NT: “God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us — our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption — in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:28-2:5‬ ‭CSB)

It is human nature to be drawn to people who are naturally beautiful, naturally gifted, naturally intriguing and all-together outwardly attractive. Our tendency is to elevate those people to celebrity status and follow them. God, however, does not follow the pattern of human nature. He chooses those people who are not necessarily outwardly attractive. He chooses those who are, in human terms, insignificant and possibly even despised because of their lack of natural beauty and ability. Why does He do that? God does that so that their lack can be outshined by His sufficiency, and their insignificance can be overwhelmed by His significance. God does that so that His power may be manifested in them and be fully on display to the world. In Christ, the naturally unattractive, insignificant and despised become supernaturally attractive, significant and highly valued by the power of God at work in them through the Holy Spirit. Christ and His cross is the big equalizer. All of our natural beauty and ability are valueless when it comes to worthiness and righteousness. All of us, before Christ, were in a similar state spiritually: completely bankrupt. When we placed our faith in Christ and accepted His gift of salvation, He became our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Through Christ and Christ alone, we were saved, are continually being saved, and will be saved at the end of the age. None of us has anything to boast of outside of Christ. So – why is it then, that we who are in Christ still put people in the body of Christ on pedestals?

It is also human nature to devalue something that is simple. We tend to want to dress things up and give them value – to make them more appealing to the eye. According to Paul, the gospel message is simple. It is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified… and it is that simple gospel that is the power of God unto salvation for any who believe it. That is why Paul said that he came to Corinth, not with brilliant speech and impressive philosophies, but with the simple message of the gospel. He didn’t come to Corinth touting his impressive resume, throwing out his stats, or name-dropping those who were impacted by his ministry. No – he came in weakness and the fear of the Lord. Paul wanted to make sure that what people heard was the pure and powerful gospel, and what they saw was a man completely dependent on the Lord, so that they could experience the full, un-watered-down power of God. Paul trusted in God’s simple gospel message and the power of God that was able to save people as they responded to those simple words. Unfortunately, it seems we have lost faith in the simplicity of the Gospel. We have devalued the simple message of Christ and Him crucified and have taken it upon ourselves to help the gospel with our adornments. So we dress the gospel up with pastors who wear trendy clothes, wear expensive shoes, and have impressive bench-press stats. We white-wash the message of the cross so that people aren’t offended. We adorn the gospel with mood lighting, motion graphics, and thumpin’ tunes. What is the effect of all that prettying-up? We make followers of personalities who are dependent on entertainment value instead of people who are followers of Christ that are imbued with His power. Paul said that the “show” came when the Holy Spirit powerfully demonstrated that the words of the gospel were true. I wonder if the reason we feel compelled to create a show in our gatherings is because we haven’t seen the Holy Spirit actually demonstrate any power. God desires a church whose faith is based on Christ and the power of God – not in humanity’s attractive packaging. Is there anything wrong with having a service that is excellent? No. In fact God is worthy of our excellence. But in our excellence in worship to God, we must allow our excellence to be based on His glory through us – not our attempts to become attractive and supplement the gospel we perceive as weak.

Psalms: “Lord, I call to you; my rock, do not be deaf to me. If you remain silent to me, I will be like those going down to the Pit. Listen to the sound of my pleading when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭28:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

As creative, skilled, and talented as David was, he knew and acknowledged that his rock was God. He did not seek to be independently significant, but knew that without God, he was nothing and was always fully dependent on the power and stability of the all-powerful, unshakable God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to not fall into the trap set by my human nature: to base someone’s worth on their natural abilities or attractiveness. Help me instead to trust the work of Your Holy Spirit in them and value them for the value and potential they have in You. Help me to not add to the gospel, but trust fully in its simplicity and power – and not be tempted to “help the gospel out” by overshadowing Christ and the cross by building myself up in the eyes of others. Instead, let whatever significance I have come from You and Your power at work in me and through me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭CSB)

