Devotions

Sunday after Sunday, you hear the Word preached, and maybe you leave, thinking, “One more thing to check off the list; I’ve got to do this now.” Now if you come to church all 52 Sundays of the year, are you going to get 52 new things every year that you’ve got to do?

Some of you have been coming to church for 10 years or more. That’s over 500 things you’d better be doing, and you’d better be doing them right!  You’d better be doing them well, or the pastor will preach on them again. Next time, he’ll preach harder and get madder at you too. Who wants to go to a church like that? Who wants to live faith like that?

It’s enough to make someone think, “Isn’t there something that’s beyond a pastor or a friend constantly saying, ‘Don’t do that, and start doing this. Do a little less of that. Start doing a bit more of that. Here’s the rules. Here are more regulations.’”

When we read scripture, it’s not divided into the Old Testament’s law and the New Testament’s gospel. Within scripture from Genesis to Revelation there is both law and gospel. The call of a Christian’s life as we are reading the Word of the Lord is for us to ask the Holy Spirit to give us discernment. Is what we’re reading the law, or is it the gospel?

The law is good. Did you know that? The Bible says that the law is good. There is a place in the New Testament Covenant with God for the law to function in our life.

So what is the law? It is the command of God. ‘You should do this.’

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with this sense of ‘It’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible,’ and then Jesus comes along and says good! You are finally coming into a revelation of your own inability, your own brokenness, your own lack of self-ability, your own lack of righteousness that could accomplish any of these good things that the law calls us to do!

Peace and authority in our Christian walk will not come from committing ourselves to obey and keep the law; it is committing ourselves to Jesus Christ, and that commitment causes his power to work righteousness in our hearts.

Managing your emotions in a healthy way is continual work. We must always be learning how to not suppress or deny our emotions but also to not let them dominate or define us. In your next dispute, I encourage you to commit to keeping either of these two resolutions:

• • I will no longer be a skunk! When the skunk isn't happy, she lets it be known. She sprays all around herself, leaving a repulsive odor that permeates everything and lasts for a long time to make sure the whole world is well aware of her mood. I would like to tell you gently but firmly that some members of your family have seen you act like this.

Learn to speak the truth with love; be aware of your reactions, behaviors and attitudes during conflicts. Choose to say, "We will no longer be impulsive children who overreact. Instead, we will learn to speak the truth with love in order to grow and look more like Christ. “

• • I will no longer be a turtle! At the slightest sign of danger, the turtle hides its head in its shell and locks himself up inside. “Finished! Good night! End of the ‘non-discussion.’”

I would like to tell you gently but firmly that by fleeing the conflict, by not having the courage to speak, you emotionally distance yourself from those around you, driving a wedge between you and them. I encourage you to realize that God has not given us a spirit of timidity but strength to learn to speak the truth with love. Scripture says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV).

Today, this week, and throughout the year, I and my house will learn by the grace of God, to speak the truth with love. We will no longer be babies. We will no longer be skunks or turtles. We will let God help us express ourselves, forgive one another, release our dispute, seek peace with righteousness and regularity, courage and compassion, in order to grow and more closely resemble Christ. Amen!

^{Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.}

Some believers can tell you all about their spiritual growth, and you can clearly see the changes in their lives. They testify to you about how the Holy Ghost has vanquished the enemy for them, and you rejoice with them in their victory.

Yet these kinds of Christians are the exception. Most believers are totally unaware of any spiritual progress in their lives. They pray, read the Bible and seek the Lord with all their hearts. There’s no obstruction to spiritual growth in them, but they can’t discern any growth in themselves. I’m an example of this type of believer. I know I walk in the righteousness of Christ, yet I never sense that I’m making progress. In fact, I occasionally get down on myself whenever I do or say something un-Christlike. I wonder, “I’ve been a Christian for years. Why don’t I ever learn?”

I think the Thessalonian Christians were stunned when they heard Paul’s glowing assessment of them. “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other” (2 Thessalonians 1:3, NKJV).

