Devotionals

WE ARE FORGIVEABLE

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As human beings we fall short; we make mistakes; we sin — and when we do we feel bad about ourselves; we wrestle with guilty feelings. Peter, who was no stranger to falling short himself, wants us to know that we are forgivable! He affirms this in I Peter 2:10: “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Some of us, even though we believe in Jesus, think whenever we’re having problems God is getting even with us; He’s punishing us.

Like the guy heading for Mt. Shasta… on his way up, it started to snow, so he pulled over to put on chains. Another car came by and slammed into his car, shoving it over a cliff. He decided to walk in the snow and sleet. On the way he caught a cold. When he finally made it, he rounded the corner and discovered his cabin had burned down. At that point he started hitting his head against a tree, saying, “Why me, God?”

The heavens parted and a voice said, “Because some people just tick me off!”

We laugh, but that is exactly how some of us view God! We think whenever we don’t measure up, make a mistake, fail or have a problem, God is ticked off. Does God treat us like this poor fellow heading for Shasta? Not at all! He’ll correct open, continuous rebellion, but He’s gracious with those who desire to follow Him and deal with their sin when they fail!

“I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” Isaiah 43:25.

God doesn’t hold a grudge! As pastor Rick Warren puts it: “He doesn’t rub it in, he rubs it out! He doesn’t rehearse it, he releases it!” If God forgives me I should forgive me!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18

Awhile back I read about a woman who every week told her pastor about some new sin God was convicting her of. Finally, the minister said, “Does God ever say anything nice to you?”

When we receive Christ we receive a full pardon; the penalty for our sins is paid in full by Jesus. Does that mean we’re never going to fail? Of course not! It just means from that day forward when I fall short I acknowledge it, turn from it, and carry on.

Dr. Charles Cooley (1864-1929), a renowned American sociologist, said that: “Your self-esteem… is determined to a large degree by what you think the people or the person that matters most to you thinks about you.”

It behooves us to make Jesus Christ the most important person in our life because He is Lord of all — and He says we’re acceptable, adequate, valuable, and forgivable. If you’re a follower of Christ, let this message penetrate your soul. If you’ve never opened your heart and life to Jesus, why not do it today?

GLADNESS IS A CHOICE

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How can we live lives of true gladness; of real happiness, joy, and optimism? I think I can reduce it down to one word: attitude. God will not make us glad, happy, or joyful. Though joy (a deep, abiding peace) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), it too can be sabotaged because, like happiness, joy depends on the conscious choice we make in response to our circumstances.

That is a life lesson Abraham Lincoln learned, summed up in his oft-quoted words: “Most folks are about as happy as they choose to be.”

I had a seminary professor who put it like this: “Your attitude will determine your altitude!”

That is good, sound Biblical theology that results in mental health — if applied! By the way, it’s been said that one in every four Americans is mentally imbalanced. Ann Landers responded to that by saying: “Think of your three closest friends. If they seem okay, you’re the one!”

In reading through the Psalms, I’ve noticed that so often the phrase “I will…” accompanies a hoped-for, indeed an expected victory!

For instance, the New International Version uses the phrase “I will” 169 times in the psalms, most of the time in reference to a choice made by believers with a confident expectation that God will intervene. Following are a few examples:

  • “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High” Psalm 7:17.
  • “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High” Psalm 9:1-2.
  • “I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” Psalm 16:7-8.
  • “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies” Psalm 118:6-7.

Seems good ol’ Sherriff John was right when he encouraged us as kids to: “…Laugh and be happy with a merry melody. A song will make a hat rack look like a Christmas tree. Get rid of worry in a hurry, chase the blues away. Just laugh and be happy all the live long day!”

SURRENDER ALL

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When I saw the following words, spoken by the great Reformed Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), I sensed an urgency to present them (initially) as a Facebook post — and now as part of these daily devotions. May we take what our brother said in the 19th century and make it ours in the 21st!

“Bring all you have and give it entirely unto God, and say, ‘There, Lord, I surrender all to you; do with me as you will; take away from me what you will; give me what you please; or withhold what you choose. I leave all in your hand; I can trust you entirely; I know you will make no mistake; I know you will not treat me harshly; I leave all to you; without word or thought or wish, I surrender all.’”

Make not a hasty nor guilt-driven commitment. Ponder your decision; think upon God’s tender mercies toward you all these years; bear in mind His promise that “Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed” Isaiah 49:23.

HOLIDAY HELL

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In December of 2018, I made the 18-hour drive from Brookings, Oregon, down to Murrieta, California, to hang out with my brother Dave for several days.