As Paul was dealing with the development of factions in the Corinthian church –  factions built around “celebrity” leaders and competing philosophies – he landed on one central topic: the cross. By considering the cross, we realize that building a faith around a personality or philosophy is futile. But that is exactly what the Jews and the Greeks had done for ages… and that was what the Corinthian church was doing with its factions. The Jews focused their faith and hope on a personality. Over the millennia, they had developed their idea of who Messiah was to be – some sort of God-empowered super hero that was all-powerful who would bring about God’s judgement on the nations through performing miraculous signs and wonders. They believed that it was this hoped-for personality that would save them. Yet in all their study of the scriptures and hope in a coming Messiah, they completely missed God. The Greeks placed their faith in their mental capacity and ability to reason and philosophize. If they could think it, they could do it – yet in all their vast reasoning, theorizing and debating, they completely missed God. God did not allow the world to come to Him in the ways that made sense to them… He did not conform to the world’s ideas of what God should or shouldn’t do. Instead, God confounded the wisdom of the world and accomplished the impossible through the cross.

To the Jew, the cross was weakness and failure. Dying on a cross was a sure sign of a cursed life. Jesus didn’t call down fire from heaven like Elijah and smite the Roman oppressors. He died a horrible and shameful death on a cross as the Romans laughed and scoffed at Him. Jesus couldn’t possibly be the personality that the Jews sought to free them. Yet it was through Jesus’ weakness on the cross that the power of God fully conquered the powers of sin and death. To the Greeks, the cross didn’t make any sense… they couldn’t wrap their minds around the reasoning of it. Because they couldn’t begin to understand the reasoning behind the cross, they considered it foolishness. Yet it was through the foolishness of the cross that God’s unfathomable wisdom was proven, by accomplishing both complete justice and complete mercy through one completely unexpected act.

It is as we place our faith in something “foolish” that we are able to discover and know God. It is as we forsake faith in conventional human-level personality and philosophy, and embrace the wisdom of God that we are saved. And it is as we accept God’s wisdom, that we can lay aside the differences of opinions that divide us and unite together under the cross.

Psalms: “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:13-14‬ ‭CSB)

At the beginning of this passage of scripture is a word that means unless. Because of that, other translations have David writing, “I would have lost heart unless I was convinced…” When we look at situations and circumstances through our natural abilities, we can become discouraged because, in our minds, we see no way out. Our predicament seems without solution. Yet David did not allow himself to be discouraged by the way things appeared or by what his understanding was telling him. He was convinced that God would deliver him from his current circumstances, and he wouldn’t have to wait for the “sweet by and by” to experience it. So instead of forging ahead with his solution, he faithfully and expectantly waited for God’s solution. As we go through challenges, it can be easy for us to feel like God has abandoned us and grow discouraged by what we see naturally – and then forge ahead with our own efforts to solve our problem. If we are the Lord’s through faith in Christ, then He is for us – and we can trust in His wisdom that far transcends our understanding. Wait with faith and expectation on the Lord. Take courage in His wisdom, and you will see His goodness in the land of the living.

Proverbs: “When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11:2‬ ‭CSB)

The word translated here as “arrogance” is the Hebrew word zadown – which means pride, insolence, presumptuousness and arrogance. Basically it means to show disregard or disrespect for someone based on one’s over-exaggerated sense of self or ability. Someone who is arrogant is one who disrespects the wisdom of others by considering themselves to be the one with all the wisdom. Whenever we trust in our own wisdom and understanding above God’s, we slip into arrogance – and our disgrace is sure to follow. However, if we humble ourselves and openly receive the wisdom of God, we will then become truly wise.

Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to trust in what I can see, experience first-hand, and understand through my human logic and reasoning. However, You do not limit Yourself to what I can see and understand – and Your wisdom transcends any and all that I could hope to wrap my mind around. You choose to show Your greatness and glory through people and processes that completely confound our understanding. You don’t call me to trust in what I can see and understand. You call me to trust in Your word, Your will, Your ways and Your wisdom. Grace me to not impatiently solve things through my limited understanding, but to faithfully and expectantly wait on You for Your wisdom and direction. I trust that as I do that, I will experience Your goodness, and the world will experience Your glory.

