An Appointed Way

Reading:  I Corinthians 7
My Verse:  "Only let each one lead the life which the Lord has allotted and imparted to him and to which God has invited and summoned him . . ." (7:17).

My initial response to this is "How, Lord"?  "How do I know to live as You would have me to live"?  But as I meditated further on this verse I began to find comfort and ease of mind.

For, no longer do I need to flail about as though blind.  As Your child Lord God - You lead and guide me.  As long as I remain faithful to Your precepts - You will direct my steps.  Even if I mistep - I need only repent of my disobedience and You will put me back on the correct path - back on my appointed Way!

I quote Tozer here.   "The man of true faith may live in the absolute assurance that his steps are ordered by the Lord.  For  him, misfortune is outside the bounds of possibility.  He cannot be torn from earth one hour ahead of the time God has appointed, and he cannot be detained on earth one moment after God is done with him here.  He is not a waif of the wide world, a foundling of time and space, but a saint of the Lord and the darling of His particular care" (We Travel An Appointed Way).

How wonderful is that?

"The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 121:8).

I am truly blest to be counted as one of Your saints, Lord.  Thank You for saving and keeping me.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Permissible But Not Helpful

Reading:  I Corinthians 5, 6
My Verse:  "Everything is permissable for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things).  Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power."  (6:12)

Such a powerful verse - a great life verse!

Paul is writing to the Corinthians who seem to have taken "justified by Christ"  a bit too far.  They are separating their physical acts from their spiritual lives as if the two can be separated!

You tell us, Lord, to serve You with "mind, soul and spirit" - which is our entire being.  Yes, You have saved me from the law but as Your disciple my life should exemplify that very law.

Our Sunday School class has been studying Deuteronomy and we are now on the Ten Commandants.  I like what the teacher said of them - that they are a guide - they describe God's perfect way.  If I live by them my life will be so much the better - and that is what You want for me.


"You are not your own.  You were bought with a price.  So then, honor God, and bring glory to Him in your body.  (6:19,20)

No, my body is not my own.  For the Holy Spirit dwells within making it (my body) a holy temple.  (6:19)

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me that yes, I have much freedom in You but with that comes much responsibility.  I pray that today instead of focusing on my freedoms I focus instead on how I can honor You.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Prideful Foolishness!

Reading:  I Corinthians 3,4
My Verse:  "What have you that was not given to you?"  (4:7)

In these chapters Paul addresses pride and the dissension and jealousy that pride leads to.  He reveals the corrupting power of pride even in spiritual leaders.  Boy, that is something we see a lot of today - leaders who end up becoming their own gods because they come to love  power, esteem of others and  wealth more than You, Lord!

This brings to mind the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12: 16-21.  Because the rich man had such rich harvests, he had to build bigger barns to store his goods in.  Then because he has all this he says to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."  But God said to him, "You, fool!  This very night your life will be demanded of you."

This really is such a sad story and it is repeated all too often.  We so easily forget from whence comes our blessings.  Oh, Lord, thank you for this question Paul puts forth.  "What have you that was not given to you?"  It is one we need to constantly ask ourselves.

The parable ends with "This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."  Lord, keep me from spinning my wheels in pursuit of all the wrong "things." Oh, Lord, what a dreadful way to end ones life because we can take nothing with us when we come face to face with You.  Yes, thank, You, for this question. Thank, You, for this parable. Help me to keep it  at the forefront of my heart, my mind.  I pray that it will keep me from prideful foolishness.

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me to ever look to You with a grateful heart.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Sheer Absurdity!

Reading I Corinthians 1,2,3
My Verse:  "For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.  (1:18)

 Those that deny You, Lord, are totally incapable of seeing Your Truth for what it is. Paul went on to say.  "But the natural, unspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teaching and revelations of the Sprirt of God, for they are folly to him; and he is incapable of knowing them. . . " (2:14) One needs Your Spirit to understand spiritual matters.

I think of all the teaching about what happens when someone rejects You when You do reveal Yourself to them, like the Israelites.  Like the king of Egypt.  Sadly, their hearts became harder.

