Category Archives: Devotional

The Source of Our Courage

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Everyone probably struggles with fear in one form or another. I’m not really speaking of a serious phobia nor suggesting anything like paranoid behavior. I’m only pointing to the nervousness, doubt or hesitation that holds us back from that which we know deep down to be good. It can be revealed in our unwillingness to take the next step to advance our career, our reluctance to introduce ourselves to the new guy at work, or our inability to share an important struggle with a close friend who most likely would be happy to help us bear the burden.

We can learn a vital lesson from the life of Moses. Here was a man – a confessed murderer, no less – who fled from Egypt 40 years before. He then returned as a wilderness shepherd, staff in hand, and had the chutzpah to demand that Pharaoh release into his custody a large chunk of the Egyptian labor force. Courage exemplified.

So where did he get it? Was he just that kind of a guy – the kind of person I am not? Not hardly. If we journey to Exodus 3 to spy him at the moment God revealed this great calling upon his life, we find him just as fearful or hesitant as we might be – drowning, it seems, in a tank of inadequacy:

… Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11 (NKJV)

But he was the guy to do it. So the Lord responded with:

… “I will certainly be with you…” – Exodus 3:12 (NKJV)

And that made all the difference. Moses, doubt intact, still did what he had to do. Later, Joshua received a similar command/promise:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

And what was true for them is true for us as Christians:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. – Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)

 

Remaining Watchful

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Yesterday morning at 3:00 AM the church’s burglar alarm went off. The alarm company called me – and I missed the call. Alas, I had set my phone to “silent”. When I finally woke up at 4:30 (no I don’t always rise that early) I noticed it, so I called the alarm company back.

Sigh of relief. They had been able to contact Debbie, who told them not to call the police. Good thing she lives right around the corner. I decided to spare Debbie the grief of another call that early (on a day off, no less, with the preschool closed) so I waited until later to ask her about the incident. If she said the police were unnecessary, then everything must be OK.

When the alarm people called, Debbie took a look at the place from her privileged vantage point and everything seemed calm and in order. A key detail is that only one “alarm zone” went off – in an isolated stairway/entrance. If someone was in there with evil intentions, there would be more alarm activity: motion in an office, opening of a crucial door, an attempt to disarm or disable the alarm system. Perhaps it was an animal. We’ve had both birds and bats in times past.

When I got there later, I noticed no living creature, but another interesting fact. A window in one of the classrooms was open. Wide open. That particular window is among the most accessible from the outside and it was open wide enough for a person to climb in or out. Flying creatures have normally entered through open windows upstairs. Moreover, it’s hard to imagine it was left open by accident on Sunday. It’s late December and Jake and I checked all the thermostats, doors, etc., as usual. Not likely the gaping window would have escaped our notice, but it may not have been latched securely.

There is no apparent damage to the place and nothing seems to have been taken. Perhaps fear gripped the prowler after he made entry and he fled. Maybe the sound of the alarm scared the intruder away. There are some real lessons here, mostly regarding watchfulness:

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:5 (NKJV)

  1. Be watchful all things.
  2. Always check all doors and windows to make sure they’re tightly closed.
  3. Keep the alarm set when no one is in the building.
  4. Thank Debbie for answering her phone at 3:00 AM.

Eternal Life: What’s That?

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I love it when the Bible defines its terms. It helps clear the air or lift the fog and increase our biblical literacy. So much of the Bible’s vocabulary can seem like jargon. It’s like trying to enter a conversation about art, cars, computers, music or any sport when you’re sort of a newbie. The Scriptures throw things at us that we have either never heard of before, or can easily misunderstand for lack of a biblical definition.

The phrase eternal life is one such expression. Everlasting life is another way to say it. At first glance it seems obvious; it must be life that lasts forever – plain and simple. Now that’s correct as far as it goes, but it’s incomplete. There’s more to it than that and Jesus adds to our understanding in one of His prayers. In the Gospel of John He is speaking to His Father and, in passing, says the following:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. – John 17:3 (NKJV)

So this “life” is more than existence that goes on and on without stopping. It is life that is bound up in the relationship that we have with the Father and the Son – so much so that Jesus matter-of-factly says that it is that relationship. That is one compelling reason to deepen our connection with God. The very connection itself is eternal life. And that is a relationship that we will have all eternity to explore.

Bible Trivia: This is the only recorded spot in the Bible where our Lord refers to Himself as “Jesus Christ”.

The Importance of a Good Memory

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Why do we ever forget important things? We might imagine that simply because something is important we should remember it – yet that is clearly not always the case. Birthdays, anniversaries, people’s names; the list goes on and on. We might never declare these things trivial, but they continually slip our minds causing us frustration and embarrassment.

In the spiritual realm, our ability to remember carries greater consequences. Moses, after teaching the children of Israel God’s laws and reminding them of His goodness toward them, added the following admonition:

Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren. – Deuteronomy 4:9 (NKJV)

If they forgot what the Lord said and did, they would soon forget God Himself, or simply assign Him a place in their national trivia. And this might ultimately lead to their demise. So, how did these hearers of Moses do? Not all that well, really. We soon read:

So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. – Judges 3:7 (NKJV)

The consequences of this national, collective Alzheimer’s disease were devastating. Much of the Bible is dedicated to the details, as the nation went through one enormous memory lapse after another. It’s safe to assume we’re capable of the same.

As a personal application, I intend to use many of these journal entries to tell and retell the stories of what the Lord has done in my own life and in the corporate life of Horizon Central. He has been exceptionally kind to us as a church and me personally. We dare not forget His goodness.