Prayer & Fasting, Day 24: God is Better.

...my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
 (Jeremiah 2:13). Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 24:8).

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35).

When I was in college, I loved ramen noodles. Loved them. As in, I probably ate them 3 days a week. Cheap, filling, what more could you want? But, after college I got married. Little did I know that my culinary life was about to change. Once I ate the food my wife made for us, I never wanted ramen again. To this day (many years later) I’ve never touched the stuff. Why? Because I’ve tasted something much better.

In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet sums up the nature of Israel’s sins against God. He paints the picture like this: loving and worshiping God is like drinking from clean, clear, cool, flowing springs. The water is good, satisfying, and plentiful. In our foolishness, however, we’ve decided to try to forge for water on our own, away from the spring. We’ve gone to dry place, and dug a hole in the ground. The only water that comes to us know is dirty rain water and toilet run off. And yet, we insist on drinking that water, instead of the spring.

This is a picture of the foolish pride of sin. In insisting that we know better, we merely demonstrate the obvious fact that we don’t. In trying to satisfy our deep soul longings with sex, power, family, relationships, career, or any other created thing, we find ourselves thirstier than when we started. Like drinking saltwater at sea, the tainted water of sin leaves us worse off. How do we stop? How can we possibly change?

Answer: Taste something better.

I legitimately thought that ramen was great until I tasted something better. I also thought bologna sandwiches and those gross slices of “cheese product” were great too. That is, until I ate at my first five-star restaurant. What’s the point? We’ll always think that sin and self-control are great until we taste and see that Jesus is better. And the wonderful news is, he is.

Jesus invited his followers not just to listen to his teaching. He invited ingest the gospel—the good news of his life, death, and resurrection. He wanted his people not merely to be on his side. He wanted them to feast at the table of grace that he was preparing for them.

The simple question for us today is, are we? Have you experienced Jesus as better than anything and everything else? Have you found serving and knowing him more filling than sin? Or, even more to the point, have you found him better than the really good things in your life?

This I promise: until you and I find God to be better than all else, then all else will be better than God. If God is to be glorified in us, then we must be satiated in him.

Jesus, satisfy me today. Cause me to see my sin and selfishness as disgusting. Help me lose a taste for sin as I taste and see that you are better. 

You are the satisfier of my soul. Help me to enjoy you so much that the idea of sinning against you becomes like a bitter taste in my mouth.

Thank you, Jesus, for being better than all the bad and all the good. Today, help me walk knowing this to be true.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 23: God is Jealous.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 
(Exodus 20:2-6). But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.” (Joshua 24:19).

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. (Ezekiel 29:35).

Jealousy is not good. At least, it’s not for us. And yet, the Bible tells us repeatedly that God is jealous. So, what does this mean? And furthermore, how is this at all good news for us?

Webster defined jealous this way: “Solicitous to defend the honor of; concerned for the character of.” This is a helpful starting point to understand the jealousy of God. In the Bible we see the jealousy of God expressed in two ways; jealousy of his holiness, and jealousy for his people. And this presents us with a dilemma.

In Exodus we read that we are to have no other gods but The Lord, Yahweh, the truth and living God. Why? What is the reasoning behind this? Because God is a jealous God. He is jealous for his people, and jealous for his holiness. God knows that if we, his kids, go seeking after other gods and alternative identities, then it’s bound to go bad for us—really bad. In fact, much of the Old Testament is the historical record of exactly how bad it goes when God’s people act like they aren’t. Because God loves us, he is jealous for our affection. This isn’t because he’s codependent or needy, though. It’s because he is good, and knows that no one else can truly take care of his people.

But God is also jealous for his holy name. God will not suffer the smudging of his credibility or greatness. Now, perhaps you hear this and think that God must be insecure. But it’s not like that at all. When we watch human jealousy, it often comes from people who are insecure about who they truly are. Jealous people are pitiable, because they’re not really all that great. God’s jealousy is totally different, because God actually is the greatest, holiest, most extravagantly wonderful being in existence. His jealousy is the only kind that makes sense, because he actually is worth being jealous over. This is good news for us, but it also creates a problem.

Joshua told the people of Israel that, given their sinfulness, they would be unable to truly serve God. We are no different. We are broken and cannot, on our own, serve and love God as we ought to. What are we to do? The only possible solution must come from God himself. And come it does.

In Ezekiel, we find an amazing promise. God’s jealousy becomes the foundation for our redemption. Even though we are sinful and unable to serve God, he will save us. The great dilemma between God’s jealousy for his people and his own holiness is resolved. How can God possibly forgive and redeem people who refuse to love him, and not violate his own holiness? In Jesus Christ.

In Jesus we find the great resolution of the tension between God’s love for us and his commitment to uphold the wonder of his holiness. He can’t just sweep sin under the rug, because if he did he wouldn’t be holy. Neither can he just forget his people, because he is jealous in his love for them. What is he to do? What are we to do?

The only hope we find is in Christ. In Christ, God’s jealousy for his people overflowed in the loving gift of his Son. In Christ, God’s jealousy for his name overflowed in the death of his Son for sin. In it all, we are redeemed, God is made glorious, and we are set free. What a great God!

Prayer & Fasting, Day 21: God is Generous.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15-16). And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13).

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Luke 6:31-33).

Have you ever attempted to communicate with someone, but failed miserably? When it comes to God’s generosity, there’s been a terrible miscommunication. Largely, the world divides into two camps about God’s generosity. In one camp, you find the worriers. These are the ones who are so concerned about money, possessions, career, and the other stuff of life, that they are terrified when and if they lack it. The worriers can never have enough, because they can never rest assured they will be taken care of.

On the other end of the spectrum, you find the willers. These are those that presume that relationship with God will make them rich, prosperous, healthy, and pain-free. Their prayers aren’t supplications of trust in God, but spell-like manipulations of God. They will money into their pockets from Heaven’s coffers. But, when suffering or lack does come, they fall away. Why? Because either God failed to provide or they failed to believe hard enough.