I think of an individual who continues to deny You.  There was a time when he was somewhat soft to You for I had spoken to Him of You and I believe You were revealing Yourself to him,  but as he continues to deny You, I see his heart become harder and harder.  He now scoffs.  His very visage has changed.  Oh, Lord, it is hard to see this happen.  I still pray for him.  I pray that You will yet have mercy on him and reach out to him.

 John 6:44 says.  "No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws and gives him the desire to come to Me."   Our pastor spoke of this at last Sunday service.  We,humans, are incapable of reaching out to You, without You enabling us. This is a hard truth, but it is truth.

You do reach out to us and reveal Yourself to us in many ways.  "In many separate revelations and in different ways God spoke of old . . .  But in the last of these days He has spoken to us in the [person of a ] Son . . ." (Hebrews 1:1,2)  Thank You, Lord, for reaching out to us!  Thank You for sending Jesus!


Oh, Lord, I must ask forgiveness here.  There are times when I grow impatient and even incredulous and  question how can man be so ignorant?  How can they refuse to see You?!  And yet only because You reached out to me was I able to see You!

 Yes, You are sheer absurdity to the natural and unspiritual man.  So Lord, I pray for those  that do not see You.  I pray the scales will come off their eyes.  And I pray they will not reject you but see the wonderful Truth of Who You are!

"You are my God and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You.  You are my God, I will extol You."  (Psalm 118:28)

Bearing With One Another

Reading:  Romans 14, 15, 16
My Verse:  "Then let us no more criticize and pass judgement on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother." (14:13)

Lord, I like and so need the teaching here.  I often sturggle in this area.  I know I am to live my life so that I am an example - a testimony of Your Grace.

Where I struggle is that I sometimes think I know a better way for someone.  Then I proceed to 'offer' advice . . . When I look back at those instances I wonder at myself!  . . . the sheer audacity!  No wonder the advice was received with anger and rebuff!

Lord, this teaching is so important!  We are all of us in a different place.  You have made us to be each so unique, we respond to our situations differently.  And You know this and treat us and meet us where we are.  I am so thankful and grateful for that!

How I need to keep uppermost in my mind the fact that we each of us are answerable to You on that final day.  "And so each of us shall give an account of himself to God." (14:12)  Help me Lord to look at each person as Your special project.  You are working in their life as You will.  I am to pray for them that they respond to You and Your love.  "Pray at all times in the Spirit with all manner of prayer.  To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints."  (Eph. 6:18)


Lord, I pray wisdom and discernment here.  as Paul said, "We . . . ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; and not to please ourselves." (15:1)

Forgive me my moments of intolerance.  For You, Lord Jesus, bear with all my deficiences and flubs!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Renewal of the Mind

Reading:  Romans 12, 13
My Verse:  "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you many prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  (12:2)

This is such a powerful verse!  I love the thought of a renewed mind. 

There was a time when I was very anxious about being conformed to worldly views.  I worried that I was not knowledgeable or sophisticated enough to discern wrong worldy ideas.  I often wondered, "How was I to  transform my mind?"  Because I understood that if my mind was transformed then it would be renewed and thus able to discern, "what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

I have learned and continue to learn that this is an ongoing process - I never arrive at complete renewal!  More importantly I have learned that I must constantly seek You, Lord.  I am  incapable of doing this on my own.  It is Your Word that renews my mind and so transforms me. 

"For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and spirit , and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12) 

Yeah, that is the key - Your Word!  Thank You, Lord, that we are constantly changing and growing and being renewed as Your children.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Faith comes By Hearing

Reading:  Romans 9, 10, 11
My Verse:  "So faith comes by hearing, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ."  (10:17)

Such a simple yet profound truth.  Before this Paul states, "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."   (10:9)

But before one can "acknowledge and confess"  one needs to have heard "the preaching of Christ" or His Word of Truth.  Only after hearing the Word can hearts be stirred to believe and accept the gospel.  Paul even points out again that the Word is proclaimed by the very creation.  "But I ask, Have they not heard?  Indeed they have [for the Scripture says] Their voice [that of nature bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world." (10:18)  Lord, You are so loving and pure.  When one seeks Truth You provide the Truth.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself."  (John 1:1)

"The Word of the Lord endures forever, And this Word is the good news which was preached to you."  (I Peter 1:25)

Lord, I know this  truth carries over into our 'walk' once we have accepted Your Word as Truth.  Your Word after enlightening and awakening our souls then goes on to nourish us.  I know that I find Your Word ever more encouraging and enlightening.  I enjoy hearing Your Word preached at church more and more.  I enjoy reading Your Word more and more. 

