Good Words for Today
A Sunday school teacher finished her lesson on forgiveness and decided to review it with the children in her class. “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can be forgiven of sin?” After an uncomfortable silence, one child volunteered an answer; “We have to sin.” I’m sure we’ve all fulfilled that requirement—I know I have. And precisely to the extent that I see my own sin will I be willing to forgive the sins of others.
"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake." From the hymn "How Firm a Foundation," 1787.
Salvation is either a free gift or it's not a gift at all. If you could earn it, you wouldn't need it.
"First take the log out of your own eye" (Matthew 7:5). Christian love is not blind. God never says, “Ignore the faults of others.” But He does say, “Take care of your own faults first.” Look in the mirror! Ask God to show you your sins. The familiar words of Psalm 139:23-24 come to mind: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” If we would pray that way and mean it, we would do a lot more confessing and a lot less judging.
I am more like my enemies than I care to admit. Until I see that, I will never forgive them and I certainly won't love them.
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord” (Psalm 130:1). We will never fix ourselves because we lack the inner resources to solve our own problems. That flies in the face of the self-help gurus who say the answer is within us. The Bible says the opposite is true: The problem is within us. The answer lies outside of us. As long as you think you can solve your own problems, you can only get worse. When you finally say, “Lord, please help me. I can’t do it on my own,” then you’re a good candidate for salvation.
Sinners need salvation, not reformation. They need forgiveness, not lectures on morality. They need a new life, not a new leaf.
"The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). The word “lost” has almost gone out of style in Christian circles. We talk of being estranged from God, of being confused about our purpose in life, and about needing a new beginning. All of that is true, but it is hard to improve on the simple Bible word “lost.” Search the pages of God’s book from cover to cover. Read everything from Adam’s great sin in Genesis to the final great battle in Revelation. Then pick up the morning newspaper and see if you don’t agree with Jesus. Men and women are lost without God. Until we grasp that truth, we can never be saved. The gospel is good news because the bad news is so bad. Once we see our true condition, then we will understand that Jesus is the Savior we need.
Years ago I read about a Chinese prayer that goes this way: “O Lord, change the world. Begin, I pray thee, with me.” That's where we always must begin. If you want to see the world changed, the place to begin is in your own heart. Let revival begin there and there is no telling where it will end.
"He is the greatest Master I have ever known. If there is anyone greater, I do not know him. Jesus Christ is the only Master supremely worth serving. He is the only ideal that never loses its inspiration. He is the only friend whose friendship meets every demand. He is the only Savior who can save us to the uttermost. We go forth in His name, in His power, and in His Spirit, to serve Him." David Livingstone
Somewhere I read about a missionary who returned home after a lifetime difficult spent serving Christ in a faraway land. He was old and worn down from many years of toil. When someone asked if he regretted how he had spent his life, he said, "Oh no. I settled that long ago." Then he told this story. As a young man, he had struggled mightily with surrendering his life to God. He told God he would serve him but only if certain conditions were met. But that gave him no peace of heart. Finally after many days spent wrestling with the Lord, he finally came to a point of full surrender. Taking a blank sheet of paper, he signed his name on the bottom and said, "Lord, you fill in the details." Everything else in his life flowed from that commitment. Many of us are unhappy because we're trying to bargain with God. When will he learn that he doesn't make deals? We would all be happier if we simply signed on the bottom line and said, "Lord, you fill in the details."
When people ask about the “secret” of knowing God’s will, I tell them it begins in the morning when you say, “Lord, let me take the next step with you today."
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). Here is the true goal of all ministry: To help others become like Christ. John Calvin remarked that “if ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, not themselves, in their hearers.” We must labor to form Christ in our hearers, not an image of ourselves. It doesn’t matter if a pastor is known as a wonderful preacher so long as the people go away knowing that Christ is a wonderful Savior.
"Pray for one another" (James 5:16). Prayer bridges the gap between people. Through prayer miracles of reconciliation happen. Prayer overcomes the misunderstanding that separates us. Prayer leaps across the bad memories that pull us apart. Prayer nullifies the estrangement that keeps us from speaking. There can be bitterness and anger between you, even years of alienation. But that doesn’t matter when you pray because prayer bridges the gap between you and those you love. Your heart can touch their heart by the simple act of praying. What starts in your heart goes first to the Father’s heart, and purified by the sunlight of his love, your prayer falls like an arrow in the heart of the one you love. Prayer can do that! It enables you to touch people who won't speak to you. Pray, pray, and keep on praying. You never know what God will do.
Sovereign Lord, we do not pray to be cast into a den of lions, but we ask for the courage to go there if that be your will for us. Deliver us from fear of tomorrow so we can serve you with joy today. Amen.
"Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3). Sometimes I talk with believers who complain about the difficulty of being a Christian in a secular environment. And sometimes they relate stories of how they suffer ridicule and humiliation because of their faith. Certainly I do not doubt the truth of what they say. But at some point we have to say to each other: Stop complaining. Stop playing the victim card. Stop talking about how hard you have it. Working in a high-rise office building isn’t like working at a church camp. So be it. We have to face the fact that not everyone shares our faith, and then we have to go on from there. You can live for Christ on the job, in your office, in your classroom, or in your neighborhood. There is always a way to compromise for those who want to compromise. And there is always a way to obey God for those who want to obey God.
Written by Welsh preacher William Williams in 1745, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" has become a favorite of Christians around the world. Williams combined images of the wilderness wanderings of the Jews to evoke a sense of God's guidance through the trials of life. The God who provided for his people in the desert is the same God who provides for us today: "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more." Here's a version of this great hymn sung by a vast congregation at Royal Albert Hall in London:
“What God says is best, is best, though all the men in the world are against it.” John Newton
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” St. Basil of Caesarea, AD 330
"Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’ve come." When Robert Robinson wrote those words in 1748, he could be reasonably confident that most of people would know what he was talking about. But when we sing those words today, as the second verse of "Come, Thou Fount," we generally have no idea what they mean. The word Ebenezer in the hymn has nothing to do with Ebenezer Scrooge, which is probably the only other time we see it. Ebenezer literally means "stone of help" and refers to a monument the Jews raised after a great victory over the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7. The monument served as a public reminder of God's deliverance in the time of trouble. To "raise an Ebenezer" means to publicly recall the blessings of God, to give the Lord credit for what he has done for you. I can't think of a better day to "raise an Ebenezer" than New Year's Day. Has God been good to you? Raise an Ebenezer! Has God delivered you from trouble? Raise an Ebenezer! Has God helped you survive a crisis? Raise an Ebenezer! The next line of the hymn reminds us that we will need God just as much in the coming year as we did in the last year: "And I hope, by thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home." We will never make it without the Lord, but with him above us, beneath us, in front of us, and behind us, we can face whatever comes in 2017. Start the year right by remembering what God has done for you. If you do that, you will have many more reasons to "raise an Ebenezer" one year from now. To help get you started, here's a newer version of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Page CXVI:
God is not worried about 2017. Why are you worried? Do you know something God doesn't? Didn't think so. Sleep well tonight.
"I think unlovely orthodoxy, unbeautiful Christianity is a tragedy. We have pugilistic Christians; we have acrobatic Christians; we have athletic Christians; we have big-domed, learned Christians. We have all kinds of Christians, but where are the beautiful ones, those who shine with inner beauty? I am looking for them, and I pray that God will send us a revival, not of noise and nonsense, but of beauty with God dwelling in us.” A. W. Tozer
"When I reach the end of my days, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense." James Dobson
"He knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). Life is a journey with many twists and turns. As I approach my 65th birthday next year, I find that I believe in the sovereignty of God more than ever before. I have what I have because God has willed me to have it. I live where I live because God has willed me to live here. I was born in Tennessee, raised in Alabama, met my wife in Chattanooga, and we now live in Dallas--all of it by the hand of God. We have three sons, three daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren because God has willed it so. Even my problems (which aren’t many) are apportioned to me by the hand of a loving God. I am what I am and who I am and where I am by the sovereign grace of God. That means there is no such thing as luck or fate or chance. I heard about a little girl who, when asked what she had learned in Sunday School, said that she had learned that “God never says ‘Oops!’” That’s comforting because we live in a world where mistakes are made all the time, often by well-meaning people. As we wind up 2016, let's say what Job said as we look to the future: "He knows the way that I take." Be of good cheer. We can trust God with all our tomorrows because nothing that surprises us ever surprises him.
"There is an hour in God’s time when Christ will return to this world. The Bible is clear in declaring that Christ will return. God has not forgotten the world, and from the burning embers of a smoldering civilization, God will shape and form a Kingdom in which Christ will be King. Thus Christ will at long last have taken his rightful place to rule this earth." Billy Graham
"Walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16). The text does not say "fly in the Spirit" or "run in the Spirit." It doesn't even say "jog in the Spirit." It says to walk. What is walking? It's a series of small steps in the same direction over a long period of time. Walking isn't as exciting as running, but it will get you from where you are to where you need to be. That’s why walking is the perfect picture of the Christian life. It describes the ordinary action of ordinary people in their ordinary routine. Just walk, walk, and keep on walking, and you will end up exactly where you need to be. Do not despair about your spiritual progress. Some days we "fly" and some days we "run," but most days we walk. Walking days are good days if we are walking with God. Don't give up. Just keep on walking. God's plan works. If we take small steps in the right direction, the Lord will see to it that we end up in the right place. Keep walking!
