"If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small."
Pressure tests the degree of our strength. Pressure may also increase it. The underlying goal in God's allowing pressure in our lives may be to make us strong enough to withstand the pressures of living in a fallen world. We want him to take the pressure away, but he allows it in order to strengthen us. In what ways has pressure strengthened you? What pressures do you feel right now? How might you allow them to strengthen you?
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
Obeying the truth leads to freedom. The ultimate freedom is freedom from our own sinful nature. Jesus is the only one who can save us from that slavery. Examples of the bondage of sin are addictions, relationship dysfunctions that recur despite our best efforts to change; destructive habits that cannot be abandoned. What bondage binds you? In what areas might obedience set you free? What step of faith can you take in a new direction that would mean freedom from whatever binds you? Take that first step, and the next ones become easier and easier.
"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
'This is the way you should go,'
whether to the right or to the left.
Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, 'Good riddance!'"
If you are going through a hard time, let these verses comfort and instruct you. There are two issues implicit here. First is the question of how you respond to suffering. Do you trust that God is with you and will respond to you? Or is there a lie lurking in your heart, a belief that perhaps he doesn't care? Let the truth of these verses replace that lie. Or have you perhaps turned to something other than God for help? That is the idolatry mentioned in the last verse. Trust God, God alone, and see what help he brings!
"How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
All who delight in him should ponder them."
Do you delight in God? Do you want to delight in God? Here's the way to do it: Ponder what the Lord has done. Meditate on what Scripture says God has done. Look for what he's doing in the church and in the world. Focus on what he's doing in your own life. Ponder, and renew your wonder at God's power and grace, and delight in God himself.
"Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
Sing about the glory of his name!
Tell the world how glorious he is.
Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!
Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
Everything on earth will worship you;
they will sing your praises,
shouting your name in glorious songs.' Interlude
'Come and see what our God has done,
what awesome miracles he performs for people!
He made a dry path through the Red Sea,
and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
For by his great power he rules forever.
He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.'"
A big part of worship is singing praise to God, reflecting on what he's done in the lives of his people and in our own particular lives, and focusing on who he is. What marvelous deeds has he done for you? What do these deeds reveal about his character? Praise him today for his awesome deeds, and lean on his character for all your needs
"The LORD will be our Mighty One.
He will be like a wide river of protection
that no enemy can cross,
that no enemy ship can sail upon.
For the LORD is our judge,
our lawgiver, and our king.
He will care for us and save us"
We can trust in God's protection. He will be like a wide river our enemies cannot cross. What enemies threaten you, either from without or within? Remember that the Lord is your Mighty One. He is your judge (who has paid for your sin and who will judge everyone and everything). He is the lawgiver, who made everything to work the way it does. He is your king, ruling over all. This is the One who will care for you and save you.
"Hezekiah was delighted with the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven's Armies: "The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left," says the LORD. "Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king."'
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'This message you have given me from the LORD is good.' For the king was thinking, 'At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.'"
God in his mercy spared Hezekiah's life, but because Hezekiah's pride continued, the consequences of his showing the Babylonian visitors his treasures would mean disaster for his descendants. Notice Hezekiah's response to Isaiah's message: outward assent but inward selfishness. He didn't care about his descendants but cared only for his personal peace and security. This attitude permeates our world too. It's the perfect example of how the sinful nature works: I only care abut myself and my own personal peace and security and do not care about the consequences of my actions or decisions for those who come after me.
"The wise are known for their understanding,
and pleasant words are persuasive.
From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive."
How often in life do you need to be persuasive? Most jobs require some degree of "selling" or persuading, if only to get people to do what they need to do. Leaders of any kind need to be persuasive. And what about parenting—don't you need masterful persuasive skills for that? What a comfort to know that God equates persuasive words with wisdom, and endorses it. Today, pray for the wisdom to come out with wise, pleasant, and persuasive words as necessary.
"During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden. …
The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. …
[Solomon] composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon."
Solomon had asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him. This is what a wise and righteous leader effects: peace, safety, and prosperity. This is a picture of a government that's working. People had their jobs and roles; all was clear. Solomon delegated the running of the kingdom to others and concentrated on sharing his wisdom. This is a good model for a business and also a vision of what we want our elected officials to create. May God provide us with wise, godly leaders!
"A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."
A clearheaded person looks ahead to discern possible pitfalls and dangers and takes precautions. Isn't this what our legal system is largely based upon? Business agreements, wills, and other legal documents attempt to foresee potential problems and make clear what should happen in different scenarios. The "simpleton" goes ahead, perhaps in "blind faith," and suffers the consequences for naiveté. Are there any situations in your life for which you need to take precautions? Clear-minded faith is one thing; vacant hope that things will turn out well, despite obvious dangers, is quite another
"Then Job replied to the LORD: . . .
'I take back everything I said,
And I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.'
