Tag: sin

His Eyelids Test the Sons of Men

Leviticus 14-15

*Psalm 11

Matthew 24

            Today, as you are reading this devotional, it’s my birthday which is a little ironic because as I am writing this particular devotion a week before it is released, it’s on the anniversary of my death day (2/14, see my devotional on 2/5/26 for details).  It’s an interesting contrast when you consider it.  I am alive by the grace of God.  Today when I woke up, my wife asked me (as she normally does when she wakes up) “How are you today?”  My response was, as it normally is, “I am alive!  I’m wonderful, I should be dead but I’m alive.  God is good.”. 

            If you think about it, we should all share that same sentiment: God is good, we exist at all because of His goodness and mercy, we are alive simply because He wills it.  There are things you don’t even know about that God probably did to ensure that you woke up today, opened your eyes, and breathed.  There are times in your life that you might have died, whether you are aware of them or not, when God saved you and let you live up until right now, today.  What a blessing! Sometimes we take that for granted, please take my advice: don’t.  Life is precious, and if you are reading this, it’s a gift that God gave you directly because He wanted to.  Be grateful.  This too shall pass, enjoy it now.

            Today we’re going to discuss something weird.  It might even be considered controversial and a little disturbing by some, but we’ll draw our conclusions from scripture.  We’re going in for a deep dive today, are you ready?  Listen: I know that it’s a lot more time consuming, but it will really help your understanding if you look up all of the verses listed today, as we’ll be going to quite a few other scriptures to get a “holistic” understanding.  They’ll all be in bold font.  Our focus today will be Ps 11, read that in it’s entirety, and then let’s consider Ps 11:4 specifically, which says “Yahweh is in His holy temply; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” (LSB). 

            We all know and understand the “His eyes behold” portion, and know that God sees mankind and gauges our actions (As proof texts read the following and don’t take my word for it:  Ps 33:13-15, Ps 14:2, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Prov 15:3, Zech 4:10, Hebrews 13:2, Mal 3:16) it’s a constant theme throughout scripture.  God Himself, or His agents, are observing our actions constantly.  How else could He rightly judge?  The whole earth is His, and everything in it (Ps 24:1).  But what does it mean to say “His eyelids test the sons of men”?

            Jesus explains in Matt 5:28 that if you sin in your heart, it’s still a sin.  James 1:14-15 explains that our hidden desires, when fed, lead to sin and then death.  Wrong thinking leads to wrong doing.  I can’t speak for you, but I can speak for myself personally and say that even when I have done no physical sin, I constantly struggle internally to be holy.  I sin in my heart constantly, and I’m really trying not to.  Whether pride, or lust, or envy, or greed.  YOU can’t see it, but it’s there, and I’m painfully aware it’s there because for the last couple years I’ve been trying to purify my heart and follow Jesus in every way.  Here’s the thing, though: God sees it (1 Sam 16:7), because His eyelids test the sons of men.

            Q: How, though?  A: In your sleep.  Have you ever been asleep and had a dream that you recalled briefly upon waking that involved a moral dilemma, or course of actions that you had to choose between?  That was what I call a “dream test”.  God tests your heart, almost constantly, many times in dreams or “visions in the night”.  Not only that though, but He instructs us as well.  You very seldom recall it, but once you start paying attention, you’ll notice more of it.  Sound crazy?  Check these scriptures out : Job 33: 14-18, Ps 7:9, Ps 16:7, Ps 17:3, Ps 139:1-4, Is 26:9, Jer 17:10, Matt 1:20, Acts 18:9-10, Rev 2:23.    My point is this: you can clearly see, through scripture (and scripture cannot be broken) that God not only tests us but instructs us in our sleep.  In dreams, in visions of the night.

**As a sidenote Job 33 is my favorite chapter in the bible because it is MY story, and the story of God’s grace and mercy: it was written for and about me.  It’s also where I discovered this concept.  See Job 33:14-30 if you’re interested.

            I think it’s important at this point to note that even if we have a revealing dream, we must always test the spirits to make sure they are from God (1 John 4:1).   Since we are engaged in a spiritual war (Eph 6:12) it is absolutely plausible and probable that your enemy may test you as well, or try to divert you.  For an example of this read Job 4:12-21 very carefully, consider the source, and recall that later Eliphaz is chastised by God because “you have not spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7).  This stuff is a little scary, but remember that Yahweh God is “Most High”, and protects us fiercely as a loving Father (Zech 2:8, 2 Thess 3:3).

            Your creator, He who formed your heart, knows your heart…better even than you yourself do.  This is why David asks God to reveal to him his hidden faults and cleanse them in Ps 19:12; David understands that God knows him better than he knows himself.  We are called to not just act right, but to be right.  Even in our hearts, where we think no one else can see, because GOD SEES.  This is the most challenging thing, for me, because I’ve found that if you’ve immersed yourself in the world you begin to think in worldly terms and it’s hard to change your perspective.  We have to be born again (John 3:3, keep your finger here), to repent (change course) and be born of the spirit (John 3:5).  THIS IS A REQUIREMENT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD, not an optional career path as a Christian (John 3:7 ok, you can move your finger now).

