Roots by the River

Jeremiah prayed, “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Paul wrote, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Galatians 5:18). “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm” (Psalm 37:23). “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9). I thank God for these wonderful truths. I thank God for His daily directing my steps from my earliest days as a Christian until today. I have no idea where I would be today if this were not true. “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love...

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). “The golden rule for understanding spirituality is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest ). “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).   Written August 1991. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

  No parameters, no speed of light nor time nor space. Nothing to measure in light years or miles and then God created the Heavens and the Earth.   In and around and above that wet, dark and formless empty earth The Spirit Hovered.   From beyond the night, beyond the heavens and apart from the Earth God said, "Let there be light." And there was light.   Six measured days later God created man in His own likeness. But man believed a lie to be more like God and indeed became less like Him. Man's thinking became futile, and his foolish heart was darkened.   Now we are measured in time, square miles, and by the Bureau of Standards. Into that measured land, in a farmhouse on a quarter section in central Nebraska God created a man, partly in His likeness.   Twenty measured years went by, and over and around that man with a dark and formless void, The Spirit hovered.   Into that void, formless and dark, pierced,...

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7). We do not normally think of feet as beautiful. Why are these feet different? They are carrying a voice that proclaims good news, peace, good tidings, salvation, and the reign of God. The apostle Paul quotes this text in Romans 10:15 right after a series of questions. "‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15). This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please...

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). If you are normal, you want to be in the best church in town, and you may be in it. However, does this church or any church fit the definition of pure and faultless religion? This is in the sight of God the Father. He is paying attention to see if your religion is pure and undefiled. There are two requirements: 1) to visit orphans and widows who are in distress and 2) to keep yourself unspotted from the world. Concerning the first requirement, you may not know any widows or orphans in distress. However, they are there in your town. Ask God who they are. The second requirement is not letting the filth of the world touch you at all. Jesus prays in John 17:15-17, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not ...

In my reading through the Proverbs, the eighteenth chapter got my attention. Here are three from that chapter: "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body" (v. 8). "If one gives answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (v. 13). "He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (v. 17). They all have to do with conversation, and they hit three great problems in the church today: gossip, not listening, and listening to only one side. All of these can be corrected by a simple desire and act of the will. However, to act properly means that there will be no more “choice morsels,” no “ego talking,” and no choosing up sides. Here are two New Testament sentences which will help us in our decision: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”...

It is relatively easy to believe great things of God as in Psalm 33:6, 9: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” It seems to be more difficult to believe great things of God when it has to do with us: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand ” (Rom. 14:4). “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because...

God, in inspiring the Bible, went through the Creation, the Fall, and the Flood all in eleven chapters. It is as if God was in a hurry to get to Abraham. Then with the next 38 chapters God goes into detail on Abraham and the next three generations. Abraham was the “friend of God” and the father of the Jews and the Faithful. David is a “man after God’s own heart.” The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the son of David. “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to...

Our view of God, our view of our own sinfulness (or our own righteousness), and our view of the sinfulness of others all have an effect on how and when we repent. David had a great view of God’s mercy and unfailing love and a great view of his own sin. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me, against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge” (Psalm 51:1-4). A simple parable presented by Nathan, the prophet, broke David into repentance. Job had a great view of his own righteousness and a great view of God’s injustice to him. “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostri...

“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12). “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in or...

I came across the following poem (prayer) and devotional in Amy Carmichael's book Edges of His Ways :   Before the winds that blow do cease, Teach me to dwell within thy calm; Before the pain has passed in peace, Give me, my God, to sing a psalm. Let me not lose the chance to prove The fulness of enabling love. O Love of God, do this for me; Maintain a constant victory.   Before I leave the desert land For meadows of immortal flowers, Lead me where streams at thy command Flow by the borders of the hours, That when the thirsty come I may Show them the fountains in the way. O love of God, do this for me; Maintain a constant victory.   "This prayer was written for the ill, and for the tired. It is so easy to fail when not feeling fit. As I thought of them, I also remembered those who, thank God, are not ill and yet can be hard-pressed. Sometimes in the midst of the rush of things, it seems impossible to be victorious, always to be peac...

