Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.  All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one…Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:9-11, 17)

Often our desires are carnal, shaped by the influence of the world and our flesh. As we are undergoing sanctification, we often have conflicting desires between our sin nature and our Christ-nature. This should encourage us, since the righteous aspirations that are now present in us threaten our worldly desires, evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. To see this internal battle accurately, we must be able to discern God’s desires for us in Christ. Every Sunday at our church services we should be taught, reminded and confronted with Christ’s desires for us, his children.

In the Lord’s prayer, we pray, first of all, for God’s desires on earth, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10-11) It is God’s will for his name to be praised and exalted as his will is carried out in us, through us, and for us. God gave us to Christ as a gift; we belong to him. Jesus prayed for all believers to glorify him in this world before he ascended into heaven. Just as Jesus glorified the Father, he wants to us to glorify him. He also prayed, in John 17 that we would be united with him and each other, as he is one with the Father and the Spirit. Thirdly, Jesus prayed for us to be sanctified in the truth of God’s Word, which should happen every time we hear a biblical sermon, take the sacraments, sing doctrinally sound hymns, and participate in confession and prayer.

Paul urged the believers in Ephesus to be wise in knowing the will of God for them when they came together. “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:17-20)

What is your intention for worship today? Will you be glad to be joined with the body, filled with the Spirit as you worship with your congregation out of reverence for Jesus Christ?

 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Each week I outline the devotions for Monday-Saturday, assigning appropriate daily Scripture verses. The Wi-Fi has been down at my residence for a couple of days, making me aware of my dependence on it for checking my grammar, hearing my devotion read back to me, and then posting it. I also stream classical music in the late evenings and mornings, and of course, I check the weather, news, Twitter feeds, and Facebook. Yup, every day. You might say that I have grown dependent upon my Wi-Fi access, along with billions of other people—and you would be right. And it is a “thing” of this world.

Living in sub-Sahara Africa when cell phones were starting to come into use was a great way to learn how to build relationships via face-to-face interactions instead of depending on devices. Just trying to get a dial-up connection took the patience of Job. Even after cell phones because popular, it was difficult to keep a connection as the cell calls were frequently dropped—and still are. These are the times when you realize that building friendships, discipleship, and fellowship are best undertaken in person.

Now, in 2018, I am assessing my use of the Wi-Fi with the passage from 1 John 2. Am I so enamored with being connected that I put my faith in it rather than in Christ? Do I love it the way I should love God? Does my flesh and do my eyes long for it and despair when I can’t be connected? I am happy to report that one hour at Starbucks took care of most of my needs and I can easily continue with my life unconnected. I spent an enjoyable half-day with a dear friend catching up over coffee and lunch. I look forward to another visit with a sister in Christ tomorrow. I am writing while off-line. I can watch TV instead of Netflix, but I could also read a book, which would be better still. I am relieved that, at least last night and today, my life and my wellbeing has not been dramatically affected by the interruption in our Wi-Fi. It’s a wake-up call though.

Spending much of our time on devices is loving the world since it is the most impersonal way to interact. I am not comfortable emailing, messaging, or entering into a discussion with people online unless I also have a relationship with them, have met them in person at least once, hope to do so one day, or am working on a project with them. What about you? Will you take inventory of how you use your “connected” time? Is it for ministry and eternal matters, with those whom you know? How might you change your priorities and use of your time on while connected?

I’m still thinking about it. (And I’m going to grab this brief time of connectivity to post early for tomorrow.)

“Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. (Proverbs 19:2)

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18:1)

Before I was reborn in Christ, I trusted my “gut feelings” as the best indicator of wisdom. I thought that my instincts were different from my emotions, which could not be trusted. It was only after I came to faith that I learned to distrust not only my emotions but most of my inclinations, which were carnal. One of the most convicting verses was Proverbs 19:2, “Desire without knowledge is not good.” At some point I realized that the second half of the verse was the outcome of this uninformed desire; my lack of knowledge often resulted in running toward a serious mistake instead of toward a biblical solution to a problem. So, one problem with our desires is that they are uneducated, lacking the wisdom of God, which is the sound judgment referred to in Proverbs 18:1.

Sometimes we run toward lousy judgment and other times we isolate ourselves, which is also unwise according to 18:1. It would be unwise to take this verse too literally, since writing, praying, and meditating on Scripture may all be done in isolation, but not for the sake of separation. It is one thing to accomplish something purposeful; it is another to seek aloneness to avoid interacting with people, which is the thrust of 18:1, according to most commentators. I say this knowing that many introverts find being around other people physically tiring and emotionally taxing. I happen to be someone who needs a reasonably even balance of time with others and time alone to function at my best. But I know when I am trying to avoid others because I am selfish, as you also probably do. Too much time alone is never good for anyone; isolating ourselves indicates a lack of compassion for others, disinterest in serving God by serving his people, or fear of being vulnerable with other people. Perhaps you can think of other unwise reasons for keeping aloof from family, friends, church members, or neighbors?

Bible translations sometimes put another slant on 18:1 that might be useful to consider. The Common English Bible says, “Unfriendly people look out for themselves; they bicker with sensible people.” I am sure you have met some of these folks (but hopefully aren’t one of them yourself). The NIV has this phrasing, “Whoever isolates himself pursues selfish ends; he resists all sound advice.” One way to avoid accountability is to isolate yourself and being friendless. Wise Christian friends are critical to a Christian disciple who wants to grow; feedback is essential. I also recommend friends who are different from you and have different ways of looking at the world, to offer fresh perspectives and arguments for biblical views that challenge you. Restricting yourself to friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family members who agree with you all the time is one way to be isolated and leads to stagnation. Consider the Pharisees.

Will you think about these things and see if you catch yourself running without knowledge or isolating yourself from those who would help you grow?

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:12-15)

I am so good at throwing pity parties for myself that I never need anyone to give me one. In other words, you might never think I indulge in self-pity because I do it in the privacy of my home, and not in public (usually). How pitiful! I need passages like the one in James to bring me to my senses when I start blaming God for difficulties in my life (which is usually at the root of self-pity). Do phrases like, “life is unfair,” “I shouldn’t have to deal with this,” or “why do I always have to be the one to… (fill in the rest)” sound familiar? They all ask God, “why me?”

Why? We are sinners who don’t remain steadfast, who don’t want to be loved so much that it hurts, and who want to blame everything on someone else, including and usually God. We must follow the trail of temptation to know the truth and James helps us by tracing our sin to our temptations, which emanate from our desires. Our desires come from our hearts, beliefs, appetites, and attitudes. Many of us move through life with a punishment-reward system—we are either always punishing or rewarding ourselves and others based on outward behavior. However, in doing so, we neglect the source of good or bad actions, as if they spring from thin air. We wouldn’t try to fix a pipe without turning off the water, because the source of the water will continue to provide a steady stream (in our faces). Why do we think that we can isolate conduct to fix it, as if it has no source?

I have a desire that lurks in my heart (either consciously or unconsciously) and is fed by temptation when my eyes, ears, or other sensory organs take notice. Then, because I am caught by surprise, or think I am unable to stand up to the pressure, I give in to the temptation and sin. Self-pity kicks right in, justifying the needed “reward” because things are too hard—sin becomes the reward. Not only do I die a small death because of my sin that separates me from God, but I am also now calling sin a reward, adding self-righteousness to my account, all the while blaming God for it.

Are you willing to admit that you are a co-conspirator with me in this sometimes? Will you examine the desires of your heart that are engaged by temptation and start taking responsibility for standing firm with God’s strength, rather than give in? “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul… I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (1 Peter 2:11; 2 Peter 3:1-3)

As an older single woman, I struggle with particular passions of my flesh—wanting to do what is convenient or comfortable rather than serve sacrificially, not say anything to someone who is gossiping, eat whatever I like, or watch one more episode on Netflix. Family members struggle with setting examples for each other in the way they treat each other, priorities in the use of their time, and seeking God together. Couples may have similar challenges, while also facing the issue of mutual decisions and effective, loving communication as they move through different seasons of life. Millennials and GenXers are finding that they are expected to take stands on issues previously relegated to the older folks, like gun control and abuse of prescription drugs. All people, including Christians, will struggle with our passions until the day we die.

Peter lovingly offers warnings to remind us that we used to be just like those he warns us against But we have been transformed from the inside-out, starting in our hearts. “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Our minds and hearts are to work together as we tussle (or brawl) with conflicting desires. The more time we spend thinking about, praying about, and being encouraged in holiness, the less time we will seek to fulfill the desires of our flesh. On 2 Peter 3:1 Matthew Henry wrote, “The purified minds of Christians are to be stirred up, that they may be active and lively in the work of holiness.” I think of the passion fruit juice in Uganda when the rich fruit nectar drops to the bottom of the glass. If the juice is unstirred, the top tastes like water and the bottom is undrinkable, due to its thick sweetness. Our hearts are often content to be left alone with the good stuff of the gospel lying dormant until Sunday comes around and we are reminded of who we are in Christ. We need to have our hearts and minds stirred up, to apply the truth of Christ in us, and in others, to be useful to the Lord. Then our hearts are sweetened, and our minds are ready for action by the work of the Lord.

Are you willing to be stirred up, for your heart’s desires, to be more wholly Christ’s?

“The desire of the righteous ends only in good.” (Proverbs 11:23)

“He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” (Psalm 145:19)

Our hearts are the seat of our desires, will, and choices. We explored this truth briefly in earlier devotions (particularly those of January 22-24, February 15, March 11-16). It’s time to go deeper, to explore the challenges of knowing our hearts’ desires and the implications of them for living a vibrant, biblical Christian life. We usually think of our hearts only when we are experiencing strong feelings, such as love, affection, hurt, pain, fear, anxiety, delight, happiness, or excitement. But our hearts are at work all the time; they hold and control our beliefs, our choices, decisions, and worldviews.

Often individuals’ belief systems begin with their feelings; “I believe what I feel” or “I believe what I have experienced.” However, Christians are called to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). The only way to have “righteous” desires, those that will be fulfilled by God is to conform our hearts and minds to Christ’s. There are several general problems with our hearts that hinder our union with Christ. One is the distractions and lure of worldly pleasures and possessions—like the food mentioned yesterday, devices, online applications, videos, games, messaging, movies, sports, TV, pornography, the love of money, sexual freedom, twenty-four-hour news feeds, academic pursuits, beauty, etc. In the parable of the sower, Jesus told his listeners what happens to the gospel when worldly desires are strong.  “As for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature” (Luke 8:14).

Another problem with our hearts is that we don’t think there is a problem with our hearts. Instead, we focus on our behavior, circumstances, and the actions of others as the cause of our difficulties. We do this without thinking, some more than others because it is an aspect of our sin nature that will not be conquered until we lose this body of sin at death. No wonder Paul delighted in remembering that he was crucified with Christ. Satan is vindicated whenever we start trying to “fix” ourselves by changing our behavior, which keeps us from examining the source of our problems in our hearts. He also fans the flames of conflict among us, so we bicker and fight and hold onto resentment and bitterness rather than humbling ourselves to take responsibility for our part of the problem in our relationships or circumstances. We will touch on the issue of anger this month, which is exasperated by our societies that are embracing spontaneous, violent outbursts, both orally and in writing, in texts, posts, and blogs.

Will you examine your heart today? Are you willing to ask God to show you the problems in your heart and consider the ones described above? Then will you ask him for the grace to help you sort them out and unite your desires to his?

