Monthly Archives: November 2013

Day 314: The way of prayer

Psalms 53, 55 & 58; Hebrews 5:1-10
(Psalm 54 was read on Day 109 and Psalms 56 & 57 were read on Day 107)

Yesterday, the author of Hebrews introduced the concept of Jesus being our High Priest. Today, he continues his exposition by declaring that Jesus is a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Do you remember Melchizedek from Genesis? Don’t worry, we’ll talk all about him in a few days when we read Hebrews 7 & 8, but for now, let’s look at the idea of prayer…

Have you noticed that most of the Psalms are prayers?

Psalm 55 is an example of an individual’s prayer – it is both a prayer of lament and a call to faith.

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint (Psalm 55:1-2).

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).

Psalm 58 records the prayer of a congregation – begging God to exercise justice against evil tyrants.

O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Let them vanish like water that runs away;
when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted (Psalm 58:6-7).

These aren’t dry, lifeless prayers – these are desperate cries for justice and mercy! And this is how Jesus prayed as well!

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence (Hebrews 5:7).

When we come before the throne of God, we do not come to a throne of judgment and wrath – but rather to the welcoming arms of our heavenly Father. As we approach his throne humbly and with reverence, we can pour out our hearts…our grief, our dreams, our anguish, our joys. We can ask for healing, provision, salvation and forgiveness. For we have a great High Priest who deals gently with us (Heb. 5:2)!

Day 313: Throne of Grace

Psalms 48-50; Hebrews 4
(Psalms 51 & 52 were read on Day 108 & 116, respectively)

There is a mysterious tension that lies between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility to obey.

God is completely sovereign and saves us by his grace – not by our works. If our salvation is secured by His grace alone, then it is impossible to lose our salvation.

Yet, the writer of Hebrews writes boldy in this chapter to “strive to enter His rest.” In other words, work to persevere in your faith throughout your entire life. What??!!! That’s impossible!

And if that weren’t enough, the author goes on to remind us that we are “naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” GREAT. I’m doomed. 

But.

We are not left alone to persevere in this Christian life. We are given a mediator – one who stands between us and God – one who offers the sacrifice required for our many sins. We are given….Christ.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Are you in need? Trust me, you are! Draw near to the throne of grace and receive help from the living God!

Day 312: Jesus is better than Moses

Psalms 45-47; Hebrews 3
(Psalm 44 was read on Day 226)

Christ is better than Moses. Moses was the servant. Christ is the son. 

The hearers of this letter were tempted to forsake Christ and return to Judaism because of fierce opposition to Christians. But the author of Hebrews proves through their own history, that Judaism does not lead to life…

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? (Hebrews 3:16-18)

The young Jewish converts had a choice to make. Stay the course and enter eternal rest or rebel against the gospel to gain a temporarily easier life. It was a life or death decision… physical life or spiritual life?

This is why the author of Hebrews stresses perseverance as evidence of salvation. Those who stay the course to the end are those whose hearts truly belong to Him…

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:14).

We must remember, however, that just as Jesus is superior to the Mosaic law in attaining salvation, He is also superior to the Law in equipping believers to obey God’s commands. We are both saved by his grace and preserved by his grace. We are powerless to save ourselves and powerless to remain faithful. We need his help at every stage of our Christian lives… in salvation, in sanctification, and in persevering.

We need a person, not the law. We need Jesus!

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns (Psalm 46:1-5).

Day 311: An Irresistable Love

Psalms 41-43; Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2 is thick with theology. What do we learn about Christ from this chapter?

  • Everything is in subjection to him (2:8)
  • Nothing is outside his control (2:8)
  • For a little while, he was made a little lower than the angels (2:9)
  • He is crowned with glory and honor (2:9)
  • He suffered and died (2:9)
  • He tasted death for everyone (2:9)
  • He is not ashamed to call us brothers (2:11)
  • Christ was fully human (2:14)
  • Through his death, he destroyed the death grip of Satan (2:14)
  • He is our merciful High Priest (2:17)
  • He makes propitiation for our sins through his death i.e. satisfies God’s wrath (2:17).

