Category: avoiding sin

Standing or Falling

Genesis 13-14, Proverbs 8, Matthew 4

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

Smooth, delicious chocolate, sometimes with crunchy nuts or gooey caramel (instead of the nutritious salad fixings abandoned in my fridge). Or really sugar in just about any form.

A “well-deserved” social media break, just for a few minutes, that turns into much longer.

On-line shopping to find just the right pair of shoes for a trip, or maybe I need pants, or what about that sweater, would that color look good on me?

Those were three temptations I caved in to just last night when I was supposed to be writing this devotion! Yikes! When my sleepy husband asked why I was so late in getting to bed, I said something like I had been busy falling into temptation. No, I hadn’t spent the late night hours murdering my neighbor, stealing from the bank on the corner, or bowing down to carved idols. But, I had said ‘Yes’ to my own selfish, meaningless, unhealthy pursuits instead of being and doing what God most desired for me – what was best for me.

Perhaps, I should not be the one writing the devotion today. I am obviously not a specialist in standing up to temptation. I need an example to follow, I need to learn from a master – Ah, yes, thank God, He DID indeed provide the perfect example who longs to be my master. He gave us His human Son Jesus. And right after the baptism of Jesus, and right before Jesus begins his years of ministry, God’s Holy Spirit led Jesus, God’s own beloved, pleasing Son, into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

As we are looking for clues on how Jesus faced temptation so successfully, there’s a couple great ones right there. Jesus was already open to and actively being led by the Spirit. What did God’s spirit want for him? That’s what He wanted too, even when it meant willingly going into a difficult, sometimes even dangerous space.

Compare Jesus’ location and circumstance with Adam and Eve’s when they were also confronted with choices to make. The first son of God was surrounded with God’s bounty and beauty and provision in the spectacular garden. Good, healthy, God-honoring fruit literally surrounded them when they instead listened to the deception of the serpent and chose to eat of the tree that God had already clearly said “No” to. Jesus didn’t use his harsh surroundings or difficult circumstances as an excuse to be weak. Instead, he found strength in using that time to fast and pray and draw closer to God which indeed made him even stronger and better prepared to face his adversary. Don’t get so comfortable in your pleasant surroundings that you become weak and don’t recognize temptation for what it is. Don’t fear the time spent in the harsh wilderness, but use the opportunity to cling closer and closer to what really matters – the God who is always there.

After the 40 days of fasting Jesus gives us the next big answer of how he faced each one of Satan’s three temptations in the wilderness – with the very words of God His Father, each and every time. In fact, the first Scripture Jesus quotes to Satan are strong words about the sustaining power from the words of God, and our need for God’s word, from the book of Deuteronomy: “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) If we try to face temptation without the power of God’s word we will be weak. Matthew 4:4 is a great verse for me to remember today when I sit down to work on tomorrow’s devotion! Here’s a few more:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:14-17

God’s word: read it, learn it, use it – and live (better and stronger today and also for eternity).

God’s word: neglect it, forget it, try to do life your own way – and die (but first, you will likely waste a lot of time, have a lot of self-made sorrow, and miss out on doing God’s will).

His Words are not just for gaining knowledge, they are for fighting temptation, finding truth, for making strong and giving life. Don’t miss out!

Let’s review what we have seen from Jesus about successfully facing temptation: Jesus was willing to be led by the Spirit. He used his time in the wilderness well. He fasted and drew closer to God. He recognized Satan for who he was. He discerned the lies and empty promises of the deceiver and actively chose what God said and promised instead. He wanted God’s will, not his own. He knew God’s Word. He used God’s Word as a sword to do battle against untruth, temptations and the tempter. He said, “Away with you Satan!” And he was victorious!

What about you? Do you know what temptations you face regularly? What do you crave? What do you covet? What are you jealous of? What leads you astray? What do you feel guilty about? Where do you lose self-control? What good do you neglect and why? How do you waste time? What do you say ‘Yes’ to that God wanted you to say ‘No” to? And, what do you say ‘No’ to that God wanted you to say ‘Yes’ to? What is Satan whispering in your ear or in your heart? What do you worship (with your time, money, devotion, or decisions)?

Realize you have choices, decisions to make. Big ones and little ones. It’s not just about not murdering your neighbor and not bowing down to carved idols. It’s also about how you treat the gift of the miraculous body God gave you. It’s about how you choose to spend the gift of the time God gives you. It’s about how you treat the people God surrounds you with. It’s about if you choose what you want, or what God wants.

