JMD Devotional 204 Zechariah 7:9-13 Harder than Steel

Thus has the Lord of hosts spoken: Execute true judgment and show mercy and kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother; and oppress not the widow or the fatherless, the temporary resident or the poor, and let none of you devise or imagine or think evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone or diamond point, lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore there came great wrath from the Lord of hosts. So it came to pass that as He cried and they would not hear [He said], So they shall cry and I will not answer, says the Lord of hosts.

In the X-Men Comics, Wolverine has indestructible bones made from the strongest (imaginary) metal known, Adamantium. The name of this fictitious metal comes from the word ‘adamant’ which means utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion; inflexible. This is the exact opposite of the kind of heart and attitude that God can work with. This is one reason why salvation is not universal:

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed on His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12 NIV

Why is it that stubbornness observed in a child who plugs his ears and crosses his arms and stomps his feet appears so foolish but we can’t recognize the same foolish spirit in ourselves when we rebel against God? It only earns us wrath and blocks our blessings. You cannot “receive” with clenched fists!

Dear God,

When I am stubborn and inflexible, I confess that my behavior reveals the delusion that I know better than You, that my way is superior: how foolish! Forgive my stupid pride when I cling to my own way when it is obviously not Your way; and when it is not working. It is as if I have choked off the supply of blood to my brain when I revert to this childishness. Please see past my iniquity and have mercy on this man and bring me back to my senses when I go astray. Do not let me thrash around and destroy my relationship with You and others in pursuit of empty victories. Humble my spirit, Lord; help me to recognize my finiteness of reason, of knowledge, of power, of sanity. I am a debtor in all things to You; my gracious benefactor. My relationships are so much more important than my ‘being right’. Help me to receive true righteousness from You.
Amen

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*New International Version (NIV)
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**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 203 Psalm 90:16,17 The Work of Our Hands

Let Your work [the signs of Your power] be revealed to Your servants, and Your [glorious] majesty to their children. And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it.

There are two predominant worldviews in competition today; Theism and Naturalism. Naturalism states that the material Universe is all there is and ever will be; that man is only a highly evolved, soulless animal that “secretes thought like the liver secretes bile” (Cabanis, quoted by Copleston, 1961). Naturalism leaves us orphaned as cosmic accidents, without meaning or purpose or significance.

Theism, on the other hand, asserts that God created a material Universe that He was not originally a part of. The reason we have artists, engineers, philosophers, musicians, poets, architects, physicians, leaders and accountants is that we were all made in the image of God and we bear His imprint, (though dimly after the Great Fall). Our conscience could not have evolved; self-sacrifice is counter-evolutionary; we were given an inherent sense of right and wrong. We have a purpose and there is a design to everything from snowflakes to your birth date.

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses, and he asks twice for God to confirm and establish the works of our hands. This is fitting because our best work, our excellence, reflects the glory of the God who made us. We were made to shine and shine brightly. Excel and seek God’s blessing on your work. The work of our hands is transitive to the work of His hands. This pleases Him.

Dear God,
You lift me up and elevate the worth and dignity of all humanity. How can I know anything at all apart from You? You have told me who I am and where I am going; no one else can do this; the answers are nowhere else. May Your people revere Your holiness, and reflect it in their life and work and recreation, for Your glorious kingdom.
Amen

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JMD Devotional 202 Zechariah 4:6b Inexhaustible Supply

Zechariah had a vision of a lamp stand and lamp that was being fed an endless supply of oil from two adjacent olive trees. This prophecy was given at a time when things seemed hopeless: a remnant of the Israelite exiles were returning from Babylon to a Jerusalem in ruins, the enemies of Israel kept putting political roadblocks to the rebuilding of the temple and their very lives were in peril. The people sensing their weak position were demoralized; but God reminds them of another context:

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit (of whom oil is a symbol), says the Lord of Hosts.”

