2021-11-22
2 Kings 12:15 NIV
In the Old Testament, when King Joash repaired the temple, we’re told: “The money brought into the temple…was paid to the workers…They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty” (vv. 13-15 NIV). And because integrity was practiced, the nation of Israel prospered.
James Madison, one of America’s Founding Fathers and a signatory to the Constitution, wrote: “The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.” Nowadays, most surveys show that trust in our political and business leaders is at the lowest point on record. We believe they have only two things in mind: to get rich and to stay in power. And sadly, good leaders receive the same broad-brush stigma. So what should you do?
(1) Pray for those in authority. Prayer is the conduit through which God’s influence is brought to bear in any situation. If you believe that, you will pray.
(2) Vote for godly leadership. The Bible says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 KJV). Unless you vote, you forfeit your right to complain.
(3) Get personally involved. Edmund Burke is attributed with saying, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” One person, plus God, can change things. So endeavor to be that person!
Soul food: 2 Chr 25-28; John 12:20-36; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 27:10-12
2021-11-21
Proverbs 15:26 NIV
Sometimes we say to people, half in jest, “Try to be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful!” The idea being that if you decide not to be good, make sure you’re clever enough not to get caught. But in reality, our lack of goodness is no laughing matter.
In the words of Robert Fitch: “Ours is an age where ethics has become obsolete. Morality is superseded by science, deleted by philosophy, and dismissed as emotive by psychology. It drowns in compassion, evaporates in aesthetics, and retreats before relativism. The usual moral distinctions between good and bad are simply bathed in a maudlin emotion in which we feel more sympathy for the murderer than the murdered, for the adulterer than for the betrayed, and in which we have actually begun to believe that the real guilty party – the one who somehow caused it all – is the victim and not the perpetrator of the crime.”
Those are sobering thoughts. Things that were once considered black or white are now categorized as gray. Goodness that used to meet a universal standard is now a matter of personal interpretation and preference. And an epidemic of public officials whose private conduct leaves us shocked hasn’t made things any better. Right about now you may be thinking, “I read this Devotional every day to get something that will help me feel good, and today isn’t doing it.” That’s the whole point! In order to feel good, the Bible says you must practice doing good and being good, which makes you a “pleasure” to God.
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3; 2 Cor 9:15
2021-11-20
Psalm 25:8 NIV
How would you define “goodness” or “the good life?” French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau defined happiness as “a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion.” Some would say the good life is physical. They think it doesn’t get any better than a long soak in a hot tub, a back rub, and a drink at the pub. Others would say the good life is material. They think if you have the mansion, the Mercedes, and the money, you’re living the good life.
But goodness isn’t about feeling good, looking good, or having goods. It’s about being good and doing good. And just like we need a clock to tell time and a ruler to measure distance, we need a universal standard for determining goodness. And we have one. God! “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.” Without a universally accepted standard for goodness, it becomes a gray area, a matter of opinion.
Hitler thought annihilating the Jewish race was “a good thing.” Suicide bombers think killing innocent human beings “is a good thing.” And such thinking can’t be countered with a simple, “That’s not good.” What’s to keep a Hitler or a suicide bomber from saying, “That’s just your opinion”?
The word “good” stems from an old English word with the same connotation as God. It literally means “to be like God.” Goodbye is the shortened phrase “God be with ye.” So, the universal standard for goodness can only be decided by one who is universally good, and that One can only be God. Think about it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 22-24; John 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 27:7-9
2021-11-19
John 7:24 NLT
John Wesley said, “We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.” Why did Jesus say, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly”? (v. 24 NLT). Because He had experienced the pain of rejection and misunderstanding. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11 KJV).
The apostle James writes: “How can you claim to have faith in…Christ if you Favour some people over others…give special attention…to the rich…but…say to the poor…’Stand…there, or…sit on the floor’…Doesn’t this discrimination show…your judgments are guided by evil motives?…If you Favour some people over others, you are committing a sin” (James 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLT).
The story is told that when country singer Lonzo Green’s nephew Jimmy asked him to tune a friend’s guitar, he agreed. The problem was Jimmy’s friend was from the “wrong side of the tracks” and Jimmy’s parents wouldn’t allow him inside their house where Uncle Lonzo was visiting. So they decided to meet outside. As the kid approached, Green noticed his self-consciousness and sidewise glances at the upscale neighbourhood. Lonzo, who had experienced poverty and discrimination in his own life, tuned the boy’s old guitar, played a few songs, and taught him some chords. The young man thanked him and left with a warm memory he would carry throughout the rest of his remarkable life. Eventually that boy crossed the tracks for good with his guitar and soft, polite drawl and hesitant smile, and was never unwelcome again. That’s because the boy who wasn’t allowed in the house that day was – Elvis Presley!
Soul food: 2 Chr 19-21; John 12:1-11; Ps 76; Prov 27:4-6
2021-11-18
Genesis 32:31 NLT
Concerning Jacob, the Bible tells us: “A man came and wrestled with him until…dawn began to break…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ ‘What is your name?’ the man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob,’ the man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.’…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means ‘face of God’), for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face….The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping” (vv. 24-28, 30-31 NLT).
Imagine the importance of a hip bone to a farmer like Jacob. It was something he leaned on every day, and now he was weak in an area where he had prided himself on being strong. As a result, he had to depend on God as never before. God has children like Jacob who walk with a limp, and you may be one of them. Perhaps you have experienced a painful failure, and because a limp isn’t something you can hide, people notice it. God loves to use flawed people because when they become successful, they aren’t arrogant like others who think they deserve it. They’re a little warmer, a little more willing to reach out and embrace others. They understand that without God they wouldn’t have made it. When you limp spiritually, you have to depend on God more, and that’s not a liability – it’s an asset!
Soul food: 2 Chr 16-18; John 11:38-57; Ps 81; Prov 27:1-3
2021-11-17
Philippians 1:12 NLT
Shortly before he was executed, Paul wrote: “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear” (vv. 12-14 NLT). Later on, he wrote, “Always be full of joy” (Philippians 4:4 NLT). Paul had a PMA: a positive mental attitude. He couldn’t control his environment, but he chose an attitude that enabled him to overcome it.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you’re listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” (emphasis added). When you meet people, do you tell yourself they will let you down? When you face new experiences, does a voice within you tell you you’re going to fail? A man came upon a Little League baseball game one afternoon when he was walking in the park. He stopped and asked a boy in the dugout about the score. He responded, “Eighteen to nothing – we’re behind.” The man said, “I bet you’re discouraged.” The little boy replied, “Why should I be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet!”
What a difference an attitude of faith makes! The last words recorded in the Bible are these: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:21 NKJV). Have faith – God will give you the grace to handle it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
