November 25 (Psalm 119:81)

My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. (NIV)

It is easy to praise God in the good times, to be confident in our hope in Him. Where is your focus when year-end responsibilities are piling up and money is tight and schedules are packed and you are not sure what to buy for relatives or when you will even have time to go shopping? Do the words of Scripture and the praises of song come to your lips when relationships are going from bad to worse and illness threatens and surprise repair costs threaten a strapped budget?

Putting hope in God is the act of a warrior. When we hear others singing praise, we may even want to walk away. It may feel as if it would take a crow bar to open our lips, which have been shut with pain and grief. Do it anyhow. Sing through gritted teeth if necessary. Read that passage of Scripture even if you think you are getting nothing out of it and other thoughts are crowding your mind.

David wrote many of the psalms while under incredible fear and stress. The practices of the faith…prayer, study, praise…these are things that keep us strong. Never give up the work of putting your hope in God. Consider it an act of rebellion against the enemy who wants nothing more than to separate us from God, Who loves us

Father, it is difficult sometimes to go to You. I feel blocked, separated, overwhelmed. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within. By a great act of will, I choose to put my hope in You. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

November 18 (Acts 7:54-55)

When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (NIV)

A man named Stephen spoke the truth and became the first Christian martyr. By telling people what they did not want to hear, he incurred their wrath. They killed him, even as he kept his eyes fixed on the glory of God.

There have been and continue to be countless martyrs for the faith, those who are willing to die so that others may know the truth. I think of Polycarp, who in A.D. 155 was told by the government to renounce Christ and worship Caesar. This elderly man told the governor that if he wanted to find out what it meant to be a Christian, he need only pick a day and Polycarp would be happy to teach him. They burned him at the stake in the middle of the arena. On January 1, 404, a man named Telemachus made his way down from the stands of the Colosseum in Rome to stop a gladiator fight amidst the jeers of the crowd, who wanted their bloody entertainment to continue. He was murdered in the sight of thousands.

To what arena has God called you? There are many things that pass for normal, acceptable, and enjoyable that are repugnant to God. Christians who seek the will of God know the truth. Will we speak it? Would you be willing to lose a friendship or offend a family a member to share the truth in love? Would you risk losing your job? Stephen, Polycarp, Telemachus, and all those who lost their lives for the truth knew that such strength comes from God.

Father, let me not be swayed by fear when it comes to speaking the truth about You. Help me to share Your words boldly and with grace that others may know Who You really are and the life You want with them. In the name of Jesus, Who willingly died so I could be Your son, amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

November 11 (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  (NIV)

Let us be quite clear.  Being godly is not natural.  It was once, but after that whole incident in the garden with Adam and Eve, things changed.  We may like to think that we are good people, but if we want to have any hope of that being true, we have some work to do.

The most natural thing in the world for me is to do what I want to do.  That is my default mode of living.  I have to make a conscious effort to not eat that fifth slice of pizza or to go to bed instead of watching a movie I have already seen countless times.  The same is true in my training for godliness.  I must choose each morning to read Scripture before preparing for my day.  I must choose to go to church, even when I do not feel like it.  I must choose to give of my time and my money to serve the purposes of God.

What is your training regimen?  Is the reading of Scripture a part of your daily life?  Do words of praise regularly come to your lips?  What would a look at your checkbook and calendar reveal about your life?  No matter where we are in our training for godliness, we must keep up the good work.  If we truly love our Lord, we will want to be like Him, and that takes work.

Father, thank You for Your grace for the times when I grow slack in my training to be like You.  Keep me on the right path, that one day You may say of me as You did Jesus, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.”  In the name of my Lord, Jesus, I pray.  Amen. 

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

October 28 (Mark 12:17)

Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. (NIV)

As we near the end of the election season, many will be glad that it is over. From the national to the local level, many contests have been more contentious than any before. What is a Christian to do in the midst of such high stakes animosity?

One thing we must do is play our proper role as citizens. Jesus made it very clear in the verse for today. When it comes to taxes, voting, and other activities that support the structure of our society, we must do our duty. Yet we must always do that and every other duty from the position of those whose allegiance lies to another kingdom and another King. We must, even as we do our civic duty, give to God what belongs to Him.

What is it that God requires? The answer is simple. He requires complete surrender and submission to His will. A Christian must always vote not on what will give him a better life, but on what is consistent with the will of God. Nothing else should shape our political behavior. Nothing else should shape our lives.

Father, give us wisdom as we prepare to vote for the leaders of our land. What do you want us to see? What do we need to know to make decisions that will be pleasing to You? In matters of our government as in the rest of our lives, we pray that Your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of our only Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

October 21 (John 21:7)

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. (NIV) Peter was one impulsive guy. Sometimes this was good, as when he was the first to acknowledge that Jesus was Lord. Sometimes it was bad, as when he sliced off the ear of a soldier who had come to arrest Jesus. Yet his heart was always the same. He loved his Lord and would do anything for Him. The moment he heard that it was the risen Jesus on the beach, he did not wait to row the boat to shore. He grabbed his shirt, jumped into the water, and started swimming. Is that how it is with you? Do you respond that quickly when you hear the voice of God? Evil people can get others to respond quickly out of fear. Peter responded with haste because he loved his Lord. He heard that He was near and could not wait to be with Him. Is that how it is with you? God speaks to us through His word, the Bible, and through the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within us. It is important to learn how to distinguish His voice and presence from the random thoughts of our own minds or the lies of Satan. If the voice makes you want to run toward it, you can be sure that is the voice of God. Lord Jesus, kindle in me the fire of Your love. Make my heart burn for You and for nothing else. May I, like Peter, be eager to follow You anywhere. Amen. Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

October 14 (Isaiah 58:13-14)

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken. (NIV)

Many, if not most, of us shoehorn our time with God into our busy schedules. We pray in the shower, listen to Christian radio while driving to a meeting, and do our ten minutes of due diligence reading the Bible each day. On the one hand, this is good. Our time with God should be woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We should be communing with Him in the midst of our most mundane activities.

Yet when was the last time you gave a day to God? When was the last time you gave him a full hour of your time? A church retreat can provide the occasion for intimate, dedicated time with God, yet He Himself has invited us to just such a retreat once a week. Think for just a moment of what it would be like to spend a day not rushing around doing things you have to do or even cramming in all the activities you enjoy. Imagine a day not going your own way or doing as you please, but finding your joy in the Lord.

If that sounds good to you, it should. You and I were made for Sabbath rest with our Father Who loves us. He is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?

Oh, Father, I long to be with You, to spend even a few moments in the midst of a hurly burly life in Your presence. Lead me beside quiet waters. Make me lie down in Your green pastures, for my cup has run low. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins

October 7 (1 Corinthians 2:2)

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (NIV)

There are times when I think I really have it together. I am husband and father, a homeowner, and successful at what I do. I know how to handle car trouble and can do basic repairs around the house. All in all, I think I have a fairly good bead on things.

What a joke. I can become as frightened as a little kid and after decades of following Christ, I am still learning what it really means to be a Christian. For all the pride I like to take in my own abilities, I need to come back to nothing but Jesus Christ. I constantly have to strip away the false beliefs and misplaced confidence that seemingly grow up over night. Who am I, that God should be mindful of me?

Spend some time chipping away at the things that have encrusted your life. It may be activities, ambitions, or your interpretations of the Christian faith. Come back to Christ, and Him crucified. Let Him, and nothing else, lead and guide you once again.

Lord Jesus, show me the weakness in my imagined strength that I may stop living on what does not give me life and turn again to You. In Your holy name I pray, amen.

Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins