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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 25 July 2023:
Jeremiah 17:5, 7, 8-10 — Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord…. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
In what or in whom do you really place your trust? Today’s verses point out how easy it is for a person to say he or she trusts in the Lord when (s)he is really trusting in self and a self-centered kingdom of family, career, wealth, talents, skills, abilities, government, etc. – the heart is deceitful that way, and we must continually ask ourselves, “In whom am I really trusting, who am I really serving, and why am I really doing what I am doing (right now and with my life in general)?” Who you actually trust will ‘lord’ over your life (determine your actions); in what you really trust will be the foundation of your life and the source of your strength. Today’s verses tell us it is a curse to trust an anything other than the Lord —
– 1 Corinthians 3:11 — For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
– Matthew 7:24-27 — Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
– 1 Peter 2:7, 8 — So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) The Bible has much to say about idolatry, and if you have been within the church community long, you have probably heard a lot about idolatry, which is generally explained as allowing anything in your life take priority over God, allowing anything in your life to be a more powerful influence in your life (even for a moment) than God and His perfect will. What you trust over God is an idol to you. While the Israelites proclaimed love and trust in God, who they really loved and trusted was themselves, which is the ultimate downfall reconning back to the original sin of Genesis, chapter three.
You have likely learned that idolatry takes God’s good blessings, such as family, career, money, talents, pleasures, etc, and distorts them into curses when they draw our affections away from The Way, The Truth, and The Life, Jesus Christ. However, these things which we often like to name as our idols, are not the real idol but merely servants or sacrifices to the real idol, which is self, the “I” in “idol.” These are little gods we intend to serve the big god, which is self. We may turn to family, career, money, etc, for our comfort, approval, control, security, or power, but ultimately, it is all about us and what we want. Today’s verses make the point of the either/or choice every person makes — “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord…. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” Since the day Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, the question which has divided mankind is, “Who is really the Sovereign Lord and Savior, God our man? Should I trust what God says is good and bad, right and wrong, or should I trust myself, look after myself, take care of own interests, pursue my own desires, and build for my own kingdom on earth?” Ultimately, we are either seeking first the Kingdom of God because we love and trust Him wholeheartedly and confidently, or we are building our own kingdoms on earth, our towers of Babel to “make a name for ourselves.” (Genesis 11:4) Today’s verses warn that this is a choice between life or death, blessings or curses –
– 1 Samuel 15:23 — For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
– Deuteronomy 30:19 — I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live….”
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” A person’s actions reveal who he or she really trusts and who he or she really serves. As Jesus said, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit…. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (Luke 6:43; John 15:5)
What a person really believes and in whom (s)he really trusts is often revealed most clearly during times of crisis, when things get tough – “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” (Proverbs 24:10) During times of crisis how strong is your strength? Do you bring to the fight your strength or the strength of the Almighty, Sovereign Creator? Do you turn to the Lord, simply take matters into your own hands, or search for some other rescuer? And when you make it through, do you see the victory as yours or God’s? God may equip you for the challenge or place people in your life to help you, but don’t lose sight of who is the Provider – “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 Israelites of Jeremiah’s day believed they could trust in their army, the diplomacy of their king, and their foreign alliances to protect them from the powerful Babylonian empire. They gave lip service to their trust in God, but their actions showed the truth of their faith. As the enemy approached, the Israelites continued to search for a person to save them rather than humbling themselves before the Savior. Their actions revealed their allegiance.
The U.S. National Motto is, “In God We Trust.” What do our national policies, agendas, and actions reveal about from where we think national stability, peace and security comes? Likewise, what do your priorities and actions reveal about who you trust? What really lord’s over your daily decisions?
– Psalm 20:7 — Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
– Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
– Psalm 28:7 — The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
– Matthew 6:25 — “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
– Joshua 1:9 — Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58) When your trust and hope is grounded on the immovable rock of Jesus, you become immovable through the storms of life, and less and less do circumstances affect your countenance, your peace, joy, patience, gentleness, kindness, etc. You become “like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought.” The “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [guards] your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) What does the consistency of your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and confidence reveal about what you really believe and in whom you really trust? If, like the rest of us, you find yourself less than immovable, return to the rock of Jesus. Pray that the Lord will help you truly trust in Him and nothing else.
Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
This verse reminds me of Proverbs 3:3, 4: “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.” A Christian should model love and faithfulness, something the world desperately needs and desires, something the Bible says is very hard to find, something that even kings long for – “Love and faithfulness keep a king safe.” (Proverbs 20:28) “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6)
How much we really know and love God is revealed by How much we truly love others. God is love. (1 John 4:8) He is the Source of Love, and we can only love others as we abide in Him and His love flows from Him, through us, to others. The closer we get to Him, the more we mature we become in Him, the more we will pour out supernatural love to others, which will certainly gain “favor with God and man.” Consider these verses –
– 1 John 3:1 — See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
– John 13:35 — By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
– 1 John 3:10 — By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
– 1 John 4:7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 — Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God…. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love…. 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…. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us…. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him…. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
– 1 John 5:1, 3 — Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him…. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
– John 13:34 — A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
– 1 John 2:7-14 — Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
– Matthew 5:43-48 — “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Referencing John 13:34 and 1 John 2:7-14 above, Jesus gave us an old commandment (Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:19; Leviticus 19:34) and at the same time a new commandment to love. How is this old commandment new? It is new through Jesus Christ. In a world which confuses lust (self-centered attractions to things or other people to fulfill selfish wants and desires) with love, Jesus revealed what true, genuine, selfless love is, and He poured the love of God (who is Love) out to an unloving world. When we were born again, we were born into His love and given the power of the Holy Spirit to love like never possible for us before, through the power of His Spirit, not as the world loves but as Jesus, who went to the Cross on our behalf, loves us (John 13:34) – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) It is only through Christ and with the power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly love even our enemies — “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) And it is with God that “Love and faithfulness meet together” for all to see in our lives for His glory. (Psalm 85:10) When Jesus said we must “abide” in Him to bear fruit, He was saying, in part, unless we live in His love and constantly receive His love, we cannot really love anyone else. Genuine love only happens when the love of God flows from His image bearers.
David proclaimed, “I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” (Psalm 40:10). When we love others visibly, tangibly in radical ways through the supernatural power of love bestowed upon us by God through the Holy Spirit, we will gain favor with man so that we can glorify God and share the Gospel of Jesus in powerful ways.
As Ambassadors of Christ and proclaimers of the Gospel, Christians must be very diligent to obstain from any unloving behavior which might hinder the Spirit within them and stand in the way of the message of reconciliation — “I urge you… to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) The prophet Samuel stood before the whole Assembly asking if there was anyone he had ever wronged. (1 Samuel 12:3) On trial for his faith, Paul passionately proclaimed the Gospel while ensuring He lived consistently with the message: “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” (Acts 24:16) Paul reminds us that love demands a clear conscience – “love… comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5)
Growing in favor with both God and man also means remaining obedient to God as well as to earthly authorities, as long as earthly authorities don’t demand disobedience to God. We see in today’s readings that Joseph and Mary also took great “pains” to honor both God and man – Jesus was born while Joseph and Mary were traveling to fulfill Caesar’s decree, taking great steps to obey the law at a most inconvenient time for Mary. Next, they went to the temple “according to the custom of the Law…. And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” (Luke 2:27, 39) Jesus further models for us godly submission – “He… was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51) Obeying both God and earthly authorities will be very inconvenient and challenging for Christians, and it will often be “unfair,” but Jesus calls us to “go the extra mile.”
– Romans 13:1-5 — Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
As Jesus warns and revealed by His example, the perfectly loving and lovable Christian will still be rejected by many, but because of the Gospel, not because of their behavior. Those who reject Jesus will reject His ambassadors, further revealing the righteousness of God’s final judgment of those who reject love and the God who is Love. Peter summed it up well: “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor…. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (see 1 Peter 2, 3).
People see the outward you, but God sees the inward you. Both should glorify God. Our mission (the Great Commandment and Great Commission) is all about relationships. We are called to be people persons. We must learn to build loving relationships with others (particularly with those who are hard to love) as an act of worship to God. Strained relationships with others can be a signal of a heart problem — a relationship problem with God revealed in relationship problems with others. Where you lack favor, check your heart –
– Luke 6:35 — But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
– Romans 12:18 — If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
– Philippians 2:3-8 — Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 July 2023: With Jesus as your example, “increase in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Today, focus on practicing unconditional, sacrificial love towards others, especially your ‘enemies,’ while humbly and diligently obeying and respecting all authority as an act of worship to Jesus, trusting Him for your protection and using your obedience as an opportunity to glorify God. (see Philippians 2:1-8, Ephesians 5:21, and Romans 13) Today, as you seek to walk in genuine, selfless, sacrificial love, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him….” (Proverbs 3:5, 6) – 1 John 4:12 — No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 