Archive for the ‘August’ Category

Knowing about and knowing by sight are not the same.

Posted: August 29, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries
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John Piper, in a sermon, “Wonderful Things From Your Word”

You can see many things when you come to the Word without God’s opening the eyes of your heart. You can see words and grammatical constructions. You can see logical connections. You can see historical facts. You can see an author’s rational intention. You can see some human emotions. None of that requires that God open your eyes in a special spiritual way.

But what you cannot see is the spiritual beauty of God and his Son and their work in the world. You cannot see that God is infinitely desirable above all things. A blind person cannot see the sun, though he can know many facts about the sun and pass a test in astronomy with a score higher than a person who can see the sun. Knowing about and knowing by sight are not the same. Knowing that honey is sweet and tasting honey are not the same.

Pray for eyes to see and know God as you continue reading the Bible this year!

The greatness of God

Posted: August 28, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries
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From Spurgeon’s sermon, “Fear Not”, posted at “Grace Gems”

Lift up your eyes, behold the heavens, the work of God’s fingers– behold the sun guided in his daily march; go forth at midnight, and behold the heavens; consider the stars and the moon; look upon these works of God’s hands, and if you be men of sense, and your souls are attuned to the high music of the spheres, you will say, ”What is man that you are mindful of him?”

My God! when I survey the boundless fields of ether, and see those ponderous orbs rolling therein, when I consider how vast are your dominions- so wide that an angel’s wing might flap to all eternity and never reach a boundary I marvel that you should look on insects so obscure as man.

I am so little that I shrink into nothingness when I behold the Almightiness of Jehovah so little, that the difference between the molecule and man dwindles into nothing, when compared with the infinite chasm between God and man.

Let your mind rove upon the great doctrines of the Godhead; consider the existence of God from before the foundations of the world; behold Him who is, and was, and is to come, the Almighty.

Let your soul comprehend as much as it can of the Infinite, and grasp as much as possible of the Eternal, and I am sure if you have minds at all, they will shrink with awe. The tall archangel bows himself before his Master’s throne, and we shall cast ourselves into the lowest dust when we feel what base nothings, what insignificant specks we are when compared with our all-adorable Creator.

Labor, O soul, to know your nothingness, and learn it by contemplating God’s greatness.

Accounting 101 in Philemon

Posted: August 25, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Philemon
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If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.  I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. —Philemon 18-19

John MacArthur, in “The Motives of One Who Forgives”

But then notice what he says in parenthesis. “Lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well.” What is he saying here? He’s saying, “By the way, I know Onesimus owes you a debt, but may I remind you that you owe me a greater debt than he owes you?” Here’s Paul’s plan. Put his debt on my account, then cancel it because you owe me so much. That’s what he says.

Now there’s a principle here. Philemon is not just a man who is owed the payment of a debt. Philemon is also a debtor who owes a far greater and unpayable debt to Paul. Onesimus owes Philemon a material debt. Philemon owes Paul a spiritual debt. Onesimus owes Philemon a temporal debt. Philemon owes Paul an eternal debt. Why? Paul had given him the gospel. Paul had led him to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. How is he ever going to pay that back? So he says Onesimus’ debt should be put on my account and then cancel because you owe me so much, because I was used by God to deliver you from death and hell.

Now the principle is just that simple. Somebody does something against you, offends you, owes you something, remember this, you owe such unpayable debts to others who have generously and graciously and faithfully and lovingly benefited you with the richest of spiritual blessings and they don’t demand payment and neither could you pay it should they demand it, so can’t you release the simple temporal financial debt or obligation of one who has only offended you in an earthly way? That’s his point.

Attempting to trick Him

Posted: August 25, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Luke
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Luke 20:20-26 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.  So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.  Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”  He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

J.C. Ryle comments:

Let us mark, for one thing, in this passage, the cloak of goodness under which some of our Lord’s enemies approached Him. We read that they “sent forth spies, who pretended to be honest men.” We read further that they attempted to trick Him by flattering words–

“Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You sincerely teach the ways of God.”

These words sounded well. An ignorant bystander would have said, “These are sincere inquirers after truth!” But all was hollow and unreal. It was the wolf putting on the sheep’s clothing, under the vain idea of deceiving the shepherd. “Their words were smoother than butter,” yet there was “war in their hearts.” (Psalm 55:21.)

The true servant of Christ must expect to meet people of this description, as long as the world stands. There never will be lacking those, who from selfish or sinister motives will profess with their lips to love Christ, while in heart they deny Him.

