So … life’s busy. Pressures to the left, problems to the right … here they come and you’re stuck in the middle. You’re tired. You try navigating your way out of them, but nothing seems to work. Now what? Back in 1819, the American merchant ship Commerce was wrecked off the coast of the Western Sahara, leaving Captain James Riley and his crew stranded in a harsh desert. It was a desperate life-and-death situation. Riley was determined to navigate his way to safety but to no avail. The desert was harsh. They had nothing. So with no hope of survival, Riley made the difficult decision to give up on traditional navigation, instead surrendering to local tribes hoping they’d lead him to survival. That decision saved him and his crew. They eventually made it back home. When life gets beyond you, when your ability to navigate, to discern, to live right from wrong is dashed, it’s time to try something different. Ephesians 5:1-2 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV) Look to God. Look to this Jesus who died for you, who rose again for you. Know that you are loved as a dear child of God and follow His example. That’s the direction you should be headed. That’s the way out of this wilderness. Trust Him, set your sights on Him, and live a life of love. Because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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The Opposite of Evil
The problem with bad habits is that they’re so incredibly difficult to shake. We know they’re wrong, but it’s as though they’re engraved deep on our soul. Or is it just me? Double-entry bookkeeping was invented by Italian accountant Luca Pacioli way back in 1494. For every debit in the accounts, there has to be a credit on the other side of the ledger. It’s a system that’s stood the test of time, laying the groundwork for modern accounting by providing transparency and rigour. For every debit, there must be a credit. I wonder whether that doesn’t give us an inkling into the meaning of this powerful passage from God’s Word: Ephesians 4:31-32 Never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ. We chatted about the first bit, the “not doing evil” bit – the debit side of the ledger, if you will – yesterday. Now let’s move onto the credit side of the ledger. Be kind and loving to one another. There’s a hinge that swings us from evil to good, from debit to credit. The intent runs something like this: Never do anything evil. [But instead] be kind and loving to each other. In other words, when you’re tempted to do evil, stop, think, remember to forgive just as God in Christ has forgiven you and instead, do good. Instead, love that person who doesn’t deserve your forgiveness. Replace the debit with a credit. And right there is God’s Holy Spirit power to replace the evil you were going to do with the good that He’s empowered you to do. Never do anything evil. [But instead] be kind and loving to each other That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Defeating Your Demons
The word “evil” is a pretty strong word. When we hear it, we think of Adolf Hitler or Idi Amin or Pol Pot. We rarely, if ever, apply that word to ourselves, to our own thoughts and actions. And yet, perhaps we should. John Newton was an 18th-century English sailor who became a slave trader. And make no mistake … that slave trade was callous, brutal … evil. Yet, during a violent storm at sea, he cried out to God for mercy and ended up surviving. That experience sparked a spiritual transformation in him, leading him to abandon the slave trade and eventually become an Anglican priest of all things. From then on, Newton passionately opposed slavery and mentored William Wilberforce, a key figure in its abolition. He went on to write the hymn "Amazing Grace" out of his gratitude for God’s mercy in saving a "wretch" like him. But to what extent, do you imagine, would he have experienced that radical transformation – the life-changing impact of God’s love and mercy – had he chosen to continue in the slave trade? Not at all, right? Because when you experience the love, the grace, the mercy, the forgiveness of God, it’s meant to change you. Ephesians 4:31 Never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. The truth is that you can’t defeat your demons if you’re still enjoying their company. So … never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Don't Break God's Heart
Everybody wants a better life. I don’t think I’ve ever met a single person who doesn’t have something they wish they could change, right? We each get that. And yet, all too often we blame that one thing out there somewhere that’s causing us grief, when actually the problem lies within. I wonder if we were given the opportunity to look at our lives – our thoughts, our desires, our actions, our reactions – from the vantage point of heaven’s balcony, what we’d see … the things going on in our hearts, yours and mine, that grieve God, that make His heart ache for us, that He yearns to set us free from. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (NIV) Will you allow me to get in your face here today and ask you what are you thinking, desiring, doing, saying – what greed or selfishness or pride or anger or unforgiveness or resentment or whatever it happens to be – is robbing you of your best life and is grieving God deep in His heart? It’s kind of weird how we want to hang onto those things without ever really admitting them to ourselves, without ever dealing with them decisively, once and for all. What is it for you? What are you hanging on to? And if it breaks God’s heart, why do you imagine that it’ll fulfill your own? Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let it go. That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Seek First to Understand
It goes without saying that we should be nice to one another. It’s blindingly, glimpsingly obvious, right? But how do you do that? How do you stop yourself from blurting something out when someone annoys you, or showing your disapproval through an off-handed, unthinking facial expression? Exactly how? It’s not easy, is it? Perhaps you’re a gentler soul than am I, but nevertheless people still annoy you, so the temptation’s there in the heat of the moment to give them a piece of your mind. And let’s be honest, that never ends well. Which makes this even more difficult to follow: Ephesians 4:29 When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. Okay, as I said, that much is obvious, but how do you actually live that out? Look, that person who drives you crazy, who annoys you, who wrongs you … they have their own demons to deal with – their own unhealed wounds from the past, their own pressures and conflicts in life – just like you. It’s a funny thing, but when we stop to try to understand them – where they’re coming from, why they’re behaving as they are – it becomes a whole lot easier not to say anything bad, but rather to speak the good to them that they need to hear to help them grow. In other words, seek first to understand, and then to be understood. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
FRESH is a Daily Devotional taking you deeper into God's Word + closer to Jesus. Each devotion will have a powerful Scripture verse, together with some words of inspiration, hope and encouragement. It’s all about helping you hear from God so that you can live in a rich, dynamic, powerful relationship with Jesus. God’s Word. Fresh, for you, each day.
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