 

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

A few hours ago, I enjoyed a lovely Easter dinner with new friends at a buffet. I am still stuffed and a little lethargic from eating delicious chow—more food than I needed and less than I wanted. Most of us engage in daily battles between our needs and desires. What do we truly need to live? We require air, water, food, shelter, clothing, light, and safety. Some of us need medication, medical assistance, and psychological assistance. Many people in developing countries do not have what is necessary for minimal life, such as water, food, shelter, and safety, while those in developed countries take these resources for granted.  Our desires may conform to, be in addition to, or be in opposition to our needs. For example, we may desire only the nourishment needed to maintain our bodies in a healthy state, which would be ideal wouldn’t it? However, we often crave unhealthy snacks and desserts. Unfortunately, in our world today there is more unhealthy food readily available (at a cost) than wholesome food, which takes more time to prepare. So, our unhealthy desires are encouraged and readily satisfied, reinforcing them. One benefit of living in a developing country, is that there was less affordable fast food, so people have to prepare most food from scratch. Retiring in the United States has been a significant challenge, as there is “convenience” food everywhere! Everywhere I look there is a product that will satisfy a craving…for food, entertainment, travel, conveniences, housing, and every other aspect of life, tempting me to make foolish rather than wise choices in many areas of my life. Adam and Eve had this same problem when the serpent invaded the garden and planted the idea that they didn’t have all they needed (or wanted) to be satisfied. Their desire for something they lacked became a craving and then they were convinced that it was a need.

While our absolute needs are physical and material, we also have familial, social, and spiritual needs. Parents need to care for growing children, and older children may need to care for their parents. We need social interaction to be whole people. Pastors, theologians, and Christians respectively need to study, teach, (and perhaps preach), serve, witness, pray, work together, and use the graces of God to live in, with, and for Christ. Our jobs come with the need to perform tasks and projects, fulfill contracts, travel, or attend and lead meetings. It would be foolish to ignore these needs, and it wise to examine the basis for our choices.

This week we will begin a journey into our hearts where our desires live. Are you willing to examine your innermost desires and consider that some may be unhealthy? Will you trust Christ to change the desires of your heart into wise, biblical yearnings as he unites your heart to his?

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)

Jesus is the resurrection. Here is one of the most profound truths of the Bible. He is not a resurrection, but the vital resurrection. It seems surreal to talk of more than one resurrection, but there have been many, including a widow’s only son, Lazarus, and Tabitha (Luke 7:15; John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40). When Christ was crucified, “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:52-53). How many more people today can testify that their hearts stopped beating and they were declared dead before being resuscitated? But all these died again; only Jesus was raised to eternal immortality.

It was impossible for Jesus to remain dead (Acts 2:24). There is no evidence of anyone anywhere seeing his physically dead body after the discovery of the empty tomb. Christ’s resurrection is a historical fact reported under the divine authority of the Bible, with the lack of physical evidence for an alternate reality. Its truth is not dependent upon your faith or mine. He is risen. “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:24)

Paul rightly directs us to perceive God with “The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:19-23). Scripture offers us the highest wisdom if we will only read and embrace it. In the Old Testament, God exercised his omnipotent power in many ways, including creating the world, flooding the earth, confusing the peoples’ speech at the Tower of Babel, calling Abraham, providing Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph to birth twelve tribes, delivering his people from slavery in Egypt through the exodus, wiping out the pagan nations from Canaan, giving Israel a king, and preserving the Jews in Persia. In the New Testament Jesus performed many miracles, healed diseases, saved the lost, exorcised demons, and defeated every enemy, including Satan. But God’s greatest power is seen in Jesus’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. It is power of the resurrection that Paul calls “immeasurably great,” emanating from Christ’s seat in heaven. These are truths of Scripture for our comfort, encouragement, and witness.

What are we to do with these indicatives? “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

He is risen indeed, and us with him.

“When I came to you, brothers, [I] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

I had an errand to do today at Target, so I did it first thing this morning. The cashier was apparently very friendly, as he was quite engaged with the customer in front of me, although I was far enough away from them that I couldn’t hear their conversations. (Those shopping carts in Target are huge.) When it was my turn to check out we exchanged pleasantries, and it went kind of like this:

Cashier: Good morning.

Me:   Hi, how are you?

Him: “Fine, how are you?”

Me: “I’m great! We’re celebrating the day that Christ turned the world upside down.”