And Satan (as well as the world and marketers today) can make the bad choice, or the selfish one, or the unhealthy one, look pretty good, that’s what makes it tempting. If it looked like the garbage it is, we would gladly turn from it. Don’t be fooled by the stone that looks like bread, the impressive view, and Satan’s promises.

God gives the perfect example of His Son. Follow that example – not mine.

God gives His Word, the Scriptures – the sword to do battle with the tempter. It worked for Jesus. I need to use it better!

God gives knowledge, wisdom and discernment – ask for it and use it.

God gives the spirit of self-control – that’s the one I want.

God gives forgiveness and new beginnings.

Prayer

Dear God – I am sorry. Please forgive me of the many times I fall to temptation. Help me do better, Lord God. Help me follow the example of your Son when I am in the wilderness and also when I am in the garden. Help me go where Your Spirit is leading. Help me forsake what I want and choose instead what You want, which is indeed the best for me. Help me see garbage for what it is, and turn from it to you and your gifts, again and again. I ask for wisdom and discernment to see what is from You and what are deceptions from the deceiver. Help me use your Word well to be strong against temptation. Thank you for your Word, your forgiveness, love and mercy and a new day to work at doing Your will better. Help me use all that you give me to stand strong against temptation. Thank you for the example and sacrifice of your Son Jesus. In his name we pray to You the Almighty. Amen.

Reflection Questions

  1. Compare and contrast when Satan came to the garden and when he came to the wilderness? What similarities do you see? What differences? Is Satan still making visits? What does it look like?
  2. Consider the paragraph of questions regarding what are temptations for you. What do you see about your own temptations? What temptations do you sometimes fall to?
  3. Eating chocolate isn’t always a sin or temptation is it? But is it sometimes? When? Why? What makes the difference?
  4. What scriptures can you find (and put in your home and in your heart) to help you face your temptations better armed with the Sword of the Spirit?
  5. Have you ever tried fasting when facing a particularly difficult time of temptation?
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Hunting Season

1 Peter 4-5

Devotion by John Tullis (OH)

It’s hunting season here in Ohio!  All around the countryside, hunters are sneaking though the fields, climbing tree stands, and checking their trail cams.  The deer are careful and on alert, listening and sniffing the air for the sign of trouble.  Failure to sniff out the enemy can have deadly results for the hunted. 

As Christians, we have to be on guard against temptations and situations that can cause us to fall away from the Lord God.  1 Peter 5:8  warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”.  Peter, in his letter to the Christians across Asia Minor (modern Turkey), has tried to encourage the believers to stand firm in the face of persecution.  Instead of getting revenge or lashing out against people who have hurt us, Peter encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings and be thankful for the opportunity to do good to those who hurt us (1 Peter 3:8-12). 

It is easy to want to strike back, to say something hurtful, or to defend ourselves.  But God has a higher purpose in mind behind our suffering.  He wants to shape and mold us into mature Christians.  Sometimes, we have to endure hard times to allow that change towards maturity to occur.  It is tempting to want to respond in kind to those who hurt us.  We have to stand firm and resist the urge to take the bait! 

 Peter reminds the Christians that this is a sneaky trap, set by our enemy, the devil.  We have to be on the alert, and watchful to avoid falling into the traps set by the enemy.  Like deer trying to avoid the hunter, we avoid the traps of temptation by seeking to do God’s will.  Peter asks us to be alert and sober minded.  Resisting the temptation to lash out at our enemies or to hurt other people is not easy.  But the more we resist, the easier it is to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  God wants us to trust Him.  As we obey Him, He will “restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).   

Questions for Discussion: 

  1. How can the devil “devour” Christians? (5:8) 
  1. How do we resist the devil? (5:9) 
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To Pursue Holiness

2 Corinthians 5-9

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (NKJV)

Devotion by Merry Peterson (Canada)

Do you remember the Sunday school chorus you may have learned when you were young that went something like this: ‘O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see.  There’s a father up above who is looking down in love. O be careful little eyes what you see.’ This simple song with several more verses served as a reminder to us that what we take into our minds and what we allow our bodies to do can either lead us in good directions or bad directions and that God was looking down on us lovingly wanting us to make the best choices for ourselves. 