Rest assured that if you have the fear of God in your heart, you’re going to emerge from your life’s storms much stronger. When you’re doing battle with the enemy, you’re calling forth all the grace and power of God. Even though you may feel weakened, that grace and power are strengthening you. For one, you’re becoming more urgent in your praying. Second, you’re being stripped of all pride. The storm is actually putting you on “spiritual guard” in every area of your life!

Paul knew that spiritual growth is often a secret, hidden thing. Scripture likens it to the unseen growth of flowers and trees. “I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon” (Hosea 14:5-6).

God is telling us, “Go to the lilies! Just try to watch them grow. I’m telling you by day’s end you won’t see any growth whatsoever. But know this; I water the lily every morning with the dew I send, and it’s going to grow.” The same is true of most spiritual growth, especially in the middle of trials. It’s imperceptible to the human eye.

Take heart, friend; I’ve got good news for you. You are growing in your struggle. In fact, you may be growing by leaps and bounds because of your struggle.

Anyone can keep his joy when he’s riding high in the Holy Ghost, not being tried or tempted. God wants us to keep ourselves in his love at all times, especially in our temptations.

The apostle John tells us very simply how we can keep ourselves in God’s love: “we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16, NKJV). The word ‘dwell’ here means “to stay in a state of expectancy.” In other words, God wants us to expect his love to be renewed in us every day. We’re to live every day in the knowledge that God has always loved us and will always love us.

In reality, most of us flit in and out of God’s love according to our emotional ups and downs. We feel safe in his love only if we’ve done well, but we’re unsure of his love whenever we’re tempted or have failed him. That’s especially the time we’re to trust in his love.

Jeremiah 31 offers a wonderful illustration of God’s love. Israel was in a backslidden state. The people had grown fat and prosperous and were indulging in all kinds of wickedness. Suddenly, their lusts turned sour. They lost all pleasure in fulfilling their sensual appetites. Israel cried out, “You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained bull; restore me, and I will return, for you are the Lord my God. Surely, after my turning, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth” (Jeremiah 31:18-19).

Listen to God’s response to Israel. “…’For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:20).

God was telling his people, “I had to chasten you and speak hard words of truth to you. Even then you sinned against me, doing so despite the grace and mercy that I extended to you. You turned against my love, rejecting me. Nevertheless, my heart of compassion was moved deeply toward you. I remembered you in your struggle, and I will surely have mercy on you. I’ll freely forgive and restore you.”

One thing that can keep us going in the coming hard times is an understanding of God’s glory. Now, this may sound like a lofty concept best left to theologians, but I’m convinced the subject of God’s glory has very real value for every true believer. By grasping it, we unlock the door to an overcoming life.

The glory of God is a revelation of our Lord’s nature and being. You may recall from the Old Testament that Moses got a literal glimpse of God’s glory. Before then, the Lord had sent out Moses with no explanation of himself other than the words, “I AM.” Moses wanted to know something more of God, so he pleaded with him, “Lord, show me your glory.”

God responded by taking Moses aside and putting him in the cleft of a rock. Scripture says that he revealed himself to Moses in all his glory (see Exodus 34:6–7).

I believe this passage is essential to our understanding of who our Lord is. The revelation of God’s glory has powerful effects on those who receive it and pray for an understanding of it. Up to this point, Moses had viewed the Lord as a God of law and wrath. He trembled with terror in the Lord’s presence, petitioning him, crying out to him, pleading with him on behalf of Israel. This had been the basis of his face-to-face relationship with the Lord.

At the first sight of God’s glory, Moses was moved to worship. “Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped” (Exodus 34:8, NKJV). Do you see the incredible truth scripture is showing us here? True worship arises from hearts that are overcome by a vision of God. It’s based on the revelation that God gives us of himself, his goodness, his mercy, his readiness to forgive. If we’re to praise God both in spirit and in truth, our worship must be based on this awesome truth about him.

Once we receive a revelation of God’s glory, our worship can’t help but change. Why? Seeing his glory changes the way we live! It affects our countenance and behavior, changing us from “glory to glory,” making us more like him. Each new revelation of his love and mercy brings supernatural change.