The world is an uncertain place in this dispensation. We cannot control the economic, political and social factors that create and destroy empires. None of us are guaranteed health, strength and vitality tomorrow. Besides the external factors; we each have made mistakes which cost us dearly as lingering consequences long after we have been forgiven. In the great stream of life we have but a little control, which we must use as best we can constructively: but we know it will not be enough to see us through. We are finite and we are winding down. But God desires to be the center of our lives; the eternal source of supernatural vitality; the endless supply of spiritual oil burning in our earthen lamps, the vessel of our bodies. God living in and through and for us changes EVERYTHING. (This is how we were meant to live.)

Dear God,
When I am running a few quarts low on oil, and am overheating from the friction; please gently draw me back from where I disconnected from You. It is an old reflex, so deeply entrenched, that wants to do things in my own strength and inclination. Help me to stay connected via your Holy Spirit; lock me into vital union. May the contrast of disconnecting give me a terribly cold shudder that wakes me up from complacency; that I may walk faithfully in The Spirit of Christ.
Amen

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*New International Version (NIV)
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JMD Devotional 201 Zechariah 3 A Brand Plucked Out of the Fire

THEN [the guiding angel] showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua's right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him.
And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! Even the Lord, Who [now and habitually] chooses Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this [returned captive Joshua] a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel. And I [Zechariah] said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by. And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] protested and affirmed to Joshua, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then also you shall rule My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you access [to My presence] and places to walk among these who stand here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues who [usually] sit before you--for they are men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]--for behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch.
For behold, upon the stone which I have set before Joshua, upon that one stone are seven eyes or facets [the all-embracing providence of God and the sevenfold radiations of the Spirit of God]. Behold, I will carve upon it its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity and guilt of this land in a single day.

I credit Neil Anderson in his book, The Bondage Breaker, for making this passage come alive for me. In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua (representing Israel) is standing before the Holy of Holies in filthy garments, which according to the Law, God could have struck him dead! But notice who is accusing Joshua; it is Satan. When God’s representative speaks, He (pre-incarnate Christ Jesus) rebukes Satan and not Joshua. It is said that our self-made ‘righteous deeds’ are but filthy garments before God; we have mixed motives, we are full of duplicity and deceit, fit for hell. However, God is pleased to pluck brands from the fire (a brand is a partially burnt piece of wood). We cannot earn our salvation, but we can humbly receive the salvation that God freely offers. He redresses us in the righteousness of Christ, pure, gleaming clothing without stain or blemish. In Christ we stand without fault before a Holy and uncompromising God. The Stone set before Israel is Christ, the Corner Stone; we are made or broken by how we respond to Him. Redemption is God’s idea; remember next time you slip and Satan is accusing you; that God rebukes the Devil and desires to give you clean clothes. Meditate on His grace!

Dear God,
I am a brand plucked from the fire; oh, how close I came to total destruction! Eternal damnation was measuring for my coffin! Thank You for reaching in and saving me! May I ever rejoice in my salvation and praise Your name. How precious is Your grace and desire to bless.
Amen

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JMD Devotional 200 Psalm 85 The Passion of God

Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger [and disfavor] and spread it out to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)--but let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land.

Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk.

Henry Ford crafted his first motorized vehicle in his basement; it was a labor of love that took many months. When he completed it and was ready to crank it up, he realized that it would not fit through the doorway! One solution would be to disassemble it and reassemble it outside; but if you thought he’d do that, you don’t know men very well. He got out a sledge hammer and took out the wall! Nothing was going to stop him from revving up that engine and going for a ride. It is like expecting a kid to neatly unwrap presents on Christmas morning! We were dead in our trespasses and sins before a holy God. God could have started over; but instead He bore our sins on the cross so righteousness and peace, wrath and love, justice and mercy could ‘kiss’ each other. Then He ‘took out the wall’ that separated mankind from Himself; He IMMEDIATELY tore the veil of separation in the temple, He tore the curtain from top to bottom to let us in!