There are bad directions we can go in that cause us to become filthy before God both in our inner spiritual life and how we outwardly conduct ourselves.   In this verse we, like those first Christian believers, are being encouraged to pursue holiness in a world that is full of temptations that bring filthiness before God.  In Corinth idol worship, temple prostitution and general perversion was normal in that day – all things that would be part of everyday life and could be a temptation to take part in unless you were of the new Christian faith. 

Unfortunately, we live in a similar kind of culture today but the temptations are different.  Today virtual reality, artificial intelligence interactions, violent gaming, tik-tok influences the whole pandora’s box on the internet present the most daily temptations to succumb to filthiness instead of pursuing holiness.  Don’t get me wrong – you are reading this on the internet so not everything is an invitation to filthiness – congratulations on choosing to view something that will encourage you to pursue holiness!  The Corinthians, and we, are faced with the same challenge.  To pursue holiness.  What does holiness look like in body and spirit anyway?  Glad you asked.  

Holiness means to be set apart – to choose differently.  Part of holiness is choosing to fill our hearts and minds with the things that will draw us closer to the Lord and to use our bodies in ways that would be pleasing and honoring to him.  A good way to keep your mind focused to pursue holiness is to follow Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things.”  If we follow this advice we are less likely to fall into the trap of allowing ourselves to become filthy before God in our thoughts and consequently our actions. 

For Reflection:

Are there ways that I am allowing myself to be influenced towards pursuing filthiness before God instead of holiness?  Are there habits that I should give up?

What plan can I put in place to help myself pursue choices that will help me to live a life that points towards holiness in choosing God’s best in my life?

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Consequences for Evil Overflow

Ezekiel 18-20

Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 24, 2017, for Ezekiel 20-21.

In Ezekiel 20 God reviews Israel’s history.  Over and over God provided for His people, over and over He warned them to get rid of their idols, keep His commands and observe His Sabbaths.  Over and over Israel failed to obey God and experienced the consequences.  Over and over God was compassionate and loving and forgave His people and restored them to blessings.

Israel has repeated this history again.  They failed to get rid of idols, they failed to keep his commands and observe his Sabbaths, and now they were about to experience the consequences of their sins.  God would once again treat them with mercy, not as their sins deserved and restore them to their land.

Ezekiel juxtaposes God’s promise to be merciful and restore His people with the threat that His judgment is coming and that both the evil and the good will be cut off from the land and the city and the temple.  Yes, everyone will suffer the consequences of the evil behavior of some.

There is tension throughout Ezekiel.  The wicked will suffer for their sins and the righteous will not suffer, except that at first they will suffer for the sins of others.  Sometimes when God brings his judgment designed to bring people to repentance there is collateral damage.  Good people suffer when bad people sin.  It’s how it was then, it’s still how it is today.  God’s salvation is coming, earth will one day be restored and made whole and good, but in the meantime, good people will suffer alongside the wicked.  Christians are martyred in places like Pakistan and Syria.  Christians sometimes suffer persecution in the United States.  Trials may come to God’s people during times of judgment, but those who trust God and repent of their sins will be saved.

Reflection Questions

  1. How often do we fall into the same cycle of disobedience that the Israelites followed for generations? What can be done to help break the cycle for you personally?
  2. How does God’s mercy and justice coexist throughout Ezekiel and today?
  3. What trials are you willing to persevere to avoid disobedience to God?
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Jehosheba – A Heroic Example

2 Chronicles 19-23

In Second Chronicles 22:10-12 we find the account of Jehosheba hiding her nephew, Prince Joash, when he was one year old so he is not murdered by his wicked grandmother after his father dies.  Joash is hidden until he is seven years old when he becomes king, which will be included in some of next week’s readings.  This is the kind of storyline we would typically find in fictional writings or movies.

Jehosheba is a hero of the Bible who saves a toddler from the evil schemes of a power-hungry authority.  Consider how Moses was saved under Pharaoh’s reign, or Jesus during the time of King Herod.  Even with this heroic act, we know little about Jehosheba.  She was the daughter of King Jehoram and married the priest Jehoiada.  These are two historical figures most people know little about.  Her husband led a rebellion to instill the rightful heir of David to the throne in Jerusalem.  Her father was so evil the Bible says that when he died it was to no one’s regret (2 Chron. 21:20).

