Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Alone -- Yet Not Alone"

Hebrews 13: 5-6 "Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.'"

All of us have experienced the aching pain of loneliness -- days when the world seems to have passed us by and left us to our single, solitary selves. If only we had someone, preferably a friend, to talk to, to share our inmost thoughts, our hopes, our dreams, our fears!

As believers in Christ, we have such a friend. Again and again we are assured of His presence in our lives. The Lord has told us: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." And Jesus assures us: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). We may be sure: He will never go back on these promises.

We may well ask ourselves: Have we cultivated this sense of nearness to our Lord? Do we walk and talk with Him? Do we share our thoughts with Him -- not only in our formal prayers but also in those frequent quiet moments that occur throughout the day?

There may indeed be moments in our life when we feel lonely. In those moments may we always remember: we are never left alone.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Great Deep"

Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!"

Scientists have gone down to the bottom of inland waters and even of oceans near the shore. But the great depths of the oceans remain relatively unexplored. They still contain many mysteries.

It is thus with the judgments of God. There are times when God's ways are clear and understandable to us. We realize His wisdom and His goodness. We can say with confidence: "He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). There may be whole periods in our lives when our hearts can sing the song of the psalmist: "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance" (Psalm 16:6).

Then -- sometimes very unexpectedly -- conditions change. There may be prolonged sickness, unemployment, reverses in business, financial losses, other types of care and sorrow. Prayers seem to go unanswered. "Has God forgotten to be merciful?" We ask with the psalmist (Psalm 77:9). In such dark nights we must remember how God dealt with Mary and Joseph and with His own Son: no room in the inn; the flight into Egypt; the agony in the Garden; the torturesome death on the cross. "God spared not His own Son!" With the apostle Paul we exclaim: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out!" (Romans 11:33).

[Soldier4Christ]

"God's Compass"

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham...went, even though he did not know where he was going."

As you travel life's road, do you often feel insecure because of the unkonwns? A husband and wife were traveling in unfamiliar territory when he finally admitted, "We're lost." As he chided himself for not bringing a map, the wife calmly pointed to the compass above the dashboard and said, "The compass shows we're going in the right direction. We'll get there."

Abraham probably would have appreciated a map as he headed for the unknown Promised Land. We too may wish for maps detailing and explaining the roads we will travel on our life's journey. We may long to know where the "side roads" of pain and discouragement intersect the overall route. Are we possibly lost? Has God abandoned us?

God's compass points us in the right direction -- heavenward -- through faith in His Son, who had redeemed us from sin, death, and hell by His atoning sacrifice for our sins. With the compass of His Word in hand, we need not be bewildered by the specific trails we travel. We need not demand an explanation of every turn our life takes. Like Abraham, we trust our loving Savior to bring us to the Promised Land.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Stop Worrying"

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Worry is so common. It is experienced by everyone but does no one any good. It only wounds the mind and kills the spirit. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus indicates how foolish and useless it is to worry: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

On the other hand, worry can do a lot of harm. It's like getting sand into the wheel bearings of one's car. In a short time the bearings become damaged beyond repair. Worry is the sand that hastens the wrecking of our human machinery.

In overcoming our anxieties we must do more than recognize that a cure is possible. We need to recognize that Jesus Christ is the cure. He is the Savior who takes away the cause of worry. He forgives sins.

Therefore, Paul writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Cross Just for You"

Mark 8:34 "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."

There is a lovely legend which says that Jesus and His father had a sign in front of their carpenter shop with this inscription: "Our yokes fit." To avoid being rubbed sore, it was important that the neck of the ox and the yoke be perfectly fitted to each other.

There is a lesson here for us. God perfectly fits our crosses to us. The cross of a Christian is spoken of as his or her cross. No one can bear our cross for us. Parents cannot carry the crosses of their children, nor should they want to. In His wisdom and love God has prepared a cross for His children in keeping with their need. Without that cross life would be near to God.

There is sweet comfort in knowing this, especially when our cross becomes heavy. God never expects us to bear a strange cross. He will give us a cross neither too heavy nor too light. It will be so perfectly fitted to our need that it can belong to us only.

