Devotionals

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”  Colossians 1:16 NKJV

Have you wondered about the boy Jesus?  I’m positive you have.   

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about His early years.  We learn about His birth, being a carpenter’s son, going to the Temple and interacting with the Rabbis, and that’s about it. 

What was Jesus like as a kid?  I’ve pondered this question many times.  Take the fact that Joseph, who I like to call His adopted dad, worked as a carpenter.  It’s hard for me to wrap my little brain around the fact that Jesus is not a created being.  He always existed.  He just left His home, visited earth for thirty-three years, and returned home. 

In the beginning Jesus created EVERYTHING.  Nothing exists that He did not create.  The Bible uses God and Jesus interchangeably in several verses, including the creation story, which is a subject for another devotional. 

Think about this:  Jesus, maker of the universe, worked as a carpenter’s son.  He made the entire universe and perhaps constructed a wooden chair.  The whole idea blows my mind.  It seems like such a paradox, but instead it’s absolutely true!   

How did He as a boy interact with His siblings?  Better yet, what did His siblings think of Him?  Was Jesus the best player ever at Hide and Seek?  Did He own a pet–perhaps a dog named Moses?  You get the picture.  

I know these kinds of questions may seem a little crazy, but they have occurred to me.  I suspect you have thought of such things, too.  If you haven’t, you will now.  

How do you think of Jesus?

Prayer:  Dear God, may we never lose sight of who Jesus is.  Thank you for the humility He displayed in coming to earth to teach us, and for the sacrifice He made to redeem us.  In His holy name we pray.  Amen

“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”  2 Peter 1:21 NIV

The Old Testament contains 61 specific prophecies about the Messiah.  Different prophets living 500 to 1,000 years before Jesus, and who did not know each other, came up with them.

Many people play the lottery.  (I’m not a fan.)  To win a Powerball paying a lot of money requires picking five numbers selected in any order plus one number picked sixth.  It usually takes several weeks of hundreds of millions of people buying lottery tickets for a winner to emerge.  I like the saying, “The lottery is a tax on people who don’t understand statistics.”

One characteristic of Old Testament prophecy is that it must be 100% true to have any legitimacy.  Many more verses refer to the Messiah, but 61 prophecies are quite specific.  They’re not generalized statements that can be twisted into some form of truth.  In short, a genuine prophecy must absolutely be fulfilled–that is, nail the real occurrence with no ifs, ands or buts.

Jesus met every single one of the 61 prophecies.  The reality is unquestionable and undebatable.  You know how difficult it is for someone to pick six lottery numbers.  What do you think are the odds of all 61 prophecies being fulfilled by Jesus? One trillion is written as 1,000,000,000,000.  I’m sure you’d agree that 1 chance in 1,000,000,000,000 would be extremely high odds.  Hold on to your hat.  One mathematician’s estimate of those impossible odds is “one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”  In short, Jesus is the only candidate–past, present or future–who could meet the 61 specific prophecies.  

Does this knowledge give you greater assurance that Jesus is who He said He is?  Without question, He is the Christ.

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the prophets of old who foretold the Messiah so that we could not miss identifying HIm.  We acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, and we are thankful for his ultimate sacrifice for us.  Amen

“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  Exodus 34:14 NIV

We typically think of jealousy as being a bad trait, and for the most part it is.  Our society contains many jealous people.  It seems to me that the wealthier countries have a bigger problem with it than impoverished countries.  We have exposure to so much whereas they have exposure to so little.  

We know some people possessed by the jealous monster, and their thinking, words, and actions are oftentimes sad, petty, and unnecessary.  We’ve seen men who are jealous of other men’s possessions like houses, boats, cars, and big boy toys.  Likewise, we’ve known women who are jealous of other women who have better marriages, live in nicer homes, and have more money.  Both sexes demonstrate jealousy over others’ spouses and their perceived attractiveness, education, personality, achievements, social standing, etc.  

Quite frankly, I don’t get it.  This kind of jealousy is evil and brings out the worse in people. It requires violation of some of the Ten Commandments such as covetousness–never a good idea.  

We humans suffer from the bad type of jealousy.  It’s a disease that eats people from the inside out.  Left unaddressed, it can destroy a person’s peace-of-mind and love-of-life.  How could anyone for one single second think that God would be pleased with this kind of human jealousy?

However, there is another version that is holy.  The Bible speaks of it many times.  It’s the jealousy that God has for His people and His desire for them to live in righteousness with Him.  We know that He has a jealousy for Jerusalem, for the Jewish people, for us, too!  He demonstrated such on numerous occasions by punishing those who aroused his jealousy, such as the people who worshiped false gods.  Even King Solomon, the richest and wisest man on earth by a long shot, messed up big time in this regard!  

