Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional

As I watch the Olympic Games, one Biblical Principle seems to play out over and over again… keep on persisting, despite all difficulties before you. You’ll see this plainly when an athlete falls, has an equipment malfunction, or is behind in the scoring. Their mindset & focus in every routine, race, or rotation is to never give up or quit, no matter what happens. Oh, that our journey with the Lord would have the same passion and tenacity! And so, I pray today that the Lord would give us a stalwart spirit…undaunted by what lies ahead. So, Lord, help us to be resolute in our walk, as we courageously move towards the goal You have set before us.

We have two directions we can go when we’re waiting on the Lord. One is to patiently wait in hopeful anticipation, all the while paying careful attention to keep His ways always before us…the other is to sulk and paw the ground in frustration. But think of this – God is working where He is sending us to wait. Just as He told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem before Pentecost in Luke 24:49, He continues to work on our behalf, behind the scenes in ways we can’t imagine. So, the next time God has you waiting…remember He’s working.

In the ancient world, the primary defense of any city was its walls. These walls surrounding the city made an enormous difference in their defensive abilities against any marauding enemy armies. In this Proverb, Solomon, is using a comparison of two things, and then allowing the reader to work out the meaning for themselves. If a city loses its walls, it loses all means of protection against its enemies. Much like if we lose our ability to control or restrain our rational mind, we become vulnerable, defenseless, and susceptible to our enemy, the devil. That’s why self-control is so important in a Christian’s life. Self-discipline is like a wall built up against the temptations of the world, enabling us to be victorious.

From this verse, let’s look at patience from both our perspective & God’s. For most of us, patience is not an easily obtained virtue. Rather, we find ourselves careless – not from the matter of sin – but from the remnants of our old carnal nature. We lack self-control and give in too many times to impulsiveness, wandering thoughts, and self-independence. But this is where God’s patience steps in. For God will doggedly keep bringing us back to that same problem point…over and over again, until we finally learn the lesson…all because His purpose for our life is to produce a perfected & finished product, and nothing less.

If you’re like me, you’ve been watching the Summer Olympics with all its elite athletes. And if you listen to the interviews of the gold medal winners, you hear the same thing…they talk about the long, tough training and the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get to the podium. The Apostle Paul used an athletic metaphor here and in I Corinthians 9:24-25 to compare athletic training to spiritual discipline. Why? It’s because of the very well-known Isthmian Games that were held every two years, where athletes throughout Greece would converge to compete. But unlike the modern Olympics with its gold, silver, and bronze metals…there was only one winner. So, self-discipline, determination, and perseverance were the hallmarks of each athlete’s training prior. And just as they trained diligently…setting aside selfish interests to obtain the primary goal…we are to discipline ourselves, pursuing spiritual growth & godly character. Not to get a perishable wreath, but an imperishable crown at the finish line.

I have two questions for you today. The first is, “Do you follow Jesus?” However the second question is more important, and goes something like this, “Ok, you say you follow Jesus, but do you steadfastly follow the Jesus way?” The Jesus way can be found in His own words, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Or, “Do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27) The Jesus way goes against everything within our corrupt human nature. It means to respond to curses with prayer…to face assault, both verbal attack & physical aggression, with non-violence…and finally, to persevere through exploitation and oppression with generosity & kindness. It’s easy to say I follow Jesus, and so much harder to follow the Jesus way.

Let’s get this straight…faith isn’t a feeling or a warm & fuzzy emotion. It’s an intentional decision to place your trust in Jesus Christ. Our faith being the instrument, not the grounds, of justification…or as Paul declared, that his justification was “through faith”, not “on account of his faith.” When Paul exhorted the young Timothy to, “fight the good fight of faith” he wasn’t asking Timothy to summon up fleshly emotions. Rather, he encouraged Timothy to face his tests of faith boldly – even when the road ahead seemed uncertain – to develop his faith… which would then develop his perseverance…which in the end, would produce a mature Christian character.

The Greek word in this verse for “trial” means to crush, press, compress, or squeeze. It encompasses also the idea of tribulation, troubles, and affliction…both together, conveying the picture of something being crushed under a great weight with grievous physical, mental, and /or Spiritual anguish and suffering. This is where the word perseverance comes in…or as Revelation 2:10 tells us, to those who persevere through trials & tribulations, they will receive the crown of life. So with every trial, frustration, and problem we can be either bitter or allow it to make us better…with every hassle, misery, and hardship we can decide to allow it to break us or make us more like Him…for ultimately, the choice is ours to be a victim or a victor.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.” Perplexity as just how to pray for ourselves is a universal Christian experience. We try to articulate our longings and verbalize the pain inside to no avail. But the Holy Spirit is there, strengthening us in our state of weakness and interceding before the Father. In Psalm 38, David is suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually, and in verse 8 makes this all plainly known, “I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.” Sometimes we don’t have the words to pray, and sometimes all that can slip out is a deep guttural moan indicative of all the built-up pain & grief within. It’s then we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit is already at work making our requests known before God.

“God is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 33:4) when I am fickle & distrusting. He is unchanging in all His ways, (Hebrews 6:17-19) when I am inconsistent & double minded. Yet with all my failings, He tells me that I am His and He loves me even when I mess up…and promises that His loving devotion to me binds Himself in a covenant relationship forever.