Jesus wasn’t a worrier or a willer. He didn’t have to be, because he knew God like a man knows a friend; like a son knows his dad. We don’t have to worry, because we know what God is like. He’s generous—exceedingly so. Jesus reminded his followers that even earthly dads take care of their kids. How much more, then, can we trust our heavenly one to give us even more? Indeed, Jesus said the gift God has waiting for us is better—the Holy Spirit himself. We don’t have to worry. God is good, and God is generous. The locus of our peace isn’t on our ability to understand how he provides, but on his character, that he always does.

Neither do we have to will all our provision. We’ve tried to let a love for stuff live alongside a love for God. But, as Jesus said, you can’t serve two masters. He didn’t give us promises to provide so that we could become so fixated on his provision that we attempt to manipulate God with our prayers for his stuff. Jesus said that if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, then everything else fall into place. Do you feel the peace associated with that? Do you feel the stalwart confidence that produces? If not, then perhaps you’re a worrier, or a willer.

Today, relax. Don’t worry about money, houses, spouses, and stuff. God has all that taken care of, and he already knows you need it. Pray, repent of worry, and ask God to provide for your needs. He’s really generous. Don’t will your money into existence, either. Don’t cut out all the promises about money from the Bible and only read those. Read them next to all the other ones. If you do, you’ll find that the goodness of God’s stuff wasn’t designed to make us want more of it, but of God himself.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 20: God is Holy.

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11).

...put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 2:22-24).

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (Revelation 4:8).

Holiness is probably the most misunderstood, and universally disliked attribute of God. For some, the word conjures up images of a kill-joy. We confuse “holy,” with “holier-than-thou.” Our understanding of God suffers, then, because we don’t see the holiness of God as something beautiful and exciting, but as annoying which threatens our fun. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.

In Exodus we read the great rhetorical question, “who is like you, God?” The answer, of course, is no one. No one is like God. And, this is the first part of what his holiness means. God’s holiness means that no one is at all like him. He is utterly unique, high, and different from us and everything else.

How is God different? In every way. While we can relate to God on the basis of his self-disclosure to us, we cannot begin to liken ourselves to his holiness. He is completely and totally unsullied by sin and depravity. This is not like us. We are selfish, lustful, proud, arrogant, bearing the marks of brokenness. God is not like this. Up to this point we’ve read over and over about God’s different perfections. Summarizing them all is his holiness.

God’s holiness creates a problem for us. If God is so holy, so totally and utterly different than me, then how can we really relate? If I’m marked by sin, and his holiness means he cannot even approach sin, what hope do I have of relationship with him. Answer: none. Zero. You and I have absolutely no hope of relating to God. He is holy. We are very much not. There is simply no way we can know him.

But there is a way he can know us.

You see, God’s holiness means that the only way any relationship could ever be established with him, is if it’s established by him. And in Christ, that’s precisely what he has done. The holy, perfect, ineffable God has come, willingly condescended to us, and become a man. This man—Jesus—has come to take our unholiness upon himself. Taking our depravity, Jesus died and was buried. But then, three days later he arose. His new life was then imputed to us, just as our sin was imputed to him. In this great exchange, he has given us new life, and new, fresh holiness.

We are told to put off the old self and put on the new—the holy self. That doesn’t come from within, it comes from Jesus. Are you struggling today with sin? Is temptation hitting you hard? Do you feel defined by the dirt and the grime of your past? Then I have wonderful news for you. God is holy, and in Christ he is sharing that holiness with you. All you have to do is let go of your sinfulness, giving it to him.

God’s holiness, and gracious way in which he has shared it with us will cause us to shout, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!” We will sing that song to our holy God, because he has forgiven us and made us holy too.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 19: God is Spirit.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2). But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26).

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8).

And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 11:16).

Part of the reason that I’m writing these devotionals is because I am convinced that how we see God affects how we see everything. And, when it comes to the Holy Spirit, confusion abounds. In English, he receives the definite article, “the,” in front of his name. This has allowed us to implicitly believe that he is not a he at all, but an it. But this is not true. The Holy Spirit is a Person, the third person of the Triune Godhead. And his ministry to us is absolutely amazing.

The Holy Spirit is powerful. So powerful, in fact, that all the universe was made through him. Imagine the Trinitarian scene at the dawn of time: The Father speaks, the Word creates all things, and the Spirit sings the song of creation into being. The word for “hovering,” in Genesis 3 is related to musical terms related to singing. Other related words include brooding, and fluttering, like a mother bird does over her offspring. However we think about it, the Spirit of God was there, bringing creation forth.

The power of the Holy Spirit is a subject of considerable wonder, especially given the fact that he has now come to dwell in the hearts and lives of believers. Jesus promised that after he left, he would give us a gift. Remarkably, Jesus said it was better than even having Jesus with us! What was the gift? Well, the gift wasn’t a what, but a who. The gift is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’s promise in this passage is the greatest news. And, if we get it, then we can go from experiencing unquenched thirst to unstoppable rivers of grace in your life. Because God is spirit, he is not confined to some space or person. God the Spirit means that all of us can experience the personal touch and power of God almighty. Christ had a body, but the Holy Spirit does not. That means that he can dwell in us! Why? To remind us of everything that Jesus taught us. The promise of the gospel comes true in God the Holy Spirit—God is dwelling with his people.

But maybe this doesn’t sound like good news to you. Perhaps the idea of God living within you, reminding you of the words of Jesus sounds unattractive. Couldn’t this just be God’s way of nagging his people? Who wants someone to tell them all the rules they’re breaking all the time. But of course that’s not all he does. The Spirit delights to draw our minds and hearts to Jesus, but not to feel failure. He does still more. He empowers us to serve him, and changes us to look more like him. The Holy Spirit is the person of God dwelling with us on the inside to make us look more like Jesus on the outside.