Now we can be sure that crosses that burden us will become wings that lift us. There will be no unnecessary tears. The love that delivered us from death will discipline us unto life. That's God's way, and it's the best way.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Forgiven and Innocent"

Pilate…said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against Him… As you can see, He has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him." Luke 23:13-16

A policeman talked to me of two men who tried to steal a bank’s ATM cash machine. They looped one end of a chain around the ATM and the other end around the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead of dragging away the machine, they ripped the bumper right off their truck. Panicked, the two hurriedly left the scene and drove home. Officers soon caught up with the pair. It wasn’t a hard case to crack. When they left their bumper behind, it still held their license plate.

Now I know you’ve never tried to steal an ATM, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely innocent. We’ve all done bad things haven’t we? No, I'm not going to get specific here. I don’t need to. But you know what you've done wrong, don’t you? You may hide what you've done from your parents, your spouse, your children, your boss, your minister, and your closest friends, but you know.

You know you have broken God's laws and most probably man's laws as well. The world's greatest leaders, the most gentle of mothers, the kindest of doctors must confess, “I have sinned.” Scripture clearly tells us that there is no man on the earth that does only good and never sins.

Except for Jesus. True man and true God, Jesus did nothing wrong, which is not to say that Jesus didn’t do anything. For 33 years, He did the will of His Father. Misunderstood and hated, Jesus did all that was necessary to save sinners. When lepers called out to Him, He healed them. When a mother mourned the death of her son and a father his daughter, Jesus brought them back to life. Most importantly, Jesus did all that was necessary to save us. Looking to the cross, as well as Christ’s empty tomb, you can see the sinless Son of God loved you with a love that cannot be measured. For you he did nothing wrong and everything right. All this Jesus did, so someday you can stand before the eternal Judge and be found forgiven and innocent.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Help in Time of Need"

Hebrews 4:16 "Approach the throne of grace with confidence."

Sooner or later, perhaps sooner than we realize, we come face to face with moments of desperation. We like to boast of our accomplishments, our successes, our personal triumphs, and the like. Then suddenly and unexpectedly the Lord lays us low on a bed of sickness, permits some unexplainable calamity to happen to us, sends some heavy cross to bear, or confronts us with dire need.

The immediate impulse of human nature is to murmur and complain, to fault God, to accuse Him of being unfaithful to His promises. But also in such moments of weak faith we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. He is "at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:34).

How important that we daily rethink our lives and the purpose God has for us in His divine plan! When we experience hardships and distress, let us remember that only God can help. Christ, our High Priest, who "took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4) and who took away our sins on Calvary's cross, invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace with all concerns. God assures us that "before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Broken Heart"

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

What is it that pleases God the most? Burnt offerings and sacrifices? Weekly visits to His house of worship? Regular contributions? The performance of religious duties? Deeds of service?

The psalmist declared, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

It is our heart that God wants. And the heart that is pleasing to Him is one that is broken and contrite. Its pride is shattered: the walls of shame that have surrounded it are broken down. It is filled with sorrow for its many sins. It is a faith-filled heart, one that trusts solely in the merits of Jesus Christ for full forgiveness. It is a loving heart, one that loves God and people and seeks to serve both.

Certainly God delighted in the sacrifices of His Old Covenant people, so long as they were offered from penitent, loving hearts. And God is pleased with our sacrifices--our worship, our gifts, our service--so long as such tributes flow from hearts that have been changed by His power, melted by His love, and filled with His Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

"His Resurrection"

April 23, 2003

Romans 1:4 "Declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection."

That there was an awesome aspect in the crucifixion of our Lord, something beyond the human in this Man who hung there, was evident even to the centurion and his soldiers. They said, in awe and fear: "Surely He was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54).

There is also an awesome aspect to Jesus' resurrection. There was awe enough when our Lord called back to life the dead bodies of others. He spoke, and the dead heard Him and arose. Yet this awe reached its greatest height when Jesus Himself arose from the dead. For He had said: "Destroy this temple (of His body), and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19-21). This He did by His power and by that of "the glory of the Father."

So in days when the odds seem all against us and our strength fails and our security is shaken, we need to know that He who loved us unto death does not love us helplessly. With a love that is strong as it is tender, as almighty as it is compassionate, He stands at our side. In days when all seems lost, as it seemed long ago to His followers, let us remember the risen Christ, who by His resurrection was declared to be the Son of God who loved us and died for our sins and sorrows. In the world to come we shall have an endless, glorious life with Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Portrait of a Doubter"

John 20:25 "(Thomas) said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, ...I will not believe.'"