            God is trying to teach us, He is testing us and helping us pass the future tests by giving us instruction and direction when we are sleeping.  Sometimes, if we listen closely, He will instruct us when we’re awake (Is 30:21, Ps 32:8).  He also speaks to us every time we read the scriptures.  The problem isn’t that God isn’t speaking to us, the problem is that (particularly among the distractions of this evil age) we’re not listening hard enough.  So what can we do to listen to God better?  Well, funny you should ask…

PRACTICAL STEPS TO ACTIVELY LISTEN TO GOD:

  1. Pray before you sleep, ask God to speak to you.
  2. Read scripture right before you go to sleep to prepare your heart and your head to listen
  3. Keep a journal by your bed to write down dreams or messages (Trust me.)
  4. Expect it: God has been and will continue trying to speak to you.  LISTEN.

Reflection Questions

  1. How many times a day do you hear the voice of God?
  2. How many times a day do you actively seek to hear the voice of God?
  3. Do you think there’s a correlation between those two, and how can you increase both?
  4. Have you ever had a dream and knew that it was from God immediately when you woke up?
  5. If answer to the question above is “yes”, did you journal it to remind yourself? (Please consider doing so, if you don’t already).

PRAYER

Father God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, please instruct me.  Teach me, Lord.  Open my ears that I might hear, and open my eyes that I might see.  Help me to do your will, to be humble before you, and place You in the rightful spot on the throne of my heart.  Grant me wisdom in equal portions to the mercy You grant me daily.  Be my shelter, Father, and protect me in this evil time.  Please forgive me when I fall short in my heart, and lead me along the path that enters Your kingdom.  I thank You and I praise You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Our Sin Against God

Leviticus 4-5

Psalm 8                

Matthew 22

We are reading today in the book of Leviticus which is where many Bible reading plans go out the window.  Tough going I admit but full of truths for us to mine if we can look past the intricacies of the law of Moses set down.  Reading from Leviticus 4 and 5 today there are some words that we could examine more deeply.  We read about sin offerings, trespass offerings and others.  What is this all about?

Leviticus 4:2-3(NKJV) If a person sin (ha’ta  Strong’s H2398)  unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.

When God  talks about sin, He is talking about something much deeper and more complex than regulatory lists of good and bad behaviors or choices. He is concerned with the corruption of God’s intentions for us that show up in human relationships and choices. This can be something that we do or something that happens to us.

(ha’ta  Strong’s H2398)  is translated as sin but means “to miss the mark”,  like shooting an arrow at the target and missing.  We miss the direction that God wants and has asked us to go in, and then end up in a place He did not intend us to be.  All the words in bold below are this word (ha’ta)

Leviticus 5:5-6(NKJV) And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

Leviticus 5:17(NKJV) If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)

We start down the path of sin by doing something or saying something that misses the mark, but then we are told that we must bear that “iniquity” (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)  This is a different word  that starts from the missing of the mark, but then causes us to become “bent or twisted”.  When we intentionally or unintentionally miss God’s standard of life, we become bent by our sin.  In the Old Testament the answer was the sin offering for the original sin, or a trespass offering for the bent nature of our lives.  Unfortunately, we all have missed the mark of the standards of God’s Word and have become twisted in our human natures.  Examples of this type of twisted behavior include deceitfulness, violence, and other kinds of harm we might do to others.

This is the root cause of our human sin nature that no amount of self-discipline or self-chastisement can make us straight again.  We are never able by our own efforts to make ourselves perfect before God, only by His grace and mercy can we come before Him. 

Take a paper clip and unbend it to a more or less straight piece of wire which is what it was to begin with.  Can you make it straight?  Close maybe, but not really.  Now bend it back into the same shape as it was before coming out of the box.  Can you bend it back to the original?  These are the results of our sin nature that we have in our human lives.  Our sin causes us to become bent or twisted, and no amount of effort on our parts can make us straight or perfectly formed again. 

Our “Good News” though is that there is an answer to our bent nature coming from the sacrifice that God gives us in the life of His Son.   Look at this familiar passage from Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:4-6(NKJV) Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)” 
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus brings our sin, trespass and bent nature to the cross and takes it all on him to heal us in every way.  “He has born our griefs” which is our sicknesses and “by His stripes we are healed”  which is to take away our pain. 

Luke 22:41-44(NKJV) And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Questions for Reflection:

How great is the grace of God in Christ to us?

What can we do to live out our walks in Christ today?

Has the discussion changed your perception of what sin is?

Prayer:

Father God thank you for straightening us out in Christ and keeping us on the straight paths to You.  Give us help today to confess our sin and walk with You in the spirit that you have given us.  Bless the works of our hands and keep them that they would do the good works that You have ordained for them.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray this day.

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O Brother!

Genesis 4-5, Proverbs 4, Matthew 2

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

Do you have a brother? Did you ever fall short, at a time when your brother did not? Have you ever felt jealousy or anger? Have you ever acted on your feelings, severing a relationship? Even if you don’t have a brother, there is much to be learned from this short account of two brothers in Genesis 4, the first set of brothers born to Adam and Eve – Cain and Abel.