I want us to consider this last fact, the daughter of a wicked king performed a righteous act that preserved the line of David.  We all come from somewhere.  I know some whose parents, although not perfect, may be considered by the Bible as ‘wise’ or ‘righteous’.  They follow(ed) the ways of God and set a great example for their children.  I am thankful that this is the experience I have.  However, I also know some whose parents may be considered by the Bible as ‘foolish’ or ‘unrighteous’.  They follow(ed) their own ways or the ways of the world, giving no regard to God, and setting a poor example for their children.  This would have been the experience of Jehosheba.  As she grew up she would have witnessed terrible things.  It is very easy to follow the lead set for us by our parents.

As an adult, Jehosheba chose to do the right thing no matter the influence of others in her past.  She made a choice to help rather than harm.  She chose righteousness, not evil.  It may be a challenge for us to move beyond the example set for us by others, even our parents, if that example was negative.  However, we can see from the example of Jehosheba that we can do it.  We can choose to help rather than harm.  We can choose righteousness, not evil.  Our past does not have to dictate how we choose to live today.

When we choose to do the right thing, it will often not look like saving a toddler from an evil Queen.  This was Jehosheba’s heroic act, not ours.  Sometimes our right action might be showing kindness to someone who hurts us.  If our example in life has been returning an insult for an insult, then responding to an insult with kindness will be a great action!  Sometimes our right action might be obeying the law, when others insist we break it.  If our example in life has been disregard for authority and giving in to the pressures of bad influences, then responding with abiding the law and saying no to temptation will be a great action!

No matter our past, let’s look to Jehosheba as our heroic example!

-Michael Cisler

Reflection Questions

What other people from the Bible followed God more closely than their parents?

What are some of the ways in which they did this?

How could a person overcome some of the multi-generational dysfunctions that sometimes follow them into adulthood, and choose to live heroically instead?

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Burned by Sin

Joshua 5-8

But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites. Joshua 7:1 (NRSV)

As God promised, He led the Israelites to victory over Jericho. It is to be ransacked and destroyed, and there are to be none left alive, aside from Rahab and her family. There were specific items (gold, silver, etc.) that were taken from the rubble that were to be set aside and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord.

After this great blessing of victory, one would assume that everyone would honor the directives of God and be obedient to him, but alas, we’ve been here before. Despite God proving himself time and time again to be a God of his word, both in blessing and in punishment, this knucklehead named Achan decides to take a heap of these goods for himself, and he buries them underneath his tent.

The stuff is hidden, there was so much of it, no one is going to know. The only one that this affects is him, and he’s going to keep it a secret. Maybe, eventually, it will just seem like this is some of the swag that was received from the Egyptians as they sent their ancestors out of Egypt. I don’t know what exactly was going through Achan’s mind, but I’m sure we’ve all been there, deceiving ourselves, justifying the stupid decisions that we have made to disobey or to take something that we have no business possessing.

As I sit here, I am reminded of an instance where one of my brothers took something that did not belong to him. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 90s and I’m a little fuzzy on some of the peripheral details. But we get home after a trip to the grocery store (Bohning’s in Ponchatoula, LA, I believe), and we discover that my brother has in his possession a whistle pop. After further investigation, it is discovered that he has many of them; in fact, he has a FULL BOX of whistle pops. At some point while we were standing in the check-out line, he grabbed the box off the candy shelf and shoved it under his shirt or down his pants. Now, I’m assuming that my mom took him back to Bohning’s to return it, as had happened when other contraband candy items had “shown up” in our house.

Now, a 5-year-old is not going to get arrested for petty theft and is probably going to get some sort of punishment for their misbehavior, but that action did not just affect him. There is embarrassment when a parent brings their child in to cop to a misdeed, apologize, and return the uneaten contraband. The stakes are low in this situation, but the principle is there: sin and error do not just affect the perpetrator.

Israel is feeling a kind of high as their God has just handed their enemies to them, and they are going to press forward into the land. They go make military advances on Ai, but they are driven back; they do not experience deliverance against their enemies; they are driven back and several dozen of their comrades fall to the enemy.

How? Why? Why would God deliver them a fortress and then allow them to fall to a less powerful fortification?

