Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional

The Apostle Paul was very direct when he looked at his own depravity and unworthiness. In I Corinthians 15:9 he calls himself the least of the Apostles, and in Ephesians 3:8 he calls himself the least of all saints. It was with humble gratitude that Paul accepted the title of Chief of Sinners here…even to the point in this verse of exclaiming I am (still) the worst, rather than I was (in the past) the worst. Paul stilled attached himself to his history & record of being a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent man…thus giving the excessive grace of God and His overflowing & unmerited mercy the honor due. This kind of increasing awareness of his own sinfulness in relationship to God’s overwhelming grace is addressed in this quote by Charles Spurgeon, ” My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is doing in me.”

Patience isn’t indifference – it’s not apathy on steroids, nor is it white-knuckling through the situation until we get to the other side. No, patience conveys the idea of someone who’s tremendously strong & able to withstand all assaults. And this type of patience has its source in the Vision & Perspective of God – which is always true & proper. God’s Vision & Perspective isn’t determined or even limited by whatever trouble we’re going through, and so we need to gain His vision in order to wait with courage rather than fear. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” When we have the hope of God’s Perspective in the matter, our waiting now has a purpose…the delay is full of encouragement rather than dread… and our patience is strengthened.

God was calling out His people in their hypocrisy of their twice a year fast. The ritualistic religious act had shamefully digressed, motived now only by self-interest rather than the desire to please God… their showy ceremony just a performance with no change in the attitude of their heart. Hosea 6:6 is very clear about this, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” Or as Joel 2:12-14 points out, God wants us to rend our hearts and not our clothes…desiring true repentance not legalism. A few verses later in Zechariah, Chapter 7, God then explicitly tells His people what He requires of them…” This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” (Zechariah 7:9-10)

When I saw this quote from the Puritan preacher, Charles Spurgeon, I thought to myself, “He could have written it today!” Spurgeon wrote, “The present age is so flippant that if a man loves the Savior, he is a fanatic, and if he hates the powers of evil, he is a bigot.” Our world has become a place where unethical & immoral behavior has become common place…to the point that if you object, you are called out for not being inclusive and open minded. Instead you’ll be called an extremist or a bigot. And if you talk about Jesus as your Lord & Savior, you’re just pushing your religion on someone & must be some crazy Jesus freak. And far be it that you should speak out about the wickedness in the world today…for you’ll be called intolerant & narrow-minded. Yes, Charles Spurgeon could have written that today as our world becomes darker and darker.

When we think we are some kind of “Super-Saint”, looking down on & judging others harshly…we are treading on the slippery slope of a self-righteous spirit. Romans 4:2 remind us that we are justified by faith & not by our works… and taking on a “holier than thou” attitude is just plain dangerous, for none of us is better than others. Charles Spurgeon addressed this once, writing, “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.”

Prayer…it’s not just for Sunday mornings in a corporate setting, or with the gathered Prayer Meeting, or with the Bible Study we’re part of. Prayer is as important one on one with the Lord as with a congregational setting on Sunday mornings. In fact, to Charles Spurgeon, individual prayer was far more important than any group prayer. To quote him, “Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the Church.” Just think of it, lack of private prayer on a regular basis by us is eating away at the very fabric of the Body of Believers we are part of. Is it a surprise then when we wonder why our Church isn’t thriving? Romans 12:12 tells that we need to be faithful in prayer, which is being steadfast in a all-important discipline of Christian life. We must then be not only praying daily for our individual needs but for our Church, the Pastoral Staff, the programs, and the congregation. And as we do, Proverbs 15:8 reminds us, “The prayer of the upright pleases God.”

So what exactly is our duty to the Lord? In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the Master gives his servants varying amounts of money to invest while he is gone. Some did well, others not so much. The master charged them all with the responsibility to use what he gave them wisely…but it was each individual’s duty & obligation to follow through. The duty we have from our Master is sharing the Gospel Message with others. I Corinthians 9:16 tells us we should be just as compelled to use wisely what our Master has entrusted us with…and so someday being able to say, “I have only done my duty.”

None of us like to suffer, let alone “suffering well” in doing the right thing. Yet we have the most perfect example in the person of Jesus Christ on just how to “suffer well”. Isaiah 53 talks at length about Christ’s suffering…how it was His Father’s Will to crush Him & cause Him to suffer…for you & me. And it goes on to say that after the suffering of His soul, Jesus saw the light of life…and with it, the gift of eternal life was given to us. Jesus suffered well for us, & thus we are invited to join in His sufferings, (Romans 8:17-18) and the fellowship of sharing in it. (Philippians 3:10)

Jacob was led to believe that his son Joseph was dead, and his entire world came crashing down around him. His grief so consuming, that Jacob descended into that dark abyss of being beyond comforted. This may be you today, overwhelmed with distress & mourning… and so for a short time you may turn away from others. But don’t turn your back on God…for He truly understands the grief you’re going through, and He’s there to console you as only He can. (Psalm 94:19)

Our confidence in God’s promises must come from our trust in Jesus Christ. For all God’s promises were begun to be fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming, and they will be consummated at His Second Coming. Charles Spurgeon once wrote about God’s faithfulness to His promises like this, “In the same way the sun never grows weary of shining nor a stream flowing, it’s God’s nature to keep His promises. Therefore, go immediately to His Throne and say, ‘Do as You promised.'” We too can have that kind of assurance…that God’s graciously given, sincere & pure promises will never fail…or as II Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.”