Devotionals

There are numerous inventions that were seemingly obvious, and yet no one thought of them for years even after they were needed.

When we read the Scriptures, it can be like that. We easily miss significant things right before our eyes. It can be because of cultural biases, our frame of mind, failure to understand key frases, cultural context, context with other passages, and so on.

Likewise, have you ever been with an older couple who are very close having lived together in marriage for many years, and yet as you talk with them something comes up, and one of them looks at the other and says, "You never told me about that before."

It is a great irony of life that even our vision to comprehend the Great Book given by God to us in part to help us understand our own condition is clouded.

Paradoxically,even as we peer into the Scriptures through blurry eyes, we learn through our weakness of God's greatness and our need for Him.

Just today, I read the book of Ecclesiastes. I have long understood the phrase "under the sun" as having key importance in the book and have even preached sermons emphasizing that point.

As I read it today, I was struck with the obvious fact that the phrase "under the sun" was intended to represent life from man's viewpoint as I understood, but more than that, it was not written from man's point of view generically as I understood, but rather from the viewpoint of Solomon, The Preacher.

That simple observation changes the reading and understanding of the book in simple and subtle, yet profound ways.

What do you see in Ecclesiates? What else am I missing?

—Luke

Psalm 1:3,4 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

The picture of the tree of abundance contrasts sharply with that of the part of the plant that has died and is leftover after the harvest. The chaff has no root, no leaf, and no life.

Lightweight and easily caught in the wind, it passes a few moments of excitement as it is driven by the wind flitting hither and thither over the landscape.

The tree of abundance is rooted in rich, life-sustaining soil causing it to grow and fruit becoming every year bigger and more stable.

Although it has no opportunity to move about or see the world, what the tree of abundance does have is life. Through its vivacity, it creates and encourages life all about it eventually creating its own little ecosystem.

What the chaff doesn't have is a future. It is already dead and will soon get trapped in a corner or be buried in some field and simply rot away.

It isn't enough to say we are living the abundant life and rejoice in our priviledged situation over that of the unfortunate wicked. We must continually receive our life from the Waters that never run dry, or we too, will dry up and blow away.

—Luke

Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Proverbs 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

A little girl can make her own decisions and do what she wants to do.

She may decide to sit down and color a page, work a puzzle, play a game, or get a drink.

However, whenever her parents decide it is time to run an errand, eat a meal, or go to bed, her plans are immediately changed. She will have to stop whatever she is doing and prepare for the new activity.

While this may seem like an untimely imposition, it is simply part of living and part of being a family.

The change of plans might seem frustrating to the child. The child might feel she isn't important or her parents don't care about her needs when the reality is the exact opposite. It is for the well-being of the child individually, as well as the family unit as a whole.

Sometimes we fail to understand what is happening to us, or why we must go through certain trials. We gaze deeply into the face of our current crisis searching vainly for some dark hidden purpose. Failing in our repeated efforts to make sense of things, we mutter to ourselves that it seems completely pointless and wonder why God would allow it to happen in this way.

We look at the wasted money, the wasted time, the lost joys, and the lost friendships. We wonder if our suffering will ever end or if we will ever understand its purpose.

I would remind you that God's plans are perfect and His ways are wonderful.

—Luke

Psalm 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

A father will stop, look back and wait as his little girl catches up to him. A driver will wait for a traffic signal to change before accelerating through an intersection. A teacher will pause until her students understand the introductory material before introducing more advanced material. A cook will turn down the stove to prevent a dish from burning.

Waiting might be seen as lost time, or time wasted while nothing is happening or progress is slowed. However, when we wait, there is a greater goal than raw speed. There is an understanding something is happening behind the scenes.

Waiting on God isn't a way of allowing God to catch up to us. It would be better described as a way for us to catch up to Him. Waiting on God means taking time to yield our spirit to Him and align our heart, thoughts, and desires with His so we can be ready to accept what he has for us.

To serve God without waiting on Him is like the student who pays for a class and never shows up to receive the instruction. To receive God's guidance and teaching, we must sit down and listen up in His "classroom."

Too often we rush in without waiting on God and really hurt those around us, the projects we are trying to aid, ourselves, and especially our families.

Abraham waited years for the promised son. Moses waited many years in the wilderness for God's deliverance. David waited for the death of Saul even as he ran from Saul. Jesus waited until he was about thirty to start his earthly ministry. Paul waited for several years after his conversion (Galatians 1:16-17). John waited on Patmos and was given a Revelation like no other.

How are we to know God if we don't wait on Him?

Take some time off. Stop. Meditate. Pray. Contemplate. Wait on God. Come back only when you have the mind of God.

—Luke

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For many years, I have prayed to be used of God. I have looked at the great heroes of the faith such as those found in Hebrews 11 praying that God would use me as He used them to do a great work for Him.

However, there is something about that prayer that has come to bother me. The fact is, I have been unable to find a find a holy man or woman praying to be used of God anywhere in the Bible. Furthermore, I have been unable to find a passage that commands or even suggests we should pray that God would use us.

On the other hand, I have been able to think of a lot of passages such as this one in Ecclesiastes that command us to fear God and to obey Him.

More than the exact words we use in our prayers, the greater issue is the question of our heart. That is, we often pray not just that God's kingdom would be advanced or that we would be obedient or reverence Him more, but rather, our prayer is to do great things for God or see God do great things through US. In short, we earnestly desire to do God's work, but in a way that makes US big.

I am convinced that some "great" men and women who did great things for God will be found wanting because they shirked their basic duties of obedience, holiness, and humility.

They won souls and ignored their family. They pastored many people yet were cruel to the helpless. They sang beautiful songs yet had no joy. They visited the needy and the sick while their loved ones went unloved. They rushed to help the helpless afar off as their neighbor stood begging. They maintained a smiling persona while the inner man shriveled up and died.

While they may be remembered in stories, books, and movies, they are largely forgotten or even hated by their families and neighbors. Neither will they be honored in heaven.

—Luke

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Family is more than a marketing buzzword. It is the most basic and beloved of human relationships. It was instituted by God himself all the way back in the Garden of Eden.

Since Eve first held Cain and Abel, parents have wondered what life holds for their new baby, who they will marry, what they will do, and how long they will live. Even in the midst of their wondering and amazement, one thing is sure. They know that child will one day die.

Every family member lives with the knowledge they don't have long together on this earth, but even more, there are no guarantees at all. Death comes to all men. Sometimes it knocks, giving fair warning, sometimes it comes at the most unexpected and inopportune time. However it comes, death is a basic, unavoidable experience in every human family that has no place in God's family.

The absence of death in the family of God is all the more striking when you consider that God gave his only begotten Son to die so we human sinners could be adopted children of God and given eternal life, never knowing death as members of God's family.

Your family is precious. Time passes quickly. Death comes soon. Enjoy this life to the fullest, for it will soon be gone; make preparations for the next life, for it will soon be.

—Luke

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

We immediately grasp the great significance of this passage as Jesus himself teaches on how to pray. However, we are slow to understand its meaning.

Indeed, it seems rather silly for a mere man to pray to The Almighty God asking Him to do that which He has promised and determined to do, but it is not. As we pray, it is we ourselves who are changed as we seek to know God and understand His plan for the world.

Often we pray for power, for health, for help, for strength; for things we need to carry on our work for God. Our prayers too often focus on us and the work we have been given to do for God.

The model prayer asks not to be used of God, which is an earthly vision of a heavenly work, but for the work of God to be furthered, which is a heavenly vision of an earthly work.

We are not to be like employees begging for the best and most exciting jobs; we are instead to strive to understand and fulfill the purposes of the One we serve.

—Luke