I thank You for this.  I thank You for those that dedicate their lives to preaching and teaching Your Word.  Help me to be faithful in praying for these dedicated servants of Yours.  For the Word, Your Truth is more powerful that anything else on earth!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Tension

Reading:  Romans 7,8
My Verse:  "For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die.  But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall live forever."  (8:13)

Paul continues to teach here about that area of our Christian lives that creates such tension between God at work in us and our decision to let Him.  I cannot "habitually put to death the evil deeds prompted by the body"  by myself.  And yet through Paul's teaching here I see that I do have a part in this. I need to accept the Truth of Your Word, Lord.  I need to seek You daily.  I need to practice so to speak living as You would have me.

Paul goes on to say, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit [really] dwells within you.  But if anyone does not possess the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."  (8:28) 

The phrase "if the [Holy] Spirit [really] dwells within you" makes me pause.   Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?  -unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

No, I am not exempt from the hardships - the consequesnces of sin here on earth.  Christians along with the rest of creation  "groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies" (8:23).  I will, as long as I am here on this earth in this physical body struggle with sin, struggle to keep You ever at the center of my life.    I have read this passage over numerous times and struggled with how to respond to it.  I am finally realizing that this stuggle - this tension is actually a good thing.  It keep me alert.  It makes me responsible.  It helps me to grow ever stronger as Your disciple. 

Thank You, Lord, for the struggle, the tension.  Thank, You, too, that I can be confident of victory because You do promise me that.  "Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us."  (8:37)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Living Defeated Lives

Reading:  Romans 5,6
My Verse:  "What shall we say?  Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace many multiply and overflow?  Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?"  (6:1)

Paul deals with a very serious problem here.  He goes into great depth to explain the great hope we have in You, Lord because You died for our sins.  This hope is not only that we get to spend eternity with You but also that we can have victory over sin while living out our life here on earth.  By dying on the cross You, Jesus triumphed over the sin Adam brought into the life of every human being!  The problem being that many after accepting your gift of salvation continue living in sin.

Paul clarifies this problem by saying that true believers are "dead" to sin.  He says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.  Do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness."  (6:12,13)

Yes, there is grace but we are each of us responsible daily to place ourselves before You, Lord.  Daily, moment by moment I must make that decision - to live an obedient life for You.  For You, Lord, enable me to obey and live a life of freedom in YOU.

There is a song, Star In the Book, that poignantly speaks to this.
     "There's a star by your name
       Angels are watching over you
      They can't understand why a child
        of the King would be happy to live in the slime. . . "

Paul speaks further of this in I Corinthians 3:15.  "But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire."

Such a tragic thing - to live a defeated life when You Lord Jesus are right there wanting us to find true freedom - to live rich and full lives.  "I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."  (John 10:10)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Our Goodness Not Enough!

Reading:  Romans 3,4
My Verse:  "As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one." (3:10)

This is a big - huge - stumbling block. So many want to trust their salvation to their own -goodness!  How often do we hear - Well, I try to be good.  I hope I have been good enough to get into heaven.