NT: “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:10-11‬ ‭CSB)

One of the issues that had developed in the Corinthian church was the presence of factions in the community. It had been reported to Paul that there were rivalries in the church. The word translated here as rivalry actually means quarreling, contention and strife. The body of Christ in Corinth had divided itself into cliques, and the cliques were fighting each other. How did this happen? One cause may have been the influence of Greek philosophy. The Greeks valued philosophy, and that attitude may have crept into the church – where people were trying to one-up each other by the “truth” that they philosophically mined from the scriptures. It also appears that the people in the church were rallying behind the various spiritual leaders that had influence in the church. Some were saying they were of Apollos, while others were of Cephas… and others were of Paul… and the really spiritual ones, well they claimed to be of Christ. It was the whole, “My pastor is better than your pastor” thing. Instead of following Christ as Lord of the church, they were following their chosen messenger. Regardless the cause for the strife and division, it was wrong and not becoming the Church of God.

Paul urged them, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to be united under the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ wasn’t revealed one way to Paul, and then another way to Apollos. Christ wasn’t divided. There is one Christ, and He has been revealed to all of us, in the same way, through the word and the gospel of God. Paul called the church to be united with the same understanding and the same convictions. The word translated here as “united” is the Greek word katartizo. It means to mend what has been broken – to make something sound and complete. In other words, Paul said in order to heal their schisms, they needed to set aside their team rivalries and come under the same mind and judgement: the mind and judgement of Christ. In the church today, there are all kinds of variations: hundreds of denominations and multiplied thousands of leaders and congregations. But if our loyalty is primarily for our denomination, or our pastor, or our church; we fail to be the Church of God in Christ Jesus. The church that God has established has one Head and Lord, and He is Christ Jesus. There is one gospel, and regardless the nuances and differences of opinions we may have, we can and should be united under that one gospel message. Despite the various nuanced interpretations of the Bible, we can and should all have the mind of Christ as we humble ourselves, place our faith in Him and are filled with His Holy Spirit. Instead of seeking new philosophies and fresh teachings, we need to primarily seek Him – the Lord Jesus Christ… and in seeking Him, we will be unified.

Psalms: “Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me. My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face. Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation. Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:7-10‬ ‭CSB)

A common theme throughout scripture is that if we seek the Lord, we will find Him if we seek Him with all our heart. Though David was intelligent, creative and gifted as a leader and warrior, his confidence was not in himself. His confidence was in the Lord. As his enemies were coming against him and undoubtedly setting traps for him to fall into, David knew the only way to avoid the traps and be saved was to seek God’s face. Because he knew the Lord‘s character, David knew that if he fully sought the Lord and faithfully followed His word, he would find the Lord and God would not leave him nor abandon him to his own devices. If that was true for David, how much more is that true of us who are in Christ Jesus through faith and have been graced with the ever-present Helper of the Holy Spirit. My made-new heart tells me to seek God’s face, so it is the Lord that I will primarily seek in everything… and in seeking Him, I won’t get trapped or lost, and will be led by Him to salvation and glory.

Prayer: Lord, it is human nature to form factions and cliques that seek to create advantages over others. It is human nature to rely on my own intellect and use it to compete with others for notoriety and recognition. It is human nature to try to differentiate myself from others in order to stand out and gain attention. Yet, You do not call me to live according to human nature. You call me to live according to the divine nature that You have graced me with by faith in Christ. The way for me to navigate through all the traps of my human nature and live the glorified life You have called me to, is to seek Your face and to seek You first. You are my Lord and I belong to You – so I humble myself, deny my flesh and human nature, and seek You in everything – knowing that You will not abandon me, but will lead me in Your ways to Your wisdom and Your everlasting life.

NT: “Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother: To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord — both their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:1-9‬ ‭CSB)

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Corinth – a church that he founded. Corinth was the “sin city” of its day – an overtly pagan, humanistic, hyper-sexualized place. It was in that environment that Paul established the church. This letter was written in response to some troubling news Paul had received about this community of believers. Before Paul addressed the issues at hand, he greeted them by reminding them of who they were and who they were called to be in Christ.

