spiritual warmth."

The warmth of the fires of this world are indifferent if not hostile to our God. So, why would we seek to betray our Lord by seeking out associations that will never fulfill? The Lord Jesus Christ has promised a fire that will not be quenched, full of His holy love that will dwell in the heart of every believer that would but trust in Him. May we not turn toward the warmth that the world offers that will only promote mockery toward our God. May we seek Jesus and the Eternal Fire that He desires to grow in all those He calls His own.

Committing God to His Great Pleasure

Isaiah 45:11 - "Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: 'Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.'"

We all enjoy bragging on our kids. Grandparents are especially susceptible to this. We even see bumper stickers that encourage this kind of friendly interrogation. When we ask God for wisdom and understanding to fulfill His will for His children, we set in motion the ultimate desire of His heart. Isaiah tells us how God's "delight is in His children." We are His Hephzibah (God's great pleasure!).

Beloved, may we all pray to understand how much God loves and cares for us. Revelation and understanding of this sort will rocket us into another spiritual dimension. We must simply continue to ask, "Papa, show us Your love for us!" When we do, we commit him to His great desire.