God is perfect in holiness, and we simply don’t measure up.  Our sin, our rebellion, our inadequacies, separate us from Him.   However, in spite of our own unholiness, we have the redemptive grace of Jesus Christ that enables us to approach Him.  

Not a day goes by that we shouldn’t thank and praise God for His amazing grace and plan of salvation.  Without it we are utterly and completely doomed, because the Lord’s name is Jealous.  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for Your grace.  Amen.  

“The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.  And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.“  1 Kings 4:20-21 NIV

When I read a Bible passage that includes dimensions, weights, and volumes, they’re not typically expressed in English units like feet, pounds, and gallons.  I’ve made a habit of converting the Biblical units to English units in order to gain a better understanding of what is written.  The information learned from taking this extra step oftentimes proves staggering and adds so much to the story.  

King Solomon ruled over Israel for many years.  He had twelve district governors, and they had to supply the royal household with all its provisions for a month each.  

Here is the grocery list of what King Solomon received EVERY SINGLE DAY:

–the finest flour, 30 cors (11,000 pounds)

–meal, 60 cors (22,000 pounds)

–stall-fed cattle, 10

–pasture-fed cattle, 20

–sheep and goats, 100

–deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl, unspecified

No mention is made of the vegetables and fruit, but it’s easy to imagine the quantities.  Solomon also owned 4,000 stalls for chariot horses and 12,000 horses, and barley and straw were provided for them.  

It makes one wonder how many people did King Solomon’s household feed?  We often read in the Bible that a king invited someone to join him at his table to eat.  I’m guessing the royal table must have been pretty big.  

There has never been nor will there ever be another leader equal to him.  A lesson taught in this example is that God viewed Solomon favorably, and He rewarded him with great provisions and a peaceful kingdom for a number of years.  

God’s provision is a marvelous thing.  Have you thanked Him today for what He has done for you?

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your great provision.  Amen

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.‘ “  Revelation 21:3a

Have you wondered about why Jesus came to earth when He did?  It occurred about 2,000 years ago in the Middle East of all places!  Why didn’t He wait until now and arrive somewhere in America’s heartland?   

We know that God’s timing is absolutely perfect, even though it rarely matches what we think it should be.  Jesus arrived at the perfect time in the perfect place in perfect circumstances.  

The cradle of civilization, aka Mesopotamia, includes the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  It figures prominently in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament.  Major Jewish figures came from here; part of Israel existed here; wars between Jews and non-Jews were fought here.  In reading the Bible and historical records, this place was a disaster two millennia ago.  Jesus arrived at the right time to save mankind from itself.  

Understanding God’s timing on Jesus’s arrival on earth is quite simple.  Think about the world in which we live, filled with crime, hate, wars, immorality, and the list goes on endlessly.  How much different would it be had Jesus not come when he did?  Can you imagine satan’s domination on earth now in the absence of Jesus and the spread of Christianity?  It’s certainly not a place where I’d want to live.  It’d be hell on earth, a trillion times worse than it already is.   

We live in a spiritual battlefield where we have freedom of choosing sides.  As society continues its downward spiral into moral decay, the conditions will become perfect for the Second Coming.  We don’t know when, but we know where.  Jesus will land on the Mount of Olives where He ascended two thousand years ago, and He will move triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem and take charge of the entire planet as its everlasting King.  

Are you excited about His return?  Are you prepared for it?  

Prayer:  Dear God, we praise You for Your perfection in everything.  Amen.

Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.  Luke 12:51

Why can’t we all get along?  We know much hate, division and strife exist in this world.  Always has been and always will be.  It was preordained long ago, when Satan first appeared in the Garden of Eden.  

It’s a battle of monumental importance.  Name one country that’s immune to terrorism and killings.  It doesn’t exist.  

The truth of this division comes out in blazing Technicolor in the Middle East.  Israel, a small country, is surrounded by much larger countries with much higher populations that want Israel and its citizens to be exterminated.  They allege a land dispute, which is clearly bogus.  With 97% of the territory, they want Israel’s 3%.  They’ve been quite effective in rewriting history and convincing many others that they are the victims rather than being the perpetrators.  

In 2013 my wife and I visited Israel.  We dined at lunch one day in a restaurant on the Syrian border.  We could hear the artillery firing and smoke rising from the battlefield located just across the northern border of Israel, which is protected by huge barbed wire fencing, land mines, electronic detection devices, and armed soldiers, to prevent the infiltration of immigrants and terrorists.  The situation there today hasn’t changed one single bit.  Does this example sound familiar?  

Fortunately the United States has a little immunity from the severity of this magnitude due to its location, but it’d be incredibly naive to think such activities won’t hit our shores eventually.  What we’ve experienced to date with 9/11, bombings, suicide missions, school shootings, immigration, etc., is probably a drop in the bucket compared to our future.  I expect the severity and frequency to increase.  We can only hope to slow it down.  