Dear God,
Sometimes I cannot seem to fully grasp how completely You have forgiven me. I let the memory of my sins haunt my consciousness, putting distance between us in my mind. Break out the sledge hammer, Lord, and break through my mental blocks; help me to clearly feel your grace, love, forgiveness and passion for my soul. May I be completely swept away with You.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 199 Haggai 1:5-10 God First

Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared.
Go up to the hill country and bring lumber and rebuild [My] house, and I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified, says the Lord [by accepting it as done for My glory and by displaying My glory in it]. You looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it].
Therefore the heavens above you [for your sake] withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its produce.

Vs 4 Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins?

In the Gospels, Jesus also has much to say about our priorities and our relationship to ‘things’.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

The ‘these things’ are food, clothing, shelter, etc., all good things; but secondary to our primary calling to serve God first. One way that God gets our attention is through financial stress. When our obligations exceed our resources we are forced to make choices; something has to be jettisoned. Let it be HBO, the Health Club, a subscription, eating out; but not one’s support of the work of God in your community! God will bless you for giving Him your ‘first-fruits’ and not your leftovers.

Dear God,
Often I have struggled due to misplaced priorities. My checkbook bore witness of inordinate affections and mismanagement. My presumption came out in credit debt. Please help me to manage my affairs and household well; and to put You first and establish your lordship over all things, especially my income. For Your Kingdom and glory.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
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**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 198 Psalm 81:7 The Place of Testing

You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

When God delivered the Nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, human nature likely assumed that the work of God was finished. While their physical slave-masters were gone, though, the people continued under another form of bondage to idolatry and sinful godless ways. 500 years of slavery in a pagan land left a deep impression on them. Therefore, God brought them through the desert and let them get thirsty to see if they would come to Him for help or would they revert to their old ways of getting by. The essence of sin is reliance on anything other than God in your life to meet your needs; crisis is a test, like thirst, which often reveals our latent idolatry. When we accept Jesus Christ, it is just the beginning; trials, tribulation and testing are needed to purge us of our unregenerate ways.

Vs10-16 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. [Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever. [God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.

Dear God,
You always test your handiwork; and I so often fail the test. I praise You for being so patient with me, for giving me time to take the same tests again and again until I gradually improve my score. Please give me the sense to quit running from the troubles You use to condition me into a true saint. Forgive me for so often reverting to my old, futile solutions. The right answer is always to trust in, cling to and rely upon You. Testing is for my own good; so help me to face it bravely. I so look forward to the day that You hand me my diploma; that we may rejoice together in Your finished work!
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
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**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 197 1 Peter 3:15-18 Positive Witness

But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. [And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives].
For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God's will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong. For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit,

Saturn represents a new paradigm in the automotive business; dealerships are finally waking up to the fact that people do not want to be ‘sold a bill of goods’; pressured into a decision; to feel manipulated and coerced by an annoying and aggressive salesman. People are still buying cars; but how much better for the dealership when the customer shares with their friends and family that their purchase was a positive experience! That no one insulted their intelligence; that the sales people were informative and helpful; and gave them the space to decide for themselves. No one was made to feel awkward or stupid. Now, if only we Christians could learn to share our faith like that! If we restrain our zeal, and are sensitive to the un-churched, and maintain our highest integrity, we can.

Dear God,
I confess that sometimes I have been a bad witness. Thinking the end justified the means, I bashed and slandered other denominations and beliefs, I was bombastic and critical, rude and self-righteous. Please forgive me! Teach me how to be an authentic and compelling witness; may I first be a genuine friend without guile. I admit I get carried away knowing judgment day is coming; but help me restrain the sharp edges of my zeal so that I can sanely share my faith in an agreeable way. I ask this in Jesus’ name; for Your kingdom and glory.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 196 1 Peter 3:9-12 Transformers

Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God--that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].
For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good--whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit). Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].

The Kingdom of God is manifested in many ways; but one fundamental one is the transformation of what was evil into something good. To follow in our Father’s footsteps, we need to be transformers of our situations. This means seeing past a person’s depravity, sin and belligerence to view them as a potential Saint. One encounter probably will not turn them around; but if God has destined them for salvation, you can be sure He has strategically placed many divine appointments along their path. This calls for us to set our pride, our rights and our agenda aside and reflect the grace of God in difficult situations to difficult people. The Fruit of the Spirit must be on constant display: for our family, the clerk at the Circle K, for my boss and coworkers, for the transient: everybody. We have to be on our guard; because God is ALWAYS up to something good; and He wants us to be His transformers of a fallen world.

