Devotion.al

Tag: holy

  • Glorious Cleanliness

    Exodus 19:1-9; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Psalm 19 (read online ⧉)

    Have you ever had a period of life that seemed completely crazy and unbelievable? The Israelites were living it! It was a hard life in Egypt, but it was still home for generations. They left. This big sea to cross to freedom, and a powerful ‘s army coming after them. The sea splits open and they cross on dry ground. And a powerful nation’s army disappears forever. They have their first military battle and unbelievably win! They have a weird food that just appears with the morning dew, then disappears.

    Then they take a .

    Moses meets with God, and God explains. God is calling these people to be his priestly . They are his treasured possession, above the of the earth, which is God’s, too.

    God’s requirements are simple, obey God’s and keep the covenant. This is foundational to between God and the Israelites. Their lives are to be aligned to the covenant, and the relationship it represents. In the same way, Peter calls believers in Jesus to have Jesus as their cornerstone, so that they (we) become the spiritual home of the Holy , and become a holy priesthood.

    Just like the Israelites, followers of Jesus have a task. Theirs (ours) is to proclaim the acts of God who called them (us) out of the we were in.

    As the psalmist writes, all of pronounces the glory of God. We, too, have our part in declaring and showing the glory of God and being the (reflectors of God) in the world.

    1) What has kept you from believing you are called to and capable of declaring God’s glory?

    2) The covenant represents a type of cleanliness. You house the Holy Spirit. How do you keep the Holy Spirit’s home in you clean?

    3) What more can you do to keep it clean, or get it cleaner?

    4) How does this cleanliness help to declare God’s glory?

  • Otherly Holiness

    Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 15:1-21; Romans 3:21-31 (read online ⧉)

    In Genesis, we read of the God made with Abram. When we look at the blood and sacrifices from a modern , it is easy to be repulsed or disgusted by the concept. In Abram’s time, this was a normal way to seal a covenant.

    A covenant is a . When making a covenant such as this, there were two parties, the strong party and the weak party. If was often an agreement where the strong party would agree to defend and/or take care of the weak party, and the weak party would submit—both in authority and tribute (i.e., think taxes)—to the strong party.

    If we think of this logically, then, God would take the role of the strong party, and Abram would take the role of the weak party. However, in this instance God takes the place of both parties. Abram is more of a witness to the making of the treaty, rather than a party to it. How can God take the place of both roles? This is a foretelling of what is to come.

    For generations, God protected and watched over Abram’s descendants. Even when they wandered or ran away from God, God still was watching and caring.

    In Romans, Paul writes: “…since all have sinned and fall short of the of God; they are now justified by his as a , through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a of atonement by his blood…”

    This is where we can see the submitting party of the covenant. Jesus Christ’s perfect submission to God’s authority, and sacrifice of himself, fulfills the weak party’s role. It is, of course, just an analogy, yet there is a huge truth in this. God created the universe, yet because we are unable to ourselves, or able to fulfill the entirety of God’s , Jesus took our place, and fulfilled the requirements of submission and tribute.

    We, like Abram, are often more witnesses to God’s holiness and fulfillment of his righteousness than actual participants of either. Yet, we are called to be .

    1) What do you think the responsibilities are of a witness? Are fulfilling them?

    2) When you think of God being both the strong and weak party, what comes to mind?

    3) How does it make you feel to understand that God took your place as the weak party?

  • Fatalism Antivenom

    Job 5:8-27, 1 Peter 3:8–18a, Psalm 77 (read online ⧉)

    When we talk about the underlying of (see yesterday’s devotion), we must have an understanding that this underlying joy fully rests on God, and who God is. This foundation of joy is not shaken or disturbed by the world and all its troubles, because (and only because) it is built on God.

    In our passage from Job, Eliphaz is still lecturing Job. Job 5:8 is a legal appeal. Eliphaz is telling Job that all Job has to do is make an appeal to God. If Job is as innocent as he claims, then God will spare Job. Eliphaz continues to , and it seems that his words are accurate, that is until we get to verse 19 (and on through 27). Eliphaz sums up his legal argument from verse 8. God will keep Job from everything bad, if Job is indeed innocent, and continues to appease God. This is essential to understand. Eliphaz had fallen victim to the culture around him regarding God. Eliphaz’s understanding was that God was transactional in nature. You God what he wants, you’ll get good (not necessarily what you want, but still good). The conclusion that Eliphaz made was that Job didn’t fulfill his of the transaction.

    This the perspective that many people have of God, including many Christians. This view, however, does not have the joyful foundation that is essential to a life. This view is fatalistic. In other words, the world is full of bad, and there is nothing we can do about it.

    Peter has a significantly different view. Peter, having spent time with , and life being transformed by Jesus through the , know we can do something about it.

    Peter gives us direction on how to be life giving to fellow believers, and even to those who do not believe. Peter knows that bad will happen. Yet, he encourages his readers (and us) to rely on Jesus Christ. This reliance is the of the joyful life that does not laugh in the face of danger, or dance in the midst of trial, but understands that God is there beside us in and through it all.