First, Paul called them the church of God at Corinth. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia. Ekklesia is an assembly of people who are called out from their place of dwelling, into the public eye, for a purpose. The community of believers in Corinth were called out of the world and the Corinthian culture to fulfill God’s purposes under the gaze of the unbelieving public. Secondly, Paul called them sanctified in Christ Jesus and referred to them as saints. The word “sanctified” comes from the Greek word hagiazo and the word “saints” from the Greek word hagios. Hagiazo means to be set apart from the profane, and consecrated and dedicated to God. Hagios refers to those who are hagiazo. The believers in Corinth, because of their faith in Christ, were called (divinely selected and appointed) to be sanctified and live as saints. In order to fulfill that calling, Paul said that they were, by grace through faith, made rich in speech and all knowledge and were not lacking in any spiritual gift. In other words, through their faith in Christ, they were graced with everything they needed, and were continually ever-strengthened to live a saintly life that would testify to the truth of the gospel to the pagan, unbelieving world that watched them. If that wasn’t enough, Paul ended his greeting by reminding them that they were also called into fellowship (koinonia) with Jesus Christ. Koinonia is an intimate partnership and an all-sharing community.

The Corinthian church was not living up to their calling, so Paul reminded them of who they were called to be. As we read these words, we also should be reminded of who we are called to be as the church of God in whatever community we may live in. Church is not a social club. Church is not a norm of society. Church is not a social justice movement. Church is not a political organization. Church is a community of believers, graced by God with every spiritual gift, that has been called out of the surrounding culture to live a holy and sanctified life, by the grace of God, in the watchful eyes of the unbelieving world to accomplish God’s purposes and testify to His goodness and faithfulness. The church does that as they abide in intimate and unbroken fellowship with Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Are we, today, living up to our calling in Christ?

Psalms: “I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. For he will conceal me in his shelter in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:4-6‬ ‭CSB)

King David said that the one thing that he desired above anything else… above riches, above notoriety, above power and influence – above anything, was to be able to dwell in the presence of the Lord, gaze upon His beautiful holiness, and seek Him in everything. David knew that if he could dwell in God’s presence, the he would have everything he needed to be at peace and live the life he was called to live. In Christ through faith, David’s desire is our reality. As Paul said, we have been called by God (because of our faith in Christ) into unbroken and intimate fellowship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Through all the challenges and trials of life… through all the scary things that may happen to us… through all of the attacks and temptations from the world, our flesh, and the devil, we are able to abide in Christ as His word abides in us. And as we abide, we are graced with every spiritual gift and are ever-strengthened to live holy and sanctified lives that become signs and wonders to the watching world.

Proverbs: “The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the honorable, but destruction awaits evildoers.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:29‬ ‭CSB)

The way of the Lord, which is faith in Christ that leads to loving obedience, is a stronghold – for by following the way of the Lord, we are called to abide in Christ. For those who live on their own, outside of the ways of God, destruction (though it may be delayed for a time) is inevitable.

Prayer: Lord, You have called me to a high purpose. You haven’t just called me to live in the world and be slightly better than the world as I struggle and strive to live a good life. You haven’t called me to do “Christian things” using the same methods of the world. You have called me out, as a member of Your church, from the world to live separated from the world’s perversions and wholly dedicated to You and Your purposes. You have graced me with everything that I need as I walk in faith in You, and you have called me to unbroken intimate fellowship with You. My desire is to live according to Your calling for my life. I know that I can’t do that in my own strength, but in You – by grace through faith – as I abide in You, all things You have called me to are possible. Here I am, Lord. Accomplish Your will in and through me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles — to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ — to him be the glory forever! Amen.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭16:24-27‬ ‭CSB)

These last few verses of the book of Romans were Paul’s summarizing statement and benediction to the church of Rome. It is worth digging deeper into these words, for as we dig deeper, we will understand Paul’s purpose for writing this letter to the Roman church and ultimately for us read and apply to our lives. The “Him” that Paul refers to is God. Paul said that God is able to strengthen us. The word ‘able’ is the Greek word dynamai, from which we get the word dynamite. God is able through His dynamic power. The word ‘strengthen’ is the Greek word sterizo. It means to make stable, place firmly and establish. So God has the dynamic power to stabilize us and firmly establish us. How does God do that? He does it through the gospel – the good news – that Paul proclaimed about Jesus Christ. This gospel was once hidden in mystery for ages, but has now been fully revealed and manifested to us through the fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures of old according to God’s command.