Paul makes it so clear here that sin "crouches at your door, its desire is for you . . . " (Gen. 4:7)
No matter how we try, sin ends up ruling our lives one way or another.  Paul graphically warns about this very thing . .
     "Their throat is a yawning grave . . .
      They use their tongues to deceive . . .
     Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness . . .
     Their feet are swift to shed blood . . .
     Destruction and misery marks their ways . . . "  (Romans 3:13 - 16)

He clearly states that Christ did not make the law null and void but points out the true purpose of it.  "For no person will be justified in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law, For (the real function) of the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin."  (3:20)

Justification and right standing with You, Lord, comes only through Your redemptive work. (3:24) So often pride creeps in and I think that I can be good enough - not so!  My pride has to go!  "Then what becomes of [our] pride and [our] boasting?  It is excluded.  On what principle?  Of doing good deeds?  No, but on the principle of faith!"  (3:27)

Living under the yoke of sin is a dreadful thing as Paul warned.  I am so thankful for Your salvation and blessing.  For I am truly blessed!  "Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried.  Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him."  (4:7,8)

Thank You, My Lord and My Savior, that I do not need to depend on my own goodness to get into heaven or to have fellowship with You.  For I know I am incapable on my own of attaining such a standard - for Your standard, Lord. is perfection.  You only are truly Good!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

We Are Without Excuse!

Reading:  Romans 1, 2
My Verse:  "For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.   For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them."  (1:18, 19)

Paul makes some strong points here re evolution vs. creation.  He speaks of our "inner consciousness" as something that dwells in all of us.  It is interesting how there is a tendency for people to become concerned about spiritual matters when they face death.  There is a God consciousness in all of us - though many try to deny it.  This is what Paul speaks to here.  He points out the dreadful results when man "who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative."

"And so since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome." (1:28)

Evolutionists are constantly forced to restate their "scientific conclusions' concerning earth origins.  I am so thankful, Lord, for creation scientists who more and more are able to show that creation does have scientific evidence.  The Institute of Creation Research at www.icr.org is one such group of creation scientists that refute much of evolutionary theory.

For myself, I find that the more I learn about nature the more I am in awe of You, Our Creator.  And I find it more incredible that learned intelligent men such as these evolution scientists could actually believe we all came about through evolutionary processes - it just doesn't compute!

"For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible - clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made.  (His handiworks.)  So [men] are without excuse."  (1:20)

David beautifully proclaims this truth in song! 
     "The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
     Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.
     There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.
     Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world, Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun."  (Psalms 19: 1-4

We are not meant to be without You.  One need only compare cultures or individuals that worship You and those that do not!

Ditat  Deus - God Enriches!

Truth Stranger Than Fiction

Reading Acts:  26, 27, 28
My Verse:  "And as Paul thus proceeded with his defense, Festus, called out loudly, Paul, you are mad!  Your great learning is driving you mad!  But Paul replied, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I am uttering the straight, sound truth." (26:24,25)

The gospel was so amazing it sounded like madness to Festus, but truth it was.  Paul spoke Your Truth, Lord, with amazing surety, compassion and boldness.

As a young person I was into fantasy.  Loved Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's Hobbit and his trilogy.  At the time this was the greatest of literature to me.  The odd thing is that I looked at the gospel also as fantasy, truthful fantasy.   I know truth and fantasy are contradictory.  Yet, I delighted in the reading of it and the knowledge of this fantastic truth - for my entire being sensed the truth of Your Word!

These final chapters of Acts show Paul's utter dependence on and trust in the truth of the gospel.  Some of the events are fantastical.  For example when they were looking at sure disaster for the ship Paul was able to assure his shipmates.  "For this very night there stood by my side an angel of the God of Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship. And he said, Do not be frightened, Paul!  It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you."  (27:23)  And sure enough they all survived the shipwreck.  Another event occurs while they were on the island on which they shipwrecked. Paul gets a poisonous snake on his hand that he calmly shakes off.  The locals were sure of his death but nothing happens to Paul and Paul knew this so was able to be calm about it all.  He knew nothing would happen to him because God had told him several times that he would reach Rome to proclaim the gospel there.

Yes, Paul's life is like a blockbuster movie.  It is filled with intrigue, murder plots, violence, miraculous unexplainable events, a wide array of curious individuals, hurried escapes in the dark of the night, international travel,  many near death experiences and through it all a strong storyline.

The saying "Truth is stranger than fiction"  surely fits the story of Acts.  It is pretty hard to make up such an amazing story.  "The sum of Your Word is Truth; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever."  (Psalm 119:160)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!