Even in this crude list, you can see the mysterious truth that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. He had to be fully human in order to be our substitutionary sacrifice. And he had to be fully human to be the perfect mediator between us and God. He is both the sacrifice AND the priest.

It’s hard to comprehend the vast love required to be BOTH our priest AND sacrifice. It’s mind-blowing actually.

His love should draw us deeper into relationship with him. Our desire to seek him and to know him is evidence of our salvation. This is the reason the writer of Hebrews warns the young Jewish Christians to not “drift away” from the gospel (2:1). Hebrews consistently teaches that perseverance in faith is evidence of a saving faith. If we are truly saved, then the Holy Spirit will produce a godly longing within us…

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God (Psalm 42:1-2).

Do you thirst for the living God? Do not drift away! Meditate on the great sacrifice of Christ and find comfort in the deep love of the Father…

Day 310: The Supremacy of Christ

Psalms 38-40; Hebrews 1

Every person on earth, whether rich or poor, Eastern or Western, male or female, red, yellow, black or white… shares the same problem: sin.

There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

Likewise, there is one solution to this worldwide epidemic…Christ.

Which brings us to my favorite book in the New Testament (apart from the Gospels), Hebrews. Hebrews was written before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 to Jewish Christians who were suffering persecution. The author of the book remains a mystery to this day. His purpose for writing was to exhort Christians to persevere in their faith despite persecution. He argues eloquently for the Supremacy of Christ above the Mosaic law and old sacrificial system. I love Hebrews!

The author of Hebrews begins his letter by using Old Testament Psalms to prove the divinity of Christ and his supremacy over the angels.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs (Hebrews 1:3-4).

Our Jesus, the one who died so we could live, upholds the universe by the word of his power! The thought is too wonderful to fully grasp.

I look forward to the next two weeks of reading through Hebrews as the author teaches so skillfully… that Christ is the final fulfillment and reigns supreme over ALL the Old Testament law and sacrificial system…

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.

I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:6; 8).

Day 309: Seeking reconciliation

Psalms 36–37; Philemon

Paul’s letter to Philemon is a brilliant appeal for Philemon to forgive his runaway bondservant, Onesimus. By God’s sovereignty, Onesimus fled to Rome and somehow was converted to Christianity by Paul – probably during Paul’s first imprisonment recorded in Acts 27-28.

Paul’s appeal is based on Christian love.

For this perhaps is why he was parted from you [Philemon] for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother (Philemon 15).

Paul’s letter reminds us of the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Because we are forgiven by God’s grace, we are given the grace to forgive others. Onesimus was willing to sacrifice his freedom to seek forgiveness from his former master, Philemon. And because he knew Philemon was also a Christian, he returned with the hope that Philemon would forgive him.

Only the power of God can change a runaway slave into a penitent man. And it is only by God’s power that Philemon could forgive and accept Onesimus as his Christian brother. Only God can produce such dramatic change in the human heart. He transforms us because of His steadfast love!

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
pin your light do we see light (Psalm 36:7-9).

Day 308: Steadfast Love

Psalms 33, 35; Titus 3
(Psalm 34 was read on Day 107)

Paul wraps us his letter to Titus by reminding him of the truths of the gospel…

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, […] and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:3-5).

Paul goes on to say that this gospel should spur us on to good works. God’s steadfast love is what compels us to obey! Consider the profound truths found in Psalm 33 and ask God to transform your heart with His Word…

The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you (Psalm 33:13-22).

Day 307: A Transforming Gospel

Psalms 31-32; Titus 1-2

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it (Titus 1:9).