    1) How have you been fatalistic (i.e., “there’s nothing I can do”) in your lift?

    2) How are Peter’s words an antidote to fatalism?

  • Trust, Truth and Restoration

    Daniel 9:16-19, Psalm 25:1-10, 2 Timothy 4:1-5

    Daniel knows that God is and . Daniel knows that the people of Israel are in exile and hopeless because they chose to ignore God and the many prophets that He sent. They chose to follow their leaders who looking to earthly things to personal value and . Daniel understood that the current situation was a consequence of unfaithful behavior.

    Yet, Daniel had enough in God to know that God would listen and that God, ultimately, wanted Israel restored, not just as a or people, but as a people of God. Daniel understood that it would only by God’s that Israel would be restored. He was confessing on behalf of an entire people that they had missed the mark, yet he still asked.

    1) In Psalm 25:6-7 (NIV), the psalmist writes, “, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.”
    Just like Daniel, the psalmist was appealing the consequences based upon God’s mercy and love, knowing that both preexisted the errors of the psalmist. Daniel, too, that God’s mercy and love existed long before he did, or the tribe and nation of Israel existed. The underlying thought here is that there was something that needed to be forgiven; there was something that needed to be repented of. Is there something that you think could be a problem, but aren’t certain that it is a problem that God is concern about? Bring it to God, anyways! That small thing could very well help you heal in other areas in your life, or God may use it to show you what is really hampering your with Him.

    2) In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul is warning Timothy that people will get to a point where they will not listen because they don’t want to. It is no different than what the people of Israel had done for generations prior to their exile. The very things Daniel was repenting of. We are often quick to say that there is false teaching all around us, even in our !

    Have you thought there was false teaching? What did you do?

    Do we ever call something false teaching that does not conflict with scripture, but appears to conflict with our understanding or traditions?

  • Grateful In Ashes

    Joel 2:12-17, Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 4:21-6:10 (read online ⧉)

    Through the prophet Joel, God sought to realign the life of the Israelites to Him. God was calling them to live a life oriented to Him. God didn’t want them to miss out on the life they were meant for. As we begin the Lenten season, it is a time for each of us to reflect upon what in our life is keeping us from being oriented on Him.

    From the early days of our , Christians have observed the remembrance of Christ’s passion (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter) with great reverence. It became the custom to prepare for that observance by a season of and fasting, and the of those who had been separated from the community of faith. When keeping the season of Lent, we take to heart God’s call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the , and practice in our daily lives the work of reconciliation. You are invited to the observance of Lent through self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Word.

    On Ash Wednesday, many people to receive the mark of ashes, which is a reminder of our mortal nature and of God’s invitation to receive Christ’s redeeming work. The ashes are a of repentance, that one’s life is not as God-focused as it ought to be. It is a declaration that all is not well, that something needs to .

    As we walk together through Lent, through our paths of , self-denial, and repentance, this is all part of our response of gratitude to God who sent Jesus Christ, the ultimate love letter, to us that we can see that God wants us as His Children.

    1) Giving up something (self-denial and/or fasting) is often practiced during Lent. The purpose is to closer to God. If you choose to do this, what will you up? We challenge you to share whatever this is with someone who will hold you accountable.

    2) Other practices for Lent are focused prayer, self-examination, deeper scripture reading, all of which are intended to draw us deeper and to slow us down. What will you focus on this Lent to grow your Christian walk?

    3) One of the newer trends is to give up something you know you need to give up already. Do you think that could be effective as a spiritual discipline? Why or why not?

  • Follow the Call

    1 Samuel 2:27–3:18, 1 Samuel 16:1–13, Matthew 7:15–27 (read online ⧉)

    Often we are oblivious to God’s . We succumb to the world’s that things “just happen” and we “earned” it all. While in some regards there is truth in the world’s words, there is a conflict between the underlying great Truth that undergirds many of the world, and Christians. Much of the world believes that there is no God or (at best) God “set and forgot” the world and walk away. Christians, on the other hand, believe that God is active and moving in the world, especially through the work of the Holy who works through each of us.

    Eli was aware of God. Yet, he chose to disregard God’s blessings by allowing his sons and servants to ignore the Law about the sacrifices. What Eli was thinking is not in the . His was either fatalistic or more along the lines of disbelief. One would think that disbelief was far from Eli’s thought process, especially with the morning’s revelations from Samuel. There is no or mention of repentance. Yes, Eli was upset with his sons, just not upset enough to place God before them.

    The story of Saul follows a somewhat similar line as Saul’s behavior was a lack of in God. That lack of faith removed the kingdom of Israel from Saul’s (and his descendants’) hands before it was even firmly established. Saul’s efforts were vapor in the wind. Still, he strived and strived. Despite having had God-directed encounters, unbelief still ended up sending him down a path that wasn’t what he wanted.