Relishing life more as our confidence in the sovereign Lord grows

Posted: August 25, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Proverbs
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Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
 but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Chuck Swindoll:

To which I shout a hearty “Amen!” having been around many a broken spirit with dried-up bones in my lifetime.

My plea is not that we read the comics, watch mindless sitcoms, or tell a lot of silly jokes to each other. That’s external, superficial, and shallow. I’m suggesting that we become more lighthearted, relishing life more as our confidence in the sovereign Lord grows. After all, He gave us humor to enjoy and genuine smiles when we take pleasure in His gift.

Let’s lighten up rather than surrender to intensity and worry. A truly cheerful face radiates from a relaxed, joyful heart.

A few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. But a joyless Christian . . . that’s ridiculous!

Rejoice in the Lord always;
Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “A Joyful Heart . . . It’s Good Medicine!” Insights (March 2001): 1-2. Copyright © 2001, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Seeing God’s hand moving behind the scenes

Posted: August 25, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Esther
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Bob Deffinbaugh comments:

A slight shift in the events recorded in Esther would have doomed the Jews, except as Mordecai said, “help would come from someplace else.” Nevertheless, success in the small details mattered. As an Agagite, Haman may well have used his position against the Jews at the first provocation, whether it came from Mordecai or not. And so we have a web of God’s providence weaved into the fabric of the story:

  • Vasthi was removed as queen.
  • Esther was the young woman among hundreds to find favor with the king to become queen.
  • Mordecai was there to hear the plot against the king.
  • The king was lazy about rewarding Mordecai.
  • There was time granted in the casting of the Pur – nearly a year between the decree and the date of its execution – to allow for King Ahasuerus’ procrastination and for the Jews to prepare for their defense.
  • Esther was twice extended the golden scepter that spared her life.
  • King Ahasuerus agreed to attend the two banquets.
  • King Ahasuerus happened to read about Mordecai’s service between the two banquets.
  • There happened to have been a gallows, built by Haman, on which to hang him. Once the king’s anger subsided, he may have had second thoughts. After all, he did nothing about the Jew’s situation until Esther risked her life a second time.
  • The Jews prevailed over their enemies. It must be remembered that both decrees were in force. One can presume that there were battles fought.

And so the one who knows his God can see His hand even if Mordecai and Esther did not. This is grace and mercy. Unlike Daniel, who would not eat Nebuchadnezzar’s non-kosher food, and who publicly prayed even when it carried a death sentence, Esther concealed her identity and, therefore, ate whatever was placed before her. Neither she nor Mordecai appealed to Passover as a celebration of the Lord’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery, even though the celebration of Passover was at hand.

In short, Mordecai and Esther were not people of faith.

But the Lord God proved faithful to His people, and one of the grand purposes of the Book of Esther is to show the Lord’s preserving hand. We are led to see the Lord moving behind the scenes for the discerning eye to see.

Odd, out of sync, obtuse tangential little letter?

Posted: August 24, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Philemon
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    Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. —Philemon 1:8-10 ESV

John MacArthur, in his introduction to Philemon:

You ask yourself the question: of all of the subjects that Paul could have written about, why in the world did he pick the subject of forgiveness? This is just this little isolated kind of odd, out of sync, obtuse tangential little letter stuck in the middle of these great sweeping epistles to talk to one guy about forgiving one slave. Why all this fuss? Again I say, because never is a believer more like God, more like Christ than when He or she forgives because that’s the nature of God and the nature of Christ which is most wonderfully applied to us in salvation. We read throughout the New Testament, don’t we, be like Christ, be like Christ, walk like He walked, remember Jesus Christ, be ye followers of me as I am of Christ, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Well what does that mean? We’re to be like Christ. What does it mean to be like Christ? Well for sure it means to be…what?…forgiving because that’s how we know Him as the one who forgave us all our sins.

The cornerstone sets every angle

Posted: August 24, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Luke
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John MacArthur on Luke 20:9-19

The parable has ended.  The end is tragic for the vine-growers.  It’s tragic for those who follow the vine-growers.  It’s tragic, at this point, for the son, he’s dead.  But the death of the son can’t be the end of the story.  So he looks at them and says, “In case you’re wondering if that’s the end of the story, have you forgotten the Scripture?” And He quotes Psalm 118:11.  “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone.”  He takes them from the analogy and the parable that He developed, right into the Old Testament.  This is not the end of the story, lest you think it’s the end of the story, think again.  Have you forgotten Scripture?  Scripture says that the stone rejected becomes the chief cornerstone.