After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite:
'I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.'
So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.
When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!"
God restored (and even doubled) Job's fortunes only after Job prayed for his friends. Perhaps that was the one thing Job needed to do to be fully healed and restored. He got right with God, but also needed to get over the bitterness toward his friends who failed him in his hour of need. Could it be that God will not prosper us until we're right in all our relationships? And could it be that when we pray for others and seek their good, it results in our own blessing?
"But if an angel from heaven appears—
a special messenger to intercede for a person
and declare that he is upright—
he will be gracious and say,
'Rescue him from the grave,
for I have found a ransom for his life.'
Then his body will become as healthy as a child's,
firm and youthful again.
When he prays to God,
he will be accepted.
And God will receive him with joy
and restore him to good standing.
He will declare to his friends,
'I sinned and twisted the truth,
but it was not worth it.
God rescued me from the grave,
and now my life is filled with light.'"
This is a picture of the new covenant—what Jesus does for the believer. In Jesus, we have a "special messenger to intercede for a person." Jesus paid the ransom. God accepts us because Jesus declares us "upright." Our lives are full of light because of Jesus. Notice that God receives us with joy. Today, let this wonderful picture of Jesus' work—predicted centuries before it came to pass—sink into your heart and give you joy. Revel in God's own joy in you! And don't forget the last part—tell others what God has done for you!
"Then Jacob made this vow: 'If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.'"
Notice that giving a tithe is connected to worship. It is an acknowledgment that God is the source of everything we have. The tithe always seems to be an expression of true worship of God. Are you giving back at least a tenth of all God gives you, not as a legalistic rule, but as an expression of your gratitude and trust?
"My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don't lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body."
God's words are both powerful and practical. Keep them in your sight—read them every day. "Let them penetrate deep into your heart"—meditate on their meaning. The promise is, if you let the Word shape your life, you will indeed experience life and, sometimes, even physical health. Healing comes from a spiritual source—God's truth.
"Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.'"
Jesus healed this helpless, paralyzed man first by encouraging him and then by telling him his sins are forgiven. The deepest healing happens not on a physical level, but when there's spiritual healing first. Many people in the medical community now realize the role unforgiveness plays in our physical health. Here Jesus gets at the man's deepest issue: his need for forgiveness. Are there unforgiveness issues in your life? Forgiveness you might need from God, others, or yourself? Forgiveness you need to extend to others? Deal now with any unforgiveness issues. You won't ever be truly healed without doing that
"One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser, Ahuzzath, and also Phicol, his army commander. 'Why have you come here?' Isaac asked. 'You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.'
They replied, 'We can plainly see that the LORD is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let's make a covenant. Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from us in peace. And now look how the LORD has blessed you!'"
When God blesses you with whatever form of blessing, it's to bring glory to him, to show something of his own character at work in your life. Make sure you let God get the credit. And if there's nothing in your life that makes others say, "The Lord must be with her," then pray that God would begin good works in your life that point people to him. God longs to reveal his goodness to you, and through you, to others.
"One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, 'I'm starved! Give me some of that red stew!' (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means 'red.')
'All right,' Jacob replied, 'but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.'
'Look, I'm dying of starvation!' said Esau. 'What good is my birthright to me now?'
But Jacob said, 'First you must swear that your birthright is mine.' So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn."
Jacob apparently wanted the firstborn's rights and was looking for a way to get it. He seized his opportunity when he saw that Esau would do anything for some food right now. Esau had his eyes only on the now; Jacob looked to the future. Esau lost, Jacob won. Esau never even seemed to understand what he'd just done. But Jacob would remember. Are your decisions made with an eye to what has lasting value, or only to temporary pleasure?
"'I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.'"
If you're a parent, you can adapt Jesus' prayer for his disciples to your own prayers for your children. You may feel a desire to take them out of the world, but Jesus here teaches that the truer-to-reality request is that God himself would keep them safe from the evil one. Notice how this actually leads to more peace: Rather than leaning on your own attempts to keep the world from your children, you entrust them to God's care. You ask and trust God to take care of them. Your role is to pray, not to shelter
"'I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let's be going.'"
In this chapter, Jesus repeats often that his goal is to please the Father, to show his love for his Father. The love and obedience Jesus displayed toward his Father is a model for the love and obedience we are to show Jesus. Do you have this kind of complete devotion to Jesus, this great desire to obey, even if it leads to terrible suffering, as it did for Jesus? Do you share his complete trust that if you do suffer, it will be both necessary and worthwhile because of what God will do through it?
"Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones."
We can easily fall into relying on our own wisdom. These verses remind us to always make sure that, first and foremost, we are trusting in God and acknowledging our need of him. Then, we should examine our hearts for any sin we may be blind to and turn away from it. The body's health is connected to the soul's state. To renew your health, check your spirit!