What is this gospel message? The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died – in our place. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is the Son of God and offering the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins to anyone who repents and believes in Him. Paul said in the beginning of Romans that the gospel was the power of God for salvation to all who believe. God is powerfully able to save us and establish us. He is also willing – so willing that He gave His only Son over to a humiliating death in order to accomplish His desire for us.

Why did God do all this? Because He loves us and He desires all of us to free to advance in our faithful obedience to His word of life, His ways that lead to life, and His will that brings forth life in us. The word translated here as ‘gentiles’ is the Greek word ethnos – where we get the word ethnicity from. God desires for all people, from every tribe, language, race and ethnicity to be saved from sin unto following Him in faithful obedience to abundant and everlasting life.

God alone did all of this. It was God alone Who was wise enough to accomplish all of this through His Son Jesus Christ. None of this was done because of our worthiness, nor based on anything we have done to earn such gracious and merciful treatment. God accomplished it all through His power and His love for us – so it is unto Him, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, that we give all glory forever. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are both lovingly willing and powerfully able to save, strengthen and firmly establish me in You. I thank You that You did not require me to earn salvation and freedom from sin and death – but You gave it to me freely as I believed the good news of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished for not only me, but the entire world. Lord, because of Your unbelievable goodness and mercy to me, I offer my life to You – to walk according to Your power in me to faithfully obey Your word, will, and ways – to be a living revelation and manifestation of Your gospel message to those around me – and to give all glory to You forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words. The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭16:17-20‬ ‭CSB)

Paul spent the first 16 verses of Romans chapter 16 commending those who were kingdom-minded and who served faithfully, and brought greetings to his dear friends. However, there were some in the church who were not kingdom-minded faithful servants. Apparently, there were people in the church who, instead of striving for unity under the Lordship of Christ, were creating divisions in the church and leading people away from sound doctrine. Unfortunately, in the body of Christ, there are people who do not serve the Lord, but instead serve their own appetites. Instead of submitting to the Lordship of Christ and submitting to one another in love, they forge their own paths that align with their own desires and manipulate others to follow them on their self-made paths. Paul warned the Roman church, and he warns us, to avoid such people – for not only do they serve their own appetites; ultimately they serve the purposes of Satan. Their m.o. is the same as Satan: deceiving unsuspecting hearts with smooth talk and flattering words. Much like Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. But just as God promised to crush the head of the serpent, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet if we remain wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. Crushing doesn’t sound very peaceful – but that is how peace is made: not by appeasing the enemy, but silencing his words and his influence once and for all. As we submit to the Lord God and bring all thoughts and words under the authority of Christ, God will silence the enemy and his attempts to deceive, and will bring us peace.

Psalms: “The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — whom should I dread?” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:1‬ ‭CSB)

There were many times in King David’s life when he was in danger – when he was surrounded by his enemies – when he was hunted by those who wanted to destroy him and the promise of God that was on his life. Instead of allowing himself to be full of fear and anxiety, David strengthened himself in the Lord. Through praising God, David reminded himself of Who God was, and that built up his faith and brought him peace. If we have given our lives to the Lord in faith, opening the door for God’s light and salvation in our lives – then who could possibly bring us fear? If we make the presence of the Lord our stronghold and place of peace – then who should we dread? The way to lasting peace is to place faith in the Prince of Peace and allow the God of Peace to crush those fears under our feet suddenly.