During my 69 years of being a Christian,* I have been blessed in knowing thousands of believers in Christ. This blessing, however great, has had a little darkness in it. The darkness was not in the unity of the body—that was the blessing. The darkness was the differences the Christians had with each other. The differences were on many things, including baptism (different forms or meanings) and theology (Reformed, Dispensational, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, German Lutheran, Swedish Lutheran, Missouri Synod Lutheran, etc. They would not allow communion to someone whose church was in a different synod or denomination.) Is there a common basis for fellowship in the Bible? There is a basis for breaking fellowship. Unconfessed immorality is one reason. “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is...

Here are a few thoughts on evangelism. There is a key responsibility placed upon the unbeliever: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This is a command to all people everywhere . However, all people everywhere have not heard this command. Let's look at the responsibility placed on the believer: “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:13-17). “To o...

The Bible speaks of the sins of whole nations in many places. Here is one of them: “This is what the Lord says: For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath…” (Amos 2:6). Scripture also speaks of the sins of cities (e.g., Amos 1:3, 6). Jesus spoke of judgment on Chorazin and Bethsaida in Matthew 11:21 and of possible judgment on five of the seven churches in Asia in Revelation 2 and 3. The collective sins of the people brought about these judgments. The people of the Church today are not known for confessing their sins. We are even less known for confessing the sins of the whole church or city or nation as Daniel did in Daniel 9: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our pr...

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Cor. 9:12). “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15). These three verses have something in common. It is prayer . James 5:16 tells us of the quality of prayer or, rather, the quality of the man who prays for healing. The next two verses tell of the quantity of men who thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:12 speaks of God’s people who are grateful, having had their physical needs met by those who had given. This results in “overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15 is speaking of the salvation of more and more people. This causes “thanksg...

The Scripture that has been in my mind a good part of the day is Haggai 2:11-13: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ The priests answered, ‘No.’ Then Haggai said, ‘If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?’ ‘Yes,’ the priests replied, ‘it becomes defiled.’” Notice this! Defilement, uncleanness, and dirt can be transferred. Cleanliness cannot be transferred. If I pour clean water into dirty water, does that make the dirty water clean? No! If I pour dirty water into clean water, does that make the clean water dirty? Yes! If I have dirty hands and shake your clean hand, do I transfer dirt to you, or do you transfer clean to me? Dirt is transferred! “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character'” (1 Cor...

There are only two things you can do at any given time: obey God or disobey Him. Obeying God and confessing your sin when you disobey is called walking in the light: as soon as you get in the darkness, you confess your sin and get back in the light. My book How to Be Free: More Essays on Christian Living is about how to be free from besetting sins and obey God. It covers different topics like depression, worry, anger, low self-esteem, guilt, gossip, lying, a critical spirit, complaining, etc. It also talks about how to walk in the light. The book is available at ccmbooks.org/bookstore and Amazon. Sins do not travel in singles. If you have unconfessed sin, it sets you up for more sin. If you get into the habit of confessing sin, you will not have to go through the ins and outs of obedience and confession so much. Take care of sin when it occurs. Do not wait. It is possible to walk in the light, which makes it easy to obey God. When you are walking in the light, you can rejoice al...

In recent days,* I have been struck again by the partial repentance of the kings of Israel and the partial repentance of the kings of Judah. Here are two examples from many. Israel: “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 10:31). The last sentence was said of every king of Israel. Judah: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (2 Kings 14:3-4). This last sentence was said of Amaziah and his son, his grandson, and his great-grandson. Amaziah was one of the good kings of Judah. Hezekiah, his great-great-grandson, turned things around: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He r...

Here are four passages of Scripture which have meant very much to me. There are many others, but these stand out. Each has a promise attached. The promises are in bold. “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth ” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21). “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice...

There are portions in Paul’s writings that talk about being more like the Lord Jesus. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). “I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves a...