Dear God,
I do not want to work apart from You; that is my old, dead works. I do not want to be found idle with good intensions; because wishing is not equal to doing either. Please put me to work WITH You; guide me and lead me and make me into a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. May I get on board with Your Kingdom, Your will for my life and Your way of doing things. Help me to recognize my role in a situation; and my opportunity to shine and reflect well of Your holy influence in my life; to Your praise and glory.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
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JMD Devotional 195 Zephaniah 1:12 Men Settling on their Lees

And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who [like old wine] are thickening and settling on their lees, who say in their hearts, The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.

I am partially responsible for my own burnout and workaholism; but the other side of the 20-80 coin (20% of the people doing 80% of the work) is that my experience of church life is one of seeing tremendous needs go unfulfilled because many capable and talented people were unwilling to serve (except on their own terms). Many seniors said that they ‘paid their dues’ up North and that they came down to Florida to retire. Instead of sharing the wisdom and experience of those years with the next generation of believers, they invest their remaining lives on shopping and golf and travel. Am I being too critical to state that the same people will be the first to complain about the sorry state of the youth in the church and the disintegration of families? If God spared not the natural vine (Israel); the in-grafted branches (the Christian Church) should take careful notice! Zephaniah says God lights a lamp to find the men settling on their lees (going to seed); the implication is that doing nothing to resist evil and doing nothing to promote good are both conduct worthy of punishment.

Dear God,
It is not just seniors, Lord; everybody is growing old one day at a time; each day writes a page of our autobiographies. Please help me to number my days; to not waste precious time on vain things; to invest carefully on getting other people into Your kingdom as maturing Christians. May You not have to light a lamp to find me; make me a faithful servant of the true light of Jesus Christ.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 194 Ezekiel 37:1-3 God’s Rhetorical Questions

THE HAND of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry. And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!

Why does an ‘All Knowing’ God ask questions? (He already KNOWS the answer). I have had my time on the couch, and had a psychiatrist probe me with a string of questions. Sometimes he was fishing for a raw nerve, which was exposed when the question itself provoked an angry response. However, his usual mode was to lead me to discover the answers for myself; knowing full well I would not take his word for what was wrong with me. His questions forced me to explore the other side of things; like my wife’s feelings, the wounds behind my words, and the consequences of my actions; and they exposed my duplicity and self-deceit. Breakthroughs came as my tongue got in sync with my mind and spontaneous lights turned on as honest, unrehearsed answers emerged from my lips. God’s rhetorical questions could accomplish all of those things; but certainly there is the added dimension of provoking faith in us. For Ezekiel, the question was could God restore the devastated nation of Israel, looking like a barren desert of dry bones into vital, thriving life again? For us, it is, “Can God restore and make up for our self-destruction and our wasted, ruined lives and relationships?”
How you answer determines your destiny.

Dear God,
I am an odd duck! I am the kind of saphead that always answers rhetorical questions because they are not self-evident to me. I emphatically state that You can and You will restore my life from the ashes! So much progress has already taken place---praise God! Help me to see other broken and hurting and discarded people as beautiful works in progress; help me to believe that you can and will do the same blessed work in others. May I not judge or condemn that which You are not through with yet; especially myself!
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
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**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 193 Ezekiel 36:24-27 Life only God can Give

For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.

