Devotions

As followers of Christ, we must be careful not to fall into a favorite trap of Satan: becoming entangled in the volatile cultural and political mindset that is rife in our world. As Satan makes the world more furious at Christians, he is trying to make us angry and retaliatory. In other words, he wants to replace our deep peace in Jesus with contentiousness, causing us to resist the assaults of persecution rather than enduring them for the sake of the gospel.

The church is not involved in a chess match with the secular world, moving pieces strategically with one goal in mind: winning the culture war. But if we are not careful, we can get caught up in “the game” and be drained of all the salt and light Christ has given us to accomplish his purposes here on earth.

This cultural fight is nothing new. Think of the horrific genocide that took place in Israel when Jesus was born. “A cry was heard in Ramah . . . weeping and great mourning” (Matthew 2:18). Jesus grew up in a culture where there were no boys his age because they had all been slaughtered. He could have grown up with vengeance on his mind, thinking, “Herod will pay for what he did to all my Jewish brothers. One day I’ll bring him down!”

Instead, when Jesus was a young man of thirty, he set about proclaiming good news, healing the sick, performing miracles, even raising the dead. In short, he was about his Father’s business. He kept his focus! Even when the Pharisees told him that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him (see Luke 13:31), he told them to let the king know he was going to continue what he was doing. He knew Herod was a menace but he would not be distracted to do battle with him because he was intent on fulfilling his purpose to set every captive free! 

A life of love is the only way to “please [God] in every way” (Colossians 1:10). Since God is an emotional being, he experiences joy and sadness just as we do. Our daily words and deeds can cause him displeasure or move him to rejoice over us with singing. What an amazing thought! Today you and I can please the God of the universe. Although he is beyond comprehension, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, his heart can still be touched by our loving actions, even in commonplace activities. What else but love could please a God of love?

Love is always the bottom line. That is why the Bible declares: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Even though the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham was the circumcision of all baby boys, a new day has dawned and a better covenant has been established. Circumcision, race, talent, money, fame, education, or anything else we highly treasure becomes irrelevant when compared with love. A loving person, or better yet, a church full of loving people, has tremendous power to influence people for God.

An elderly couple from a southern state once visited our church, and after the service they visited with me in my office. The man became very emotional as he said, “Pastor, we have never before worshiped with black or Latino people, never once in our lives. But when you directed folks to greet one another, all kinds of men I’ve never met hugged me as if I were their brother.” Tears filled his eyes as he continued, “I felt more love this morning from strangers than I’ve ever experienced in thirty years in my home church.” 

What a blessing! He didn’t mention my sermon or how the choir sang. What touched his heart and opened his eyes was God’s love flowing! 

Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.

From the very foundations of the earth, God foresaw a body of believers joined to his Son. Jesus testifies, “I was my Father’s daily delight, the joy of his being. And now all who turn to me in faith are his delight as well” (see these prophetic words of Christ in Proverbs 8:30-31).   

How do we show our love for Jesus? John answers: “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

And what are his commandments? Jesus says, in essence, there are two: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40).

The first and most important commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. We are to hold back nothing from him. And the second is that we love our neighbor as ourselves. These two simple commands sum up all of God’s law.

Jesus is actually saying here that we cannot walk in God’s glory if we bear a grudge against anyone. Therefore, loving God means loving every brother and sister in the same way we have been loved by the Father.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21). “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (verse 8).

We can praise God with upraised arms, pray to him every day, and spend hours studying his Word, but if we are bitter and unforgiving toward anyone, it is all in vain.

If you are in such a state, tell God you are sorry. But take an added step and be reconciled with that person so you can enjoy true intimacy with the Father. 

Our earthly affections fluctuate, sometimes daily, going from hot and zealous to lukewarm or even cold as our emotions change. Like the disciples, we can be ready to die for Jesus one day and then be ready to forsake him and run the next. We can tell the Lord we trust him to supply all our needs and yet entertain doubt and fear when our circumstances change.

God’s love for us remains unchanged. His Word says, “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). And in James 1:17: “Every perfect gift . . . comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

When we are in true communion with the Father, we not only receive his love but we love him back. This is mutual affection: both giving and receiving love. The Bible tells us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). He also tells us, “My son, give me your heart” (Proverbs 23:26). His own perfect love demands that we reciprocate, returning to him a love that is total, undivided.

The Lord tells us in no uncertain terms: “You can’t earn my love. The love I give to you is unmerited.” John writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). “We love Him because He first loved us” (verse 19).

God reached down into the wilderness of our lives, showed us our lostness, and made us miserable in our sin. He sent us his Word to show us truth, sent his Spirit to convict us, and then came after us himself. Because of this, when we accept him into our lives and stay in communion with him, we can walk in security and stability, never wavering. 

Many Christians talk about intimacy with the Lord, about walking with him, knowing him, having fellowship with him. But we cannot have true communion with God unless we receive into our hearts the full revelation of his love, grace and mercy.

Communion with God consists of two things: receiving the love of the Father and loving him in return. Being secure in his love is the first step. You can spend hours each day in prayer telling the Lord how much you love him, but if you have not received his love, you have not had communion with him.

The psalmist encourages us: “Enter into [God’s] gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4). He goes on to show us the kind of God we are to come to: “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations” (verse 5).

Too many have the impression of God as a demanding figure with an angry countenance just waiting for us to fail so he can say, “I caught you!” But our heavenly Father has revealed himself as kind, tenderhearted, full of grace and mercy, anxious to lift all our cares and burdens.

The prophet Zephaniah writes about God’s incredible love to us: “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (3:17).

You can come into his courts with praise and thanksgiving because you are so thankful for who God is. In spite of all your weaknesses and failures, your heavenly Father cares about everything you are going through.

Do not live in fear and despair, with little or no hope. Ask the Lord to help you grasp the truth of his love for you and lay hold of that love by faith.