No One Is Exempt!

Reading:  Revelation 5

My Verse:  “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (5:9,10)

I find it interesting, LORD God, that You would particularly point out here who or what kind of people will be ransomed by Your blood, “from every tribe and language and people and nation.” You wanted to make sure we understood that You died for each and every human being on this earth.  You did not want any to feel left out for You brought each of us into being, You love each of us, You want each to come to You.  No, You do not exempt anyone from Your salvation.

You know us so well.  You know our tendency to look down on those different from us.  You know our tendency to place ourselves in superior positions even though we do not deserve to be there.  You know our tendency to place others below us.  Forgive me Lord God for the times that I have done this.  I often forget You love even  those I look at as vile.  I forget You love that person with so very different views than mine as much as You love me!  It is arrogance and pride on my part.  Forgive me.

You have no preferences amongst man. 

  “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11 NASB).

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).

“”Moreover, [no new requirements were made] by those who were reputed to be something – though what was their individual position and whether they really were of importance or not makes no difference to me; God is not impressed with the positions that men hold and He is not partial and recognizes no external distinctions . . .” (Gal. 2:16 AB).

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe” (Deut. 10:17 ESV).

Man has so messed up on this issue.  Here it is so plain in Your Word as to how we are to treat and deal with each other. Yet so many wars and crimes have been committed based on this  “partiality of man” issue.

You deal with each of us on the same level.  Just as “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  So You want each of us to come to You. “The LORD is . . . patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

“And everyone who calls on the name  of the LORD will be saved . . “(Joel 2:32).

“for, Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Dear Lord God, I am so grateful that this is how it is.  I am so grateful that You love me just as much as You loved Peter, Paul, John, David . . . all those greats of the Bible!  I cannot fathom the depths of Your love for mankind. 

“Great is the LORD.and highly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain” (Psalm 48:1).

Ditat Deus – God Enriches!

Turn to God For  Comfort

Reading:  Psalm 34

My Verse:  “I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (34:4).

I woke up to some dreadful news.  My first need was to go to You, Lord God.  I sought You out.   I needed comfort and assurance that things weren’t totally out of whack.  Pain and suffering are not what we were created to deal with.  Pain and suffering are assaults to our very being, to all our senses.  It is only with Your help that we are able to deal with the ugliness that sin has wrought on our society.  So, yeah, I needed You to comfort me.  I “sought the Lord and required Him.”

Verse seven is most beautiful.  “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and each of them He delivers.”  This is an amazing visual that I can turn to when things go awry.  It is like when Elisha showed  Your armies to his servant in II Kings 6:14-17.  “So he[the Syrian king] sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.  And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”  He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”  So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Oh, LORD God, how often I need my eyes opened to You, to Your provision and protection of me, to the Truth of Who You are. The reality of Your existence.  You cared for the young man.  You cared that he be assured and so answered Elisha’s prayer.  This is a wonderful testament to how You care about each of us, how You respond to our fears.

Yes, when we cry out to You, You do hear us, You do respond to our need.  “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles” (34:17).

Help me LORD God to trust in You.  Open my eyes to You, this day for it is only in You that I can find comfort.

Ditat Deus – God Enriches!

Worthy Is Our Lord!

Reading:  Revelation 4

My Verse:  “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created” (4:11)

This passage is beyond description!  John describes what he saw using images we might relate to, but one knows it had to be so much more than we can even imagine.  Lord God, we are so far from being able to comprehend You.  I am so thankful that when we do get to heaven You will enable us to see You for Who You are, “for we will see Him as He really is .. “ (I John 3:2).  You are so Worthy, indeed.

I exist because You wanted me to be. It pleased You to create me.  For some that idea is not a good thing.  Yet, I find comfort in that fact – that I am here because You wanted me to come into being – “by Your will they were [brought into being].”  It gives me a sense of purpose.  It causes me to feel wanted and needed.  Thank You Lord God for helping me to realize this truth and the goodness of it.

In fact nothing exists apart from You, apart from Your will – “for You created all things.”  I find that so reassuring – that there is an order and a reason for all things.  We do not live in a world of chance.  Even though things seem out of order and crazy because of the sinfulness and rebellion of man – Your order and purpose will come through in the end.  The Bible teaches us that.  It teaches us that all things will come to a consummation at Your return, at the end of time.

It is then that we will see Your Glory.  It is then that we will get to join the elders and the cherubim in singing to You.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.  Who was and Who is and Who is to come.” (4:8)

“Praise ye the LORD.  Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of the saints” (Psalm 149:1).