Before my breakdown, I was a workaholic in the Church, over-extended, trying to control everything, always trying to earn God’s favor through doing my own works of flesh. Like the Pharisees, my motives were impure, I was self-righteous, my false piety concealed hellish attitudes. I came up with my own agenda and demanded that God get on the bandwagon and bless it. I was so prideful I thought I was really giving something to God through my self-sacrifice; but it was all wood, hay and stubble. I thought I was ‘God’s gift to the Church’; how misguided, how blind. God did not need anything I could give; He was unimpressed with my ‘works’. He had to destroy it all; and break me down to nothing to heal me and make me into a person He could use. I had to learn that is was more important to BE than to DO (to be authentic, fully submitted, completely dependent and totally committed to God’s will, way and person). I had to die to self-rule, self-sufficiency, self-importance. I had more tricks than a Swiss Army knife has blades; and my reliance on lesser things had to be crushed one-by-one until only God remained. When I finally exhausted all of my own efforts; God could finally do what only He can do; He gave me His Spirit, a new Heart and a new life centered in Him.

Christianity is God reaching down to us; which makes obsolete ‘Religion’ characterized my men reaching in vain to God. Only God has the reach to bridge the great divide.

With my new (God-given) eyes I see myself in the following passage: Vs 31 “Then you shall [earnestly] remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominable deeds.”

Dear God,
I do loath my old, dead works, false self, my iniquity. I now see that there was nothing attractive about this unregenerate man until You came to live in him (in me). Help me to be and stay authentic; vitally united to You and abiding in the True Vine. Please lift my head, help me to look forward; to find my significance in You. Give me an obedient heart and a steadfast spirit.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 192 Psalm 71:19-21 Uncommon Denominator

Your righteousness also, O God, is very high [reaching to the heavens], You Who have done great things; O God, who is like You, or who is Your equal? You Who have shown us [all] troubles great and sore will quicken us again and will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
Increase my greatness (my honor) and turn and comfort me.

Job 5: 6,7 (NIV) For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

We fret about trouble, we avoid it at all costs, but no matter how far we steer clear of it, trouble intersects our path. It is God-ordained; though not to discourage us but to make us great! What great man has risen to prominence without suffering agonizing hardship? God knows the metallurgy of the soul---trust Him through even this. We all go through ordeals; (that is the common denominator); but letting suffering perfect one’s character, that is an uncommon prize.

Dear God,
I am like the horse missing a shoe that runs at the sight of the blacksmith! The hot coals scare me; I cannot see what You are doing when you are filing and hammering on my hooves; so I panic. Please forgive this dumb beast for making it so difficult for You to help me run better. Thank You for the mysterious ways in which You bless me.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 191 Habakkuk 2:13,14 How Much is Too Much ‘Water’?

Behold, is it not by appointment of the Lord of hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the fire [that will consume their work], and the peoples weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility? But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Have you ever tried to water a potted plant that was so dry that the water just ran off the soil rather than being absorbed? So often I have tried to share spiritual truth to people’s hearts that were just as resistant to Living Water. I have been asked, “Can’t you just turn it off?”, referring to my discussion of the things of the Lord. I have been told repeatedly that I am obsessive, a fanatic, I over do everything, I am a broken record, give it a rest, etc. Their lives are drooping; but they only want a little religion, a sip every now and then. You will not grow rice that way. When I was in Korea, I saw the rice paddies. You have to flood the field, it has to be irrigated to the point of standing water. How much is enough ‘religion’? I think God will still be pouring it in after the ‘knowledge of the glory of the Lord” saturates this planet as “waters cover the sea.” The alternative is seeing yourself and everything you have worked for burn up in a lifeless spiritual desert.

Dear God,
Am I fanatical enough? (I think not!) I assume that Your warnings are real; that most of mankind’s work, prosperity and achievement is really only so much ‘firewood’? Give me zeal for evangelism and discipleship; may the gifts You have imparted to me be worn out with integrity like a good, honest tool used every day. Give me a winsome demeanor, a compelling testimony, an effective witness. And please hook up the fire hose…
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
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JMD Devotional 190 Habakkuk 3:19 Progress in Rocky Places

The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

Habakkuk and the whole nation of Israel were shaking with fear at the spectacle of an approaching army of ruthless Chaldeans.

1:12,13 Are not You from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed [the Chaldean] to execute [Your] judgment, and You, O Rock, have established him for chastisement and correction. You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look [inactively] upon injustice. Why then do You look upon the plunderer? Why are you silent when the wicked one destroys him who is more righteous than [the Chaldean oppressor] is?