Because sin doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Sin affects everything. You don’t have to sin against someone for them to be affected; there are plenty of indirect effects of sin. We don’t have to go into a laundry list of sins, but different sins can cause us to behave and think in certain ways that harm others. Sin can lead to anger. Sin can lead to spousal abuse or neglect. Sin can lead to broken relationships. Sin can lead to more and more sins being perpetrated. Sin can break hearts. Sin can put a wedge between a person and God, and I’m not talking about the person that sinned.

Achan’s sin caused God to be furious, and he withheld his blessing and protection from Israel. Achan’s misappropriation of riches, which had nothing to do with the battle against the people at Ai, led to the loss of a battle. The sin affected all of Israel. In this case, Achan lost his life because of his sin.

So, if there is unrepentant sin in our homes, in our churches, in our relationships, and our individual hiding places, we can expect that it is going to affect others in one way or another. Sin cannot be reconciled with good. Jesus died to free you from sin, not to free you to sin. Yes, sin is crouching at our door; your enemy, the devil, is on the prowl like a lion to devour you with temptation that leads to sin (1 Peter 5:8). But when we sin, we are not to try to justify it or explain it away. I’ve cited it already this week, but here it is again:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Achan confessed his sin, but the damage had been done. He waited till he had been found out and others had suffered extreme loss due to his actions.

When we fall short, it is best to confess quickly before it becomes a bigger mess in our lives and the lives of those we love (or don’t even know).

-JJ Fletcher

Reflection Questions:

  1. Why is it so easy to overlook God’s commands?
  2. Is it difficult to read about the punishment for sin that is described in scripture? Does it lead you to a greater appreciation for the New Covenant in Christ’s blood?
  3. What thoughts did you have on Achan’s sin as you read through today’s reading in Joshua 5-8?
  4. Why is it easy to be blind to the way that our sin affects others?
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The Right Side of the Law

OLD TESTAMENT: Lamentations 3

POETRY: Psalm 119:113-120

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 8

“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” — Isaiah 33:22 NIV

Hate is a strong word. I tend to avoid using it because it feels so absolute. There’s no wiggle room for love when you use the word hate. Sure, I don’t love waiting in the drive thru of McDonald’s for half an hour when I only ordered a large number 7 with a Diet Coke, but I do love listening to Spotify. In thirty minutes I can listen to maybe ten songs, and those ten streams made the lucky artist approximately $0.04! It’s all about perspective… (I was not lovin’ it)

Verse 13 in Psalm 119 makes two things absolutely clear, “I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.” I put the reference to Isaiah at the top of this post because today’s selection of poetry calls to mind one of the titles we use to address God: the Judge. Lawful diction is used throughout the passage with words like statutes, decrees, and commands. We are reminded that our God is a just one, so imagine the blessings in store for us if we keep on choosing to honor the laws he laid out for our life.

If that doesn’t light a fire under you, then I recommend rereading the end of the selection, which states, “You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.” (Psalm 119: 118-120 NIV) 

There are two sides on the coin of justice. I don’t always know which side my decisions land on but I know that I don’t want to be rejected by Him, so it’s important to continue studying Scripture and to develop a relationship with the Lord. Then we can stop relying on probability, flipping a coin with every choice, and just rest in his sustaining power.

— Austin Kizer

Reflection Questions

  1. Are there areas of your life that have “wiggle room” for more of the Lord? Consider how you can invite God into those moments and listen for Him.
  2. It’s easy to focus on our wrongdoings, so ponder and celebrate times you felt like you brought honor to God. How are you honoring the Lord on a daily basis?
  3. What “evildoers” do you need to stay away from? How are you keeping up your shield and taking refuge in Him?

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Can they Recognize you as God’s Child?

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 12 & 13

POETRY: Psalm 116

NEW TESTAMENT: 1 John 3

I love looking at my children and seeing which traits of theirs are mine and which are my husband’s. My eldest is my miniature, with her blue eyes and wavy brown hair. She also has all my attitude, but also my creative flair. My second has her father’s eyes and coloring and his gentle spirit. And our son…I’m not sure if either of us were ever that mischievous, but I think we can both claim his cleverness. 

What a beautiful thing to be recognized as God’s child, though. 1 John 3 starts out with this proclamation. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” He claims us as his own, and loves when people recognize us as being children of God. And who can recognize us as such? Only those who know the Father as well. 

Those who know me well, can likely look at my children and see that they belong to me. They recognize characteristics. But those that don’t know me? It’s not so obvious. And that is why the world does not understand us. If the world doesn’t know God, it won’t recognize God’s traits in us. 