We can be baptized—completely immersed in and filled with—the Holy Spirit. God has given us himself, not only to save us, but to dwell with us. Today, go and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. Ask him to baptize you. Ask him to change you, fill you, and empower you. Then, go and pour yourself out for the world around you. Once empty, you can return and ask again. For, the Spirit never, ever runs dry.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 18: God is Son.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29, 34). And [he]was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Romans 1:4).

 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:15).

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 
(Hebrews 4:14-16).

That Jesus Christ is the Son of God is the most contentious claim in all of history. Therefore, to believe it invites every reaction from joyful acceptance to hateful persecution. Why is it so important that we see that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Furthermore, how do we come to celebrate this glorious fact?

First, Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God is critical for our redemption. Jesus plays a completely unique role in history, in that he is only one able to stand between humanity and God. In the Old Testament, certain men were chosen to function as priests. Their job was to represent God to the people through teaching and worship, and represent the people back to God, through sacrifice and offerings.

With the coming of Jesus Christ, we’ve been given a truer and better high priest. In Jesus Christ, we find the one person who is fully human, able to represent humanity to God. And, we also find the one person who is fully God, able to truly represent God to us. He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of his nature, (Col. 1:15). If Jesus were not the Son of God, then his role as our great high priest wouldn’t be all that great.

But, Jesus is still more. In the Old Testament, the priests would lead God’s people in worship by offering sacrifices for sin. When the people came to the temple, an animal would have to die to cover their iniquity. This is where Jesus is even greater. Jesus didn’t just offer some imperfect sacrifice, hoping it would end the treasonous rebellion against his Father. Jesus offered himself. The Great High Priest became our perfect, infinitely worthy sacrifice.

Because sin has cause an infinite gap to open up between God and humanity, only an sacrifice of limitless worth was able to traverse it. If Jesus were not God the Son—fully God and fully man—then his sacrifice on our behalf would not be fully worthy, and we would be left in our sin.

But how do we know? How can we really be sure that Jesus Christ really is God the Son? The answer: resurrection. You see, the sacrifice that Jesus made was for us. The death he died was not because of his own sin, it was for ours. Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death, but Jesus had no sin, so not even death had a claim on him. He conquered death on our behalf, so that we, by faith in him, would conquer death too. If Jesus were still in the ground, we wouldn’t be asking if he was the Son of God.

But, Jesus is not still in the ground. He is risen. The Son has ascended to the Father, and the people of God rejoice.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 17: God is Father

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9). For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ... (Rom. 8:15-17a).

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:31-32).

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Fathers aren’t in a good state these days. As I write this, the number of fatherless families is on the rise. Children born in this generation in the United States are less likely to have a father in their lives than any generation that has come before. Because of this epidemic of fatherlessness, it becomes difficult for us to understand God as Father. And yet, it’s this very same epidemic which makes it so important that we do.

God is eternally existent as one God in three distinct persons—Fathers, Son, and Holy Spirit. When the Son, Jesus Christ, reconciles us to God through faith in the gospel, then God becomes our Father. And actually, the news is even more dramatic than that. Romans tells us that when we believe the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, causing us to call God “Abba,” a word which roughly translates in English as “daddy.” Think on that. Have you ever considered the absolutely crazy reality that, in Christ, God isn’t some stern father. He’s daddy.

I write this at the risk of alienating many of you, because many of you won’t have a good memory of daddy. But I’m asking you to stretch your conceptual box. If you do, then abundant blessings will flow. Why? Because understanding that God is Father brings with it an unshakable security. In Matthew, we’re taught to call on God as Father. In our prayers, Christians are not to say magic words to appease some far-off deity. Our prayers are the heartfelt communion between children and Father—a good and loving Father at that.

What worries plague you? What do you fear? Are you afraid of a lack of money? Worried that your spouse may never appear? Later in the same teaching, Jesus encourages you; don’t worry about such things. Why? Because you’ve got a good Father, and good fathers provide for their kids. Thus he says, “do not be anxious, that’s what unbelievers do. You know God the Father, and he already knows what you need before you know to ask.” Wow. What a good dad. Have you brought your fears and concerns to him, and left them with him? Trust me when I say, he knows what to do with them better than you do.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we gain God as our Father. And it’s in his family name that we’re meant to live. At the end of Matthew, Jesus tells us to go make disciples in the name of the holy family—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What a privilege you and I have today, to take the family business to new and uncharted places. What a joy to go on adoption missions, introducing our city, our family, and our world to God, the Father.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 16: God is Glorious.

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11). [B]ring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. (Isaiah 43:6-7).

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:23-25).

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Glory is one of those words which we find difficult to get our minds around. Let’s be honest, you’ve probably not used the word in your own conversations recently. So, what is glory, exactly? And furthermore, what, if anything, does it have to do with us?

Glory is defined by Webster as, “splendor, or brightness.” It’s the shine that comes off something beautiful. It’s the renown that goes before someone wonderful. In short, glory is the manifestation of all the perfections of God. It’s God’s brightness. It’s the shine that comes off all his beauty. And his shine—his glory—is totally, completely unique. The psalmist reminds us that no one is glorious like God. No one’s perfections shine in remotely the same way.

God’s glory is a topic about which heaven is consumed. We’re told that in the new heavens and new earth, God’s glory will shine so brightly for us to see, that we won’t need any sunlight. We’ll have God! Even more amazing still, is this: we can share in his glory. We can participate in the shining perfections of God. God cries through Isaiah, “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.” That means that God is calling for his sons and daughters to join him in his glory.

This all begs a big question: why? Why would God want to share his greatness and glory with us? What could we possibly have to add to attract God’s attention? Answer: Nothing.

You and I don’t have anything to add to God’s glory. That’s why his invitation to join him is such good news, because it’s totally by his grace. Romans tells us that you and I actually repeatedly fall short of the glory of God. We can’t make it. We fail. You and I don’t shine like him. But God has brought a wonderful solution to our problem. In stead of casting us off like trash, God put his glorious Son to death. In Jesus, God has offered us an invitation to the greatest, most exhilarating life there is; the life spent pursuing and enjoying the glory of God. It is a beautiful invitation, with letters written in the blood of his Son.