“For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise, He is to be feared above all gods” (Psalm 96:4).

Ditat Deus – God Enriches!

Hot or Cold But Not Lukewarm

Reading:  Revelation 3

My Verse:  “So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!” (3:16)

Before this verse, the church is told, “I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot.   Would that you were cold or hot!” (3:15).  It is interesting how we are always thinking that no one really knows what we are doing.  We so often want to think that You, Lord God, are not observing our slack attitudes!  And so we behave accordingly.  How we need to be accountable!  How we need to be constantly reminded that You are ever there.  You are omniscient!  You know our hearts every moment of every day.  You know when we are lukewarm.

I never really thought about Your cry to us here, my Lord.  “Would that you were cold or hot!”  The ESV study bible explains this verse.   It states that to be hot or to be cold can be positive.    I really do like a nice cold drink of water, especially on a hot day.  And I certainly do not like lukewarm tea– the hotter the better!  Lukewarm in either case just would not do!  Lukewarm would not be refreshing.  Lukewarm would actually be disappointing. 

Forgive me for disappointing You so often with a lukewarm faith.  Help me Lord God to ever strive to be what You would have me to be.  I sometimes forget who I am – Your blessed child!  I need to live each and every day with that thought foremost on my mind.  It should color all that I do.  It should color how I interact with others, both loved ones and strangers.

You go on in verse 18 to “counsel” me to buy from You “gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”  I cannot get these from my own efforts.  I can only get them through You, through Your grace.

Dear, Lord God, I do not want to be lukewarm.  I want to be rich in Your grace!  I want to be clothed in Your white garments of righteousness!  I want Your salve to clear up and enable my eyes to see You and Your glorious Truths!

“Open my eyes that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law”  (Psalm 119:18).

Dear, Lord God, quicken my spirit that I will live in this richness and safety. 

“He restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12).

Yes, better to be hot or cold but never lukewarm!

Ditat Deus – God Enriches!

Tree Of Life

Reading:  Revelation 2

My Verse:  “He who has an ear,  let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (2:7).

So often when reading Your Word, Lord God, You give us little glimpses of the future, of the new world we will inhabit when we leave this earth.  One of these glimpses is the “tree of life.”  It is so intriguing!

This tree if first mentioned in Genesis 2:9, “And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired – good for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden . . .” Then Adam and Eve sinned and all changed.  God had to remove them from the paradise He created for them.  He also had to keep them from eating of the “tree of life.”  “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil, blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever – therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.  So [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep and guard the way to the tree of life”  (Genesis 3:22-24).

Then there is no more mention of this until Revelation.  The “tree of life” appears again!  Here in verse seven we are told, “to the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life.”  Then in chapter 22 verse two here is the “tree of life” in the new Jerusalem!  “Through the middle of the broad-way of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.”  Is that not amazing?  A tree bearing 12 varieties of fruit, fruit that give eternal life.  And it bears a new crop every month!  A tree whose leaves provide healing!

I recall the time when I first started hearing these stories - I was simply enthralled.  This is all so beautiful and fantastical!  It is like a beautiful, true fantasy – if such a thing could be.  It is so wonderful.

Revelation 22:14 goes on to say this.  “Blessed are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city.”  We will get to not only see this amazing tree but we will eat of it!

Lord God, how I look forward to all that You have for us! 

“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!”

Ditat Deus – God Enriches!

Read, Hear, and Heed the Word!

Reading:  Revelation 1
My Verse:  "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and keep what is written in it, for the time is near" (1:3).

Here is the first of the seven blessings of Revelation You bestow upon us, Lord God.  That You would make this one the first places a special importance on it - on the reading, hearing and heeding of Your Word!

Even though so few people today read Your Word, Lord God, it is still the very basis of our society.  C.S. Lewis makes this so very clear in his book Mere Christianity.  "These, then are the two facts I wanted to make.  First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.  Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way.  They know the Law of nature; they break it.  These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in."

Proverbs 29:18 says. "Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law."  Without Your Word people "cast off restraint."  I read that this same verb was used when Moses came down from the mountain to find his people dancing and worshiping a golden calf.  They grew weary of waiting, put You aside and basically went wild.  You give us so many examples of societies that do this - put You out of their lives and become basically dysfunctional as a society.  Sodom and Gomorrah are one sad example.

Any society, culture that cuts You out becomes dysfunctional.  They become dark.  The people have no restraints on how they behave and slowly become more and more out of control.  I like how one person said it, "When we begin to ignore the word of God we move very quickly into absurdities." But You, Lord God, are there waiting and wanting to bless us!