Both brothers brought an offering, or sacrifice, to God. Cain, a farmer, brought fruit of the ground. Abel, a shepherd, brought a firstborn sheep. It seems good and logical to us. Offerings to God are good. But, some are better than others. And some, God says, are not accepted/respected/pleasing to Him (depending on which translation you use). Throughout Scripture much more will be written about offerings (including many different types of offerings in Leviticus, the widow’s 2 mites, a cheerful giver, etc…). We do not have a written record of how God conveyed His expectations to Cain and Abel before this, but we do know that God desires relationship with His children and He sees into the heart and if He wasn’t pleased, there was a good reason for His displeasure.

We all have been in the position where God is not pleased with what we have brought, done, or said. But where do we go from there? Do we see jealousy, anger, sin of any kind for what it is and seek to make correction? Or do we dig in deeper into our self-righteousness as we inch (or sprint) further and further from God and who He wants us to be? God gave Cain a choice, just as He gives each one of us. He said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6,7 ESV)

Cain didn’t do well. He did not find a way to control his thoughts and actions and anger. He did not rule over/master the sin that desired to have him. He killed his brother. He was not accepted by God.

In Genesis 3, God had asked Adam “Where are you?” and one chapter and generation later God asked Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And I don’t think God was too impressed with Cain’s answer: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Yes, as we seek to have mastery over the sin in our own lives, we are also to be looking out for our brothers (and sisters – even those not through blood lines). How does my sin affect those around me? How am I bringing down others with my attitudes, actions, anger, lack of self-control, and sin?

We can be thankful for the examples of those who have gone before us – both the examples of what they did right and what they did wrong. How they handled it when they didn’t measure up? What they could have done better? What happens when jealousy is allowed to fester and take over? What is the problem with anger? Both Cain and Abel were used as very real examples in the New Testament by multiple writers –

1 John 3:12 – Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.


Jude 1:11 – Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error… (Perhaps a “Profitable” clue as to why Cain’s offering wasn’t pleasing to God.)

Both Matthew and Luke record Jesus speaking of Abel to the Pharisees (those with heart issues over sacrifices, perhaps similar to Cain’s). Matthew says: “from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah” (Matthew 23:35, see also Luke 11:51).

And Abel, although his life and example were cut short, he becomes the very first named example of faith and righteousness recorded in the great list of witnesses known as the Faith Chapter of Hebrews 11. After commending those who believe the universe was created by the word of God, the writer says: “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4 ESV)

What is Abel’s faith and example saying to you, today?

Reflection Questions

  1. In worship today, what makes a sacrifice acceptable, pleasing and respected by God? What sacrifices today are not acceptable, pleasing and respected by God? What sacrifices or offerings have you brought to God as part of your worship to Him? Are there some that are not too impressive? Are there some that are not given with the right heart, or are not much of a sacrifice at all?
  2. When might God ask you, as He asked Cain, “Why are you angry?” When have you been jealous of what others have brought to God or jealous of another’s ability to please God? When has comparing yourself to others, and God’s acceptance of them, left you bitter and angry? What do you do with your anger? What did God tell Cain that would be good for you to hear, too? (Take a closer look at Genesis 4:6&7.)
  3. In what ways can we use the examples of both Cain and Abel to “do well” today? What ought we to do? What ought we to not do? How can we rule over the sin that desires to have us? If God were to come asking YOU the whereabouts of your brother/sister (in blood or in faith), how would you answer? How can you take a positive step toward being a helpful “brother’s keeper” this week?

If you were hoping for a devotion and questions on Matthew 2, here’s a link to one for SGL posted on January 2, 2022.

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Without Shame

Genesis 2, Proverbs 2, Matthew 1

Devotion by Aaron Winner (SC)

Visit any home with young children after bath time, and you’ll quickly understand that it is not uncommon to see a child streaking through the living room with nothing but a grin. Our children still live in a stage of innocence, and while their word “nakey” simply defines a lack of clothing, it carries none of the weight or connotations that often accompany the word naked. While comfort levels with wearing one’s birthday suit vary widely, physical exposure is usually reserved for environments of trust and intimacy.

Adam and Eve stood before one another in the Garden of Eden in such a state. Without shame, they walked fig-leafless as they tended to their calling as caretakers of creation. Their nakedness reinforced intimacy within marriage, but it also revealed something deeper. They stood before their heavenly Father “nakey” as well. As with childhood innocence, the absence of sin allowed exposure without fear. This openness demonstrated not only their relationship with one another, but also their unguarded connection with their Creator.

So, to have meaningful relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, should we band together to form a nudist colony? Please, no. But in a far more important spiritual sense, we are invited into this level of intimacy. God forms relationship with us through His presence as He moves alongside us while we tend His world—speaking truth, laboring together, and allowing Him to shape us through shared faith and testimony.

Narrowing our focus further to our nuclear families and closest friends, we are called to be even more personal and exposed, not performative or guarded in appearance. Whether we look at the forming of the first family, the father-to-son instruction in Proverbs, or the genealogy in Matthew, each offers examples (and warnings) of how trust, proximity, and intentional teaching shape the spiritual life of a household. Today is as good a day as any to check in on someone within this circle, or to seek them out, so that we might better know one another and, together, better know our Heavenly Father.