Prayer: Lord, I know that there are forces in the world that desire to minimize me, lead me into self-reliant deception, and ultimately destroy me. Your word says that the devil is prowling like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Though that is a present reality, I do not need to be afraid. As I remain in You by faith… as I allow myself to be led by Your light… as I trust in Your salvation, You will crush the head of the enemy in my life and bring me peace. So I trust you and freshly commit my life into Your care. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

OT: “In those days Hezekiah became sick to the point of death, so he prayed to the Lord, who spoke to him and gave him a miraculous sign. However, because his heart was proud, Hezekiah didn’t respond according to the benefit that had come to him. So there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart — he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem — so the Lord’s wrath didn’t come on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.” (‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭32:24-26‬ ‭CSB)

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites… So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen. So he brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God.” (‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭33:1-2, 9-13‬ ‭CSB)

In 2 Kings 20, a more detailed description of Hezekiah’s illness is chronicled there. He grew gravely ill, and sent for Isaiah. Isaiah told him that the illness would lead to Hezekiah’s death. At that news, Hezekiah humbly prayed to the Lord and asked for mercy. Then the Lord spoke through Isaiah and said He would give Hezekiah 15 more years. As a sign to confirm that word, the Lord caused the shadow on the sundial to move backwards. Unfortunately, that display of mercy from the Lord was not enough to prevent Hezekiah from lifting up his heart – which is the fate of most people when they become successful and well known. However, unlike the kings that went before him, Hezekiah repented of his pride and God held back His wrath. When Hezekiah’s life finally came to an end, he died in honor.

Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, became king when he was twelve years old and completely rebelled against the ways of his father and the ways of the Lord. I don’t believe it was because Hezekiah failed to teach his son. I wonder if it was a combination of a bad case of adolescent rebellion and “preachers kid” syndrome. Regardless the cause, Manasseh drug the nation of Judah back into idolatry. He engaged in child sacrifice and desecrated the temple. So bad was his idolatry, that the word says it was even worse than the idolatry of the Canaanites whom God removed from the land under the leadership of Joshua. Manasseh completely ignored and rejected the warnings of the prophets, and God responded by allowing Manasseh to be captured and drug off by the Assyrians. It was there, as he was imprisoned in Babylon, that Manasseh remembered the teachings of his father. As a result, Manasseh, one of the worst kings in the history of Israel, repented and sought the favor of the Lord. Manasseh earnestly humbled himself before God, and God received his prayer and restored him.

No one is ever too far from God to receive mercy and forgiveness. Earnest and humble confession and repentance is all that is required to open the doors to forgiveness and mercy. When we place faith in Jesus Christ and repent of our sin, God is faithful to save us, remove our sin from us and make us new. Then, throughout our walk as disciples of Christ, when we stumble into sin, we simply humble ourselves, repent, and maintain our life-giving relationship with the Lord. Repentance is not something to run away from. It is a gift from God that opens the doors to a life-giving relationship with him. It opens the doors to a life of peace and joy that is free from the weight of sin and condemnation. The thing that causes us to run away from repentance is our own pride. Instead of rejecting repentance, we need to reject pride. Through our humility and the gift or repentance, we will experience the mercy, grace and blessing of God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the ability you have given me to initiate and maintain my life-giving relationship with you through earnest confession and repentance. Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, show me when I am drifting into pride and sinful thoughts and behaviors, that I may quickly confess, repent from my pride and sin, and set my gaze on You again. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “After Hezekiah’s faithful deeds, King Sennacherib of Assyria came and entered Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities and intended to break into them… He (Hezekiah) set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying, “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. He has only human strength, but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah. After this, while King Sennacherib of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying… “So now, don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!” …Then they called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city. They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands. King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven, and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated every valiant warrior, leader, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria returned in disgrace to his land. He went to the temple of his god, and there some of his own children struck him down with the sword.” (‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭32:1, 6-9, 15, 18-21‬ ‭CSB)