Titus is a pastoral letter, meaning that Paul is writing to Titus, the pastor of his planted churches in Crete, instructing him in the importance of teaching sound doctrine. There is no better advice to a new pastor than to stick to the truth! And there is no better defense against false teachers than the truths of the gospel!

Paul exhorts Titus to elect elders in each of the Cretan churches who will teach sound doctrine because the gospel is the source of godliness. It is the Lord’s kindness that compels us to obey. Godly acts are motivated and empowered by the gospel – by the steadfast love of the Lord.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2:11-12).

The gospel is mysteriously transforming. It first teaches us that we desperately need to be saved. David writes in Psalm 31:10, “For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

Sin causes a spiritual crisis. We need to be rescued! We need a Savior – someone to transform us, strengthen us and preserve us for his Kingdom. We need grace.

Psalm 32 shows us the way to salvation!

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin (Psalm 32:5).

God offers forgiveness. He covers our sin and accepts us into His Kingdom because of the sacrifice of Christ that was poured out for us. This is God’s amazing grace. May we rest in his steadfast love!

Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
…you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help (Psalm 31:21-22).

Day 306: Overcoming death

Psalms 28-30; 2 Timothy 4

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Death. We weren’t created for it. We were created for life and the joy of community. But sin’s effects trickle down into each one of us – making death inevitable.

For the Christian, however, there is hope beyond death – as we look forward to a new world not marred by sin and to perfect fellowship with God and others. This is Paul’s hope as he faces his imminent execution.

Paul describes to Timothy how God has remained faithful to him – even in his darkest hour (2 Timothy 4:17). And Paul awaits death in faith, expecting to see His Lord and Savior, face to face (4:18).

Where does such strength come from? How can Paul be at peace in such dire circumstances?

Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him (Psalm 28:6-7).

Paul has nothing to fear in death. He rests in the grace of God – which has strengthened him to persevere to the end, equipping him to accomplish the work God prepared for him to do…

…the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

We, the children of God, the ones who have been ransomed by his blood and have received the righteousness of Christ through faith – we are saved from the hopelessness of death. Even though we weren’t created for it, God has overcome it, and we can say confidently with Paul: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 2:18).

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever (Psalm 30:11-12)!

Day 305: The benefit of Scripture

Psalms 25-27; 2 Timothy 3

How many times have you heard this verse?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16).

This verse is used often to confirm that the Bible is God’s word, and validates the divine revelation of all of Scripture, including the Old Testament. But the context for this verse makes it even more powerful.

Remember, Paul is writing his final words to Timothy. These are his final thoughts, his last instructions. In this chapter, he warns Timothy that there will be false teachers in the “last days,” and that he is to continue in what he has learned. In other words, he is to study God’s word… so that he is so familiar with the truth that he will not be lured away from God by a counterfeit gospel.

In my early days as a Christian, I would look to Scripture to help guide me in life’s major decisions. What should my college major be? Should I go to graduate school? Should I take this job? When will I get married? And as I searched the Scriptures for “God’s will” in these decisions, I would come away frustrated. Scripture didn’t give me any direct answers. Nevertheless, I prayed the words of Psalm 25 & 27 often.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long (Psalm 25:4-5).

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path (Psalm 27:11).

I found myself coming back to these Psalms over and over again, praying for direction. And as time passed, other parts of these Psalms began to be more meaningful to me…

You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek” (Psalm 27:8).

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust (Psalm 25:1).

I never heard directly from God on what job I should take or what my college degree should be, but I learned something more precious. As I spent consistent time in His word, praying His word and meditating on His word, God changed me. I became more concerned about seeking Him than seeking answers. And as I sought to stay faithful in the small daily decisions, the major decisions seemed to fall into place – in ways that were obviously from God.

Later in life, when tragedy struck, the years of studying God’s word prepared me to face hardship with a deep assurance of God’s goodness and care.

The world offers a cornucopia of distractions to entice us away from the consistent study of God’s word. But in the pages of the Bible, we find God. What could be more enticing than that?

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14).