The way God was working by using a people to punish Israel who were notoriously more wicked than they was hard for Habakkuk to grasp. God tends to work in unexpected ways, and to break out of the mental box we put Him in. When we think we have God figured out, it is more likely that we have shaped a god of our own imagination; a lesser god. Suffering, pain and difficulty are absolutely essential for our spiritual development, to purge us of our superficial Sunday-school image of God and spiritual things so we can reach true maturity. Though the road is rocky and perilous, if you are gaining ANY ALTITUDE, even inching up hill, you are making significant progress. Do not settle for less!

Dear God,
My soul longs to be comfortable; but that is usually when I am stagnant or when I retrograde. Thank You for administering the medicine I need, even when I object and try to spit it out. You know what I need, and I can trust that You have my best interest at heart. Savior, like a shepherd, lead me, even through hardship and difficulty. Your will be done.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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JMD Devotional 189 Habakkuk 2:4 Exaggerated Focus

Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.

Do we really want to see things as they are? I am afraid our ego gets in the way of our vision. Depending upon the condition of our self-image, we either magnify or diminish the center of our field of view. Pride is like a lens that typically exaggerates the things pertaining to yourself and diminishes things pertaining to others; but it can also work in reverse; diminishing your significance, responsibilities and obligations while magnifying the expectations you have for others.

Habakkuk had a problem with God using a more wicked nation to judge Israel. His national pride tended to mask the severity of the sin of his fellow citizens. The presence of the temple and the pride they took in it gave the people a false sense of security; they were not seeing sin for sin; and God’s holiness and their responsibility to rebuke the offenders. Habakkuk eventually resolved his dilemma. The process begins with humility and the deflation of the “I”.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV) Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Dear God,
I so often get in the way of my own field of view, distorting my perception. Pride is so insidious! Please help me to not think too much or too little of myself; give me a right view and a godly perspective. May I see things straight on rather than slanting them to flatter myself or to diminish others. When it comes to vision, I wish I could disappear so that everything would be plain before me. When I am blind to my own folly, guide me, Lord.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
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JMD Devotional 188 Nahum 1:1-3 Depth of God

THE BURDEN or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) concerning Nineveh [the capital of Assyria]. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh. The Lord is a jealous God and avenging; the Lord avenges and He is full of wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and reserves wrath for His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

Vs 6 Who can stand before His indignation? And who can stand up and endure the fierceness of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him.

Vs 7 The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him.

One reason cartoons are popular is that they are easy to understand: two-dimensional characters, obvious plots, predictable outcomes (i.e. the Coyote always fails). In real life, we tend to think we have figured out certain people; that may be true for some extremely shallow ones; but it really does not do justice for someone made in God's image. If we are complex and multi-layered than how can the God who made EVERYTHING be cast into perspective with a few words? Reading the Prophets of the Old Testament paints God one pixel at a time. In a given context God is angry, jealous, offended, powerful, wrathful, avenging... but in another context He is merciful, loving, forgiving, healing and gracious. We have a problem with our perception of divinity if we park on just one aspect of His character ignoring the whole counsel of the scriptures. The whole of it will never fit in our brains; but we can catch the vision of His wonder and majesty.

Dear God,
Forgive me for not giving You very much credit sometimes. For so long, my view of You was limited by (my much loved and honored) emotionally-aloof earthly dad. Wrath I understood only too well; but it took a lot of work to look deeper to find more in both of you. Your love comes in unexpected packaging; what looks like drudgery from a distance is in reality fulfilling work on my character; there are many such gifts I have always resisted. Thank You for being patient with me; and taking the time to manifest Yourself to me in ways I can understand. The more I grasp the more I want to know You and be in Your presence. You are worthy of all praise.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
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JMD Devotional 187 Micah 6:11 What Does the Lord Require?

Can I be pure [Myself, and acquit the man] with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?