You and I and everything everywhere was made to glorify God. Why? Because there’s nothing better than the glory of God. So, in inviting us to glorify him, God is calling us to the life of highest joy, significance, and satisfaction.

What’s the result? As we live this way, we are transformed “from one degree of glory to another.” That is, the more we gaze at the glory of God, the more we reflect it ourselves. Don’t miss this, Christian. Consider your calling: you’ve been invited to participate in the glory of God, and that’s very good news.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 14: God is Rescuer.

The LORD God said to the serpent ... I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head,  and you shall bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:14a, 15). The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2).

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10).

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:23-25).

“I don’t need any help! I’m fine!”

That was how one my first attempts at sharing the gospel ended. I was a teenager, speaking to someone in my family. After telling them the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to save them from their sins, this was their response.

I don’t hold it against him, though. This was my response too, at first. In fact, this is the response of the whole of humanity, until grace changes our hearts to receive the good news of God’s rescue, by faith. Ever since the beginning, God has been on a rescue mission of the people he loves. That mission, that story, is the one we call the gospel.

Remember that in the beginning, God made everything very, very good. God’s creation was pristine, perfect, and pregnant with potential. But our first parents looked upon what God made and want it more than him. They wanted God’s stuff—to have it, to rule it, to be in charge. They rebelled. They did what they wanted, and in so doing they irreparably terminated their relationship with God. The became lost in a relativistic sea of pain, depravity, and self-will. Like a swimmer alone in the pacific, they—and we—had no hope of rescue.

But God looked upon his people, at the crime scene of their brokenness, with compassion. Instead of getting angry, he showed grace. He looked at our enemy, the liar and tempter of our souls, and made a promise. The promise was for a rescuer—one that would destroy sin and save humanity. God promised to rescue.

The millennia that followed this promise saw God rescue his people over and over again from the consequences of sin. But, never from sin itself. Not then, anyway. The psalmists would sing about God’s power to save. And yet, something was missing. God’s people seemed always to return to sin. Like a sailor who always wrecks the ship, humanity continued to wreck the world, their lives, and each other. What could God do to destroy sin?

Into a confused humanity came Jesus Christ. Living a perfect life, he showed us what God is like, in the flesh. He put a face on the love of God. He put hands to the work of God. And those same hands which healed while he was alive, would heal in his death. Jesus came to seek us—the lost ones. For all those who would be willing to say, “I’m lost, and I need to be rescued,” the coming of Jesus is unspeakably good news. But for those of us who insist on floating in the sea of our sin, refusing the rescue God has provided, Jesus is only offensive. We simply look at him and shout, “I don’t need any help! I’m fine!”

You and I and everyone else have sinned. We’ve fallen short of God’s ideal, preferring ourselves to God and everyone else. That’s why we can’t have much to do with our rescue. The shipwrecked sailor doesn’t make or bring the rescue. He just receives it. So, before you pursue all your earthly treasures which remind you how independent and strong you are, remember that God is your rescuer. The only way to lay hold of the rescue of God is to abandon your self-sufficiency. Once you’re empty of your best efforts, God will fill you up. For, he loves to fill empty, broken, needy people.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 13: God is Patient.

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love... (Numbers 14:18). They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. (Nehemiah 9:17).

...in his divine forbearance he (God) had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26).

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24).

No one has ever accused me of being too patient. In the past, I’ve just chalked this up to my personality. I like to get things done, make things happen. Patience, therefore, is not a virtue often attached to achievement. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that God—who has achieved more than I ever will—is exceedingly patient.

Webster defines patience this way: “The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness.” With that definition in mind, now let’s think about God. Since the fall of mankind, God has suffered our disobedience, sin, and all the brokenness that we as a race have unleashed upon his good world. We don’t often think about God suffering from our sin. But, the Scriptures are clear. Sin grieves him to his heart.

Very different from you and I, however, is the way God reacts to our sin. When I am sinned against, I am immediately tempted toward anger, rage, and retribution. But not God. We read that God is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Rest assured that God will judge the world, but what we see here is the kind of God we’re getting to know. He doesn’t explode in rage. He doesn’t stomp the floors of heaven in anger. God is patient. He suffers our disobedience with a calm, unruffled tempter. He doesn’t fret, and he doesn’t whine. Neither does he smack us like some abusive father. He’s totally different than we are, because we are a people plagued by impatience. I should know, because I am chiefest among them.

So what does this matter? Why should we care if God is patient? First of all, God’s patience serves as a model for us. In a culture that values quick fixes, microwave solution, and instant answers—none of which seem to actually fix our problems—God stands out as different. God has taken all our history to weave the beautiful story of redemption. We, like the people of Nehemiah’s day, forget about God all the time. But God does not forget us, nor does he grow weary. He is patient, which means we can be too.

Secondly, God’s patience means that our redemption was accomplished rightly. Paul tells his Roman listeners that God’s patience has meant that Jesus came at just the right time, died just the right death, and won just the right victory over sin that means that God is just and we are forgiven. That’s incredibly good news for you and I. If God were impatient, then we wouldn’t be forgiven. Even from the cross itself, Jesus demonstrated infinite patience. He suffered affliction calmly, with love. He forgave us even as we killed him. That is patience.

Jesus' patience doesn’t only mean we should be patient, but that we finally can be. Why? Because he lives in us, we can be like him. We can be patient, waiting for God’s good plan to unfold right on time. It always does.

Jesus, give me patience today. Things will happen today that I want to happen, but many will not. When I am challenged, hurt, lied to, persecuted, disrespected, treated unfairly or unkindly, cause me to remember that you were to—much more, in fact. Empower me with the same divine patience that you have, God. 

As I suffer well, let others see the sufferings of Christ in me. As I am patient, let others see the patience of Christ in me. As this happens, let many be drawn to the grace of Christ in me, and be changed.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 12: God is Faithful

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, (Deuteronomy 7:9). The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
 (Hebrews 13:8).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17).