"He who deals wisely and heeds [God's] Word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord - happy, blessed, and fortunate is he" (Proverbs 16:20).

I thank You, Lord God, for Your Word.  I am so blessed to have such free access to it.  Sadly there is coming a day when this will not be so.

"Behold the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.  And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it" Amos (11-12).  What a dreadful thing!

Today I simply rejoice in Your Word!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Guard Yourself!

Reading:  Jude
My Verse:  "Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) - [which will bring you] unto life eternal" (Jude 21).

So often, Lord God, You warn us of devious, immoral men, who pretend to be a part of Your church.  These false teachers "crept in unnoticed."  They "pervert the grace of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality."  If we are not alert and on guard they will take us unawares and draw us away from You!  Because we are prone to wander it is well that we are warned to be on guard.

I am so thankful that you do not just teach what to watch out for but how to keep safe.  You, Lord God, lovingly tell us how to guard ourselves against these charismatic deceivers.  You give us the tools that we need right here in Your Word.

There are several ways that we can minimize, lessen the influence and damage these "certain men" can cause.  Jude tells us to "contend for the truth."  In other words we are to be proactive!  We are not to just sit back and take in whatever is told us.  We are to be discerning with all that we hear.  We need to read and study Your Word for ourselves!

He tells us to "build yourselves up."  I like what the Amplified Bible says here.  "make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher."  We are to be growing stronger in our doctrine, in our daily walk with You!

He tells us to be "praying in the Holy Spirit."  We need to be careful not to focus on our own wants and desires but seek out Your guidance.  "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26).  So we must always be "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplications"  (Ephesians 6:18).  Not only are we to be careful to pray in the Spirit but we are to persevere in prayer.  In other words, I must pray!

Finally, we are to be waiting expectantly for Your return, Lord God.  It is a wonderful thing to have something special to anticipate. 

"[Surely} I am coming quickly.  Amen!  Yes, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

Thank You, Lord, for this special little book of Jude.  Help me today to do what is needed to guard myself against deception.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Support Traveling Missionaries

Reading:  3 John
My Verse:  "So we ourselves ought to support such people [to welcome and provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth (the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers" (3 John 8).

Dear Lord God, it is so good that You provided guidance here.  You tell us directly that we are to support those who have "gone out for the Name's sake."  Those that have gone out are missionaries, and we are to support these missionaries.

The past four years, Ethan, our son, traveled to Mexico as a short term youth missionary.  Part of the preparation was to raise support.  We were not to just pay for it out of pocket.  IAs You know Lord God it was quite an experience for us.  We had trouble asking for money from family and friends.  It was especially hard for Ethan to go up to people of the church and ask them to sponsor him for some work project at church to raise money.  It just isn't easy.

Yet the lessons learned from this for us were great.  We essentially learned two things.  One was we learned just how hard it is - how one has to put oneself so totally in Your loving care and allow oneself to be vulnerable.  Second, we realized by asking others to help we were giving them an opportunity to be a part of this missionary work.  It really changed how I look at missionaries and the hard work they go through when raising their support for the mission field.

We are not all called to go out into the field.  Yet, as Christians, we are each responsible to take part in this type of endeavor.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"  (Matthew 28:19-20).

It is the great work of the church.  For You are "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Yes, we, our family, learned to appreciate missionaries so much more.  It is not an easy thing to travel far from one's home, to put oneself out of one's comfort zone both physically, spiritually and emotionally, and to allow oneself to be so vulnerable.  Thank You, Lord God for this experience, this lesson.

I appreciate our church so much for its strong missionary support.  It feels very good to be a part of this kind of effort.  It is all for Your glory!

"So, whether you ear or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"  (1 Cor. 10:31).

One day we will stand before You.  We will have to answer for how we served You, for how we obeyed this command.  "For we will all stand before God's judgement seat" (Romans 14:10).  "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each on may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad"  (2 Corinthians 5:10). 

Help me today to pray for those in the field both at home and abroad.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Love Rules!

Reading:  2 John
My Verse:  "And what this love consists in is this; that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments.  This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it] (verse 6).

I often pass over this commandment.  "I give you a new commandment, that you should love one another.  Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another"  (John 13:34).
You command us to "love one another." It is pretty straight forward.  Love should rule our lives!

This love comes through strongly in John's writings.  "My little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's law and sin" (I John 2:1).  He uses the term "beloved" often to refer to his readers.  Paul also shows his compassion for his readers.