During the time of Hezekiah’s reign, Assyria attacked the northern kingdom of Israel and took the Israelites into captivity. 2 Kings 17 explained that the northern kingdom of Israel was defeated because they had completely rejected the Lord and gave themselves over to the worship of other gods and idols. The southern kingdom of Judah was following the same path until Hezekiah came into power and led the nation back to faithfulness in the Lord. After Hezekiah’s successful reformation of his kingdom, Assyria turned its sights on Judah. They invaded the land with the intention of overthrowing Hezekiah and taking over Judah as they had done with Israel. However, there was a big difference between Judah and Israel. Because of Hezekiah’s reforms, Judah trusted in the Lord God. Though King Sennacherib had been successful against other nations, those nations placed their faith in man-made idols. He would soon discover that Hezekiah’s God was not a mere idol, but the true and living God of creation. Sennacherib and his messengers attacked the reputation of Hezekiah and the name of the Lord. No matter how much he tried to turn Judah against Hezekiah or to get Hezekiah to surrender in fear, they wouldn’t budge. Was Hezekiah afraid? If you read this account in 2 Kings, you will find that he was afraid – but he laid those fears before the Lord and trusted Him for vindication. As Hezekiah and Judah retained their integrity and their faith in the Lord, the Lord brought vindication and Sennacherib was humiliated and defeated.

Psalms: “Vindicate me, Lord, because I have lived with integrity and have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth. I do not sit with the worthless or associate with hypocrites. I hate a crowd of evildoers, and I do not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, Lord, raising my voice in thanksgiving and telling about your wondrous works. Lord, I love the house where you dwell, the place where your glory resides.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭26:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

The idea behind the word vindicate is to pass judgement – to defend a cause and punish the guilty. King David was a man who wholeheartedly pursued God’s will and ways. His trust in the Lord was unwavering. But apparently, there were some in his kingdom who were bringing charges against him and attempting to smear his name. David wasn’t perfect, and there were times when he fell into sin – but he was quick to repent and maintain his relationship with the Lord, and the sum total of his life was marked with faithfulness to God. David claimed to be integrous – his thoughts and actions were unto the Lord – and he asked the Lord to test him, examine him, and ultimately vindicate him. This is why integrity is so important. This is why our integrity is such a big deal to God. This is how our integrity before the Lord will protect us and preserve us. The Apostle James wrote that a double-minded person is unstable in all his ways. That infers that a person of integrity – a person who is steadfast in their faith and devotion to the Lord, is grounded, stable and immovable. When we maintain integrity with the Lord and retain our faith in Him no matter what comes our way, the Lord will defend us, vindicate us, and turn our trials into blessing.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that as I remain faithful to You and do not allow myself to give in to fear or anxiety, You defend me, vindicate me, and turn my trials into blessing. I thank You that You have sent your Holy Spirit to walk beside me and abide within me – to remind me of Your word, will and ways when life becomes challenging, to lead me on Your paths of righteousness, and to empower me unto integrity. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit that I may walk in faithfulness to You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

OT: “Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God. He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.” (‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭31:20-21‬ ‭CSB)

2 Chronicles 29-31 detailed the reforms of King Hezekiah. His father, King Ahaz, was completely godless and led the entire nation of Judah into idolatry. Hezekiah became king at the age of 25 and from day one, began leading Judah and Israel through a time of restoration, reformation and revival. He reopened and cleansed the temple, he restored the worship of God, he reinstated the Passover feast, led the people of Judah and regions of Israel to remove all forms of idol worship, and recommissioned the Levites and Priests of God. These last two verses at the end of chapter 31 summarize everything that Hezekiah did by saying that he did everything with diligence and uprightness, paying special attention to Lord’s commands, in order to seek God: in order that Hezekiah could seek God and that the nation he led could seek God. Integrity is defined as firm adherence to a code of moral values and the state of being complete or undivided. That word describes Hezekiah. He held firm to the Lord’s values and was undivided in his desire to honor and seek his God. Because of Hezekiah’s integrity, God prospered him in everything that he did.