“For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it.” Proverbs 2:21

With the propitiation of sin through Jesus Christ, we can now be presented before God without shame. The promise remains the same: the blameless will remain in the land – A perfect, promised one to come, which makes me scratch my head and wonder, “Will our resurrected bodies be ‘nakey’?” I know we will be wearing smiles—and we will have to see about the rest. But even now, we are invited to live and walk with one another in a spiritual closeness that reflects what was once lost and is now being restored. And in that place, we may once again find ourselves standing without shame.

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you imagine life was like for Adam and Eve before sin entered? What do you imagine it was like for God? What changes took place with the first sin?
  2. What do you feel shame about? Why? What does God want for us when we feel shame? How can shame be overcome?
  3. What are your thoughts when you read Proverbs 2:21?
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True Fellowship

Romans 8-10

The book of Romans has been called the Magna Carta of the Word by many writers when they describe the freedoms that God shows us in its pages.  Romans 8 is the start of a transition from the doctrine of salvation that is presented in Chapters 1-7.  Chapter 8 is about walking in the spirit and what true fellowship with God is based on.  Chapter 9 moves to a section that is concerned with Israel and their relationship to the church and salvation in Christ.

Chapter 7 ends with these verses where Paul tells us of his frustration with his walk of believing
Romans 7:21-25. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Paul has trouble with his Christian Walk???

But then Romans 8 begins with this contrast of truth about who we really are in Christ:

Romans 8:1-4(NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

The transition that we are being taught by Paul is that when we walk in fellowship with God, then we are able to overcome our sin nature.  We will be without condemnation when we are guided by the spirit of God that He has given us.  Our spiritual nature of Christ in us gives us the power and ability to do the will of God and do good in this world.  

We have Christ in us when we are born again by God’s spirit but our daily walk with God is one of obedience to fellowship with Him, or disobedience to living without God’s fellowship.  Christ walked in perfect fellowship with God and because he always did the Father’s will, he was not condemned by the law.  

What are the ways we can grow in our ability to be in fellowship with God and His Son?

Romans 8:5-6(NLT) Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

The Old Testament law really is a law of life, but the Pharisees and scribes had turned it into a law to control people politically and physically.  Look sometime at the undoable complexity of the rulemaking in the Talmud and Mishnah.  Those regulations are only to control people from a human standpoint.  Jesus Christ does all of God’s intentions for the true interpretation of the law of Moses.  He is judged righteous by God because of his obedience.  God gives to us the righteousness of Christ when we confess him as lord and savior.  

Romans 10:9-13(NLT) If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

Our salvation is received by grace from God and is not dependent on our works or actions before that point.  We cannot earn our salvation, but we receive it by trust that Christ is what we need in our lives.  To confess him as lord is to say fully in our hearts that we cannot do this ourselves but will follow and obey him.  Many denominations have reduced this as a simple confession of “Jesus is Lord”, but to truly say this declaration it means that I understand the complete futility and incompetence of my own efforts.  I need the righteousness that comes only from God in Christ to overcome the sinful person who is me.

What righteous thing have you done that will impress God with your goodness?

Before or after the point of your salvation?

Grace from God is the only way to fellowship with Him.  We can approach the throne of grace because the righteous son of God is there to advocate for us.  God sees us with the righteousness of the Christ in us and then we are able to have fellowship with a righteous God.  By our own efforts we fall completely short of this.  That is why we are able to walk with no condemnation from the law of Moses or the law of slavery to sin that we are delivered from. 

Why do we need Christ’s intercession with God on our behalf?

Have a victorious day today walking in fellowship with God with Christ beside you.

Romans 8:38-39(NLT) And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Only God’s love can change us and this fallen world.  Thanks be to our God that He truly loves us so much to save us and take care of us each and every day.

Love in Christ – Tom Siderius

See Reflection Questions Above

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God’s Wisdom

James 1-2

Devotion by Juliet Taylor (Tennessee)

How do you want to be known? James calls himself, “a slave to God and to the Lord Jesus the Christ.” Though we’re no longer slaves, but friends of Christ, it is a great grand opening to talking about how to be perfect, which is in doing the will of God until the end of our lives (because we’ve become people who really want to)!

James is writing to the 12 tribes dispersed abroad, so in other words, he’s writing to Jewish Christians in various lands. I’m not sure what persecution was going on at the time of James’s writing, but we have seen in other books of the Bible that spreading the Gospel put a target on Christians. James gives his brethren what they need to endure whatever happens to them to the end of their lives. He gives them God’s wisdom.

James encourages his brethren to consider various trials with joy, as a testing of their faith, as it produces endurance, which results in perfection. These words point my thoughts to Jesus in the garden. What was about to happen to him was happening because others hated him for what he spoke and did, and they wanted his influence to stop. They were jealous.

Jesus was in agony thinking about the cross and thinking about the disciples and early Christians who were about to be scattered for his sake, that James may be writing to now. He endured the cross by thinking about what would be accomplished because of this final trial.