Have you ever had someone make a promise to you, then break it? It’s an awful feeling. Yet, our world abounds with broken promises. The promise to love and be faithful to a spouse is soon broken by the gaze of another. The promise to be there for someone is broken by another commitment. The promise from our leaders to be honest and transparent is broken by back room deals, lies, and coverups. It’s no wonder, then, that we have a hard time believing that God is any different.

The God we meet in the Scriptures is, thankfully, very different. God never wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. God never flip flops. God never covers up the truth. God always, only, ever does what he says he is going to do. In short, God is faithful.

The root of faithlessness in our culture has borne the fruit of cynicism—the refusal to believe anything. Inside many of us, we carry around the belief that we really can’t trust anyone, including God. But God is worthy of our trust, precisely because God is in no way like us. We read that God “keeps his covenants.” There is not one promise that God has made which he has not kept. Not one forecast that did not come to pass. We aren’t like that at all.

We also read that all God’s ways are justice. Nothing that God brings about is ever wrong, unjust, or in any way to be called into question. In fact, every good and noble thing that you and I can imagine are proofs of this fact. God has bestowed countless blessings on us. James, the half-brother of Jesus, reminds us that with God “there is no shadow due to change.” God is never turning himself to keep his less beautiful parts hidden from us. He’s never putting on a facade. No, he is always faithful, giving good and perfect gifts to a humanity that largely does not deserve them.

Chiefest among these gifts, however, is the gift of himself. The greatest promise that God has ever kept is the promise to rescue his people from their sins. His mightiest demonstration of his faithfulness was in his gift of Jesus Christ to us. No one at the time expected God to come in flesh! The best guesses were for a king or military leader. Jesus was way above and beyond what anyone could have imagined. This should show us something about the character of God—namely, that though we cannot understand or predict how God will carry out his promises, we may always trust that he will carry out his promises. This fact should make us immensely grateful that the God we serve is a God who will always be faithful. Therefore, he is always worthy of trust.

Today, you may not understand how God is achieving his promises. But before you doubt him, remember that your inability to understand God’s ways does not prove him unfaithful. It only proves him God, and you merely human. Trust him today. He is worth it.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 11: God is Good.

And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31). This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
 (1 John 1:5).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17).

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. (Psalm 145:8-9).

“God is great, God is good...” I remember praying this as a child... usually very rushed, because it was just before eating. But I don’t think I was so very unlike I am now—rushing past the goodness of God. Most of us simply assume that if God is there, he is surely good. But what does it mean to say that God is good, and how does that become good news for us?

First consider the fact that everything God makes is good. God has never made a bad product. He’s never created a human and done so poorly. Seven times we are told in Genesis 1 that what God made was good. That should give us pause to consider ourselves and our world. There is an innate “good” quality to us and the world around us. Eventually, that goodness became marred and tarnished by the fallenness of our first parents, but we must see that at first, everything was very good. Today, goodness is hard to see. So very often we are faced with the results of our sin. And yet, we still bear God’s good image as a race, and as individuals. God’s goodness means that we, even after our fall, can still experience some level of goodness here on the earth.

Also consider that everything God does is good. We have—as a result of our blindness caused by sin—a knee jerk reaction to blame God any time something really bad happens. “Where are you God?” ask the pundits and talk show hosts, never pausing to consider that God is good, not evil. “In him there is no darkness at all,” we are told. But we are blind to the fact that we should not be blaming God, but praising him. Anything God does is good, because God himself is good. Goodness is an essential part of his nature. God will never do anything evil, wrong, hurtful, or malevolent to us. This means that we can trust him above and beyond all others. It’s not just that God does good, he is good—goodness itself.

Today, let’s not hurry past the good news that our God is totally, completely good. Let’s pause and thank God, along with the psalmist, that the Lord’s grace covers all that he has made, and he treats all of his creatures with goodness.

God, thank you for your unstoppable goodness. Thank you that you are kind, gentle, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love for me. 

Thank you God that because you made me, I am not beyond your redemption. I am not so messed up that your grace cannot save me. Thank you that in you, I can share in your goodness. Apart from you I can't do anything, but with you, Jesus, I can know real goodness. 

Help me today to share the goodness of God with others. Just as there is no evil in you, let evil be far from me. Keep me pure, just like you. As I praise you for your goodness, make me better too.

For Jesus' glory, amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 10: God is Sovereign.

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! (Psalm 97:1). Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Psalm 115:3).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. (Ephesians 1:3-4).

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 
(Romans 8:28-30).

“You are not in charge!” she said. My teacher looked so frustrated that tears were beginning to form in her eyes. I had always been a good student, but somewhat hellbent on taking over the class, leading the discussions, etc. After some time not taking direction well, she had lost all patience and had to raise her voice to get my attention. Now, I don’t fault her for it. I readily admit that I really liked to be in charge. In fact, I think that all of us do.

It’s no surprise, then, that the sovereignty of God is a subject of debate among us humans. Sovereignty is the character trait of a sovereign—a Lord or ruler. Sovereigns reign, and rule, and we typically don’t like that. Ever since our first parents rebelled against God, we’ve been doing our best to run our own lives, being masters of our own destinies—or so we think. But when this attitude bumps up against the unchangeable rulership of God almighty, friction happens. But I hope to convince you that God’s sovereignty is a trait which shouldn’t make you rebel, but worship.

God’s sovereignty means that he and he alone rules over the affairs of the world. The book of Psalms is replete with praise for this fact. “God is in heaven and he does whatever pleases him,” the joyful songwriter sings. For him, that was very good news, worthy of writing a song about. “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!” sings another. It is an unspeakable wonder that we not only know that God rules the world, but that we know him. Because we’re in relationship with God through the grace of Jesus Christ, we are relationally connected to the one who holds the universe together and providentially oversees every part of it, from the greatest celestial body to the smallest subatomic particle.