The evil in this world is clearly the work of satan.  Jesus came to show mankind the way, but He was rejected by the very people who witnessed His miracles and heard His messages.  He caused division, because His example of goodness rebuked the people’s preference for evil.  Nothing has really changed in the 2,000 years since then.  

What simple demonstrations of goodness can we show to others today?

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for Your goodness, grace, and mercy for us.  Amen.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”  John 8:51

Do you ever think about death–I mean your own death.  It’s inevitable, just like the famous Daniel Defoe quotation from way back in 1726, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”  

I suspect one’s thoughts about this inevitability relate directly to age, but they shouldn’t.  We can leave this planet at any second on any day.  No matter who or what we are, we aren’t in control whatsoever.  God holds the key to life and death for every single one of us.  

I looked at today’s obituaries to check out the ages of people who have passed.  Compared to me, 55% were older and 45% were younger.  That makes sense, considering that I’m a few years younger than the average lifespan for a male.  However, one glaring fact stood out:  several of the younger ones were in their thirties, right in the prime of life.  You just don’t know when your time will be up.  

Many–I suggest most–people live as if this is the only life they’ll ever have.  They believe when their hearts stop beating and their brains stop thinking, their existence is over.  That’s foolish behavior and thinking!  Compared to eternity, our time here on earth is nothing.  Our real lives don’t even start until this one has ended!  

How can I be so certain of this claim?  Jesus told us!  Today’s verse is just one statement He made about death.  Whether you believe in Him or not, no one has ever proven Him wrong on anything He ever stated.  In today’s verse He emphasized that he’s telling us the truth!  As a result, we should pay particular attention to it.    

One of my early blogs reported on my wife’s near-death experience in early 2017, when she received a small glimpse of heaven.  It gave her tremendous reassurance and a yearning to return!  This attitude is one we should cultivate.  Our bodies are merely temporary housing; our souls are imperishable.    

How are you living?  Is Jesus the Lord of your life? 

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for Jesus’s teaching that we will never see death.  Amen.

“Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.”  James 3:15-16  MSG

Remember when teachers assigned group projects to build teamwork in elementary, junior, and high school?  As a high achiever, I hated them because all the members of the group would receive the same grade.  All the work would be performed by one or two kids.  On the day of presenting the results, the kids who tried to take credit were the ones who did little or nothing.  

Such boasting may have succeeded in school, but it didn’t work out well in some Old Testament stories.  You’ll recall Saul and David.  Saul served as king of Israel, but he became jealous and fearful of David, and desired to have him killed.  On two separate occasions, David had the clear opportunity to assassinate Saul.  He decided against it, however, as he viewed Saul as God’s anointed one.  At the end of 1 Samuel, we learn that Saul and his Israeli army fought against the Philistines and lost badly.  Instead of being captured by the Philistines, Saul ordered his armor-bearer to kill him.  He refused, so Saul committed suicide.  

In 2 Samuel we learn that a young man arrived before David and reported Saul’s death.  He claimed that Saul had asked him to kill him, and he complied.  He boasted about doing something he had not done, not realizing that in the Saul and David feud, while Saul had wanted David dead, David had no intent of ever harming Saul.  He had bragged in hope of gaining David’s favor, since it was widely believed that David would be the next king.  The response proved swift and decisive, as David ordered the young man’s execution.  

Boasting is an exaggerated claim to bolster one’s self-worth and be viewed more favorably by others.  The Bible teaches us that it’s not wise and leads to discord.  All of us know people who are world-class boasters, and we don’t want to spend much time around them.  

If pride is the greatest sin, I suggest that humility may be the greatest virtue.  This characteristic is the exact opposite of being boastful, and it’s one we should cultivate.  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the lessons taught in your holy word.  Amen. 

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”  Romans 7:15-20 NIV 

How do you define sin?  It means something different to most people.  There’s a tendency to see others’ shortcomings as compared to one’s own.  Dangerously, a perception exists that sin is relative–what’s a sin for one person isn’t for another.  

The dictionary defines sin as “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law”.  I think of it as being any thought, word or deed contrary to God’s desire for my life,  It’s my failure to be pleasing to Him.  

You’d think Christians would be on the same page in determining what is a sin and what isn’t.  It just doesn’t happen.  We can’t even agree on theology, as evidenced by the vast number of church brands that exist.  

We’re like the apostle Paul in today’s Bible verses above.  We don’t want to sin, but we do.  It’s a guaranteed part of human nature.  When you become a believer in accepting Jesus as Christ and Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit convicts you.  When you sin, you know it–without any question or doubt.  

The really good news is that we have a “get out of jail free” card.  No matter how many times we fail, God is willing to forgive us if we confess.

Are you convicted of sin in your life?  Confess it today.

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins that He makes possible if we only believe.  Amen