Him: “What? What happened?”

Me: “Jesus was crucified and turned the meaning of life completely upside down.”

Him: “When did that happen?”

Me: “About 2,000 years ago, although for some people, it will happen today (or something like that—not my best doctrinal statement.)

Him: “Oh, I thought you were talking about something that happened today.”

Me: “Well, for some people, their lives will be turned upside down today because when Christ died for our sins, we live differently.”

Him: “Oh, I usually just talk about the weather or the news with people.”

Ok, so I didn’t do a great job of relating my awe and wonder over the crucifixion to the young man, but at least I may have given him food for thought. Now I’m reflecting on our passage, along with Galatians 6:14, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” At least I spoke about the one crucial thing: Christ crucified. I credit the Holy Spirit for my focus (but maybe not my wording, or lack of forethought). Like Paul, Christians have experiential knowledge of Jesus crucified and raised, and like him, this should be the subject that most delights us, even to the dismay of the world.

Paul was convinced that the only subject worthy of his preaching and writing was Jesus Christ crucified, as a new creation in him, who cared nothing for the world, which was crucified to him. I may have been in Target, but I thank God for my focus on Christ. My weakness in expressing the glory of the cross can be used by Jesus to draw that young man to faith. May it be so. Will you be focused on the cross of Christ today, even in weakness? Will the world be crucified to you today?

 

“When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’” (Matthew 26:1-5)

On Sunday our Pastor, Dr. Allan Taha preached a convincing sermon highlighting some of the paradoxes of Christ’s crucifixion.* It was beneficial to me, so I will enumerate some of the ironies of the cross, to grasp the profound wisdom of God’s intricate, hidden ways of working in the world, not only then, but throughout history, up to today. The ironies in the providence of God highlight the upside-down nature of life in Christ as compared to life in the world. As followers of Jesus, Christians commit to living a life of faith in the invisible Holy One of Israel, the promised Messiah, because our real eternal home and citizenship is in his kingdom, not the world.

The Jewish leaders plotted Jesus’ arrest in secret; Jesus not only expected it but called him out in the darkness. The leaders did everything to avoid a scene at Passover, assuming that the people would side with Christ, to save him. Instead, God ordained that their plans would be foiled to occur precisely at the Passover, and the people sided with them, not the Messiah. Caiaphas, the high priest, had prophesied that Jesus would die for the children of God and recommended his death as if it would be meaningless (John 11:49-53; 18:14). Pilate washed his hands of the judgment for crucifixion as if he was innocent and the Jews took responsibility for his execution as if they were just in their sentence. But all were condemned as a result of their part in Christ’s sentencing (Matthew 27:24-26). Barabbas, a guilty man, was freed and Jesus, the innocent man, died in his place (Matthew 27:20-23).

The Passover celebration, pointing to the future redemption of God’s people was interrupted by the crucifixion of The Passover Lamb who alone atoned for sin and provided that redemption upon his crucifixion (Matthew 26:1-5). He is indeed the King, although the Romans thought to mocked him as “King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:29, 37). Mockers accused Jesus of not being able to save himself, yet he is the only person who was never in need of salvation (Matthew 27:42). The Jews sought to protect their precious temple and religion from corruption by killing Christ, but the temple curtain was torn, allowing access to the Most Holy Place when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51). The Roman governing authorities tried to hide the fact that his body was missing from the tomb, but the apostles were even more incredulous at its mysterious disappearance, and therefore all the more convinced that Christ was raised to life.

Our sovereign God works all things according to his will in what seem to be the most contradictory ways to us. Why should we think that we can so easily discern his secret will or dismiss his intentions by our own choices? Do the ironies of the cross speak to you of Christ’s wisdom in a particular way this Easter? Will you take hold of God’s power intentionally for a more transformed life in Christ?

* Dr. Allan Taha, Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Boerne, Texas, “The Gospel of Reversals,” March 25, 2018, http://trinityboerne.org/sermons/sermon/2018-03-25/the-gospel-of-reversals.