However, God is not only sovereign in nature. His rulership extends into our lives as well. This is especially wonderful, because we are uniquely broken. Ephesians 2 tells us that all of us, apart from a work of grace, are dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead. Not sick, not hurt. Dead. But, God (who has more mercy than we can imagine) has reached down into our dead hearts and made them alive! Our response is repentance and faith, and we are made members of God’s family—adopted sons and daughters of the King of Kings. If God were not sovereign over such matters as our hearts, then we would not, indeed we could not, be saved.

For God’s people, his sovereignty continues to be a fountain of praise. Romans 8 reminds us that nothing can befall God’s children—not even the things which seem horrible—that will not ultimately work for our good and for God’s glory. Why? Follow the verse. God has foreknown us (which is a biblical word which means “loved before all time.”) He set his love on us as the bridge of Christ. And if he’s done that, then he is sovereign enough to carry us all the way through our calling, our growth, and even rising together with Christ in our future glory. In short, the sovereignty of God assures our salvation, our sanctification (growth in holiness), and our glorification, when we will be united with Christ forever.

The choice for our us is simple. Shall we go on insisting that we really run the show, like I did with the teacher, or shall we joyfully run to our sovereign God who rules the universe with unending love and wisdom. For my part, I want to choose worship.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 9: God is Love.

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...
(Exodus 34:6). For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:8-10).

The love of God is greater news than a short devotional can possibly contain. But today, I’d like to consider the love of God from two important perspectives. First, I want to consider love as God’s personal trait, and second, his love for sinners like you and I.

It’s extremely important for us to know without shadow of doubt or disbelief that God is love. Doubt about this will shake the foundation of our relationship with him. It’s not merely that God is loving, but that God is, in his nature, love itself. The Apostle John explored this concept frequently, reminding us that God is love. In doing so, he connected a confession of the New Testament believers with the confession of the Old Testament. In Exodus 34:6, we read an oft-recited passage, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...” That phrase, “steadfast love,” is an important one. It employs a Hebrew word called chessed. This word stands for the unstoppable, relentless, untiring, sinner-chasing love of God. It’s not a mere feeling. It’s a decisive, rescuing love. It’s the love of God, shown.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “that’s great, but how am I supposed to know that God loves me?” Good question. It’s all well and good to be told that God loves you. But, it’s another matter entirely to be shown. Love is connected to cost. If I say I love you, you might feel nicely about that, or you may not care. But if I say I love you and pay off all your debts, then my love for you simply matters more. I’ve shown great love for you through a generous gift.

God’s generous self-sacrifice takes us to our second consideration—the love of God for sinners. Because God is love, his love for us isn’t arbitrary. His love for sinners is a part of his nature. So to bring us back to himself, it was he himself that would have to make the greatest sacrifice.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This is scandalous if true. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross isn’t an expression of love. It’s the expression of love. If God has proven his love for me and you in this way, then to not return love to God is sin of cosmic proportions. But to be caught up in a love relationship with God on the basis of his son’s sacrifice, this is a privilege of unparalleled wonder.

I understand that sometimes it’s hard to feel the love of God. We have days where our emotions betray us into believing that we are unloved, ugly, and worthless. But God has better news for us, and regardless of how we feel about it, it’s true. God loves you and I with the kind of love that embraces death for the sake of the other. God loves us like this. May we, therefore, be filled with such love as we live for him!

God, you love me. Today, help me to remember that. When I feel unloved, bring to mind all that you've done to prove your love to me. And Jesus, cause me to overflow with the same love for you and for others.

Amen

Prayer & Fasting, Day 7: God is Everywhere.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you, the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 
(Psalm 139:7-12). Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24).

“Where is God!?” I remember him crying. He was a young man I’d been working with for a while. His childhood, however, was really troubled. Dad left, mom wasn’t great, and pain was his familiar companion far too early in life. Through his tears, he asked me the question that so many do when faced with suffering. Where is God?

“He’s right here,” I said.

To you, that answer may sound trite. But I wasn’t trying to be pithy, I was trying to speak truth. God is everywhere. There is never a moment, a location, or a space in life where God is not already present waiting for us. No one can hide from him, and no one can evade him. Jonah tried, if you remember. In the story, God called Jonah to preach a message of repentance and grace to Jonah’s sworn enemies. Filled with hatred, Jonah attempted to flee God, but failed. I remember once reading that very story to my daughter when she was younger. Her response was, “Daddy, that’s silly. You can’t run from God. He’s everywhere!” Even the 4-year-old knows that.

But why does this matter? Further, why is it good news that God is this way? Well, let’s return to our suffering young man. The news of God’s everywhere-ness (or, omnipresence), is good news precisely because even in our moments of deepest pain and brokenness, God is there. While God is holy and totally unsullied by sin, he is certainly present and aware of it. And, the God who sees our situation is certainly able to identify with it. This is, after all, part of the good news of the Gospel. Jesus came to be with us—present with us. In one sense, he already was, because God is everywhere. But in another important sense, he came to be with us physically be with us. Why? To identify with us personally, and to show us how much we matter to him.

When you’re going through pain, you can see who really cares about you. There are those who send their sympathies from afar, and then there are those who come to be with you physically and feel your pain. Jesus is in the latter category. Because God is everywhere, we never walk out of his vision. But because God is inexpressibly loving, he decided to walk into ours.

God’s omnipresence means that we can trust him, because as a just and good God, he sees all things, understanding what’s going on. For the victim of injustice who may never know real justice in this life—God is there. He knows. For the suffering, small, and hurt people who may never find a voice on this side of the veil—God is there. “He is not far from each one of us, for in him we live, and move, and have our being,” (Acts 17:27-28).

God I thank you that you've never been far from me. From highest joys to deepest pains, you'll never be from me. Thank you that you are everywhere present, filling each moment.

Today, cause me to walk with a greater awareness of your presence. You are "not far from each one of us." Thank you that "in you [I] live, and move, and have my being." Today, God, help me to keep that reality at the forefront of my thinking. Keep me from fooling myself that I'm independent and alone. In you, I am never alone. 