Our name is Thomas, for we too have had our moments of doubt. We too have refused to believe the testimony of others, preferring sight to faith. We too have placed limits on God's ability to perform. We too have prescribed to God the exact conditions under which we'd accept His truths.

And because we have been where Thomas was, it is good to see Christ's sensitivity toward doubters. Jesus came to deal especially with the doubter. He did not reject him. Christ faced Thomas with love and forgiveness. He followed minutely the prescription that Thomas had laid down as absolute: "Unless...I will not." Christ does not cast off even the most arrogant doubter with his or her unreasonable demands.

When tormenting and disquieting doubts besiege and assail us, we can with joy recall the understanding and completely forgiving attitude of our Lord in dealing with "doubting Thomas." We remember how He led him, step by step, to the glorious confession: "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28), and then assured him that his doubts had been overcome and replaced by genuine faith. Oh, the blessed patience of Him who died for us and rose again!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Easter Hope -- We Have a Shepherd"

John 10:14-15 "I am the Good Shepherd...I lay down My life for the sheep."

In Christ and His resurrection from the dead we have the ultimate and perfect hope. This is a hope that is far more than an uncertain wish for the future. Rather, it is a living hope, a sure conviction, a reliance on an unbreakable promise.

That hope operates in our hearts here and now. We know Christ as our Good Shepherd, who not only has the power fully and completely to protect us but also such perfect love for us that we can without doubting believe that He will always use that power in our behalf. He is not simply in control of this infinitely immense universe, but He guides and directs each one of us in our individual and personal lives. He knows us by name. He cares for us. He loved us enough to lay down His life for us. We have an invincible basis for our belief that He will also provide us with all that we need for our earthly welfare.

But above all, our hope for the future will blossom into a glorious reality when He returns in glory and triumph. It will be an awesome event, striking terror into the hearts of those who have had no use for Him. But for those who know Him and are known by Him as blood-bought and redeemed souls, it will be a joyous welcome home.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Death Is Destroyed"

Psalm 143:11-12 "For Your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in Your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In Your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am Your servant."

Through His resurrection, Jesus destroyed all our foes-especially death. Our faith in Christ gives us the free gift of eternal life.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Because of the gift of salvation given to us in grace, we respond with a grateful heart, serving our Lord. We tell others the Good News of God's love in Christ! We live our lives as ones loved by God.

"Christ is risen!"

"He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Falling on Deaf Ears"

Psalm 143:7 "Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit."

The Saturday before Easter has always been a day of personal reflection and devotion for me. Some churches hold what's called an "Easter Vigil," opening the church Saturday evening for prayer and meditation.

In the Psalms, the grave is often referred to as "the pit." On that first Holy Saturday, Jesus was in the pit of the grave. So, how can God hear our prayers if the one through whom He hears our prayers is dead?

But Jesus did not stay dead! And because Jesus lives, the Lord answers us quickly-He does not hide His face from us! He answered our need for a Savior, and He is there for us, no matter where we are or what we are facing.

[Soldier4Christ]

"How Much Do You Love Me?"

Psalm 143:6 "I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land."

This verse reminds me that Jesus spread His hands to be nailed to the cross. In the Gospels, we find the last words of Jesus from the cross (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Luke 23: 34, 43 & 46, and John 19:26-30). One of the last things He said was "I thirst."

In this world turned dry, dusty, and parched by sin, our souls thirst for God. We seek answers to our problems. We try to understand the emptiness that, at times, consumes us.

Jesus once called Himself the "Living Water" (John 4:1-26). He knows our thirst and gives us to drink of the Living Water from heaven, Himself.

"How much can He love me?" you ask.

He answers, "This much."

And He spreads His arms wide … as they are nailed to a cross and He dies for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Remember"

Psalm 143:4-5 "So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done."

It was His last night-so much to say, so much to do. It would not surprise me if this portion of Psalm 143 had going through Jesus' mind that Thursday evening. He and His friends gathered for the Passover meal they had each celebrated since they were young-yet, tonight, Jesus adds something new.

His hands broke the bread. His hands held up the cup. Twelve hours later, these hands that broke bread and held the cup would be nailed to a cross. Body broken by nails. Blood shed.

The Passover was a time to recall what happened in the past-how God had, in love, freed His people from slavery. At the meal Jesus gave to us that night, we gather to receive the forgiveness He won for us as He, out of love, freed us from the slavery of sin. Each time we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we do so at His bidding: "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). And so we remember His great love for us.