Well what is the importance of that?  It’s very simple because they would understand it clearly.  They knew the hallel very well.  They knew Psalm 118, probably most of them knew it by memory, certainly the leaders did…the chief cornerstone.  They may have even given messianic overtones to that because in Daniel chapter 2 the Messiah who comes to smash the image in Daniel’s vision is the stone cut out without hands.  The Messiah was known in some circles as the stone.  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

I’ll tell you how that works.  If you’re going to build a building, in ancient times you build it out…a great edifice…out of stone, there’s one stone that has to be perfect, that’s the cornerstone.  And it has to be perfect in every direction.  It has to be perfect on the bottom so the building is flat.  It has to be perfect on the sides so the building rises in a perfect perpendicular fashion.  It has to be perfect on the top so it doesn’t tilt and the angle has to be exact or the building is going to wander off out of symmetry.  The cornerstone sets every angle for the building.  Builders knew that then they were going to build a building, they had to have an absolutely perfect cornerstone.  How many stones are you going to build a great edifice would you throw away before you found the perfect one?  Realizing that all these stones were hewn by hand, you would come across a stone and say, “Almost but not quite.”  You’ve got one side of the stone that’s going that way and if we follow that line, it’s not going to work.  The angle is just off a little tiny bit and that’s going to send this building away from symmetry.  How many stones would they throw in a pile and say, “Well maybe we can cut that one up and use it somewhere else?” before they found a perfect cornerstone?

And now in the teaching of Jesus, the illustration has shifted and the son has become a stone.  The son is now the stone which the builders rejected.  They had said, “You’re not perfect.  We don’t accept You as the cornerstone to God’s Kingdom.”

What remains after going through the furnace?

Posted: August 24, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Proverbs
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Proverbs 17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the Lord tests hearts.

God tests us, tests our hearts.  Repeatedy in the Bible, we read that HE refines us, tests us, just as precious metals are refined to remove impurities.  Read these other passages, and ask yourself what remains after going through the “furnace of affliction.” Gold will become pure.  Silver will become pure.  The rest?  Kindling.

The Refiner's Fire by Lars Justinen (www.larsjustinen.com)

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;  I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, I will refine them and test them,
 for what else can I do, because of my people?

Zechariah 13:9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

What will God find when you are tested? Kindling or gold?

A Tale of Two Suppers

Posted: August 24, 2012 by Pam Larson in August, Devotionals/Commentaries, Esther
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Ray Stedman on Esther 7:

gallowsThe chapter opens with an intimate supper in a private banqueting room where Queen Esther, the king, and Haman, the evil prime minister, are gathered, and it closes with a man nailed, screaming, to a tree until he is dead. Here is one of those frequent timeless foreshadowings of the cross of the Old Testament. Here is a king who is ignorant of what is going on in his kingdom. He is troubled, perplexed, concerned, deluded, and unknowing. It is a picture of your human soul with its power of will and choice, but also its blindness and ignorance of the true nature of events in your life. And here is a queen who has been informed by her wise cousin, Mordecai, exactly what is happening. She knows what is going on and is moving to avert disaster. This, as we have seen, is a picture of the regenerate human spirit which, indwelt and taught by the Holy Spirit, is able to recognize the true nature of evil and is the base from which God moves in our lives to prevent disaster. Here is Haman, a descendent of Agag, the Amalekite, the sworn enemy of God, who is plotting to destroy the people of God from the kingdom of Ahasuerus and to exalt himself. What a picture this is of the principle of self in each of us — that deadly ego which has as its central purpose the exaltation of self and which hates the control of God in our lives.

last_supper_davinciCenturies after this supper, another supper was held in a private banqueting room upstairs in a building in Jerusalem. A similar occasion occurs. Three forces are represented there: Here are eleven disciples who do not know what is going on. Their hearts are troubled. They are concerned and perplexed. They are full of questions. They are ignorant and unknowing. Here is Jesus Christ, their Lord, their master, the perfect Son of man, indwelt by the Father, filled with the Spirit, aware of everything, fully awake to the danger of the hour and moving to avert the world’s greatest disaster. And here, also, is Judas, the traitor, intent only on fulfilling his own desires, ready to destroy everything if by hypocrisy and pretense he can get what he wants, unconcerned for the terrible results that will follow his deed because he is intent only upon the fulfillment of his own desire, his own will. That supper, too, ended with a man hanging upon a tree, nailed, skewered to a gallows.

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