I love you God. And today I celebrate that I am never far from you!

For Jesus' glory, Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 6: God is Limitless

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27). Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31).

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8).

Nothing about infinity makes sense to us. We simply can’t relate to it. All our experience is marked by beginnings and endings. We’re born, we die. Sunrise, sunset. Arrive, depart. So when it comes to meditating on God’s boundless, limitless, timeless nature, we’re dumbstruck. How are we to make sense of infinity, much less celebrate it in God?

All throughout the Scriptures, the limitlessness of God is seen as a catalytic source of hope and comfort. In Deuteronomy, the people of Israel were given the laws of God, being reminded (even after their disobedience) that covenant with God was still possible. Here he reminds them, “I am your eternal dwelling place, and my everlasting arms hold you.” See, God’s infinity is actually wonderful news for us, because unless God is limitless in wonder and strength, then relationship with him isn’t all that great.

What do I mean? The law of diminishing returns. This is that law of human experience that says that the second time you do something, it won’t be as amazing as the first. They say that addicts are always chasing after their first high. Concert goers are constantly seeking that next great musical experience. We know, if only from our life experience, that nothing lasts forever. “All good things must come to an end,” we’re told. We believe it, and move on. If God were limited, then he would be no different. He would end, and we would have no hope.

But God is different. Because God is eternal, infinite, and limitless, we know that we will never run out of God at which to be amazed. We’ll never exhaust his power, wonder, or perfection. That’s why relationship with God is so wonderful. God is the only being who can ceaselessly and eternally satisfy the longings of our heart. Each moment with God leads to greater wonder, on into forever.

His limitless power is source of great encouragement. But sometimes, we need reminding. In Isaiah, we read such an encouragement. Ours is the everlasting God. He does not get tired. He does not need a rest. He does not stop pursuing us. And what’s more, he does not run out of power and passion to pour into our hearts. He is the beginning, and he is the end.

Our limitless God has a name—Jesus. Jesus states repeatedly in the Revelation that he is the alpha and omega. He’s the bookends to existence, and that’s great news of us, if we know him. If Jesus is our treasure and joy, and if we’re his by grace, then we wonderful future. We will see him forever, and every consecutive moment with him will be greater than the moment before—forever!

Jesus, thank you for your limitless worth. You will be praised forever. Today, uphold me. You are the everlasting God. You don't grow faint or weary. You don't run out of strength or wisdom. Please sustain me with your mighty right hand, and your infinite might.

Today, as I consider all I must face, all I'm praying for, and all that we're asking you do as a church, help me to also consider your strength and power. You will never run out of grace or help, and for that I will praise you forever.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 5: God is Powerful.

And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. (Genesis 1:16) Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:35)

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3)

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 7:12)

Genesis 1:16 is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. It’s the last three words that really get me, “...and the stars.” The power of God is so great that the entire universe of stars gets barely a mention, as though speaking the cosmos into creation were nothing for God. What breathtaking power God must have.

Often, however, the power of God isn't the subject of praise, but worry. Many people are uncomfortable with the sheer power of God. In our world, we’re used to seeing our leaders abuse power. “Power corrupts,” they say, “and absolute power corrupts absolutely!” Why, then, is it good news for us that God is unimaginably powerful?

First, God’s power fuels our worship. I remember watching the olympics as a boy. The event was weightlifting. Watching the power of the athletes on the screen, I was dumbfounded. I simply didn’t know how to process, as a little boy, the power that it must take to move such heavy, seemingly immovable objects. I admired these men for their strength. You and I are wired to be impressed by rare power like this. How much more, then, should we take a moment to consider the power of God and let our hearts loose to wonder at it.

But God’s power isn’t just for God’s sake. He uses his immense power for our behalf. In Psalm 68, David is praising God no only for having all the power, but for empowering his people with it. Are you facing a tough spot? Isn’t it great news to think that God is powerful enough to overcome whatever you are facing? When all we have is the impossible task in our view, we can become discouraged. But step back, and take a look at God’s power. Now we have reason to praise, even though what is ahead looks impossible.

We can also consider the immense humility of God in light of his power. In Jesus, we see the all-powerful God pulling back his might, putting on flesh, and walking among us. Hebrews tells  us that even in this state, the universe was being upheld by God’s power, and yet he was approachable to us. He didn’t explode onto the seen Hollywood-style, making demands for repentance. He withheld his power to become like us, even unto death for us.

It is for this reason that we will praise God’s power for all eternity. In Revelation, we get a preview of the power of God as fuel for praise. We will stand and sing with all the saints of God, “Amen, Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!” This is our heart’s cry, because our powerful creator empowers us, saves us, and rescues us. That’s like gasoline on the fire of our worship.

Today, pause to reflect on God’s power, and ask him to bring that power to bear in your life, your church, and your city. He is well able to accomplish all his gracious will if we ask.

 God you are mighty and powerful. You created the universe, spoke the stars into existence, and keep them all burning for your praise. You are mighty, God.

Thank you for being mindful of me. It's amazing to consider that you made all this, and yet you care about me. Thank you for letting me share in your power to overcome sin, brokenness, and all that stands between me and you. You are strong, God, and able to overcome all obstacles in my life today.

Jesus, I cannot wait to join with the billions of voices from every tribe and nation to praise you for your power. Even though you are limitless in strength, you became nothing so that I could know you, praise you, and be satisfied in you. You are unspeakably wonderful, and I love you.

Amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 3: God is Trinity.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light...” (Genesis 1:1-3a). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,3,14).

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).

I remember leading a Bible study at Harvard University about the Trinity when one law student piped up, “I believe in it, but I don’t know why it’s all that important.” It is my hope that by the end of this brief devotion, you’ll see this reality about God as one of the most foundational and beautiful truths of your faith.