People always want God to make an exception for them, to 'wink' at their sin while others are judged. But what kind of Judge would do that? Only a corrupt one. Wrong-doing has consequences. God is righteous, and wrath will come for those who ignore the salvation that He has made so accessible.

Vs 12-15 For [the city's] rich men are full of violence; her inhabitants have spoken lies and their tongues are deceitful in their mouths. Therefore I have also smitten you with a deadly wound and made you sick, laying you desolate, waste, and deserted because of your sins. You shall eat but not be satisfied, and your emptiness and hunger shall remain in you; you shall carry away [goods and those you love] but fail to save them, and those you do deliver I will give to the sword. You shall sow but not reap; you shall tread olives but not anoint yourselves with oil, and [you shall extract juice from] the grapes but not drink the wine.

God's grace provides for our salvation; that in no way is license for sin; but our freedom is the power and the responsibility to do what is right.

Vs 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?

Dear God,
Draw me into Your Holiness, seat me within just company. Teach me Your ways that I may internalize mercy, truth and righteousness in every area of my life. Make me intolerant of sin but have pity on the sinner. May people have no doubt of where I stand.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 186 Psalm 68:19 My Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Psalm 56:3,4 What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. What can man, who is flesh, do to me?

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

I was walking the beach the other day looking for sea beans and other things that wash up. When I go on these walks, I leave my IPOD home because it is one of those special times each week where it is just God and I; a prayerful walk; a chance to decompress and reflect without distractions. I just let my inner monologue run free; and whatever comes up I discuss it with God. I must have had a lot on my mind, because I walked 8 miles! When my walk was nearly over, a troubling situation that I had previously given to the Lord surfaced again. I said, “Lord, I have given this to You, and I give it to You again and leave it with You; I trust that You are big and strong and faithful enough to take care of it for me; I rest in your care. That’s when I saw the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen washed up with the sea weed—a hand-carved lion! If only you could know what it means to me; how personal and reassuring of His love and protection.

Dear God,
You are so good to me! I never know what to expect; You are spontaneous and You do things man can’t predict. No matter how it is packaged, I can count on Your goodness, righteousness and justice coming my way as Your child. You challenge Your people to call to You, and You will show them great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden which we otherwise could not know without Your revealing them to us: may we take You up on that! I praise Your name because it is no challenge for You to deal with each person as an individual; rather, You are well acquainted with all of my ways. Watchful Father, what a blessing You are to me! Thank You!
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 185 Psalm 67:1-3 Grace Grace Grace and Blessings!

GOD BE merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!--
That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations. Let the peoples praise You [turn away from their idols] and give thanks to You, O God; let all the peoples praise and give thanks to You.

We have been made painfully aware of our sins and short-comings; our rebellion has been pointed out, our transgressions recorded. Our earthly parents would have used that as reason to withhold rewards; but not God. God wants us to approach Him and ask for blessing upon blessing. He wants to be known as Good and Gracious and Forgiving; and He wants to make the 'outsiders' jealous for how He spoils His children, because we are His special possession. You cannot out grace God! We expect scolding and that keeps us distant; but reread the story of the prodigal son; the Father's heart leapt when He saw his tattered and muddy son returning home.
Praise God for a Father like that!

Dear God,
You are more wonderful than I can imagine; increase my imagination! Help me to approach You in faith that Jesus paid the full price for my past, present and future sins making me fully acceptable to Your Holy Presence. Bless me because I am yours. Help me to extend the same grace to others.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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JMD Devotional 184 John 9:31 Interference

We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me;

Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with Him).

Proverbs 28:9 He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God].

James 4:3-5 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures. You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?

Dear God,
Does this need any further commentary? I am either with You or against You, gathering or scattering, a sheep or a goat. You have defeated the old sinful man I was; may I recon myself dead to sin and alive to Jesus Christ MY righteous Lord. May there be nothing ambiguous about my loyalty to Your Kingdom. I pledge allegiance to You; keep me by Your divine power from polluting myself in this world. I rest on the finished work of Christ. I know You hear me; help me to keep hearing You loud and clear.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*New International Version (NIV)
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