This is how you endure hardships for the Lord; you think about all of the people you will influence by following Jesus’s example so that they too can desire to love like Jesus and be saved. This perspective can bring you joy. Changing your mind to have this perspective during various trials is wisdom from God.

But if we lack wisdom about what to do, especially during hardships, all we need do is ask and God will be generous to teach us his ways. But we must ask in faith, without doubting.

We shouldn’t doubt that he’ll give us wisdom about what to do when we ask because he’s proven that he’s a good God and father, who teaches us his ways for our own good. A good father won’t give his children something that’s going to harm them when they ask for something they desire, right (Luke 11:11-13)? Of course not. He’s going to give them what they need (though it may not always seem like it, such as in the case of Jesus going to the cross).

If you doubt that God is going to give you wisdom for your own good, and instead will give you wisdom that will harm you or make your situation worse (e.g., Massah & Meribah), you’re showing him that you don’t trust him. You’re like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. You’re not going to get anything from him if you don’t trust him.  

James goes on to teach the dispersed brethren a bit of wisdom that we can all heed. I think it is the wisdom of God that’s of utmost importance for us to follow as his disciples. We’re not given a set of laws we must follow in the New Covenant, but we are given wisdom. Let’s desire it like Solomon did and do it like Jesus did:  

A poor man knows that God is his provider. He can glory in his humility (glory in that he seeks God’s wisdom for his survival). But a rich man that does not rely on God for his means and pursues what he wants for his own personal gain can glory in his humiliation. He’s not going to make it to the Kingdom of God without seeking the father’s wisdom about his provisions (or his abundance).

Know that this life comes with trials. Trust in God’s wisdom to get through it and let it shape you into the kingdom citizen God wants you to be, so that you won’t be a person that desires harm to come to anyone, rather, you’ll be a person who loves like his son. In the end, your crown of life will be waiting.

Understand that when temptation comes, it didn’t come from God. It came because our world has been shaped by people who didn’t always choose God’s will. It came because there is a devil lurking about, persuading people to choose to eat of the tree that’s choosing their own wisdom about what’s good and evil, and then they do evil, which affects everyone. It came because we ourselves don’t always choose God’s will. Our own lust breeds sin that will always lead to death. But choosing God’s wisdom about what we should do to overcome our lust (our own will) approves us as one who wants God as our judge when we do what God says is good.

Every good and perfect gift given comes down from the father above (meaning, it was given by God, and it was his will). It was his will that he brought us forth by the word of truth (his wisdom about creating us new in Christ), that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creation. So be the first fruits you were meant to be, as lights to the world like his son.

You already know God’s word, so put away what remains of filthiness in your life that will prevent you from seeking God’s wisdom and doing his will. Be quick to hear from God, slow to speak, and slow to anger so that you will be a person prepared to receive the word implanted, which is his wisdom about what you should do to save your soul (and your neighbor’s soul).

If you hear the word of God (God’s wisdom about what you should do) but then fail to do it, you’re like someone who looks at himself in a mirror (hearing the word only), but then walks away, forgetting what he looks like. I equate this with going to church, getting filled with the Holy Spirit to do God’s will, then forgetting that you are a child of God throughout the week, and that you were meant to shine for others to see through your works. We need to actually do what we hear. That’s the word implanted. It’s continually being filled by the holy spirit so that we can walk by it (action).

Instead of looking at yourself in the mirror, look intently at the perfect law of liberty, to love as Jesus loved, so that you won’t be an effectual hearer only of the word, but a doer. Notice in this example that there’s no walking away, in contrast to the mirror. You look intently at it so that you won’t walk away and forget. Your eyes are continually fixed upon the law that says to do something, for loves sake, to save others, just like Jesus did.

Bridle your tongue to let God’s wisdom about what you should do prevail and guide you (by being quick to hear when you ask, slow to speak so that you’re sure you’re speaking God’s will and not your own, and slow to anger – God’s will about what you should do isn’t going to be to tell you to get angry, for the most part, because anger does not bring about the righteousness of God). Your own tongue can deceive you into thinking that you’re doing God’s will, but it’s just lip service if you’re not doing what God says to do.

Pure and undefiled religion is in the doing of God’s will continually, instead of our own (which is sinning). Doing God’s will will keep us unstained by the world. For Jesus, pure and undefiled religion was laying down his life for us. For us, it may be to love orphans and widows in their distress by visiting them and giving them what they need. It can be loving anyone in distress by visiting them to help them, especially the brethren.   

Don’t just do good for those who society favors. If you do, you’ve chosen to be the judge of who’s deserving of God’s royal treatment, rather than relying on his wisdom about it. God favors those who favor him, who are generally the poor, because they’re humble (they rely on God for his wisdom instead of the rich, who generally rely on their wealth).

If you show partiality by way of how you treat the poor compared to the rich, then you’ve dishonored the poor. And for what? The favor you show to the rich goes to people who oppress you. They are those who have no problem dragging you into court when an issue arises, and will there blaspheme your name to win a case against you.