In Genesis 1 we read the account of creation, and it’s here we find the Trinity (God in three Persons) at work in making everything. God creates, the Spirit hovers (or flutters, much in the same way a mother bird does over a nest), and the Word is spoken. One God with three distinct parts (later to be called persons) active in creation. What could this mean? Well, all by itself this passage is interesting, but hardly gives us the fully formed doctrine of the Trinity. It’s not until Jesus Christ shows up that we get a real commentary on Genesis 1. And from whom does it come? The Apostle John.

John connects the “word” spoken at the moment of creation (and then God said, “Let there be light...”) with the person of Jesus in the passage above. Don’t skip over that. Let this sentence leave you jaw-dropped just as it would’ve left John’s original audience. The Word spoken by God the Father at creation—the idea and intention of his heart—has been made flesh, and his name is Jesus Christ. This is a mind-blowing claim to make, for sure. But the fact remains the Bible clearly teaches that God is one God, eternally existent in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We know that the Trinity is the treasure of the people of God because it is in the name of the Triune God that Jesus’ disciples were to go into the world. The whole motivation of the mission of God in Matthew 28 above is the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (“Go into all the world ... in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” Matt. 28:18-20). In short, the mission of the church is to be done in such a way that the name of the Trinitarian God revealed in the Scriptures gets turned up, enjoyed, exalted, and honored. If the mission of the church is trinitarian, then the mission of our lives is too, because we’re part of the church!

Because God is Trinity, we know three important things about him. First, we know that our Creator is our Redeemer. That is, Jesus isn’t some lackey God sent to do the dirty work of dying on the cross. No man, no demi-god, no angel would’ve been a sufficient mediator between God and humanity, because only God could fully satisfy the debt of our sinful brokenness, (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus is the Word present at creation, the very second person of the Godhead, given to us for our redemption. Secondly, because God is Trinity, we know that he is with us. God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit (John 15:26) to dwell within believers, giving us immediate access to God. Now, can know God in a way deeper than a man knows his best friend. And finally, because God is Trinity, we know we are freely and radically loved. Think about it—if God weren’t Trinity, then who would he have been loving before he created the world? No one! In fact, God would need us in order to be loving, because in order to be loving you must actually love someone! But, because God has always existed within a deep, profound, and infinite love relationship within the Godhead, the love he has for you and me isn’t a co-dependent, needy love. No, this is a full, overflowing love that has come to us by grace.

What does it mean to live with a radical awareness of God as Trinity? It is to think on the free love of God in creation, in redemption, and in restoration. When we come to God, we come to a full being who delights to draw us into a deep, satisfying love relationship, not a needy, lacking one. Your Creator has become your redeemer, and your redeemer has sent the Holy Spirit to live within you; a deposit guaranteeing that you will live forever with him, (Eph. 1:13-14).

God, you are truly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today I choose to delight in the wonder and mystery of your nature. You are great, God! Father God, thank you for planning my creation and my redemption. Jesus, thank you for causing my existence and for coming to live perfectly for me, to die for me, and rise for my new life. Holy Spirit, I rejoice that you have watched over me, and that you now dwell within me, giving me a new nature and heart to know God has an adopted member of the family of God.

Today, help me to live with a greater awareness and thankfulness of your nature. As you have called me to “go” in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, would you now help me to do just that. Because of my life, cause people to rejoice in your name, and to come to know you as you are—the Triune God.

You are so gracious. Thank you for revealing yourself to me.

In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.

Prayer & Fasting, Day 2: God is Creator

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1:1) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2).

Creation is the glorious effect of the cause of God’s will. This is a subject of considerable wonder, given the kind of creation in which we find ourselves. To say that the universe is vast is a laughable understatement—traveling at light speed, it takes over 150 billion years to travel across the cosmos. To say that it is complex and delicately made is to almost trivialize how complex and delicate it actually is. The universe that you and I inhabit is an enormous, lovingly made home designed to tell us something about the God who made it.

The first thing to note about God’s activity in creation is that it’s something that only God could do. The Bible uses an interesting word to describe God’s activity in creation. When God creates, he bara ’s—a unique Hebrew word which means to create or initiate out of nothing. Only God can do that. We make things out of pre-existent stuff, but God does not. God makes from nothing. In his fullness he approaches the emptiness and void of nothingness and fills it up with everything.

The simple fact is, you and I require a creator. We are contingent beings—contingent on being made. God is not like us. God does not require a creator, because God is eternally existent. He is the source of all life, the giver of the world we inhabit, and for this fact we should be utterly amazed by him. When you go outside and stare up at the starry sky, or when you go inside and stare into a microscope, our breath should be taken away at the intricate wisdom with which God made the world that you and I call home.

So why does this matter? Let’s consider two reasons. First, the world God made was a good world. The Scriptures tell us seven times in Genesis 1 that God’s creation was good. So the world, prior to sin, was good. This means that stuff (money, food, our bodies, etc.) is neither totally evil as the ascetic, religious people tell us, nor is totally good, like the materialists say. Instead, the “stuff” of creation is given for a different purpose, which is the second reason this whole discussion matters: God made you and I and everything to declare his glory, greatness, and power. Like a living painting, like a moving sculpture, the world of worlds spinning in harmony from the greatest celestial body to the smallest subatomic particle is given to us to cause us to say, “Wow, God. You are amazing.” At bottom, the universe isn’t about us. Creation is all about God! This doctrine should drop down into our hearts like a match into a box kindling, causing the fire of our love for God to blaze brighter, just like a star in God’s creation—burning passionately for the glory of God, and our deep joy.

God you are the maker of all things. I exalt your power and infinite intelligence and wisdom with which you made everything! The Bible tells us that in you we live, move, and have our being. Thank you for creating me. Thank you for creating the world in which I live. Since you’re the Creator of all things, you own everything. Help me to live out my day today dependent on you. 

God, you made everything, so you know how it works best. So God, please give me wisdom today how to live rightly. I want to experience your glory, and the comfort of being constantly aware the I know the creator of all things. Thank you for this grace, creator God.

In Jesus name, and for your glory, amen.