One of our goals was to go on a nice motorcycle ride up to Mount Palomar. We had some “bugs” to work out in preparation for the ride (mechanical issues on our old machines) but did in fact have a splendid day together, along with another dear brother in Christ, Bill Getty (also a vintage British motorcycle enthusiast).

The following day Dave and I embarked on an epic tour of Dad’s and Uncle Bud’s old orange grove in Pauma Valley, then drove north 85 miles to our childhood home in Baldwin Park. We enjoyed a nostalgic walk around the neighborhood where we grew up, taking in the Christmas lights — and the telling of memorable tales from the past (our saintly past as Mom and Dad’s near-angelic boys!).

Well, after nearly a week of fun, it was time to head home. I left at 4:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, several days before Christmas — and was I in for a shock: The traffic was unbelievable — on a Saturday!

After about four hours on the road I decided to stop at a McDonald’s for a quick bite to eat — and there wasn’t one parking space available; in fact, people were buzzing around the parking lot like bees, looking for a space! On-board snacks were in order for the time being.

A few hours later it was time to refuel so I stopped at a Chevron station — and the pump wouldn’t take my card; I was supposed to “see the cashier.” I went in and the lady behind the counter said my card was denied! In the meantime, like McDonalds, the station was jam-packed with people (a line had formed in the mini-mart area all the way to the door!).

You might be thinking, “Why was this such a big deal to Chuck?” I was bugged as I rehearsed in my mind how far I still had to go: 14+ more hours of driving — so delays were a recipe for anxiety (falling asleep at the wheel could spoil the whole trip!).

After spending 30 minutes resolving the Chevron card problem I decided to go across the street for a “fast” food stop at Taco Bell — 30 minutes later I was finally on the road — a total of one hour to get gas and a burrito!

After I passed through Sacramento, traffic began to ease up and all was good the rest of the way home. The amazing thing about the “Holiday Hell” traffic/people delays is that I actually got home an hour and a half sooner than expected — and without incident (as in no fender-benders, tickets, breakdowns, flats, etc.).

I can’t say that I learned anything new from the “Holiday Hell” experience driving home. However, I was reminded of several truths God had already taught me — and graciously held back on nuking me for forgetting (better: ignoring them!). Here’s three of them:

  • Romans 8:28 is still true: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
  • Anxiety, fretting, getting uptight, etc. is unnecessary — and only increases our tenseness! (Philippians 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7)
  • God is a gracious God! Psalm 103:13-14 tells us… “The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.”

“Oh how we thank and praise you Heavenly Father for Your patience and for Your grace; thank You Jesus for bearing our sins on Calvary’s cruel cross. We are infinitely unworthy yet loved. What a mystery; what an amazing God You are! Amen.”

THOUGHTS ON MARRIAGE

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While pastoring, I was looking for a way to introduce the subject of marriage in an interesting way, so I consulted a book on illustrations. As I was perusing the topic index, I discovered someone was either very insightful — or had a warped sense of humor!

In this book of illustrations, I went to “ M,” found “Marriage”, then noticed the preceding topic was “Mark of the Beast” … and the one immediately following it was “Martyrdom”!

Most married folks eventually come to the sobering conclusion that good marriages don’t just happen; good marriages are created through sacrifice, humility, and a no-compromise commitment to their wedding vows! In a sermon on marriage, Pastor Don McKay (of First Baptist Church, Gold Beach, Oregon) recently addressed the stresses of a marital relationship in a sermon he presented on marriage. In his message he noted that: “Marriage is perhaps one of life’s most difficult relationships because we are living with the same person, day in and day out, for a lifetime.”

That statement is right-on! And of course it substantiates the wisdom of Scripture which exhorts believers to “not be yoked together with unbelievers” (II Corinthians 6:14). The idea is that there must be an affinity, a bond, a chemistry with the people we are closely connected to and/ or are in relationship with (e.g. business, intimate personal relationships, church/ministry, etc.). Of all earthly relationships, this injunction most assuredly applies to marriage! In all my years of pastoral ministry I cannot recall even one mixed-marriage (i.e. a Christian married to a non-Christian) that was healthy and mutually fulfilling. Most were in fact stressed and incompatible.

By the way: For you married, Christian guys, a great way to score big with your wife is to be an obedient-to-God kind of guy! Take for instance the husband and wife who were discussing the possibility of taking a trip to the Holy Land.

“Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go the Holy Land and stand and shout the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai?” the husband asked his wife.

“It would be better if you stayed home and kept them,” the wife replied.