If you are fulfilling the royal law from scripture (Lev 19:18), “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well, because that’s God’s will (and in so doing, you fulfill all the Law of Moses and the prophets (Mat. 7:12; 22:40 with the Shema)).

If you show partiality however, that is sin. It is sin because you’re using your own wisdom/being the judge of who’s deserving of God’s royal treatment (who gets your love and who doesn’t?). It is better to be merciful to the poor than to judge them unworthy of your mercy by way of how you treat them.

And if you sin in this way, you are guilty of sin and are convicted as a violator of the Law (of Moses, I think; but also of the law of liberty). Not showing partiality is a moral law we should still “follow” under the law of liberty because we want all people to enter the kingdom of God. Treating the poor as well as we treat the rich just may show them the love of Christ, planting a seed of faith/trust that will bring them to the kingdom.

Jesus explained how to do this with some of the laws from the Law of Moses in his Sermon on the Mount. Here it looks like James is doing it with the law against showing partiality. The wisdom from God then, is the same wisdom from God under the New Covenant regarding how to fulfill this commandment. It’s in loving your neighbor as yourself – not just the rich and influential.  

Under the New Covenant, we are to speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty, serving all with God’s royal treatment (treat them how you’d want to be treated because you are motivated by love to get them into the kingdom).

If you committed the sin of showing partiality under the Old Covenant, you would have to repent by making a sacrifice to cover the sin. Under the New Covenant, you need to repent to your high priest Jesus (a much easier yoke), and stop showing partiality because you realize that you want the poor to know the love of Jesus and enter the Kingdom of God as much as you want to. If you don’t show them mercy, God will not show mercy to you on the day of judgment.

You can’t rightly say you have faith without works that are evident of your faith. Your works are how you treat people based on whose will you decide to follow. If someone says he has faith but no works, it is like telling the cold and hungry person who asked you for food to, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” without actually giving him anything. This is worthless if you don’t give him what he needs when you are able.

Belief that something is true is not enough for justification’s sake. Take the belief that God is one for example. The demons believe this to be true, but shudder. They know the truth, but their actions reveal that they follow their own will and oppose the preaching of faith in Jesus. They shudder because they know they are guilty before a powerful God and will face destruction soon.

Abraham (a Jew) had faith, and so did Rahab (a Gentile). They believed that God was able to fulfill his promises to them for their good (or that God’s people would fulfill their promise because of who their God was in Rahab’s case), and so they acted based on their belief. They are included in the promises of God because of this. Likewise, let’s prove that we have faith by our works, which are acts of love, proving that we are becoming a person like Jesus, who chooses to do God’s will for the good of all; for loves sake.

QUESTIONS

1. Do you think that the sins of others in times past have affected your walk with God? If so, how can you change that so that you will affect others with the good you do?

2. Do you think the Royal law is the same as the law of liberty/freedom?

3. If we are guilty of a sin (like showing partiality) under the law of liberty/freedom, how does our high priest Jesus differ in how our sin is handled from the high priest under the Old Covenant?

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

Ask Not for Justice, but for Forgiveness

Nehemiah 13 and Malachi 1-4

Devotion by Telva Elwell (SC)

Oh, how Nehemiah must have wished for a happy ending.  Jerusalem seemed to have been on the right track. The people were singing songs of praise and worship as they marched on the newly rebuilt wall of Jerusalem.  Joy filled the streets of Jerusalem and the hearts and souls of the people.  Fast forward to the future by about 11 or 12 years, and during that time the people had jumped off the wall and were up to their eyeballs in the filth of sin and rebellion to God and His laws.  Nehemiah had gone back to Shushan to his previous position, but when he heard the news of the sad state of affairs in Jerusalem, he returned to Jerusalem once again.  How could things have gone so terribly wrong?

If Nehemiah had prepared a list of things the people were doing wrong, it would have looked something like this.

Things you are doing wrong:
Nehemiah 13
  1.  You are mixing it up with outsiders like the Ammonites, and Moabites, who are enemies.
  2. You are allowing Tobiah to live in a large room in the temple.  Eliashib, a high priest, has given him a room because one of his relatives was married to Sanballat’s daughter, and Sanballat and Tobiah were friends.  (I know, it’s a bit confusing.  But we all know who Sanballat and Tobiah are, and this just can’t be good.)
  3. Tobiah is literally living in a room of the temple dedicated to the storing of the offerings used by the Levites.  (Umm, not good.  Where are the offerings kept now?)
  4. Where ARE the offerings?
  5. You are allowing your daughters and sons to marry people from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, which you promised NOT to do.  Many of their children even speak foreign languages.
  6. You have stopped paying taxes!  You have stopped giving tithes and offerings to the priests and can’t even provide wood for the altar. (13:32-39). (Guess that is why “room” previously used for storage and offerings had opened up for Tobiah in the temple.)
  7. You are working and selling on the Sabbath, which you promised not to do! (10:31).
  8. Need I continue?
Signed:  Nehemiah

Sounds like Nehemiah had his work cut out for him.  Apparently so did Malachi, the prophet.  Malachi’s words against the people of Israel sounded hauntingly similar to Nehemiah’s words when describing the sins of the people of Israel.