These great men of You were ruled by love.  Because they gave their all to You, You infused them with love for their fellow man and it just poured out.   It is a beautiful thing.

I am unfortunately very skeptical.  I have too often seen a pretentious kind of Christian love.  I find myself holding back here.  I want so much to be genuine that I go a bit overboard and fall short in this area.  Lord, You know my heart.  Help me to get over this.  Help me to allow love, Your love to rule in my life as You command.

You love me so much.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son . . " (John 3:16) to die on the cross for me.  And so You tell us "just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another."


And so love should be such a part of us that we are known by our love.  "By this shall all [men] know that you are, My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).

I am grateful for the church I am presently attending.  It is a loving church.  There is a genuineness that shines through.  Thank You, Lord for meeting this need in my life by showing me through real people that You can shine through.  And, yes, Your disciples can be known by their love.  Help me today to allow that beautiful love to shine through me!  Help me to let Your love rule my life this day!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Three Witnesses

Reading:  I John 5
My Verse:  "For there are three that testify:  the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree" (5:7,8 ESV).

Lord God, I love how You appeal to our minds.  You after all created us.  You created us with these minds that You want us to use, especially as we puzzle over this whole concept of salvation.  And so Paul told us to " . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians2:2).  It isn't an easy thing but so absolutely necessary!  It is so important that You provided not only human witnesses of You but You provided these "three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood."

Here John again speaks of the witnesses of who You are.  Earlier he spoke of himself and the other apostles, of how they themselves were eyewitnesses of You.  Yet, he tells us we do not need to depend on human witnesses only, for humans are fallible.  He shows us how You, Lord God, provided witness.  For John says, "if we received the testimony of men, the testimony of God of greater" (5:9).

The three witnesses are "the Spirit and the water and the blood" (5:8).

The Holy Spirit not only visibly appeared in the form of a dove at Your baptism, Lord.  He also is at work within us.  He convicts us of our sin and opens our eyes to You!  He guides us and helps us through our day.  Yes, the Holy Spirit constantly bears witness of You in this world.

The water is of Your baptism.  At this wonderful event the Holy Spirit was present as was God the Father.  You were all there! 

And of course the blood speaks of that ultimate sacrifice on the cross.  The ultimate sacrifice that paid our debt.  You, Lord Jesus, did not think it unworthy to die on a cross, the death of a criminal.  You love us so.  The witness of the blood is hard to ignore.

Verse eight speaks of how "these three agree."  The Amplified says it this way, the three  "agree [are in unison; their testimony coincides]."  It is needed that there is no confusion.  Each of these witnesses prove and support the other.

No, You do not ask us to blindly follow.  You not only provided many human witnesses, but these three as well.  The Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 17 teaches the basic principle - that two or three witnesses are needed to confirm a fact or event.  You have followed this principle with these three witnesses.  We should have no excuse for not believing that You, Lord Jesus, are the son of the Living God.

"And this is the testimony (that evidence); God gave us eternal life and this life is in His Son" (5:11).  Thank You, Lord God, that in Your great wisdom You knew the importance of providing us with witnesses of Who You are!  Thank You for these three witnesses.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Test The Spirits!

Reading:  I John 4
My Verse:  "Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world" (4:1).

Dear Lord God, thank You for Your Word - this guide.  We do not need to be stumbling along, uncertain of our way in this world.  Here You tell us to be discerning.  We are not to trust everyone and everything that comes along.  We are to "prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God."

No, we are not to be gullible.  You tell us to "pay attention and weigh and discern what is said" (I Corinthians 14:29).  You even give "the ability to discern and distinguish between the [utterances of true] spirits [and false ones]" (I Cor. 12:10).

You gave us the Bereans as an example of how we are to handle Your Word.  For they were "searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so"  (Acts 17:11).

Today it is greatly frowned on to be intolerant of all belief systems.  Yet, Lord God, You tell us You only are Truth, You only are the Way.  "For I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6).  Yet, there is another side to this.  We must be careful to judge rightly.  "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement" (John 7:24).

John Armstrong wrote a book, Your church Is too Small that addresses this issue.   It is so easy for us to get comfortable in our own church settting and how we do things.  We then become skeptical of everyone else.  Help me to not be close minded in that way.  Help me to recognize You in others and be open to their way of doing things.  I may not agree with all that others do but the main thing is to not stray from Your word.  It isn't worth fighting about the small stuff!

John goes on in verse two to give us the best test ever.  "By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God; every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God."