Lord Jesus, thank you for moving into our neighborhood. If you had stayed in heaven, we would never have met you. You are welcome in my heart and my home today! Amen
Martin Luther wrote many hymns, most notably "A Mighty Fortress." His best-known Christmas carol is "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come." Luther originally wrote it for his family's Christmas Eve devotions in 1531. The version printed in the Lutheran Hymnal contains 15 stanzas. Here are two from the middle of the song: Ah, Lord, who hast created all, How weak art Thou, how poor and small, That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed Where humble cattle lately fed! Were earth a thousand times as fair, Beset with gold and jewels rare, It yet were far too poor to be A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee. This stanza seems like a fitting Christmas Eve prayer: Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, make now a bed, soft, undefiled within my heart, a quiet place, a holy chamber for Your grace.
Here is the good news of Christmas: God has done it all. God wrapped up his Son in swaddling clothes and said to the whole world, “This is my Christmas gift to you.”
The world believes "God helps those who help themselves." Christmas proves the opposite. He helps those who admit they can't do it on their own.
“If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.” (Psalm 130:3-4). I love that phrase–“But with you there is forgiveness.” God makes a habit of forgiving sin. He does not delight in punishing our sin. He looks for chances to forgive us because forgiveness is in his nature. That’s a huge insight because it touches how you see God. He is eager to forgive. He is ready to forgive. He wants to forgive you. God is in the pardoning business, and he pardons abundantly. The familiar line from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" says, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." We hope we can be forgiven, but we fear our sins are too great, that we have failed too many times, that we have blown our best opportunity to be right with God. If Christmas means anything, it means that a Savior has been born who will save us from our sins. God is in the forgiving business, and he proved it by sending his Son to the earth 2000 years ago.
Christmas is only a few days away. It strikes me that we have a wonderful opportunity to set our hearts right. Christmas is not about snow and candy canes and stockings by the chimney. Christmas is about transcendent truth; God has at last visited his people. All the rest is window dressing. Good news! The Visitor from heaven is here at last. Will you drop everything and welcome him into your heart? Or are you too busy this year to be bothered with Jesus?
If you ever visit the Holy Land, one of the sites you will visit is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church was built over the reputed spot where Mary gave birth to Jesus. To get inside, you first walk across a broad plaza and then come to a very small entrance. In fact, it's so small you have to duck down low to get inside. The entrance is deliberately made low because several centuries ago the local big shots liked to ride their horses right into the sanctuary. The priests felt that was inappropriate so they lowered the entrance to force the great men to dismount before entering the church. The same is true of salvation. If you want to go to heaven, you've got to get off your high horse. Until you do, you'll never be saved.
My God, grant that I might not be so busy that I miss the joy of Christmas. Open my heart so that I might believe all over again. Amen.
Many of us approach the holidays burdened with care. There are career questions, health issues, family problems, financial difficulties, and a host of unfulfilled dreams. We worry because we don't feel equal to the challenges we face. Christmas reminds us that God is God and we’re not. He can arrange for a virgin to become pregnant. He can cause a Roman ruler to order a census at precisely the right moment in history. He can ensure that the baby will be born at exactly the place prophesied 700 years earlier. He can bring together angels, shepherds and Wise Men to celebrate that miraculous birth. And he can take a tiny baby born in a stable and make him the Savior of the world. Now if God can do all that, what are you so worried about?
"He has brought down the mighty from their throne and exalted those of humble estate" (Luke 1:52). There are many right ways to celebrate Christmas, and only one completely wrong way. We miss Christmas completely when we think it is about us. Christmas is about what God has done for us that we could never do for ourselves. Grace always comes down. Pride always goes up. The lower you go, the closer you come to Bethlehem. When we finally go low enough to kneel before the manger, then the "dear Christ enters in."
Holy Lord, thank you that your shoulders are strong enough to carry all my burdens today. Amen.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:2). Christmas is not about self-improvement. It's about walking out of the darkness into the light. That's why the angel said, "I bring you good news of great joy." "Try harder" is good advice. "I am the light of the world" is good news. The world doesn't need more good advice. It desperately needs the good news that a Savior has been born.
"Prince of Peace, control my will; Bid this struggling heart be still; Bid my fears and doubtings cease, Hush my spirit into peace." Mary Barber
No question plagues the mind more than this: "If God loves me, how can he allow this to happen?" In moments of great anguish we are prone to think that God has forgotten us. But it is not so. Does God still love you when your marriage breaks up? Does God still love you when your career takes a wrong turn? Does God still love you when you end up in jail? Does God still love you when your wife has an affair? Does God still love you when the doctor says, "I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do"? If you are a parent, you already know the answer. Do you still love your children when they get into trouble? Do you love your daughter when she lies in bed writhing in pain? Do you love your son when he loses his job? Every Mom and Dad knows the answer. Of course you do. If possible, you love your children even more when they are in trouble. Let Paul ask and answer this question: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:35,37). When we struggle, we may doubt many things, but let us rest on this great truth: The God who loved us enough to send us his Son will not forsake us now.