This chapter speaks a great deal on sin and how we must turn from it. It speaks on love and hate. But my favorite part of this passage is the promise that it offers, right off the bat. Verse 2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 

One day, we will be without sin. One day, our relationship to God will be obvious. We will look like his son, Jesus Christ our savior. Everyone will see the resemblance. But until that time, we struggle against sin and imperfection. Verse 9 tells us, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” 

The world is looking at us, Christians. They are seeing us proclaim to be children of God, followers of Christ, and they are suspicious. If they don’t know God, they won’t recognize our conviction and our faith. But they recognize sin as we all do. And they see when we proclaim to follow God but refuse to turn from our sin. They see when we don’t love. They see when we are spiteful, or petty, or cruel. They see when we say “Love your neighbor” but do not carry out the actions. They see selfishness, pride, and haughtiness. These traits are fully recognizable as worldly traits. 

The world may not always understand true, Godly love, but we are to show it anyway so that others can see glimpses of God’s love for them. It is his great desire that we all be his children, and that one day, at Christ’s return, we are all made pure and fully known as Children of God. 

Reflection Questions: 

What traits do you show that you hope others see as Godly traits? Which areas in your actions and attitude do you feel you need to work on so that others better recognize you as God’s child?

How can you better love those around you? Is there someone in your life right now that frustrates or hurts you that you find difficult to love and be kind towards? Read through verses 21-23 and pray now for some extra strength and grace from God to be more loving toward them, so that they can see God in you.

Praying over you this week, my brothers and sisters. I’m so grateful to be a part of God’s chosen family with you.

– Jenn Haynes

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Religion that is Worthless

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 38-40

POETRY: Psalm 107

*NEW TESTAMENT: `James 1:19-27

Have you ever spoken without thinking and hurt someone as a result?  Maybe you have seen this object lesson before, but think of a tube of toothpaste.  It is really easy to squeeze the toothpaste out (my kids are happy to do so in excess if they make it to the counter before me).  But once it is out, it is incredibly difficult, time consuming, and messy to get that toothpaste back in.  Once you speak, you can’t take your words back.  You can apologize, but that doesn’t change the fact of what you said.

How quickly do you become angry?  I like verse 20 which gives us a reason why we should be slow to become angry – “for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

It is easy to get angry, to speak rudely, to interrupt others’ speech.  But these things do not help us to live the life God wants us to.  It might make us feel better for a second to have an outburst, but usually, we feel worse afterwards and it has done nothing to improve our lives.

But how do we go about avoiding this temptation that is easy to slide into?

“get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

In a small group I was a part of in the spring, there was an idea that kept coming up from discussing the sermons – if you aren’t producing good fruit in your life, take a look – are you letting sin have a hold in your life?  We have to be constantly on the lookout for where sin seeps in and push it out in order that our fruit can show.

Verse 22 – “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says[!]”  You have to act.  It is great to go to church, listen to sermons, classes, read the Bible on your own, etc.  All great things.  But if all you do is listen, it isn’t going to make a difference.  You need to actively push the sin out of your life and pursue the good.

To circle back to the beginning of this section, here is what James writes in verse 26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” 

That is strong language!  Do you thing about your words having such an impact as to make your religion worthless if you do not control your tongue?

Think about your speech – do you need to work on controlling what you say?  Is there speech you need to ask for forgiveness for?  Is there speech you need to forgive someone else for?  What moral filth do you need to get rid of in your life in order to be able to accept God’s word?

Silence has value.  In the words of Thumper “if ya can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

~Stephanie Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you thing about your words having such an impact as to make your religion worthless if you do not control your tongue? When might you have questioned someone else’s religion because of what they said? When was the worth of your own religion decreased due to what you said?
  2. Think about your speech – do you need to work on controlling what you say?  Is there speech you need to ask for forgiveness for?  Is there speech you need to forgive someone else for? 
  3. What moral filth do you need to get rid of in your life in order to be able to accept God’s word?
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“Marley was dead: to begin with.”

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 26-28

Poetry: Psalm 69

New Testament: Galatians 4

“Marley was dead: to begin with.”