So we do have the tools to be discerning,  alert and aware followers of You.  You do not expect us to "test the spirits" on our own.  You will aid us if we call on You for help.  Thank You for that.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Just As He Is!

Reading:  I John 3
My Verse:  "Beloved, we are  now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is" (3:2).

This verse is so incredibly full, Lord God.  It tells me so much.  It fills me with great anticipation.  It intrigues me. 

First, once we have accepted You as our Lord and Savior we are "now God's children."  I love that.  It means I can cry out to You for help, for comfort.  I can look to You for guidance, for unwavering love.  I can know that You , like a loving parent, will love me unconditionally!

Second, I am intrigued by "it is  not yet disclosed what we shall be [hereafter]."  I can look forward with great anticipation to Your return.  For You will cause something quite extraordinary to happen to us.  "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:52).  That is it!  We shall be changed! 

Thirdly, not only are we to be transformed but we shall be transformed to be like You, Lord God!  "but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall resemble and be like Him."  How amazing is that!  I know that You will always be God.  I know You will always be superior.  but from this I understand that my physical weaknesses will go away, my sin nature will be gone, my mind (intellect) will be free of error.  Wow, to be free to fully appreciate and worship and glorify You.

Finally, that truly most intriguing part of this verse.  "for we shall see Him just as He really is!"  The scales will fall from our eyes, both physically and spiritually.  We shall finally be able to gaze upon You and see You for Who You truly are! 

What anticipation we can have for the future.  We shall be enabled to see You for just Who You are!

"So we do no lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

In The World But Not Of It!

Reading: I John 2
My Verse:  "Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him" (2:15).

Some people take this verse way too far.  They think that all that is in the world is evil.  Sometimes it does feel that way.  But, You, Lord God, did create this world.  You even "so loved the world that You gave Your only begotten son to save the world" (John 3:16).  The things of the world are not inherently evil.  It is our attitude or devotion to not only things of the world but worldly, ungodly belief systems that John is warning us against. We are never to love anything in the world more than You.

"You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]!  Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy?  So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

"We know positively that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one" (I John 5:19).

We are to be in the world but not of it.  For You tell us to "not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world" (Romans 12:2).

In John 17 You speak of us, Your followers as being not of this world.  "I have given and delivered to them Your Word and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."  You even tell Your Father in heaven, "I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one" (17:15).

You tell us we are to be a light to the lost.  We are to live such a life that those who are lost might see You!  "That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights in the [dark] world" (Philippians 2:15).

Dear Lord protect me from anything that might dim my light.  Help me to be in the world but not of it.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Heard - Seen - Touched!

Reading:  I John 1
My Verse:  "[We are writing]  about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands" (1:1).

You, Lord God, are not some distant deity - existing only in the minds of people.  No, You are a God Who is there!  You are real.  You have given us the Bible to testify to this through all the great men of the ages.

Here John makes this point.  He is refuting some who were saying You were only a spirit.  Lord Jesus, You were God amongst men.  You experienced the human condition.  John emphasizes this.  He speaks of hearing Your voice.  He speaks of how with his very own eyes he and the other apostles gazed upon You.  He speaks of how they even touched You.  They were truly eye witnesses to Your existence as a God amongst men.  Even our courts today rely on the testimony of witnesses to determine a truth.

And so John and the apostles were sharing this amazing truth to the world - this Truth of Who You were - our Lord and Savior.

This passage brings to mind one of my favorite authors, Francis Schaeffer.  He wrote many books but one in particular speaks to this.  It is titled - He Is There and He Is Not Silent.  Schaeffer clearly and convincingly expounds on Romans 1:20.  "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (NIV)  I like how the ESV Bible footnotes this passage.  "No one should complain that God has left insufficient evidence of his existence and character; the fault is with those who reject the evidence."

You, Lord God, "infinite . . . and all powerful reached down to us."  You reached out to us that You might enjoy our fellowship.  You used the apostles and all those early prophets to pass on to us the message of Who You are. 

In the words of Schaeffer, "God has communicated to man, the infinite to the finite.  The One who made man capable of language in the first place has communicated to man in language about both spiritual reality and physical reality, about the nature of God and the nature of man."

Yes, Lord God, You walked this earth.  You died as the final and ultimate sacrifice to pay our debts.  You continually and relentlessly reach out to us.  You promise us that all that is required of us is to admit our need and ask You to forgive us and save us.

"If we[freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins.  He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action] (I John 1:9).

Yes, You were heard, seen and touched!  We need only believe.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!