NT: “Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:17-20‬ ‭CSB)

The Apostle Paul was also a man of integrity. He would not allow himself to boast in any of his accomplishments, but would only boast in what Christ accomplished through him. He did not take credit for any of the powerful signs, wonders and miracles that were performed through Him, and made sure that all the glory from his ministry went to the Lord. Paul was an accomplished man in his own right, but he would later say that all those accomplishments were garbage compared to the glory that God worked in him and through him through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result of his integrity, he was able to fully proclaim the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyrium (a Roman province northwest of Greece), and was looking for more places to preach where the gospel had not yet been proclaimed and Christ was not yet known. Because of Paul’s integrity and his unwavering faith in Christ, God prospered him in everything that he did.

Psalms: “Guard me and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and what is right watch over me, for I wait for you.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:20-21‬ ‭CSB)

A repetitive theme throughout Psalm 25 was that David did not want to be disgraced. For if he was disgraced, he would risk bringing disgrace on the name of the Lord God. So throughout the psalm, David committed his trust to the Lord. He asked the Lord to lead him and teach him and to forgive him of any sins he may have committed. David said that in order to stay above reproach, he would ever keep his eyes on the Lord and be undivided in his pursuit of the Lord’s will and ways. To summarize his prayer, he said, “May integrity and what is right watch over (guard, preserve) me, for I wait for You.” Integrity protects us from disgrace – and Biblical integrity begins with a fear of the Lord, a firm adherence to His word and an undivided pursuit of His will and ways.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to be a person of integrity. I desire to be a person that you are able to prosper and do exploits through – not for my own recognition, but for Your glory and fame. As I place my faith fully on You, work in me to will and do Your good pleasure as Your Holy Spirit leads me and empowers me to walk in integrity.

NT: “Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God… Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:5-7, 13‬ ‭CSB)

In chapter 17 of the Gospel of John (known as Jesus’ priestly prayer), Jesus prayed for all those who would come to believe in Him.  He prayed, “May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” (‭‭John‬ ‭17:21-23‬ ‭CSB) The church, the body of Christ, is called to live in harmony and unity with one another under the lordship and headship of Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ’s lordship, that is not possible, but if we all humble ourselves and submit to Christ’s lordship, He will share the glory that the Father had given Him with us. He will give us His endurance and His encouragement. That word endurance means steadfastness, constancy, patience and perseverance. The same steadfastness, patience and longsuffering that Jesus shows us, he will give us that we may show it to our brothers and sisters in Christ… even those brothers and sisters that naturally get on our nerves and offend our flesh. The word encouragement is the same word that is used to describe the Holy Spirit: paraklesis. Not only will the Lord share his endurance with us, but He will also, through the Holy Spirit, come along side us to exhort, encourage, console, comfort and instruct us as we follow His lead. Unity and harmony among the church is possible in Christ – and as we walk in unity, harmony and genuine love for one another, it will glorify God and testify to the veracity of who Jesus is – unto the hope, peace and joy that is in us, overflowing to those around us as they place faith in Christ.

Psalms: “The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way. He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees. Lord, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense. Who is this person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose. He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he will pull my feet out of the net.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:8-15‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord is good and righteous in all His ways. He is definitely worthy of our trust and our dependence. If He says that He will grace us as we trust Him, then He will truly grace us. If He says that He will come along side those who humble themselves before Him, then He will do exactly what He has promised. When we place our trust in the Lord and honor Him in the way that He deserves – when we lay aside our ways to follow Him in His ways, then He is faithful to lead the humble in what is right and teach them His way. Not only that, the Lord treats those who trust and honor Him as intimate friends, showing them His secrets and revealing to them the mysteries of His covenant. The Lord desires to glorify us with a good life and a rich inheritance, and He faithfully does that as we depend on Him in humility and trust Him completely. As we are glorified through His grace, He is glorified as the world witnesses His grace at work in us. That truth definitely encourages me.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that as you call me to live a level of life that I am not able to live on my own, You do not leave me to struggle and strive to live up to Your calling and expectations. As I humble myself, place my faith fully in You, trust You completely and follow You as my Lord, You will grace me with Your glory and encourage me with Your very presence by the Holy Spirit. I know that You are good and altogether righteous, so I do trust You… I humble myself before You and ask that You will grace me to love and live in unity with all who are in Christ – that You may be glorified and draw people to Yourself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.