Sometime in the Advent season, my family gathers round and we read out these words. There is a familiarity to this “scary ghost story”; who hasn’t seen, or watched, or read, or heard some version of *A Christmas Carol*. There are dozens, scores, of different versions: stages plays, to ballets, to movies, to the MUPPETS. Seriously, if you haven’t seen a Muppet’s Christmas Carol, what are you doing in the Holiday season?

As I was saying, my family reads these words every year, and I particularly love Dickens’s dry humor and wit, which is somewhat lessened by the theatrical productions of his creation. 

But he also makes very clear why he begins his illustrious novel with a death of a character we know nothing about : “The mention of Marley’s Funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”

It is in the exact same vein that the author of 1 Samuel 28 reminds us, “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.” We already knew that from 25:1, but the author wants to be really sure. Absolutely positive that we get it. 

Saul is going to attack the Philistines but the Lord doesn’t answer him. And so Saul, in stupidity and desperation, decides to go to Endor, looking for a witch. The witch, in fear and trepidation, speaks as and for Samuel whom she “brought up”. Up from the dead, speaking to Saul. “Samuel was dead to begin with.” This was a big deal. This was massive. We are expecting something wonderful, or maybe in this case, something awful to come of the story which the author is going to relate.

There are some great questions that come to mind when we read this story (see below), but I want us to pick up on what Samuel says to Saul : “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?” 

When Saul drags him up, Samuel says “What do you want me to do about it?” Like I said, I expected wonderful or awful; I did not expect grumpy and sassy. 

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in sin, and our lives start going poorly, we think, in stupidity and desperation, “more sin will fix this.” Of course, we never say those exact words. Saul didn’t either, but he also didn’t listen to the commands of the Lord. A little compromise here, a little not following the will of God there. “I didn’t kill the sheep so they could be sacrificed!” God stops listening to his prayers, and so he turns his inward sin of rebellion into the outward sin of divination. He does fulfill the prophecy of Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:23. 

We tend to do the same. We tell a lie, and to cover up that lie we have to tell more. (Like Junior Asparagus covering up breaking the Art Bigotti Plate.) Instead of dealing with our lust and desires of the flesh head on, we heap false prophecy onto it and say “God told me we should be together.” We lump pride onto sloth: “Sure I was mentally checked out when I was physically clocked in on the job, but I just need some self care. I deserve it! Treat yo self!” 

You might think the words used (pride, sloth, lust) in those examples (“stuff that everybody does”) is a bit extreme. Maybe, but sin is usually insidious. Saul didn’t start off thinking he was going to be cavorting with witches in the middle of the night. David didn’t think that avoiding his duty of going to war would end up with him murdering his companion. 

Maybe, through you reading the story, you can begin to see that nothing good comes from heaping one sin on top of another. If you find yourself walking down the road of sin, I know how hard it is to change; still, confess your sins, seek the help of pastors and friends who want the best for you, change your ways. Only in turning from sin to the God who wants the best for us will we be able to seek his forgiveness, and not find him as an enemy, but relate to him as a Father who loves his children. Christ will empower us, advocate for us, give us his spirit and put us in a place where God can change us and bless us. 

“And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!”

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you need to confess and stop sinning?: Start off by focusing on the thrust of the devotion; are there any sins in your life that need confession? Where you need help to get out of addictive patterns or habits that are hard to break? Stop the sin as soon as possible so the healing can begin. Only then should we think about the rest of these questions.
  2. Did the magic work?: I have heard some people say the witch was scared *because the magic worked.* As in, she wasn’t expecting a real appearing. But the text indicates that she was scared because she recognized Saul while doing her magic. Saul had killed all the diviners. Why was she scared? The ancient people believed magic worked : The witch in Endor, like the slave girl of Acts 16, make us ask do *we* believe that magic works? Should we be more afraid of participating in the occult and magic than merely saying “that’s make believe”? 
  3. Are ghosts real?: Samuel seems to be a ghost. Are ghosts real? What is the Biblical picture of the afterlife? Jesus compared it to sleep, Ecclesiastes talks about the dead knowing nothing and not praising God, but the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. Does the Bible teach that people can become ghosts? If it doesn’t (and I think it doesn’t), then why did the disciples think people could become ghosts?
  4. Coming *up*?: Where was Samuel coming from? It says Samuel was coming up? If the dead keep on living, we should expect him coming down out of heaven; Samuel seems grumpy, like a man awoken untimely from his sleep. What did the Israelites believe about Sheol?
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