    Sometimes God calls us to great things. Sometimes God calls us to small things. From small to large, God calls us. Sometimes what we think are great things (that are beyond our abilities or gifts) are really only a collection of a lot of small (even tiny) little faithful steps of following God’s on our lives. Sometimes it is only when we look back and see the little things stack up that we realize how large and great God’s call was on our lives.

    No matter what stage of we are in, we are always called to follow God into new things.

    1) What do you think Eli’s s struggles were based on? Pride? Unfaithfulness? Tiredness?

    2) Have you had a refreshing of God’s call on your life? If so, what it is? If not, will you pursue it?

  • Called to do or be?

    2 Kings 2:11–15, Malachi 4:4–6, Mark 9:11–13, Luke 9:18–21, John 1:19–28 (read online ⧉)

    Moses was the Great Propet of Israel, as he brought the Torah to Israel. Through the and humanness of Moses, the Israelites became more than a collection of related families. They became a nation. You would think, therefore, with his place at the forefront of Israelite history, Moses would be the one the First Century Jews would be waiting for. He, Moses, led them out of captivity to the most powerful nation (at that time) on earth. Who else would lead the Jews (the remnants of Israel) out of their current captivity/oppression of the First Century’s most powerful nation on earth, Rome? Yet, it was Elijah who was expected.

    To be clear, this is not a reincarnation story. Neither Moses nor Elijah were expected to be reincarnated. Our familiarity with other religions can actually lead us down false trails, as we all use the same language and words to convey different understandings. The language used is similar, but its intent is to convey something different. From the perspectives of the , whether we’re talking about Malachi or all the words spoken about John the Baptist or Christ regarding Elijah, it is not literally Elijah, but the person whose time and place it is to be an Elijah. In other words, the person called has called at a particular time or place to bring the descendants of Israel back into with God.

    Malachi expected this “spirit of Elijah” to lead Israel back to God, restoring relationship and right to the people. By the time of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, Elijah was more of—though not solely—a cleansing spiritual that would restore the people’s desire for God, not just relationship and worship. In that regard, John the Baptists did “carry” the “spirit of Elijah.” People came to him in repentance and to be spiritually restored and healed. Jesus Christ, himself, recognized that John the Baptists bore the “spirit of Elijah.” Only John denied it.

    There could be a number of reasons why. There are two likely reasons. The first reason would be that he didn’t want to draw attention away from the Messiah. That is a reasonable thing, as everyone was looking to a Messiah, just as they were looking for an Elijah. There would be pressure and (as if John the Baptist probably didn’t already have it) to be an Elijah. John the Baptist already knew he wasn’t the Messiah.

    Probably the most likely reason is that John the Baptist didn’t seem himself as Elijah. Yes, John the Baptist probably did see prophetic ministry in himself. Whether it was quiet (does not see himself as an Elijah) or studied humility (did not want to take away from the Messiah), either one is defensible and either one is good. John also, however, did not stop being who God called him to be and doing what the led him to do.

    1) Does it really matter whether John the Baptist bore the “spirit of Elijah?” Why or why not?

    2) Often people dismiss themselves, their abilities, or their calling by saying something like, “I’m not like…,” or “I don’t have….” How have you dismissed your calling lately?

    3) People expected whoever had “the spirit of Elijah” to lead them. What is wrong with that expectation? What is valid with that expectation?

  • Long Road of Obedience

    James 1:2–8, 1 Peter 1:3–9 (read online ⧉)

    “No ; no .” It’s highly likely that you heard this phrase at some point in your . Often the phrase was/is used in weight-lifting/-training. The understanding is that the resistance (lifting the weight for repetition) will hurt (especially the next day). The result is muscles that are better capable the next time to repeat the effort. When a muscle is “gained” this way, it is torn. We don’t think of improving our clothing by tearing it (yes, there is a fashion “sense” that does this, but it isn’t an improvement, per se).

    Sometimes it isn’t pain that grows us. Mental pain improves us (think schooling). Emotional pain makes us resilient. Pain still isn’t any fun.

    Spiritually, often the greatest growth is due to the greatest pain. Some have called it a time of being in a spiritual desert. Some have called it the long night of the soul. Some have called it being empty. Contrary to our usual emotional and intellectual , this is when we need to lean most heavily upon God. This is also often when we don’t. We avoid God. We avoid talking to God. We avoid reading of God. We avoid all things about God. Then we where God went, failing (or choosing not) to recognize that it is not God who left us, but we who left God.

    On the other hand, if we instead develop practices that continue in , reading, and worship, our foundation becomes firm. Often it is obedience to those practices during the dry time that produces the deepest growth as we exit the desert. The obedience learned in the desert prepare each of our steps so that we can see the Father’s in the steps we take, follow ‘ path, and live by the .

    1) When was the last spiritual desert you experienced? What was the result? How did you make it through?

    2) People often view spiritual things and practices as if they ought to be different than everything else. Why do you think that is?

    3) “Going through the motions” often seems false, yet that is often when we are most deeply trained. Why is that? What spiritual practices are so ingrained that you cannot imagine not doing them?