Things you are doing wrong:
  1. You doubt the love of God (Mal 1:1-5) (see also Deut. 6:4,5).
  2. The priests are cheaters who offer polluted, lame, sick and blemished offerings to God (1:6-14).
  3. You divorce your wives then marry pagans (2:1-16).
  4. “You have wearied God with your words saying, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them” (2:17-3:6).
  5. You are thieves.  You are keeping your tithes and offerings (3:1-8).
  6. “You have spoken against God by saying that it is vain to serve Him, and what is the profit of keeping His commandments? You call the arrogant blessed” and say that “evildoers prosper”. (3:13-15)
  7. You ask, “Where is the God of justice?” (2:17)
        Signed:  Malachi, the Prophet

What Israel did not realize was that they did not need justice as much as they needed forgiveness.

Whereas Nehemiah took a more hands on approach to the problems, even to the point of throwing furniture, hitting and cursing certain men, and pulling hair from their heads (Neh 13:25), Malachi would debate them, beginning with an accusation, then Israel would dispute that accusation, but in the end, God would have the final word. 

Israel demanded to know “Where is the God of justice?”  What they wanted was justice for their wicked enemies and they wanted it now. They claimed that “everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He is pleased with them” (2:17). How can a just God do such things?

And so, God Almighty responded! “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come. (3:1) He then asked a question: “Who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?” (3:2) For “He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver” (3:2,3) “So I will come to put YOU on trial…says the Lord Almighty.” (3:5).

This is not where Israel expected the debate to go. They wanted God to deal with their enemies now. Instead, Malachi is telling them that they need to be cleansed and purified now.

 “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” (3:7) Will they accept that cleansing?   Will they return to Him?  Will they accept His forgiveness? Oh, how Nehemiah and Malachi must have longed for the people to return to God, and “to assemble with fasting, and with sackcloth and earth upon them.  And for the seed of Israel to separate themselves from all strangers, and stand and confess their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers”, as they did when the wall was rebuilt. (9:1-2).

Hope and a Promise

God, the God of Justice, assured them that He will take care of the evil ones.  “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.  But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.  Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,”’ says the Lord Almighty. (4:1-3) But for Israel it depended upon them deciding now which group they belonged to—the arrogant and evildoers, or those who revere His name.

 “Return to Me”, He pleads.

 He then ends with this promise: “I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.  And he will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (4:5).

 As for us, just like Israel, it all depends upon taking accountability and confessing our sins because He is faithful and just and will forgive. (1John 1:9)

Reflection Questions

  1. Did jealousy play a role in the sins of Israel?  If so, does it still play a role in our lives and sin today?
  2. Why do you think it was so easy for Israel to fall back into sin repeatedly?  Were they sincere when they walked the wall of Jerusalem singing praise and thanksgiving?
  3. Do you find it difficult to stay away from sin?  Why?  Can you relate to Paul’s struggles in Romans 7:7-25? In what ways?
SGL.2025.SeptemberFullPageDownload

The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 4-6

Devotion by John Tullis (Ohio)

Have you ever heard someone say “I see the writing on the wall…”? 

Sometimes the truth of a situation can be so obvious and plain that we can do nothing but accept it as reality.  After the reign of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, his son Belshazzar took the Babylonian throne (Daniel 5:1-2).  As a son, he no doubt saw the amazing transformation of his father from a king who worshipped gods of gold and silver to a devoted worshipper of the one True Living God (Daniel 4).  But he failed to acknowledge God as the source of his wealth and power.  Instead, Belshazzar gave praise and thanksgiving to the old gods of his father Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5:4).  As a consequence, The One True Living God (our God Yahweh) decided to destroy the Babylonian empire because of the sinfulness of its leader, King Belshazzar. 

What Belshazzar needed to read was “the writing on the wall”.  Daniel tells us that the “fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace” (Daniel 5:5).  The king was terrified and pleaded for someone to help him understand the writing that had appeared on the wall.  Once again, Daniel was brought before the king to interpret the strange message – Mene, Mene, Tekel, Peres.

As we have seen, Daniel was a devoted follower of the One True Living God.  All the days of his captivity in Babylon, Daniel had been richly blessed by God.  Daniel was able to read the writing on the wall.   He delivered the terrible message that Belshazzar would be brought to an end, that he had been found guilty of sin, and that his kingdom would fall to his enemies.  Stunned by the message, Belshazzar rewarded Daniel for his honesty and skill in deciphering the message.  That very night, the king would be killed by the enemies of Babylon, the Medes and Persians.

It is difficult to face the truth of sin in our lives.  Each of us, like Belshazzar, has been “weighed in the balances and found wanting” (Daniel 5:27).  Each of us has been found guilty by God because of the sin that is in each of us.  His word says that each of us has sinned and fallen far short of God’s glorious, holy standards (Romans 3:23).  Like Belshazzar, we deserve to suffer the consequence of that sin (Romans 6:23).  But God desires to offer His grace to each of us.  He wants to forgive us of our sin and restore us to a right relationship.  He gave us this chance by delivering up His only Son to be the “atoning sacrifice” to take away our sin (Romans 3:25).  Though we deserve spiritual and eternal separation from God, He graciously offers to us a path of salvation.  Some believe that Nebuchadnezzar may have submitted himself to the one True God.  This new faith in God could have resulted in his redemption.  God himself refers to Nebuchadnezzar three times as his “servant” (Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, and 43:10).  Perhaps, just maybe he was a recipient of God’s amazing grace. 

The message is so clear and is freely given to each of us.  It is as if He wrote the message clearly upon the walls of our hearts and minds (Ezekiel 36:27-28).  The message of grace, freely given by God, to offer us salvation and adoption into His family – through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  This very moment, will you read the “writing on the wall” and place your faith in the Son of God, for the forgiveness of sin?

Questions for Discussion:

  1. Why did God continue to bless Daniel during the reign of three different kings?
  2. Why do you suppose Belshazzar fully accepted Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall?
  3. Daniel consistently stood for God despite dangerous opposition.  How can you faithfully submit to God in your situations?
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Clean the Pot

Ezekiel 24-27

Devotion by Rebecca Dauksas (South Carolina)

Today I scrubbed out our cast iron skillet. It would have been easier the night before, but I put this task off until today. It reminded me of our reading from Ezekiel 24. The parable for the Israelites contains a dirty, rusted boiling meat pot destined for cleansing by destruction. The pot was symbolic of Jerusalem. Ezekiel once again shares what the Sovereign LORD has said by telling his people this parable. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem. The LORD shows the people what will happen if they continue in their evil practices. The LORD refers to Jerusalem as the city of bloodshed. When faced with a warning that severe negative consequences including death for many will follow their actions, we would think that they would stop sinning. We want the people to repent, to turn to God and accept His deliverance and His salvation. Unfortunately, they do not. 

That nasty stuff in the pot should have been removed long ago, but the people continued in their sins. We could compare the rust of the pot to the bloodshed that had taken place in Jerusalem. God had seen the killing and wounding of others in this city of blood. All the actions of the people were in full view for God. He also states that their impurity was lewdness. They did detestable acts and committed adultery. They chose indecent, obscene behaviors rather than allowing God to clean out all that crud.  They should have been filled with shame and repentance, but they openly committed their sins. The scripture tells us that the LORD tried to cleanse them, but they would not be cleansed. They were told, “You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,” declares the LORD. 

The people of Jerusalem would not turn from their sin, but we can. We can recognize when we fall short and confess our sin. After all, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. So God can make us a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”

Reflection Questions

  1. What sins has Ezekiel mentioned in his book? What does God not like about them?
  2. Why do you think God is giving warnings before the punishment comes?
  3. What sins do you think God sees today – in you – that he would (or is) sending you a warning about? And what sins in the world around you?
  4. What would the cleansing process look like if we turn to God? What would the cleansing process look like if we don’t?

SGL.2025.AugustFullPageDownload

Hope in the Middle of the Ruins

Lamentations 3-5

Devotion by Dustin Farr (South Carolina)

The book of Lamentations is heavy. It is a raw, unfiltered look at grief. Jerusalem has fallen, the temple is destroyed, and the people are either dead, exiled, or living in deep suffering. The city walls have been torn down, homes burned, leaders captured, and the streets are empty. Hunger, fear, and loss have touched every household, and the once-proud city is now a place of desolation. Every chapter is filled with heartbreak, and the writer doesn’t shy away from addressing the pain.

But this is more than just a story of destruction. It’s an honest record of what it looks like when life falls apart. When the consequences of sin, both personal and collective, are unavoidable. The people knew God’s commands, and they chose to break them. Now they are living with the fallout, and it’s not pretty.

What stands out is how Lamentations holds both grief and hope at the same time. In chapter 3, right in the middle of all the sorrow, comes this anchor: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). It’s not spoken after things get better. It’s spoken in the middle of the storm. That’s what makes it powerful for us. We all face seasons that feel like ruins, and the truth is, they do not always get better. Our faith cannot rest on whether life is comfortable or whether blessings are obvious. It has to be steady, no matter the circumstances. Like Job, who said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21), we are called to worship God whether life is full or stripped bare. The struggle may not lift quickly, but we can rest in the salvation we have through Christ and in knowing that our God is a Redeemer. Even when we cannot yet see it, He is at work.

Lamentations reminds us that it’s okay to be honest about our pain, but it also calls us to cling to God’s character in the middle of it. His faithfulness isn’t proven by how quickly He fixes things, but by His presence and unchanging promises even while we wait.

Reflection Questions

  1. Lamentations shows the people facing the full weight of their choices. How does acknowledging the reality of your own situation, without excuses, change the way you pray?
  2. The writer of Lamentations keeps talking to God even when he feels unheard. How can you practice staying in conversation with God when your prayers seem unanswered? 
  3. The book ends without a neat resolution, yet with eyes still turned toward God. How can you hold on to hope when you have no guarantee of when or how God will act?

(Thank you, Dustin Farr, for writing this week! Dustin is a first-time writer for SeekGrowLove and we look forward to hearing more from him. He is a recent Graphic Design graduate.)

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